A/N: Btw, if you feel like Isaac is a jackass...you're right.
The symptoms were certain:
Blackening of the veins
Plasma exposure from the eyes, nose, ears, or any inflicted area
Speaking in bizarre tongues
Violent behavior
' The victim can be spotted a mile away. '
'He mustn't escape or the virus will continue to spread like wildfire.'
' If he is not taken into custody and treated, the orders are to kill on spot. '
This was the mission Yukio Okumura was given. He would pull the trigger when the time came, no weaknesses. For now, the astonishingly mature adolescent quietly skulked down a long abandoned hallway. There were bodies, a young woman, and two boys-dead, too late to be treated. He spotted symptoms, but the bruises on their necks indicated that they were killed long before the illness could take effect. It was most likely due to the man he was looking for.
Yes, the ripped wallpaper, the broken furniture, the holes, and all the blood told the entire story to Yukio. Here was a man who merely wished to see his friends…family perhaps? However, before this gathering, the man was at the wrong place at the wrong time. Somehow, Yukio did not know by whom, the man had contracted the virus. He most likely spent the first few months oblivious, wandering mindlessly going about his business.
Then, the symptoms began, violent pains shooting up throughout the body, the black, ice-cold veins developing, the plasma, and finally, the last stage, extreme bloodlust. It is possible for the man to have just run into these people in a desperate crazed state, asking for death. (It would not be the first time it has happened.) One way or another, with the last stage, he went on a killing spree.
As stated before, Yukio Okumura did not know who first gave the virus. What he did know was that 'person' was a demon. This was the reason why the exorcists were involved. This was a force beyond an average civilian's control.
As a doctor, it was his duty to quarantine victims and find a cure.
Shame it was close to impossible….
Yukio once again scanned the room for a tenth time. His eyes always went to that same spot, two boys trapped within the crossfire of death. So young, but the virus-infected murderer had already claimed them. They appeared to be brothers-no-wait-yes, they definitely were…the same hair color…..similar body structure…same dead open eyes….
One…..one of the two boys was an older brother… His corpse lay stretched over the younger…helpless brother…. It seemed as though in his last breath of life, the boy attempted to protect his only sibling…
He failed.
There they lay bloody with bruised necks. There was a struggle before the kill-the older brother was strangled, then stabbed for good measure-they didn't want to die-no…he didn't want his little brother to die.
He died first.
Why didn't the younger sibling help him?
Why did he let his older brother die?
How could he possibly let him be murdered in cold blood before him?
Didn't he make a promise to protect him?
Rin better be at the dorm. I TOLD him not to leave-I TOLD him not to sneak out-will he?-Most likely-no-he better not have-It's dangerous-he can't-
"Meester Okumura?"
The young man forced his mind to rip away from personal fears and thoughts. He forgot that he was among other exorcists. He needed to focus on the task at hand. He must….
He must protect his older brother no matter the cost.
"If zis is too much I suggest 'ou wait outside."
The man spoke in a French accent. That's right, the disease was a worldwide epidemic. Exorcist branches from around the world were working together on this.
"I'm looking for bloody footprints."
"Is zat so?"
The exorcist accompanying Yukio was Isaac L'Écarlate. A doctor, Senior First Class, (two ranks above himself) The man was of twenty-six years, roughly the same height as Yukio, light brown hair, short in the front, long in the back, and amber eyes. Like Yukio, the man was covered from head-to-toe in a full body suit in order protect himself from the virus. He held a stern expression; his posture displayed a prideful disposition. Given his rank and family name, it was sensible.
"To be perfectly honest Meester Okumura, I found it veery foolish zat True Cross even allowed a child to go on such a mission. Should 'ou not be in cram school?"
Yukio clenched his teeth-this man was clearly mocking him. Instead of making eye contact, the teenager kneeled down and scanned the floor. He spoke in a monotone voice, pretending to be unaffected.
"I may not reach your personal criteria, Mr. L'Écarlate, but rest assured, I did pass the exorcist exa-there."
"Hmm?"
Yukio pointed to his right. "Over there, at the end off the hallway."
Yes. Yukio noticed that there were large blood streaks on the floor. There was a fourth body…the inflicted man must've dragged it somewhere… but where…where? They ended randomly-As though the man had disappeared out of nowhere…
"I see! It's an opening!"
"An opening?"
"Yes, on the floor. It looks like it would lead to a cellar."
Yukio understood now. The blood, there were no pools of blood around the tiles where the streaks ended…. that meant…that there had to be some space underneath the floor for it to seep through. The teenager approached the area. It looked as though there were nothing but regular stone tiles. However, Yukio was convinced otherwise. He clenched the tips of his fingers around the end of one of the sticky stones and slowly lifted it, exposing exactly what he had suspected, a vault.
"Ah."
Ah. This was the closest thing to approval Isaac gave. Perhaps he was disgruntled at the fact that a child gained a lead before he did. It did not matter…the two exorcists had no time for childish rivalry. Isaac was the first to jump down into the basement. Yukio scanned the area for the last time. Those two boys were still dead-but that was logical, why wouldn't they be? Rin better be at the dorm. Yukio did not realize he was kneeling there for three minutes.
"I am waiting. Meester Okumura."
"Tch. I'm coming."
What was wrong with him? He needed to focus on the mission.
Inevitably, the cellar was dark. Isaac and the young man brought out flashlights and shined them around the room. It was more like another hallway, a sewer, which seemed to stretch on into endless darkness. The walls were made of the same cobblestones from above, while the ground consisted only of moist soil. Yukio's suit was getting hot, the oxygen pumped into his mask too thick to breathe. Tch dammit…. don't tell me he escaped…
Isaac spoke as though he knew what the teenager was thinking.
"Zere is only one way he could have gone."
The man shined his light towards the stretched darkness. He was right. The killer is somewhere here…. He mustn't have gone far…
The gun was in Yukio's hand. He was ready.
The two stern exorcists began to travel down the path. The moist soil became mud, and the mud became murky water. Before he knew it, Yukio was walking knee-high in sewage. He and Isaac attempted to be discreet, but the sloshing of the muck made it difficult. There was a point when the young man thought that roaming around this place was useless, and that, perhaps, the inflicted had used this gutter to escape long before they arrived. However, these thoughts changed when the two arrived at a dead end.
"Well…Isn't zat interesting…"
"…."
Yukio did not understand. What kind of sewer is this? Usually a sewer is like a maze, with different turns and passageways, it should spider out all over the city… This one merely went in a straight line…and the killer…where is the inflicted killer? The adolescent took a step forward and his foot hit something hard. On instinct, Yukio directed his gun below, and shined his flashlight. The fogginess of the water was too great to give a detailed description, but the object was certainly the fourth body. Yukio called over Isaac.
"Ze body…. which means…ZE WATER!"
Before Isaac could explain Yukio was pulled under. The flashlight slipped out of his hand and darkness quickly swallowed his sight. He could feel the killer's pulsating, swollen fingers wrapped tightly around his ankle. The teenager was being dragged back down the sewer. All he could hear was the violent sloshes that came from his thrashing to break free. He struggled to steady himself. The gun was in his hand.
He fired three shots.
A muffled, gurgling screech came out of the inflicted. The grip loosened, Yukio broke away and hassled to his feet. That was when he saw it, the man. Was it even a man…anymore? There it was, a lump of human flesh writhing in the mud, with black veins bursting through it. Clear liquid flowed from its eyes, ears, and mouth. PLASIM, the liquid sect of blood ...the second symptom. The thing's tongue protruded as it let out shrieks and breathy hisses.
Yukio directed his gun towards the creature. The orders were to quarantine… I'll use tranquilizers... He fired once more… only this time, the bullets had no effect. They merely bounced off the inflicted killer.
"What?..."
The creature's mind snapped back into whatever animalistic reasoning it had. The thing turned towards the teenager and charged. Yukio attempted to dodge, but his feet were sunken so deep in the mud that he was unable to move. How? I could move so easy before... Why is the ground acting as quicksand now? The 'man' grabbed Yukio's tube-like mask and slammed him into the wall.
"HURK…"
All the wind was knocked out of Yukio's body. Even more distressing, he could not move his arms and legs. It was as though they were glued to the wall. The exorcist grimaced. "H-how..?" The creature's hand lay clenched to the mask. Its grimy nails slowly scratched along the surface of the glass. The young man tugged at his arms, but it was no use…the wall would not release them. Dammit, if he cracks the glass…I could be exposed…
The killer jolted and released the mask. It screeched in pain and stumbled backwards. The creature had been stabbed between the shoulder blades with a dagger, Isaac's dagger. How did his attack get through when my bullets were deflected? Yukio attempted to move again, but he was still stuck. The murderer turned, snarling at the exorcist. The man kept his stern expression as he held another blade in front of him.
"Bonjour démon."
The killer bolted towards him and swiped at his face. Isaac dodged the attack with ease. He grabbed the thing's arm and twisted it. There was a snap in its bones and a screech echoed throughout the sewer. The man pulled the arm behind its back and slammed the thing against the ground. There, he leaned on the creature with his left elbow. With his right hand, he placed the dagger into his pouch and retrieved a syringe. The needle was inserted into the killer's neck, forcing it into a swift unconsciousness. Its head slammed down into the mud.
"Ze mission is complete, Meester Okumura.."
"…?"
Yukio took a step forward, suddenly capable of separating from the wall. What was that? Virus inflicted victims never had the ability to trap a person before…not to mention…deflect bullets… Something strange is going on…
Isaac looked over his shoulder and spoke in a cold voice.
" 'Ou know Meeter Okumura, I must admit I was pleasantly surprised when you discovered zat passageway. I could tell 'ou intended fully on apprehending zis monstrosity….However….ze moment ze creature arrived….'ou stand zere shivering like a scared puppy..."
A tight knot formed in the pit of Yukio's stomach. Shivering…..a scared puppy? The teenager thought of himself before…before he became an exorcist….always crying…..always hiding behind his big brother…looking to him for protection. The boy would tremble in fear at the smallest demon possible. Back then he was scared. Back then he was shivering…but now? He couldn't be now… He had to be stronger… He made a promise to Dad that he would protect his older brother Rin at all costs… He couldn't be a scared puppy anymore… Those two boys above are still dead…
"Y-you don't understand, I was tra-"
"I do not want to hear excuses. If 'ou are too weak then 'ou are too weak. Zis is why children should not become exorcists."
Too weak? NO-I refuse to be. I must protect my big brother…
Rin better be at the dorm…
"Children…. should not become exorcists? That's rather hypocritical on your part Mr. L'Écarlate."
