Author's Playlist Pick:

Runaway - Linkin Park

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Chapter One:

Runaway

Sumire slowly opened her eyes and stared unseeing at the canopy of her bed. It was made of pink velvet, she noticed absently.

Was that a dream? It…felt so real.

"So you're finally awake."

She turned her head to the side and saw Lucia sitting at the opposite side of the room on her bed, sliding bullets into the chambers of her gun. No doubt she had just finished cleaning it. She spun the cylinder, checking the balance before clicking it back into place with a flick of her wrist and finally looking up at Sumire with one cool blue eye. It mystified Sumire how a girl the same age as her could look so… intimidating wearing nothing but a black nightgown.

Or it could just be the gun.

"Ow…" Sumire whimpered, clutching at her head. As sharp pain had drilled its way into her skull as soon as she tried to sit up.

"You probably shouldn't be moving yet, you were cracked pretty hard on the head yesterday."

Lucia was sitting up in bed, the covers drawn up to her waist as she lounged carelessly against the headboard; her unbound hair spilled over her shoulders in a silvery contrast to her dark attire. The length of white bandage wound tightly from Lucia's left elbow to the top of her shoulder drew her worried eyes - and Lucia's quizzical gaze reminded her that she was staring. She felt her face warm.

"I wouldn't worry about it; Sumire-chan's skull is thick enough."

Lola bustled through the door carrying a tray of food and rested it on the vanity between the beds.

"What happened?"

The petite blonde heaved an exasperated sigh. "You and Lucia-san got in over your heads and you had to use your berserker powers… again."

Lucia snorted softly, but remained silent. Instead she lit a cigarette, earning her dirty looks from both Lola and Sumire. A patented "Anything to say?" glare later, and Lola and Sumire returned to the conversation at hand.

"…Aaannyyyway, I made you guys breakfast!" Lola continued, grinning impishly. "…or lunch… whichever way you want to look at it."

"What!" Sumire shot back up.

"Hey, stay right there!"

"But I've got to go to school!"

"No you don't, you two have been running yourselves ragged these past few weeks!"

"But I've got an exam next week!"

"So you can take care of it next week then!" Lucia had been watching this with increasing amusement, but the sound of the small bell that rang when the shop door opened drew her eye to the door. Lola knew that expression. "Don't even think about it, Lucia!"

Lucia began putting on her usual black dress with her customary brutal efficiency, a flush across her cheeks that Sumire didn't notice, since her eyes were focused on a fascinating crack in the wall. The pain in Sumire's skull gradually receded and she cautiously settled on the edge of her bed. For some reason the room looked oddly unfamiliar. Sumire found herself scanning the room - avoiding a peek at a certain slayer of course. Everything was as usual: The two beds on either side of the room, the dark wood dressing table between them, and the wardrobe at the foot of each bed. Lucia's voice jerked her back to reality.

"So you're telling us that we let someone die?" Lucia growled.

Lola deflated. "N-no, nothing like that…"

"Well then what do you suggest we do?"

Lola sighed again, and stuck one of her endless supply of pocky in her mouth.

"…I'll go get your gear…" She mumbled around the cookie.

Lucia paid undue attention to sheathing her gun.

"Do you feel up to coming, Sumire?"

"Yes, I think so."

"Good… Join us in the meeting room when you're ready." Lucia grabbed an apple from the tray. Glancing at the other foods, unrecognizable under their coatings of chocolate, she smiled slightly. "And you might want to get some real food out of the kitchen."

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Cassidy was probably a few years older than Sumire; and only a fraction of an inch taller than Lucia. However she was much skinnier, with long limbs and big hands and feet. Combined with her angular face, short blond hair, and the mischievous glint in her brown eyes, it gave her the aspect of an overgrown fox cub. Her clothing was comically unsuitable. The skirt was pleated, knee length, and a shade of robins egg blue, matched with a delicate white blouse and... sneakers.

"…'cause I need your help hunting a virus."

Lucia gave the other female a probing look. "But you just claimed to be a hunter yourself, why do you need us?"

"I may be a hunter, but I'm new around here. It would be much easier if I had someone who knew their way around."

Lucia settled back into the couch. "So what are we going after?"

The dawning look of relief on the girl's face was quickly replaced by a businesslike demeanor – slightly tarnished by the barely repressed grin. "Our target is a Creatura virii, a tame virus. If we -"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa… are you telling me you actually keep viruses? Like a dog or something? Aren't you a virus hunter?" Lola's outburst mirrored the looks on the others' faces.

Cassidy looked amused. "Not me personally, no."

"Isn't killing viruses the point?" Sumire asked.

"You use wolfhounds to hunt wolves, don't you? It's no different, and their powers come in handy." She chuckled. "There are a lot of others that ask the same question though."

"If you three are done?" Lucia muttered impatiently.

Cassidy smiled sheepishly. "Okay. It disappeared somewhere around the business district…."

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Sumire landed lightly on the intersection of a brick wall that separated two bland gray office buildings and construction site. The brooding clouds were threatening rain, and the wind made it hard to make sense of the scents around her. The scent – a subtle mixture of virus, blood, and anesthetic - drifted on the cool winds from the rusting metal skeleton of an apartment building. Sumire lips curled into an uncharacteristic smirk. She'd found it.

Sensing that tobacco and roses were not far behind her, she leapt towards the building. Grass grew up in tufts and clumps around abandoned construction equipment and crumbling sidewalks. The decaying building in the center of the lot was covered with climbing vines. A pile of large concrete pipes obscured by a grove of scrawny saplings were stacked on one corner of the lot. The bittersweet scent they were giving off was almost overpowering. Sumire paused, waiting for the others to catch up.

"A-are you…sure…this is it?" Cassidy panted.

Lucia's blue eye followed Sumire's gaze to the concrete cylinders, her gun held comfortably in one hand. She didn't appear winded at all, and didn't bother to answer. Sumire peered into the pipes from a safe distance.

"Do you s-see anything?" Cassidy whispered, inching forward.

"No, not ye-"

With none of the usual warning growls or verbal taunts, shadowy form sprang from the center pipe. Lucia lifted her gun and fired.

Authors Note:

Hey guys! Keep in mind that I'm not a Japanese speaker (obviously) so please let me know if I've used an honorific incorrectly! ^^ I'm not really a big fan of using a language I don't know well in a fanfic, but I feel like honorifics show degrees of closeness/relationships that cannot be replicated well in English, sooo... yeah. XD