A/N: I updated? It's about eleven months ago since last update (-_-)

Gathering Call

Chapter Six

The sun was high that noon yet the forest was dark in mid-morning. Still they moved stealthily in the thick shadows.

The three of them had been forced to be together for a while. It wasn't because they liked each other; they didn't even know each other at all until their father forced them to live with him in that mansion far from most of civilization.

Still, the food was good. And the lady of the house was kind and beautiful.

But the mansion bored them. So their feet had taken them to the forests. There were a lot of fruit-bearing plants and the fruits were free to be picked. They had their own preferences of what to eat, but all three agree that the wild apples at the east side of the forest were delicious.

That made their way to the high tree a race. The top usually had the sweetest of the apples, so it was the best and fastest of them who can acquire this prize.

The blue-haired male ran with his trademark mischievous smile. If it's agility, he knew that he's greater than his brothers. One was a sloth and the other was too busy with his glasses and precision, after all. He grabbed and jumped on the branches like the high tree was his territory. He would usually win in their races, rubbing the red apple on shirt and biting on it in front of his jealous brothers just to spite them. That was what usually happened, until they met that particular boy.

It was the same as usual. The shade made by the trees did not hinder them from moving easily in the slight darkness. Their heightened senses helped them move easily through the stray branches and notice the protruding rocks and dried leaves-covered pits on the forest floor. They weaved through the familiar path to their favorite tree.

But that day, there were four of them. As usual, it was him and his other two brothers. And now there was somebody with them.

The blue-haired boy ran as fast as his legs could carry him. He can't lose because he always won. He'll take the bite from that fruit he owned on top of that tree.

But he lost. He and his brothers lost as they looked up the red-haired boy perched on the branch of the apple tree, biting on the juicy sweet fruit on his hand.

"For being that person's children, you're rather weak," the boy commented, looking down at the three other males with his odd blood-red eyes. Not even vampires have that color of eyes.

The blue-haired male found them beautiful.

...

Ring, ring.

Aomine opened his eyes at the sound. His blue eyes shifted to look at the bright screen on his touch phone that sat on his palm, noting the flashing colors of a particular caller ID. He picked up, knowing that ignoring the incoming call won't bring him anything good.

"Ah, you're awake," came a voice from the other end.

"You woke me up, bastard," Aomine said. Moving gently so as not to wake Momoi who was leaning against him, he said in a low voice, "What do you want?"

"I suppose you and Momoi-san are heading back to the headquarters," the voice on the other end of the line said. Without waiting (or expecting) for an answer, it continued. "I have a different order for you two though. I'm ordering you to go to Rakuzan."

"What the hell." Aomine wanted to scratch his head in irritation but his hand was on the phone while his other arm was Momoi's pillow. "We're almost in the HQ. Satsuki needs to rest."

"I guess."

There was a thoughtful pause on the other side, Aomine could almost hear the gears turning. "What is it?" he couldn't stop himself from asking.

"Well, you two need to know about something," the voice informed slowly, choosing its words carefully. "It concerns 'that person'."

Aomine frowned. "You better not fuck with me, Imayoshi. You know that I cut all ties with that bastard—"

"Ah, not that person." The voice from the phone sounded serious, almost apologetic at the blunder.

Aomine's frown deepened. "Who are you talking about, then?"

"I think he was your friend back in Teiko?" Imayoshi asked. Rustling of paper was heard in the background, like Imayoshi was reading from something. "A vampire named Murasakibara Atsushi."

"He's not a friend," Aomine said. A pause, while more flipping of paper from the other end. He immediately knew that there may be other information from the papers that Imayoshi was reading from so he did not elaborate. "I don't care about that big sloth."

He was about to hang up when a "wait" stopped him for a split second. He was determined to hang up though, so his thumb remained hovering above the end call button. But then Imayoshi uttered a name and an accompanying word that stopped Aomine — a name that even made his heart skip a beat.

There was silence that Imayoshi thought Aomine had hang up on him, really. But then Aomine spoke. "Say that name again."

The vampire's tone was hard and confused that Imayoshi paused before repeating the name.

"Akashi Seijuro," Imayoshi said. Another shuffling of papers. "Your former captain in Teiko, huh."

"I'll head there, Imayoshi."

And the call was disconnected.

:.

:.

:.

:.

"Kasamatsu-senpai!"

A punch. Brown eyes turned to the newcomers, ignoring the whining in the background from a particular noisy vampire. The man behind the heavy table in the main office looked Kuroko and Kagami up and down. "Seirin, huh? Welcome to Kaijou. My name is Kasamatsu Yukio, captain of Kaijou. Which one of you is Kuroko Tetsuya?" he asked. Kuroko stepped forward, bowing slightly. The captain frowned. "You're smaller than I had anticipated."

"You're ruuude, senpai!" Kise complained, slamming his palms on Kasamatsu's table. This caused the paperwork to fly and scatter. A kick was aimed at the blonde.

Kuroko looked undisturbed by the comment. "Aida Riko-san sent me and my companion here to aid Kaijou. Is there anything you need help with?"

Kasamatsu raised his eyes to Kuroko briefly before pulling a letter from his drawers. Flipping it open, Kasamatsu took his time to read before looking at Kuroko again. "It seems that Aida-san stated different in my letter from her," he said, folding the letter close. "Kaijou needs no help at the moment."

"It's because I'm here. Right, senpai?" Kise said. Kasamatsu kicked him again. "Why d'you kick me, senpai?!"

"Probably you should keep quiet for now," Kagami said softly — or whatever was 'soft' with his gruff and loud voice.

Kasamatsu ignored them. "As much as I hate to admit it, the town Kaijou is protecting have been peaceful since this guy came." — cue Kise sparkling with joy in the background — "His presence and skill as a vampire hunter is topnotch that rumors didn't even do justice on his capabilities."

"Are you praising me, senpai?"

Kasamatsu ignored him again. "To get straight to the point, we at Kaijou need no more fighting and influential power since this guy provides enough of what we need," he said. "Now Aida Riko of Seirin organization sends two of her best men here. What do you need from us?"

Kuroko and Kagami stared at the captain of the other organization, unable to answer. Nothing stated what they are supposed to do in Kaijou; the two of them just assumed that the organization requires assistance because of such an immediate send of, as what Kasamatsu said, "two of Seirin's best men", one of which is a "tamed" vampire.

"She sends you here for information," Kasamatsu opened his mouth to answer his own question. He raised the letter in his hand in a mock laugh. "And it's not even an information that your organization really need."

"What do you mean?" Kuroko asked, uncomfortable with the smile that didn't really fit that usually fixed expression of the captain.

"You're here to ask about Rakuzan," Kasamatsu said. "Or, more specifically, you're here to ask about a member of Rakuzan going by the name of Akashi Seijuro."

Kuroko's eyes widened at the mention of the name. Kagami looked at Kasamatsu questioningly, asking, "Akashi Seijuro? Who is he?"

"He was the captain of the Teiko organization," Kasamatsu replied.

"Ah, the strongest organization from fifteen years ago?"

"Yes, and the very first," Kasamatsu continued. "It was founded by a human and his vampire friend, who is the very first allied vampire of humans, more than fifty years ago. Ever since, the family line of this human led the organization."

"Akashi?" Kagami asked but it was Kise who answered.

"No, it was Nijimurachi was the boss then," the yellow-haired vampire replied. He was pale — paler than usually his vampire skin is — and oddly, his demeanor fell ever since their talk about the enigmatic captain of the equally mysterious Teiko organization started. "Akashichi is— was the captain."

"Why are we having this talk about Akashi?" Kagami asked. "If he's such a powerful kid, then he should stop being a brat and fight with us in the front lines!"

"Kagami... and Kurokochi..." Kise called. But with his intense look at Kuroko, it was like he was directing his words only to the light blue-haired male. "Akashichi... Akashi Seijuro is already dead."

'What are you talking about?' Kuroko wanted to say. But Kasamatsu beat him from speaking. "Akashi Seijuro is—"

But an uncalled for tone of his phone interrupted their conversation. Kasamatsu picked up the call immediately, knowing that the special call tone was reserved only for emergency calls.

It was very brief. Kasamatsu didn't even manage to say his greetings when he heard the bark of orders from the other side, followed closely by silence. He looked at the phone, hint of disbelief in his face, before turning to the vampires and human around him.

"The headquarters of Rakuzan is under attack. Again."