((A/N:This chappy is dedicated to Faded_shadow because she bribed me with fanart xDDD lol
This chappy MIGHT have some errors 'cause I wrote it in a rush but I hope ya'll like it anyway!
Muse-chan out!))
KID:
Steal The Dead
Task: Youkai
Logic would have long since reprimanded him that this was a bad idea. Logic would have pointed out that the police would not be very happy if he ran away with their precious witness.
Logic would have told him that she was probably delirious from the mental and physical strain of the attack.
Three things were what stopped him from hailing to logic; 'it', 'bleed' and the look on her face.
It wasn't the look of a delirious and terrified girl. Honestly he didn't think such an expression belonged on such a young face, but it was desperate, strong and pulling.
'It' wasn't a very comforting word either. It wasn't 'he', 'she', or 'they', just an ominous 'it'.
'It' was generally reserved for the indescribable.
Not comforting at all. Especially not with how calculating the girl looked. She didn't look like she would resort to using 'it' easily.
It didn't help that he had some particularly special feelings for one of the people she had been referring to when she said 'bleed'.
She didn't say 'kill'. Just 'bleed'.
That disturbed him more than anything else.
So, despite his better judgment and all the logic he had, here he was giving a piggy-back to one Haibara Ai as they retreated the premises and chased the path of destruction only she seemed to be able to see.
"Are you sure you know where we're going?"
Ai didn't even spare a withering glare as she attempted to keep him from noticing her bleeding. There was no way he would continue to help her if he knew her full condition.
"Positive." She grunted in reply.
'I wouldn't risk their lives on a hunch.'
"Wake up; I need you to find them. You need to stop it."
"Eh…?"
"If you want to save them you need to make contract with me."
"Contract?"
"Decide now or I'll leave you to die."
---
The best and easiest way to describe it was a swamp like forest, with the occasional jungle like feature.
It was unlike anything Sonoko had ever seen before.
And in a very pulling sense, it was attractive, almost nostalgic.
It was very hard to think in it and there was little light. Most of the light seemed to come from faint glows of fireflies.
But they weren't fireflies. Sonoko knew that. They didn't look—didn't feel like fireflies.
She decided she didn't want to know what they were.
Her surroundings were terrifying and at the same time comfortable.
It was practically maddening.
And the claw was back.
'Why do I know it's a claw…?'
It didn't matter, what mattered was that she'd tackled Ayumi out of the way of the attack.
She felt like she'd played into its hands though, because the air crackled with amusement.
Since when could she tell what emotion the air had?
'I don't like this place.'
"SONOKO! MOVE!"
'I really don't like this place.'
Her blood was rushing like never before, adrenaline had long since taken hold along with something else.
She hated it. Ever bit of her rejected it.
"Sonoko-neechan!"
Something big landed on top of her and dragged a few feet to the left. The shivering girl in her arms let out a slight whimper/sob.
It was about then that she realized that she was crying too.
Genta just stared at the gaping hole in the ground where they had just been. Neither girl would have survived if he hadn't of moved them.
It was coming at them again though.
'I hate it here!'
Mitsuhiko and Ran were pulling them to their feet while slightly dragging them.
"Hurry! We have to move!"
Ayumi barely managed to scramble to her feet in time to avoid the latest attack.
"I wouldn't go there if I were you…"
"Deeper into the forest… they're never going to survive."
"They're walking into death."
Ayumi shivered and closed her eyes in an attempt to block out the voices.
They were terrifying.
Tears streamed down her face and she barely managed to keep up with Genta as he pulled her along.
"They're all going to bleed."
---
It was hard to give into exhaustion when Pain was tingling at your senses.
No matter how many times you felt exhaustion take its hold on you, Pain always left a jolting sensation that would force all of your adrenalin to pulse. This was probably one of the things that made Pain addicting.
It wasn't that it was pleasurable by any means, but it was certainly attracting. It had an allure like none other.
So it was really quite amazing that he'd managed to avoid an addiction thus fair. Due to constricting time restraints he'd had to take in quite a bit of Pain in a short period of time.
'Pain' in so many dosages in such a short time wouldn't leave him completely addicted though. But it could kill him; his senses could begin to dull due to the sheer volume of it. If his senses dulled because of Pain the reaper would take him.
Body and all.
How did he know all this? He was almost positive Akako hadn't mentioned it in her fairly brief description of Pain.
But he knew it was true.
It was like someone was whispering in his ear…
"I am…"
Kid jolted, barely managing to avoid crashing his hang-glider.
His heart pounded.
That wasn't Koizumi's voice.
He could feel it grin sadistically.
"She did tell you that you'd attract… unwanted attention, remember?"
And that was all Kid needed to hear to know that this… voice… didn't mean him good will.
---
Nakamouri Ginzo took note that Hakuba had disappeared some time ago. Which in itself seemed a little odd considering how the detective tended to hound cases that fell his way, but Ginzo supposed that murder cases weren't his thing.
A slight wind blew and Ginzo shivered slightly.
It sure was chilly…
It was then that it occurred to him that he was inside and well away from any vents. There wasn't a logical reason for the wind…
"…tousan…"
A shiver shot up his spine and another gust of wind hit him.
"…tousan…?"
Nakamouri Ginzo awoke with a start, heart pounding and eyes wide.
Where…?
It took him sometime to realize he was home. They'd sent him home sometime in the early morning, before light.
Ginzo shivered, something was very wrong.
"Tou…san…?"
---
It wasn't without hesitance that Makoto continued to follow the little girls directions.
The farther they got, the more terrified he became.
Makoto was not used to getting terrified. Even when something scared him he generally worked out of it with his courage.
This was… different.
It left his blood searing against the inside of his skin, almost like it was trying to get out.
If even his very blood was trying to escape, it generally meant it wasn't very wise for him to continue.
What propelled him forward was a stronger fear.
"It's going to bleed them."
He needed to find Sonoko.
"Get out of the way!" the high pitched scream of the girl on his back pulled him out of his revere.
Makoto blinked, barely managing to avoid the attack.
"Who…"
The brown haired girl in front of him cocked a psychotic grin, "You're helping the witch, aren't you?"
Makoto took a startled step back at the voice.
That was not human. He wasn't sure what it was but the layers and venom in the tone… he hadn't thought a voice like that was possible.
Ai shifted on his back, eyes widening when she saw the girl.
Makoto gulped, gaining some of his composure(though he was quite sure that his heart was about to pound out of his ribcage), "Haibara-san… do you know her?"
He couldn't believe his tone had become so dryly terrified.
He'd never heard his own voice sound so scared.
Ai shook her head, "Iie… demo…—" their conversation was cut short when the brown haired girl in front of them lunged at Makoto, who expertly evaded the butcher knife.
Still, it managed to graze his cheek.
'When did she get a knife…?'
"I hope the witch warned you what happens when you open Contract." Her grin grew and Makoto had to resist turning tail and running.
"Who are you?!"
She smiled predatorily and Makoto jumped back to avoid being skewered.
"Youkai."
Ai's suddenly felt very cold.
"If the youkai notice you, it's over."
"Don't let them catch you."
Makoto on the other hand was feeling rather panicked. He didn't doubt her words, not one bit.
That's what terrified him all the more.
'Youkai don't exist' logic would tell him.
'But there's a living breathing one right in front of me trying to kill me' he couldn't resist replying.
'She's probably just crazy' logic interjected.
Every bone in his body disagreed.
Fear like this wasn't natural.
Fear shouldn't inspire his body to convulse painfully.
It was like the girl was beating him with just her aura.
The puppet gave another wolfish smile before lunging again. Makoto was never more grateful for his martial arts training. He honestly didn't think he would've been able avoid her attacks at all without it.
She was fast. Too fast.
"MOVE!"
Makoto didn't think, just moved out of the way.
He hadn't seen it. Not at all. He'd been watching the girl for movement, but he still should have seen… whatever it was.
The invisible claw that had left a crater in its wake moved. He wasn't sure how he knew it had, but he knew it.
The aura around the possessed girl crackled ominously and he knew it had come from her.
'How…—?!'
Ai wasn't paying much attention to the attacker anymore.
Their surroundings weren't familiar any more.
((Ending Notes: Ya-ha~ new chappy done, workin' on the next one!! =3 love ya!
-Muse-chan dealing with new puppy.))
