Hey, I'm back for a few days so I'm hoping to update us much as possible. Okay, this chapter is one of the most exciting ones in awhile. So sit back, relax, and enjoy. :)

Red Rose

Chapter 24

"Wow...." Kouichi said with a laugh as he and Kanae walked out of the theater. "That was one of the stupidest movie's that I've ever seen."

"Yeah, I think my IQ dropped about ten points," Kanae added. "Still, it was pretty entertaining."

Kouichi smirked. "Too bad we weren't on drugs, huh? Probably would've made more sense."

As the two of them walked down the road, Kanae gazed around at the nearby stores. "So...what should we do now?"

"Um...." Kouichi thought for a moment. "Are you hungry at all?"

"Eh, a little bit. The popcorn kind of filled me up, but if you want, we can split something to eat," the girl replied.

"Want some ice cream?" The raven-haired teen asked.

Kanae smiled. "I always want ice cream. Ice cream is like crack to me."

Kouichi raised an eyebrow. "I didn't know that you were a crackhead."

"Oh, hell yeah. I can't get enough of that crack," she quipped.

"Well, then. Let's go get you your crack," Kouichi said with a laugh.

Meanwhile

Zoe stood in the center of a room, the darkness surrounding her. She blindly made her way through the room, looking in every direction as she attempted to find a light. After a minute or so of aimlesssly wandering, there was a sudden burst of light flooding a small area of the room. Within the light, she could see a single object.

"What's that?" She asked aloud, walking towards the item.

Once she had gotten close enough, she realized that within the small beam of light was a single white rose. Frowning, she knelt in front of the small, delicate flower. The blond gingerly reached out and touched the soft petals, before withdrawing her hand.

She stared at the rose, her stomach clenched in anxiety. Just looking at it gave her an unsettling feeling, as it immediately made her think of the strange young man she had met.

Just as she was about to rise back up, a single red drop fell out of nowhere and landed on one of the flawless petals. The red substance was a thick, familiar liquid that she had seen too many times in her life. Zoe shuddered unintentionally, her hand shaking above the rose. She gently touched the bead of blood, letting it stain her fingertip. She drew her hand back and looked at the crimson spot, her eyes filled with terror.

Suddenly, more drops of crimson fell onto the rose, quickly coloring it scarlett. Thick rivers of the blood dripped off the flower, dripping to the floor ominously. Within the seconds, the entire rose had been coated.

"Oh, god...." Zoe slowly stood back up, her eyes wide.

The blood had ceased to drip from the flower, but it began to change form. Its petals darkened substantially, turning them completely black. The blood dried, and the rose began to wilt into a fragile black pile. A single drop of blood seeped from the very center of the flower, looking like a ruby.

"Shit." Zoe's head snapped up and she blinked rapidly, adjusting to the light.

"Zoe, are you okay?" Takuya asked, a look of concern on his face.

The blond sat there for a moment, perplexed. "Uh, yeah. What happened?"

"You dozed off on the couch while Kouji and I were playing video games," he told her.

"Come on. Un-pause it, asshole," Kouji grumbled.

"Dude, shut the fuck up and hang on," Takuya growled, then turned his attention back on to Zoe. "But are you alright?"

Zoe nodded quickly, hiding her anxiety. "Yeah, I'm fine. Just a weird dream, that's all."

Takuya frowned. "Not the ones that you used to have...right?"

"No, just some stupid, pointless one that has no meaning behind it," the Diclonius said.

"Yeah, I get those sometimes," Takuya mused.

Kouji groaned. "Are we playing or not? She said that she's okay, so let's go already."

"Go ahead," Zoe added as she rose from the couch. "I'm going to go take a walk."

"Want me to go with you?" Takuya asked.

Zoe shook her head. "Nah, I just want to get some fresh air. Go finish your game with Kouji. I'll be back a little while."

She leaned down to kiss him softly on the lips, then pulled away.

"See ya later," Takuya said as he and Kouji resumed their game.

Before she left, Zoe walked into the bathroom to make sure her horns were covered. The light purple ribbons she had tied around them were secure, and the twin pieces of silk matched her tank top. She wore blue jeans and white sneakers with three lavender strips on each one.

"Okay, bye," Zoe called out to Takuya as she walked out of the house.

"Bye," Takuya replied. "Aw, that was a cheap shot, Kouji!"

Kouji groaned. "Again with this? When are you gonna admit that I'm better than you at everything? Especially at video games!"

"No, you're not! Besides, I've got a hot girlfriend! What do you have? Your right hand?" Takuya teased.

"Oh, you asshole!"

Zoe smiled and shook her head as she softly closed the door behind her, leaving the two friends to bicker. However, the smile quickly faded as her thoughts went back to the dream that remained vivid in her mind.

Why did I have a dream like that? She wondered. I swear, that guy's getting to me.... What do I have to do with the damn roses anyway?

She sighed in irritation as she rubbed her throbbing temples, trying her best to ignore the dream. Her speed increased and before she knew it, she had made her way to the cemetary.

Zoe wordlessly walked over to the stone temple, sinking down on the bottom step. As she pondered her thoughts, she didn't notice a figure slowly emerging from the shadows.

"What did that dream mean?" Zoe wondered aloud.

The sillhouette drew close menacingly, only a few meters away from the girl. Suddenly, Zoe snapped her head up as a piercing sensation alerted her. With a cry of surprise, she released her two working vectors and sent them hurtling at the figure. There was a pained grunt, followed by the crackling of the tree.

Zoe gasped in surprise, recognizing the young man crumpled over the fallen tree. "Who are you?! And who sent you?!"

She stalked over to him, her emerald eyes narrowed. She heard the young man chuckle, then watched as he looked up at her.

"I see that you regained your senses, Zoe," Masaki said with amusement as he rose to his feet. "Quite impressive, I must say. Most Dicloniuses would have never regrown their horns...but not you...."

Zoe glared at him, her vectors hovering over her body protectively. "He sent you, didn't he? That monster who calls himself a researcher?"

"Kakuzawa?" Masaki smile casually, as if he was catching up with an old friend. "Yes, he sent me."

"Who else?" She hissed. "Who else did he send after me?"

Masaki chuckled. "I must say, you're vectors are very powerful. That blow almost hurt."

"Don't change the subject," the blond shot back. "Who else did he send?"

"Does it really matter?" He asked with a nonchalant shrug. "Either way, I think it would be wise of you to just come with me. Though if you want to put up a fight, then by all means, go ahead."

Zoe scoffed. "Do you honestly think I'm going back to that hellhole on my own free will?"

"No, but I figured that I'd give you the option," Masaki said. "It's the smarter of the two choices."

"I beg to differ." She looked at him with no emotion. "Well, you are the first male Diclonius that I have ever encountered. Should I feel impressed or bored?"

Masaki smirked. "Find out for yourself."

With that, he sent his four vectors shooting out at the girl. Zoe easily jumped away from them, backflipping onto the top of the temple.

"Love it when they run," Masaki said in a low voice as he leapt up after her.

"Who says I'm running?" Zoe asked, a half-smile on her face.

Her vectors shot out at the young man faster than two bullets, sending him flying off the temple. Masaki crashed into a few of the tombstones below, crushing them into small chunks of marble. He coughed briefly, then slowly stood up. Zoe jumped down after him and used her vectors to pick him up by the shoulders. She then proceeded to slam him back down against the ground, causing a small crater to form around him.

"Is that the best you've got?" Masaki asked in a bored tone.

Zoe glared at him with hatred. "You've been stalking me, haven't you? You followed me into the hospital and you followed me today, didn't you?"

"Yes, I did follow you into the hospital," he admitted. "But I didn't actually follow you today. I just happened to sense you and go to where you were."

"Bastard," she hissed.

Masaki smirked. "You know, it's very impressive how you managed to escape from the facility and avoid getting recaptured. You made it seem so easy by the sounds of it."

"I assume that you know how I got away," Zoe said coldly, slowly circling around him.

"Yes, in fact. The director said that his own son set you free. But you did the rest on your own," the male Diclonius replied, his navy eyes watching her every move. "Although you are strong, I doubt that you can overcome me-"

He was cut off as one of Zoe's vectors sliced at his arm, just grazing his shoulder. A thin line of blood seeped through the slit in his sweatshirt. Masaki jumped back as Zoe attacked him a second time, his hood falling off his head.

Zoe stared at his horns uneasily, the twin growths gleaming in the sunlight. They were only slightly bigger than what Zoe's normally were. The blond then diverted her attention from his horns and concentrated on striking him. This time, however, Masaki countered with his own attack. He slammed one of his vectors into her stomach, causing her to double over in pain. He then hit her again, under the chin. Zoe flew back into a tall and thick tombstone, knocking it over.

"Ugh..." She groaned in pain, slowly sitting up.

Shit, if my other two vectors don't work, I may not stand a chance against him. But I've gotta try, she thought to herself. She heaved herself up, ignoring her aching joints.

"So, are you ready to go back with me?" Masaki asked.

"Don't count on it," she said coldly.

With that, she sprinted over to him and managed to hit him with her vectors. She attempted to slice into him, only to be knocked away. Masaki lifted her up by her throat, then carelessly tossed her aside like a rag doll. The female Diclonius painfully crashed onto the steps of the temple, causing them to crack around her.

"Now are you ready?" Masaki asked with a bored sigh.

Zoe didn't reply, but sprang up instead. She hit him as hard as she could with both of her vectors, sending him flying backwards through the cemetary. He crashed through a half dozen tombstones before sliding to a halt near the fenced off area. He groaned, though it wasn't a pained sound. The young man stood up, now angry.

"That's it," he growled. "I'm done playing with you."

He and Zoe ran towards each other as fast as they could, both of their bodies pumping with adreneline. However, since Masaki's vectors were longer, he struck Zoe before the girl was within her range. Zoe stumbled backwards, falling onto her back. Masaki went to hit her a second time, only for the blond to roll away from the blow. She managed to trip him, causing him to crash to the ground beside her. Before he could get up, Zoe leapt on top of him. She used her own arms to pin his to the ground, while her vectors floated above her menacingly. Just as she sent them to decapitate him, Masaki used two of his own vectors to grab onto hers and halt them. He used his normal arms to push her back, as he was stronger than her. He went to pin her down in retaliation, but Zoe kicked out at him, hitting him squarely in the jaw. While he was distracted with the blow, Zoe scrambled up and quickly backed away from her.

"Even though only two of your vectors work, you're proving to be a worty opponent," Masaki commented, rubbing his bruising chin.

"Good to know," Zoe sneered sarcastically.

A half-smile played on the corners of Masaki's lips. "However, even if all four of them were working, you still cannot beat me."

"Yeah, like I haven't heard that before," the blond shot back. "You are not the first Diclonius I have fought with."

"True, but I am stronger than any other of the others," he told her.

Zoe raised an eyebrow. "I highly doubt that. I guess Kakuzawa never told you about Mariko."

"The little girl they called 'Number Thirty-Five'? Yeah, I've heard of her. Sure, she may have had twenty-six vectors and was undeniably strong. But she was a mere child," Masaki pointed out. "Besides, if she hadn't been killed, she surely would've finished you off."

The blond glared at him, her body heating up. "Even so, she was stronger than you'll ever hope to be."

"You'd be surprised on how strong I am." Masaki chuckled. "You don't know what I'm capable of."

"And you don't know what I'm capable of," Zoe said icily. "Partially disabled or not, I can still beat you."

With that, she slashed him cleanly across the chest, though she did not severely injure him. Masaki had jumped away before she could've done more damage and he immediately countered with his own attack. He struck Zoe across the face, slamming her into yet another tombstone. The marble object shattered into a million pieces and rained down on her.

Dammit, she silently cursed herself. No matter what I do, he has two extra vectors. If I can't overpower him, I need to outsmart him.

"Ready to give up yet?" Masaki asked apathetically, as if she was wasting his time.

"Not even close." Zoe rose back up, wiping a smear of blood off her cheek.

The blue-haired man shrugged. "Have it your way."

He sent his vectors out to pound into her, but Zoe used her own to push herself off the ground. She landed on a thick branch of a nearby tree, staring down at him.

"Not a smart move," Masaki mused, slicing the tree down.

"On the contrary," Zoe said as both and she and the tree tumbled towards the ground. "It was a very intelligent idea."

She grabbed onto the falling tree with her vectors and swung it at Masaki with all her might. The male Diclonius flew back into the steps of the temple again, this time shattering them completely. Before he could get back up, Zoe was already on him. She furiously pummeled him in the face, blood seeping from his nose and mouth.

"Dammit," he muttered, trying to block her attacks.

Although he had more vectors, hers were striking him as fast as lightning, repeatedly smashing into his face and body. While he had known she was strong, he did not think she would be this tough. He hissed in pain as one of her vectors slammed into the side of his head, distorting his vision slightly for a moment.

"I'm not going back," Zoe snarled, hitting him harder. "And no one is going to make me."

"Then...I'll kill....your friends," Masaki finally gasped out.

Zoe's emerald orbs narrowed and she already fast pace quickened. She pounded into him, feeling as though her blood was boiling. Just as she was about to finish him off by impaling him through the chest, Masaki had a trick of his own. Six additional vectors suddenly emerged and pummeled into Zoe. With a mixed cry of pain and surprise, Zoe was flung into another tree. It crackled dangerously, then toppled right over onto her. The girl stopped it just as it was about to crash down onto her, shoving it away. She turned her head just in time to be punched in her left temple.

Zoe fell to her knees, groaning in pain as an excrutiating pain filled her cranium. She screamed as she felt Masaki's vector slip through her head, deep into her brain. Although it was in a ghost-like form, it felt as though a bullet had pierced through her skull. Her eyes darkened a shade before closing. She shuddered and let out a soft moan, then blacked out.

"Perhaps this isn't the best time," Masaki mused. "I have other plans that I think will serve me better...."

With that, he extracted his vector, leaving Zoe to collapse to the ground. He stared at the unconscious girl for another moment, then slowly turned and walked away. He walked back to his van at a leisurely pace, somewhat surprised that no one had walked in on the fight. Then again, he thought to himself, humans are blumbering imbeciles and are quite oblivious to their surroundings.

Masaki got into his van and drove off, pondering on his new plan.

Damn, Zoe was beaten down! And Masaki has ten vectors altogether O.O And what is he scheming now? Find out in a future chapter! Hope you guys liked this chapter and I'll try to update as soon as I can.