Disclaimer: I do not own Blood Plus, its plotlines/storylines, its characters, etc. None of that. All canon elements belong to their rightful owners. That said, I do own this non-profit fanfiction, written for entertainment alone, as well as its plot/story, and all of its OCs, etc.

Changes to Cast List:

Dilraba Dilmurat as Song Shen moved to Supporting Cast.

Chapter 2:

Chevalier

2012

Hibiki didn't immediately get up as he woke up. At this point, the crib in his room had been removed in favor of a bed, though it was the same uniform white as near everything else, the blankets and sheets as well. He was getting so tired of the lack of color. The only colors were certain things that Zhao Wen brought him, like his clothes and his toys. Currently though, he was wearing his usual pajamas, a white tee with white pants and white socks. He sat up in his bed only reluctantly, looking around to see that Zhao Wen had yet to arrive. He was both looking forward to and dreading today. It was his fifth birthday, which on one hand meant no scientists and not a single experiment. Even the camera in his room would be turned off for today. On the other hand, the experiments tended to worsen each year.

Getting out of bed without bothering to make it, he more reflexively picked up a ball that lay on the ground and threw it towards one of the other new things in his room, a large television. Also white, surprise. It hadn't so much been put in, as far as he was aware, as appeared. One day last year, a portion of the wall in his room had slid open to reveal it. He was assuming that it was somehow remotely activated, as he had zero control over what played on it himself, not that he had any control over anything. Initially, he'd been intrigued, as he was with anything actually new, until he'd grown annoyed at the portrayals of happy families and friendships. He supposed he did like some programs though, like the ones that were more violent or bloody. He had a feeling the point of it all was to watch his reactions to things, and while he despised giving the scientists any damn thing, he wanted the damn thing just gone. He couldn't really break it though, as he'd noted on the first attempt that it was behind some kind of unbreakable glass. He was aware that he was stronger than most, there were enough tests to tell him that, but he was usually kept weakened. Like now, he could feel how hungry (thirsty?) he was, but he wasn't really starving he supposed, yet; he'd know that feeling.

Regardless, he mostly ignored the TV for now, he was assuming that'd be staying off for today as well. Instead, he went through his usual morning routine, brushing his teeth, showering while brushing out his now medium-length hair, and then changing into a slim-fitting black hanfu with a pattern of purple roses decorating it. Once that was done, he walked over to the chair, moving it easily over to the window, and climbed atop it to look outside. The glass was the same as that shielding the TV, so breaking it to escape didn't even cross his mind. Escaping in general rarely did, except in his wildest dreams, the dreams fading the instant that he woke up to the same room as always. He both loved and hated this window. It was the closest that he would likely ever come to the world outside, but forever kept him separated from it.

"Am I ever gonna get out of here?" he asked no one in particular as he watched the people outside. Some walked at their leisure, some ran as if their very life depended on it, some talked cheerfully, hugging family or friends…. He wondered what the people rushing about were rushing to. What could possibly be so important? But he'd found himself wondering about other things lately. He couldn't just see them, he could hear them, he'd always been able to, through the glass, as far down as they were, as if he were walking among them, a ghost unable to actually interact. And he wondered about those other people that he could see and hear, the ones crying, yelling angrily, fighting with those around them. Every now and then, literal fights would break out, people using fists rather than words, more rarely, using guns or blades, like the ones he'd seen in books and on the TV. Just like with the TV programs, those interested him more than the brief windows into happiness, which he'd begun to see as so fake, as fragile as bone.

He turned as he heard his door unlock before opening up. On any day but today, the noise would have caused him to tense, in case it was them, but today, he grinned as he got down from the chair, immediately blurring over to hug Zhao Wen when he entered the room wearing his usual black suit. He did flinch a bit subconsciously when Zhao Wen closed the door behind him, which immediately locked. Despite having woke up in a terrible mood, he was pleased and made to feel marginally better as Zhao Wen picked him up and hugged him.

"Happy Birthday, brat," Zhao Wen said to him. Noting something, Hibiki pulled back to look up at his caretaker as he was put down on his bed, Zhao Wen sitting beside him. The older man was smiling, which wasn't all that abnormal, at least when the scientists weren't around, but his current smile was practically blinding. He was really happy, for some reason, and he was old enough now to recognize that that was abnormal for him. Reaching out, Zhao Wen smoothed the frown no doubt on his forehead. "What's the matter?"

"Why are you so happy?" Hibiki asked after a moment. It was a strange sensation that he was feeling as he looked at him. Normally, the sight of another's happiness pissed him off. There may have been sadness present too, but he'd long since learned that anger was better than sorrow. Right now though, he couldn't say that he was even slightly displeased. In fact, he was even happy that Zhao Wen was. But then, he wasn't surprised. He'd always been his exception.

Zhao Wen chuckled at the question. "How could I not be happy on your birthday?" Hibiki gave him a look, which only caused Zhao Wen to laugh before reaching out to take his chin in his hand, becoming a bit more serious. "Hibiki. Today I want you to do exactly as I say, because today is to be our first step towards victory." Hibiki frowned at his words, uncomprehending, about to ask what he meant, but Zhao Wen began to explain before he even opened his mouth. "I can get you out of here. Not today, but you can be one step closer to freedom. And I can be one step closer to what I wish."

Hibiki had paused for a long time at the words "I can get you out of here". Out? Like outside? The thought equally filled him with happiness, anticipation, and even fear, all wrapped up in disbelief. Hadn't he already given up on such a thing? Taking the hand from his chin, he just held it in one of his. "What is it that you wish, Zhao Wen?" That was the easiest question in his mind to ask at present, as he found himself unwilling to ask "How?" How was he supposed to get out of here? Asking such a question would be giving himself permission to hope, and that was a dirty four-letter word that he despised was even in his vocabulary.

Zhao Wen just looked at him for a long moment. "I'm sorry, Hibiki," he eventually said softly. Hibiki looked at him in confusion. It wasn't the first time that the older man had said those words to him. The first time had been while admitting to being his kidnapper, something surprisingly easy to forgive. Still though, he couldn't say that he was looking forward to hearing something similar. "When I first decided to stay by your side, it was to fulfill my wish. You've become more important to me since then, the most important in my life, even more important than that wish, but I haven't given up that wish either. I cannot. And I still require your help achieving it."

"I've heard all of this before," Hibiki said in a bit of a huff. He was beginning to become displeased, but he couldn't figure out why. Perhaps it wasn't displeasure, but fear. Whatever Zhao Wen needed from him, it sounded like he would need it now, even if he didn't know what he had to give. But, whatever it was, if he gave it…. He despised the doubt within him, the part of him that doubted that Zhao Wen would remain with him if he got what he wanted. He hated it here. It was lonely, and painful, and boring, but it was bearable with Zhao Wen here, having one person who cared about him. If he lost that…. But then, if he lost such a thing, if Zhao Wen abandoned him, did he ever really have him to begin with? It turned out that he had an experiment of his own to conduct. "What is your wish?" he repeated, more hollowly.

Zhao Wen released his hand, turning away from him and facing forward, hands clenched into fists on his knees. "I never told you how I joined the Red Shield. Officially, when I was sixteen, chiropteran brutes broke into my house, and they slaughtered everyone. My parents, my younger siblings…." Hibiki watched him with wide eyes as tears slipped from Zhao Wen's eyes. He'd never seen the older man cry before. He couldn't really understand, he had no family to lose, but he knew how he would feel if he lost Zhao Wen. He was also confused. If chiropterans had wronged him, how could Zhao Wen care about him? But then, wasn't the one that he cared about human, just like them? "In reality…. The brutes did break in, but…. My parents were already working for the Red Shield at the time. They managed to fight some of them off until reinforcements arrived. But they didn't help, just blew up the house with all of us inside. I was the only who got out…." He laughed although he was still crying, though the sound was humorless. "They said after that my parents would have chosen to die for the cause." His features hardened, becoming full of rage and hatred, his fists now so tight the knuckles were white. "What cause?! Was Diva there, her Chevaliers?! What did killing those brutes accomplish?! Would my parents have chosen to die for something so foolish?! And even if so, there's no way that they'd have allowed my siblings and I to die! My younger brother was only fourteen! My sister was ten! My parents died trying to get us all out!"

Hibiki reached out, wiping away his tears as Zhao Wen had done for him more than once. The older man jumped slightly, lost in the memories perhaps, and turned towards him slowly. "Why would you join the Red Shield afterwards?"

Zhao Wen smiled bitterly. "The Red Shield is a secretive organization. Even my parents had to move us around a lot for their duties. If I hadn't joined them, they'd have simply vanished into smoke…. I needed to bide my time if I wanted revenge. So I pretended to despise the chiropterans, and they let me join them. Maybe they felt they owed my parents that. They owe them a lot more." He shook his head. "But, from my perspective, the chiropterans were better than humans. The majority didn't just betray their own, not without due cause at least. At first, I thought about using Saya for my vengeance. But she didn't even remember what she was. By the time she did, she was too deep under their control. I even considered going to your mother." He scoffed. "Of course, she'd have killed me on sight." He looked at Hibiki. "She was wronged by humans too though. I couldn't even blame her. And then you and your sister were born. Honestly, the thought never crossed my mind, not until I held you in my arms, and Julia entrusted you to me."

Hibiki had never been a stupid child. Even Julia surmised that Chiropteran Royals developed faster than humans mentally, not just physically. So he was getting where this was going. He had already learned how to read when he was four, and he'd been allowed to read Joel's Diary. It had been his favorite of the books he'd read, which had grown in number, evolved from childrens' books to those geared towards an older age group. It sounded as if Zhao Wen had desired a Chiropteran Royal, which meant it was likely that he wanted…. "You want me to make you my Chevalier?" he asked reluctantly. It was dangerous to even talk about. If this conversation was discovered... but it wouldn't be…. The cameras were off, and the scientists would leave them alone for today. That's why Zhao Wen was telling him this now. "What, today?" Was that why Zhao Wen was so happy?

Zhao Wen wiped away his remaining tears as he stood up before sinking into a bow in front of him. "Hibiki. I swear to you. I am not just trying to use you. You know that." Did he? "Please. Give me your blood, and we can both get what we want. I'll have the power to get you out of here, and to get my revenge. And beyond that, I will be able to dedicate myself to you forever."

Hibiki stared down at him. Surprisingly, it wasn't doubt that gave him pause. If he stayed after, it would clear up any doubt. And if he left him, so be it, if it meant that that happiness would remain rather than the grief that he'd witnessed. There was something else that stopped him from agreeing, one of the reasons that he had supposedly been locked up here. The humans were afraid that he wasn't like the Queens, and some things were different, according to Julia. So what if….? "No." Zhao Wen looked at him in surprise. "I don't want to give you my blood."

Zhao Wen took his hands quickly. "Hibiki. You can trust me. You will be free-"

"You're free," Hibiki cut him off. No more freedom talk, not for him. He was right not to have hope for that. Zhao Wen looked at him in confusion. Not anger or hatred, he noted. If he was really using him, wouldn't he be pissed at his refusal? "They're afraid I'm not like the Queens. And I am different from them. Aren't I? Queens can make Chevaliers. Who says a King can? For all we know, my blood could just kill you. Or even turn you into one of those brutes. I won't risk your life." Zhao Wen actually smiled. What? Was he surprised that he was being put ahead of his freedom? He was five, not stupid. "You don't need me besides." Zhao Wen looked at him in confusion again. "If I was free, do you think I'd ask these humans for their blood? I'd take it. If you want to be a Chevalier, just steal it from Saya as she sleeps, trick my sister into giving it to you." Zhao Wen did seem to consider that and Hibiki shook his head, tears slipping from his own eyes. "I don't need to be free. You're free. Just go. Be free for both of us, get revenge for both of us."

Zhao Wen looked up at him, his expression hardening into one of determination. He shook his head. "No." This time it was Hibiki who looked at him in surprise. "I don't want Saya's blood, or Kanade's. I want yours." When Hibiki looked about to argue, Zhao Wen took his hands. "I don't want to be a Chevalier unless you are my King. I want you to be free beside me. I want to show you all this world has to offer. The good and the bad. And if your blood kills me, let it kill me. Right now, I'm human. If I stay as a human, I'll die anyway. And I don't wish to remain as the thing we both despise."

Hibiki looked at him for a moment before moving from the bed in order to hug him. Zhao Wen hugged him back, holding him close. They stayed that way for what seemed like a long time before Hibiki said hesitantly, "You had better not leave me…. What do I have to do?"

Zhao Wen pulled back from the hug to look at him. "They can't see or hear us right now. You need to drink my blood. As much as possible without killing me. Listen to my heartbeats. It'll tell you when to stop." Hibiki nodded, listening closely. "Afterwards, you give me your blood. Open my mouth, and make sure I swallow it." Hibiki nodded. "According to Joel's Diary, the transformation will look rather… painful, I might even appear to be dead. Don't be afraid. Don't call for help. If they find out you gave me your blood…. At best, I'll end up locked away myself. At worst, they'll kill me." Hibiki swallowed nervously. "I'll be alright. But the transformation may take a few hours. Luckily, we have all day and night. And Hibiki…. There is one more thing. I don't want to lie to you."

Hibiki was already nervous, so he doubted anything else would make that worse. "What is it?" he asked anyway.

"What happened to your mother and aunt after they turned Amshel and Hagi?"

Hibiki thought back to what he'd read. After…. It hit him soon enough. "The hibernation…. I might have to sleep?" Zhao Wen nodded and waited, leaving the decision up to him. Thinking about it, Hibiki actually smiled, if a bit uncertainly. "Well, if I do, it might actually be nice, having thirty years without a single experiment. Not one I'll be able to feel anyway." Zhao Wen brushed his hair back, clearly concerned. About him. "I'm really not worried about the sleep. Besides, when I wake up, I won't be here. Right?" He hated that his voice was actually hopeful now.

Zhao Wen still looked determined. "I am going to do everything in my power to free you. When you wake up, you will be in a place that is beautiful, with sunlight and fresh air on your skin." Hibiki smiled at that image, even if he still couldn't help but doubt it. "Are you ready?"

Hibiki nodded. Though he'd never actually fed on a person before, he had drunk blood, and there had been studies done on how to awaken his full chiropteran abilities, so he knew what he had to do. With Zhao Wen still kneeling before him, he stood up to his full height as he gave in to his bloodlust. It wasn't difficult. He'd not been given enough blood lately, even for him, so that hunger was present within him. Sure enough, his eyes glowed a bright purple as his fangs descended. "What if I can't control my bloodlust and I kill you? I don't want to hurt you."

Zhao Wen looked him in the eyes. "If I remain human, I'll die anyway," he repeated his words from before. "No matter what happens, you'll be freeing me. I'm sorry that I couldn't free you first. But if you do end up killing me, please know that I do love you. Being by your side has been my greatest honor." They gave each other a nod before Hibiki leaned forward and bit into his neck, Zhao Wen not making a sound as the fangs pierced his neck.

Hibiki, however, couldn't help a low moan. He'd had blood transfusions, which felt like his veins were being rejuvenated, he'd drunk both animal and human blood from blood bags. The former had been disgusting, unsatisfactory, while the latter hadn't been so bad, he supposed. He couldn't say he liked it cold, it was the counterpart to drinking what the humans called "normal" drinks at room temperature. It was now that he realized that he'd been deprived his whole life. There was nothing like drinking blood straight from the vein, feeling that warmth go down his throat, sweet and yet salty at the same time. His veins didn't just feel rejuvenated, but electrified, on fire, though it wasn't painful; no, it was the most pleasurable experience that he'd ever felt. Actually pleasurable physical sensation was such a rare thing for him that it took a long time for him to regain his mind, and he could feel his control slipping. If this had been anyone else, he wouldn't think twice about just giving in to this feeling until he'd drained them completely. This was Zhao Wen though, so he forced himself to focus. Listen to my heartbeats. It'll tell you when to stop. His heartbeat was already growing faint, so he forced himself to pull away, though his eyes remained glowing, his fangs remained descended, his body urging him to continue feeding.

Ignoring the urge, he laid Zhao Wen down on the ground, opening up his mouth, before biting down into his own hand. The humans never gave him anything sharp, but luckily, he had his own set of weapons. Making a fist, he dug his nails into the wound he'd created to keep himself from healing before moving it over Zhao Wen's open mouth, the blood dripping down into it. He noticed Zhao Wen swallow the blood, but there was no immediate reaction to that one gulp, so he kept giving his blood. What if I can't make Chevaliers? Just as tears pricked his eyes, he'd drank at least two mouthfuls of his blood by now, he jumped back as Zhao Wen suddenly opened his eyes and started screaming, as if he was in agonizing pain.

He wasn't worried about the screams alerting them. His room was kept isolated from the rest of the facility. If he wished to get help for something or another, and no one was within the room with him, there was a button by the door attached to an intercom. So he watched in silent panic as Zhao Wen continued to yell in pain for a while. The only thing keeping him from completely losing it was Zhao Wen's warning. According to Joel's Diary, the transformation will look rather… painful, I might even appear to be dead. Don't be afraid. How could he not be afraid as he watched this, as Zhao Wen abruptly went still?

Rushing back over to him as he went still, his blood smearing his arm and the floor by this point, though his wound had immediately healed once he'd allowed it to do so, he took Zhao Wen's head into his hands. How did he even check if he was dead or not? Pulse and heartbeat…. It was mentioned in some of his newer books. So he moved his hands from his cheeks to his neck, but he could feel nothing, could hear nothing when he placed his ear to Zhao Wen's chest. He said that he might appear dead. He hugged him as he lay against his chest, tears slipping from his eyes. "What if you actually are dead?" For just a moment, he did consider calling them. They could probably save him. But…. At best, I'll end up locked away myself. At worst, they'll kill me. No. Even if they didn't just kill Zhao Wen themselves, he'd wish that he was dead if he was locked up and experimented on himself. Wouldn't he know that better than anyone? "Zhao Wen. What do I do?" There was no response and his eyes teared up, the glow slowly fading, his fangs slowly receding.

Not knowing what else to do, he closed his eyes and began to sing lightly, this song definitely full of sorrow and fear, uncertainty, anxiety. He had barely sung a few notes, though, barely begun to cry, when he jumped as arms suddenly went around him, a heartbeat starting up beneath his ear. He barely felt himself being sat up as he listened to that precious beat. He'd been held like this before, many a time, so he knew the sound of a human heart, this heart was slightly faster, more in tune with his own, which he had never heard before. It only then that it hit him, that if this actually worked…. He would finally have another chiropteran nearby, not just more humans. He pulled back after a moment. "Zhao Wen?" He paused as he pulled back to look at the older man, his eyes glowing with a dark purple light that was slowly fading back to his usual dark brown.

Zhao Wen was looking around as if in a daze before blinking as he looked down at Hibiki. Hibiki was suddenly terrified. That doubt hadn't yet left him completely, and he was still concerned that now that Zhao Wen had what he wanted, he would leave him behind, take his revenge and forget all about him. So he jumped a bit when Zhao Wen reached up to brush away his tears, just like he always did. "You're sometimes so silly. Didn't I tell you not to be afraid? Why are you crying?" Hibiki grinned once he finally believed that he really wouldn't leave. Zhao Wen smiled back at him. "That's better." He looked around again, standing up while picking up Hibiki with him, placing him back on the bed. "This is incredible. My senses are so heightened. It's almost painful, but amazing. I can practically feel the new power flowing through me."

"What are you going to do now?" Hibiki asked after a moment. He may have been a chiropteran, but he didn't really get what Zhao Wen was talking about. He'd always been as he was. Though he supposed that he felt stronger as well, after drinking his blood, stronger than he got after the transfusions and blood bags, his hunger sated for the moment. "The power never helped me..."

Zhao Wen looked back down at him, having previously been staring off vaguely, listening to something perhaps. Hibiki could still hear the people outside, the scientists elsewhere in the facility, to an extent at least. Zhao Wen could have been hearing them now. "But it did help you," Zhao Wen said to him with a sharp grin. "What I'm going to do now, is help you to get out of here. This power…. It'll help me. And when I get my vengeance, I'll start with the humans here…."

2023

Wearing a his usual black suit, though with a purple dress shirt and amethyst hairpin, Zhao Wen entered Hibiki's room to see him sitting beside the window. It seemed that that black hanfu with purple roses had become his favored outfit. Since becoming his Chevalier, his visits had slowly diminished from every day to a few days in between, but were still rather frequent. Hibiki hadn't seemed to mind, so long as he always returned with news on how their plans were going. They'd actually been going rather well.

Dusting off his espionage skills, he'd managed to get his hands on certain documents stolen from Cinq Fleche by the Red Shield. Apparently, Cing Fleche's experiments with the brutes had begun with the work of Grigori Rasputin, being taken over by Martin Bormann after his death, passing hands from there all the way down to Professor Aston Collins, a traitor from the Red Shield. Over the years, he'd gotten his hands on all of it, even Julia's research notes. He'd even managed to contact Aston Collins and other Cinq Fleche remnants, who had proved themselves useful.

As Julia had promised, being Hibiki's caretaker had indeed paid well. He'd managed to save up quite a fortune, enough to start his own organization. He'd paid attention during his former job, enough to know just whose loyalty wavered within the Red Shield, gaining him both benefactors and followers, especially with the Cinq Fleche remnants on his side as well. The organization, which he'd named Amaranthine after his King, had grown in power in secret in the last decade.

With it, he'd improved upon Cinq Fleche's research, managing to create a new class of Corpse Corps, Schiff, and brutes, renamed Rooks, Bishops, and pawns, respectively. The Rooks and Bishops were more loyal, due in large part to receiving the cure for the Thorn, not to mention that unlike Cinq Fleche, he'd made sure that the Bishops had better living conditions and weren't tortured. After the experiments that Hibiki had been forced to endure, he refused to do such a thing to others. The pawns had been improved as well, still not able to retake human form, but they'd been able to make them more tameable. The only issue, currently, was that according to Collins, they were weaker than those made with Diva's blood. He wasn't surprised by that, however. He didn't have access to a Queen's blood, nor even Hibiki's, yet, but he would once he freed him; and once he did, well, he had other ideas. Regardless, for now, all he had access to was his own blood. It had taken a while to adapt the Cinq Fleche research into working with a Chevalier's blood rather than a Royal's, but they'd made do.

They'd not been able to create Chevaliers. It was the one thing that Cinq Fleche had never been able to accomplish, and neither had they. It seemed that Chevaliers really did require blood directly from a Chiropteran Royal. He'd gotten the next best thing, however. Diva and Amshel's bodies had been destroyed in the bombing of the Metropolitan Opera House, Karl's remains hadn't been worth obtaining as he was unlikely to be controllable, and James's body had been compromised by the Thorn. However, he had obtained the remains of Grigori Rasputin and even Martin Bormann. Once he'd obtained them, he'd gotten to work on attempting to have them revived. Chiropterans could heal from practically any wound, dying only from that fatal crystallization, but what if they could heal from even that if the crystallization was reversed? If the Thorn, which caused steady crystallization until the subject died, could be cured, couldn't the crystallization of Chevaliers also be reversed? There was apparently a chance, but only if they could obtain the blood of a Royal.

Yet another thing achievable with his King's blood. Was there anything that couldn't be achieved by his Lord's will? He was beginning to doubt it, really. First thing was first though. He needed to get Hibiki out. Since becoming his Chevalier, his desire to keep him happy and safe, protected, had only increased, perhaps his Chevalier instincts, perhaps his own instincts, or both instincts merging into one. Either way, the longer he was left in this place, where he was clearly suffering, in pain every day, was physically painful for Zhao Wen. Luckily, it was finally time….

Hibiki looked up at him from where he sat by the window, tall enough now that he could sit comfortably and look out of it. Zhao Wen had noticed that his expression while looking out of the window had been one of displeasure, anger, and hatred, all of which had become more refined as he aged, as the experiments grew worse. At sixteen, Hibiki was now nearly at the peak age for his species, which meant that the humans had steadily begun the tests of seeing how much damage his body could take and still survive, that they were now starving him more and more to keep him weak. Moving from the window, he blurred over to Zhao Wen, throw his arms around his waist in a hug, Zhao Wen hugging him back. Hibiki remained shorter than him, four inches shorter than his 6'1 height. For a moment, they merely remained as they were before moving over to the table and sitting down in the chairs at the table.

"How much closer are we?" Hibiki asked him once they had sat down. That was another new development since Zhao Wen had become Hibiki's Chevalier. They could speak telepathically now, as though their minds were one. It was rather convenient, allowing Zhao Wen to be with him even when not physically present, and allowing him to speak to his King about certain things without them being aware.

"Tonight. Now," Zhao Wen told him. "That's why I'm so late. It's easier for the Rooks and Bishops to travel after the sun sets." Normally he came first thing in the morning whenever he came, but tonight, he had come exactly at sunset. He'd replaced some of the scientists with the Bishops over time, getting some inside, as his version possessed the Chevaliers' ability to take on the forms of others. The Rooks would attack at a single mental command from him, breaking into the facility from the outside. And outside, the pawns were waiting to cover their escape. Hibiki's eyes widened at hearing that this was going down now and Zhao Wen gave him a nod. "I told you that I'd get you out. I'm sorry that I took so long, but we have only one chance at this. Are you ready?" Hibiki was clearly pleased that he would finally be getting out, after sixteen years. But there was another part of him, that Zhao Wen doubted anyone but him would notice, that was terrified. Zhao Wen reached out, placing a hand to his cheek. "Everything will be alright. I'll keep you safe."

Hibiki reached up and placed a hand over the one on his cheek. "We'll keep each other safe." He gave a nod then. "I'm ready."

Zhao Wen nodded. "We'll need to fight. Go for the kill, not the feed. These scientists work for the Red Shield. They all have combat experience. Our goal is just to escape. Do you understand?"

Hibiki shook his head, grabbing the collar of his jacket before pulling him towards him to say aloud, so low that the cameras wouldn't pick him up, so low it was unlikely a human would pick it up were they in the same room, "I want them all dead." Zhao Wen looked into his eyes before nodding after a moment, and Hibiki smirked before adding telepathically, "But I don't mind just going for the kill, I suppose."

Zhao Wen smiled at the latter part. Pulling back, he sent out the mental command to the Rooks and Bishops, at the same time thrusting his own hand into his abdomen before pulling it back out, only grunting at the pain as the wound immediately healed afterwards. He held out his now bloody hand to Hibiki, within it, pulled from his wound, being a small vial of human blood. As the alarms began to sound, he threw it to Hibiki. "Drink that. Quickly. You'll need your strength. And make sure you stay with me."

As Hibiki quickly opened the vial and drank it down, he followed Zhao Wen as he went over to the door, which had immediately sealed against anyone opening it. With it like this, only Julia would be able to open it without having to force it open. Which is exactly what he did, slamming his hand into the door with his full chiropteran strength, so that it was blasted off its hinges, through the corridor outside, and into opposite doors. Zhao Wen looked back at Hibiki. "They were keeping you weak for a reason. This facility wasn't built to hold a chiropteran at full strength, especially with Saya, Hagi, Kanade, and Lulu not even knowing that you're even being held here. Let's go."

They ran the length of the hall towards the next doors. All of the doors in the facility were reinforced, which actually worked more in their favor than the humans', at least with Zhao Wen at full strength; he'd made sure to spend the day drinking his fill of fresh human blood. The reason that worked better for them was simple. At full strength, he could burst through the doors easily, it was likely the Rooks and Bishops could as well. The humans, meanwhile, would need to stop at each door to unlock the doors manually.

As they reached the next set of doors, reinforced elevator doors, Zhao Wen moved the first broken door aside before wrenching the elevator doors open to reveal the elevator shaft. Despite him using it to get down to Hibiki's level, it had immediately been recalled back up once the alarms had sounded. Hibiki, as far as was known, like Queens, didn't have a chiropteran form, which meant that he couldn't just fly up an elevator shaft. Zhao Wen, though…. Turning back, he picked up a surprised Hibiki bridal-style. "Hold on to me. Tightly." As Hibiki wrapped his arms around his neck, Zhao Wen turned back to the elevator shaft, unfurling what looked to be black dragon wings. Hibiki looked at them in shock and Zhao Wen smiled. "I wanted to surprise you. But this isn't even my complete true form."

Jumping into the elevator shaft, he then shot straight up it. Hibiki's room was kept far below ground just in case, for the safety of the workers, approximately forty feet below the main facility, which took even him a long time to traverse. Halfway up, Zhao Wen narrowed his eyes as he noticed the elevator falling towards them, likely having been unhooked in a form of attack. He merely accelerated as much as possible, eventually slamming through the bottom of it, straight through the top, and keeping moving.

"Zhao Wen!" Hibiki called out in concern.

Zhao Wen shook his head hard. "I'm alright." Soon enough they heard the crash of the elevator, which exploded as it hit the bottom just as Zhao Wen burst through the elevator doors at the top. They were now within the main facility. The second that they exited the elevator shaft, they were met with guns (handguns, machine guns, and shotguns) pointed straight at them, the scientists, in tight formation, having not even bothered to change out of their lab coats. Zhao Wen immediately turned his back as they started shooting, to protect Hibiki, grunting and letting out a growl as the bullets riddled his back as he placed Hibiki down. Hibiki immediately blurring around him. "Hibiki!"

He immediately turned back around, but apparently, he shouldn't have worried. Hibiki may have been kept weakened, but he'd given him at least some blood, and he'd underestimated exactly how pissed off Hibiki was. His King's features were a mixture of fury and hatred as he swept through the crowd of humans like a fallen angel of death, cutting through them with merely his fangs and hands. He wasn't feeding, merely ripping out their throats with his fangs, while his hands were used to tear off limbs and rip out organs. And though he didn't feed, when one rips out throats with their teeth, he was, incidentally, ingesting some of the blood, becoming faster and stronger, more lethal, with each spurt of blood.

Seeing that his King had things handled, Zhao Wen joined the fight, now following his King's lead, and in no time, the humans all lay dead around them, the walls, floor, and ceiling covered in blood. Hibiki looked over at him as he licked some blood from his caked fingers. "We'll protect each other," Hibiki reminded him, and Zhao Wen nodded with a smile. They both turned as they heard the humans shouting orders at each other. "Lead the way. You know what I want, and you know this facility better than I do."

Zhao Wen nodded. "As you wish, my King." He blurred off, Hibiki not just keeping pace at this point, but moving at his speed. It was clear that his King was actually faster than him at full strength.

Together, they slaughtered their way through the halls, rooms, and floors, sparing not a single man or woman that they came across. Eventually, they began to encounter the Rooks and Bishops, who slaughtered the humans with relative ease alongside them. Rather than even attempting to escape just yet, they were instead killing everyone to sate Hibiki's vengeance, eventually coming upon the last door, on the top floor. This specific room, like Hibiki's, was the only one on its floor. Zhao Wen looked over at Hibiki to see that his features, darkening with every experimentation room they came across, had become more hateful than he'd seen yet. He didn't have to tell him whose office this was, but he wasn't moving an inch.

"Hibiki," Zhao Wen said after a moment of silence.

Hibiki shook his head, kicking the doors open as he strode inside. Julia Silverstein sat behind the desk within, fearless, legs crossed one over the other, hands folded in her lap. She actually smiled as she saw the both of them. Hibiki glared down at where she sat. "If there's anyone that I hate the most…. Zhao Wen told me. You were my family's friend. You were supposed to keep me safe from the other scientists." Julia smiled and nodded. "Why did you turn on me? Were you afraid of me?" Hibiki laughed at the very idea. "Did I take away your freedom? Did I put you through all of this?!" Zhao Wen took his hand, which seemed to calm him some.

Julia smiled even more. "You did scare me. But it turns out… I really couldn't hurt you." Hibiki and even Zhao Wen looked at her in disbelief, Hibiki's teeth clenching. His eyes had begun glowing at the first shedding of blood, burning with more intensity the longer that they remained within the facility. "I couldn't do that to your family. David was right, of course. What was done to you was… very wrong, and you didn't deserve it. So I had to let you go. For your family, for you. For my own conscience."

"So why didn't you let him go?" Zhao Wen asked her angrily. Hibiki had gone silent, fuming, his hand clenching around Zhao Wen's so tightly that he was surprised that even his hand didn't break from the pressure.

"I had a family to think of too, didn't I?" Julia responded, still with that smile. There was something very wrong about it. Was the woman actually insane? "I couldn't risk them for Hibiki. So instead I made sure that there was someone who could eventually risk everything for him." She looked at Zhao Wen pointedly, who scoffed. "Don't believe me? Why would a spy and assassin be set to watch a baby? I was the one who convinced Joel to choose you. Someone with no family, no friends, and a possible grudge against the Red Shield. I chose correctly. Hibiki is now your entire world. And once you were in place, I was at least in a position to limit the damage done to him."

"Limit the damage?!" Hibiki finally spoke up again. "I was locked away from the world on your orders! Every experiment was your order!" He blurred over to the desk, his hands slamming down on it. "You're full of shit! You humans are a blight on the earth! I want you dead! I want all of you dead!"

"Did I do all of that?" Julia said almost dreamily. Zhao Wen frowned. What in the world was even going on anymore? None of what she was saying made any sense. "Or did something happen to me too after you were successfully taken?" She looked over to Zhao Wen. "It seemed like such a 180 of my personality, to have done such monstrous things to an innocent child…." She reached up as if to touch Hibiki's cheek.

"Touch me, I dare you," Hibiki warned her through clenched teeth.

Zhao Wen's eyes narrowed as he looked at Julia, who lowered her arm back down to her lap. "Are you… not Julia? Were you not Julia this whole time?" But the chiropterans he'd made were all created a decade ago, or less. She couldn't be one of his. Saya was asleep, Hagi was probably dead, as he'd not been seen since the explosion of the Metropolitan Opera House, Lulu couldn't transform herself; none of them would do any of this besides. Kanade still didn't even have any idea what she was. Diva was also dead, and her Chevaliers…. Weren't they all dead? Did one survive, or had she made more no one knew about? "Are you one of Diva's Chevaliers?" Hibiki looked back at him in surprise at the sound of his mother's name.

Julia's smile widened even more as she chuckled, uncrossing her legs and standing up. "Diva's Chevalier. Her mother's Chevalier. And so many more Royals' Chevalier before that. Allow me to introduce myself." She bowed as she transformed. 5'6 became 5'11, skin became paler, medium-length brown hair in a ponytail became short curly blonde hair. Even the clothing changed: the lab coat disappeared, the blue dress shirt gained frills at the sleeves and chest, revealing a muscular chest, the pink dress skirt became pink form-fitting pants. Straightening from the bow, the now-male Chevalier extended his hands out to his sides dramatically. "Nathan Mahler. At your service."

Author's Note: For reference:

Rooks = Corpse Corps

Bishops = Schiff

pawns = brutes