Chapter: 8

He found himself staring at the ceiling in anticipation as the seconds ticked by.

Kaede had just gotten back and was looking over her chess set trying to find out what was missing from it - if there was anything at all. But the fact that she was back by his side did nothing to allay his worries, at least now he didn't have to find her when the time came. Even if it was only the two of them, he had to get her out of there no matter the cost.

During the entire time he had been sitting there, he had done nothing but think about how all of it was going to go down. Who would have to die just for a measly chance at escape? He didn't really know but it gave him a very odd feeling, almost like when he first started in this place. He hadn't felt this much unease before a fight before, now however it was practically radiating off of him.

He was so deep into his own thoughts of escape and death, that he didn't even notice that his best friend was looking at him, seemingly trying to decide something in her head.

Sora slowly slid his index finger over the cold metal of the scalpel in his pocket. It was the only thing that his helper had managed to snag in this place before the tests stopped. Still it would have to be enough, besides he knew just how sharp those things were from firsthand experience so he wasn't complaining. Now if only that damned scientist would hurry the hell up, the teen was already on a razor's edge with his patience.

"-ora. Sora!" He jolted back a tiny bit at the sound of his name being called. Looking at Kaede, he noticed an odd look on her face - a mixture of hope, embarrassment, and dread. He hummed in question, not trusting his mouth with even a simple "What's wrong?" in the state he was in.

Even though she had his full attention, she looked even more pensive about saying what she was going to than before. "Sora, there's been...something I wanted to ask you about for a while now."

Consider his interest piqued and his attention captured. His uneasy look faded quickly and immediately a caring smile overtook him on instinct. "What is it Kaede? You can ask me anything, you know that right?" He really meant it too, he had no secrets to keep from her.

To his surprise, the pinkette's face lit up in a crimson red at his response. Did he say something wrong or embarrassing? Well if he did then he didn't mean to. Inside his head however, K was both groaning at the obliviousness of...himself? At the same time he managed to be giggling like a little schoolgirl at what he knew was about to happen.

"Sora...you've been my best friend for a long time now." He nodded, semi-clueless about why she needed to reiterate that. "In all that time you have always been kind and caring to me, more than i've ever known before. You even put my own safety and health before your own. I couldn't have ever wished for a better person than you in my life, you filled it with joy and…" Her face looked more akin to a lobster now.

Where was she going with this?

"What i'm t-trying to say i-is...I-I-I L-L-Lo-"

Without warning the only door in the place slammed open, stopping all activity in the large room. They never did that before, the scientists always entered and left before anyone could tell that they were there in the first place. Glancing at his friend out of the corner of his eye - still watching the lone man walking towards the two of them - he noticed the look of disappointment all over her features. He was a bit relieved that she was back to her normal colors again, but he couldn't help but feel as if he just missed out on something big just now.

Wait why was this guy here anyway? Didn't Hanzo say that he was going to give her some time to rest before...that? Oh well, better sooner than later.

Fifteen feet...Ten...Five. The moment he got within two feet of them and opened his mouth - to order his best friend to come with him - Sora lurched forward. The man's wide, terrified, eyes locked onto cold and unfeeling pink for only a moment before the scalpel slipped into the man's throat and ripped it in a wide crescent.

Sora felt the blood beginning to pool around his hands from the slowly dying man's neck in bulk. His hand still wrapped around the warming metal, he leaned down to the scientist's ear. "I won't let any of you touch Kaede." He saw the faintest look of realization cross the other man's face, only moments before he breathed his last breath there on the floor.

Not sparing a moment, knowing that more would soon be there in force with actual weapons to stop him, he started rummaging through the man's pockets for anything of use. A pair of rubber gloves, an empty syringe, a pair of glasses, and a gold rolex watch. Mostly useless junk but the syringe could come in handy, not to mention that he could probably use the watch to get some money once they left - assuming that it was worth anything.

"Sora what are you doing?!" Oh shit, that's right he never told her what was going to happen did he? She looked kind of frightened about what he just did. Who wouldn't be though? After all he just seemingly murdered someone for no reason other than to do it.

He gave her a pleading look, asking her to trust him without actually saying anything to her. At her still slightly shaky nod, he raised his head up to the others in the room - all of which were watching him with interested eyes. Guess they thought that number Zero would just always be content to sitting back and being - to them - intimidating.

Sora gladly looked each and every one of them in the eyes, his own burning with intensity. "I know I haven't spoken with many of you at all during our time here. Even those that I have, it was only when I needed something done and I apologize for that. But i'm speaking to you now, all of you, in the hope that you share the same want that I do. To get the hell out of here, today."

Murmurs broke out among the crowd and they all seemed to talk to one another about what he was doing. In the distant parts of the room he gathered the looks of approval from his allies. Honestly he couldn't believe that he was doing something like this, but it was a necessary evil in his eyes.

"I just took the first step towards our freedom." He said, automatically their attention was once again on him. Yet he never hesitated. "All I ask is that you do the same. Let's win back our lives, and maybe take a whole lot of theirs with us. What do you say?" Nobody stepped forward. He knew it was a long shot in the first place but still there should have been someone willing to help. As much as it hurt to admit, without his vectors he couldn't get himself out of there let alone the only person he really cared for.

Just as he was about to turn around to the door, a tall girl with long dark pink hair - nearly red - and green eyes stepped up. It was number Three. The only person that actually held any sway in this damned place among the other test subjects. Of course she was wearing what they all were, the same bland white outfit with no character to it. Oddly enough she had an endearing smile on her face, the kind that he imagined his mother would have gave him if she still lived.

"It's about time someone with balls did something around here. Zero, if you really think that you can get us out of here, then i'm all for it old man." Huh, he forgot that he was the oldest one there by a few years. Either way, the crowd seemed to rally behind her without a thought otherwise. Why she trusted him he had no clue but he sure as hell wasn't going to complain. Three smirked at him, "So what's your orders, Zero?"

Good question. What would be their best chance of escape with people coming their way any time now, not to mention the cameras in the room showing their every move. "I want small groups of three people on each and every camera you can find, take them out any way you want I don't care how. Everyone else to the door. Since there is only one we can funnel them in, taking them out slowly. However it works both ways so don't go through unless I say so. Understood?"

No response was given as they did what they were told, he really expected someone to speak out or challenge him for control or something. Maybe he had read that book a little too much.

Sora felt a tug on the back of his shirt making him turn to face his best friend. She was starting to look like she did earlier but with a hint of curiosity. "Sora, why are you doing this?" He...didn't really expect that either.

"Don't you want to get out of here Kaede? It was all you ever talked about when we were done playing those games or reading. I thought that you would want to be free."

She nodded. "Of course I want to get out but I want to know why you do, and why you only did it today when that guy over there-" She waved her hand to the corpse. "-came for me just now."

The teen was stuck, he knew that he couldn't tell her about what he had heard was going to happen but he didn't have the ability to lie to her. He just couldn't. "Kaede, I-I just want to keep you safe. You mean...everything to me. In fact if it wasn't for you I might have just ended up a mindless killing machine or worse. You saved me when I was in my darkest hour and for that I can never thank you enough. The very least I can do is get you out of here and give you a chance at a happy life. I care about you a lot, I don't ever want to see you hurt."

He put his hand on top of her head and leaned forward so that they were forehead to forehead as he stared deep into her eyes. He didn't know or care why this was his first instinct, only that he needed to do it."Trust me, Kaede."

Her face was beat red but she never broke eye contact. A slow nod from her was his answer and he gave her his best smile in return, she trusted him, that was all he could ever need.

SMHM

Pink eyes snapped open to see the stars twinkling above. Their owner starting to remember why he tried to sleep as little as possible.

He dreamt of her again. Every detail of her was burned into his brain much too far to ever properly forget, and truth be told he never wanted to forget a single detail of his precious Kaede. He didn't know it then but through the time he spent with her, she had stolen his heart.

Maybe it was time to visit her again. It had been nearly a full year since he had done so and he always tried at least once a year to see her. He supposed that he should tell his King that he would be taking some time to himself beforehand. Last time he disappeared without warning she tried to tear into him. Key word being "tried."

The subject of Kaede somehow brought him back to his confusion over the little blond he apparently saved. She reminded him so much of his dear friend and yet he didn't know why. It wasn't her looks or even her overall attitude that did it either, just that strange innocence that he saw every time he looked into her unflinching gaze. Was that it? No, it couldn't have been just that. He had seen a countless number of people just like the little blond that he never even so much as twitched at.

Maybe he was finally just losing his mind to madness?

Still for whatever reason it was, Sora just found himself drawn to protecting her like he did Kaede. But somehow he just...felt like it was different somehow. He honestly didn't care about her, yet at the same time he would break anyone who would dare to lay even a single unwanted finger on her. The worm found that out almost immediately when they were alone, probably would have taken its whole arm if the little blond hadn't stopped him.

Kami it was satisfying to feel the crunch of the worm's wrist under his fingers!

Sadly it was healed up the second he released it by the blond. The very same little blond that had the nerve to reprimand him for his action against her "friend" like he was some little runt who just drew on the walls with a marker!

A deep sigh escaped him and he stared at the stars above him, watching all the little twinkles dance in the black sky. Even though he knew that the light was from the celestial body going supernova in some distant place, it just brought him to a sense of clarity and level-headedness that he thought himself no longer capable of feeling. Hell right now he didn't even care that the little blond was living with the worm, besides if it tried anything then he could always break it later.

His mind roamed over the events of the past month, each and every battle or meeting that he had found himself in and even his training were remembered in great detail. He even found himself laughing at the bloody gore that he had caused using so many, it seemed that the part of him that used to be would never die. K would be proud of it, or maybe Shiage would be? Sora really could never tell which parts of him loved what these days.

A dark silhouette passed between him and the moon above. With a sigh he sat up lazily atop the random roof he had fallen asleep on that day. He hated staying in one place for too long and since he had to stay within the proximity of the town, he might as well invade random roofs every night.

At the sight of a familiar peculiar eyed crow, he let a ghost of a smile grace his features.

"Itachi, you're back already? I thought you said that you had business back in the underworld." Sora's tone was light, much more than had used when talking to anybody else, but then again the boy was special. He had first met Itachi two years ago when he was playing with a group of strays along the southern tip of Japan.

The boy had saved his skin by casting one of his illusions with those odd eyes of his on a devil that he had thought was dead. Damned thing almost sent a claw through his chest! At any rate, the two quickly formed a bond in the coming weeks and even trusted each other enough to talk about what got them to where they were after sharing countless battles together as a team.

He learned that Itachi was from a very powerful clan of people just like him that resided in some kind of forest that was a literal stomping ground for all kinds of familiars. During the boy's life, he had always been different from his arrogant and power hungry clansmen, so much so that he was even ostracized at times. Still he showed greater promise than any other had in a great many years and eventually worked his way up to the top before his seventh birthday making him nearly as famous as the clan's founder. It didn't last very long however as the clan was beginning to become...unstable at it's very core.

Itachi tried as hard as he could to stop the chaos from spreading any further than it already had and even agreed to taking the position of clan head from his father in an attempt to calm everyone. Needless to say it didn't work, in fact it only made things worse.

Driven by the knowledge that his son was already usurping his hard earned power, his father - Fugaku - became paranoid of everything and everyone. Finally it got to the point that Fugaku killed his wife - and unborn second child - for conspiring against him. And as clan head there wasn't a soul that could speak against his ruling.

Apparently that had been the last straw for the boy and he had fled the clan at the first opportunity. It was only a few months after that he had met Sora.

"I did but I was done much sooner than expected, I thought that I should let you know as soon as possible that I could help again." He tilted his head to the side with his face still the same old mask of blankness, heh no wonder Rias glomped the kid when she first saw him. Downright adorable. "Should I not have done that, big brother?"

Sora chuckled airily and shook his head, still didn't know why the kid called him that but it was endearing. He kind of liked it actually. "No it's alright Itachi, you did the right thing telling me. It's always good to know that you have my back in a fight, you know what I mean?" Itachi nodded and sat down beside his designated "Big Brother", crossing his legs and staring upwards at the moon.

"What did I miss? You seem...off." Leave it to Itachi to pick up on that right away.

The teen's hand shot to the top of Itachi's head and started smoothing out the already straight and silky black hair. "Nothing much, just finishing up those fallen." 'And an irritating blond.' He added in his head. The kid seemed to accept that much at least, thankfully it seemed as though Sora wouldn't have to explain his sudden bout of protectiveness for a seemingly random person.

A moment of peaceful silence washed over their little corner of the world, and the two were more than content to keep it that way. Sora loved these little moments that he got to spend with one of the few people he liked in this life. It was...comforting? He supposed that would have been the word for it if one was needed.

"Did you save that girl?"

He nodded with a tired sigh. "Yes I did, but i'm not sure which fate would have been worse. Death or living with the worm like she is now." Little did he know that it would have been like that regardless of whether or not she died. "Then there's also King trying to reincarnate her every chance she gets." He could only hold her off for so long before the pampered princess got what she wanted.

The teen felt those red eyes staring into the side of his head intensely. "What?"

"You almost sound like you care about her well-being." Well, there went the idea that he wouldn't have to explain himself. At any rate, Sora simply shrugged - not really knowing the answer himself. Hell maybe he didn't really care and was just looking for an excuse to break the worm a little more. Yeah that had to be it, he wasn't trying to protect her he just wanted to harm her idiot tag-a-long!

It looked like the raven-haired boy was about to say something when the worm came running by in a tracksuit followed by his King, who was apparently trying to motivate him using his perversion to make him work harder. Not a bad method given who it was she was training but it would only serve to make perverted worm even worse. 'Better not be anywhere near the little blond when it happens, i'll rip his fucking organs out in chunks.' Even though the thought would have sounded mean and vicious, the way he thought it was so mellow that he could have been talking about something as mundane as the weather.

Standing up - and groaning at doing so as he did - Sora extended a hand to Itachi to help him stand up. "Do you want to come with this time?" Every other time he went to visit Kaede it was just him, but he thought that she would like to meet his partner in crime.

The familiar nodded his head. "So it's that time again? I thought that you wanted to visit in private, are you sure it's alright to come with you?"

"Of course it's alright. I'm sure Kaede wants to meet you too, Itachi." Of that he was sure of, she always liked to meet new people, even back in that hell-hole of a testing facility.

Itachi gave him a tiny smile in thanks before turning into his crow form, Sora forcing his wing appear behind him. As they spread their wings and started to fly off, they never noticed a strange man in all white watching them.

SMHM

Chapter 8 got here a lot faster than 7 didnt it? Honestly it was technically done about two days ago.

So we got a look into both our favorite avian familiar's life before Sora and even a softer side of our beloved pychopath's personality. He may not like it but he is starting to open up just a bit. I'd also thought that you all should know that the little memories at the beginnings are coming to an end, only two more to go and one of them is Rias'!

In regards to any kind of pairing that might happen, i'm not entirely sure if that will happen or not but if it does there will be a poll for it but I am leaning more towards just leaving him alone in that regard.

As always if you have any comments, questions, or concerns please do not hesitate to come to me for them in the form of a review or even a pm.

Ja-ne!