The atmosphere along the street was heavy like the middle of a summer heatwave. the air dry and hard to breath. Mikoto slowed from her run and started to walk. She could feel it, the closer she got. It pressed against her breast, like a succubus lying across someone's chest, sucking the breath from their body, a heavy suffocating weight. The malicious aura that surrounded him. He appeared, an evil twisted statue, his glaring eyes narrowed into slits.

She strained to take a breath of humid air, slowly exhaled, letting it slip past her lips. The air around her lighten. Mikoto's queens' intent flowed softly like a cool summer breeze. She took another breath, the cool air was refreshing, smelling and tasting sweet. A chill swept through her body. Her eyes lightened, her lips curled into a small smile. She had years to go to use it as effectively as Anastasia.

She cocked her head to the side, stared with red eyes. the color of the blood moon. He was less than 50 yards away. An uneasy feeling rose in her belly. He looked so calm. So, self-assured. She swallowed a little salvia, wetting her lips. Taking a soft breath, she calmed herself the best she could.

"Watch the alleys." Little Misaka spoke.

She was inside Mikoto's mind. Her head bowed, eyes closed, her arms held straight out from her shoulders, like she was nailed to a cross. Her fingers spread out. She was sending little pulses. Sonar waves, echoing, bouncing off the surfaces of stores, automated trash cans and into the darkened alleys.

She grinned before she whispered, "Mikoto, one in each alley."

Mikoto nodded as she walked towards the Baron. The thick air rolled over her in waves, flowing around her like a shallow stream. Her queens' intent pushing it to the side, like a boat's bow plowing through the water.

"Intimidated." The Baron spoke, lifting his head.

His eyes turned black, so ominous the light refused to shine across his eyeballs. The right side of his lips twisted, the tip of his fangs showed.

"Not really." Mikoto answered as she shook her head. she stopped, shifted her hips, put her right hand on her waist.

The Baron's eyes became little incisions, the black of his eyes burned with hate. They were thin lines that became darker at the annoying confidence of the Little made bitch standing in his presence. A flash of his eyes and he'd be at her throat.

"Anastasia's got you beat." Mikoto spoke, twisting her lips, "she tries it when she gets mad or wants her way." She sighed out loud, "sometimes I let her win, sometimes…" she shrugged her shoulders.

Mikoto tilted her head, her eyes strayed across the road to the buildings, to the alleys and the rooftops.

Vampires, wolves used speed, strength, stealth and numbers. They attacked in packs. She expected a few more vampires to be around, besides the two in the alleys.

The Baron grinned. He reveled in the thought of tearing her down, breaking her apart and draining her dry. He closed his eyes as he took a deep breath.

"How was she?" He spoke, softly sniffing the air, the edges of his mouth curled into an ugly smile. "did she taste like honeysuckle?"

The black of his eyes shined as he opened his eyes.

"What?" She quickly spoke, creases formed across her forehead, "what are you talking about?" the sound of her voice tensed.

"Don't listen." Little Misaka spoke, "don't…"

"Why?"

"Because_" Little Misaka tried to answer.

The Baron's laughter cut the conversation.

"Really…" He raised his chin, shaking his head, "that forgettable." His voice quickly softened. His eyes drifted to the alleys. He chuckled silently.

Mikoto stared at him.

"wwhat do you mean?" her voice went weak.

"Honeysuckle." He said it again, taking a step closer. "That's what she smelled like."

He hesitated for a moment, running his tongue across his thin lips, "so sweet the scent." He tilted his head. an expression of arrogance covered his face.

"Did you taste it, lick it off your fingers. Was she warm, wet, easy to touch. So, hot you could feel the heat before you slipped your fingers inside, wanting you to take her, so willingly_"

"what the hell are you talking about!" Mikoto shouted, her hands clenched. Something hot, something ugly filled her belly. She took a few quick steps forward. Each one hitting the ground harder than the previous. Like street lights in the night, electricity hummed in the air.

"Mikoto," Little Misaka lifted her head and shouted, "No!"

She knew what he was doing, saying. What he was trying to do. Get her angry, get her to make a mistake. She yelled again, hoping to get her to focus, to listen.

"Quite!" Mikoto snarled, quickly glared at the Baron. "What do you mean? What are you talking about?"

She clenched her fist tight, her nails digging into her flesh. Little drips of blood seeped through her fingers and fell to the ground, "go on!" she screamed, the veins in her neck bulged.

The Baron blew out a breath, taking a few steps closer.

"She didn't tell you?" He spoke, softly chuckled, "it was because of you." He stopped, eyeing Mikoto's face, watching it fill with anger.

"What…" Her left eye twitched. she growled. "WHAT! is it old man!"

She forced the words through her clenched teeth. Little sparks flickered across her bangs. The warm ugly feeling rose into her chest.

The Baron's face twisted, smelling the electricity in the air.

He had been at the castle. When she used the railgun to protect little Gwen and killed the baron's maid. but he didn't know how it happened. He stepped closer, seeing Mikoto getting angrier and angrier. Waiting for her to make her mistake.

"She was in heat!" He quickly spoke, shaking his head, placing his hands on his hips and laughed.

"Huh?!" Mikoto's eyes quickly flew open. Her cheeks reddened. Her heart slammed in her chest. "What?!" the word caught in her throat like a stone.

"That's right." The Baron spoke in a light I told you so tone, taking a few steps.

"In heat." He continued, "the need, the desire to mate, to fuck." He held his laughter in his throat. Watching mikoto's self-confidence slowly break. He began to chip away at it.

"Did you enjoy the results?" He cocked his head, "honeysuckle sweet. I could smell it wafting in the breeze when I arrived. But it seems you caught her first."

He thinned eyes and lips, disgusted, "Little made bitch." He whispered in a deep growl of a voice. The phrase tasted sour in his throat.

"Pay attention!" Little Misaka yelled, "Mikoto!" shaking her head.

"That's why…" Mikoto spoke softly, dropping her gaze, taking her eyes off the Baron, running it across the ground.

"I could smell her…" Mikoto's voice trembled, "why?" Her body slowly shook. "Is that why I said yes. Is that why I made my choice." Her stomach twisted and turned. She nervously ran her tongue along her lips, swallowing the little salvia.

"Mikoto… No…" Misaka pleaded, "listen it doesn't work that way." Her voice cracked, her eyes glistening. She could hear Mikoto's heart cracking, starting to crumble.

"Did she lie to me, did she set me up?" Nervous little electric sparks lit the air, flipping from her bangs.

Mikoto's eyes watered, her breathing became ragged, "is that why?" Her voice cracked ready to cry as she raised her head up, looking towards the Baron.

"Gotcha. Little bitch…"

He was inches from her face. His rancid hot breath blew across her face. He gripped her throat and squeezed and whispered, "not so confident now."

He slowly smiled, his lips spreading wide revealing his long-curved fangs. Then she felt the sudden shock of her body being thrown and slammed into something hard. Her face twisted in pain. She tried to catch her breath but he did it again.

He gripped her throat, slamming her body against a brick wall. The surface split and the bricks cracked, tumbling over her to the ground. His rage was overwhelming. She struggled to breathe. He slowly tightened his fingers. He took a deep breath, whispered into her ear.

"Little bitch…" He laughed, "a little mind fucking and you fall apart. Perhaps it's you who doesn't trust yourself."

He yanked her off the wall, slammed her against it. Her breath spilled from her lungs filling the air with blood and saliva.

She was drowning, her lungs screaming for air. He squeezed her throat tighter. He tilted his head, his dead eyes looking her over.

"Perhaps, I should see why she likes you so much." He grinned, "maybe do to you what I planned for her Royal highness." He let out a breath, widened his grin, pulling her off the wall, slammed her against it again, "Little made bitch!" he roared.

The air trembled, filling with his rage. The very thought burned in his mind. A human girl. A made bitch lying next to a pure blood queen. That thought, the words wretched in his throat.

She hung from his hands like a ragdoll. Her face pointing up to the sky, her eyes closed, covered with blood and sweat.

"Mikoto!" Little Misaka yelled, "don't listen to him. Anastasia's not like that. You know it, believe in her. Believe in yourself." Her red eyes teared up, "please…"

Mikoto slowly opened her eyes, straining to focus, stinging as the blood and sweat poured over them.

"Ruin my plans." He growled, "it would have been so easy. Kidnap the little princess, using her to bend her Royal highness over her mother's throne." He laughed, " I'd use the little bitch; Anastasia would've done anything. I'd make her order her wolves and vampires to stand down. Then watch as I planted my seed inside her womb." He laughed again, taking a deep breath, "but you… Got in the way." He paused, shaking his head, "well, the best laid plans of mice, men and vampires…"

"Maybe I'll use you instead?" He thought, shaking his head. "No… Maybe I'll find your mother, yes." He nodded, his dead eyes stared at her, "that would be nice. A little older than I'm used to… But," he closed his eyes, shrugging his shoulders and pulled his arm back, slammed her against the wall. Chunks of the brick wall tumbled over them.

"How about Kuroko. She's a little perv." He chuckled, "perhaps I'll turn her and let her live up little girl on girl fantasies… With one of my elites. It won't be pleasant at first… But she'll get used to it. Maybe order her to turn Uiharu and do it to her."

He adjusted his grip around her throat, pressing her against the shattered brick wall. the pieces hit the ground

Despite appearing thin and gaunt, he was stronger and faster than she had thought. His strength threatened to crush her, his speed swift and silent. Using both, his long thin fingers were now wrapped around her throat, barely able to control himself from squeezing the life out of her body. His rage fed his desire to kill. He didn't just like it. He thrived at killing. The look in his eyes, the evil that flourished in them. The pools of darkness that would eagerly reach out and drag someone to their death. A slow painful drowning of a death.

He leaned close to her face, snarling, spittle splashed across her skin. His breath, hot and heavy.

Mikoto struggled to breath, lips trembling as tears covered her cheeks, straining to stay alive.

She felt as though she was easily overmatched. She raised her hands up and gripped his wrist, digging her nails into his skin. "I have to think of something." She said to herself. her head felt like a balloon slowly expanding about to burst.

The baron smiled, like it was no big deal. He bared his fangs, a low deep throated growl shook the air.

"maybe I should see what Anastasia likes so much…" he slammed his palm into her chest, curling his sharp talon like fingernails digging into her skin, grabbing a handful of her school uniform. And ripped it from her chest. Pain exploded through her body. It burned her body like a white-hot fire poker pressed against her breast.

Her muscles stiffened as wave after wave of pain ran through every fiber of her body.

Mikoto's eyes went wide, her shirt and bra torn from her body. The cool air rushing across her hot naked skin. The smell of blood, her blood and sweat filled the air.

The baron laughed, looking at her petite breast. Her torn bloodied skin slowly healing.

The baron placed his hand on her right breast, stroking her skin with his thumb. His thin lips curled, his eyes slowly went from her breast to her red eyes, the color of the blood moon.

"perhaps…" he dragged his nails down her belly, leaving a path of torn bloody skin to her waist, slipped two fingers into the edge of her skirt.

"Mikoto…" Little Misaka whispered in a painful voice, "please…" She pleaded, "she loves you. You can feel it, let it go. Let your doubts go."

"You lied…" Mikoto whispered, her throat struggling under his grip.

"No…" Little Misaka shook her head, "no… I can't lie to you."

"Not you…" Mikoto painfully swallowed, the tears slipped from her red eyes, "you lied."

"What?" The Baron growled, he leaned closer, inches from her face, "did you say…"

"You lied…" Mikoto tighten her grip on his wrist, "when Anastasia took the life of your maid. You didn't even care. I could feel how sorry she felt. I could feel how proud she was as a vampire. The duty she performed. Your maid didn't want to live without her twin sister. Anastasia did it quickly and painlessly."

"How did you know that she had a twin." He spoke, gritting his teeth. He flared his lips exposing his long-curved things.

Mikoto slowly grinned, narrowed her eyes, her fingers wrapped tightly around his wrists, her nails cutting into his skin.

"Francesca told me."

His eyes went wide in surprise mixed with a little fear. Mikoto could see it and she started to laugh.

"She's alive…" His voice shook, his heart slammed against his chest.

Mikoto grinned, hearing it hit like a big bass drum. She licked her lips, smiled, "surprise, jerk!"

BOOOM!