He felt his heart beating wildly, akin to a caged wolf. Mentally preparing for battle, he hopped into the car he was STILL paying for, and drove as fast as he could, without getting police on his tail, towards his friend. The friend whose words sent a cold chill down his spine.
"Hello, Klein, remember you said that if I ever needed anything to call you…"
Kirito was not one to waste favors, and the tone of his voice was as serious as the hardest Floor Boss Raids in SAO, maybe even more.
… We are in the real world now, anything that would freak him like that…
The brief description that followed didn't relieve him in the least.
And so, he hurried to help his ally and friend, his bro and a shield brother from the Castle in the Sky, his almost packmate.
…Hold for just a little bit, Kirito, I'll be there soon.
Only he didn't.
When Ryotaro finally got there, the place was missing one teenage black-haired Bishi swordsman-gamer.
A quick chat with the personal has revealed that, indeed, his young friend was here, running inside like all the demons of hell were after him, and looking like he was about to fall over, running into the bathroom, and desperately asking to use the phone later.
Apparently at some point a man entered, and having introduced himself as a friend of his father, talked to the boy and took him away ,driving in a fancy black car, with tinted windows.
While the man was not a Leech, he still left the stanch of one behind.
To make matters worse, a minute later a police car was speeding into the direction the boy came from, sirens blaring.
Just as he was about to call for his pack, they called first.
"Ryotaro, there's trouble!"
"What now? Kirito called all but begging help, spooked as shit, and gone missing, taken probably by the Leeching Rat! Tell me you have some good news, at least."
"Taken? Than we're too late-a small armed squad was on the way to his house, so we had them running in circles, and dealt with. Klein…They were humans, and they intended death. The mom and sister are blissfully ignorant, and under our watch, but... "
"Keep an eye out, it looks like I will be having a 'talk' with a rat. Goodbye."
With those words, Ryotaro drove to the place he knew he will find Leeches, and through them, a certain traitorous rat.
…Should have cleansed the Wyrmspawn the night we first met…
"…You sure?"
"Yes, Milady."
"See to his health, and then take him to my rooms. See to it that he remains untouched."
"Yes, My Lady." The ghoul bowed, before leaving to see to her orders.
A report of gunfight in the area she ordered to be kept clean and under watch had her woken up early.
Tracking of Kii-bou through his phone by her underlings led to a carnage. Looking like a soldier Vs Werewolf battle.
Cleanup orders were given.
"My Lady! We found the target!"
She was glad that these were handpicked and loyally bound agents, as otherwise consequences of her interest in the friend that helped her would bring misfortune to Kirito. Even if she was the ranking kindred in the area, intrigue always was the bread and butter of her kind.
Kazuto has apparently called klein for help. From a diner she knew to have some connections to the werewolves in Kyoto.
Well played, Furball, but it will take more than that to stop me from checking on him.
She knew better than to send Kindred, so she had a couple of her personal Ghouls go and pick him up.
They returned with an unconscious handful of Black Swordsman, and she sent the boy to be looked at immediately, as she saw his condition.
The questioning after he woke up revealed that her suspicions were half correct.
Still, it meant that Klein was not involved in the attack, and likely either looking to 'rescue' Kirito, or make sure the boy won't be a breach of the Masquerade. She knew the Shape shifters had kept to it as well.
Better to nip that one in the bud.
Klein was about to reach the finer part of his day-namely the well-deserved thrashing of Leeches. A good chance of getting rid of his misplaced aggression and frustration, and doing his good deed for the day-when he found his phone ringing.
The number was unfamiliar.
"Hello."
A familiar voice of just the parasite he was thinking about talked back, with a strange urgency in its voice.
"We need to talk, now. Meet me at the place of our previous meeting as soon as you can- Kii-bou will be there." And hung up.
Agil's Café, then? Well it certainly saves me time.
And indeed, a familiar black car with black tinted windows was waiting there in the parking for him.
Inside, were no people, except black suited men and a familiar girl, wearing a cowl, from which sandy blonde hairs were peaking, and of course, Agil- the only other Non-Leech in the room.
"Where is Kirito?" He called at her loudly.
At a side glance, one of the men turned to Agil at the bar, and talked quietly. The Rat than gestured to a chair in front of her. "We need to talk."
"Talk!? There is nothing to talk about! I'm here for Kirito- give me the little guy and I won't tear your throat."
"It's not that simple-sa. He was attacked. By armed men, well-armed soldiers, not some Yakuza that got handguns."
"It changes nothing!" the Garou interrupted, his outburst causing the nearby men reach for hidden weapons, only to remove their hands aat a gesture from the Rat.
"He only survived because the Hengayouki nearby decided to fight back."
"…"
"It was not of the undomesticated dog variety, and Kazuto saw it- he witnessed as someone he was talking with, being friendly with, grew claws and inhuman jaws, grow into giant size and started going through the men like shark on bloody steak.
Tell me it changes nothing!"
"What did you do?" He asked, horrible realization dawning on him.
"I took him to a safe place where he could recuperate. Checked that he didn't go mad at the sight of your kinswoman-the sight of her munching on them embedded itself deep within his memory. I ensured he didn't get killed over witnessing it-and I know you keep to a Masquerade just like we do-your kind will see to it that the danger of his knowledge is dealt with!"
"What did you do?" Klein whispered, worry and dread plain in his voice.
"I changed his memories a little bit, as I know you can't. The entire scene will be forgotten. Tell your side that he remembers nothing-there is no need to worry about him."
"You said he would be here."
"He is unconscious, in the car-he will remember that he and the girl, someone named Yuma, got lost, and he called you asking for a lift.
Take him to your place and make sure he doesn't leave your eyes, until you make sure the Hengayoukai girl won't be an issue."
That…was not what he expected. Ryotaro took a few calming breathes, and expressed his surprise.
"Why are you agreeing to give him into my care, if you were so worried I will have to, as you put it, deal with him? What is your angle, Leech?"
The response was a gentle whisper, and a gentling of her face.
"Kirito thought you his best friend in Aincrad, and had no better friends outside it. He is a clever boy who understands about people more than he thinks. He really trusted you, and I will entrust in his judgment."
Her face turned stony, and her voice chill and cold as she whispered the next part.
"Or this little riding hood will be having a wolfy coat of fur for cloak."
"Well, here we are." Klein commented, as he stopped the car at the Kirigaya home.
As Kazuto got off, taking the tea box with him, he noticed his friend lingering behind.
"Something wrong, klein?"
"N-nothing, buddy…why would something seem wrong?" His friend was quick to deny. Suspiciously too quick.
Kazuto eyed him suspiciously.
"You do know that my sister is a little girl, and my mother is married, right?"
"Wha-of course. Don't worry, bro, its nothing of that sort."
Giving one last stink eye, just in case, Kazuto sighed, and proceeded to enter his home.
He was interrupted by a tackling missile.
"On-chan! How could you just leave yesterday! We were so worried! There was a gang fight in a nearby neighborhood; you should have called if you were delayed.
We really need to talk, Oni-chan, In ALO…"
That last part was whispered, in a different tone from her worried rant. Kazuto nodded his agreement. They really needed to sort the mass.
"Mom, You remember Tsuboi-san…"
Author Notes: First I want to remind that I owe neither SAO, nor World of Darkness, and gain no money from this fic.
Secondly many thanks to skywiseskychan for the valuable advice all along this fic, and others of mine-your insight and interest help motivate and refine me and my work.
Thirdly, the updating problem is solved, so I will be updating more often now.
this chapter was mostly what happened behind the scenes of the previous one.
Comments? suggestions? criticism?
Please read and Review.