Author's Note: Hey y'all! I am proud to introduce the next chapter of the story for your enjoyment! :) It is a week before finals but I decided to finish this chapter so you can say that it was the product of procrastination at its finest. :D To your benefit, I've already started writing the next chapter so stay tuned! And also, I'd love to give a shout out to all my new followers!~~~ THANK YOU so much for your support and comments! Y'all make my day that much more bearable! Oh! And one more thing, I promise! xD I found myself a wonderful beta of a friend for my story! Eternal LightGoddess, you are awesome! Thanks for staying up till 2am with me to finalize this chapter! Here's to many more chapters ahead! Now, without further ado, onwards with the next chapter! :DDDDD
Disclaimer: I hereby disclaim all rights and responsibilities for the characters. Their existence is accredited to Matsuri Hino.
A New Beginning
"Evacuate everyone from the premises immediately! And that head-perform an investigation on how it bypassed our securities this instant!", Kaname growled. The fury in Kaname's voice singed the air, leaving his Trust guards concerned for their young leader's well-being but their moment of empathy had to be short-lived. Their orders were first-priority. They quickly excused themselves, before separating to complete the tasks at hand.
Kaname was infuriated. He knew this barbaric act was executed by none other than Rido. "But why now?", the question raced through Kaname's mind. "Why Yuki?" His face contorted into that of sorrow and guilt as he headed briskly for his office where Yuki was sent. Bearing the surname Kuran was enough to bring friends as well as enemies to their doorstep. Kaname was aware of that and yet, he had allowed himself to let his guard down, endangering the only person he loved more than himself.
He was almost to his office when Yuki stepped out. She was still in the white chiffon dress she had on at the moment of the incident. Without speaking to one another, the two siblings closed the distance between them and embraced in the hallway. Kaname felt Yuki's hands grip tightly onto his coat. He lightly kissed the top of her head in response and patted her back gently in a soothing rhythm.
They remained like this for a while until Kaname broke the silence, "I've ordered Kaien to escort you home today." He said softly as he tightened his arms around her. "And I loved the party. I didn't even recognize the gardens. Did you come up with it yourself?" He let go and looked at her with a small grin on his face. She gave him a faint nod as her light golden eyes met his.
"Must I go home now? I want to stay with you," she whispered, gripping his sleeve.
Kaname shook his head and placed his hands on her shoulders. "You went through a lot today. I want you to go home and rest, do you understand? I'll be home soon." He grinned and ruffled her hair before taking her small hand in his and lead her to the stairwell. "Kaien's waiting for you at the front entrance with the car." He nodded towards the stairwell, urging her to go with a reassuring grin.
She knew she was pouting but she couldn't help it. Despite the smile on his face, his decision was not up for debate. Kaname's orders were absolute. No one, not even she could sway him from his resolve. Reluctantly, she let go of his hand and descended the stairway slowly. His eyes didn't waver from her small frame until it disappeared from his line of view. He then took to one of the many windows in the hallway to continue his watch of her entering the car and leaving the premises before letting out a sigh of relief.
He stood in the hallway for a little longer, just staring at the faint skyline of the city before heading back inside his office. He heaved a sigh as he sunk into his leather armchair and stared down into his hands. He wished there was more he could do to guarantee the safety of not only his sister but of the millions of people and vampires alike who placed their faith into the Trust. He wished he was older so he could fully wield the authority that was thrust upon him and crush whatever skepticism anyone harbored towards the idea of having a young boy as their leader. But as he continued to stare into those feeble hands of his, Rido's face came to mind.
Kaname's eyes glistened with malice at the thought of his uncle-the tumor that he needed to excise, the crux of everything evil in his life. "Someday," Kaname thought. "I'll have him pay for what he wrought unto his own family". His hands were now in fists, his knuckles white. A knock on his door snapped Kaname out of his thoughts. He relaxed his hands and folded them neatly on his desk and straightened himself up. The flood of reports was going to commence.
"Come in," he beckoned with a grim expression on his face and prepared for the long night ahead of him.
oOo
The man stared greedily at the three wads of bills lined up in a straight row on the desk in front of him. He licked his lips and hastily asked, his French accent subtle, "Sir, may I collect my payment now?"
Rido reclined into his red velvet armchair, motioning for him to stop with a wave of his hand and demanded, "Not until you describe to me the look on Kaname's face again."
The man grimaced. He was disgusted by this grown man's childish behavior but there was an ominous aura emanating from him that prevented him from saying what was on his mind. Either way, he was going to get paid tonight or die trying. "But sir! I've already described it to you four times already! Mind you, I was paid to deliver, not to act as your personal reporter!"
Rido raised his eyebrow in amusement at the man's outburst. He smirked and folding his hands into his lap said, "Very well. Take it and be gone from my sight."
The man grinned triumphantly, swiping his prize into his bag and headed for the door, just barely missing Rido's sneer. The door clicked shut and was soon followed by a heavy thud outside. Moments later, a dark liquid seeped its way into the room through the crack under the door. Rido grinned all knowingly and stood up for his dinner.
oOo
Shizuka stared intensely at the empty hospital cot in front of her as if doing so would cause the boy to rematerialize. She turned sharply to address the two fidgeting doctors behind her.
"Has that boy spoken yet?" Her voice sliced through the silence. The two figures took a step back from Shizuka-her silver hair was ablaze like tendrils of white fire and her eyes were burning coals of gold boring into their skin.
"No m'am," the young man out of the two began. His eyes flickered to the young woman beside him for help but she only nervously adjusted her spectacles and stared forward. He pursed his lips and continued, "We've subjected him to everything but he's determined not to tell us about the little boy's whereabouts."
Shizuka scowled at the two doctors some more before dismissing them. "You may leave now," she said with a wave of her hand before returning to her own thoughts. Without sparing another moment, the two doctors enthusiastically dashed out of the hospital ward. Shizuka began to pace along the line of cots, biting her lip in frustration. It wasn't everyday that her lab received such promising results from a specimen that young before and now to have it escape so easily through a trash chute seemed to belittle their cause.
Well, she wasn't going to let another humiliating incident like this repeat itself again. As soon as she had arrived at the scene, she sent out an immediate order for every Orphanage to eliminate any of their existing trash chutes. However, that was the least of her problems. The one task she had left to do weighed heavily on her shoulders. She reached into her pocket for her cellphone and slowly dialed the number. The phone rang exactly three times before she heard the soft click and her husband's voice rumbled through.
"Why, this is a pleasant surprise dear. Do you have more good news for me?"
She sighed and simply said, "The boy escaped." Following with silence, the call clicked and ended. Her face blank, she slid the phone back into her pocket before exiting the hospital without a second glance.
oOo
Zero's eyes shot open as the truck jolted to a stop. He looked around him feverishly, trying to gather his senses. Where am I? He pushed through the sea of trash above him and reaching the surface, realized that he was outside. He was free from the confines of the only place he knew as home but strangely enough, he wasn't afraid. His heart fluttered with excitement as he took in the sights of the skyscrapers and the cacophony of traffic from all around him. With another jolt from the truck, Zero fell onto his back in the heap of trash and suddenly recalled a flash of green eyes.
Kenji's last words to him echoed through his mind, "Head straight for the Trust. They'll protect you."
Now, with a concentrated look on his face, Zero peered above the lid of the truck and wondered, "How am I going to find this place?" His eyes fell upon the street signs and sure enough, he saw, "Trust Headquarters, ¾ of a mile away".
The Orphanage did educate their inhabitants on basic arithmetic but Zero didn't have the experience to gauge how much was three quarters of a mile. He could only hope that the Trust would make itself clear to him when the truck past it. For now, he remained hidden among the pile of trash before him, barely tolerating the nauseous fumes and the cloud of horrid pests swarming around him. He kept his eyes peeled for any signs indicating which building was the Trust.
He continued to drink in the sights of the city before him, relishing in the peace he felt from his newfound freedom. The day was a little chilly but the sun's rays warmed his pale cheeks that were now creased from a rare smile. He could have sat there all day and forget about his troubles but he was jolted back to reality when his eyes landed on the fortress emblazoned with a big bold iron "T". His breath caught in his throat. This was his only chance.
Just as the truck past the gate of the Trust, a gleaming black car exited. The adrenaline in his body was overwhelming as he heard the sound of his blood pounding in his ears. This was a good a time as any. He waited as the black car cruised beside the truck and lept.
oOo
Yuki gasped as something heavy crashed onto the hood of the car. The driver instinctively hit his foot on the brake. She felt more than saw Kaien's arm bracing her from the inertia that propelled her forward before he stepped out to check what was the cause of the impact.
Yuki heard Kaien gasp as he ran across the other side of the car where she was sitting. Curious and a little apprehensive, Yuki peered through the car window and made out a small body that was now wrapped within Kaien's coat. She got a better look at what it was when Kaien lifted it up in her line of sight. Her eyes widened at the sight of the boy, his face caked with grime and fresh blood.
Kaien motioned for Yuki to open her car door. "Yuki, sit up in front. I need to lay him down." She only nodded and holding her breath, exited from the car. After fastening her seat belt on in the front, she swiveled her body to the back, keeping her sleeve over her nose and eyed the boy with concern that was reflected in Kaien's eyes.
"Driver, take us to the hospital immediately."
"And then Kaien?" Yuki asked as the car lurched forward. She watched as Kaien pondered. His hand slipped into his pocket and he pulled out his phone.
"Well, he's going to come home with us. We just have to let your brother know." Kaien's face beamed cheerfully as he dialed Kaname's office. Yuki's concern grew for the boy as she watched his face contort in pain and heard the whimpers that escaped from his lips. The sight of his blood was the least of her worries now as she was only hoping for his pain to be relieved. Her fingers gripped the shoulder of her seat as the car finally stopped in front of the Trust's hospital and he was whisked away for treatment.