"Ren, what are you doing?"

Anxiety for Ann's critical state was sitting like a block on Makoto's mind. She couldn't think about anything else: she couldn't yet process recent events: Madarame confirmed a vampire; Madarame mysteriously dead (or so Ren and Morgana claimed); the bizarre discovery of an underground arena and Ren's apparent knowledge of the thing; Ann's grievous wound... Makoto was a boiling pot, lid bouncing slightly from the super-heated contents.

So when she emerged from the scorched arena into a baroque working office, and when she saw Ren pilfering a desk, then stuffing documents haphazardly down the collar of his armor when she saw him- the pot lid almost came off- what the was he doing?! They needed to get out of here!

And here was Ren- apparently doing his own thing!

Makoto was not some over-her-head junior in this enterprise! God damnit! This was her hunt and everyone was fucking getting out alive! She sensed Ryuji behind her, his unconscious sister in his arms.

"Ren!" spat Makoto, her voice vehement venom. "Put that fucking nose to work and find us the exit!"

In a calmer moment, Makoto might have felt satisfaction in the way Ren's body immediately responded to her tone: His face became somewhat anxious, Ren hop-skipped to the other office door, paused for a brief moment, then opened it softly and slipped through. But instead of satisfaction, Makoto felt the boil of her anger rise. Ann should have been Ren's priority the whole time! What could be in a desk that would delay a sensible person?

Makoto tired a deep, calming breath. They were underway, at least.

Ryuji stepped past her, Ann's dangling boots scraping against Makoto's arm. The young woman was very pale, as was Ryuji's face, but it was also locked in a sort of fierce desperation- Ryuji's eyes were focused on the outer door through which Ren had just vanished. Makoto motioned him onward and drew her gun. Ryuji knew to follow Ren, so Makoto would take the read-guard.

Ryuji strode eagerly into the waiting hallway, his own waist-lantern still casting light ahead of them. The mansion, which Makoto assumed they'd now returned to, was dark with nightfall- assuming there were any real windows in the place. The hall was broad, with large paintings looming out of the darkness on each side, passing unseen in shadow as Ryuji's lantern went ahead and Makoto did her best to walk backwards, lighting the lengthening darkness behind them, and trying to see ahead, too. Where the hell did Ren go? He didn't have a lantern himself, so he'd just vanished into the dark!

But then Ryuji's advancing light revealed a gleam of red eyes and Makoto's heart jumped into her throat- but another step forward and Ren's body seemed to materialize out of the darkness. His arm silently indicated a right turn in the hall, and then Ren strode in that direction, to vanish outside their pool of light once more. Ryuji turned to follow, one of Ann's arms dangling limply from his grasp.

The proceeded this way for two more turns, and just as Makoto was beginning to worry they were not in the Madarame mansion at all (how could it be so big?!)- she followed Ryuji around the corner to see the hallway open out into the upper balcony of an atrium. And it was already illuminated softly by an unseen source.

Based on the flickering quality to the light and a multitude of shadows on the wall, Makoto deduced the light was coming from lanterns on the ground floor, several of them. She doused her own lantern as she cut in front of Ryuji and joined Ren, who was pressed against the corner of the wall, unwilling to reveal himself to the light coming from below. She could hear the soft murmur of male voices.

"Who-?" said Makoto.

"Akechi and the Guard," whispered Ren. "They killed Madarame."

Akechi!? Of all Makoto's worries and predictions- this had not been one of them. And he had killed Madarame? He'd been the one to finish the monster she'd been hunting?

Briefly. In the span of a microsecond. Makoto felt a twang of angry jealousy.

But then relief flooded through her, drowning out everything else. Madarame was dead. This confirmed vampire lair was already secured by Tock-Yo authorities. Ann was safe. All they needed to do was get her to the doctor, and now that would be the simple act of walking out the front door and returning to their waiting carriage.

Makoto was eager to end this mission. She stepped past Ren, but his arm shot out and his palm pressed against her core, the solid spot just below her breasts. Makoto was halted and she felt a surge of giddiness flow in every direction at Ren's touch. He'd never touched her there before- and despite everything on Makoto's mind, despite the stress of the evening, despite the urgency of Ann's injury- Makoto was momentarily shocked by her own reaction to Ren. She stared into his grey eyes, her mind momentarily blank.

Ren stared back seriously. "They have rifles," he whispered. "They are agitated, in the dark, and just killed a vampire. Don't make abrupt moves, Makoto."

Ren's hand withdrew from her body, and Makoto blinked, shook off the sensation, and took a deep breath. That- that was probably a good point. But she was illogically disappointed in what Ren said, though she was unsure why. But it wasn't something to worry about now.

Makoto remained near Ren, behind the corner and out of view.

"Captain Akechi!" shouted Makoto, "Thank you for the assistance!"

There was a mumble of shocked voices from below, a shuffling of light sources, and no few rifles clacking about. Then a tense silence.

"Who's there? Niijima?"

"Yes. And I have a wounded companion. I'm coming out."

"Fine."

Makoto took a breath, and then stepped out into the lantern light. Arrayed in a semi-circle below her, twelve council guards were pointing their rifles at her. Akechi stood in the back, slightly dim in the residual light bouncing around the room from the lanterns. His own pistol was in his hands, but he was pointing it at the ground. His expression was unreadable to Makoto.

"God damn, it is you, Niijima," said Akechi. "Lower your weapons, men."

The rifles lowered and Makoto took a breath of relief. If she had suddenly come around that corner? Ren was right. That might have been bad. She looked back to her companions. Ren was in shadow and grim. Ryuji stood next to him, Ann looking alarmingly corpse-like in his arms.

"Let's go," said Makoto, motioning them forward.

Ryuji moved into the light with her, but Ren stayed put. He was frowning and shaking his head slightly, then he jerked up his chin as if to say: "you go". Well, Ren could do what Ren would do. Maybe he intended to exit the house somewhere else. Maybe it wasn't prudent for a half-vampire to step out in front of these vampire-slaying guards, abruptly or not. So, Makoto and Ryuji descended the stairs under the tense stares of Akechi and his men.

"Ryuji," Makoto said out of the corner of her mouth, "Don't talk. Let me get us out of here."

She saw Ryuji grimly nodd. He would probably obey, as his usual loud demeanor seemed incredibly subdued with his sister on death's door.

"What happened to the girl?" said Akechi, as they neared the ground floor.

"Some sort of demon clawed her," said Makoto. "She needs a physician."

"I think she needs a priest," said Akechi, his tone dismissive.

Ryuji's face twitched and he bared his teeth suddenly. Makoto put a warning hand on Ryuji's arm, and said: "She killed the demon herself. She's strong, but we need to hurry-"

Makoto took a step towards the nearby open doors of the estate, but Akechi stepped into her path, his guardsmen sensing the room and arraying themselves around their captain.

"She killed the demon?" said Akechi, "Well, we killed one ourselves,"

Akechi grinned at Makoto, his mocking smile bright even in the dim light. He pointed at the nearby corpse of a man in a gold robe. It was probably Madaramae, but it was headless and mangled, so Makoto couldn't be sure- but there didn't seem to be possibility of a lie, either.

"Looks like we bagged your vampire, Niijima," said Akechi.

Makoto knew he was trying to antagonize her, but she had already felt jealousy and dismissed it. She was genuinely relieved Akechi was here and that Madarame was dead. She looked at the headless body against the wall then back into Akechi's mocking smile. The only thing to do was appease the jackass enough so he would get out of the way.

"Thank God, you did," said Makoto, "You and your men saved us, Akechi. I owe you."

The mocking smile slowly faded from Akechi's face as he absorbed Makoto's sincere tone. He appeared confused and off balance, as if the universe had just dealt him an unexpected card.

"But we need to get Ann to the physician," said Makoto, "I'll provide any report you request in the future."

She turned towards the mansion's front door- the cool evening air beckoning. Finally, the escape from this house! Makoto felt a brief worry for Ren, but he would find his own way back to them, she was sure. What was most important was-

"Wait," said Akechi, his voice suddenly coy.

Makoto felt a tingle of dread in her gut at Akechi's new tone. She stopped and turned back. Akechi's calculating gaze had returned. And his impish grin.

"Wait for what?!" said Ryuji, suddenly. "We need to go!"

Akechi's smile grew wider. "You only need to go when I say you can go. I'm responding to a report that you all broke into this mansion illegally. And here you are. Illegally inside."

Makoto's mouth opened slightly in disbelief. Akechi was really going to risk Ann's life for this bullshit?! It was obvious she broke into this house illegally! But it was just as obvious it was justified! Wasn't it?!

"What?!" said Makoto, her voice slightly shrill to her own ears. "I was hunting a vampire here. And there it is! You just said you killed it! Just now!"

"But I still have to investigate the complaint."

Akechi's smile was now self-satisfied and confident, meanwhile Makoto felt her anger beginning to reboil. Akechi wanted trouble. He wasn't planning to let her leave like she wanted to- perhaps simply because he knew she wanted to. He didn't give a damn about Ann or Ryuji.

Makoto glanced at Ryuji. "Just take Ann to the carriage, Ryuji. I'll handle the Captain's questions."

"No," said Akechi, "The boy will stay until I say otherwise."

A guardsman stepped into Ryuji's path. A rifle half-leveled in Ryuji's general direction.

"Where's your dog, Niijima?" said Akechi. "Where's your pet dhampir?"

Makoto hesitated. Was that what he was after? To get at Ren somehow? Perhaps revenge for that defiance at her gala? Perhaps to construct more… fatal incident? Makoto's eyes flickered to Madarame's mangled corpse.

New anxiety mixed with Makoto's growing anger and frustration. Akechi and Ren had already come to conflict, but now Akechi was in a position of authority and had a dozen soldiers with him. Akechi was obviously looking to cause trouble and he had enough authority behind him to be really, really dangerous. Ren had been right to stay back. And Makoto was sure he would take Akechi's words as an obvious taunt, and Ren being smart, would prudently ignore the bait and sneak away to some other exit.

"We were separated," said Makoto. "I don't know where he is."

"Seperated, huh," said Akechi. He looked up towards the balcony. "Or maybe he's just a coward hiding in the dark!"

Oh, please. Ren wouldn't be so stupid to-

"I'm right here," said Ren.

Lanterns reoriented on Ren's dark form at the top of the stairs. Black hat. Torn, bloodied armor. A defiant gaze as a dozen rifles lifted and aimed at him.

Damnit! What was the problem with men! One man can say 'coward', and like a magic spell, turn another man into a total moron!

"Come down here, vampire," said Akechi. His voice was ominous. "Nice and slow."

"What's the meaning of this, Akechi?!" said Makoto, her anger beginning to leak into her voice. "Are you trying to defend the rights of a vampire you already killed? Who cares if any of us are in its house?!"

Akechi's head turned towards Makoto slowly, a sly grin growing broader. "Are you defending the rights of this vampire?" He gestured towards Ren, still descending the stairs, rifles following him.

Damn! She'd cast herself right into that trap, hadn't she?

"He's a citizen! He has a writ! You know that! You're delaying us for nothing!"

"I just see another vampire in a vampire's house," said Akechi, turning to face Ren's arrival on the ground floor. "Maybe you're an accomplice to the dead one? What do you think of that theory, vampire?"

Ren offered a small grin- but his eyes were just a bit too wide, a bit too intent on Akechi. "I think you're really brave with your toy soldiers here."

Akechi's eyes grew a little widet, too. "Is that a threat, Mr. Amamiya?"

"Is it?"

"My toys have real guns."

"Toys get broken."

God! That did sound like Ren was threatening the guard! And it looked like Ren and Akechi were about to attack each other! How had the situation degenerated into this?! Ann was dying! They needed to go. They needed to be done with this nonsense!

Makoto stepped forward, shoving into the circle of guards and pointed rifles. Ren's eyes flicked to her movement, returning to a relatively normal size as they did so. She'd broken his focus on Akechi, and she realized she could do the same for the rest of these fools. Her social status could break the spell of this masculine escalation. Akechi was a political creature, as was any socialite, and Makoto decided it was time to use the weight of her Father's name. No one official would take the risk of harming her. The people knew the name, and loved it.

Makoto stepped before Ren. A dozen rifle barrels now aiming almost directly at her. She glared definitely at Akechi, who seemed suddenly thoughtful. Calculating.

Well, she was calculating, too. A plan was forming in her mind. She would tell Akechi that if he wanted to fabricate some reason to shoot Ren, he would have to shoot her first! And to dramatize the point-

Makoto reached for one of nearby rifle barrels and jerked it towards her chest and opened her mouth to say-

BAM!

A flash of white. A concussive force of air. A hard punch against Makoto's chest staggered her back. She felt Ren grab her suddenly. The eyes of Akechi and all his guards went wide with shock, but none were larger than those of the man who held the rifle which she'd grabbed.

The tension in Makoto's neck went out and her head drooped. As her vision faded, she could see blood gushing from a hole in her armor, just above the breast.

Darkness.

END ACT 2

Author's Note:

Thank you for reading this story. And no, Makoto isn't dead.

However, I am not satisfied with my own work in this second act. I feel I limped through, and it just barely came together at the end to set the stage for Act 3.

I'm excited to write Act 3- as excited as I was when I first started this story… oh… long ago now.

But to do it right- I plan to write most of it before posting any of it. I don't want to trap myself into these teaser 2k word chapters; just desperate to get something out for "the week's update". So if I'm gonna do Act 3 at all, I want to have it complete and polished before I begin posting chapters.

For everyone reading this: thank you for reading and commenting as you went. I hope the story was entertaining and enjoyable. I sincerely plan to present the next act when I finish it.