-Half-hearted Vengeance-

~disclaimer: I do not own Vampire Knight...it belongs to Hino Matsuri-sama…

~random notes(?): I'm so sorry for the late update, classes just started last week, and I'm still adjusting to being in college. I also want to apologize for not being able to reply to your reviews…I'm kinda busy, but I'll try to reply whenever I can from now on! –shakes fist- X3 Okay, now here's chapter 2, please enjoy~! ;D

Chapter 2: Underlying Malevolence

A thin line of shock passed through the nobles as they heard that name; but none of them dare show it for fear of the consequences which may come along with doing so. After all, the Hiou line of purebloods was best known by its current princess—Shizuka Hiou—who had been declared as a lunatic by the Council of Elders. If this vampire really is what he claims himself to be…then who knows what he might do? But despite of their fear for this mysterious pureblood, ironically, they are still obliged to extend the full courtesy that is due to one of his social standing. Such is the world of vampires: full of contradictions and ironies. It is a world wherein the ones who inspire the most fear dominate and the only way to survive was to follow and respect those in power, no matter how begrudging it may seem.

Zero allowed himself a small smile at the Night Class' reaction towards him. He knew that what had caused the other vampires to react like this was because of his lineage as a Hiou; and not simply because of the fact that he is a Level A. Their family, after all, was one of the most famous lines of purebloods and, strangely enough, was as feared—if not more—as the well-respected Kuran clan of vampires. However, despite of the slight bout of triumph he felt, a bitter taste refused to leave his mouth as he could not fathom nor will he accept the way the rest of the vampire world treated his mother with such disdain. Shizuka had already told him that this was going to be the Night Class' reaction, yet he could not help himself but be angered by it. Unconsciously, he had clenched his fists in an attempt to put a reign on his temper. His nails had already started digging into his palm—almost enough to drew blood—before he was able to suppress the anger he felt and unclenched his fists.

After he had regained his composure, he began taking steps towards the seats; the action making the vampires flinch the slightest bit. Some of them, even, had formed a loose circle; almost as if protecting the vampire standing in their midst. As Zero was within eye-level with the said vampire, he put an abrupt halt to his footsteps, and took this time to carefully muster the other. The young vampire has dark brown, wavy hair which reached his shoulders; his smooth, unmarred skin was of a pale creamy color; his height was above average—perhaps a few inches taller than Zero; and the aura which surrounded him carries an unspoken elegance and seemed to emit an air that demands immediate respect. He was very handsome, to say the least, and stood out even among this room of extraordinarily beautiful creatures. He looked quite young, too; in fact, he looked no older than eighteen years of age. His eyes, though, was a different story; for they seemed to contradict with his youthful features: deep, wine-red eyes which seem to regard everything with an apathetic and calculating gaze—the eyes of a person with the vast knowledge and keen mind which was usually gained through years upon years of experience. This vampire, of course, was none other than Cross Academy's resident pureblood—Kuran Kaname—the last scion of the prestigious Kuran bloodline.

For a long minute, silver-amethyst eyes met wine-red ones, in a silent battle that only the two purebloods understood; an invisible struggle in which a fierce war for dominance was being waged. Neither of the two showed signs of relenting or giving in to the other, and for a second, the nobles thought that this staring match between their leader and this new pureblood would end up in bloodshed. Of course they would take the side of the Kuran prince if ever it were to happen, yet they knew that he would simply brush off their offer and would even see to it that those who dare disobey his orders were punished. Purebloods really are complex beings; denying themselves of that which are deemed as necessary by the vampires coming from lower stations. They could be described as irrational, even. Why do they make things harder for themselves as it already was? That's a thought that the vampires had pondered since long ago, when the hierarchy was formed.

Just as the tenseness of the Night Class students were becoming more obvious, Zero inclined his head—just deep enough to be polite—and addressed the other pureblood. "Kuran Kaname. It is an honor to meet you." However he maintained eye contact, as he had no intention of making the other assume that the brunette has won in any case.

"The same to you, Hiou Zero." Kaname acknowledged the other with a slight nod. "A question to you, though, if I may?"

"Of course." The silver-haired vampire said in response. "I'll try to answer it to the best of my abilities."

"I'll be frank with you; you see, I am quite curious. You said that you were a member of the Hiou Clan, but the records never mentioned any of its members other than Hiou Shizuka to be alive." The brunette said; an unreadable expression on his face.

A mask of indifference made its way to Zero's face, yet he replied in an even tone. "If you are asking as to whether I am a legitimate Hiou, I assure you that I am. If my physical attributes aren't proof enough of my lineage, I'll say this just once to alleviate any more suspicions regarding my identity: I am the son of Hiou Shizuka."

A long pause was made as the Night Class struggled to absorb the information. They knew that this was highly possible, yet to hear those words directly from the silver-haired vampire was still shocking. The silence was then broken by the voice of a blonde vampire with eyes the color of sapphires. "Pardon my bluntness, Kaname-sama, but he lies! If he really was Shizuka-sama's son, then the council should have notified it long ago!"

"I agree with Aidou, Kaname-sama." This time, a beautiful young woman with long chestnut locks stepped forward. "Besides, if he is what he claims himself to be, then he is a threat to us all in the academy; being the heir of the mad blooming princess."

If it weren't for the fact that they were insulting his mother, Zero would have applauded their bravado; no one had been, after all, brave or foolish enough to say such words with sheer disrespect in front of a Level A. The burning hatred he had successfully controlled earlier was starting to come back to him once more. Fear started rolling off from the Night Class students as they saw his silver-amethyst eyes flicker a menacing red.

Seeing that an undeniably horrible fate would soon befall his two subordinates if left unaided, Kaname decided to do what was the most appropriate course of action at the moment: he approached the two young nobles and slapped both of them—hard. Afterwards, he turned to face the silver-amethyst eyed young man. "I apologize for their rude behavior. I'll see to it that they are properly punished…or perhaps would you like to do so as you deem fit yourself?"

Zero closed his eyes for a moment; trying to even out his breathing. He had to admit though, that he was quite surprised that the Kuran prince had taken the initiative. Whether the brunette had done it for the sake of his own pride, he honestly did not care right now. Slowly, he opened his eyes—revealing that they had returned to their normal hue of silver-amethyst; albeit this time the silver was more dominant whilst the amethyst was subdued, giving his gaze a steely edge to it. "That is unnecessary, Kuran. Just see to it that it doesn't happen again next time. To insult me is one thing; but to openly disrespect my mother is something I would not tolerate."

He then looked at the two nobles—Aidou and Ruka—and said, "Be thankful that I am as 'mad' as you claim me to be. Otherwise, the two of you would no longer be standing here right now." The way the silver-haired vampire said it was in a low, flat tone—almost devoid of any emotion; yet one could not possibly miss the iciness hidden beneath those words.

"Aidou, Ruka, the two of you will come see me in my rooms right after class." The brunette then turned to the rest of the students. "All of you, please proceed back to your respective seats." To the professor, he said, "Please do continue with the lesson."

Zero watched the rest of the Night Class bemusedly from where he was sitting. He chose the furthest seat located at the back of the classroom; both for his love of solitude and so that he could keep an eye on the other vampires. Not a single movement escaped his scrutinizing gaze, and the others could feel the hairs at the back of their neck rise at the unmistakable sensation of a pureblood vampire watching their every move. Even their professor was intimidated; which was quite evident with the occasional break in his voice whenever his eyes accidentally locked with those of Zero's.

"How wonderful it would be if the Council of Elders was this easily intimidated; it makes our goal much easier…" The silver-amethyst eyed vampire thought; not really listening to their lesson. "But then again, how could we relish our vengeance when it is too easily claimed? Those miserable fools deserve not a quick and painless death; rather, they should suffer tenfold that which they had inflicted upon us, and to die a slow, agonizing death."

An image of his younger twin Ichiru lying motionless in that dark casket briefly crossed his mind. Remembering his brother's face only made the seething rage he had nursed for so long to burn higher. He unconsciously fisted his hand lying on his lap. "Yes, that's right; it is the reason why I had gone this far with mother in order to carry out our revenge…"

His thoughts were cut short as he heard the voice of their professor—which sounded quite relieved—announcing that classes were over. The other students, too, seemed to be rather eager to leave the classroom this time. As Zero made a move to stand up from his chair, the nobles once more fell into silence; they even went out of their way as the silver-haired pureblood descended down the platform, towards the door.

"Zero." The melodious voice of Kaname Kuran pierced through the silence. "Just what is your reason for coming here at Cross Academy?"

The younger pureblood glanced at the brunette and gave him a mysterious smile. "The same reason as to why you're here." With that, he left the Kuran prince to ponder what those words had meant.

The tenseness that loomed over the entire Night Class disappeared right after Zero had left. All of them were rather unsettled with regards to the arrival of the new pureblood. That is, all except for one: Shiki Senri. He was one of the youngest vampires enrolled at the Night Class; his distinct traits were his reddish-maroon hair, pale sky-blue eyes and his seemingly indifferent personality. Nothing seems to disconcert the young model, and this time was no exception. In fact, he looked less aloof than usual—quite the opposite of the others' behavior—as his seatmate and close friend Ichijou Takuma, a happy-go-lucky noble who also happens to be the Vice-President of the Night Class and Moon Dormitory, had noticed.

"Shiki?" Takuma asked the red-haired vampire as he saw his gaze trailing after the leaving form of the silver-amethyst eyed pureblood. "Is something the matter?"

"…no." The model replied, barely audible. "It's just…no, never mind…"

"Uhm, okay. If you say so..." The emerald-eyed vampire decided to leave it like that and put it off as nothing. Maybe he's just as affected as the others…

"Would you care to explain your actions earlier?" Kaname asked his two subordinates who stood side by side in front of his desk, placed at the center of his study.

"I meant what I said, Kaname-sama." Aidou was the one who spoke first. "We have no proof as to whether or not he is the real thing."

"Kaname-sama, please listen to us. His very presence is a threat to us all!" Ruka added.

"Your reasons might have been justifiable, but it doesn't change the fact that you had openly challenged a pureblood." The Kuran prince stated; is gaze never leaving the two nobles. "No one had been foolish enough to try what you just did this evening."

Both vampires started to protest and to voice out their justifications on the matter, but the pureblood just sent them a look which resembles a faint glare. "Only severe punishment awaits those who dare insult Level As, regardless of social standings. It is a law in our society which doesn't discriminate on whom it applies to. The two of you were very lucky indeed that Hiou Zero had decided not to pursue it. Otherwise, you would have ended up as mere dust. I hope you have learned your lesson and never repeat the same act again. Starting tomorrow, both of you will undergo tight probationary measures."

"You may now leave." Was the final phrase he said as he dismissed a sullen-looking Aidou and Ruka.

"Aren't you overdoing it a bit, Kaname?" Takuma spoke up; he had been watching the entire scene silently at the far corner of the room.

"Believe me, Takuma; the punishment I gave those two was far from being overdone." The brunette told the Vice-President as he absently toyed with a chess piece—the black knight—between his long fingers. "If I were the one who had been insulted like that…I guess it's safe to say that they'd no longer be among the living."

The blonde vampire was silent as he heard those words fall from Kaname's lips; almost as if he were expecting the other to say that it was just some sort of terrible joke. But when he saw that look in those wine-red eyes…He knew that the other was being serious with what he had said.

"Takuma, I have a favor to ask you." Kaname's eyes met the emerald ones of the noble in front of him. "I want you to find what you could about Hiou Zero."

"Of course, Kaname." He almost raised his eyebrow at this request, but decided not to comment on it. He then bowed quickly and left the pureblood alone in his study.

"Hiou Zero. You truly are an enigma." The Kuran prince placed the chess piece he was holding—almost delicately—back down on its board. "I do not know what your intentions are, but for now, I'll play along with your little game."

Royal purple sheets softly caressed the silken silver locks of Zero as he lay down on his large bed, which was fit enough for a king. The room that the other vampires had given him in the Moon Dormitory was just as elegant and expensive-looking as Kuran Kaname's; showing how those who are lower in the hierarchy treated the purebloods as if they were made of gold. He almost snorted at the thought. Even though he was a pureblood vampire by nature, his upbringing as a human is telling him that such extravagance is very much unnecessary. In truth, he wanted to refuse the room which was offered to him in favor of a simpler one, but he thought that the nobles might take it as an insult on their part. Besides, he'd much rather remain on good terms with the Night Class. Angering them would make his goal much harder to attain; thus putting his mission into possible jeopardy.

"Zero, in order to start our plan, it is necessary for you to enter the Night Class at Cross Academy." Shizuka told his eldest son as they started to make arrangements with regards to their revenge.

"Why? Couldn't we just use force? Surely, even the elders could not stand up to us, could they?" Zero looked at his mother; a hint of puzzlement and curiosity in his eyes.

"True, we could simply overpower them, but that is quite a hard feat to do if we were to remain discreet about it." The Hiou princess couldn't help but smile at her son; Zero can be so childish with his reasoning at times, even though he is a pureblood. "If you were to enter Cross Academy as a student, the Council of Elders will inevitably hear of your existence."

"Wait, isn't that a bad thing? We could be easily found out if I do."

"Ah, but you see, if word about you reaches the council, they'd definitely keep a close eye on you. Your actions may become a bit restricted, but there is a huge merit to it if done correctly…"

Sudden realization hit Zero as he understood what his mother had meant. "What you're saying is that in order for us to get close to the enemy is that first we must make them do the first move, and then we strike. Am I right?"

"Yes, you are indeed correct." Shizuka nodded. "But there is another reason as to why I wanted you to be in the academy. It is because it is where the Kuran prince is to be found. He will prove useful in our plans, for he has the same intentions as we do."

The younger pureblood wasn't sure if he wanted to share his kill with someone else, but this was something that has to be done no matter what. Besides, considering the fact that they had limited options, this was the safest one they could come up with. "A clever ploy, and a crazy one at that…but I must admit, I like it." He sent his mother a smirk.

Shizuka just shrugged her shoulders and gave a smirk of her own. "They don't call our family mad for no reason at all."

Zero closed his silver-amethyst eyes as he remembered. He thought about how ironic it was; the two of them laughing at their misery. Ah, if only it were as simple as a joke then perhaps they wouldn't have needed to be like this. Hatred had already wormed its way within their hearts at what the world had inflicted to them—making it impossible for them to turn back now; not that they really had any intention of doing so. But he couldn't help but wonder: what could their life had been if it weren't for that bloody night four years ago? The young pureblood violently shook the thought away. He could not afford to be weakened by such pathetic 'what ifs'. He mustn't dwell on it, for he might start forgetting his reasons for coming here—and that was the last thing he would ever want to do.

~end of chapter

I think this chapter ended up being a bit off and confusing. XD;; I'm sorry if it took a while for me to update, but I made it longer than my usual chapters, so I hope that that makes up for it. XD;; Please tell me what you honestly think about this chapter…I might rewrite it in the future, as I am not very pleased with the weirdness of it. XD;;

EDIT [6/26/09]: corrected two typos I missed earlier. XD;;