The shadows of the jungle grew thicker and darker. Ominous and quiet. They walked along the pathway back to the village. Ever since she'd accepted becoming a vampire, turned by Anastasia Von Alucard, Queen of the four kingdoms, to save her life after being attacked by a manmade rogue vampire, who was de-evolving and would take Mikoto Misaka with him, her senses sharpened. She could hear the beatings of their hearts, the way the leaves brushed against skin, breath leaving their lips. The way the dark was not so dark. Images with edges so sharp she worried about getting cut. Anastasia would laugh hearing the talk of her fears about becoming a vampire. "Well, at least you'd heal quicker."

"What a beautiful laugh," Mikoto blushed. When she touched her, heart and pulse quickened, burning inside with want and need. Nothing like the crush she denied with Touma or the need she carnal desire with Ronan. She took a breath, pushing down the emotions, smelling the temperature and humidity falling. The roar of the wind above the trees faded into silence.

"Silence…." The word chilled her to the bone. "I should be upfront." She thought. Getting ready to speak. When she heard Aya say. The word tensed with anger and realization. Anger at herself for being careless. Not taking the pathway back to the village seriously. This is the jungle. Predators and prey are in a constant battle to survive to the next day, the next minute. Survive one attack only to fall to another. To consume and then be consumed.

They had become relaxed. The cool bath, soaking in the warm and hot soothing waters. Listening to the waters in its travels over rocks, into other smaller pools, and disappearing into the jungle. The smell of shampoo and conditioners. The laughter and teasing. They had become careless.

"I should be at the front," Mikoto whispered, eyes changed, sharper, ears listening. She breathed, tasting the scents over tongue, out through her nose. Her mouth watered, swallowing slowly. "Where is it?" she lowered her stance. "I need to be at the front."

"Are you sure?" Something in the dark of the jungle whispered. Fretting her brow, she peered into the dark depths. An emotion, a presence felt in the blackness. Her muscles coiled like springs, her nails edge out, and the shadows glisten along the sharpness. And she waited.

Aya walked ahead, followed by Nya, Gullah, Rea, Kea, and Mikoto. They were loud, obnoxious, and careless. Aya slowed, tilted her head, and held out her hand.

"Shit! " She said, shaking her head, slowly crouching, holding her spear with both hands. The message clear in her tone. Everyone crouched.

Mikoto could hear their hearts pounding. Each one readied.

"This is bad?" Little misaka spoke, large data images were running as Mikoto used electromagnetic waves to build a 3d map and searched the area. Among the tree are smaller saplings, bushes, and large rocks and stones across the ground. "Nothing…" she said. "I don't see anything."

"And we don't hear anything." little misaka responded."It's a jungle, so..."

"We should hear smaller animals" she nodded, her fingers twitching. The ground and pebbles at her feet swirled and rose with sand and iron radiated towards her palm. Drawing together in a vibrating iron whip.

"There are no heat signatures… only ones are at least over a hundred meters away. Or just above us in the branches, still and quiet. We've walked into something…."

"It's called a trap."

Kea's ears twitched as she lowered her stance and slowly looked to the right. She clicked her tongue. Rae moved softly, turning in the direction. The near silence of her steps amazed even Mikoto, with her vampiric hearing. Gullah moved in front and pushed her back. Something she didn't like. But She was the daughter of the king. She didn't argue. But the expression across her face burns otherwise. Aya and Nya turned. Nya slowly reached out without a word, putting her hand on Rae's shoulder and guiding her back. Her petite frame shook, eyes thinning wet with anger, her finger white with rage around her spear.

"What is over there?" Mikoto fretted her brow, looking intently in the direction of Kea's gaze"nothing hot.. a large string of…. rocks and…."

The jungle brush exploded, and debris and dirt, like shrapnel, flashed through the air. Animals fled in the distance when the noise rattled the trees. The chaos blinded them, deafening them in a dirt bloom. A dark black shadow scuttered low to the ground. Flat, thick, and quick. Reactively Aya and Nya jammed their spears into the ground, only to be sent flying with a heavy, dark swipe. Fast, rapid clicking, not like the young ones, announced its presence. Rea tumbled into the brush. Gullah followed and pounced on her. Dragging her away. Kea was already air born, her body twisting like an Olympic gymnast. A large flat thick segmented tail cut through like a blade. Her cat-like eyes, watching it pass under her, she reached, dragging her nail over one of the body segments. Leaving nothing but five scratches across. Mikoto leaped back, seeing the chaos with the vampires' eyes. Slow, but still quite fast.

"What the fuck?!"

Little misaka growled. "Told ya… bigger..!"

"You said snakes!"

"Well, it kinda looks like one," she said, "only with a lot of fucking legs!"

"Damn bug!"

"Damn centipede!" little misaka corrected.

"Same difference…. we need to kill it?"

It swung its heavy armor segment rear end and missed. Striking a good size tree. The bark exploded, sending sharp splinters through the air, yanked it out, sending it back around. Aya deflected the tail with her spear. Face twisting. "We have to run!" She yelled. "It'll just chase us down!" Nya drove the blade of her spear between the overlapping shells of its body. The centipedes' colors flashed as it swept across, fighting as she pushed the spear deeper. "Why is a big one down here?" She yelled. "Don't know, don't care. Get Rea!"

Its long body twisted, its many legs tearing at the soil, and parts of its body climbed higher on a close tree to gain leverage. Its claws reaching out, snapping, antenna flopping, searching.

Kea landed on her feet, quickly lunging, and drove her spear into its side, pushing and prying. It rose on its many yellow legs, swishing its flat dark head and claws, reaching out towards her. Her eyes thinned, face turned vicious as if to dare the thing to take her. it lunged.

Mikoto moved her feet, barely disturbing the dirt on the path, snatched one of its claws, and yanked it away. Her eyes crimson like the sunlight reflecting in storm clouds, her nails black dug and cracked its shell. "I don't think so.," her growl trembles among the chaos. Kea felt it in her chest. Aya, Nya, Gullah, and Rea felt it across the path and up their spears.

"Not today!" Rea yelled, slipping from underneath Gullah. She rolled, pulled a short blade, and jumped onto its back. Her small legs barely crossed as she straddled and drove her blade between the segments. She pulled it out and drove it down deeper with each strike. Gullah raised her spear and buried it in the same spot. The monster squirmed and thrashed.

It broke.

If the monster could scream. Mikoto was sure it would be a high-pitched scream of pain. The claw she held close to its mouth, dripping with venom, cracked, splintered, and broke. Snapping off in her hand.

"What the?" her eyes wide, seeing the jagged, sharp edges slipping away and going towards Kea. She was already reacting, like a second sense. Already in a defensive crouch, her spear was up, but she lost her balance. Stepping back, her foot rolled over a broken branch. Her eyes went wide, looking over at Mikoto. She looked scared, not of death, but something else. Something she'd miss.

"Little ones going down!" Little misaka quickly spoke. "Shits all over the ground," she said. "Time to end this!"

A fine mist of crimson blood lightly hangs above them like sparkling red rubies. Mikoto Misaka wrapped her arms around Kea, catching her before she hit the ground. It was quick. She didn't even see her move. one moment, she saw it coming towards her like a blade. Her soft eyes opened wide and glistened. Her last moments fighting beside them.. besides her. she let go of her spear and reached out to Mikoto for the last time. And she was holding her. She smelled blood floating above them. A dark blade whooshed by.

The sharp edge of its claw had cut across her back, tearing through the dragon's armor, leaving what would be nothing but a bruise to someone who wasn't her. But the jagged broken pieces dug and tore at the flesh, tearing muscle, sliding across her backbone as if exacting revenge. A bit of meat hung from the sharp edges like a trophy.

"Are you alright?" She asked softly. Kea nodded, her breath excited, heart pounding, blood rushing just below the surface of her skin. She blushed. Eyes wet and soft. She nodded again.

Mikoto leaned closer and slipped her nose over her skin, smelling her. she blushed deeper, feeling a tingling.

She opened her eyes, now a deeper crimson. "Time to end this, I guess." Her thinned mouth curled in a relief smile. She licked her parted lips, and the tips of her fangs lengthened.

"I am going to let go now, so…" Kea nodded and didn't feel the ground as she dropped, only noting that Mikoto had already snatched the shattered claw that fed into its mouth. She raised her arm quickly, snapping it like a whip. Sending a wave running the length of its mass. Rea yelled, flipping high into the air. Gullem followed, snatching Rea, and dropped to the path in what could only be called a dismount. She held Rea like a princess and lept back. Aya and Nya jumped back as its rounded end rose high and slammed into the path. Splintering its dull-colored shell. They jammed their spears into its broken body and through underneath, pinning it to the ground.

She slammed its head into the ground, claws reaching towards its mouth, antenna whipping, and many legs thrashing. Mikoto stomped on it, raised her fist, and slammed it down. Its thick shell cracked and shattered. Her fist was buried. "Time to burn bug…."

The air crackled, sparked, dirt and dust danced, and rose alive. Bluish white electricity bloomed like a flower, spreading over and above into the treetops. Spreading across their bodies. Tiny hairs rose and fluttered over the skin. And each had a rather adult reaction on their nether regions.

The monster shook and seized, its insides boiling. The surface of its shell split, and pale white fleshy foam seeped out. Steam hissed and rose like a lobster done.

Mikoto looked up to the treetops, eyes glistening and crimson, a small smile of pleasure and relief on her face. Slowly pulling her hand out, the monster's body sagged." I hate bugs," she breathed.

There was silence in the jungle. A few embarrassing giggles and satiated sighs. She had heard these before from the wolves and vampires in the realm. Perverts is all she could say. Not her fault. She shook her head, worried not for the older ones but peeked over at Kea. She blushed, eyes worried and confused, excited and…a little uncomfortable.

Mikoto's shoulders slumped in relief, "we might have to explain the birds and the bees to her…" little misaka giggled. Mikoto let a smirk build, but her eyes shot open. The blood from her wound would dissipate when it hung in the air…but if it fell on warm skin or wet lips, it would live. Such is the way of Vampires.

"Oops," went little misaka with a tilt of her head. "don't oops me," Mikoto growled, her hand already moving. "Don't you dare?" she sounded like a child's mother. She wasn't shouting at little Misaka.

Kea standing close to her, her eyes trying to see a wet glistening splotch of red on her lower cheek. Her brow twisted, feeling the warmth moving slowly towards her mouth. She was about to wipe it off. But Mikoto knew different. "NO, NO, No…" and quickly snatches her tongue.

"Oh, shit!" Little misaka yelled, half laughing, hands on her waist. "You've got a kitten by the tongue."

"Don't care…now stop struggling," Mikoto grunted. "I just need to….."

Kea's mouth gleaming with teeth and fangs, twisted her head back and forth, pushing and pulling, grabbing Mikotos wrists. As if she was forcing a child to take some awful-tasting medicine.

"Don't you dare bite me!" she growled. Eyes hard and focused.

Kea's eyes went wide, and as if taking it as a challenge, she did. she bite hard but not hard enough to break the skin.

"She did! I love her"

"Just a few seconds." She reached to her utility belt, pulled out a package, and tore it open with her teeth. "Just let me…Kea! I am trying..." her voice becoming calmer. Kea resisting less.

"Oh, she's goood! But if she draws blood…then..".Little misaka rolled her eyes and smirked. "All's well that ends well," she said, her expression growing darker.

"I have four little biters, and I know how to fix this."

"And one who doesn't….yet," little misaka spoke. thinking of the young prince.

Releasing her tongue, she changed tactics, grabbed her cheeks, and squeezed, taking out a wipe. Kea quickly snarled and growled, face twisting in disgust. "I know it stinks, but it's good for you, so don't."

Ammonia spreading cold to her skin, Kea did her best to get free.

Mikoto quickly wiped the blood away. "There?!" She said in relief, "see nothing too…."

Kea snarled, licking her palm and wiping her cheek, whipping her head and stomping over to the giant steamed centipede. She took out her blade, glared, growled at Mikoto, and slammed the knife down and through the centipede shell.

Aya and the others laughed.

"Lovers quarrel?" She asked, biting her lower lip, holding up three fingers.

"What!...no! I was just…."

"Is that what she meant by three times?" Little misaka rubbed her chin with a nod, "so three times means….hoooooooooo?" figured out the implications.

Kea, quickly showing her anger hacked, tore, and ripped the shell pulling out the steaming white meat of the bug. And stuffed it into her mouth, eyes glistening, anger and tears mixing, and her ears flickered. She stopped chewing, tilting her head.

"Oh shit, what now?" Nya spoke, looking around.

"Not this again."

Mikoto hears it.

Tree limbs bending, snapping, and breaking. Suddenly, heavy thumps hit the ground like fruit dropping from the trees.

Their eyes went wide, knowing what was happening, looking above them, making sure they were safe. It rained.

Gullan pulled out a small curled horn, took a deep breath, put it to her mouth, and blew. A few seconds later, a return came.

"They'll be here soon," Aya spoke, dropping her sack and pulling everything out. The others doing the same. Like excited trick or treaters.

"Why are you?"

"The other hunting parties will be here. This one," motioning to the massive centipede, "we'll eat and take back to the village. the others…"

"Others?" Her stomach already turning.

"We'll gather up and store for later. It is a very good day today…." Aya grinned.

Kea glared, more like pouted, at Mikoto, reached inside the shell, tore out a chunk, took a bite, and slowly chewed.

Thanks to her electrical attack….it rained bugs.