Tokyo Landfill Zero, Tokyo, Japan, 2010.
I woke up, did my morning routine, got dressed in my school uniform, and I left my room so that I could meet up with Akira and Mina.
"Hey, ready to go?" Akira asked me when I stepped outside the building and spotted him and Mina waiting at the limo.
"Princess, I'm combat ready and awaiting your orders," I said crisply while standing at attention, and Akira rolled his eyes at being ignored.
"I don't know why I even bother with you if you're going to ignore me...it's like talking to a fucking brick wall," Akira muttered as we got in the limo.
"I don't have any orders for you right now, David. You should loosen up once in a while," Mina stated with an amused smirk.
"Negative, Ma'am. My orders are to protect you at all times and I can't afford to loosen up in a potential hot zone," I refused stoically while we were driving to the school.
"Very well...whatever makes you get up in the morning," Mina brushed off my statement and we all just descended into an awkward silence.
Eventually, we arrived at the school and went to class, where Mina was writing on the chalkboard as I paid attention.
Yuki didn't know what to think about the new transfer student David Temple...the American tended to keep to himself and was anti-social, never talking to anybody and always staying by Princess Tepes side. She shivered as she thought about the other day...when Ryohei grabbed David's shoulder and tried to interrogate him, his wrist was immediately snatched. When the American warned him, she could somehow feel that there was more to David than meets the eye. His eyes and his presence, it was almost like she was looking at an apex predator and Ryohei was the prey. David was a complete mystery and the way he reacted when his shoulder was grabbed...he reacted like any other combat veteran when they were suprised and it made her wonder what had happened to David for him to become who he is now.
Yuki perked up when she saw Akira and David entering the classroom, but she felt uncertain when Princess Tepes entered as well and she started writing on the chalkboard. Yuki had decided that when the class was over, she would approach David and see if she can get a better understanding of who he is by talking to him.
I felt someone's eyes on me and I subtly looked to see Akira's friend Yuki glancing at me out of the corner of her eyes. I didn't know why she was looking at me but I had a mission and I couldn't be distracted by a female student.
"That was flawless. Thank you, Princess," Sister Laura complemented nervously after Mina was done with her lecture on vampires and the proof of their existence.
"Call me Mina, 'cause I'm just another student in your classroom," Mina stated as she went to her desk and knocked down a case full of pencils that were on the edge of a student's desk, causing the said student to flinch.
"Oh...I-I'm so sorry," the student with short black hair and blue eyes whimpered meekly as Mina picked up the case and handed it back to him with a calm smile.
"That was my fault," Mina stated softly and the kid looked surprised.
"Um...thanks a lot," the kid said quietly and my inhuman hearing picked up on many students gasping in shock and the sounds of pencil cases falling to the ground.
Before I knew it, the school bell rang and I was ignoring the stares that were shot at me, Akira, and Mina.
"They're looking at you like you're some kinda animal at the zoo," Akira pointed out awkwardly.
"I'd prefer to think of myself as a vicious beast," Mina stated proudly.
"I don't see that," Akira remarked and Mina giggled.
"Well, I am the ruler of the Vampires. I wouldn't be living up to expectations if I didn't instill some sense of fear into humans. However, it has proven to be a difficult task because I'm so adorable," Mina said and Akira laughed quietly.
"I knew that was coming," Akira muttered and a voice called out to everyone inside the classroom.
"Hey! Coach wants everyone outside for soccer!" the kid announced and that broke the tension.
"You and David should go. I would hate for you two to miss out on such an opportunity. I will be fine on my own," Mina said and I looked at her.
"You sure Ma'am? My mission is to protect you and the mission takes priority over everything," I stated stoically and Mina giggled in amusement.
"Though I'm flattered that you are worried about me David, you don't need to be with me 24/7. Go and have fun and that's an order from your employer," Mina ordered as I stood up and I nodded sharply.
"Yes Ma'am," I agreed but Akira looked uncertain.
"I don't know," Akira said hesitantly.
"What's that? Sounds like someone else is worried about me," Mina teased.
"No, I'm worried about everyone else," Akira admitted and Mina frowned as she stood up.
"I'll show you! I'm enrolled as a student here just like the rest of you! I hereby declare that I will successfully make it through this entire school day as a regular student," Mina declared arrogantly.
I left the classroom and walked toward the boy's locker room, but I saw Yuki catching up with me and I stopped so that I could stare at her.
"Sorry for bothering you, but I just want to talk to you before we go to our next class. You must be the foreign exchange student David Temple...my name is Yuki Saegusa and it is very nice to meet you," Yuki introduced with a bow of her head and she asked, "Since we are classmates, I just wanted to get to know you better so that we can become friends. Is it okay if you could tell me where you're from in the States?"
"Where I'm currently from is something I can't divulge but I grew up in Pierce County Washington," I informed her and she perked up.
"Oh...I once studied a map of the States and where you grew up has beautiful forests and mountains. You must have gone hiking with your parents sometimes while you were growing up," Yuki stated kindly.
I didn't say anything and things became awkward fast, Yuki looking embarrassed and I stoically said, "I have to go...it was nice meeting you, Yuki-san."
"Yes...it was, um, nice meeting you too," Yuki stuttered while looking flustered and she quickly bowed her head as she turned around to leave.
"Go on, try it Akira," Mina encouraged while Akira looked down at two plates of what was supposed to be an omelet and potatoes with meat.
Akira was sweating as he smiled nervously and took a small piece of the omelet with his chopsticks, taking a bite and tasting it. Suddenly, his eyes widened and he smiled.
"It's good," Akira stated happily and Mina leaned forward in anticipation.
"You like it?!" Mina inquired in excitement.
"It's delicious. Did you really make this, Princess?" Akira asked eagerly.
"Of course I did. Now, try the simmered meat and potatoes since that's my masterpiece," Mina encouraged.
"Heh...don't mind if I do. All that running around on the soccer field made me hungry," Akira joked as he used his chopsticks to take a piece of potato and the phone suddenly rang, causing Mina's good mood to vanish and she went to the desk to answer the phone.
"Yes Vera...huh, the television?" Mina questioned in confusion.
Akira took the remote and turned on the TV which shows a news report about the Prime Minister opposing the Bipartisan Coalition Special Zone Establishment Bill, and I felt my wolf getting restless as the atmosphere inside the room turned tense.
"Well, this is unfortunate...I'm on my way right now. Would you call Alphonse just to be on the safe side?...thank you, Vera," Mina said on the phone and she hung up.
"I have to leave early today. I have some urgent business that I need to attend to," Mina informed us and I stood at attention.
"Ready for your orders, Ma'am," I stated as I went to leave with Mina.
"You and Akira are to stay here," Mina told me and Akira looked like he wanted to protest.
"With all due respect Ma'am, my mission is to keep you safe and I will be unable to perform my duties if I'm not with you 24/7," I pointed out stoically.
"That's sweet of you David, but this is something I need to do alone. You and Akira are to remain here for the rest of the day and that's an order," Mina said as she started changing out of her school uniform.
"Yes Ma'am," I said as Akira and I were forced out of the office so that Mina could have some privacy.
Akira and I headed to the roof so that we could think and Akira sighed in irritation.
"Am I of no use? I can't figure her out," Akira muttered in frustration and I looked at him.
"If the Princess wants to deal with matters on her own, then she has a good reason. We shouldn't question her motives," I replied calmly and Akira looked at me dryly.
"Right...because to you, the mission takes priority over everything. I don't get you David...haven't you ever questioned orders even once in your life?" Akira wondered in confusion.
I didn't answer and long-buried memories of being in that hell came rising back to the surface. I stared at the sky when my sharp hearing picked up the sound of someone begging and blows landing. Akira and I got down off the roof and went to investigate the commotion that was coming from an alley. I saw a group of older kids beating up the three students that helped us the other day and I could also see that the student who thanked Mina was among the kids getting attacked.
"Guys, Akira and that American are here," one kid notified the others and they tensed up.
"What the fuck are you guys doing?!" I heard Ryohei calling out to the bullies and the older kids bolted as he approached.
"Are you all okay? Why were they kicking the shit out of you?" Akira inquired in concern as he went to check on the four kids that were covered in bruises and dirt.
"You stay away! You and your friend! If those assholes see us talking to you or that American, they'll come back and beat the shit out of us again," the kid with glasses stated in fear.
"Shut the fuck up man, we need them. Akira and David can help us," the second student reasoned.
"Yeah. They can protect us from those guys so that we don't end up like Nanami," the third kid agreed.
"Hold on, what do you mean? I thought Nanami was just skipping school lately," Akira wondered in confusion, prompting Ryohei to take out an envelope to show it to me and Akira.
"You mean you don't know? Look," Ryohei said lowly as he shoved the envelope into Akira's hands.
Akira opened the envelope and his eyes widened in shock when he took out pictures that showed a familiar girl being attacked by vampires during the night.
"That's Nanami," Akira said in disbelief.
"Yeah. All this time we've been accusing her of skipping class, but that's what really happened to her. Pretty screwed up, huh? If you can look closely, you can see it happen in the Student Council office. That place must've been completely torn up but when we came in the next morning, it was completely untouched. Who could've possibly done such a thing? Someone who has the power to control vampires. And now that you and David know the truth, do you two still trust that vampire? Whose side are you both on?" Ryohei asked us and I stared back uncaringly.
"My mission is to protect the Princess from anyone who would harm her. If that girl is a human casualty, then she got in the way and needed to be eliminated," I stated and everyone looked at me in horror.
"What the fuck is wrong with you?! That's a human being you're talking about and you don't care what had happened to her?!" Ryohei exclaimed incredulously.
"In war, survival is your responsibility. She failed to survive because she wasn't strong enough and she got eliminated as a result which is the price of war," I explained coldly and Ryohei trembled in rage.
"You son of a bitch! How can you be so fucking callous?! A person might be dead in an alley somewhere and you don't give a shit?! Who the fuck are you to be so heartless?!" Ryohei yelled in fury as he grabbed my collar and pinned me against the wall.
I stayed silent and looked back darkly, Ryohei raising a fist and shaking until he lowered his fist after a while and let go.
"You don't belong here asshole, so why don't you go back to where you came from," Ryohei growled and I simply brushed myself off as I walked away.
I went inside and eventually found myself on the roof so that I could watch the view. Akira came up to join me and he stood next to me.
"Is it true? Do you really not care about anyone if they died?" Akira inquired and I looked at him.
"If they died, then they simply weren't strong enough to survive. I learned that after witnessing death countless times and coming back alone every single time," I stated and Akira looked at me in shock.
"Oh, Kami...what the hell happened to you, David?" Akira breathed in disbelief and I stayed silent.
Pretty soon Yuki met up with us once it became dark and she started speaking.
"The city almost looks like an illusion, huh?" Yuki asked us as we watched the Bund that was in the distance.
"Unfortunately, it's a reality that neither us nor the human race can avoid any longer," Akira stated.
"What do you mean, Akira? The way you said that makes it seem like you and David are not human. So, did you like the food we gave you?" Yuki inquired.
"Oh, yeah...thankfully, it tasted a lot better than it looked," Akira quipped and Yuki smiled.
"Good...I'm glad, because the Princess worked really hard on it," Yuki said quietly.
"Hey Yuki, thanks," Akira said.
"Huh?" Yuki made a noise of confusion.
"I could tell you seasoned it for her...it tasted like your cooking and vampires don't have the same sense of taste humans do...so there's no way she can possibly cook. But, knowing her, she probably refused to admit that she couldn't do it and insisted on cooking anyway. I bet she didn't even thank you, did she?" Akira asked and Yuki looked to the side.
"No, she didn't...I'm sure she will eventually. Seems like you and David know her pretty well," Yuki remarked and Akira looked taken aback.
"Um...not really," Akira muttered sheepishly.
I suddenly caught the familiar scent of vampires quickly approaching and many vampires came out of the shadows to attack us, which made my training kick in as I tackled Akira and Yuki to the floor to prevent them from getting swiped. I held Yuki close as I stood up and I let her go so that I could get ready for combat.
"Tch...these assholes again," Akira grumbled in irritation as he stood up and he nodded to me in appreciation.
I nudged Yuki behind me and we all backed up to get some breathing room, but the vampires were approaching us with looks of sadistic glee.
"They're not human so watch your sectors," I notified calmly and I looked behind us to see that we were surrounded which forced us to stop as they formed into a circle around us.
"No way...they're wearing our school uniforms," Yuki whimpered in terror as it started raining and I got ready to defend myself.
The crowd of vampires charged us and I took up a combat stance, ducking, weaving, blocking, deflecting attacks and retaliating with rapid strikes, palm hits, roundhouse kicks, side kicks, bone breaking techniques and an impressive display of reflexes. I broke the nose of one vampire with a fast strike to the face and my eyes started glowing golden, my hands and arms growing black fur while claws and paw-pads formed. One vampire reached into his jacket and threw some kind of dust at me and it hit me in the face, my throat closing up and agonizing pain rushing through my body as I realized that the dust was silver. I choked and gagged at the pain while I stumbled back but I pushed through the agonizing sensation and charged at the vampires, who widened their eyes at the sight.
"What the fuck?! How the hell is he still coming?!" one vampire cried out in disbelief.
"That's no ordinary flea-bag! Kill him!" another vampire ordered and many charged at me.
It wasn't easy fighting while the silver dust was affecting my strength, senses, and reflexes but I took down the rest of the attackers through sheer willpower alone and stood victorious while nearly all of the attackers were lying on the ground in agony or turned to dust from getting killed. I kept coughing and trying to clear my system of the silver while nursing cuts and bruises that I had gotten from a few lucky hits, and I staggered over to one of the vampires that were still alive. I barely knelt down and yanked him up slightly by his jacket collar, the vampire staring at me in fear and agony.
"What the fuck are you?" the vampire stuttered in terror while my glowing eyes showed power and strength.
I didn't say anything and impaled the vampire through the chest with my claws, ripping out his heart and crushing it into a bloody and meaty paste which caused the vampire to turn into ash. I turned to look at the vampires that were still alive. The survivors looked paralyzed with pure and uncontrollable terror as I stepped forward, causing them to step back.
"Tell your master that his death's come due and that he cannot escape the Reaper," I instructed coldly and the survivors bolted in complete fear.
The adrenaline wore off and I fell onto my hands and knees while my eyes, arms, and hands changed back, breathing heavily as Akira and Yuki rushed over to check on me.
"David! Oh Kami, are you okay?! How did you do that?" Yuki questioned in complete worry as Akira lifted me to my feet with one of my arms around his shoulders.
"I'll be fine...the Death cannot die and I'm special," I groaned while my body was clearing the silver from my system.
"That doesn't mean you should've risked your life like that! You could've died, you baka!" Yuki scolded as she took my other arm and we went back inside to dry off.
We entered the gym and headed to the boy's locker room, taking off our wet clothes and leaving them to dry while I recovered.
"Those fuckers were wearing our school uniform. I don't know what the hell is going on...how in Kami's name could vampires have infiltrated our school? I have to call the Princess and tell her about this," Akira stated urgently as he took out his cell phone.
"I don't understand why you and David are more worried about her safety than your own lives," Yuki stated and Akira grimaced.
"Do you remember the day I suddenly collapsed in the schoolyard? That was the first time we met face to face...she'd come searching for me even though I had lost my memory and I wouldn't remember her. Because of some silly promise I made as a kid, she risked her own life to come and find me. I feel like she's-" Akira could've continued but Yuki spoke.
"I saw you and a heavily armed man in a mask later that day...I saw you three running from someone, or something. I couldn't believe it...there were all of these guards who were secretly following you and that masked man...almost like they were protecting you from the shadows," Yuki confessed and Akira recoiled.
"Wait, you saw us?!" Akira questioned and he accidentally knocked over the improvised clothing rack, showing Yuki while she was covering her front with a sheet and everything went into an awkward silence after that.
I stopped paying attention and listened to the pouring rain that was raging on outside...and I suddenly heard Akira's phone ringing which prompted the teenaged werewolf to answer it.
"Hello?...nothing much, what about you?...no, not at all and David's doing just fine...still being stoic as usual. Hey Princess, let me ask you something...I can trust you, right?...okay, thanks for telling me...I really wanted to hear that...I know. David and I'll see you when we get back...goodnight, Princess," Akira said and he hung up, looking at Yuki and saying, "David and I are gonna go."
"Okay," Yuki said quietly as we put on our dry uniforms and went our separate ways.
Akira and I left the building but I stopped when I caught the scent of someone that was similar to my kind but feline in nature.
"David? What's wrong?" Akira asked in concern and I looked at him.
"I have something to take care of...I'll meet you back at the Bund," I stated and Akira shrugged as he looked away and left me alone.
As soon as Akira was out of earshot, I called out, "I caught your scent so come out and identify yourself!"
"Well, looks like I've been discovered by the Big Bad Wolf...how amusing," a female seductive voice sounded out and I followed the voice to see a teenaged girl crouched on a table, the girl wearing a high school uniform and her hair was in pig tails.
As soon as I spotted the girl, my eyes started glowing gold and the girl's eyes also glowed gold while her pupils formed into the slits of a feline...the two of us showed our true nature while the girl took out a piece of hard candy and bit down on it with her sharp teeth.
A/N And Done. Now, I have been putting down hints on who I am going pair David with. If you can tell me the answer on the first try, then well done. Do you all like the chapter? Let me know and stay tuned.