"Do you think she's dead?" The question popped out of my mouth before I could help it.
After crawling in pitch darkness through the tunnel, it had led us to a small exit hidden behind a bush. After disentangling ourselves from its spiky branches and probably destroying half the bush in the process, we had begun walking, seeing the entrance of Hana's shop through a gap in the other buildings. The tunnel had taken us under the road and behind some shops, it seemed. How Hana had gotten a tunnel like that built so discretely was a miracle.
"No," Zero didn't stop walking. "She's stronger than that."
"How do you know that?" I kept pace with him, the briefcase feeling sticky under my clammy and sweaty hands. "It sounded like Ereon had won." But Hana had escaped, I added silently, though it didn't seem possible.
"She escaped, didn't she?" Zero turned left and I ran to catch up, the briefcase slipping slightly lower in my grasp. "And it has handles."
"What?" I frowned at him, stopping mid-stride. He stopped walking and looked at me like I was stupid.
"It has handles," he repeated. "The briefcase. You don't have to hold on to it like a teddy bear."
He was right, I looked down at the briefcase in my arms. It did have handles.
But I wasn't holding on to it like a teddy bear.
I hated to admit it, but as I held the briefcase by the strap at the top, it was much easier and saved my arms the effort of clutching to it.
"Is that your apartment?" Zero pointed to a building in the distance as he walked, the same building half-hidden by numerous other buildings. Apartment sounded fancy, but as I looked at my apartment with eyes worn down with exhaustion, the dingy building that came closer towards us looked more like an abandoned warehouse shaped like a hotel.
"Yeah," I replied briefly, the briefcase swinging slightly in my hand as I walked.
Zero said nothing in reply and the two of us continued walking in silence.
"The lights are off," I couldn't help noting as we got closer, less than ten metres from the building's entrance. The window where my unit was located was dark, betraying no sign of any presence inside.
Zero's strides grew larger until he was almost running into the building. He pulled open the front door roughly, looking almost desperate to get inside. The door creaked loudly, and I winced, terrified it might pull apart altogether.
Then a second thought occurred.
"Be quiet!" I hissed, leaping forward to grab Zero, just as he was about to bolt into the building. "You'll wake the landlady! And what's the big deal, trying to charge right in there."
Zero blinked at me at first, and slowly he relaxed, looking at me properly.
"I don't trust the vampires," he replied at last, letting his arm drop from the door. It swung closed and I stepped inside to avoid getting hit, bumping into Zero as a result. "Especially not Kaname. If the lights are off, what does that mean? They can't be asleep, can they? Something must have happened to them." He ran a hand through his hair, and I could see the faint shadows beneath his eyes. He must have had very little sleep recently. Not that it would have been easy, just coming out of kidnapping and already running from the mafia - I wondered if I looked the same.
"Let's just go up," I shook my head, trying to clear my mind. I needed sleep. "And be quiet. I don't want my landlady waking up and finding me. She's probably already mad enough that I've disappeared and held back three weeks of rent."
Zero didn't look amused. Turning, he turned to walk down the corridor, beginning to climb up the stairs. I followed close behind him, steering out of range of the closed door which a cranky landlady slept behind.
Zero was quiet as he walked up the stairs, only the light thud of his footsteps betraying his presence. I, on the other hand, felt like I was stepping on nails. The last thing I wanted right now was to meet the landlady, especially not at this hour, in my horrible state.
At the thought of my appearance, I glanced down, noticing the streaks of dust and dirt on my hands, and the patches of grime on the knees of my pants from crawling through the tunnel. I couldn't help but feel like my face was in a similar condition.
Zero pushed open the door to my unit, marching in without bothering to knock. It was pitch black inside, and I heard Zero hiss quietly. I couldn't sense any other vampires, though. Had they all left?
"Where's the switch?" I heard Zero mutter, followed by the sound of hands sliding over the wall. When the hands finally stopped and I heard the distinctive 'click' of a switch, the dim lights in my apartment had jumped unsteadily back to life, their glow slowly getting stronger as they revealed the inside of my deserted apartment.
Both Zero and I were silent, as the two of us both noticed the note on the kitchen table, immediately. There were two notes, actually, one of them facing upwards, and a second one folded in half, with 'Saki' written on the outside.
Zero picked up the unfolded note first, before I could read it, and stepped away from me, claiming the contents for himself.
What's his problem?
Deciding there was no point in trying to snatch the note from him, I contented myself with taking the second note addressed to me.
Saki, it would be best if you packed your things now and left that apartment. We don't think it's safe for you to stay here, for many reasons. It would be safest for you if you stayed in my house (there's a room for you in there).
Yagari
I stared at it, not sure what to think. What happened to my plans to run away once again? Yagari wanted me to move in straight away, and there was no way I could reject him openly.
And what reasons made my apartment not safe?
Unbidden, an image of a melted keyhole came to my mind.
There was the rustle of movement as Zero placed his note back on the table, walking past me to the door.
"Where are you going?" I asked, breaking out of my thoughts.
"The old man wants me back at the headquarters," he glanced around the room briefly, before looking at me. He pushed open the door, frowning slightly at the handle, disappearing into the corridor.
I didn't mind him leaving, but then I remembered the handle. I was pretty much asking for burglars with no lock. The idea of staying alone in my apartment didn't seem so appealing anymore.
"Wait!" I called, rushing through the door. Zero's silver head in the darkness stopped moving halfway down the stairs.
"What?" He turned to look at me and I had no idea what to say.
"Uh, it's dark," I began lamely. "Wouldn't it be dangerous?"
"I'll manage," Zero turned back around to go down the stairs again.
"But I can't," I mumbled back to myself, wondering why I even called out to Zero.
"So what are you going to do?" I looked up with a start, seeing Zero had stopped, and was staring at me again. His hearing was better than I thought.
"I'm going to stay here," I replied firmly, mustering what little determination I had.
"With the busted handle to guard you?" If sarcasm could burn, I would be a pile of ashes by now.
I might as well be.
"What's it to you?" Instinctively I went on the defensive, turning slightly to leave.
"Didn't Yagari tell you to leave here?" Zero asked, ignoring my retort.
"How did you know that?" I was surprised.
"I saw the note," he replied coolly. "So hurry up and pack."
"I don't want to!" I snapped back. As soon as I said that, I couldn't help but feel like a spoiled child.
"And why not?" Zero began walking back up the stairs towards me.
"I told you before," I refused to show fear, even with Zero marching towards me. "I have no interest in getting involved in that war."
"Having no interest doesn't mean you're not involved," Zero replied exasperatedly, crossing his arms as he stood in front of me. "You were involved as soon as you got kidnapped. Whether you're on our side or not, you'll be targeted by Ereon."
"I'm leaving then," I stared up at Zero, trying not to let my gaze waver. "I'll leave the country if I have to."
"We've had this conversation before," Zero replied warningly. "It's impossible for you to leave just like that."
"So what do I do?" I almost screamed at the infuriating Hunter. "I don't want to fight. I just want to be able to live peacefully."
I feel like such a hypocrite.
"That's impossible for you," Zero retorted, pushing past me, marching back into my apartment. "The sooner you start packing and accept it, the easier it would be. Either way, you're going to be on one side, kicking and screaming or not."
With a small growl of frustration, I followed Zero into the room.
"You haven't read the other note yet," Zero held out the piece of paper. "It's impossible."
What was so impossible? I wanted to ask him. Instead, I took the offered sheet silently.
A couple of Ereon's underlings attacked us here, but they were taken care of easily. We have two of them in captivity, so we took them to the Association headquarters. It would be best to leave the apartment as soon as you can - come straight to the headquarters. Try and stay inconspicuous, since it's highly likely that Ereon will be tracking the two of you.
Lots of love,
Daddy Kaien
I stared at the note incomprehensively. They were attacked? But there were no signs of a fight, I glanced around the room.
But then again, how could two powerful hunters, a pureblood and handful of aristocrats lose to a bunch of Ereon's crew?
They can't.
"Hurry up and pack," Zero repeated impatiently, tearing my gaze away from the paper. "It's dangerous here."
I gnawed on my lip, not sure what to do. If it really was dangerous, then I shouldn't be here, but I would have to go to the association, and that would mean I was involved in the war.
My mind spun frantically as I looked at my two options, neither of them appealing. Finally, I sighed, and folded the note back together, picking up the other note as well.
"I'll get my stuff," I strode to my bedroom, my back straight and legs stiff.
In my bedroom, I automatically began picking up the few possessions I had accumulated over the past two years. I picked up my bag, a lonely pikachu keychain dangling off the strap. Reaching over, I chucked a couple of pens, a notebook, some books, some clothes and another pair of shoes. I didn't need the rest. In all honesty, they had just been items I picked up at a reject shop and other cheap places.
As I picked up my bag, slinging it over my shoulder, I took a final glance at the dull, morbid room that had served as my bedroom for two years.
I wonder what my new room will look like.
"Ready to go?" Zero was waiting next to the open front door. "You don't have to look so depressed."
"I'm about to get killed in war," I snapped, harsher than I should have been, but now that I had no choice but to accept that I was part of this war, my irritation was building steadily by the second.
Not to mention the fear.
"Look, you're weak, but you probably won't be on the front lines fighting Ereon one on one," Zero replied, his hands raised in a defensive gesture. Whether that was meant to consol me or insult me, I didn't know.
"You don't even have Bloody Rose," I pointed out heatedly. "So don't call me defenceless."
Zero's eyes flashed, and he turned around, marching through the door without another word. Guilt stung me when I realised that he still hadn't really gotten over losing Bloody Rose.
"I'm sorry," I mumbled to the ground, wondering what to do now. There was no other option except to follow him though.
Hurrying through the door, I ran as quietly as I could down the hallway, seeing his silver head disappear around the corner as I reached the top of the stairs.
"Which way is it to the association?" Zero asked me as I caught up to him outside the apartment. He stood facing away from me, looking at the street.
"You found your way to Hana's place," I frowned. "Don't you know the way to the Hunter's association?"
"I don't want to go past that place," Zero replied. His tone was still reserved, and I got the feeling that he wasn't quite over my comment. "Ereon could be there."
"I don't really know the way there," I admitted. The last time I had been there was two years ago. Forgetting where the association was located was one way for me to forget about my past.
"We're sitting ducks out here," Zero muttered. Without another word, he marched right, striding down the street.
"Where are you going?" I followed him at a jog.
"Following intuition," Zero replied briefly, not waiting for me, as he began to speed up.
"Very effective," I commented, out of breath from trying to keep up.
"Well, do you have a phone or anything?" Zero retorted. "Or money so we can call a cab?"
"No," I muttered. "I have a credit card, though."
"Don't bother," Zero replied, turning abruptly to cross the road. A car swerved past, honking wildly.
"Are you trying to get yourself killed?" I checked the empty road, before darting across to join Zero.
"It's 2 o'clock in the morning," Zero pointed out. "There are barely any cars around."
Not knowing what to say to that, I decided to stay quiet.
"There's someone there," Zero slowed down, his attention focused on a figure in the distance. Part of me wanted to tell him that it could just be someone who was waiting for a bus, but another part didn't want to be blamed if there was a surprise attack.
The second part won.
In the end, neither part made a difference.
"Is that you, Zero?" The figure turned to as we came closer, and in the darkness, I could see Ren's blood covered face.
~~~
It's hardly a cliff-hanger, so yeah, I'm sure you guys can wait a bit longer for the next update ^^ lol, jokes. I know I keep promising that I'll update more often, but well, I get into the flow and stuff, and have the plot and am really keen to write, etc. and then I get hit by school, homework and life in general and all my energy is sapped. I had this chapter almost done for about two weeks now ^^' But I guess I couldn't get that final push - until now! It's a bit of a filler, but...it's a long filler?
Hopefully the next chapter will have more meat in it :P
Thanks so much for reading guys! Hopefully you'll comment and vote as well :)
~Evil_Incubator