* Wow! Can you say lazy? I havent been updating like usual and I bet its pissing you off just as much as it is me. So here is chapter 12.. finally. I really do suck...*
ps_ means scene change
" Honesty Zero...How long are we going to do this." I groaned. We were called back on clean up duty. I wasn't in the mood for anything like this right now.
" Till we aren't needed." He said.
I spotted Yuuki walking towards us.
" Yuuki?" I said. " What are you doing here?"
" I have to go somewhere with Zero." she said.
" I thought you would come," said Yuuki. " But, the Association can't carry out their responsibilities. Right now I can't take away people who are needed though, kind hearted future Association President."
I looked at Zero questionably.
" Are you going to do as that woman says?"
I turned quickly to see Kaito standing on a stone pillar about 5 feet above Yuuki. He had a sward in his hand. I recognized its razor toothed edge. Cross's sword.
" Or do you plan to accompany her...The Association didn't give you such a command, right Zero?"
I pulled Yuuki out of the way as Kaito leaped from his perched swinging his sword but it connected with Zero's gun.
" KAITO!" Zero and I shouted.
Zero glared at my brother. " This is President Cross's sword!"
" Besides this sword the Bloody Rose and Artemis are are among the only handful of anti vampire weapons left. we have to take responsible. Yet you think its okay for you to leave the Association and take this weapon with you? This is disloyalty. As your supervisor, I'll have to detain you.'
Zero reached up and gripped the dangerous blade tightly in his hand, making it cut and bleed instantly. Then Zero jerked the sword away from Kaito and punched him square in the jaw.
" Zero! Kaito!" I yelled. Here we go...
" Baka! That hurts!" yelled Kaito, who gave Zero a frosty glare. " It doesn't matter if it's disloyalty or running away-"
" I will still go." said Zero. He knelt down where Kaito had fell and was now sitting on the ground.
My brother his hid face under his hair. " Don't you understand... the one standing over there is a pureblood vampire? You were turned and my sister died. By those creatures of darkness."
" Their existence is one that we will never be compatible with. Whether it's lifespan or in terms of their unnatural strength." He gritted his teeth.
" I understand Kaito," Zero uttered as he moved closer to him. " You had to bury her with your own hands." He placed a gentle hand over Kaito's. " I understand, that you don't have an emotional outlet."
Zero finally moved close enough to my brother and wrapped an arm around him and hugged him.
" I see now! This is payback!" Kaito yelled and shoved Zero off him. " GO THEN! Go with that woman and do something about Kaname Kuran!"
And just like that they vanished, leaving me and Kaito alone together.
" You didn't have to be so harsh." I said quietly, taking the sword gently from his hand.
" Whatever."
" You do have an emotional outlet, though." I joked. " Zero was wrong about that. He may be your friend but I''m your sister and I know a lot about you more than he ever will."
Kaito cracked a smile. I took a step forward and hugged him. " Just don't do what you did over again. I hate it when I see you this upset."
" Same here."
" Takayima!"
We both turned to see Connor, he was the same age as Kaito, running toward us with a letter.
" I just received this from the President. He want's both of you on this mission as soon as possible." Connor huffed after his sprint to deliver the letter. Kaito ripped it open and scanned it before growling and I snatched it out of his hand.
" They want us to hunt for Kuran also? Is this the way that Kaien thinks is the safest? What an Idiot!"
" He knows its dangerous but he wants you to. Its our only way to stop him..." Connor said, running a hand through his dirty blond hair.
" Alright, We'll do it." I stated.
Kaito looked at me, a befuddled expression on his face. " We? No, Nuh-uh. You are staying here."
" You are not my father! I can come if I want to! I'm strong, and old enough to handle myself. You'll need me on the team. I can sense stuff that you wouldn't be able. That's the perk of having a wolf hunter for a sister." I growled.
" She's got a point you know." Connor commented, siding with me.
Kaito let loose a frustrated sigh and put a hand on his face. " I hate it when you gang up on me. Fine, I'll let you go. I also hate it when you're right."
Connor and I exchanged a high five, grins on both our faces.
" Okay, Anna. How many can you take in your car."
" Four."
" Alright. Connor, Jesse, Luc, Stephan. You're riding with her. Leave now while I finish separating the groups so we get there faster." Yagari ordered.
We gave him a solute and fled towards my black Honda Civic.
" So where is it we're going exactly?" Luc asked as he buckled and I revved the engine, switching to reverse and pedals backward, then I switched to drive and slammed on the gas.
" Black Forest. That is where he is believed to be hiding."
One glance in the rear-view mirror I saw Luc shift nervously in his seat. " They call it that for a reason though."
Jesse snorted and ran a hand through her short dirty blond hair. " You're not scared are you?" her light voice full of teasing.
" Everything will be fine." I reassured the nervous hunter and turned off the highway onto and exit. In my side mirror I could see a sleek black SUV and a familiar mustang on my tail. Taking the exit south we travel for a good 10 miles before turning left on to dirt path. I parked and turned the car off popping the trunk before getting out.
I lifted the lid to reveal a silver case. I unhooked the latches and opened it to reveal several ear pieces and mics.
" Take one and put it in your ear." I said, taking one for myself. latching the ear piece into my ear I adjusted the mic so it was hooked onto my hunter coat next to my mouth.
I grabbed Bloody Fang from the trunk and loaded it with anti-V bullets. It could hold up to nine rounds thankfully. I stuffed a pack of extra into my pocket. Better safe then sorry.
" Does everyone have a mic?" Yagari asked. We nodded.
" I want a quick in and out. Stick together. If you find something or someone 4 taps on the mic should do. Understood? Good. Anna will lead this time. Any questions?"
" ..." No one said anything.
" Fine. It's almost dusk. Everyone should have night vision glasses. Put them on when it gets dark. Now go!"
We took off at a trot. The Black Forest looked well... like a black forest. No light whatsoever shown on the ground. The trees weren't black but their bark was a close shade of grey.
Putting my gun away I phased and shook my body to loosen up my muscles. My ears satellited from side to side and a sniffed the air. No sign of anyone yet. With a low bark I set off at a low run. We had to go deep into the forest to find him.
The worn rocky, dirt paths twisted and turned as we went.
" Anna. Let's take a break." said a voice in my ear. I stopped and phased back to answer. " Roger that."
We came to rest near a huge tree,some of its lower limbs uprooted from the ground creating a nice place to rest.
As the surrounding forest became darker we put on our glasses. While everyone sat down I couldn't. I felt to nervous and had to much early adrenaline pumping through my veins. The worst thing I expected to happen on this trip was an ambush. And I definitely didn't want that to happen. If anything did go wrong I was hoping we would be ready.
A yawn made me glance at Kaito as he rubbed his eyes and shook his head. It made me smile. He was so childish sometimes, even though he was a grown adult he had his moments.
Kaito gazed at me from half lidded eyes and smiled. I smiled back. Just then a sudden chill crawled its way down my neck and spin making the hairs on the back of my neck stand straight up.
" Guys, I think we have company. Get up and in your positions." I hissed into my mic, not wanting to be any louder to accidentally give us away.
They all quietly got to their feet and pulled out their weapons.
" Luc, Connor, Jesse come with me. Yagari, take the others and go left. we'll be right behind you. Watch your backs."
I watched them run off and without another backward glance I started to follow them but going a different way, hoping that this path met theirs later on.
All I could hear was the sound of our breathing and the crunching of the dead leaves under our footfalls. The chill I had felt still lingered but it was faint.
" Where could they be." I hissed quietly scanning the tree line as I ran. As i mulled over that thought the sound of gun fire and yelling could be heard to my left.
No longer caring for my safety I yelled into my mic.
" What's going on! Answer me!"
" We're being ambushed! Yagari and Kaito are gone! AHH-" yelled Ryuka. Several more shoots were fired and he let out a yell before the mic went off.
" Ryuka! Ryuka!" I yelled repeatedly into my mic as I ran off the path and threw the trees. I cursed and burst through the trees with my gun drawn. My body seemed to freeze at the sight before me.
Ryuka and another hunter lay on the ground obviously dead by the sight of the blood pooling about them while 3 vicious Level E's lapped up the remainder of blood from their victims. I wanted to hurl. With an angered cry I shot them skillfully in their heads without wasting one bullet.
The surrounding forest blurred and became disfigured as tears welled up in my eyes. Luc, Connor, and Jesse ran towards their fallen comrades. Their faces held outrage and defeat.
I KNEW IT! I KNEW THIS WOULD HAPPEN!
I wiped m eyes furiously and remembered the others. I instantly grabbed my mic and held it close to my mouth.
" Kaito? Yagari? KAITO!" I shouted. Hoping to get some response. None. I spotted a piece of fabric hanging from a stck. Running over to it I plucked it off the stick and felt the fabric before smelling it. It smelt like Kaito, It had Kaito's blood on it too.
" Luc!" I called over my shoulder. He got up from his place on the ground and jogged over to me.
" I'm going to go find Kaito and Yagari. Stay here with the others."
" What?! You can't, that's suicidal! We have no idea who took them or where they were taken." He said.
" I know, I know. But I have to Luc, he's the only family I have left. I can't lose him. Please..." I stared up into his brown eyes pleadingly.
" Be safe..." He said before turning around and walking back to the other hunters.
I phased and sniffed the ground as I ran. Yagari's scent was right next to Kaitos and I saw streaks of blood on the grass or another piece of fabric. Please, please, please don't let it be to late!
What I found strange was that the scent of their captor was not even there. They had probably masked their scent with a powerful spell. Otherwise I would have been able to sense it by now.
A sudden picture of finding Kaito dead made me pick up my pace till I was pushing myself beyond my limit. My breathe began to come ragged but I did not slow.
I saw the edge of the tree line and burst through the trees, skidding to a stop I zeroed in on two curled figure lying on the ground not moving.
I turned human and began to run towards them. " Kaito!" I cried.
When I was about a fourth of the way out in the clearing, some force slammed into me and I was thrown to the right.
Scrambling up as fast as I could I continued to move towards them before getting thrown to the left even harder than before and got the wind knocked out of me.
" Show yourself!" I roared, struggling to stand upright and succeeding.
A hooded figure emerged from the tree line and moved towards me.
" Who are you!" I snarled.
" Guess." came his voice. I knew that voice like the back of my hand.
" KURAN!?" I gasped. " Wha- how. It was you who-..."
No words could escape my mouth.
" Yes, I am the one who ambushed your friends. It was quite easy really, making a few Level E's for a diversion was a pretty simple idea." He explained and removed the hood to reveal that all to familiar handsome face.
" A diversion for what! Again, this is completely unlike you. For the past few months you have gone crazy trying to eliminate every pureblood and killing or hurting the innocent along the way. No matter what we do you always try and overpower us. What is it that you are trying to gain?" I said.
" Respect and power."
" You already had both to begin with Kaname! You had supporters that respected you, everyone! Even Yuuki respects you. She still does, but I know she will do anything to get her brother back."
Kaname's eyes hardened and glowed like liquid fire. " Yuuki..."
" She loves you with all her heart. Why can't you stop this so everything can go back to the way it used to be. The purebloods that were the most threat to us are gone. There is no more need to do anymore damage." I explained and was able to move closer to my brother and Yagari-sensei.
" I know that Yuuki loves me but I still have problems to get rid of so she can be happy forever." he growled.
( * puts hands over face and peaks through fingers* eek! What is Kaname going to do!)
I stopped moving when he looked my way. " Aren't you curious as to what the diversion was for?"
" Do I want to know?" My voice wavered.
Why had Kaname dragged Yagari and Kaito away? He knew I would follow... He did it so he could get me alone!
" You want to kill me.." My voice was a barely audible whisper.
" Yes. And it worked didn't it? It's so easy to use the people they so dearly care about for bait."
" You know the consequence for killing me again... and If you did I would easily be able to tell people who killed me, though they would already know who. and if they found my necklace they could just as easily revive me." A grin grew on my face.
" But I had a different option. I bet you can't refuse when your brother's life is on the line."
Kaname grabbed Kaito's awakening form off the ground and bared his fangs to close for comfort by Kaito's neck.
Kaito, fully awake, started to struggle with panic when he saw Kuran's fangs.
Kaname's grip tightened causing Kaito to stop struggling when Kaname's nails sharpened and dug through his jacket.
" No.. No please!" I screamed holding me head in my hands as I watched. " Kill me! Kill me and let him go."
" I don't believe you." Once more moving down to bite my brother.
" STOP! If you kill me, I'll follow you. I won't tell or reveal myself to anyone. I'll go back to being your shadow. I promise. And when I promise something I never break that promise. Just. let. Them. Go."
Kaname dropped Kaito to stalk over to me and grab my chin to look straight into his eyes. It took every ounce of me not to move away from his tainted grip. I held his gaze letting my eyes tell the truth and the promise in them.
He finally released me after what seemed like forever and shoved me towards the two hunters. " Get rid of them before I do it myself."
I ran over to Kaito and collapsed next to him on my knees hugging him. " Anna! You can't do this. I can't lose you again." He gasped, tears brimming in his eyes. I had tears of my own dripping down.
" Take Yagari and get as far away from here as you can. Don't come back. I'll be fine!" I whispered into his ear. " Now go."
" No I-"
" I said go!" I snarled, pushing him to his feet and throwing the still unconscious Yagari over his shoulders. Giving him one last hug and a kiss on his forehead I watched him limp away and disappear into the forest. Kaname and I waited for a stressful and uncomfortable 5 minutes to make sure he was gone before he finally making his move. I dodged a huge rock that flew my way. I rolled out of the way just in time for it to implant in the ground where I stood. It was yet another diversion and I didn't realized that until he grabbed me and hit me against the rock.
" Planning to drain me dry or torture me to death?" I asked.
" Both sound really tempting." He said.
" But I wasn't planning on getting to get my blood sucked or to be tortured." I said and phased, biting his arm.
He let go in surprise.
' Did you really think I would let you kill me?' I said inside his head.
" No though I did for a little while." answered Kaname. " I knew you would put up some sort of fight against me."
I danced away but kept my eyes on him.
" You are no match against me when it comes to fighting. You are just a plain wolf and a hunter and I am a pureblood. I have the brains and the strength."
'...'
I stalked closer looking for some sort of an opening. There seemed to be none. Huffing in frustration I stood there glaring at him. The only reason that I was able to get to him last time was because he was fighting Zero.
It seemed like the only way I could get through to him was mentally. He couldn't block me. Something to distract him...
If he wants to give me pain. I might as well hurl it right back into his face.
I conjured up my memories of what happened that night. The pain of seeing my parents dead, the weeks of throwing up blood, the torture internally as my body burned and transformed painfully, each cracking and reshaping of every bone. Then I added the memories I saw from Zero and Ichiru. Zero's pain as he transformed into a vampire, the itch of his throat and the burning sensation of liuid fire as he changed. On top of that I added the pain of Rido when he ripped my throat out and killed me.
I gathered it all in one mass and with one last push I hurled it at him.
Kaname cried out and fell to his knees clutching his head with both hands. His face contorted in serious pain. I did not lose my concentration.
' This is the pain you have caused me and so many others. Now it's your turn.' i said narrativly as he watched helplessly at what I had implanted in his brain.
Another sharp pain lanced through my body and I hunched over, squeezing my eyes shut and bit my fist to keep from crying out. It started the day after break started. I stayed up in my bedroom most of the time only to come down and eat. The pain would hit at random times during the day. My body felt like it was on fire or being burned by several hot irons. I wanted it to stop. I wished I could die. it was becoming so unbearable right now.
Zero stopped and stared at his brother. I used my telepathy I touched their minds gently so they didn't notice what I was doing. And I saw everything. Them seeing Shizuka for the first time, Ichiru's feelings and his thoughts caught me of guard, they were angered, sad, no longer the all happy boy I knew way back when. Zero's were the same but there was still that spot of love and care for Ichiru. Images of the attack filled my thoughts. The blood, pain, and abandon. Then the image from Zero of him looking up at Ichiru's smiling face from where he lay in agony on their living room floor. The mental connection also gave me the feeling of others pain, physical pain that they had experienced in real life. When Zero's transformation began I felt like I was being consumed in fire, my throat burned from the pain. My body felt like it was being clawed from the inside.
" Of couse i wasn't going to- AAHH!" I screamed as a snapping sound came from my body. I jerked and hunched over as my bones slowly reshaped. My shoulders dislocated and popped into a different position. Then my elbows and wrists followed.
" ANNA!" screamed Yagari and Cross at the same time and started to unlock the door.
" NO!" I cried. " Get away from me! Don't come in here!" I curled into a downward C as my spine altered into a canines. Each bone almost up out of my skin and cracking into a new shape. I bellowed and fell to my side. Tears poured down my face. It hurts so bad! It hurts, it hurts, it hurts.
" Please go!" I sobbed, desperately. They hesitated and then Yagari was the first to leave, running up the stairs and disappearing. Kaien looked at me with the most sorrowful eyes I had ever seen him use.
" I'll come back." was all he said and vanished with a blink of an eye.I was left alone to my pain.
His claws sunk deep into her throat and tore across my jugular. I did not get to make a single sound. Blood sprayed from the main artery in my neck and arked through the air. It landed on the ground with a sickening splat. Some drops managed to land on our shoes. He loosened his grip on me as blood trickled in a steady flow down the corner of my mouth and throat. Then he threw me over the edge.
By now Kaname was lying on the ground, writhing.
' how does it feel!' I taunted coming closer so I was only a few feet from him now.
"..." he couldn't answer.
' Now you know what i went through!' I growled.
Deciding it was enough I stopped the mental connection and he gasped painfully, rolling onto his side to regain regular breathing. He tried to get up but I leaped on top of him and pushed him on is back so he could look into my golden yellow eyes.
I snarled and leaned in very close to his face, pulling back my lip to flash him my sharp white fangs.
Kaname stared up at me. Defeat was not in his eyes. Only the pain that I had given him lurked there.
' Brains and strength are only given to those who have experienced pain. You have obviously not experienced enough. But after what I showed you, I wonder...'
Kaname bared his fangs and hissed. I snarled back.
He pushed me off and stood up shakily.
I lunged at him and knocked him over again. We rolled and fought to find purchase on each other to try and injure one another. Kaname was able to land a few non fatal scratches along my shoulder and side and I was able to bit his arm again and his shoulder. I ducked when Kaname aimed a clothesline kick to my chest and backed away to spit his blood on the grass that was making my mouth burn.
Our breathing was ragged and irregular as we stared at each other.
" It seems I have underestimated you Takayima. I'll keep my promise when I say I will kill you. Until next time.." He vanished in the blink of an eye leaving me alone in the clearing, dazed and a little confused.
I phased back to a human and sighed. " I will be waiting... Kuran, Kaname."