(A/n: Pleas enjoy)

Chapter 37: Vincent Valentine

"Ike what's wrong?"

Ike is panicking so bad that he didn't hear Pip's voice as he rushes into his and Pip's bathroom. He opens the sink's drawer, only to quickly slam it shut when he doesn't find what he's looking for. He hurries back into the room, going towards the dressers, once again failing to hear his name being called. His wide hysteric eyes scan the drawers he opens individually, dread sinking deeper and deeper each time they show him only clothes and other garments.

"Where..where is it?!"

"Ike!"

The boy jolts with a blink of the eyes, his senses slowly returning as he turns to look at Pip, who is now approaching him. The blonde gently clasps his hands on top of his shoulders, staring him dead in his eyes. "Calm down. What are you searching for that's led you to act this panicky?"

It takes a couple of moments, but Ike manages to relax some. "I-I can't find my library book."

Pip frowns. "You lost something too? Why didn't you go with Gregory to the Principal's office?"

Ike breaks eye contact, shaking his head. "I couldn't..." There's no way he could've told the Principal that he'd lost a book that wasn't supposed to be in this school. Absolutely no way.

"Why not?" Pip lowers his hands.

Ms. Faith's warning sounds inside his head. Would it be all right to tell Pip? Would it even be a good idea? He trusts Pip, but not enough for him to keep his mouth shut when told a secret. His character just doesn't seem the type. But Ike is going to risk it, he seriously hopes he doesn't regret it in the long run. He balls his hands into fists. "Pip," he looks back into light blue eyes filled concerning curiosity. "Promise me that you won't tell anybody what I'm about to tell you. Not to Gregory, Stan, or Gary. This is between me and you."

Pip contemplates it for a second, appearing very concerned now. "Wha-"

"Promise me."

The stern gleam in Ike's cinnamon brown iris' doesn't permit him to argue any further. "Okay, I promise," he says, deepening his frown.

Ike surveys him as if he's trying to discern if he's lying or being honest. The instant he opens his mouth, the door opens. Walking in is Gregory, and he looks greatly displeased about something. Closing the door without a word to either Ike or Pip, he goes into his bathroom.

"Looks like things didn't go well with the Principal," Pip mutters.

Gregory exits the bathroom, and heads straight for his bed. He sits down on it with a heavy sigh, burying his face into his hands. Pip approaches him nervously, sitting down next to him. He raises a hand to comfort him, but puts it down thinking against it. He stares at his lap.

"What happened?" Ike ambles over to his bed, sitting down on the bottom edge.

Gregory remains silent, still trying to lessen his anger while his headache gradually recedes thanks to the help of he medicine he just took. He speaks after a minute. "I waited the whole fucking day just to be told that the issue will be looked into when the incident with the hunter is settled and taken care of, all because the creator of this school is coming over this evening." He shakes his head irritably.

"The creator of this school?" Ike repeats, on verge of panicking all over again at the reminder of his missing book.

"But...they died, a very long time ago," Pip says, sounding very confused.

Gregory looks to him with quizzically furrowed eyebrows. "They died?"

Pip blinks, but then realizes his folly. His cheeks heat up in embarrassment. "Ah, I-I was thinking about the founders of this building. Sorry." He chuckles sheepishly. Ike is starting to feel glad that he didn't reveal to Pip what the book's true identity is.

Gregory sighs once again, glowering at the wall across from him. "Dead or whatever, my cutlass is far more important, and I want it to be found as soon as possible."

"Oh right, Ike has lost something of his as well." Ike curses Pip for switching the topic to the book.

"I didn't lose my cutlass," Gregory corrects the other blonde in mild anger. "Someone had clearly stolen it while we were all out. I swear when I find the bastard who took it-"

"Gregory," a gentle hand grasps his shoulder. "Please calm down." Gregory just huffs. Pip takes his hand away. "Either someone stole Ike's book or he simply misplaced it." Pip glances over at Ike. "Which do you think it is?"

Ike knows for absolute certain that he did not misplace his book, which means..."I remember exactly where I last put it, you guys should know too since it's only ever been inside the nightstand."

"Book must've been quite interesting for it to have been stolen also," Gregory says, Ike not liking his tone. "Why didn't you come with me to the Principal's office? Even though we'd have to wait God knows how long for them to be found, at least he would know."

Ike hardens his lips into a line. "I couldn't, because...the book isn't even supposed to be here."

Gregory nor Pip say a word for a few seconds. "What do you mean?" Gregory eventually asks, eyebrows knitting together.

Uneasiness starts to creep it's way into Ike the more the two British teens continue to stare at him. "I was told by one of the librarians that the book was written by a human, presumably fifty years ago. She said that vampire movies and t.v shows got the ideas from it."

"But did she say why it's not supposed to be here?" Gregory asks again.

Ike shakes his head no. "But I think I get why. The author was human and he wrote nothing but make believes in it with so little truthful information, it's not exactly learning material for a place filled with actual vampires."

"Hmm, I guess that makes sense," Gregory hums in understanding. "However the fact that she let you check it out doesn't."

Ike sits back, balancing himself with the support of his arms. "Well she was skeptical about me taking it at first, I dunno why though."

"Probably because she thought you might get strange ideas from it's contents."

Ike raises an eyebrow, then dismisses Pip's statement with the wave of his hand. "Oh c'mon I know better than to try to stab a vampire through the heart with a wooden stake. They'd kill me before I even tried!"

Pip shrugs. "Was just saying."

Suddenly, voices from within the hallway fills the momentary silence in the room. Gregory glimpses at the alarm clock, it's time for dinner. Ike and Pip put on their shoes, and the three of them walk out into the hall, going straight to the cafeteria. Along the way, Ike warns Gregory not to tell anyone about the book. Gregory complies.

"Are you sure he said he was coming today?" Henrietta asks, a little bit doubtful.

"Oh I made sure to confirm it," Micheal grins cheekily. "Nothing annoys him more than constant pestering."

"And you did a damn good job of it no doubt," Henrietta shakes her head in amusement while crossing her arms. "If he shows up here looking pissed, I won't save you from his wrath."

Micheal looks to her with a slight pout. "Aw you'd really let him kill me? You just want my spot as Principal, don't you?"

"That's majority of what the students and some of the staff want. But it's tiring enough being the assistant so if you do die, Luther will most likely take your place."

Micheal winces. "Ouch, you never hesitate to speak the truth." He smiles. "It's one of the main things I like about you." He winks at her causing the woman to roll her eyes, smiling against her will with a blush on her cheeks; her pale skin making the color appear brighter than it's originally meant to be.

Before more words can be said, mint-green and topaz colored orbs direct themselves to the double doors. Both sets are being pushed open.

"Is that flirting I hear?" A man's voice teases. Micheal and Henrietta can already imagine the smirk on the guy's lips when he asked that.

Entering are four people, in the middle is a fairly tall male with long platinum colored hair that reaches all the way down to his backside with his bangs resting over his shoulders, his sharp shaped eyes are closed. He's wearing brightly colored extravagant clothing that can practically outshine the sun. Accompanying him are...

Micheal eyes the other three, holding back a frown. They've grown up well since he last saw them when they were children. "Mr. Valentine, you didn't say that you were gonna bring them along," he points out nervously.

The ethereal looking man, Vincent Valentine, tucks his arms into the folds of his kimono wrap's sleeves, smiling innocently at the noirette. "Did I need to?"

A boy with dark red hair frowns. "Does..Craig not wanna see us?" He mumbles sadly. A black haired girl beside him comforts him into a side hug, rubbing his shoulder. Micheal doesn't know how to answer that, neither does Henrietta.

"Tch screw him, I only came to see Leon anyway," grumbles a redheaded girl.

Micheal forces up a strained smile. "Everyone's eating dinner right now." He looks to Henrietta. "You don't mind letting them wait in your office do you?"

Henrietta smiles faintly. "Not at all." She beckons the three preteenagers forward, and they do so. The noirette sticking close to her saddened sibling.

"You guys better be on your best behavior, we'll return home once I've taken care of business here," Vincent says, still smiling.

"We know, we're not kids anymore," the red haired girl exasperates, rolling her blue eyes. Vincent simply chuckles. Henrietta teleports them to her office.

Once they're gone, Vincent finally loses his carefree expression, face turning serious even with his eyes still closed. He ambles forward. "Let's walk to your office, we have much to discuss."

Micheal matches pace beside him, going up the left side staircase. "Indeed we do. For starters what was with the lack of information on the vampire hunter?"

Vincent cocks an eyebrow in his direction. "What do you mean 'lack of information'? I provided you with his name in the end didn't I?"

"Valuable information," Micheal sighs, trying not to sound annoyed this early in their conversation. "Knowing his name was a minor detail."

The platinum haired vampire looks away lowering his brow with a small frown. "Yes I know it was, but that was the only thing I could obtain at the time. I'm still uncertain of this, but I believe the reason why I was unable to attain anything fruitful was because someone was obscuring the hunter's tracks."

Micheal displays a clear look of perplexity on his face. "Obscuring his tracks?" "Could it have been the hunter's boss' doing?" He then wonders.

"Something like that yes. I've tried looking into the bunch of vampires that were killed, however I found not a single trace of them. Not even a speck of their ashen remains were left behind, it's like they vanished from the face of the earth. I even sent out a spy to help keep me updated, but the only thing I'd gotten was his name. After that I never heard from them again." Vincent shakes his head solemnly.

Micheal is quiet as he takes in what he'd just been apprised, acquiring an apprehensive feeling. "Yeah someone's definitely doing some background work, gonna have to ask Chris to find out who they are." He forces up a little grin. "But I'm kinda surprised that you've actually been taking this case seriously, especially with the half-assed info you gave me."

His teasing causes Vincent to pout. "Of course I have, just be thankful that I managed to get something even when I'm already busy taking care of other things. The children are even more of a handful."

Micheal makes a face of grimace, that's also mixed with amusement thanks to his failed attempt to hide his smile. "Yeeah I know you wanna vent out your frustrations, but save that for the hunter. Hearing you complaining might get him to talk willingly without any violence."

Vincent scoffs, "Whatever. How much further until we're there? We've been walking for quite awhile now."

Micheal stops with a blink, he jabs a thumb behind him down the hall. "Oh we passed it."

Vincent pauses mid-step, turns his whole body around with his face blank of any expression. "Remind me, why did I assign as you Principal again?"

Micheal shrugs. "You tell me," he chuckles.

Vincent just shakes his head, and they retrace their steps until they're standing in front of a light brown door. The noirette unlocks it, allowing Vincent to enter his office first before following in closing the door behind him. Micheal nears his bookshelf, getting down on one knee to pull the red book back. He stands up and moves away once the shelf lets out a low groan as it steadily slides open, revealing a dimly lit hallway that transcends downward.

"Oh my, how interesting," Vincent says, astonished.

Micheal goes into the secret passageway first, Vincent trailing right after him. "Not really, all it hid was a compacted dungeon." Vincent just hums in reply, his mien unreadable.

After walking down all of the stairs, they then stroll along the long corridor, towards the lone door at the very end of it.

"So tell me," Vincent starts. "What answers were you able to get from the hunter?"

Micheal shakes his head. "Not a damn thing, well except that he's a masochist. Me beating him close to death confirmed that much." Vincent chuckles at that.

Before long they reach the door. Micheal's mint-green eyes change into the color of crimson, squinting when the cross illuminates in a blinding white light. Once it dies down, Micheal opens his eyes as their color returns to normal. The naked door pulls back as if being blown by a gust of wind, Micheal pushes it open all of the way and they enter.

"Not quite the stench I was expecting," Vincent comments, face contorted in disgust. It reeks of nothing but days old blood, and some other foul smell in here.

They approach the captive hunter, whose wounds are in the process of recovery. Dried blood painted every inch of his once white dress shirt, some are splattered on both of his arms due to whenever his head was knocked to the side from the force of Micheal's punches. There is also a dark red puddle beneath his feet.

Micheal smacks Chris' cheek for his attention. "I brought a guest with me today, cooperate and you'll be let off slightly easy this time." Chris keeps still.

"Let me have a minute with him alone."

Micheal looks back to give Vincent a skeptical stare. "What do you have in mind?"

"Don't worry I won't kill him, I plan to use hypnosis to get him to talk," Vincent smirks.

Micheal eyes him a second longer before easing up on his skepticism. "Fine do your thing, take as long as you need to. I'll be waiting in my office." He walks out giving Vincent's shoulder a friendly pat.

Vincent's whole demeanor darkens all of a sudden once Micheal is out of sight. Chris tenses up uncomfortably. "Christopher, what did I tell you about letting your arrogance get the best of you hmm?"

"..I-I'm sorry boss," Chris mutters out meekly, becoming too terrified to question why he was here. "Please forgive me..."

"No need to cower I'm not really mad at you, just deeply disappointed." Closing the gap a bit, Vincent begins to open to his eyes. "I'll overlook this mishap only once, do not allow for anything like this to happen again in the future. Understand?"

"Y-yes sir," Chris responds immediately. He feels his head being gently lifted, instantly feeling his senses clouding over upon looking into a pair of magenta colored iris'.

"Good, now let's get you out of this predicament."

...

Micheal covers up a yawn, tired after sorting out the messy files scattered about on top of his desk. Six sheets with a picture on them lay side by side, these are documents he was given on the human students. He wonders when will be a good time to ask Vincent about them, just what is their real purpose for being here? He no longer thinks it's to help the vampires coexist with the humans, there's definitely something else behind this - something mysterious.

Hearing the sound of oncoming footsteps, Micheal hurriedly gathers up the documents and sticks them underneath a random pile of other files. Vincent reenters his office, appearing neutral.

"So, how'd it go?" Micheal inquires composedly.

The platinum haired male locks his closed eyes with Micheal's opened ones, his lips curl into a grin. "Well enough for me to get some 'valuable' answers." Micheal returns the smile.

(A/n: Made this kinda short so I can work on a Christmas special chapter for this fic, and one for Stenny short stories. I hope you enjoyed and the next chapter will be up on Christmas day 😊)