CHAPTER 15:

My head was pounding away as I sat down first period. This headache had made its unwelcome presence ever since I woke up this morning and it became worse as it went on. I had put my headphones on, hoping that the music would blast away the ache but it was no use. It only made the headache more pronounced and made me dizzy with pain.

I almost felt like I was floating because of the severe headache. My head was about to explode.

I clutched my temples and held them there until the pounding somehow subsided. My head met my desk as the pain slowly ebbed away.

Our teacher walked in just in time Ikuto sat on the seat in front mine. Although, unlike the rest of us, he wasn't wearing his uniform. Typical Ikuto. He shrugged off his thick winter coat and folded the black material neatly over his chair. I noticed he was wearing a blue v-neck sweater and black jeans. His Doc Martens glistened under the classroom lights.

Then it slowly dawned on me that he left Ami alone.

"What do you think you're doing?!" I half-whispered, half-screeched at him.

He gave me a sideways glance. "I'm joining the class," he said coldly.

I can't believe this guy.

"And so you left my eight-year-old sister alone perfectly knowing that people want her dead?!" I hissed.

He shook his head and said nothing.

I grabbed him by his shoulder, forcing him to face me. "Look, if you're here to guard me-"

He brushed my hand away and gave me an irritated look. "Not everything is about you, Amu. I'm here because for once I want to learn. Unlike a certain somebody, I still value my education. And don't think I left your kid sister alone, too. You can't possibly think of me that low. Your father hired a new batch of guards for you and your sister. They're at the top of their game. Don't you have confidence in them?"

No. Because the last time I trusted those hired bastards, a person I knew ended up in a hospital with a bullet through her back and a concussion on her head.

But I didn't get to say that because Ikuto already turned his back to me, tuning in to whatever that Nikaidou guy was saying. I glanced at the scruffy teacher. He was talking passionately about our next topic - the great Edgar Allan Poe.

"Tsukiyomi-kun," I was surprised when the teacher addressed Ikuto, but I was even surprised to see him actually give the teacher his attention.

"Would you mind giving us a glimpse of one of Mr. Poe's work?" Nikaidou asked.

Ikuto stood up diligently and cleared his throat. He turned, so that his back was facing the windows beside us and started citing, "I have absolutely no pleasure in the stimulants in which I sometimes so madly indulge,"

I glanced up at his serious face. He suddenly gave off the strange feeling that he was actually the one who formed that quote.

"It has been not in the pursuit of pleasure that I have periled life and reputation and reason," he carried on, his voice seemingly serious and full of hidden emotion - which I could not put a finger on.

His eyes suddenly dropped to me, penetrating gaze sending an automatic panic through my veins. "It has been the desperate attempt to escape from torturing memories, from the sense of insupportable loneliness and a dread of some strange impending doom,"

I got lost in his dreadful eyes. There was something he was probably trying to invoke from me. Like I was supposed to react to his words or something. What was he telling me? I stared into his hooded eyes as they desperately tried to tell me something I was densely unable to comprehend.

Then all of a sudden my headache was back - this time with full force. I deliberately clamped my head between my two hands, trying to make the pain go away. But it was no use. There were dark spots starting to gather in my sight and the throbbing just wouldn't stop. I dropped my head to my desk only to find out that I was already on my back. The next thing I knew I couldn't see anything but a dark abyss.

"What's happening?" Ikuto's worried voice distantly popped out.

"Her body is accepting the antidote. She's going to be alright," another voice said.

I distantly heard a girl's stern voice in the background. "She writhing in pain," she pointed out, "That's a good sign,"

Good sign my ass. My head is about to explode and I think I'm going to throw up my insides right now. How the hell is this alright?!

I inwardly smiled to myself. Even with this headache I had I was still able to think of that. Good for me.

Slowly, my vision started to get clearer and the first thing that entered my sight was a plain white ceiling - looking pretty much like the ceiling at Amulet Hospital. I hoisted myself up to see if my hunch was correct - it wasn't.

I was definitely in a laboratory. That was for sure. But aside from that, I didn't know what to make out of my surroundings.

"Good, you're awake,"

I glanced at the direction of the voice from earlier. The person who spoke had myrtle green hair tied into a chonmage, the traditional bun for samurai warriors. He looked like a young boy, no more than fifteen but his wisdom-filled blue eyes framed with titanium glasses said otherwise.

My eyes travelled around the room that I now saw also had plain white walls and floorings. I stopped looking around when I saw a doll-like girl sitting casually on the edge of a white office table. She had beautiful curly hair that had the shade of L'Oreal's Ruby Fusion. I zoomed in at her eyes and saw striking aquamarine blue orbs stare right back at me.

To my left, Ikuto was there. His same midnight hair and dark blue eyes entering my line of sight. It suddenly occurred to me that I was lying on a bed - a bed like that of a hospital to be exact.

"Where am I?" I asked.

Ikuto immediately rushed to my side. "Are you alright? Are you hurt?"

I furrowed my brows, confused as to how he didn't even bother answering me and instead attacked me with worry-filled questions all at once. Another thing that contributed to my confusion was how much worried he was, considering that he was so cold to me back at the classroom.

Without even a rational excuse, I suddenly felt irritated at how he acted right now. I snapped him a glare. "What, you don't have classes now?"

"Who in their right mind goes to class during Saturdays in high school?" he retorted incredulously.

My brows furrowed even deeper. "What are you talking about? We were just in English class a while ago. I couldn't have possibly been out that long,"

"Hinamori-san, you were-" The guy in a chonmage started to say something but Ikuto held a hand in front of him, interrupting the guy.

"No, let's hear what she has to say, Musashi," Ikuto said with a knowing smirk plastered on his face.

This angered me even more. Not only did he insult me earlier in class, now he was trying to test my temper, too. I asked him one single question and all he did was ask me back. What the hell was wrong with him?

"I'm not going to repeat myself again, Ikuto. Where the fuck am I?!"

He gave me a sideways smile as he walked over to my right side. "How about you tell us what you remember that happened earlier and I'll tell you where we are?"

I glared at him. What kind of play in the devil's seven realms was he doing with me? "We were in school and I was surprised that you attended Nikaidou's class. You even reciting something about Poe,"

Ikuto sat at the edge of my bed, clearly amused at what I was saying. Although, I did wonder why he was so amused.

"And?" he prompted.

"That's it," I said. "Now, tell me where I am,"

"You're in this guy's laboratory," he gestured to that guy he called Musashi.

I crossed my arms, suddenly being aware that IV lines were attached to my unwilling hand yet again. "And where exactly is this lab?" I asked Musashi.

"At the Assembly's headquarters," Ikuto answered for him.

My fingers curled around the needle connected to the IV line, ready to pull it off. But Ikuto probably already guessed what I was going to do and covered my hand with his. "You are not going to pull that off," he said sternly.

"Yes, I am. And there's nothing you can do about it," I spat and pulled the needle with all my might. I expected pain to register in my hand but I was surprised I didn't feel anything at all. It was like I didn't even pull it off. I looked down at my hand. It was bleeding, probably because I pulled the needle out harshly.

Ikuto took both my hands and stared at me with angry eyes. "I told you not to do that!" he yelled.

"And told you there's nothing you can do about it!" I snapped back.

"Hinamori-san, we need to put-"

I didn't hear whatever that Musashi guy was saying next because all of a sudden my headache was back tenfold. I dropped my head to my hands, hanging on for dear life. Bile was starting to rise up my throat. In seconds, I was sweating like a pig. The headache was so severe I wanted to smash my head to the wall to make it stop. I closed my eyes, feeling the heat from my head crawl down my neck.

Suddenly, I felt a needle poke me at my arm. I turned my head to see what they were doing to me but it only made my headache worse. So, I let them do whatever it was they were doing.

"Amu," I heard Ikuto call, "Amu!"

I lifted my head up to meet his face. My vision was all swirly and I couldn't make out his face, much less his own figure. My eyelids started closing down.

"You can't sleep. Force yourself to wake up," he instructed.

And like a jinx, I suddenly had the strength to open my eyes wide. The headache was gone and it almost felt like nothing happened. What the hell?

I felt the prickle of a needle on my other not-bleeding hand. I looked at it fast only to see that redhead girl putting a new needle connected to an IV line on me again. A firm hand gripped down my left hand to settle me in place. What are they doing to me?

"You were drugged, Hinamori-san. We need to give you the antidote before the drug completely takes control over you," Musashi said.

"Drugged? What do you mean drugged?!"

"Someone was mixing your water supply with Panacea," Ikuto informed.

AUTHOR'S NOTE:

Alright. This is short and twisted. Forgive me. I'll post two chapters at the next update, I promise :)

Don't forget to review!

With all the love for writing,

Lace Ashdown