A/N: THIS CHAPTER IS SHORT! Please keep that in mind. The rest of the chapters will NOT be this short.

01 Going Home

"Man, Tro, I fuckin' hate this. I don't get her obsession with human." I tied off the end of my braid and tossed the trailing rope of hair over my shoulder, before removing my towel to get dressed.

My tall friend glanced at me through his odd bangs, an auburn tuft that constantly covered half of his face. "I don't either, but it's better than sitting on that god forsaken planet, being sucked dry." I could see a small smirk forming of his lips. "Besides… The next stop is the one we've been waiting for."

"The one we've been…" I nearly choked when the realization hit me. "You mean… I'm going to get to see it?"

"Yeah," He smiled. "You get to see your home."

"Home." The word felt odd in my mouth. For as long as I could remember I'd always been with the Hunters. They were my "family," though I didn't consider any of them even friends. I knew nothing outside of their world except for the few things that Trowa remembered from before we were taken. He was my brother and friend, never once leaving my side since we'd found each other our first day aboard this ship.

There were others. Hunters, like us, that were once human as well, but the change did something to them. They'd quickly become bloodthirsty and monstrous. It made me grateful, but I still wasn't sure whether to count myself among the lucky ones or not.

Most of the Taken were dead long before we even made it to Sanc. Only the select few that withstood the venom used to change us made it there alive. The rest were put in holding to be fed off of when we survivors awakened.

Surviving was a plus, but the effects of the venom were torn between a blessing and a curse.

On the up side: the speed, strength, extended life. They were all great. Enthralling, really. However, it was captivating in a darker sense as well. We were bound by limits, enslaved by them. We are forced to feed from the blood that originally ran through our own veins. Only the blood of a human can abate the burning thirst. We're also limited in pure sun light. Not to say we can't go out in it, but the effect it produces is not favorable. The natural light doesn't allow the venom to work as it should allowing the body to age, at a massively accelerated rate. Much faster than any changeling was willing to risk.

"Attention: Hunters. Attention: Hunters. Please assemble in the bay, prepare to disembark." A clipped voice interrupted my thoughts, bringing me back to the matter at hand.

I quickly pulled on the rest of my clothes. "That's our cue, right buddy? Time the find some new pets for her majesty." I tried to let my usual sarcasm color my voice, but knew I'd failed miserably. Trowa was too quick to not notice the change in my usually joking demeanor. "Come on, let's get this over with." I gave in to the unwillingness that wanted to scream out of every pore.

Never would I willingly go around picking out more kids to be subjected to the things that'd been done to me. It was a curse in my eyes. A Hell brought on by misfortune. Until a safe getaway was assured, though, we didn't have a choice. Trowa and I would help as many kids escape as possible, it was all we could do.

Pulling on the gear, my stomach turned at the thought that more children would be taken, scared and unwilling. Kids like I was at one time, like Trowa. It was an unjust fate.

I can't do it anymore! The words screamed in my head. I want out!

"Duo," Trowa caught me in my internal fight once again. "Come on."

I stared at him for a moment. There was something more behind his emerald colored eyed. Something he couldn't say here, but I knew he had something planned. I could only hope it would help us get out of the nightmare that had become our lives.

"Right." I nodded, putting on the same external façade I would have with any other hunt. "Let's go."

A/N: Please review, criticism welcome.