THE CURE CH. 5
Zero laid exhausted on his couch, his arm draped over his face to block out the light that the end table lamp emitted. Countless books covered Zero’s coffee table and littered the floor of his apartment. Specific pages were bookmarked and highlighted.
After his encounter with the Level E a few nights ago, Zero had decided to visit the Association’s library. He had to find out if it had been telling the truth. The thought of becoming human again… It plagued Zero’s mind. It teased and taunted him. He knew it must have been too good to be true. But the possibility meant that there was hope for him. He couldn’t just ignore something that could save his life and give him back his humanity. He wouldn’t have to suffer anymore; no more bloodlust, no more hunger or pain, no more self-loathing. He would be able to live as a normal vampire hunter.
Turning his head toward the door, Zero sensed a presence. A knock finally broke the silence and Zero reluctantly sat up, swinging his legs over the side of the couch but didn’t stand.
“Zero, are you there?” Ayame’s voice echoed through the door.
Zero hunched over, resting his elbows on his knees and burying his face in his hands. He contemplated answering, but quickly decided against it. He was bothered that he couldn’t remember what happened the other night. He vaguely remembered getting out of the shower, and Ayame being there before he passed out and he woke up in bed naked. His towel was left in the middle of the floor. She came back to check on him later after he woke up and swore nothing happened, telling him about losing her apartment key, but why had she just let herself into his apartment to begin with? That was an invasion of his personal space and privacy. Plus, he was thirsting for blood again and he wasn’t about to let her in, just to tempt him… And he knew she would.
Ayame knocked again. “Zero, come on, I know you’re in there!”
Zero waited and heard a muffled sigh. “Fine, I’ll come back later.” A moment later, she was gone, and it was silent again.
Zero groaned, clutching his chest. His hunger was beginning to overwhelm him.
Zero got up and made his way to the kitchen, grabbing a glass from the cabinet and filling it with warm water. Reaching into his pocket, he retrieved the small tin filled with blood tablets and dropped a couple into the glass. He watched as the tablets sank, leaving a trail of bubbles as they dissolved. The water turned pink and eventually seeped into a deep crimson. He continued to stare at it, dreading when the nauseating liquid would inevitably come back up later. Taking a deep breath and preparing himself, Zero threw back the glass and consumed its contents before slamming it back down on the counter. He couldn’t keep the disgusted look from his face as the last of the putrid liquid slid down his throat.
Wiping his mouth with the inside of his arm, Zero made his way back into the living room and sat back on the edge of the couch with a heavy sigh.
Out of all the books and research that Zero went through, there were only vague accounts of pureblood vampires with the ability to temporarily suppress vampirism and in some cases, restore humanity to Level D and E vampires, although they were extremely rare and most likely extinct. There wasn’t much hard evidence or any good leads so far. Someone could have easily made such stories up to give hope to doomed vampires…
Zero picked up the book that he had discarded on the coffee table and resumed reading where he left off.
‘Purebloods have a wide assortment of abilities and talents. Some pureblood powers are very common among many purebloods; however, other abilities are much more unique and uncommon. Many purebloods who possess exceptional gifts, such as restoring humanity to vampires, often go to great lengths to hide away and in many cases, choose to keep their abilities a secret to protect themselves. Vampire hunters possess certain techniques for tracking, recognizing, and locating these purebloods, however they are not openly shared and very few hunters are entrusted with such information.’
To Zero’s dismay, the text didn’t go into any more detail than that. Zero growled in exasperation and threw the book across the room. Basically, these gifted purebloods were kept a secret, although Zero didn’t understand why these purebloods, assuming they existed, choose to hide away instead of using their abilities to prevent transformations to Level E, therefore keeping them from killing people. It didn’t make sense. Zero blew it off as they were simply heartless beasts and didn’t care about other vampires’ fate, yet alone any of their innocent human victims.
Zero rubbed his sore, tired eyes and slouched back into the couch.
Looks like he was doomed after all.
He closed his heavy eyes and let slumber take him.
Zero stirred from his sleep, vaguely feeling something softly caress the side of his face as he woke. His eyes drifted open and he saw Yuki hovering above him, her eyes soft and full of concern. When it finally registered in his groggy head that Yuki was standing over him, Zero suddenly bolted up, Bloody Rose instantly in hand and ready. Yuki retracted her hand from his face, her expression converting into one of sadness but she remained silent.
“What the hell do you think you’re doing here?” Zero demanded, “How did you get in?” His finger tightened on the trigger.
Slowly, her hand reached up and gently lowered the Bloody Rose. For some reason unknown to him, he didn’t resist. “I don’t want to be your enemy, Zero.”
Zero gasped as he startled himself awake, sitting up with his heart racing. He instantly regretted the rapid movement, his stomach churning in response. Those tablets that he took were about to pay him another visit.
He clumsily made it to the bathroom, kneeling to the toilet and emptied what little stomach contents he had.
He proceeded to the sink, locating his tooth brush and tooth paste, to wash out the horrible taste left in his mouth. About 10 minutes of thoroughly scrubbing his mouth and gargling about three mouthfuls of mouthwash later, Zero was about to exit the bathroom when he caught his reflection in the mirror. He usually avoided mirrors; he hated seeing himself as one of them, let alone in his condition. But for some reason he looked at himself, taking in his own appearance. His reflection was someone one he didn’t quite recognize. It was as if he were looking at a strange lookalike of himself but not quite himself. His skin was pale and features worn and rugged, his silver hair was a wild tangled mess… And his eyes glimmering a sinister crimson. His reflection was of a blood-sucking beast.
Zero punched the mirror, unable to stand the sight, shattering shards of glass all over the bathroom tile. Cuts marred his clenched fist, blood dripping. Breathing heavily, his chest heaved up and down as he leaned over the sink, urging himself to calm down.
He couldn’t give up on the cure; He had to keep searching. If he remained a vampire, he would have no future. He would fall to Level E and die a vicious, vile monster. Even if it was a lost cause and he wasted what was left of his time searching, it would be worth it. It would be better than waiting for the beast inside of him to take over... He didn’t want to be afraid to look at himself in the mirror anymore.
Snapping out of his sudden fit of rage, he noticed the mess he had created. He pulled the white hand towel from where it hung on the holder and wrapped his bloodied knuckles. He knelt down and began to clean up the shards and blood from the bathroom floor. He hadn’t made much progress when a knock interrupted the silence. Zero continued to clean up his mess with no intention of answering. Still, the knocking persisted, along with Ayame’s muffled voice making threats through the door if he didn’t let her in this time. Zero finally sighed, setting down the glass and standing to make his way back into the living room to answer the door, the bloodied white rag still wrapped around his wounded hand.
Ayame’s expression was initially cheerful but instantly contorted into one of shock and concern. “What happened?!” she exclaimed, letting herself in and guiding him to the sofa where they both sat down. She took his hand into hers and gently removed the cloth to take a look at the damage.
“I’m fine,” he half-heartedly reassured her, annoyed by the unnecessary attention.
“What did you do?” she asked, pulling out the tiny shards from his knuckles and using the stained rag to wipe away some of the blood.
Zero remained silent. After the pieces of glass were completely removed, she stood, “I’ll get the first aid.” She headed for the bathroom and it took Zero a moment to register her actions. He stood to stop her, but it was too late. She was standing in the bathroom doorway, peering down at the broken glass and bloodied floor in awe. But as if recovering from the shock, she disregarded the scene and carefully stepped around the glass to retrieve the first aid kit from the medicine cabinet.
There was a heavy tension in the air, but neither of them said anything as they sat back down and she wrapped his hand with gauze after applying some antibiotics. He didn’t see the point in going through all the trouble to bandage up his wounds; they’d be gone before nightfall, if not sooner. But he remained silent and let her do what she wanted…
Although she didn’t show it, she was still thinking about the mess in the bathroom. Initially it would have looked as though Zero had been attacked, but if only it weren’t for his bloodied knuckles. He obviously punched the mirror… But why would he do that? He must have been struggling with accepting what he was… his fate. It must be difficult for him and she couldn’t even imagine what it must feel like. Her heart hurt for him. Level Es gradually become more irritable and violent. They often show signs of self-harm… And they eventually can’t control their anger or their actions… He had all the signs. She was being forced to witness the progression in Zero, and she simply couldn’t bare it. A simple tear fell from her eye and she quickly brushed it away, but not without Zero noticing.
Zero just turned away. He didn’t want to know what she was thinking or why she was crying… He couldn’t bring himself to care at the moment.
~*~
Yuki bit her lip and tapped her foot impatiently as she sat on the sofa, eagerly awaiting her adoptive father’s return. Yuki inhaled deeply, immediately feeling more content. She had missed the smell of home, as strange as it seemed.
Although Yuki still hadn’t voiced any of her concerns to Kaname about feeling out-of-place at the manor, she knew that he could sense her discontentment. Here she was, fidgeting anxiously in her adoptive father’s living room for his return.
Finally, the door stirred and Kaien entered, distracted by the paperwork in his hand. After a moment, he peered up and his paperwork suddenly flew up and littered the floor. “Oh, my Yuki has returned to me!” Cross exclaimed dramatically upon seeing her in his quarters, waiting for his return. “What a pleasant surprise!”
“Father!” Yuki exclaimed happily, all but throwing herself in his welcoming arms. “I’ve missed you so much!”
“Yes, we have much to catch up on!” he led her to the table to sit. “I bet you are absolutely starved from your travels. I have this new recipe that I-”
Yuki began to tune out his rambling as he went to work in the kitchen cooking up a bunch of his concoctions. Strangely, she didn’t mind whatever she would be forced to eat. She was just happy to be home again. Being in familiar surroundings was so refreshing and made her feel at ease for the first time in a while. This was exactly what she needed.
~*~
“Zero Kiryu may be the best hunter this association has ever seen, but he is also a grave threat to this association. He’s undoubtedly unstable, and it’s only a matter of time before he loses his sanity.”
“I agree. It’s a wonder how he has managed to hold on this long.”
“It may be close to impossible to destroy him once he falls to Level E. I say we take care of him while he is still manageable.”
“I hate to say it, but I agree as well. We must avoid as much bloodshed as possible.”
Ayame couldn’t believe her ears, as she sat among the Association's higher ups for a meeting. Her heart pounded in her chest, her whole body trembling. Tears threatened to fall from her unyielding face as she spoke, “Are you people listening you yourselves?!” Ayame stood abruptly; causing her chair to crash to the floor behind her. “I can’t believe any of you would be comfortable with murdering ‘the best hunter this association has ever seen,’ as you had so perfectly put it yourself, father! Zero Kiryu is an asset to us! No one has dared challenge us for as long as he is on our side! He is the only thing holding what’s left of this association together!” Ayame argued, “He hasn’t harmed anyone and he is managing just fine! He hasn’t given us reason to believe otherwise!” Ayame’s fists were clenched at her sides, shaking in rage, but also in fear… fear for Zero’s life. She couldn’t bear the thought of Zero’s death. Her own flesh and blood, her father and the president of the Hunter’s Association, was the man demanding the murder of someone very dear to her. How could he do that to her?!
“The girl does have a point. I would much rather have Kiryu as our ally than an enemy.”
“Yes, but Zero’s fate is unavoidable. He will lose his mind once he falls to Level E. He will become the most powerful, destructive level E any of us have ever known and then it’ll be our duty to eliminate him.” Ayame’s jaw tighten, her head bowed to hide the tears in her eyes as she heard her father’s words, “It’s now or later; if we delay the inevitable, innocent lives could be lost in the process. We must act now, before it is too late!”
Unable to listen anymore, Ayame stormed out of the room. As Ayame reached the front steps to the building and began to descend them, her father cut her off, grabbing her by the shoulder and spinning her around to face him. Ayame gasped, taken off guard.
“What the hell was that back there, Ayame?!” He yelled at her, “You were way out of line! What the hell is wrong with you?!”
“Father, how could you?” Ayame’s voice shook as she spoke. The grip he had on Ayame’s shoulders was painful and would probably bruise, but she barely acknowledged it. She couldn’t even bear to look him in the eye, her bangs shadowing her face.
“This is for your own good,” he said harshly, “You stay away from that boy, Ayame. He is nothing but trouble.” The man’s face softened and he pulled her to him in a firm embrace that didn’t allow for objection. “I’m doing this to protect you. He will turn on you, Ayame; like a rabid dog. You’ll understand and thank me one day.”
Before she could say anything more, her father left her without another word and she made her way back to the association dorm apartments. Zero’s life was in danger and she wasn’t about to stand by and do nothing. She had to warn him.
Ayame eagerly pounded on Zero’s door. “Zero, let me in!” She waited a short moment, but there was no sound from the other side of the door. “Zero, please! It’s important!” she pleaded.
Slowly, she heard the lock on the other side of the door unlatch and she impatiently pushed her way into Zero’s apartment, disregarding his protests. She quickly shut the door, locking it, and forced him back against it.
“What the hell is this all about, Ayame?” Zero demanded, not too happy about virtually being manhandled.
Ayame held his shoulders firmly to the door as she spoke gravely. “You have to get out of here. The association is plotting against you, Zero. They think you’re unstable and a threat to the association. They’re going to come after you any minute!” To Ayame’s surprise and confusion, Zero relaxed at her words. He wasn’t alarmed in the least. “Zero, aren’t you hearing me?!”
Zero sighed and ran his hand through his hair, pushing her off of him and making his way to the couch. Ayame watched him sit down with a questioning look, waiting for him to say something.
“I know,” Zero finally said. He had already known it was going to happen... or at least suspected. All of the anxious whispers and the cautious glances didn’t go unnoticed every time he was around other hunters. Everyone was always on edge around him, but he didn’t blame them… They were smart to be cautious. He was a ticking time bomb.
“You know?” Ayame repeated incredulously. “How? Then why are you still here?!”
“Ayame, this isn’t your concern. You shouldn’t be getting involved in these things; it’s dangerous.”
Ayame’s brows furrowed and she walked over to where he sat on the sofa, bending down to look him in the eye. She stared at him, trying to judge his expression as he avoided her gaze. She grumbled in agitation. “But Zero-“
“Just by being here and telling me all of this, you’re betraying the association and aiding a fugitive. You could be killed.” Zero interrupted, his gaze was firm when they met hers. “Go back to your dorm, Ayame. You weren’t here.”
After a moment, Ayame stood in defeat. “You’re not going to let them kill you, are you Zero?”
Zero remained silent, avoiding her gaze again.
Frustrated and realizing he wasn’t going to answer, she found comfort in the fact that he used the word 'fugitive,' as if he planned on running. Ayame leaned down and placed a quick, chaste kiss on his cheek. Mildly taken off guard, Zero stared at her a moment before she reluctantly left his apartment without a word.
When she was gone, Zero stood and began to pace the room. He honestly didn’t know what he planned to do; he had been avoiding this issue for a while. He didn’t have many options. If he ran, he didn’t have anywhere to go and they’d hunt him down. If he stayed and did nothing or turned himself in, they’d likely kill him on sight. He doubted they could be reasoned with once they made their decision.
Mind made up, Zero began to quickly gather anything that he needed, stuffing it in his old school book bag. He rummaged through his closet and groaned when a hard object fell over and struck him over the head. Lightly rubbing the now tender area of his skull, Zero picked up the culprit of the newly developing lump on his head. It was a long, heavy object folded neatly in a white cloth. Zero unwrapped the object to reveal Ichiru’s sword.
Something tugged at Zero’s chest. He had forgotten about some of his twin brother’s things that he stashed away in his closet. There was a box that contained the remains of Ichiru’s belongings; his white mask, Shizuka’s bells that he use to wear in his hair, and various other personal belongings that had been left in his dorm room after the battle with Rido. After brief thought, Zero took the bells, fighting the urge to cringe at the obnoxious jingling as he did so. Although they were originally Shizuka’s bells, they reminded him more of his brother, seeing as it had become his signature hair accessory after Shizuka’s death. The last time Zero had seen his brother, he was wearing those bells. They had been something very dear to Ichiru. Zero wrapped the ribbon of the bells around the hilt of the sword and secured them there as if they were a decoration, proceeding to mount his twin’s weapon at his waist, and placed the mask in his bag for later use. He was about to become a fugitive; he would likely need to hide his identity from now on.
Zero continued to pack clothes, blood tablets, money, and weapons into his bag and heaved it over one of his shoulders before heading to the door, still unsure about his destination. He paused, looking the apartment over one last time.
His bed was unmade. Books still cluttered the small space. There were a few dishes in the sink.
He sighed before turning and flipping off the light. He was about to grab for the door knob when there was a sudden knock at the door. He could tell immediately that it wasn’t Ayame.
‘Well the easy way out of here is off limits now,’ he thought wryly to himself.
The knocking got louder and more persistent, as if it were being bashed in.
Zero quickly moved to the window above the kitchen sink. He struggled at first to pry it open. Finally the window gave out and slid up with an ear-piercing screech. Once open, Zero climbed over the counter and out of the window, using the fire escape to make his getaway.
The door to Zero’s apartment burst open seconds later. A group of hunters rushed in and began to search. Ayame’s father stood angrily in the doorway while they did their job.
“There!” one of them shouted, pointing out of the window. They all three gathered around the open window, aiming their ranged weapons at Zero’s retreating back.
Arrows littered the ground, Zero struggling to dodge them. He cried out in agony, as an arrow pierced through his back clear to his chest, a throwing star stuck in his right arm and another grazed his left leg.
Moments later, they lowered their weapons.
“He’s gone. We were too late, he knew we were coming,” one of the hunters informed him. “But he’s badly wounded.”
Upon hearing those words, the head of the Association stormed the short distance to his daughter’s apartment and had beat down her door in seconds. There was only one person who could have warned Zero of their plan. Ayame was about to intimately know the wrath of her father.
Startled, Ayame stared wide-eyed up at her father from her seat at the kitchen table with a book in her hand and a bowl of cereal sitting on the table in front of her.
Before her door had gotten busted in, she had heard the commotion across the hall but she didn’t dare peek outside her door to look. She had been sitting in her apartment, pretending to read a book, hoping that Zero had gotten away. Now she stared up at her father, pretending to be oblivious to what was going on when she was really awaiting the new as to whether or not they had caught Zero. “Did you get him?” she asked dryly, taking a bite of her cereal and returning her gaze back to her book, crossing her legs in indifference.
“He’d known we were coming,” he informed her, “You wouldn’t happened to have anything to do with that, would you?” He questioned threateningly.
‘So they hadn’t got him,’ she thought with relief. She swallowed hard, trying to keep her cool. “Of course not.” She answered as if it were the most obvious answer in the world. She looked as if she hadn’t bothered to take her eyes off the book when she answered out of spite, but really, she was afraid he might see through her lie if she were to look at him.
He leaned down in her face in an aggressive manner. “Good,” he snapped lowly, “Because if I find out that you had anything to do with his escape, you will pay dearly.”
She didn’t doubt the sincerity of his words; she knew just by the scowl on his face that he was indeed prepared to murder his own flesh and blood if she had betrayed him.
~*~
Zero’s vision was beginning to blur, but he could barely make out the city lights in the distance. He could find an inn to sleep in for the night, but in his condition it would raise questions and draw too much attention. He still had a long way to go before he reached civilization and he was feeling very weak… and thirsty. He couldn’t risk being around people.
Limping, Zero found a tree to rest and relieved himself of the weight of his bag. He couldn’t stay in one place too long. The association would be looking for him.
Zero felt rather numb at this point, he had lost so much blood. Struggling to think straight, he turned his attention to his wounds. The throwing dagger was still lodged in his arm, the arrow still protruding from his back. Zero winced, firmly grasping the anti-vampire weapon stuck in his arm. He took a deep breath and yanked it out. Zero cried out in pain before throwing the throwing star away. Blood was flowing more freely now; He needed to stop the bleeding.
Zero pulled his bag into his lap and rummaged through it. He pulled out one of his shirts, wrapping it tightly around his wound and tied it securely over his bloodied sleeve, seeing as he couldn’t remove his soiled clothes with an arrow protruding from his back. It would do for now but he needed medical help soon. He couldn’t pull the arrow out himself. Zero knew he definitely couldn’t go to a hospital, so that left only one other option… Kaien Cross. Zero knew Cross would take him in willingly and bandage him up good as new. He really didn’t want to get his adoptive father involved, but he didn’t really have a choice at the moment. He had nowhere else to go.
Grabbing his book bag, Zero began to zip it back up when he noticed that his brother’s mask was laying on the ground. It must have fallen out when he was looking through his bag. Zero strained a bit to pick it up, then managing to slip it on over his head. Now was as good a time as any to start wearing it...
He used the tree for support to stand, lifting his bag onto his good shoulder and set out for Cross Academy.
~*~
After a very fulfilling home cooked meal and catching up with her adoptive father, Cross had to return to his paper work and other matters, reluctantly leaving Yuki alone for a while. He apologized profusely for having to go so soon after she arrived, but Yuki assured him that it was fine and that they could talk more later. She contemplated staying the night, but she thought Kaname might worry.
Once the Headmaster left, Yuki had set to work on cleaning the dishes, filling the sink with warm water and gathering all of the dishes to the sink. She hummed happily to herself as she then began to scrub each dish clean.
Yuki suddenly paused. She couldn’t hear much over the running of water, but she could’ve sworn she heard a crash. Shutting off the faucet, she cautiously peered out into the dining room. “Father?” she called with uncertainty. There was no response. She didn’t see anyone, but she could smell… blood. She noticed a small trail of blood, bloody hand smudges on the table, one of the chairs were tipped over, and finally she registered the stickiness on her hands. Glancing down, her hands were coated crimson from where she had touched the door knob.
Before Yuki could fully process, she gasped as she was roughly grabbed from behind, a hand muffling her scream.
Zero laid exhausted on his couch, his arm draped over his face to block out the light that the end table lamp emitted. Countless books covered Zero’s coffee table and littered the floor of his apartment. Specific pages were bookmarked and highlighted.
After his encounter with the Level E a few nights ago, Zero had decided to visit the Association’s library. He had to find out if it had been telling the truth. The thought of becoming human again… It plagued Zero’s mind. It teased and taunted him. He knew it must have been too good to be true. But the possibility meant that there was hope for him. He couldn’t just ignore something that could save his life and give him back his humanity. He wouldn’t have to suffer anymore; no more bloodlust, no more hunger or pain, no more self-loathing. He would be able to live as a normal vampire hunter.
Turning his head toward the door, Zero sensed a presence. A knock finally broke the silence and Zero reluctantly sat up, swinging his legs over the side of the couch but didn’t stand.
“Zero, are you there?” Ayame’s voice echoed through the door.
Zero hunched over, resting his elbows on his knees and burying his face in his hands. He contemplated answering, but quickly decided against it. He was bothered that he couldn’t remember what happened the other night. He vaguely remembered getting out of the shower, and Ayame being there before he passed out and he woke up in bed naked. His towel was left in the middle of the floor. She came back to check on him later after he woke up and swore nothing happened, telling him about losing her apartment key, but why had she just let herself into his apartment to begin with? That was an invasion of his personal space and privacy. Plus, he was thirsting for blood again and he wasn’t about to let her in, just to tempt him… And he knew she would.
Ayame knocked again. “Zero, come on, I know you’re in there!”
Zero waited and heard a muffled sigh. “Fine, I’ll come back later.” A moment later, she was gone, and it was silent again.
Zero groaned, clutching his chest. His hunger was beginning to overwhelm him.
Zero got up and made his way to the kitchen, grabbing a glass from the cabinet and filling it with warm water. Reaching into his pocket, he retrieved the small tin filled with blood tablets and dropped a couple into the glass. He watched as the tablets sank, leaving a trail of bubbles as they dissolved. The water turned pink and eventually seeped into a deep crimson. He continued to stare at it, dreading when the nauseating liquid would inevitably come back up later. Taking a deep breath and preparing himself, Zero threw back the glass and consumed its contents before slamming it back down on the counter. He couldn’t keep the disgusted look from his face as the last of the putrid liquid slid down his throat.
Wiping his mouth with the inside of his arm, Zero made his way back into the living room and sat back on the edge of the couch with a heavy sigh.
Out of all the books and research that Zero went through, there were only vague accounts of pureblood vampires with the ability to temporarily suppress vampirism and in some cases, restore humanity to Level D and E vampires, although they were extremely rare and most likely extinct. There wasn’t much hard evidence or any good leads so far. Someone could have easily made such stories up to give hope to doomed vampires…
Zero picked up the book that he had discarded on the coffee table and resumed reading where he left off.
‘Purebloods have a wide assortment of abilities and talents. Some pureblood powers are very common among many purebloods; however, other abilities are much more unique and uncommon. Many purebloods who possess exceptional gifts, such as restoring humanity to vampires, often go to great lengths to hide away and in many cases, choose to keep their abilities a secret to protect themselves. Vampire hunters possess certain techniques for tracking, recognizing, and locating these purebloods, however they are not openly shared and very few hunters are entrusted with such information.’
To Zero’s dismay, the text didn’t go into any more detail than that. Zero growled in exasperation and threw the book across the room. Basically, these gifted purebloods were kept a secret, although Zero didn’t understand why these purebloods, assuming they existed, choose to hide away instead of using their abilities to prevent transformations to Level E, therefore keeping them from killing people. It didn’t make sense. Zero blew it off as they were simply heartless beasts and didn’t care about other vampires’ fate, yet alone any of their innocent human victims.
Zero rubbed his sore, tired eyes and slouched back into the couch.
Looks like he was doomed after all.
He closed his heavy eyes and let slumber take him.
Zero stirred from his sleep, vaguely feeling something softly caress the side of his face as he woke. His eyes drifted open and he saw Yuki hovering above him, her eyes soft and full of concern. When it finally registered in his groggy head that Yuki was standing over him, Zero suddenly bolted up, Bloody Rose instantly in hand and ready. Yuki retracted her hand from his face, her expression converting into one of sadness but she remained silent.
“What the hell do you think you’re doing here?” Zero demanded, “How did you get in?” His finger tightened on the trigger.
Slowly, her hand reached up and gently lowered the Bloody Rose. For some reason unknown to him, he didn’t resist. “I don’t want to be your enemy, Zero.”
Zero gasped as he startled himself awake, sitting up with his heart racing. He instantly regretted the rapid movement, his stomach churning in response. Those tablets that he took were about to pay him another visit.
He clumsily made it to the bathroom, kneeling to the toilet and emptied what little stomach contents he had.
He proceeded to the sink, locating his tooth brush and tooth paste, to wash out the horrible taste left in his mouth. About 10 minutes of thoroughly scrubbing his mouth and gargling about three mouthfuls of mouthwash later, Zero was about to exit the bathroom when he caught his reflection in the mirror. He usually avoided mirrors; he hated seeing himself as one of them, let alone in his condition. But for some reason he looked at himself, taking in his own appearance. His reflection was someone one he didn’t quite recognize. It was as if he were looking at a strange lookalike of himself but not quite himself. His skin was pale and features worn and rugged, his silver hair was a wild tangled mess… And his eyes glimmering a sinister crimson. His reflection was of a blood-sucking beast.
Zero punched the mirror, unable to stand the sight, shattering shards of glass all over the bathroom tile. Cuts marred his clenched fist, blood dripping. Breathing heavily, his chest heaved up and down as he leaned over the sink, urging himself to calm down.
He couldn’t give up on the cure; He had to keep searching. If he remained a vampire, he would have no future. He would fall to Level E and die a vicious, vile monster. Even if it was a lost cause and he wasted what was left of his time searching, it would be worth it. It would be better than waiting for the beast inside of him to take over... He didn’t want to be afraid to look at himself in the mirror anymore.
Snapping out of his sudden fit of rage, he noticed the mess he had created. He pulled the white hand towel from where it hung on the holder and wrapped his bloodied knuckles. He knelt down and began to clean up the shards and blood from the bathroom floor. He hadn’t made much progress when a knock interrupted the silence. Zero continued to clean up his mess with no intention of answering. Still, the knocking persisted, along with Ayame’s muffled voice making threats through the door if he didn’t let her in this time. Zero finally sighed, setting down the glass and standing to make his way back into the living room to answer the door, the bloodied white rag still wrapped around his wounded hand.
Ayame’s expression was initially cheerful but instantly contorted into one of shock and concern. “What happened?!” she exclaimed, letting herself in and guiding him to the sofa where they both sat down. She took his hand into hers and gently removed the cloth to take a look at the damage.
“I’m fine,” he half-heartedly reassured her, annoyed by the unnecessary attention.
“What did you do?” she asked, pulling out the tiny shards from his knuckles and using the stained rag to wipe away some of the blood.
Zero remained silent. After the pieces of glass were completely removed, she stood, “I’ll get the first aid.” She headed for the bathroom and it took Zero a moment to register her actions. He stood to stop her, but it was too late. She was standing in the bathroom doorway, peering down at the broken glass and bloodied floor in awe. But as if recovering from the shock, she disregarded the scene and carefully stepped around the glass to retrieve the first aid kit from the medicine cabinet.
There was a heavy tension in the air, but neither of them said anything as they sat back down and she wrapped his hand with gauze after applying some antibiotics. He didn’t see the point in going through all the trouble to bandage up his wounds; they’d be gone before nightfall, if not sooner. But he remained silent and let her do what she wanted…
Although she didn’t show it, she was still thinking about the mess in the bathroom. Initially it would have looked as though Zero had been attacked, but if only it weren’t for his bloodied knuckles. He obviously punched the mirror… But why would he do that? He must have been struggling with accepting what he was… his fate. It must be difficult for him and she couldn’t even imagine what it must feel like. Her heart hurt for him. Level Es gradually become more irritable and violent. They often show signs of self-harm… And they eventually can’t control their anger or their actions… He had all the signs. She was being forced to witness the progression in Zero, and she simply couldn’t bare it. A simple tear fell from her eye and she quickly brushed it away, but not without Zero noticing.
Zero just turned away. He didn’t want to know what she was thinking or why she was crying… He couldn’t bring himself to care at the moment.
~*~
Yuki bit her lip and tapped her foot impatiently as she sat on the sofa, eagerly awaiting her adoptive father’s return. Yuki inhaled deeply, immediately feeling more content. She had missed the smell of home, as strange as it seemed.
Although Yuki still hadn’t voiced any of her concerns to Kaname about feeling out-of-place at the manor, she knew that he could sense her discontentment. Here she was, fidgeting anxiously in her adoptive father’s living room for his return.
Finally, the door stirred and Kaien entered, distracted by the paperwork in his hand. After a moment, he peered up and his paperwork suddenly flew up and littered the floor. “Oh, my Yuki has returned to me!” Cross exclaimed dramatically upon seeing her in his quarters, waiting for his return. “What a pleasant surprise!”
“Father!” Yuki exclaimed happily, all but throwing herself in his welcoming arms. “I’ve missed you so much!”
“Yes, we have much to catch up on!” he led her to the table to sit. “I bet you are absolutely starved from your travels. I have this new recipe that I-”
Yuki began to tune out his rambling as he went to work in the kitchen cooking up a bunch of his concoctions. Strangely, she didn’t mind whatever she would be forced to eat. She was just happy to be home again. Being in familiar surroundings was so refreshing and made her feel at ease for the first time in a while. This was exactly what she needed.
~*~
“Zero Kiryu may be the best hunter this association has ever seen, but he is also a grave threat to this association. He’s undoubtedly unstable, and it’s only a matter of time before he loses his sanity.”
“I agree. It’s a wonder how he has managed to hold on this long.”
“It may be close to impossible to destroy him once he falls to Level E. I say we take care of him while he is still manageable.”
“I hate to say it, but I agree as well. We must avoid as much bloodshed as possible.”
Ayame couldn’t believe her ears, as she sat among the Association's higher ups for a meeting. Her heart pounded in her chest, her whole body trembling. Tears threatened to fall from her unyielding face as she spoke, “Are you people listening you yourselves?!” Ayame stood abruptly; causing her chair to crash to the floor behind her. “I can’t believe any of you would be comfortable with murdering ‘the best hunter this association has ever seen,’ as you had so perfectly put it yourself, father! Zero Kiryu is an asset to us! No one has dared challenge us for as long as he is on our side! He is the only thing holding what’s left of this association together!” Ayame argued, “He hasn’t harmed anyone and he is managing just fine! He hasn’t given us reason to believe otherwise!” Ayame’s fists were clenched at her sides, shaking in rage, but also in fear… fear for Zero’s life. She couldn’t bear the thought of Zero’s death. Her own flesh and blood, her father and the president of the Hunter’s Association, was the man demanding the murder of someone very dear to her. How could he do that to her?!
“The girl does have a point. I would much rather have Kiryu as our ally than an enemy.”
“Yes, but Zero’s fate is unavoidable. He will lose his mind once he falls to Level E. He will become the most powerful, destructive level E any of us have ever known and then it’ll be our duty to eliminate him.” Ayame’s jaw tighten, her head bowed to hide the tears in her eyes as she heard her father’s words, “It’s now or later; if we delay the inevitable, innocent lives could be lost in the process. We must act now, before it is too late!”
Unable to listen anymore, Ayame stormed out of the room. As Ayame reached the front steps to the building and began to descend them, her father cut her off, grabbing her by the shoulder and spinning her around to face him. Ayame gasped, taken off guard.
“What the hell was that back there, Ayame?!” He yelled at her, “You were way out of line! What the hell is wrong with you?!”
“Father, how could you?” Ayame’s voice shook as she spoke. The grip he had on Ayame’s shoulders was painful and would probably bruise, but she barely acknowledged it. She couldn’t even bear to look him in the eye, her bangs shadowing her face.
“This is for your own good,” he said harshly, “You stay away from that boy, Ayame. He is nothing but trouble.” The man’s face softened and he pulled her to him in a firm embrace that didn’t allow for objection. “I’m doing this to protect you. He will turn on you, Ayame; like a rabid dog. You’ll understand and thank me one day.”
Before she could say anything more, her father left her without another word and she made her way back to the association dorm apartments. Zero’s life was in danger and she wasn’t about to stand by and do nothing. She had to warn him.
Ayame eagerly pounded on Zero’s door. “Zero, let me in!” She waited a short moment, but there was no sound from the other side of the door. “Zero, please! It’s important!” she pleaded.
Slowly, she heard the lock on the other side of the door unlatch and she impatiently pushed her way into Zero’s apartment, disregarding his protests. She quickly shut the door, locking it, and forced him back against it.
“What the hell is this all about, Ayame?” Zero demanded, not too happy about virtually being manhandled.
Ayame held his shoulders firmly to the door as she spoke gravely. “You have to get out of here. The association is plotting against you, Zero. They think you’re unstable and a threat to the association. They’re going to come after you any minute!” To Ayame’s surprise and confusion, Zero relaxed at her words. He wasn’t alarmed in the least. “Zero, aren’t you hearing me?!”
Zero sighed and ran his hand through his hair, pushing her off of him and making his way to the couch. Ayame watched him sit down with a questioning look, waiting for him to say something.
“I know,” Zero finally said. He had already known it was going to happen... or at least suspected. All of the anxious whispers and the cautious glances didn’t go unnoticed every time he was around other hunters. Everyone was always on edge around him, but he didn’t blame them… They were smart to be cautious. He was a ticking time bomb.
“You know?” Ayame repeated incredulously. “How? Then why are you still here?!”
“Ayame, this isn’t your concern. You shouldn’t be getting involved in these things; it’s dangerous.”
Ayame’s brows furrowed and she walked over to where he sat on the sofa, bending down to look him in the eye. She stared at him, trying to judge his expression as he avoided her gaze. She grumbled in agitation. “But Zero-“
“Just by being here and telling me all of this, you’re betraying the association and aiding a fugitive. You could be killed.” Zero interrupted, his gaze was firm when they met hers. “Go back to your dorm, Ayame. You weren’t here.”
After a moment, Ayame stood in defeat. “You’re not going to let them kill you, are you Zero?”
Zero remained silent, avoiding her gaze again.
Frustrated and realizing he wasn’t going to answer, she found comfort in the fact that he used the word 'fugitive,' as if he planned on running. Ayame leaned down and placed a quick, chaste kiss on his cheek. Mildly taken off guard, Zero stared at her a moment before she reluctantly left his apartment without a word.
When she was gone, Zero stood and began to pace the room. He honestly didn’t know what he planned to do; he had been avoiding this issue for a while. He didn’t have many options. If he ran, he didn’t have anywhere to go and they’d hunt him down. If he stayed and did nothing or turned himself in, they’d likely kill him on sight. He doubted they could be reasoned with once they made their decision.
Mind made up, Zero began to quickly gather anything that he needed, stuffing it in his old school book bag. He rummaged through his closet and groaned when a hard object fell over and struck him over the head. Lightly rubbing the now tender area of his skull, Zero picked up the culprit of the newly developing lump on his head. It was a long, heavy object folded neatly in a white cloth. Zero unwrapped the object to reveal Ichiru’s sword.
Something tugged at Zero’s chest. He had forgotten about some of his twin brother’s things that he stashed away in his closet. There was a box that contained the remains of Ichiru’s belongings; his white mask, Shizuka’s bells that he use to wear in his hair, and various other personal belongings that had been left in his dorm room after the battle with Rido. After brief thought, Zero took the bells, fighting the urge to cringe at the obnoxious jingling as he did so. Although they were originally Shizuka’s bells, they reminded him more of his brother, seeing as it had become his signature hair accessory after Shizuka’s death. The last time Zero had seen his brother, he was wearing those bells. They had been something very dear to Ichiru. Zero wrapped the ribbon of the bells around the hilt of the sword and secured them there as if they were a decoration, proceeding to mount his twin’s weapon at his waist, and placed the mask in his bag for later use. He was about to become a fugitive; he would likely need to hide his identity from now on.
Zero continued to pack clothes, blood tablets, money, and weapons into his bag and heaved it over one of his shoulders before heading to the door, still unsure about his destination. He paused, looking the apartment over one last time.
His bed was unmade. Books still cluttered the small space. There were a few dishes in the sink.
He sighed before turning and flipping off the light. He was about to grab for the door knob when there was a sudden knock at the door. He could tell immediately that it wasn’t Ayame.
‘Well the easy way out of here is off limits now,’ he thought wryly to himself.
The knocking got louder and more persistent, as if it were being bashed in.
Zero quickly moved to the window above the kitchen sink. He struggled at first to pry it open. Finally the window gave out and slid up with an ear-piercing screech. Once open, Zero climbed over the counter and out of the window, using the fire escape to make his getaway.
The door to Zero’s apartment burst open seconds later. A group of hunters rushed in and began to search. Ayame’s father stood angrily in the doorway while they did their job.
“There!” one of them shouted, pointing out of the window. They all three gathered around the open window, aiming their ranged weapons at Zero’s retreating back.
Arrows littered the ground, Zero struggling to dodge them. He cried out in agony, as an arrow pierced through his back clear to his chest, a throwing star stuck in his right arm and another grazed his left leg.
Moments later, they lowered their weapons.
“He’s gone. We were too late, he knew we were coming,” one of the hunters informed him. “But he’s badly wounded.”
Upon hearing those words, the head of the Association stormed the short distance to his daughter’s apartment and had beat down her door in seconds. There was only one person who could have warned Zero of their plan. Ayame was about to intimately know the wrath of her father.
Startled, Ayame stared wide-eyed up at her father from her seat at the kitchen table with a book in her hand and a bowl of cereal sitting on the table in front of her.
Before her door had gotten busted in, she had heard the commotion across the hall but she didn’t dare peek outside her door to look. She had been sitting in her apartment, pretending to read a book, hoping that Zero had gotten away. Now she stared up at her father, pretending to be oblivious to what was going on when she was really awaiting the new as to whether or not they had caught Zero. “Did you get him?” she asked dryly, taking a bite of her cereal and returning her gaze back to her book, crossing her legs in indifference.
“He’d known we were coming,” he informed her, “You wouldn’t happened to have anything to do with that, would you?” He questioned threateningly.
‘So they hadn’t got him,’ she thought with relief. She swallowed hard, trying to keep her cool. “Of course not.” She answered as if it were the most obvious answer in the world. She looked as if she hadn’t bothered to take her eyes off the book when she answered out of spite, but really, she was afraid he might see through her lie if she were to look at him.
He leaned down in her face in an aggressive manner. “Good,” he snapped lowly, “Because if I find out that you had anything to do with his escape, you will pay dearly.”
She didn’t doubt the sincerity of his words; she knew just by the scowl on his face that he was indeed prepared to murder his own flesh and blood if she had betrayed him.
~*~
Zero’s vision was beginning to blur, but he could barely make out the city lights in the distance. He could find an inn to sleep in for the night, but in his condition it would raise questions and draw too much attention. He still had a long way to go before he reached civilization and he was feeling very weak… and thirsty. He couldn’t risk being around people.
Limping, Zero found a tree to rest and relieved himself of the weight of his bag. He couldn’t stay in one place too long. The association would be looking for him.
Zero felt rather numb at this point, he had lost so much blood. Struggling to think straight, he turned his attention to his wounds. The throwing dagger was still lodged in his arm, the arrow still protruding from his back. Zero winced, firmly grasping the anti-vampire weapon stuck in his arm. He took a deep breath and yanked it out. Zero cried out in pain before throwing the throwing star away. Blood was flowing more freely now; He needed to stop the bleeding.
Zero pulled his bag into his lap and rummaged through it. He pulled out one of his shirts, wrapping it tightly around his wound and tied it securely over his bloodied sleeve, seeing as he couldn’t remove his soiled clothes with an arrow protruding from his back. It would do for now but he needed medical help soon. He couldn’t pull the arrow out himself. Zero knew he definitely couldn’t go to a hospital, so that left only one other option… Kaien Cross. Zero knew Cross would take him in willingly and bandage him up good as new. He really didn’t want to get his adoptive father involved, but he didn’t really have a choice at the moment. He had nowhere else to go.
Grabbing his book bag, Zero began to zip it back up when he noticed that his brother’s mask was laying on the ground. It must have fallen out when he was looking through his bag. Zero strained a bit to pick it up, then managing to slip it on over his head. Now was as good a time as any to start wearing it...
He used the tree for support to stand, lifting his bag onto his good shoulder and set out for Cross Academy.
~*~
After a very fulfilling home cooked meal and catching up with her adoptive father, Cross had to return to his paper work and other matters, reluctantly leaving Yuki alone for a while. He apologized profusely for having to go so soon after she arrived, but Yuki assured him that it was fine and that they could talk more later. She contemplated staying the night, but she thought Kaname might worry.
Once the Headmaster left, Yuki had set to work on cleaning the dishes, filling the sink with warm water and gathering all of the dishes to the sink. She hummed happily to herself as she then began to scrub each dish clean.
Yuki suddenly paused. She couldn’t hear much over the running of water, but she could’ve sworn she heard a crash. Shutting off the faucet, she cautiously peered out into the dining room. “Father?” she called with uncertainty. There was no response. She didn’t see anyone, but she could smell… blood. She noticed a small trail of blood, bloody hand smudges on the table, one of the chairs were tipped over, and finally she registered the stickiness on her hands. Glancing down, her hands were coated crimson from where she had touched the door knob.
Before Yuki could fully process, she gasped as she was roughly grabbed from behind, a hand muffling her scream.
A/N: First off, I would like to say thank you to those who have reviewed! I seem to have gained at least one very loyal reviewer and I'm super excited about that. Thanks a million! I hope to keep hearing from you :) I'm also glad that Ayame was so well-liked! I really hadn't planned or intended for her to be liked at all, tbh. She was mostly created just to cause drama between Zero and Yuki. I just thought Yuki needed a reason to be jealous. I wanted Yuki to actually have some sort of competition for Zero, even if Zero doesn't seem to return Ayame's feelings. I felt that she needed a small taste of her own medicine. Plus, in the anime, every female seems to drool and obsess over Kaname while Zero doesn't really have anyone to give him that kind of attention. Even the girl he likes is more obsessed with Kaname, just like everybody else. I wanted Zero to get a little female attention for once. But regardless, I really am flattered that my OC was such a hit. However, as the story progresses... I can't promise that she will continue to be liked so much *insert evil laughter* >:) Welp, Until Next Time... -LemonLimeMaid |
|