(A/n: Please enjoy)
Chapter 34: Made (No) Progress
"How do you feel?" Butters asks Craig, caressing the noirette's head that's resting on his shoulder. The two of them plus Clyde are currently sitting on the sofa in the living room inside their little home, out of their soaked uniforms and into night clothes.
His eyes closed, Craig just grunts his reply. "You won't feel better until you kick that guy's ass, huh?" Clyde guesses, grinning and nudging Craig's arm who just grunts in reply once again. But Clyde knows to take that as a yes.
The silence and the raindrops beating against the shack house encase the living room in a comfortable ambience, Clyde having the decency to say nothing else to ruin it much to both Craig's and Butters' liking. Craig takes this time to think about their encounter with the vampire hunter. Just as Clyde suspected, he won't necessarily feel better until he got back at the bastard. However, he knows it's not going to happen. The Principal, Mr. Akuma, Mr. Thorn, and...his brother will take him down with hardly any effort.
Or so he thought.
He doesn't know exactly how long it's been, but he hasn't heard the screech of the intercom for awhile now. "Are they seriously having trouble against one guy?" Craig thinks in disbelief.
Clyde lays down on his thigh with a sigh. "They're really taking forever to kill the vampire hunter. They can't be struggling against him, could they?"
Butters frowns at the possibility, he stopped gently stroking Craig's hair seconds ago. "I think that's only possible if they're fightin' 'em one on one."
"Well the longer they take, the longer we can stay here," Clyde says, relaxed.
"But we'll have to return to our room come mornin'," Butters reminds him.
Clyde waves his hand dismissively. "Yeah, yeah, we know." There's a moments silence. "Hey, buttercup?"
"Hm?"
"Is Craig asleep?"
"No," the noirette answers himself. Clyde tsk's, he was ready to mess with Craig had he been sleeping.
"I'm boooooored," Clyde whines.
"Then go to sleep," Craig says, sitting up straight.
With a pout, Clyde squeezes his thigh. "Your thigh ain't soft enough."
Craig rolls his eyes. "Well sooorry for not being squishy like Butters."
Clyde turns over on his back, giving him a playful glare. "Yeah, you should be sorry. We can't always treat him as our personal pillow."
Butters chuckles at his statement. "You're soft too, Clyde."
"Umm, no, I'm not. I'm all muscle."
Craig lightly smacks his stomach, eliciting a grunt from the brunette. "That's not what I'm feeling here."
Clyde blushes a little. "Okay, so I don't have abs like you. Still doesn't mean I'm soft...entirely."
"There's nothin' wrong with bein' soft though," Butters tells him.
"There's plenty things wrong with being soft. I can list like six reasons why being soft is not for me, but for you only."
"Oh really?" Butters grins in anticipation. "Alright, go ahead," he challenges.
Craig just shakes his head with a small smile as Clyde lists off all six reasons in quick succession. Tonight is going to be one of those nights where they have ridiculous but enjoyable banter.
"A-actually, c-can you do us a s-small favor?"
Kenny looks in Stan's direction furrowing his eyebrows, but he can't see much of him because Gary is still in the way. "Like what exactly?"
Stan opens his mouth to answer, but sneezes instead. While he rubs his reddening nose with the back of his hand with a sniffle, Gary grimaces in disgust and moves to stand behind him. "It's too fucking cold out here! We're gonna get sick at this rate." He wouldn't be too worried about catching a cold had he and his friends been out of here and in town. He rubs his hands up and down his arms, hoping to at least lessen the goosebumps on his skin. "I-if it's n-not too m-much, c-can you-" He is interrupted by another sneeze. He groans irritably as he wipes the snot leaking out from his nostrils with the back of his hand once again. This time, Ike distances himself from him a bit.
Kenny frowns solicitously at Stan. "Whatever your favor is can wait, just close the door-"
"N-no, w-we r-really...n-need your h-help." His only problem is voicing it out.
Kenny heaves a sigh, and approaches the three humans having an inkling as to what Stan's favor is. "I'll send guys back to your rooms."
Stan shakes his head. "That's n-not it." He sneezes again, Ike cringing at the fact that he hasn't covered his mouth the three times he's sneezed.
Kenny stops in front of the doorway, creasing his eyebrows again. "Then what is it?"
Stan sniffles then lets out a shaky breath, his nose and cheeks bright red. He looks back at Ike and Gary. "O-one o-of y-you t-tell him f-for me."
Gary looks disinclined to do so. "I think we should forget about doing this, you're-"
"No," Stan cuts him off with a weak scowl. Gary's lack of faith in them escaping briefly warmed up his body with a spark of anger.
"Forget about doing what?" Kenny asks, curious.
Lessening his glare, Stan returns his attention to Kenny. "C-can you drop us, G-Gregory, and P-Pip down in front of the academy?" Stan tried so hard not to stutter whilst voicing out his request. He observes Kenny's face, and he knows right away that the vampire is confused, and is about to decline doing his bizarre demand so Stan quickly adds, "I can't t-tell you otherwise you r-really w-won't do it. Please help us."
Kenny stares deeply into Stan's sapphire eyes. Since Stan won't provide him an explanation as to why he wants him and his friends to be sent down to the doorstep, then he'll just have to find out for himself. His hazel eyes begin to glow in a faint honey color, another light shining dully through his drenched shirt from the left side of his torso.
"W-what are you doing?" Stan asks, frowning bemusedly.
Kenny doesn't respond until his eyes dim back to hazel a few seconds later. He glares at the noirette. "So the reason you want my help is so you and your friends can leave this academy." He also discovered that the vampire hunter was Stan's first choice of carrying out his escape plan.
Stan appears greatly startled whereas Ike and Gary look abashed. Stan composes himself by gripping his icy cold arms. "Y-yeah, t-that's right..." He tightens his grip on his arms at the frown Kenny now wears on his face. "Y-you're not gonna h-help us, a-are you?"
Kenny shakes his head. "I'm not," he answers, not ashamed of his decision.
Even though Stan expected this, it still hurt and angered him a little. He thought he could rely on Kenny, seems he was mistaken. "Fine. W-we'll find s-someone else then."
"Ahem!"
Kenny calmly looks at not one but two newcomerswhile Stan, Ike, and Gary turn around to face them. Standing side by side on the third step leading up to the rooftop door are Gregory and Pip, both wet from the rain. "Sorry to interrupt the serious moment you all were having, but we need to go," Gregory tells them.
"H-how'd you know we were up h-here?" Stan asks.
Gregory eyes Stan's, Ike's, and Gary's shivering figures, then turns away going back down the stairs. Pip follows behind him. "I'll answer as we move, and we need to be quick." While Stan, Ike, and Gary go down the stairs as well, Kenny wonders if he should come along as he closes the door. In the end, he opts to trail after them. "A search team is looking for you three," Gregory says.
"B-but what about the v-vampire hunter? Y-you two didn't see him anywhere?" Ike asks.
"No," Gregory shakes his head. "Another team went off to go see what happened to the vampire hunter. We were with the search team up until just a few minutes ago wandering the halls until we managed to sneak away. But would one of you like to tell me why no one told me to meet up on the rooftop before I left? In fact, how did any of you know it was unlocked? Had Kenny not been up there, where would you guys had gone then?" He questions them sternly, but sighs when he doesn't receive an answer. They step down a few more steps before getting off of the last one, then walk down the right side of the hallway. "Well, whatever. It was somewhat difficult to find you guys so I hope you have something else in mind Stanley now that we've regrouped for the second time."
Stan swallows down a cough, he's stumped on any more ideas plus he's tired of thinking. He doesn't feel confident finding another vampire that will help them, he just said that in the heat of the moment. "I-I...-" His vision suddenly distorts, and he stumbles. Kenny is quick to catch him, keeping him steady by the shoulders, and making sure he doesn't come into contact against his damp clothes. "Shit...this sucks," Stan thinks rubbing his eyes to clear his vision.
Everyone else stops walking, Gregory and Pip turning around. "How do you two feel?" Pip asks frowning at Ike's and Gary's slightly pale appearances, but at least they're not shivering as much as before.
Ike starts to answer, but he covers his mouth just as he sneezes. "Uh...I think I'm getting sick too." He rubs under his nose.
"I feel fine," Gary answers truthfully.
"Neither of you would be feeling sick if you had of closed the door like I kept telling you to," Kenny scolds them.
"W-we h-have to g-get o-outta here," Stan mumbles, his eyes glazed over.
"That ain't gonna happen in your current condition." Kenny points out reasonably.
"W-we have to..." Kenny frowns at the state Stan has been reduced to, his mind is clouded with thoughts of only escaping.
"Oi!"
Everyone except Stan snap their attention down the hallway, seeing Mr. Ashton and his team approaching them.
"They found us quickly like I expected," Gregory says with a small frown.
"A-are we in trouble?" Ike asks nervously.
All of a sudden, Stan breaks free from Kenny's light hold, and takes off in the opposite direction.
"Stan!" Kenny calls out before running after him.
Their friends turn around with shocked eyes once they heard Kenny shout, Gregory then narrows his eyes. "We most definitely are."
/
Back inside the gymnasium, Trent yawns amidst the students' complaining, hogging most of the bleacher he's on due to him laying on it with his elbow supporting him up. The only administrators that stayed are Dr. Kero, the male and female librarians he forgot the names of, the chick and some other dude that work in the counseling office, and Coach McCormick, though he's in his office. Most likely sleeping.
Trent wipes a tear from his eye. "Can they shut the hell up already? Whinin' ain't gonna solve anything." Just like everyone else, he's also bored. He doesn't understand why the Principal didn't just let them all jump the vampire hunter, he would've been dead in a millisecond.
Through half-lidded eyes, he stares blankly across the gym, not paying attention to whoever are in his line of sight until he spots red and noticeable wild and ashen blonde hair. He feels himself getting angry at the sight of those two, but more specifically at the redhead. Every time he sees him, he becomes angry and also apprehensive, but he never knows why. Yes, he hates the guy, but not to the point of feeling his blood boil at the mere sight of him. Not at first. Perhaps Kyle did something to him to make him despise him even more, however no matter how hard he thinks, he can't recall what it is he did. It's frustrating.
"You gotta staring problem?"
Trent blinks at the sudden voice that spoke rudely to him inside his head. "Who the hell are you?"
"You don't need to know, just move your eyes elsewhere."
For some reason, Trent feels he's heard this guy before. But once again, he draws a blank, his senses telling him not to anger this mysterious vampire. He only averts his gaze when a large group of vampires appear before one of the sets of double doors.
The complaining dies down a little when the cluster of black smoke fades away, revealing Principal Brimestone, Mr. Edgewood, Mr. Thorn, Ms. Biggle, and the rest of the teachers and staff. Principal Brimestone and Ms. Biggle walk to the center of the basketball court.
"Alright everyone, I have good news and I guess some bad news," Principal Brimestone declares. "First, the good news. You all can go back to your rooms. Classes will resume tomorrow, but at a later time." The students groan, Henrietta instantly silences them. "Now, the bad news. The vampire hunter is still alive, but!" He quickly adds before he's interrupted. "He's currently up against Mr. Akuma, who's still toying with him before he kills him. So, if there aren't any questions, then everybody can leave."
*About Five Or So Minutes Earlier*
"Michael!" Henrietta called out as she and her group approached only four men idling in the center of the first floor. "Why the hell are you four just standing here? Where's Kurai and the vampire hunter?" She scanned around, growing suspicious of the absence of blood. Even she knew that if there was even a smidgen of blood anywhere, she would've kicked up a fuss; but seeing as how they were up against an enemy, she would've let it slide.
"Oh, Henrietta," Michael greeted the woman with a small smile, which earned him a skeptical glare from topaz-colored eyes. "Don't worry, they've taken their fight elsewhere although I do wonder why Kurai hasn't ended it already. Must be enjoying torturing the guy too much." He shrugged.
"Who said I was worried?" Henrietta scoffed. "I just want him to hurry the hell up so I can get some fucking sleep."
"Well, we haven't heard any commotion from them during this time since they left so I guess it's okay for everyone to head back to their rooms," Michael said.
"Hmm, I dunno," Leon mused doubtfully. "We should at least know of Kurai's progress first."
"If 'e's dead, zhen zhat's 'is fault," Christophe commented, uncaring. He'd summoned away his shovel prior to Henrietta and her team's arrival.
Michael crossed his arms. "Okay, how about this then?" He faced Christophe. "Go and look for Kurai. If he hasn't killed the vampire hunter yet, make sure he doesn't. We actually need him alive for questioning."
Christophe glared at him. "And why do I 'ave to do zhat?"
"Because one, you disobeyed my first order and two, because I told you to. Now get going."
Christophe continued to glare into mint-green eyes, then he looked away. "Tch." He walked away grumbling under his breath.
"See you in our room later, Chris," Damien called out.
"Let's go tell everyone in the gym," Michael said. They all teleported to the inside of the gymnasium.