I got up this morning and started writing. When I finished I was like, "Huh, Tiruneko-chan, you just finished another chapter. It'd be stupid to post it right now, you'd loose your touch of suspense!" So I forced myself to be normal and I made some tea. Then I watched a couple episodes of an anime I just started and I looked at my screen and I was like, "Screw this, I'm uploading right now."

And chapter 44 was born! Kya~! X3

I know the beginning is a little weak this time, but give me a break! It was six in the morning!

Thanks to my awesome review-y peoples:

`Shinochan

`Black White and Supersticious

`MT's Souless6

`XxKingArthurlllxX

`Crazed King

`zhane 17

`awesome dt

I know I really shouldn't update this often... *sigh*

But you guys aren't protesting, ne?

Enjoy as always,

~Tiruneko ;3

X~44~X

"Yuuma Vy?"

"Present."

"Alright, that's everyone." The teacher closes his notebook and walks over to the Watcher standing behind him. "We're all ready."

The Watcher nods. The class begins to move in a large mass, crowding in groups of ten into the elevators. Yuuma steps on with the second group and leans against the wall. He pulls his black hat down a little to hide his smirk. The elevator dings and the doors slide open slowly and with a tiny mechanical whirr.

Everyone moves off in a crowd and Yuuma steps not far behind. The lobby is gorgeous. In the center of the lobby, running right through the floor, is a giant waterfall-like fountain. Behind the waterfall fountain are the walls. Oh the walls! Each wall is made out of glass panels showing the sunlight bursting through. Almost every student has to squint until they can adjust.

We're just like cave people. Yuuma thinks bitterly as his group moves on. To the left of the fountain is a large clerical desk with six workers. Behind the desk is a locked white door which should lead to any offices behind. To the right of the desk is a door with a sign that says BATHROOM is thin yet large letters.

"Teacher?"

"Yes?" Yuuma points behind him to the bathroom door.

"Alright, alright." His teacher waves him off and continues on but the Watcher escorting them stops Yuuma. He hands him a piece of folded up paper.

"You will meet us here." He points at a black X on floor four. "If you need assistance ask one of the secretaries. Furthermore you will need a key card to bypass floor three." He doesn't say why, but Yuuma knows. "This card has the codes for three uses worth. One for the bathroom, one for the elevator, one to pass floor three." Yuuma nods.

"Thank you sir." He takes the card and walks off to the bathrooms. The door behind the desk swings open and a Watcher in a guard suit steps out. He exits the desk and walks past Yuuma, into the bathroom. The Watcher swipes a silver card and the light above the door turns green.

Moving quickly Yuuma places his foot in the door and slips in. The light turns red behind him. The bathroom is a large rectangular room with five stalls on the right and six sinks on the left. Yuuma takes the very last stall and locks it behind him.

Under his shirt is a black mask with a crow beak and no eye-holes. It was Yuuma's favorite toy as a kid. A perfect plaster replica. Folded up inside of the mask is a wad of clothing made by Teto for Yuuma's birthday last year.

"Thank you Teto." He whispers to himself, unfolding the long sleeve purple shirt and black dress pants. Yuuma hears the creek of a stall beside him and the rush of water down a sink. Then the soft click of the door shutting comes and he breathes a sigh of relief. Because of Yuuma's astonishing height he can easily pass as a Watcher, as long as he keeps the mask on and goes straight to his destination. Gulping, he looks down at the uniform in his hands. With a deep breath Yuuma wraps up his school uniform in toilet paper and buries it deep at the bottom of the trash.

In the mirror Yuuma looks perfectly inconspicuous. He pulls his hood over his hat and pink hair and connects it to the sides of his mask. As he pulls it down over his face a Watcher enters the bathroom. He gives a nod of acknowledgement to Yuuma as he walks into a stall. Yuuma's heart thumps out of his chest.

He gulps again, adrenaline coursing through his veins. Yuuma pushes open the door and exits the bathroom his key card clasped in his hand. Three uses, huh? One of them is supposed to be to pass floor three. Containment Level. He snickers softly under his mask. The elevators are just past the fountain. Swiftly and with purpose Yuuma moves over to them pressing his card up against the reader. The light above the elevator turns green and Yuuma presses THREE and steps inside. The doors slide closed and he presses three again.

The red light remains. Yuuma presses his card over the reader and it quickly turns green.

"One. Two. Floor Three." The robotic female voice chimes. A tiny ding echoes out, and the doors slide open. Yuuma moves swiftly down the hall, his heart about to explode. Everything could go wrong, but it won't. He tells himself. Yuuma won't let anything go wrong.

He begins to count the doors.

One. Two on his left. Three. Four on his left. Five. Six. Yuuma stops. To the Left of the sixth door on the Left is a light blue panel with what looks like circuits running across the face. It requires a code. Yuuma holds his breath and takes out his code card. He peels off the plastic layer on the top and uses a pin in his hat to screw off the next layer.

Each card, rather than being like a credit card with a certain number of set codes, is a tiny computer with access to all codes. The specific codes it can access can be set from a computer with the right software. What most people don't know is that it also can be set right from the card itself. Using his tiny pin he unhooks a tiny copper wire and attaches it to a silver circular disk. He uses the same pin just as he did yesterday to take off the access panel on the blue screen beside the door. He connects a tiny silver wire around the circular disk on the card, then to a copper wire on the access panel. A tiny spark shoots in the air. Yuuma chuckles, doing a head check and continuing to work.

The display pops up immediately on the blue screen and a series of four numbers is needed. Yuuma types 1, 2, 3, 4 and rips out a tiny silver square from the access panel at the same time. The light above the display turns green. Yuma smirks and closes up the access panel. He takes the rectangle he ripped out of it and reattaches it to his card. He screws the back face onto the card again and re-covers it with the plastic layer.

A video display pops up on the monitor showing two children.

IA sits beside the sleeping IO, playing with a torn hem on her dress. IO's head rests in the crook of her neck and her shoulder. His chest rises and falls gently with each breath and IA finds herself getting sleepy. His hand is clasped around hers and IA counts the specs of dirt under each of his fingernails, gently humming a tune she created for herself.

A tiny clicking noise floats into her ears and she darts upwards, nudging IO awake.

"IA…?" He rubs his eye and sits up, leaning against the wall.

"I think… I heard someone…" IA mutters. IO grips her hand tightly and the two push themselves against the wall in one motion.

Then the door clangs and slowly begins to slide open. IO pulls IA behind him, blocking her with his shoulder. IA, again, doesn't protest. She grips IO's shoulder as the two stand. One silhouette is in the doorway. It slowly comes forward and its face is illuminated under the fluorescents.

It is a tall but thin Watcher with a black mask and outfit. IA watches with curiosity as this Watcher does something new. He slowly pulls something out of his shirt and closes the door behind him. But he doesn't lock it. The Watcher steps forward and IA does a little too. IO stops her abruptly, frowning.

The Watcher unfolds two white sheets and sets them down, moving over to the two chains. Yuuma bends and pushes his key card into the slot above them. Immediately IA and IO's chains release. IA jumps backwards out of the chains while IO steps more carefully around them. They stand beside each other.

Yuuma motions to the sheets and IA speaks first.

"Put them… on?"

"IA!" IO frowns.

Yuuma nods.

IA lurches forward, past IO, and throws the white sheet over her head. IO runs to stand beside her and grabs her hand through the sheet.

"You do it too." She mutters. IO begrudgingly throws on the other sheet and the two children stand blinded beside each other, holding hands. IO plays with IA's fingers nervously.

Yuuma hurries over and bends down beside the two, he lifts his mask just over his mouth and whispers just loud enough that the camera can't pick up his words but IA and IO can. "Please be absolutely silent. Don't move. I'm getting you out. Don't say a word or make a sound."

IA nods and tugs on IO's hand. Yuuma darts out into the hallway and eases the door closed softly behind him. The elevator bell dings and his heart drops. Yuuma begins to walk the opposite direction as the person steps out of the elevator. A secretary with silky black hair pushes a cart full of recycling papers out of the elevator and leaves it in front of the fourth door. She turns and gets back in the elevator while Yuuma waits around the corner.

At this time every day, even in the old procedures that he's managed to get ahold of, the secretaries bring up the recycling cart. A big institution like Crow's Medical Research Facility must generate a lot of trash, discarded files, notes, torn papers, old copies, etc. Besides being their highly efficient way to dispose of trash, it is also Yuuma's way out.

Yuuma walks down the hall casually and grabs the cart. He then pushes it outside of the cell door and moves back inside. He bends down beside IA and whispers. "I'm going to pick you up now." He grabs IA and buries her under the papers. He grabs IO and lies him next to IA. Yuuma lies layer after layer of papers on top of them until they are no longer visible.

Yuuma steers the cart out of the cell and closes it, locking it behind him. He moves back to the panel and addresses the matter of security footage. He needs to overlap the security footage from yesterday over today's to buy himself some time before anyone notices. Yuma begins working before he realizes he can't without a computer. He can freeze the camera though. He can fill the footage with so much static it looks like the two demon children are still inside. He crushes a tiny metallic square and sparks shoot out, singing his index finger.

"Ow…" He mutters, cramming the finger into his other hand.

Yuuma pushes the cart down the hallway to the employee elevator at the other end. This elevator is more like a service elevator. The walls are cement and there is no female voice that alerts you to which floor you're on or going to. There is no fan in it lastly, making it hot and uncomfortable even in the beginning of winter.

Yuuma pushes his card up to the reader and steps inside. He presses the large button at the bottom of the panel reading only: G. He presses his card one more time against the reader. Yuuma takes a deep breath he hadn't known he had been holding before snapping the card over his knee.

He won't need it anymore and besides, it's just another way for the Watchers to try and track him. The elevator lurches into motion giving Yuuma that brief "freefalling" feeling. After a few moments the elevator stops. He should be in the garage under the building now. The elevator slides open and Yuma pushes his cart out. Underneath the building is this parking garage structure. It's where delivery trucks dock and where their company vans and cars are stored. Perfect.

On the same wall as the elevator is a little security checkpoint. It's a window in the wall leading into the security guard's little room. They have all the surveillance for this floor and the keys to all the vans. Yuuma pushes himself up flat against the wall and slowly creeps under the window. He pokes his head up for a moment to see one Watcher with one gun on the desk behind him. Yuuma runs back to the cart and picks up a tiny rock by the elevator. He runs back under the window and throws the rock at one of the cars. It thunks off with a metallic noise that echoes loudly. The Watcher stands and pockets his gun, walking out of the door.

He walks just past Yuuma, and once his back is facing Yuuma the pink haired boy stands, wrapping his arm around the Watchers neck and pulling as hard as he can. The grown man struggles and thrashes with incredible strength in Yuuma's grasp. Afraid he can't hang on anymore, Yuuma knees the man with all his strength in his crotch. The Watcher falls sputtering to the ground. Yuuma rolls him on his back with a sharp kick to the ribs and with one harsh kick to the temple he knocks the man unconscious. Yuuma falls to the ground beside him, panting. He grabs the gun and cattle prod out of the Watcher's back pocket and drags his body into the security room.

Yuuma sits himself in the man's chair and begins blanking the security footage for this floor and floor three. He enters the security main frame and opens copies of all of the footage for the past hour. Yuuma downloads one hard copy of each onto a disk so it can be completely removed off of the whole system, and he erases all digital copies as well as back up imprints taken by their automatic security system. Lastly Yuuma snaps both disks over his knee and stabs them into the chair's fabric seat.

He takes a key marked VAN 12 with an orange sticker and moves over to the employee lockers in the back of the office. He takes the Watcher's ID badge and opens one of the lockers. He takes out the man's wallet and all of the money he has before quickly closing it all back up. Yuuma then drags the man's body into the desk chair, sitting him on top of the disk shards. Yuuma snickers to himself before leaving.

He runs back to the cart and pushes it to the side of a van in an orange space marked twelve. Yuuma unlocks the car and throws the wallet and man's cellphone into the cup holder. He sets the gun down too before unlocking the backseat. His breath is becoming raged and his vision is blurry from the mask.

How can they work in these things? He thinks digging amongst the mounds of papers. He grabs one of the white sheets and lifts the object out. He sets the little boy in the backseat of the car and takes off the sheet.

IO's blazing crimson eyes are terrifying to Yuuma and he jumps a little in surprise.

"Where's IA?" IO nearly shouts.

"Shh!" Yuma hisses through the mask as he lifts the little girl out and sets her beside IO.

IO rips the sheet off of IA and nearly topples her over. Yuuma slams the car door and gets in the front seat. With a heavy sigh he puts the key into the ignition and pulls out of the space. As he begins to drive slowly out of the complex he turns to the two red eyed children.

"Duck under the seats, don't say a word." IA nods and grips IO by the wrist. She pulls him down onto the floor of the car. IA crawls under the driver's seat and pushes IO under the passenger's side. Just as IO is about to speak IA shakes her head harshly.

Yuuma pulls up to the exit gate and shows the Watcher's ID badge to the one at the exit gate. This Watcher isn't wearing a mask, but a regular security guard's suit. It is a white shirt with two black pockets on the chest. He has a tie and an ID badge on. He is a balding and round man with a look of harsh disinterest on his face. Yuuma couldn't have asked for anyone better.

The man glances at the clearance card Yuuma stole and nods. The man checks his clipboard.

"I don't have any vehicles on list that are going out today." The man drones.

Shit!

"But… my shift is almost over and I really don't feel like having to check my hardcopies. So just tell me, smuggling any guns or drugs out today?" The man jokes. Yuuma laughs dryly but convincingly. "Have a good day." The man says, pressing a button. The yellow and white striped pole rises slowly and Yuuma slowly pulls out of the parking complex and out into the harsh sun.

The street is fairly empty but leads into a relatively large looking city. Yuuma's never been this far above Ground Level. He suddenly rips his mask off and a wide grin spreads across his face. His sweaty pink hair sticks in clumps to his cheeks and face.

IA crawls out from under the seat and grabs IO and pulls him out as well. IA peeks over the seat, nearly giving Yuuma a heart attack. Her vibrant red eyes are all he can see.

"Hi!" She cries vibrantly into his ear. Yuuma flinches at the sudden loud noise.

Her face is round and smeared with dirt, her hair is crusty and filled with clumps of dried blood. Her smile is wide and priceless though and Yuuma can't help but wonder what makes everyone so afraid of this.

"IA…" IO moans nervously from the back seat.

"Huh?" She turns around. IO's face is drained of nearly all color and he grips Len's jacket like a life preserver. IA had forgotten to get it. His eyes dart back and forth with a terrified look on his face. "IO?" IA crawls forward on the backseat.

"H-How are we moving? W-Where are we?" He shudders.

"We're outside." IA says with a large smile. She grabs IO by the wrist and pulls him up front. She urges him to crawl into the passenger's seat and with much difficulty she gets him to land beside Yuuma. IA and IO both sit side by side in the passenger's seat. IA's eyes fall upon Yuuma's stoic face as they continue to drive into a city. "Who're you?" IA asks him, eyes full of curiosity.

Yuuma gulps, realizing she's talking to him. "M-My name is Yuuma Vy."

"I'm IA, this is IO." She says cheerily. "Are you taking us to Len?" IA asks him.

"Huh? Who's Len?"

"Lenny. He rescued me before. Him and Rinny and scaredy-cat Miku!" IA says, counting people on her fingers.

"You mean the other demons?"

IA pauses and thinks for a moment. "Oh! That's what Miki said…! So, where are we going?"

Yuuma stutters, "I-I don't know."

"Can we go get candy!?" IA screeches, her eyes wide. The car swerves drastically and IO moans, panicking as IA giggles.

"I guess if you want…" Yuuma says, exasperated. "But no more yelling in the car."

"Okay!" IA shouts. "Oops, sorry Yuuma…"

"Put your seat belt on, okay?" He says. IA reaches up over IO's head and grabs the black belt. She drapes it over IO's shoulder, across her chest, under her arm, and pushes it with difficulty into the black box with a tiny click.

"Is he okay?" Yuuma asks after a few moments.

IA glances at IO. "I think he's scared." She glances around her, then turns to Yuuma whispering, "He's never been outside before."

Yuuma gulps. "That makes two of us."

Character Pole:

Miku- 8

Rin- 8

Gumi-7

Len-6

IA- 2

IO- 2

Lapis- 2

Oliver- 2

Luka- 1

Haku-1

~Tiruneko ;3