Blood Tears,

Chapter Six:

Escape

Disclaimer: I don't own Shaman King, but I do own Nekros. Nyah.

"When he wakes up, I want some answers!" Was the first thing Faust heard when he finally came back to consciousness.

"Yes, when he wakes up…" He could hear Ryu answer.

'When who wakes up?' He wondered. 'Surely not me!' A stray lock of hair was becoming quite bothersome, so Faust tried to fix it. His movements were halted by rope, wound tightly around his wrists and ankles. Suddenly, all of the previous events replayed themselves mentally, and Faust groaned. What had made him do that? At least the blood he had managed to get had stopped the pain… And he felt nothing from what Yoh did… that was something to be grateful about. He winced. The ropes were becoming downright painful!

"Hello? Are you still out there?" He could hear a lot of scrambling to feet, and Ryu, Yoh, and Horohoro walked in, the latter glaring at him with pure hate. Faust shivered. He'd never liked it when people hated him…

"What the hell is wrong with you Faust?" Horo shouted angrily. "Why the hell did you just…just bite Ren?"

Faust looked up sadly.

"I couldn't help it… I needed to, or else I would've died! He wouldn't have been hurt too badly!"

"Well he sure is 'hurt badly' now! You're lucky you didn't kill him, or else I'd…" Horo shook with suppressed emotion, relaxing slightly when he felt Ryu rest a hand on his shoulder.

"Well I never! My aim wasn't off, why would it be?" Faust sniffed haughtily, then stopped. "What am I saying?" He shrank into himself, his eyes wide and afraid. "Why is this happening to me?" He whispered sadly.

"Why is what happening?" Yoh asked.

"Well I-" He paused. It wouldn't hurt to tell them what he thought, would it? "I was bitten by a vampire." he finished.

There was silence for a few moments.

"What?" Ryu asked stupidly.

"I think you're crazier than we thought…"

"There's no way you're a vampire! Dude! Your fangs are so fake! They're not nearly long enough!"

Faust hissed at him.

"Not yet of course, you idiot. I haven't been fully turned yet." Faust rolled his eyes. "And could you please untie me? These things are starting to become quite painful…"

"No." Horohoro answered stubbornly.

"Please?" He whined, giving them his best 'please-help-me-it-hurts-really-bad' look.

"Can't we just loosen them a little bit? Not enough to let him get out, but enough to stop cutting off his circulation?"

Faust wisely chose not to mention the fact that he had little to no circulation anyway. He looked at Horohoro pleadingly. Horo sighed.

"Fine, but just a little bit."

Ryu turned to the ropes around Faust's wrists, missing the glance he shot at Horo behind his back. Faust looked strangely happy, yet his eyes were filled with loathing. It was Horo who got everyone so worked up over nothing! He strained his wrists against his bonds.

"Wow, we tied these tighter than I thought!" Ryu exclaimed as he loosened the knot.

But Yoh and Horohoro saw Faust's expression, and they rushed forward to stop him.

"No!"

"Wait!"

Ryu finished and turned around.

"What?"

"He's going to…escape…" Horohoro finished lamely, seeing Faust look at him innocently, still tied and helpless. Maybe they were wrong?

"No he's not! Now come on, I think I hear the others coming back…" Ryu went out with Yoh to tell the others what happened.

Horohoro lingered by the doorway, glaring at Faust.

"I know you're up to something."

"You're right. I am." Faust sat up, and with his newly freed hands, untied the remaining rope and tossed it aside.

"What?" Horohoro exclaimed. "How did-? You were- I thought-"

Faust laughed quietly.

"I was, and I really must thank Houdini… his methods really do work wonders…"

Horohoro glared at Faust harder.

"Well you're going to be right back the way you were in a second!"

Faust smiled coldly.

"Not if I can help it."

Horohoro turned to shout a warning to the others, but he was knocked to the ground by something he couldn't see yet, but he could certainly feel it on him. As it turned out, it was Frankensteiny; Faust's faithful, if long dead, dog. His teeth were poised just over Horo's throat. Faust walked over and shut the door, locking it quietly.

"If you shout, you'll be dead before any help arrives." Faust grabbed Horohoro's hair roughly, forcing the boy to look at him. "You got that?" Faust's only answer was to be spat on by an irate Ainu. He wiped his face off roughly, and then growled, kicking Horohoro sharply in the stomach, making him double up in pain. Horohoro didn't see Faust climb out the window.

When Horo came to, his eyes darted around the room. Frankie sat in the corner, watching him with hollow eye sockets. Faust was nowhere to be seen, and he swore loudly. Horohoro tried the door, but Faust had locked it. This meant he was trapped in the room, as Anna had insisted that the lock only work from the outside. By now everyone had noticed his presence, or rather, lack thereof, and began to look him. Hearing his outraged cry, they opened the door to see Horo glaring around the room, and Frankie, who wagged his tail happily before nudging Ryu's hand, obviously wanting to be petted. Ryu complied without thinking.

"What happened?" Yoh asked. "Where'd he go?"

"I don't know!" Horohoro shouted angrily. "He probably used his vampire powers or something!"

"You believe him?" Yoh asked incredulously.

"No…But that's the only explanation I can think of…The door was locked, and I was laying on the floorboards, so he couldn't have used a secret tunnel…"

"What about the window?" Ryu finally spoke up, breaking from his thoughts and pulling his hand from Frankie.

Yoh frowned.

"It doesn't open. Anna picked this room for a reason…"

Horohoro grimaced; he could almost imagine Faust saying, 'It didn't' in that new way of his. He swore again, standing and pulling back the curtain to reveal an open window.

There was an uneasy silence.