A/N: It's been a day or so since I posted a series of chapters so I'm back at it tonight! I apologize for the first like three paragraphs of this chapter because it's just...stupid but I had nothing better going on in my brain so I'm sorry. Other than that this chapter is really a lot of filler with a bit of a mystery that will come into play way later on. I hope you guys enjoy it, thank you to everyone that has reviewed and read up to this point you guys are honestly amazing and make me feel far more confident about continuing to post this on here. Thank you again, and now to chapter seven! ~Len
Ch. 7: Archives
"We actually need to look at your archives, upon receiving some questionable and concerning information Kaname-sama-" Takuma started to explain but Kaito cut him off with a hand.
"I don't care why you're here or what Kuran-san wants you to find, the archives are down the hall to the left, if you take the stairs down to the last floor you can't miss them." He interrupted then headed off down another hallway and vanished. The two nobles shared a questioning look before heading in the direction mentioned to them.
"I know he said to go to the bottom floor but he at least could have explained how many underground floors the HA has!" Aido growled as the duo made their way down the ninth flight of stairs.
"While I do agree this is tedious, we're also vampires, we could make this a lot faster." Takuma replied when they reached the tenth flight down. Aido nodded and the two took off in a run down two more flights of stairs before they stepped into a stone walled library looking place with hundreds upon thousands of books and files from floor to ceiling.
"Holy shit...where do we start?" Aido gaped at the place spread out in front of him. Takuma, finding himself speechless, shook his head and continued to stare at his surroundings.
"You made it to the archives, that must mean you truly are seriously looking for something. Kaito-kun told me that I would be getting visitors of the vampire kind." A voice sounded from off to the side. Both boys turned to see an older hunter, a woman with thick black hair that was turning gray tied up in a bun.
"Ah yes, we're here on behalf of Kaname-sama who asked us to find anything and everything on the Kiryuu family. I am to find things on what is called the Silverblood and my partner is to track the bloodline and genetic makeup." Takuma answered politely, the woman nodded and motioned for the nobles to follow her lead.
"So much and yet so little was accurately documented on the Kiryuu Clan. You will have to check with the young master if you wish to know everything in its truest form, but I can show you where their documents are." She explained. "We keep them separate from all the other files, the family dating back could make a library of only their stories and it would be almost as big as this one." She added with a small chuckle. Takuma and Aido both paled at the thought.
"This is all on the Kiryuu family?" Aido questioned looking around the room, they had been taken through another secret doorway in the back opening up to a classroom-sized room filled with bookshelves. Every one of them was filled from side to side with files and books.
"Yes, but for the two things you boys are looking for you will need this shelf here Aido-kun and Takuma-kun you will find some of what you need over here on the side." The senior hunter explained, direction each noble in the direction they needed to be in. "If you need help finding anything more do not hesitate to call me over." She added on and headed to the main section of the archives.
"Well, this is going to take forever I assume." Aido grumbled with a sigh, Takuma only hummed in response, knowing the blond would do a thorough job since it was for Kaname. He would never skimp out on a job for the ever so respected pureblood.
"Your section is quite small compared to some of the others though, so I wouldn't complain too much, not to mention we're lucky in the first place that all this was written and recorded for us to begin with." The older noble pointed out, Aido couldn't help but to agree but made no sound of it as he started pulling out family records of the medical section in their lives.
Zero groaned as he felt another level E presence while he walked around the target area. It was only one nest, but he could understand why the mission would take a full night. The damned level Es just kept coming! It wasn't a large area, smaller than the size of Kaname's study room he figured. How they packed so many vampires in there was beyond his comprehension. 'And why in this area is another question.' He added in thought while firing off two more rounds of bullets. The place didn't look to be one in which vampires would willingly spend time in much less make a housing situation in. There wasn't very much human traffic, nor was there much cover from the sun during the day. Rather, in all brutal honesty, there wasn't much of anything that would normally be a must have for the survival of so many bloodthirsty vampires. It just didn't make any sense at all. 'There has to be something here, level Es don't live just anywhere out here. Nests are places specifically according to what is around the area.' The hunter recited one of his sensei's lectures in his head over again. Deciding to tap into his Silverblood senses he looked around again. There were marks on the trees, specific to a certain clan of hunters that used to be aligned with the association, they had turned rogue now however and Zero stopped keeping tabs on them. 'So they moved out here, the level Es are probably tied with them somehow which is why they won't leave.' The silverette mused to himself. There was still the question of why the clan wanted or needed the level Es...but he would report his findings to the association first and have the Chairman mull it over. Looking up to the sky he realized it would soon be dawning and he would have to turn back in order to make it back to the association by midday. With a sigh, the hunter headed out of the area and back towards town. Of course, as he should have suspected, on his way to town there were a few level Es stalking humans that he had to kill off quietly. It wasn't hard with the charms instead of using his normal methods, but it did slow his timing on getting to the association where he filled out his report and then had a car take him back to school.
Upon getting inside his room he found a letter had been slid under his door asking him to meet with Takuma and Kaname in the pureblood's study. Closing his eyes and holding in a tired sigh the silver haired hunter pocketed the letter and walked to the vampire's room where he knew the two would be patiently waiting for his arrival.
"Welcome Zero-kun." Takuma smiled and ushered the casually dressed vampire in the room.
"You wanted to see me?" He asked with his eyes turning to Kuran, who was sitting behind his mahogany desk looking over a few papers Zero assumed were for the council.
"Yes, please have a seat Kiryuu-kun." Kaname started, motioning for the teen to sit on the couch. Zero hesitated but did so nonetheless. "I was asked to relay a message to you from the association Chairman. Yari-san delivered it to me shortly after you left." The pureblood watched for any reaction the hunter gave to his words, wondering if Zero had any idea about this 'compound' place himself. As he predicted the boy gave no indication of knowing why the messenger was sent to the pureblood.
"Yari? He's a messenger isn't he? I didn't think he was one of mine though." Zero pondered aloud.
"One of?" Takuma asked tilting his head to the side slightly.
"I have a few messengers for me, three of them I have worked with in the field alongside other hunters, Yari included. The others I only know by name or brief meeting." Zero explained with a shrug. Takuma frowned slightly at that but shook it off soon after, he didn't want to make the younger vampire nervous or anything.
"Yari requested me to tell you that you are to report to the association in order to discuss when you are to move to the compound for...training as he said." Kaname explained putting his papers aside and turning his full attention to the silverette. He could see Zero tense for a brief moment and then quickly guarded himself once again and nodded.
"I see, I suppose I should leave as soon as possible." The teen said half to himself and half to the two vampires in front of him. Standing and moving to the window Zero looked out to the trees. "If I leave now I should be back here before morning." He added on mostly to himself this time, unaware of the non-verbal conversation Takuma was having with the pureblood.
"Do you mind if I accompany you Zero-kun?" The blonde eventually questioned catching Zero's attention once again.
"I don't know why you would want to, but yes if you so wish to I won't stop you." Came the unexpected reply. Takuma smiled and nodded while Kaname listened in, he wondered just how much Zero would confide in Takuma in the long run; he hoped enough to get information on the unknown parts of Silverblood and the Kiryuu family. "We should get going quickly." The young hunter voiced once again but this time it was clearly directed to Takuma.
"I will send for a car to drive you there and bring you back once your business has concluded." Kaname chimed in which had both vampires nodding.
"We shouldn't take too long, I can make a very likely guess to what I will be told." Zero told him before he and Takuma left the pureblood to his papers and headed out to the already waiting car by the gates.
"Do you already know when you will be sent to the compound?" The blonde asked when the car pulled away from the school.
"I believe so yes, it's custom to go to the compound approximately one month before being sent on the frontlines. The rest of the time beforehand the Chairman expects us to start training ourselves on missions." Zero explained though he kept his eyes watching out the window.
"And I assume you go straight to the field once you're done with this training grounds." Takuma half asked but mostly stated. Zero scoffed but nodded anyway.
"Yes, if you can be so nice as to call it a training grounds. It's more like a prison." The silverette replied quietly. Of course, to a vampire's ear it was spoken clear as a bell. Deciding not to comment on it any further for fear the boy would reel back from him, Takuma turned his own attention out the window as well. The ride was overall fairly silent between the two, in many ways Zero really did remind Takuma of Shiki with his quiet attitude and laid back style.
'Only I can't see Zero willingly going into modeling and even if he did I doubt anyone would ever find out about it.' He mused with a half smile.
"Why did you want to come along?" The hunter spoke up after another stretch of comfortable silence. Takuma looked over but Zero's eyes were still trained out the window.
"In all honesty? I came because I'm worried about you Zero." He answered, Zero's eyes immediately snapped to Takuma's. Finding them serious but still kind and fully honest, a look Zero only truly knew from his parents and the headmaster or on rare occasion his former master. Zero opened his mouth to say he could take care of himself but Takuma beat him to speaking. "I am well aware of your status in the world of the hunters and even more so your family name. I do not worry when I see you leaving for missions, after a good night's rest and some food, I am worried that you will throw yourself into battle out of a feeling of obligation and a will of self-sacrifice. You are a person who interests me greatly and I admit fully that before our interactions when you stepped into the moon dorms I too was wary of your every move or word. Now I know how foolish of me that was and I want to know you as you. Not as the rumors or as a past enemy. I want to know the real Kiryuu Zero. And I will never forgive myself if I turn away from you now. That, Zero-kun, is why I want to come with you." The blonde finished, returning to his smiling face Zero had gotten used to. He said nothing in return, only blinked and turned his attention back out the window, he didn't have to respond. The car ride was spent in a peaceful thoughtful silence the rest of the way to the Hunter's Association. Takuma couldn't help but mentally groan as he saw the two familiar faces of the hunter he had talked to before with Aido still at the gates.
"We have arrived, I will await your return outside the gates." Their driver announced causing Zero to roll his eyes.
"Zero-sama." The duo greeted the elder hunter and bowed out of respect before quickly opening the gates.
"Taki, Hiro, why are you two managing the gates?" Zero questioned with a raised eyebrow. "Or do I even want to know?" He added when he saw the blushing and embarrassed looks stationed on the two faces of the young hunters.
"They're being punished for foolishly messing with charms in the library." Kaito's voice sounded causing Zero to look up and tilt his head slightly.
"Charm casting hardly seems to be worth the punishment." The silverette pointed out to which Kaito nodded.
"This is true, but turning Komu-san into a warthog was." The older hunter replied to which Zero snorted in amusement before following the other inside with Takuma slightly behind him and watching his surroundings carefully. As they approached the door of the Chairman's office Zero told the other two to wait outside for him. Kaito was reluctant, which caught Takuma's attention and concern, but neither would go against Zero's wishes at the very moment so they agreed without complaint. Even before the vampire hunter could knock, the door was opened by someone and Zero was rushed inside before the doors closed once again.
A/N: I forgot to mention in the beginning note that Zero's section is quite long and I apologize because I know that can trip the eyes a little bit but for me, it just flowed better as one paragraph so that's why I didn't make it into two. Other than that I tried to add in some (bad) humor in there but I'm not really sure if it worked or not. Regardless I hope you found it somewhat interesting and I promise the next one to come will be better. Thanks as always and remember to Keep Calm and Fanfiction On~