VAMPYR
Pika the Vampire Hunter
Chapter Two: Mr. Leorio and the Library
*** *** *** ***
During History, the teacher was boring Kurapika to
death with facts about the Ten Years' Plague. Bored because she'd learned
all of this before getting kicked out of her former school. "Now, class,"
The teacher said," Please turn in your textbooks to page 108 for a map
of areas where the plague struck."
Kurapika didn't have a textbook yet, so she glanced
around the room. The girl next to her leaned over and whispered, "Here,
you can share mine." She had pink hair and wore a miniskirt over a tank-top
and jacket.
"Thanks." Kurapika whispered back.
The third bell rang and the class stood up. The
pink-haired girl said, "Hi, I'm Neon."
"My name's Kurapika."
"If you're looking for a book for yourself, I think
they have a few in the library."
"Would you show me where that is?"
Neon nodded as they walked down the hall. They stopped
at a water fountain. "Senritsu," Neon said to the person drinking, "Would
you, like, move? People are dehydrating here."
"Oh," Senritsu said quietly. "I'm sorry." She quickly
left. Kurapika watched all this with a raised eyebrow, which Neon didn't
seem to notice.
After Neon finished with the fountain, they walked
on. "You should come to Silver tonight." She said.
"Silver?"
"It's the only club worth going to in this town.
It's in the down town area. Ask anybody there."
"I'll try to make it."
They'd reached the library. "Well, I'll see you
in gym." Neon said. She turned and walked off.
Kurapika opened one of the double doors and walked
inside. She looked around. There were tables near the back, shelves along
the walls, and shelves on the second floor. She passed the checkout desk
and noticed a folded newspaper with the headline, "Local Boys Still Missing"
with a grainy picture of three boys. The article was circled in red ink.
Seeing no one who could help her, Kurapika called,
"Is... is anyone here?"
Someone touched her shoulder. Startled, Kurapika
whirled around.
"Can I help you?" The person asked. He was tall,
with black hair and brown coffee-ish eyes. He wore a blue suit with a yellow
pinstriped tie.
"I was looking for some books. I'm new here."
"Miss Kuruta."
"Good call. I guess I'm the only new kid."
"I'm Mr. Leorio, the librarian."
"Great." Kurapika smiled. "So do you have... uh..."
"I know what you're looking for." Mr. Leorio turned
and led her to the checkout desk. He brought out a thick book. Kurapika
looked at the cover. Written in gilt was the one word, VAMPYR. Underneath
was a symbol that looked like a double X.
Concern filled Kurapika's mind. With it, an understanding.
She stepped away from the book, keeping her eyes on the librarian. "Er...
that's not what I'm looking for." She told him.
"Are you sure?"
"Very sure."
Mr. Leorio nodded. "My mistake." He replaced the
book, then said, "Now what is it you wanted...?" He looked around the room.
Kurapika was gone.
[Lunch]
***
"Um...hi. Senritsu, right?"
Senritsu started and turned around. She saw the girl who'd come down the hall with Neon. "Oh. Did you want me to move?"
The girl sat down next to her. "Why don't we start with 'Hi, I'm Kurapika?' And then could I ask you a favor? You know all the teachers and stuff, right?"
"Yeah. Sort of."
"Can you tell me anything about that librarian? I met him today. I thought he was kind of creepy."
"Oh, Mr. Leorio, the new librarian?"
"He's new?"
"Yeah, he came from the Eastern Continent. And I'm serious, Kurapika, he knows just about everything."
Both girls looked up as Killua and Gon walked over to the table.
"Kurapika, this is Gon—and Killua." Senritsu said.
"Nice to meet you." Gon said to Kurapika.
"We came to return this." Killua held up the stake. "All I can think of is you're building an extremely tiny fence."
"Oh, that?" Kurapika thought quickly. "Everyone has them in Zaban. It's much more effective than pepper spray."
All of a sudden, Killua's and Gon's heads slammed together.
"Ouch!" They both cried.
A dark-haired girl appeared behind Killua, "Tsk, tsk," She chided, "You didn't wait for me this morning. Who's this?"
"Kurapika, meet Caruto." Killua said, sweeping his arm towards the girl. "My evil younger sister. Caruto meet Kurapika. The new student here."
Caruto smiled and Kurapika. "I came here to tell you guys that Menchi found a dead guy stuffed in her gym locker." She waited for it to sink in.
"Dead," Kurapika said.
"Way dead," Caruto confirmed.
"Not just a little dead then." Killua added.
Caruto and Senritsu rolled their eyes.
"How'd he die?" Kurapika asked.
"Dunno. Didn't ask." Answered Caruto.
Kurapika took off, out of the cafeteria towards the gym. "Whaat's her deal?" Caruto looked at Killua.
He shrugged.
In the second row of lockers, there was a blanket covering the pale, lifeless figure of a boy. As Kurapika unfolded the blanket from his head and shoulders, she saw two distinct marks on his neck. "Shit," she muttered.
***
Mr. Leorio was standing on the second level. He looked up as Kurapika waved a hand in his face. "Excuse me?"
"You heard about the dead guy in the girls' locker room, right?"
"Mm hmm.."
"Well it's very weird. He's got two little holes in his neck and he's got no blood, and doesn't that just freak you out?! Aren't you just going 'Oooooh...'?"
Mr. Leorio sighed. "I was afraid of this."
"Well, I wasn't! I was afraid of being behind in all my classes, and not beig able to make any friends, and I... I just want a normal life!"
"You are the Hunter."
"I. Don't. Care."
"Then why are you here?"
"To..." Kurapika stopped. "To tell you I'm not going along along with this. I don't want to see another vampire again!"
Mr. Leorio stared into her eyes. "Into every generation, a Hunter is born... One girl, in all the world, a Chosen One..."
Kurapika joined him in the chant. "One born with the strength and skill to hunt the vampires. To stop the spread of their evil and the—blah, blah, and blah, I've heard it about a thousand times, okay?"
Mr. Leorio put his book back on a shelf. "But you've slain vampires before!"
"And now, I'm retired. Hey, why don't you go and hunt them?"
Mr. Leorio smiled in a surprised manner, "I'm the Watcher. I don't hunt."
"Oh, come on!" Kurapika rolled her eyes. "A stake, a cross, sunlight... piece of cake, Leorio."
"The Hunter hunts." Leorio said. "The Watcher—"
"Watches."
"Yes—no! I'm supposed to prepare you!"
"Oh?" Kurapika raised an eyebrow. "Fine. Prepare me." She challenged. Kurapika turned on her heel and left. Leorio went after her.
Intent in their argument, neither had noticed the figure in the corner. Killua stepped out of the shadows with Trigonometry 360 under his arm. For a while, he stood, blinking, in stunned silence. Then he spoke one word that echoed in the room.
"Huh?"
[Dismissal Bell]
***
Killua brightened up. "Hey that's the bus Caruto and I ride!"
"Great!" Killua led her to the bus and they got on.
Fifteen minutes after the bus left York Shin High, it came to Kukuru Mountain Drive. "We get off here." Killua said.
After the bus left the curb, Killua realized Kurapika was still with them. "Aren't you...?" He looked confused.
"You idiot." Caruto said, pressing a few buttons to make the gate open. "Didn't you hear anything Mother said last week?"
"What?"
"Kurapika's staying at our place as a transfer student."
"Oh, yeah! I remember now."
They went inside the mansion. "Caruto, Killua, is that you?" The voice of Kikyou Zoldick came from the end of the hall.
"Yes." They answered.
"Is Kurapika with you?"
"Yes."
Kikyou made her entrance. She was tall and slim, with long black hair. She was dressed in a dark blue outfit with gold jewelry. "Kurapika, dear, is it all right if you stay in Caruto's room until we have the the guest room made up for you?"
Catching Caruto's eye and smiling, Kurapika answered, "That would be great!"
"Go along then."
Miruki, The second oldest brother, asked, "How did you get through the gate without the code?"
Kurapika turned red. "I jumped over it."
"What?"
"I jumped over it."
Silva, the father of the Zoldick siblings, chuckled. "Killua, you will have to teach our guest the code."
Princess Floréa: Stupid place to end. I hope you're liking
it though.
Kurapika-sama: Oh, well enough.
Princess Floréa: I've been neglecting to review all the
fics. Some people seem to have think I've fallen off the face of the Earth.
I'll say this for all of you, I've been reading all those that come in,
and they're all great!!!
Floraleon: And besides reviewing, you've been neglecting around
ten fics!
Princess Floréa: Well, that, too... But I've got two
new ideas coming in.
Floraleon and Kurapika-sama: *sigh* Hoo-boy...