Determined

5.

Red.

That was the color that clung to the snow white walls and slid down the cool metal with a smooth, gradual type of ease that held a sort of menacing feel which followed. Vaguely mesmerizing, almost. The steady and slow rate which it traveled made the scene look all the more sinister, all while maintaining the consistency of what happened to those who crossed Len.

Len's knife and clothes were splattered with the same substance, for he was the one to strike down the enemies that stood in his path with a single effortlessly graceful stroke, save for a few times a few of the thugs were intelligent enough to pounce when he wasn't careful enough. They were never a trouble, though. Len suspected they had poor training if any at all, and dim minds to even think about trying to stop him after witnessing his knife smoothly glide across their allies' throats like a paintbrush across a blank canvas.

"Where are we going?" Questioned Miku from behind Len, peering up at him with curious eyes. She knew that he didn't know a thing about this place, like her, but he walked so confidently that it almost convinced her that he knew exactly what he was doing and where the exit was. But she knew better; this may be the scary killer who showed no trace of mercy as he swiftly ended lives with a single flick of his wrist, but it was still her Len Kagamine, who was tricked and captured in a place he was obviously unfamiliar with, just as she was. 

He didn't spare her a look, in fear of turning his guard down at the wrong moment; the doors on the walls to both his sides held potential for an ambush. He gripped the handle tighter and walked with light steps as if he were trying to avoid some hidden trap or pressure plate. He knew that the last thing that Miku needed at that moment was having more delays to getting home, especially if one of those delays was due to him walking straight into a trap like an idiot.

He knew Miku was somewhat safe, however, having him in the front and his killer dad in the back. Because he knew that, he also knew that he shouldn't have the constant, paranoid thought constantly whispering worried 'what ifs' and making him feel like an overprotective mother, but it's not like he could control what he thought and didn't in an environment like this with Miku around.

"Hell if I know." He replied honestly. His eyes scanned the area. Ahead was a large door, grand in appearance. Likely leading somewhere important, Len figured, from the carefully carved curved flowers that decorated the pale gold that heavily outlined the door. 

"Hey- this leads to the...room." Len could feel Miku's confusion, and he voiced his own aloud.

"What room?"

"The big room. Her 'throne' room. It's where she interrogates people and all that fun stuff." Yohio looked toward the door with a mixture of disgust and hate in his eyes, and Len had to wonder what went on in that room to make him react in such a way. He concluded that with Tei's short temper, and the sarcasm Len inherited from Yohio, many unpleasant memories were left there.

Len thought back to the room where his plan went to shit, and realized that he knew not only the room Yohio spoke of, but also of the way back to the outside, to where he could definitely high-tail somewhere far away.

When Len opened the door, it was in fact the room where he'd been drugged in. The quiet echo from the door opening and the throne holding no person only added to the emptiness, and only fed Len's paranoia like gasoline in a raging fire. He was paranoid before, but the sudden lack of guards, and even Tei herself, was greatly unnerving.

He walked forth with his weapon at the ready, muscles so tense it looked like he would suddenly spring onto anything that did so much as move an inch with such a ferocity that it was nearly savage.

At the sound of a familiar, sickening voice suddenly speaking out into the quiet room, Len nearly threw his dagger at the speaker out of pure instinct. When he saw the silver, silky hair cascading down petite shoulders, his muscles stopped within a second, fingers grasping onto the handle to prevent the weapon from slicing through the air without thought or falter. He knew it would be a waste to throw it, because he knew that Tei was no mere goon waiting to be killed off like the minions of the big bad boss; she was the big bad boss, here.

"So, you've killed my men. Good job." Tei held her hands behind her back and gave a smile so bright that the maroon of her eyes couldn't be seen. "Though, they aren't too challenging. They did roughen you up, though, right? But regardless of their failure..."

Her eyes opened and suddenly, she was a different person than the innocent looking girl from before. Len knew that the facade wouldn't hold for long, nor did he expect a compromise. Tei was smart enough to know that they were far beyond that.

"Did you think you could out of here, without going through me first?"

Len sneered. "Of course not. What do you take me for, an idiot?"

Tei hummed as if the situation wasn't one to be considered serious. Maybe it wasn't. They both knew from the very moment Miku entered the room that only one of them would leave, and deep down, neither of them cared. 

The thrill of sheer recklessness and itch to put their lives on the line for a cause they believed in drew them close, and resulted in the loud clashing of blades and blood being spilled.

In the end, only one of them indeed ended up walking out.

felt bad for not updating for a bit LOL so i'll write the 2nd half of this short chapt (dont worry ill be sure to include badly written fight scenes) right after i publish this one, so it shouldn't take more than 2 months to come out