Okay, things are going to pick up a little bit. I don't want anyone to think that I'm rushing through the story, especially since I'm on chapter 23.... But I'm sure that the upcoming action will satisfy everyone enough not to be too upset with the quickened pace.

Altogether, there will be 34-35 chapters for Red Rose, and about 30 for Dark Sanctuary (five chapters per campaign, plus filler chapters with information about the characters' backrounds).

And the results of the poll are in! They are listed in order from the most votes to the least

Lemon (12 votes)

Humor/Parody (7 votes)

Action (6 votes)

Suspense (5 votes)

Humor/Non-parody (3 votes)

Horror and Supernatural both tied (2 votes)

So there you have it. I will write a lemon first and work my way down until I get to the last two. To decide between the last two, I'll either flip a coin or just pick the one that I think will be easier to write. Thanks so much for voting! ^_^ Not sure when I'll start writing the one-shots, as I'm really busy and kind of want to finish my other stories. But I should have time at some point to do them.

Red Rose

Chapter 23

Two days later

Masaki sighed in aggravation, going up and down the streets carefully. After the constant nagging from Kanae, Director Kakuzawa had finally given in and allowed them to have a vehicle. However, he had installed a tracking device within the van and warned them not to go outside the designated borders.

"If you go outside the boundaries I have established, I will obliverate you both," Kakuzawa had sneered. "Along with the tracking device there is an explosive, so don't you dare try anything."

Kanae was gazing out the window of the passenger seat, a look of disgust on her face. "Out of all the vehicles he could've given us, he makes us drive a fucking van.... People are going to call the police and report us as a couple of pedophiles. I mean, who the hell drives a black van with tinted windows?!"

Masaki shrugged. "Plenty of people I suppose. Besides, if anyone does attempt to report us, they'll regret it."

"Hey, kiddies!" Kanae said in a mock voice. "Come on over and I'll give you some candy!"

The male Diclonius smirked. "Whether or not we are driving a shady-looking van, we'll have a much easier time tracking Zoe down and following her."

"Yeah, and Cock-Uzawa actually let me have my cell phone, too." The pink-haired girl smiled down at her phone victoriously. "I swear, he must be getting soft and senile."

"Either that or he's getting impatient," Masaki said as he turned left down the street. "He wants Zoe...and soon."

Kanae chuckled. "Well, he'll have to continue being patient in the meantime. We're going as fast as we can."

Just then, her cell phone vibrated. Upon looking at the caller ID, she quickly snatched it off her lap and opened it.

"Hey, Kouichi," she anwered in a cheerful voice.

Masaki glanced at her, then continued to drive down the road, hoping to catch a glimpse of the blond.

"No, I'm not doing anything right now," Kanae said over the phone. "If you want to hang out, my brother can drop me off at your house."

She waited a moment, then her expression dropped in disappointment. Masaki knew immediately what the reason behind it was.

"So, you're not home, then? Well, where are you?" She listened for a few seconds, then nodded, although Kouichi couldn't see it. "Alright, I'll meet you there. Bye."

"Where am I taking you?" Masaki asked just as the girl hung up the phone.

"To the movie theater," she replied. "Do you mind?"

"Why would I mind? For one thing, it won't make a bit of difference if we're together. And also, you'll be more likely to get closer to him and get more information," he told her. "You didn't meet with him yesterday, so today you can...catch up with things."

Kanae smiled. "Yeah, true. Besides, you're more than capable of tracking Zoe down by yourself."

"Exactly." Masaki took a right, heading down towards the theater. "We should be there in about four minutes."

"Wonder what movie we're seeing," Kanae mused.

"Just don't forget your objective," the young man told her.

The female Diclonius rolled her eyes. "Don't worry, I won't."

A few minutes later, Masaki pulled into the parking lot of the theater, parking right in front of the entrance. Kouichi was waiting eagerly and smiled as Kanae got out of the car.

"Hey, Kouichi!" Kanae said as she rushed over to him.

"Hey," he replied, giving her a brief hug. "Is that your brother?"

"Yup."

Kouichi gave Masaki a nod, who smiled and nodded back in response. Despite the polite gesture, Masaki had a dark and unsettling tint in his navy eyes, causing Kouichi to shift uncomfortably. The Diclonius then shifted the car into 'Drive' and took off, leaving the the two teenagers alone.

"Wow, he kind of gives me the creeps," Kouichi said in a low voice as the van disappeared from sight.

"Yeah, he has that effect on most people, " Kanae replied nonchalantly. "So, what movie did you want to see?"

Kouichi looked at the array of movie posters hanging up outside the theater, thinking. "Hmmm....what type of movies do you like?"

"I'll watch just about anything," the girl told him. "I'm just not huge into stupid chick flicks."

"Well, that's a relief," Kouichi said with a relaxed sigh. "The last girl I went out with always dragged me to chick flicks. I mean, I can stand to watch one every now and again, but I was forced to see one or two every week. And if there weren't any new ones playing, she made me rent about a half dozen."

Kanae chuckled. "Won't have to worry about that with me. I actually enjoy watching what people would refer to as 'guy movies'. You know, stuff like Scarface and Fight Club."

Kouichi's eyes bulged out slightly. "Y-you like Scarface, too? That's like my all-time favorite movie!"

"It's definitely in my top five," Kanae commented. "So, maybe we should pick something actiony. Is that even a real word? Actiony?"

"I dunno," he replied with a shrug. "But who cares? I don't have to watch a chick flick!"

Kanae smiled and looked at the choices, reading them aloud. "Let's see...we've got Maria's Wedding, My Best Friend's Son, Tissues and a Box of Bon Bons..."

Kouichi groaned. "These are all chick flicks...."

"There's also My Cheating Husband Must Die. That one sounds like a cross between a chick flick and a crappy horror movie," Kanae speculated.

"Do you like stupid comedies?" Kouichi asked.

"Define 'stupid'," Kanae replied. "Stupid as in bad acting, or stupid as in absurd story-line?"

"Possibly both," he told her.

Kanae thought for a moment, then nodded. "Sure, what did you have in mind?"

"Well, there's one called The Trip to Candy Mountain," Kouichi said.

"Sounds like a kid's movie," Kanae mused. "Is it?"

The raven-haired teen smirked. "Nah, it's about three guys who are fucked up on acid and watch a video online called Candy Mountain. Then they set off on a drugged-up road trip to see if there's a real Candy Mountain."

"Hmm, I'm okay with that," the Diclonius told him. "It sounds amusing."

"Well then, let's go," Kouichi said, pulling her inside the theater with him.

One hour later

Masaki finally parallel parked in front of an apartment complex, the street nearly deserted. He was gripping the steering wheel with one hand, his hold so tight that his knuckles were white. He groaned in aggravation, his eyes closed as he pondered his thoughts. Although he hadn't expected to find Zoe immediately, his patience was slowly diminishing. Not only did he have no idea where to find the girl, he couldn't sense her, and the van was a gas guzzler. He had already gone through a quarter of the tank, and he was in no mood to refill it.

"Where is this girl?" He muttered.

Masaki turned the engine off, sitting back in his seat for several minutes. He thought carefully, wondering where Zoe could possibly be. Most likely home, he thought to himself. Had he been able to follow Zoe and her friends home the other day, his job would've been much easier.

Kakuzawa's pateince was much worse than his own, as the old man constantly mumbled complaints under his breath. If he hadn't been in such a hurry to find Zoe, he never would've allowed Masaki and Kanae to use the vehicle in the first place.

Suddenly, there was a knock against the window beside the front passenger seat.

"Excuse me?" A young policeman was staring at Masaki through the window.

Masaki switched the car on, but not the engine itself, allowing himself to roll down the window. "Can I help you?"

"Yes, are you a resident of this apartment complex?" The cop asked.

"No, sir. I am not," Masaki replied apathetically.

The cop shook his head and began to scribble on a ticket. "This parking space is reserved for residents only. I'm going to have to write you a ticket for this."

The Diclonius raised an eyebrow incredulously. "You're going to write me a ticket rather than give me a warning?"

"Listen here, you violated the regulations-"

"There was no sign to indicate that this space was reserved for the apartment complex," Masaki said, cutting him off. "I would be more than happy to move-"

This time, the officer interrupted Masaki. "Oh, you will be moving. I'll make sure of that. But first I'm going to finish writing this ticket, give it to you, and then tell you not to backtalk me again. Do I make myself clear?"

Masaki's lips curled into a smirk. "Oh, you've made yourself very clear."

The officer's face etched into a frown. "Is that supposed to be sarcasm?"

"Oh, of course not, officer. I would never use sarcasm when faced with a horrible crime," the Diclonius replied with feigned innocence. "I mean, I could've killed someone by parking here, couldn't have I?"

"If you keep up with the smart-ass comments, you'll be getting another ticket," the cop warned. "Don't mess with me, kid."

Masaki chuckled. "Kid? You look like you're the same age as me, and you call me a kid?"

The officer glared at him and walked over to the driver's side of the car. The young man inside the van rolled down the window and smiled, waiting for the officer's reply.

"You just earned yourself another ticket," the cop said with arrogance as he scribbled another one down. "I swear, you'll be bankrupt if you keep up with the attitude."

"Never heard of anyone going bankrupt from paying parking tickets," Masaki commented. "But I suppose it could happen. Though I am a bit surprised that you're hanging out in front of an apartment complex. I mean, shouldn't you be out there, stopping the real criminals?"

"Now what's that supposed to mean?" The cop snapped.

Masaki's face, which had been relaxed with amusement, was now firm and serious. His navy eyes were almost onyx and his gaze had a penetrating effect.

"You know what I mean," he growled. "Pigs are always out there to convict the innocent, never taking the time to go out and catch the real criminals. They'd rather sit on their fat asses and eat donuts all day, rather than stop a bank from being robbed. They would prefer giving out unnecessary tickets just to earn themselves a quick buck, instead of stopping a murderer from slaughtering an entire family two houses away. Face it, pigs like you give cops a bad name."

"Get out of the car," the cop hissed. "Now! Get out of the fucking car!"

"Why? Did I violate one of your precious laws?" Masaki snarled. "I guess freedom of speech has been rendered illegal."

The officer's lips thinned in anger. "Freedom of speech is not illegal. But harrassing an officer is."

"But I believe that it was you who harrassed me," the Diclonius said calmly. "After all, instead of telling me that this space was reserved for apartment occupants, you chose to give me a ticket for your own selfish benefit. There was no sign or anything to indicate that this space was off-limits."

"Are you really getting this upset over a fucking parking space?!" The officer exclaimed. "Now get out of the car!"

Masaki's voice grew lower. "This isn't about the parking space. This is about people like you who act as though they're better than everyone else. You abuse your power and make it out to seem as though everyone else is a pathetic waste of space. Meanwhile you saunter along as though you are God's gift to mankind."

"I'm going to tell you one last time," the cop said, shaking with fury. "Get out of the fucking car!"

Without a word, Masaki slowly opened the door of the van, stepping out onto the pavement. He stared blankly at the officer, waiting to be given the next set of orders.

"Good. Now put your hands up where I can see them," the police officer commanded. "You are I are taking a little trip to the station and discussing what we would normally call 'harrassment'."

"You're arresting me?" Masaki asked monotonely, a look of disdain on his face.

The cop smirked, pulling out his handcuffs. "Got that right, fucker. Now put your hands where I can see them to make sure you don't have a concealed weapon."

The Diclonius shrugged. "If you wish."

With that, he released his vectors, slicing one of them into through the officer's forearm.

"What the fuck?!" The cop screamed as his severed arm fell to the ground in a bloody mess, its muscles causing the fingers to twitch. "Fuck!"

He wailed in agony as he used his other hand to clasp over the squirting stump, his uniform quickly stained crimson. He looked at Masaki with a mixture of horror and fear. Before he could say anything else, another vector ripped through his chest and out through his back. Masaki smirked in satisfaction then watched as the vector tore itself back out through the cop's chest, yanking the man's heart out in the process. The officer paled, then crumpled to the ground as his eyes rolled back in his head. He laid there in a puddle of blood, unseen on the empty street.

Masaki looked at the corpse for another minute before getting back into the van. He quickly drove away from the crime scene before anyone saw him, making his way to yet another road. After nearly five minutes of driving, he parked in front of a random house, then calmly got out of his vehicle. The Diclonius walked up the driveway and stopped in front of the house, knocking on the door.

"Yeah, I'm coming," a gruff voice said from inside.

A middle-aged man wearing boxers and a stained undershirt roughly yanked the door open. His greasy hair clung to his skull and half a cigarrette dangled from the corner of his mouth.

"The fuck do you want?" The man barked. "What are ya, some door-to-door religious asshole?"

"No," Masaki answered, decapitating the man with a single vector.

Before the body could fall forward, Masaki shoved it into the house, where he proceeded to enter once the corpse had fallen to the floor. He closed and locked the door behind him, stepping around the bloody body. The man had been alone, as there was no one else in the house. Masaki went into the bathroom and, to his surprise, found it to be clean and tidy. He had guessed the house to be filthy due to the man's grubby appearance. Perhaps he had a wife who cleaned up after him. Either way, it didn't matter.

Masaki stood there in front of the mirror, contemplating. He then removed his clothing, taking everything off until he was completely naked.

"Kakuzawa put those explosives in me somewhere," he mused quietly. "But where?"

The technology the scientists had used not only concealed any tender spots there may have been after implanting the bombs, but there was no scar tissue indicating where they had been implanted. Masaki looked at himself in the mirror, then down at his chest. After a hesitation, he used one of his vectors to slip in through his skin. Since he had used his vector in its ghost-like form, it went through him, rather than piercing his skin by penetration. However, despite the fact that it was not a solid substance, there was still a stinging pain as he felt around inside his body.

Masaki used his vector for several minutes, before finally pulling it out with an irritated groan.

"Where are they?" He growled, storming out of the bathroom, still naked. "I know I can find them...I just don't know how."

A glimmering object in the living room caught his attention and he stalked over to it. He picked it up, discovering it to be a dirt-clodded metal detector.

Could this possibly work? He asked himself. It's foolish...and probably won't... But still, there was nothing else he could really do. The Diclonius walked back into the bathroom and wiped the dirt off the detector with a wet cloth, cleaning it. A moment later, he pressed the button to turn it on and slowly ran it up and down his body. He started at his legs, moving the device up his calves and thighs in a leisurely pace.

"This is ridiculous," he chastised himself, but continued nonetheless.

Once he had done both legs, he held the metal detector up to his lower torse, making sure to run it over every last inch. Masaki then used it on his arms, getting the same, useless results. Just as he was about to discard the device, he decided to use it over one last area. He ran the detector over his chest slowly, waiting for a result.

"Knew this wouldn't w-"

Beep! Beep! Beep!

O.O Well, he found an explosive. Crazy idea, but it worked, right? Hoped you liked the brief bloodshed, cuz there will be more in future chapters. Please review and get ice cream! And I don't mean to bash anyone who likes chick flicks. I just don't personally enjoy them myself, so I decided to make them watch something else :) And not to spoil anything, but I think that you'll like the next chapter ;)