Chapter three, A stranger for a hero.

"Ichiru."

Yuuki's eyes widened. It had been barely above a whisper but she was definitely sure that she had just heard Zero speak.

"Z-zero?" She stuttered, shaking the unconscious boy lightly by the shoulders. "Zero!"

"He can't hear you, Yuuki. He has exhausted himself."

Yuuki glanced back at Kaname with sad and confused eyes. "Kaname-senpai?"

Kaname seemed confused as well, staring right past Yuuki at the silver-haired hunter that lay slumped against her body. "He spoke."

"B-but that's impossible, isn't it?!" Yuuki cried out as she turned her attention back to Zero. "His throat – he shouldn't be able to speak!"

Kaname didn't understand it either. He had been there when the doctors had examined him. He had seen the test results with his own eyes. How was it possible for Zero to speak, with his vocal cords being in that horrible condition?

"Zero."

"No."

"Zero!"

"I said, no!"

"Zero, Zero, Zero, Zero, Zero!"

Zero sighed in annoyance as he turned to look at his younger twin, Ichiru, who had stubbornly been sitting in the snow for the past half an hour or so.

"Ze-rooo."

Ichiru's whiny voice made Zero grow even more annoyed. "Ichiru. Get up already!"

"No! Not until you promise me!"

"You'll get sick," Zero said, hoping that that would convince his brother to get up.

"I don't care," Ichiru muttered as he scowled up at his brother. "Promise me!"

Zero sighed again and raised his hands in defeat. "Fine. Just get up, okay?"

Ichiru's face lit up like a thousand candles. "Really!? You promise, Zero?"

"Yes. I promise, Ichiru," Zero said as he smiled. "Now get up already or I'm telling mom!"

Ichiru grinned and got up, dusting the snow off his clothes happily before he rushed to his brother's side and held up his right pinky.

"Pinky promise!"

Zero stared at the offered pinky before a grin appeared on his face as well and he hooked his pinky with his brother's.

"Pinky promise, if I lie, I will drink a thousand needles."

"Thank you very much!" Yuuki said as she left the store with the stuff she had just bought packed in a nice package with a neat bow wrapped tightly around it.

A smile lit her features as she ran through the streets, her scarf hanging loosely around her neck.

Christmas was less than a week away and she had just spent hours looking for the perfect presents.

Sure, Zero was still in the hospital in a state of unconsciousness, but that didn't mean that he would stay like that forever!

Yuuki knew for sure that he'd wake up somewhere before Christmas and when he did, she'd be there to cheer him right up!

Fired up by her own optimism, Yuuki quickened her pace and crossed the road, planning on taking a shortcut through the park to make it to the hospital before it got dark outside.

Sure, the hospital wasn't really that far away but she just couldn't shake off her childish fears of 'what if' whenever she was outside all by herself.

What if someone tried to steal her money? What if someone wanted to kidnap her? What if she got in a hit-and-run accident? What if she fell and couldn't get up? What if she ran into a vampire?

Yuuki violently shook her head and sighed at that last thought. How many normal teenage girls actually go around fearing something like that?

But then again, Yuuki was definitely not normal. Probably the very opposite of it!

Busy with her thoughts, Yuuki didn't notice that – while entering the park – the scarf around her neck loosened completely and fell to the snowy ground, only to be picked up by a stranger who had just walked by at the right time.

He stared at the scarf and was about to call out to Yuuki when he lost sight of her. The man blinked in confusion. Where'd she go?

Panting heavily, Yuuki allowed herself to take a quick break and calm her pacing heart. She had barely entered the park or she had started running like a maniac. She owed it all to her ability of scaring herself shitless with her stupid thoughts!

She sighed in relief when she could see the roof of the hospital building in the distance. Almost there! She just needed to walk through a small area with trees and then she'd be safe.

A small, very dark, very scary area of trees.

Trees where people (or vampires) could be hidden.

Yuuki froze completely. So far for walking the last part calmly she thought bitterly as she pulled out her anti-vampire weapon, Artemis, and cautiously walked forward, making sure she checked every shadow, every corner and every tree for signs of any potential threats.

The hairs in the back of her neck jumped up in fright when the rustling of leaves in a bush behind her caught her ear. Before she knew what she was doing, adrenaline kicked in and it didn't take long before she found herself pinning a very innocent fluffy cat to a tree near her. The creature gave a small shriek and dashed to the side, hurrying off to safety.

Yuuki sighed at herself and dropped to her knees in relief.

Yuuki Cross, paranoid? Maybe a little bit.

Sending a mumbled apology after the creature, Yuuki rose to her feet again and put the Artemis Rod away, afraid to traumatize any other animals as well.

She was just being silly, after all. There was absolutely nothing to be afraid of!
She had barely finished the thought or a shadow jumped up behind her and a pair of hands grabbed hold of her, causing her to drop her bags and freeze in shock.

"My, my, what's a cute little girl like you doing here all by herself? Wish to become my meal, human?"

Yuuki's eyes widened in horror when a pair of blood-red eyes looked at her. "V-vampire," she gasped, her knees shaking violently.

The male, dressed in a business suit, hardly wasted any time as he pushed her up against a tree and ripped at the coat keeping her safe and warm.

Scary vampires will eat me.

Yuuki gripped the tree with all her might and prayed, really, really prayed that someone, no matter who or where, would come to her rescue. Someone. Anyone. Save me! Kaname-senpai!

"Excuse me," a voice suddenly spoke, making the vampire focus his attention to the newly arrived male, "but does this scarf belong to you, young miss?"

A gun was fired and the vampire turned to nothing more but mere dust, leaving Yuuki to fall to the ground in shock. I'm afraid. Scary vampires will eat me.

"W-who are you?" Yuuki managed to utter as she turned around, only to find the man to be standing there with both hands raised in the air, her scarf held tightly in his hand.

Yuuki stared at him, completely confused. Why did he have his hands up like that?

A small smile appeared on the man's face. "I'm not an enemy, boy. There's no need to point that dangerous thing at me."

Yuuki blinked once, twice, thrice, before she could see it. There, in the shadows, was Zero, aiming his gun at the male that was standing in front of him.

"Zero!" Yuuki cried out, surprised to find the male there in stead of in his hospital bed. Sure, she was glad that he had woken up so soon but she wasn't all too happy about him being out of his bed and wielding his weapon again, pointing it at the man that had just saved her life.

"W-w-wait! Z-zero! He's not a bad person! H-he saved my life earlier when I was attacked by a vampire! He saved me! Z-zero! Zero? Are you even listening to me?" Yuuki waved her arms in front of the male, surprised when she got no reaction out of him. "Ze-rooo!"

She watched how Zero suddenly winced, dropping his Bloody Rose to the ground as he grabbed at his throat, panting heavily. "Zero?!"

"I'm sorry, kiddo, I had no other choice, since you're pretty determined to shoot me and all that," the man suddenly spoke and when Yuuki looked up she saw a trail of blood run down the palm of his hand. Her eyes widened. Had Zero reacted to the smell of his blood?

Zero dropped his body to the cold ground and started shivering violently. I'm going to get you back for this, you bastard!

"I'm sorry we had to meet under such bad circumstances, young miss," the male said as he returned Yuuki her scarf and gently kissed the palm of her hand. "Please do keep that pretty neck of yours hidden. You wouldn't want foul creatures to be put into temptation, now would you?"

Yuuki couldn't do anything but stare. Who was this guy? And how did he know about vampires? Was he a hunter, like Zero?

"I'll see you again, someday, kid. I hope you'll be prepared for it then."

Just as Yuuki was about to speak again, the man turned around and walked off, not once glancing back.

"Zero, who was that guy?" Yuuki asked as Zero finally managed to calm the beast inside him and sit up straight again. "How come he knew about vampires?"

Zero didn't bother to even try explaining to Yuuki who that stranger was as he picked up his gun and got to his feet, walking back toward the hospital without even bothering waiting for Yuuki.

"W-wait, Zero!" Yuuki cried out as she picked up her bags and wrapped her scarf around her neck again. "Don't make me walk all by myself! It's scary here! Zerooo!"

A stranger for a hero.
Who the hell is the stranger?
Read more chapters and find out!

Any questions, comments, complaints, joygasms? Review, please.
They keep me motivated, after all!

For the confused people out there,
the parts about Ichiru and Zero are hints to what exactly happened to Zero.
The title of this story along with those flashbacks should be enough to put the minds of the clever ones to work and connect the pieces!

If not, well, just keep reading and you'll find out just as well.

Reviews are love.

-CSD