Chapter 35
It's a strange concept to worry about someone isn't it? However it's even odder to possess a foreboding feeling that someone is worrying about you: that you're being watched. That feeling, that paranoia, whether it's a true feeling or not. It's a chill that slips down spines. A need to shudder at something disturbing, something odd. That one creepy set of eyes or an ominous shadow that directly is the reason one can't sleep with an open door or a closed one. That exact chill was the same feeling Len had possessed since the new students showed up. Kaito hadn't been himself either.
It had been more than a week since Len had last seen Rin, and as he sat in his favorite seat in the library during his spare, he started to have his doubts about ever seeing her again. Teto as well, had been just as nonexistent as Rin had been since the two had disappeared. It honestly, was hard to handle. Surely he shouldn't care at all, but just thinking it wouldn't be enough. A part of him kept wondering about those two, and he had a nagging feeling that both of them weren't in all that great of a situation if Mikuo was correct and they'd gone back to wherever it was that Rin had come from.
Even if Rin herself was a substantial commodity, what was Teto? It was absurd that a delinquent like himself would even bother to care about them or anyone. They weren't his problem and yet, they were steadily intruding in his life and making themselves important. Not for the first time that day Len sighed heavily. This matter was wracking his brain to a high degree. It was a distraction that plagued his thoughts and harassed his ideas. If this went on any longer he'd be impaired as it was impossible to get work done with a mind so perturbed after all. A clap on the shoulder snapped him out of his brooding. Looking up, it was Mikuo who didn't look so great, like all of them recently. He seemed rattled, as if something had really frightened him.
"Mikuo? What truck had the pleasure of almost hitting you this morning?" Len asked. Mikuo shot him a look of disapproval.
"Ha ha Len, this is serious though," Mikuo warned. "We have a situation." That statement immediately alarmed Len and caused him to become stern. Nothing that caused such a serious expression on Mikuo's face could be passed up. Not much of anything could be passed up these days as Mikuo and him had been on high alert for any of the agencies agents.
"What kind of situation?" Len asked. "Has Rin-"
"No, she's not here." Mikuo cut him off. "It's Kaito which is worse if you really think about it." Kaito? Len thought, what sort of trouble was he getting into now?
"Why should I care about Kaito? I hate him," Len thought to clarify in case anyone had forgotten.
"I know you do," Mikuo said. "But he's just...this time it's bad."
Though Len didn't want to care he had to. Ever since they'd gotten back and Kaito had regained consciousness he'd been acting oddly...strange. Most times like he was soon about to hit his brink of insanity. Kaito's changes had been subtle but they were changes all the same. Len had noticed, he'd noticed more than he'd wanted too really. And he wasn't a fan of checking up on or checking out dudes.
The first of the changes had been that Kaito had finally started to keep to himself instead of endlessly flirting with women who were more than uninterested. His charisma had simply vanished and had been replaced with a more solitary, unheard existence. In ways he resembled a wraith with his silence these days. It was disturbing, and often now people went through their days without hearing Kaito's voice at all or even noticing his presence.
More disturbing than that was the fact that whenever Kaito did speak, he spouted nonsense: gibberish even in a language Len didn't understand. Other than that was the fact he mumbled to himself and was ramrod stiff in his stillness. He drew strange symbols in all of his text books and notebooks. He often looked terrified out of his mind. Like a devil was riding him and he had to do everything it said lest it massacre everything he held dear. Finally...he wore those dark sunglasses now at all times of the day. He refused to take them off under any circumstance too.
So when it came to recent Shion activity, Len had no choice but to pay attention and with great detail.
"What's he doing Mikuo?" Len questioned as he threw his books in his bag and rose from his seat. "Is our friend rocking back and forth while he chants demons spells?" Mikuo rolled his eyes.
"If it were that, he'd of been shipped off to a mental ward already," Mikuo responded with almost too much sincerity. "Follow me." Len followed silently without question. He wasn't looking forward to Kaito's latest episode but what choice did he have? With his luck the moment he decided to pass anything up was the moment the agency would strike. Soon enough Mikuo led them up to the roof and sitting by himself was Kaito. With his finger he drew an ominous symbol on the ground and kept tracing it repeatedly. As Len drew near he could hear Kaito speaking to himself.
"It was here, it was here wasn't it...? Why won't anyone believe me...? I'm telling the truth...They're the ones shrouded in lies...hundreds of them...I'm innocent..."
"Kaito?" Len called. "Are you okay man?" But Kaito didn't look at him, didn't even notice him. Likewise Len didn't notice when Luka joined the party.
"I just. . . . I'm just trying to help...that's it...but why are these things happening I don't even-" Kaito jolted as he looked up with a gasp, his eyes locked in their direction.
"Are you alright?" Len asked Kaito again. But he slowly shook his head and sped up his shakes a few seconds later as he shook his head furiously.
"...No! No! I'm not okay. Nobody is okay where we are concerned...," his voice trailed before whatever gaze he had hidden beneath those sunglasses focused on Len. "Look, everyone, you need to listen to me."
"Are you off your meds or something?" Luka said in an accusing tone. "The past week you've been mad crazy, and extra creepy."
Kaito's voice shook as he replied, and a chill ran down Len's spine at the sheer terror it held. "You don't understand...you have to listen to me, you have too . . . I've seen things."
"Kaito..." Mikuo chided, but Luka's scoff cut him off.
"I knew he was a lunatic. Kaito, it's great if you've seen the magical leprechaun alright, but we, or I, am not interested in everyone constantly telling me about you. The weirdo freaking them all out. Pretending not to know you hasn't worked either," Luka ended with a hair flip.
"He's been like this since he woke up from then," Mikuo pointed out.
"Maybe the mountain air rebooted the three brain cells he has," Luka laughed. "All I want him to do is stop, I'm sick of this creep being the topic of all the conversations I'm in."
However Kaito wouldn't respond to any of Luka's harsh words. He only shook and shivered. His head darted around and his head tilted as if he was listening to someone else other than them. The fact that he wouldn't defend himself or lash out shot up like a red flag for Len. He'd known Kaito pretty much since he could walk. So this behavior was bizarre and terrifying in itself. Why would Kaito possibly be up here? Why would he sit here and babble to himself? Kaito finally focused again.
" . . . We need to get out of here . . ."
"Yeah, whatever psycho," Luka breathed with an eye roll. Miku appeared at her side and Len heard the closing of the roof door behind them.
"You don't understand!" Kaito shouted as he abruptly rose to his feet. Len took a step back with the rest of the group as a precaution. "Everyone here is going to die...don't you get that? Every last person...is going to perish...if we don't..." he gasped for air. "We can't..."
"Yeaaaaah," Luka said as her hand latched onto Miku. "And we're out of here, you guys handle the crazy else we might catch it."
"Yeah Kaito," Mikuo agreed. "You're not making any sense. You know I'd listen but..." Mikuo hesitated. "You seem off today, and I really can read people well most of the time." Mikuo also turned to go and with one last glance at Kaito, Len turned as well.
"No...no please...please listen to me...that man is a monster, a demon, he's a devil."
Yet as Len reached for the door handle a chill shot through him that caused him to freeze in place. He should leave shouldn't he? Kaito was just spouting nonsense. He was probably suffering from lack of sleep and even hallucinations from whatever he'd moronically decided to eat up in the mountains. Still he stayed frozen in place, as if some force held him there. He still had the choice to go but he glanced back at Kaito and he didn't, couldn't leave. Even madmen had reasons for their rants, this he knew and this he believed. People did often say madmen had their mind trapped between two dimensions: that they heard the hidden secrets of the world. However he didn't get to turn to face Kaito himself because Kaito had already stridden over and yanked Len around to face him. Kaito's face tilted and he was close enough to kiss Len. A grimace crossed Len's face at the thought. Only because...Kaito could be insane enough to do so.
Kaito's nose brushed his and he said, "It . . . you . . . you have to help me, you have to help everyone...you have to get everyone out of here, they'll listen to you."
"Kaito?"
"And whatever you do Len...all of this rests on you. Don't tell anyone, anyone, not a single soul, who you are. They can't find out your name Len. Do you understand what I'm saying now? Are these still just the ranting's of a madman?"
Len's blood ran cold. How the hell could Kaito know about the agency? So far as he knew, Mikuo hadn't told a single soul and Mikuo had been the only one he'd mentioned it to. All the doubt in Kaito drained from Len's face.
"How do you..." Len started to say, but Kaito was quicker.
"If he finds out, it's all over for everyone...please. I know...I know that I sound crazy and certainly not right but you have to understand me. What I'm saying isn't hypocrisy...I know what I'm talking about! I'm not crazy!" Kaito screamed so loud that Len's ears rang and the sound travelled for a few miles. "Everyone we know will die if we don't change this, I've seen them all Len. I've seen the possible routes."
"The future? Kaito, that's impossible."
It was then that Kaito hauled him inside so they could look down from the top stairwell. There were a few students roaming the halls below, all probably going out for lunch or just an assortment of roaming and chatting.
"Is it impossible then that Lillian is about to pass in seven seconds and crash into Adam who will spill his soup on Brian and a fight will break out only to be stopped by Miku when she whips her binder at Adam?" Len counted, and just as Kaito had predicted little Lillian one of the tiniest girls in this school walked the halls only to crash into Adam who spilled his creamed mushroom soup on Brian. The anger on Brian's face was evident and he shoved Adam for his senseless mistake. Adam threw a punch at Brian and poor little Lillian ducked out of the way. A binder soon after flew out of pretty much nowhere and slammed head on into Adam. He staggered and fell as the binder hit the ground. Surely enough, Miku came to claim it and she finished off Brian while she was at it with a sharp kick and then, the fight was over; not before she insulted both of them first though.
Len didn't want to believe it yet he found himself casting an incredulous gaze at Kaito.
"Holy hell, Kaito..." they both said in unison and Len froze.
"There are millions of futures Len: billions. But only in one of those futures, one of billions does you and all of us live." Len's mouth ran dry.
"What?" Kaito began to pace in front of Len.
"It's started, we have to stop it! Nobody listens to me though...everyone thinks I'm crazy. They think I'm spouting lies. It's the truth! They'll only believe me when it's too late! In only one of those futures do we all live and it the most painful agonizing future I've ever seen next to the first. If we want the better future he cannot find you, and he cannot have her." Kaito stopped for a minute, his head swerving and facing Len's. "You," he thrust a finger at him. "You have to stay low and she has to save herself to save Rin. You of all people Len must live..."
And Len was terrified when he asked, "That one in a billion future...Kaito-"
"This is not that future," he said apathetically.
"How can that be?"
"Betrayal . . .," Kaito staggered. "So much death..." But Len grabbed Kaito and furiously shook him.
"Hey! Get off the crazy train for a second! Who is doing what to me!?"
"It's obvious!" Kaito shouted back at him. "Mutual betrayal is near! Yet it's already happened! Run Len!"
"Kaito! Just tell me!"
"YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND!" Kaito screamed and his sound travelled through the halls: he ripped off his glasses.
". . . K- . . . Kaito . . . ?"
But Len couldn't speak further. It dawned on him then faster than a sped up dawn rising. Cut through him faster than a bullet. He couldn't breathe as he stared at Kaito, his skin crawled and when Kaito's grip released Len stumbled and gripped the railing for support. His legs were failing him. Kaito . . . though his face was quite exactly the same . . . his eyes were different: had changed. No longer were the deep sea blue eyes that had glared his way more times than he cared to count.
No . . . instead Kaito's pupils were a deep, almost black shade of blue and his surrounding irises were a neon light pink. That wasn't it, that wasn't even the part that chilled his skin and made his blood ice in his veins. There were small black strikes in his eyes, swirling, curling designs. They were like...tattoos...runes of a sort.
"What the hell are you...?
" . . . I don't know..." Kaito admitted. "I'm different...that's why I need you to help me...save me Len...I don't understand why this is happening. We can't delay Len...neither of them can be allowed to find you else we are all dead. As long as Rin isn't here, we're all as good as dead. Every . . . last . . . one of us . . ."
"Oh contrary to what you believe, you're already dead" a new voice came into the conversation. It was a deliberately cold voice, completely unfeeling. Both Len and Kaito flinched before they turned around to face their newcomer. Len's stomach dropped: Luki. The same Luki who had nearly killed a kid on his first day, or rather people assumed the kid was dead because he hadn't been back to school since. Len sneered and Kaito looked more terrified than he had been all week.
"What the hell do you want Luki? I have no quarrel with you," Len scowled. However that hellish smirk he'd had on his face the very first day Len had laid eyes on him came back.
"You may think you don't, but we've always had to deal with each other since the very first day you met Rin." Len forced back a shudder. Luki stepped just a bit closer and he was all the more lethal than Len had originally portrayed up close. He rocked the school uniform better than he did; black was his color and made that pink hair of his flame.
"I don't know what you're talking about," Len lied. Luki clenched and unclenched his fists.
"I'd advise you to start remembering, but then I wouldn't get to have any fun," he said.
"Trust me; you don't want to fight me Luki. It's two on one here, not in your favor." But Luki only smiled and he even chuckled a bit. As if Len had just told the funniest joke in the history of jokes. Then he straightened with a glare so sharp and menacing Len shook all the way down to his bones. Luki's eyes suddenly possessed no emotion, only a cold, untamable emptiness and bitter hatred.
"No Kagamine, you're mistaken. It's you who doesn't want to fight me."
"How do you know my name?" Luki gestured at Kaito.
"My worthless pawn did a better job than I thought he would."
"You...you did this to me didn't you?" Kaito asked out of breath.
"Wow, humans aren't as stupid as I thought they'd be," Luki spoke in a voice that commended their discovery.
"Humans? Are you out of your neon headed mind? You're human too Luki," Len said.
"Again you're wrong Kagamine."
"Then what are you...you're from the agency aren't you!"
Luki glared, and that glare sliced mercilessly into Len. Luki drew closer, death written in his eyes, and it wasn't his own. Len held his ground even as the murderous aura Luki possessed swarmed him.
"What do you want with me?" Len asked, returning his own sharp glare to rival Luki's.
"Isn't that simple though Len?" But Len dashed before Luki could finish. If what Kaito had mentioned was true he had to get everyone out of here, if he could just pull the fire alarm...
Len raced down all the flights of stairs practically throwing himself down them. He reached the bottom fast enough but it was then that Luki landed straight in front of him from at least ten feet above where they had started. Luki landed gracefully in front of him with elegance than he'd ever seen in his life. Len would've savored it more had Luki not cut off his exit. Luki's eyes flashed their lively neon pink as he towered tall over Len making him an impressively deadly sight.
"And here I thought Kagamine's were manly enough to stay and fight," Luki said.
"I'm not running for my sake," Len spat. "There are innocent people in this building if you haven't noticed Luki." The iciest chill shot through Len at Luki's response.
"And?"
"What the hell are you to not even care about such a crucial matter?" But again Luki only smiled.
"I'm about to be your worst nightmare Kagamine, that's all you'll need to remember. If you live that long." And before Len could retort or even blink, unimaginable pain exploded in the side of his head and he dropped before he even had the chance to see black.
...
Unlike most people this wasn't the first time Len had woken up tied and bound. While most found it sad, odd, and even disturbing, Len didn't think so. It was to his advantage really because now he knew how to escape them. And much like riding a bike, waking up tied with the choice to either find a way to escape or surrender and stay in bed all day to be belittled and ridiculed by siblings was a lesson never forgotten. Both his older sister and brother had taken a sadistic twist and he'd been the sole victim. They'd bound him to chairs, beds, poles, tables, and even a few walls at one point. They'd also gotten into cuffing his arms or shackling his legs to heavy furniture or other objects that would impair his movement. He'd never forget any of the times they'd blindfolded and gagged him either.
Sadistic as it may be, and unbelievably cruel as it was, Len had never taken it negatively. In fact, he'd learned from all those situations and gotten himself out of each one. In the beginning it took him hours and with time narrowed down to minutes, sometimes seconds depending on the situation. He'd been able to study his faults as well as the mistakes his siblings had made in tying him. Eventually it got to the point where he knew the very personality of the rope and who had been the one to tie it. Once he knew that, it was ever so simple to break free of anything restricting him. So really, it was a blessing. He knew a lot more than any high-schooler should about breaking out of restraints and several other skills he could put to use should he need them.
It also helped that he'd done the same to them once he'd possessed enough knowledge and returned the favor to his siblings. He'd taken special care to avoid each of their mistakes and faults. It was a blissful silence in their house that day since they hadn't managed to break free of his bonds. He'd gotten quite the tongue lashing from his parents though when they'd come home to discover both his siblings still bound and cursing his name. Even his parents hadn't been able to figure it out and they'd forced him to release both his siblings.
Now, how all of that was of any importance now was that Len found himself after so many years, tied again. He'd woken up bound and disoriented. The thought that the whole situation might be a dream crossed his mind until he managed a glance at his surroundings and found himself still on school property in the second gym storage room: a room that had long since been abandoned after students hadn't shown respect for any of the equipment and the faculty hadn't cared enough to replace them.
The room was empty, deathly so. Aside from the old, musty carpet of the storage room and the endless sets of empty containers that once held sports equipment, he was alone. He sat in near darkness and would've assumed it was midnight had he not known that it surely couldn't be that late, there just wasn't enough lighting. Whatever new lunatic had managed enough zeal to attack him and set him in this situation on school grounds couldn't be foolish enough to keep him here while other people were around.
Minutes stretched into what felt like hours as Len tried to recall where he'd been before all of this but to no avail. His mind was empty and barren, just like a piece of loose-leaf. All he had to do was transform it into a canvas and find out how to escape. Yet no real thoughts came. Unlike most others his first thought hadn't been to panic, he was calm. Indifferently calm. After all, this wasn't the first time he'd been tied up. Nor was he surprised to find that he couldn't speak as some object in his mouth blocked that ability. He sat, as unmoved and impassive as ever waiting for when his captors would return to him.
He treaded ground in his mind and searched for a reason, any reason that anyone would attack him. Soon figuring out that he had many, Len stopped the hopeless effort. His head throbbed as a fresh surge of waking pain followed the slight tilt of his head. The second he'd let his head bob he wished he hadn't for more reasons than the pain. Soft footsteps came across the carpet behind him. He pressed himself back against the shelf he was propped up against.
"Oh my God, what has he done to you...?" The voice came breathy and low. He detected tinges of many mixed emotions in the voice: it was feminine and high, a voice he knew and hope filled him. The girl walked past him and took a quick look around before she spun to face him. She kneeled in front of him and once Len saw her clearly that hope wavered. Of all the people to find him, it had to be Yuzuki. Why she was here baffled him even more than the fact that she somehow knew who'd done this to him. So he did what he did best and glared at her. She shook her head slightly at his glare. "Intelligent, but not intelligent enough not to bite the hand that may rescue you," she laughed softly. "I could just leave you here." Len dropped the glare. "That's what I thought."
One of Yuzuki's slender and delicate hands reached out for whatever was keeping him from speaking but she withdrew just as quickly. Her eyes trailed over his mouth as if she was reading something. Len's shoulders ached and his mind numbed slightly. The pain he felt was still sharp and hot blood pumped through his veins. Just how long was Yuzuki gonna take? His mouth couldn't be covered with anything too much. It was most likely tape or some kind of fabric: maybe a combination of the two. He could feel himself sweating as the minutes ticked by. Was she not going to help him after all?
Yuzu finally sighed and leaned back and Len used that chance to study his binds. They weren't normal, and nothing like what he'd ever encountered before. Whatever he was tied with wasn't rope, or tape, or cord, not even wire. It wasn't anything solid at all. What he'd been tied with was a misty dark essence. It looked like light black smoke and yet it held firm just like any rope. It was then Len jolted but he resisted the urge to panic. He shot his gaze up to stare at Yuzuki.
"I would help you but I can't, I honestly can't. As you can see those aren't normal ropes. It's infrangible mist." Len raised an eyebrow. "It was specially developed for this purpose to keep targets from escaping binds. Ingenious really since objects can go through it but it won't break. Compositions don't change much so the cells in your human skin can't go through it because of their make-up, make sense?"
Len tried to ask about his mouth but it came out as a grunt.
"I can't remove your gag either because it's made of pretty much the same thing." Yuzuki glanced around the room before returning her gaze to Len. "Think of this other serum as your blood and that the last ingredient would do to the serum as snake venom would do to your blood. It would expand in size and clot...or clot and gain size..." Yuzuki blew her bangs away from her face. "I think it's both."
Len resisted his urge to roll his eyes. He was lucky his mouth was gagged or else he'd of blown his chances with Yuzuki the minute she walked in.
"I don't have the antidote on me to release you so I guess I'll just keep you company," Yuzuki said. Len sighed, or at least let out as close to a sigh as he could. So she was just about as much help as he was...
"Boy, I knew he hated you...but this is extreme. To tell the truth Kagamine, I have no vendetta against you. You're important to Rin and she's never off in her judgment. So I'll do my best for you, don't think I'm on your side though," Yuzuki added as she rose to her feet and dusted off her black uniform. She also looked luminous garbed in such a dull shade. "If you ever wrong Rin or she asks me to kill you I won't hesitate to do it."
It was then that Yuzuki slipped a small vial out of her pocket and poured the liquid into one of her hands. She then tilted her hand in different angles till it coated it entirely. She slapped Len none too softly on his mouth and a slight shout of surprise more than pain left his mouth.
"Ow!" He caught himself before he shot another glare Yuzuki's way. Len cleared his throat and spat out a thick blob of whatever liquid Yuzuki had told him about. The blob shivered and then exploded as the air touched it into a small cloud of dust. "Was slapping me really necessary!" Len shouted but Yuzu only giggled.
"I did that for fun."
"Yeah, I noticed," Len said bitterly. He fumbled with his restraints but they only tightened. Yuzuki shook her head at him and set her hands over his.
"The more you struggle, the more they tighten. You know, the whole quicksand philosophy." Len relaxed back into the shelf then.
"So what? I just wait here for whoever did this to get back?" Len asked.
"It was Luki..." Yuzu whispered. "And for freeing you he'll know. Meaning he'll be here in a minute or two."
"Seriously?" Yuzuki nodded. "Both of you, you're from the agency and wherever Rin came from aren't you?"
Yuzuki was silent as she distracted herself with the now empty vial.
"Please Yuzuki, you don't have to tell me what you are but at least share with me that you're from the same place as Rin."
"I am..." Yuzuki admitted. "Or rather, we are...but not by choice." But Len didn't get to ask her for details because she backed away from him and stood with a firm glare on him. Not a few seconds later Len heard a door fly open and close just as quickly: swift footsteps approached their direction and it wasn't long before Luki stood before him. He took a place in front of Yuzuki.
"What are you doing?" He asked her.
"I was only talking to our prisoner Luki, calm down," Yuzuki stated and that wasn't a lie. Despite that Luki eyed her for a second before his gaze darted to Len.
"You are Len Kagamine, yes?" He declared more than questioned.
"That depends," Len smirked. "Are you planning to kill me?"
"If the boss wanted you dead Kagamine, you'd be dead already: no questions asked," Luki answered coldly. Luki's eyes and his alluring voice were just so deliberately cold towards him that goose bumps formed on Len's skin. The part that was especially glacial was the fact that like Yuzuki's threats, there was no joke or humor in his tone. Luki's face was so void of facial expression that Len swore he'd never been capable of any as he said, "However if you'd like me to kill you that can be arranged."
"Answer our questions and we'll consider sparing you," Yuzuki cut in before things escalated any further.
"Consider?" Len mimicked.
"Take it as a gesture of our first meeting," Luki added. "Where's Rin?"
Len couldn't help but chuckle. "You really are one for getting straight down to business huh?" Luki's glare cut further into him and Len felt something inside him start to flame and burn.
"Answer the question please Len," Yuzuki pleaded. If she was trying to cue him into to be a pacifist and surrender to Luki, Len didn't bite.
"If I gave you the best information from the start I wouldn't have the same worth now would I?" Len replied smugly. Something flickered in the corner of Len's eye too fast to catch and then that burning that he'd felt inside flamed at his cheek, directly under his eye. He felt the slow, steady trickle of blood as it lightly dribbled down his face.
"Your attempt at humor possessed little hilarity Kagamine," Luki said his face still void of emotion. "Answer the question."
"It wasn't meant to be a joke, it's just common sense. Something you seem to be lacking," Len replied again, wondering if he really had a death wish. Finally Luki's face did light up as he smirked that hellish smirk of his. The same smirk that was devilishly handsome and yet exceptionally deadly.
"Ever wondered what it'd feel like to have your mouth hot glued shut and ripped open by force Kagamine?" Luki asked him.
"No."
"Keep up the petty arrogance and I think you might find out." Len swallowed hard.
"You're gonna torture me?"
Luki yawned. "Nice to see you able to put that together."
"I doubt you'll get any information from me if you do Luki. I'm sure you're both under strict order to bring me in alive."
"Alive, but not unharmed," Yuzuki clarified. "If you decide to give us...troubling circumstances. Luki will hurt you regardless of any resistance you put up or don't anyway. So I suggest you just cooperate to avoid any excessive collateral damage. I'll warn you though Len." Yuzuki paused to stare directly into his eyes. "What Luki does to you and what you'll experience at the agency...you're better off if Luki just kills you here." The sincerity that Yuzuki said the words with was enough for Len's lungs to stop taking in air, and his heart to stop beating.
"Fine," Len agreed. "I'll answer your questions." Yuzuki cut him a slight smile.
"Good, so where's Rin?"
"Wherever she wants to be, she's a free woman isn't she?"
"Len...," Yuzuki chided. "Please don't answer my question with a question."
"I never agreed to answering them truthfully, correctly or in an answer format." One minute Len was sitting and the next he was flying through all of the old gym equipment.
Pain exploded in his back as he punctured holes through wooden shelves, iron cabinets, metal baskets that used to hold assortments of sports balls. Len's flight ended when he slammed head first into a rack of barbells and weights. His body screamed with agony and the blood that trickled down his face blinded him. He couldn't stop coughing, he gasped for air and his body screamed for it. He ached and the throbbing, stinging of his mind clustered with the shooting pain that stabbed at his nerves was a new torment he'd never felt. His lungs screamed their torture as air filled them and Len jerked forward to hack out the air he'd managed to breathe.
His world spun and Len reached out to grip anything to keep him stable. He was met with a solid kick to the abdomen and new torture rippled through his body. Something broke. He threw-up and was momentarily stunned in horror as it came up red. His mind was sinking, drowning in a sudden desolation and he almost screamed out in distress. He almost begged for mercy. Yet, he was a Kagamine and so he released a scream only inside and didn't utter a word: didn't even crawl.
An unmerciful boot stomped down on one of his hands and Len bit deep into his lip as he heard, more than felt the bones break in his fingers. They'd been broken quickly and so a cool numbness set in before he felt any pain. He didn't get time to recover either as another powerful kick slammed into him. Air left his lungs and his head screamed for sustenance. He went rolling and travelled a distance before he careened into a pole that sent more waves of pain exploding in his back. A single hand latched onto his throat and he heard what might have been a desperate shriek off in the distance: the ringing in his ears and the anguish of his mind numbed the world around him. Still he managed a downward glare at the pink, unfeeling monster that choked him.
"Luki!" It was Yuzuki's screams he was hearing...that made sense. "Put him down! We're not supposed to hurt him that much!"
"I barely touched him," Luki replied, his face still expressionless. "I'm done being patient." Len dug his fingers into Luki's hand but if Luki felt anything, he didn't show it. Len refused to allow fear to waver his glare. "Let's try this again shall we Kagamine? You see I'm not Yuzuki and my patience for mindless insolence wears thin with you already. Unless you want to end up a measly stain on this run down school you're going to do what I say. So for the fourth time, answer the question. Where's Rin?" But Len only coughed more blood...he might have broken a rib or two. He coughed and fresh pain sliced his insides with enough fire to kill. He sputtered and resisted any further coughs.
"Go . . . go to hell..." Len managed. ". . . What kind of man kicks someone . . . when he's down . . ." He welled up enough of his bloodied saliva to spit it on Luki who didn't even flinch as it hit his face. It was for a split second but Len saw Luki's emotions finally. That single flash of anger, of rage, and most importantly the bloodlust...for his blood in particular. Yuzuki must have known without even seeing him as she reacted instantaneously. She was next to Luki and gripped onto the arm that held Len as well as his other one.
"Stop, you won't get anything form him by force. He's a delinquent Luki. Luki, look at me! Listen to me...Len's a delinquent he's used to this." But Luki kept his glacial hatred focused on Len; Yuzuki might as well have been nonexistent. "Luki, he's not worth it. Please, listen to me." She set a hand on his cheek. "I'm here Luki, come back to me. Kagamine isn't worth losing yourself over, he's a delinquent, can't you hear me? He's used to this treatment."
"That's exactly why I'm doing it," Luki replied. But his voice sounded so distant, like he wasn't even there, like he wasn't the one in control. "He'll only exist as collateral damage."
"It's not worth it..." Yuzuki whispered, as she caressed Luki's cheek and wiped Len's bloody saliva off him with a tissue.
"If I go out there and hunt Rin down myself it'll be a hell of a lot quicker than asking this human."
"The boss wanted him remember? That was an order...we don't defy orders Luki. The Luki I know doesn't not follow orders." Yuzuki's speech stopped then as her eyes scanned Luki's arms, her eyes went wide. "Luki . . . what happened to your runes . . . ?" Luki dropped Len then and Len gasped as he hit the floor and another wave of pain ripped through him.
"They're still there," Luki said, he adjusted his sleeve but Yuzuki grabbed his arm and thrust a finger at it.
"There were more here! I know!" she cried and gazed at him. "Luki...what aren't you telling me?" The hurt in Yuzuki's expression was evident.
Suddenly a bat smashed over Luki's head but instead of him being stunned by it, the bat shattered to pieces that rained splinters of wood on the floor. The blow only caused Luki to hunch slightly and he rose up slowly, calmly. However the murderous intent he'd aimed at Len was now aimed at their stranger. All the blood drained from Len's face as he saw Kaito standing there, looking just as stunned and bewildered as Len himself did.
"L-Lay off Len! Len, I thought you were in trouble...and I guessed right," Kaito stuttered.
"...You idiot..."Len managed between gasps for air. His breath was raspy.
"Luki, the orders..." Yuzuki warned, but there was panic in her gaze. Panic that relayed she was rapidly losing control.
"I don't care," Luki breathed coldly. "If this human won't tell me what he knows I'll drag him to the agency in pieces. But he won't be the only one who suffers for his smart mouth..."
Without another word, and just a single flick of the wrist, Kaito was gone. Luki had flung Kaito without touching him, sending him crashing through the glass only to descend a bloody descent from the tenth story floor so fast that Len's poor enemy hadn't even had time to scream. And Len, as cowardly as it was, forced himself up to run.