Sagakure (![[info]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif){kind=small} sagakure) wrote,@ 2008-06-17 00:24:00 |
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| Entry tags: | ¤ Vampire Knight - All VK Posts, ¤ Vampire Knight - Fanfiction |
[Vampire Knight fanfic] "Checkmate" - Chapter 3: "The Immortal Game" - PG13 Kaname-centric fic.
And now, chapter 3 of "Checkmate"! ^^/
---------- Title "Checkmate, chapter 3: The Immortal Game" Author: Sagakure Fandom: Vampire Knight Disclaimer: I don't own Vampire Knight, this is a fanfic written for fun and for love of the series. I'm not making any money with it. Warnings: Angst & blood. Also, spoilers for chapters 30 to 35. This is a partial AU, because in this fic, some time has passed since episode 30's scene with Kaname & Zero, and there's no move on Rido's part yet. (Think of it as extending things a bit so that Rido attacks later, after the next vacation instead of this one? *lol*) As a result, everybody is still at school including Takuma & co., and things are normal without Rido-in-Shiki's-body stuff as of yet. -------------- Unsure of Yuuki's schedule, Aidou ran from class to class, first targeting the classrooms he believed where in her year, then, when she was nowhere to be found, panicking and systematically going through each room, a repetition of the same motions over and over, students turning suddenly towards the doors with curiosity, girls squealing as he peeked in, and teachers frowning in surprise and outrage. It was enough of a commotion that people came out of the classrooms, teachers included in some cases, whether to try to find out what was happening or to chastize the night class student on his 'unacceptable behavior' and 'blatant disrespect for his fellow students' classes'. Needless to say, Aidou didn't even turn to look at them, and caused even more of an uproar by openly ignoring teachers yelling at him as he sped through the corridors, opening new doors and quickly scanning each classroom for the petite brunette that seemed to have vanished off the face of the Earth. He cursed himself for being unable to locate her. Kaname usually seemed to be able to know where she was, but then, he was a pureblood. It wouldn't be surprising if he really could do that, it was probably natural to him. Aidou on the other hand was certainly a powerful member of the vampire aristocracy, but had no such gifts. If Yuuki had been hurt, the scent of her blood that he had tasted before would enable him to spot her general location, but in a normal situation he didn't have a lot more than a human going in his favor when it came to finding people. It was pure luck that made that him stop for a moment in a stairway, trying to collect his thoughts and think of other possible places she could have gone to. A small group of his fans started to surround him, delighted to see him during the day and without the interruption of a prefect stopping them from clinging to him. Lost in his panic-driven urgency, Aidou's first instinct was to shove the girls out of his way immediately, but he wasn't widely regarded as a genius for nothing, and quickly realized this was a blessing in disguise. And sure enough, one of the girls currently swooning around him -- and strongly pondering on whether or not feeling up the front of his jacket was appropriate behavior -- had been in class with Yuuki until a short while before, and was delighted to talk to him, even if it was just to inform him that the prefect had felt ill and had to be excused from class and sent home. At her eyes, any reason to talk to Idol was a good one, regardless of the fact he was actually asking about another girl. He took off so fast that the girls saw him more as a blur than anything, and wondered if they were seeing things. Pushing back shut the heavy door of the haussmannian style house that had been her home since she was five, Yuuki shuddered, trying to convince herself that the dreadful feeling that had been clinging to her since the previous night was nothing more than her imagination. Zero didn't show up in class all day, but that was hardly unheard of. And yet, she couldn't help but worry that maybe the uneasiness she felt meant something had happened to him. She had the feeling that she could sort of sense it somehow when the hunter was in danger. It wasn't anything concrete, but some sort of connection at one level or another that let her know that things were not running normally, perhaps because of so many years protecting him from his nightmares and memories. The rational side of her mind told her it wasn't real, and reminded her of a recent occasion where she had gotten that feeling and it caused her to run through the night all over the school grounds, desperately searching for the hunter because she could swear he was about to fall to level E, and yet the next day he showed up looking healthier than ever and perfectly fine. She had been wrong then, so she could be wrong today too. But the feeling of dread seizing her now was completely different from what she felt that night, and something deeply rooted in her soul told her it wasn't Zero at all. She had gotten that feeling at some points in the past too, but she couldn't pinpoint when exactly. Throughout her childhood, it would generally only fully cease when Kaname would come to visit them. It was almost as if her instincts were fearing for Kaname's safety, this time around. But surely, Kaname was too strong to be in danger, right? She had always assumed he was this rock-solid invincible presence, that would always be there for her, and that couldn't possibly be harmed. His being a pureblood vampire, a nearly immortal being with powers a human mind couldn't even begin to grasp only further lulled her into a sense of false safety that somehow made her believe he would be fine forever. But the chilling feeling running up her spine hadn't left her all day. It started at some point during the previous night, while she tossed in her bed at the dorm, unable to fall sleep, and as the day came and the hours passed, she started to actually feel physically ill and had to leave in the middle of the class. She had just arrived at her adoptive father's place to ask if he knew of anything, and was planning to go to the Moon Dorms next, or at least to ask him to go check on Kaname for her, if she felt too sick to go by herself. She wasn't too sure if she could face Kaname at the moment either, after what had happened the previous afternoon. It was only the urgency of that feeling that made her even able to consider the idea of going to the Moon Dorm so soon after what happened. Kaname was probably fine and she was just a worrywart, but she had to be sure. She wished Zero was there so she could ask him what he thought. He would know how to tell her that she was worrying for nothing, and he might even manage to say it in a way that she would believe too. He was always more convincing than she was when she tried to reassure herself of something, even if he only believed her words when he was the one worried about something. But at the moment, whatever anyone said, no matter how sure of Kaname's strength she may be, she couldn't shake off the growing dread that twisted her insides and made her legs weak with fear. The hunter and her hadn't been able to talk much the previous night either. She had been feeling terribly guilty since the incident that afternoon, and even though Zero was less expressive about those things, it was clear from his behavior that he felt bad too. The previous day, as they left the school building to prepare for their daily watch over the transition between classes, they had passed by a more secluded area already deserted as the Day Class quickly moved towards the gates to wait for the Night class. Surprising Yuuki, Zero had finally decided that whatever the future may hold for him, he didn't want to live or die without ever telling her how he felt, and casting aside his hesitation at last, he went forward and confessed his feelings for her. She wasn't sure what that would entail for the two of them, but she felt she had to answer to his sincerity in the same manner, and so she had admitted that she felt the same way as well. Long had she fought herself to try to believe that her feelings for him where only fraternal, but over the years, it had evolved more and more to the point that she had been feeling more and more confused lately, inevitably feeling guilty for what she saw as a duality of her heart that she had trouble understanding. She sighed at the memory, stopping for a moment before knocking and pushing the door to the chairman's living room open. She didn't regret opening up to Zero, and it marvelled her to know his feelings for her were so much more than anything she could have imagined, but even though she should be happy because of that now, she couldn't help but think that maybe the price to pay for that happiness was much too high, perhaps so high that it made it impossible to come true. Once Zero had been convinced that he wouldn't be rejected and that she actually shared the same feelings he had for her, he had finally done what he'd been often tempted to since much longer ago, and captured her lips in a shy but passionate kiss. Her heart throbbing loudly in her own ears, Yuuki had reciprocated the kiss, her head spinning, unsure if she was doing the right thing but unable to think straight and in the end just following her heart and giving in to what felt so right to do. Coincidence, or more likely not, made that the next thing they knew, Kaname was standing a few meters away, looking at them with an unreadable expression, his eyes glowing like blood stained embers in the dimming dusk light. She had felt so terribly ashamed. How many times had she told him throughout the years how much she cared for him! At one point that same year she had even confessed to wanting to spend eternity by his side, and to being ready to do anything for him. Short of an official declaration of love, she had always given Kaname very clear signs that she loved him with all her being, and yet now he found her kissing someone else. Her heart plummeted, falling from the heights it had reached a moment ago, all the way down to a dark pit of shame that spread like searing flames under her skin, a flush taking over her body all the way to the roots of her hair as she lost her voice and trembled with guilt under Kaname's unmoving gaze. The shame and guilt she felt for having the same feelings for the both of them knew no bounds and outmatched by far the elation she experienced earlier at finally being free of the secret she found heavier and heavier to carry around Zero. She was happy that Zero and her had finally spoken out loud of what they had been tiptoeing around for so long, but her heart was broken for Kaname. The situation was very dramatic already, and she knew that Zero and Kaname had never gotten along to begin with, so it was extra painful to explain to Kaname that she realized now that she had feelings for Zero that she didn't understand before, and that what he had witnessed was the result of their mutual feelings. In her absolute panic at the idea that Kaname would inevitably hate her now, she was unable to hold his gaze, failed at finding the words to explain herself, stumbled in her explanations to the point of being only half understandable or even sounding almost cold in her curt explanations, when it was the very opposite effect she would have wanted to convey, sincere shame at the situation she believed she had caused. She strongly felt that she had betrayed Kaname, even though she had no control over her heart. She expected him to hate her, was certain there was no avoiding it, and the mere idea of Kaname feeling that way about her was so terribly painful that it made her unable to even think straight. She couldn't rise her eyes and meet his. She felt that what she had done by loving Zero was something unforgivable, for which Kaname had every right to despise her. In her shame, she could not even bear the weight of his gaze, and it made her inch slowly closer to Zero and cling to his arm, partially hiding herself behind his back while she spoke to Kaname, her eyes glued to the ground trying to hold back tears as she bowed repeatedly while mumbling apologies that grated in her ears and sounded more and more confusing. She was so sure he would be angry... how could anyone not be in such a situation? She felt her every word insulted him, and the fear that her apologies might only be making it all worse led her to shake harder and harder as she hid behind Zero's arm. In the end, she told Kaname of the whole situation while hiding behind the hunter throughout the whole time, as if she needed a shield because she was afraid of him or thought he might do something to her, when in truth, she simply felt too wrong to have him look at her, as if she didn't deserve him to see her. In a way, it was similar to the way she felt after that party where she had been hiding in the basement room of the building belonging to Aidou's family, and where Kaname had asked her if she would want to become a vampire and live forever by his side. She wanted nothing more than being with him, but her emotions were so strong that she started crying, and he stopped in his tracks instead of turning her. She hated herself for promising her love to him then acting in a way that made it look as if she wasn't serious. She didn't chose to cry, it just happened, but she couldn't explain that to him at that moment. Luckily, Kaname had seen through her turmoil when she hid behind Zero the next day, too ashamed to face him. He was able to wash away all her worries by simply telling her that he knew she had not lied. But this was a completely different situation, and unlike her tears in the basement then, in this case there was no possible mistaking what Zero and her were doing when he found them, and she hated herself a million times over. Too ashamed of herself to feel worthy of stepping closer to Kaname to speak, she failed to notice that she was sending off all the wrong messages in the way she moved and spoke throughout her explanations. She meant to deeply apologize, to somehow salvage the damage the had caused, but all she achieved was to accidentally convey the impression that everything that had or had not existed between them was over and that she belonged to Zero now. And this time, Kaname was in too much pain himself to be as perceptive about her confused explanations as he was the previous time. At his eyes, she had grown more and more distant over the years, and this was the final conclusion of it all, a clean break from him and all that could have been. In truth, Yuuki wanted to tell Kaname that her heart was really weird right now, and that she didn't know what to think about her feelings... she wanted to tell him that she loved him with all her heart... but she also did love Zero with all her heart. She couldn't possibly say that, could she? She felt she would be insulting him considerably if she dared to speak those words. How could she possibly be in love with two people at once?! Kaname was normally already so much above her, the current situation made him completely unreachable at her eyes. She had no right to love him. It was already unbelievable that Zero would accept her. If only she could tell him... but telling him she still loved him even though he had just seen Zero and her together.... How could she possibly tell him that? So she swallowed her pain, and tried in vain to find words to apologize properly, stumbling all over whatever she said over and over while she bowed repeatedly from behind Zero's back. The hunter also looked terribly contrite and stood in silence, eyes locked elsewhere, avoiding looking much at Kaname, no hint of his usual unnerving arrogance towards the pureblood. Zero clearly looked guilty too, torn between the bliss of knowing Yuuki actually did love him, and the guilt of feeling like he had stolen something so utterly precious from someone else. Yuuki shuddered again, the events of the previous day replaying in her mind while waves of regret washed through her body. She would have given so much to have been able to change how things went. To be able to tell Kaname how she felt... But she couldn't possibly. She was incapable of telling Kaname she loved him. Much as her feelings for the two of them were pure, the very fact that she had them for both made that she felt too dirty to even dare to have those feelings. She couldn't control that, but she felt she would soil him by merely looking at him, much less telling him her feelings. For years she hadn't dared to go forward all the way because she was convinced that he couldn't possibly have feelings for her. Now that this happened, how could she possibly expect him to? Furthermore, Yuuki had grown used to be there for Zero when he needed her, to be ready to proect him, from his own darkness or from the past, while with Kaname she had the opposite dynamic: it was he who protected her, he whom she relied upon. He was so strong... He would be fine. She had no idea he was only strong because he had to be that way for her, and that without her, he didn't see a meaning in his life. If one of them desperately needed her to survive, she was mistakenly persuaded that it would be Zero. So she gritted her teeth and bore the pain of having her heart torn in two, both for the sake of being with who she thought needed her most, and because she was unable to tell Kaname of those feelings that she believed would insult him. Much as it tore her heart apart, at her eyes it was perhaps a fitting punishment that she should lose his love for daring to have loved Zero as well. She almost expected to lose them both for that sin for which she couldn't forgive herself. Kaname hadn't taken the news well, when she had told him. But he did take them like the gentleman he was. He even mustered the courage to tell her to please not be afraid of him, and that he was 'just surprised that his little Yuuki was growing up so fast'. He tried to reassure her that it was okay, and that it wasn't as if he had some claim of ownership over her or anything. He smiled a lot, trying to convey to her the warmth he'd always given her as she grew up. He wished them good luck even. But his body language was as wrong as hers, and it really clashed, on someone normally as controlled as Kaname. Pain was seeping through his very pores, contrasting radically with his congratulatory words and smiles. It had only gotten even worse when he realized that she couldn't bring herself to look at him and saw her cling to Kiryuu's arm as if she feared him. Right around the part he was wishing them good luck, he suddenly realized that one of the tears he thought were under control was rolling down his left cheek in full sight of the two, who stared at it with matching looks of surprise, the hunter's arm tensing having made Yuuki inadvertently rise her eyes and see it. He turned away suddenly and laughed it off saying it was the emotion. But his laughter wasn't the musical sound she was used to, it was more like a desperate rasp. He muttered an excuse for having to go so suddenly and disappeared for the evening, skipping class as well. After that, Zero and her went on to their evening patrol, but they didn't have the heart to talk about anything, and parted ways to each of their dorms with nothing more than an embarrassed glance, before a long night of feeling guilty and tossing around without managing to fall asleep. She swallowed her own urge to break down crying, and pushed the door open, greeting her father weakly as she entered the room. But she barely had the time to explain she had to leave class early, before the window suddenly exploded in a flurry of glass and ice chunks, particles of what seemed like a powerful hail storm flying all around them as Aidou appeared, gripping the wall as he stood in the windowsill and scanning the room for her before he practically flew in lunging for her. For a moment there, Cross feared the worst, but he felt no symptoms of bloodlust in the young vampire, just an absolute terrified panic and urgency, allied to... was it the need to protect someone? The feeling of uneasiness that had been building in his heart all day wasn't just an impression then. His old hunter intuition had told him there was something dreadfully wrong in motion. Aidou didn't bother explaining himself though, and he was lucky that the chairman was so wise and perceptive, for any other ex-vampire hunter wouldn't take it so lightly if they saw a crazed vampire barge in through the window, snatch an arm around their daughter's waist and disappear through the window just as fast. Carried away by Aidou at high speed, Yuuki wasn't so sure of his good intentions and was now more than a little scared as he'd swung her over his shoulder and leapt onto the threes in the direction of the Moon Dorms. "Aidou-senpai!! Senpai!! Put me down right now!! We can talk! Why are you doing this??!" "WE HAVE NO TIME FOR THIS!!" Yuuki was panicking. She had no hunter instincts nor any extra-sensorial ability to allow herself to know that Aidou was in a hurry for a good reason. From her point of view he seemed to just have lost it, and her phobia caused by the vampire who attacked her when she was five was kicking in full blast, making her trash in his arms screaming in terrified panic. Aidou had never seen her that way. She was struggling so hard that she was throwing him too much off balance. If she had been prey, there were effective ways to force her into not moving, but he didn't want to hurt Yuuki, so he put her down on the ground to try to quickly explain himself. She was so scared by now that he had to latch onto her arm as soon as they were on the ground because she tried to take off running the moment her feet touched the ground. "Listen Yuuki, I can't stop here, we have to get to Kaname-sama, NOW! Something bad happened, and I don't know what Kiryuu or you did or can do, but Kaname-sama.... Kaname-sama is..." He didn't know exactly what had happened, of course, but he was far from blind. Kaname's mood when he returned and disappeared into his room the previous day was already worrisome. There had been no fight and no scent of anyone else's blood, and yet his blood was all over Kiryuu when the hunter opened the room's door and talked to them today. And Ichijou disappearing into the room and not returning didn't help reassure anyone either. Kaname didn't call them. Kaname probably didn't want them in there. Their hands were tied, so Aidou had hoped that an outsider like Kiryuu would be able to do something that they couldn't, and he went as far as not letting anyone intervene even when they vaguely heard Kaname's cries of protest. The pureblood knew they were there, waiting for his orders, and as long as he did not expressly call for them, they would not be allowed to enter. But it seems Kiryuu couldn't do anything either. If someone could possibly save Kaname, it would be Yuuki. And for that, Aidou was determined to drag her there by force if he had to. "Kaname-sama needs you. If you don't go to him right now, it might be too late by the time you make up your mind!" Aidou's eyes were wet, and his grip on her shoulders was painful as he nearly shook her when he spoke. She stared at him uncomprehendingly, but a horrified terror dawned on her features at his words. The feeling that had been haunting her all day suddenly made a lot of sense, the dread in her heart taking shape in a most frightening manner. Kaname... dying? Was such a thing even possible? And she had been foolishly assuming he was fine, indestructible, immortal and what not? They were halfway to the dorms now. Aidou held onto her hand and took off running, Slower than the speed he could achieve by himself but still much too fast for her. She tried to keep up as best as she could, thinking her legs were about to give out anytime now. She stumbled and fell several times, scrapping her knees badly each time because whenever she lost her balance it would take him a moment to realize she wasn't on her feet anymore. Eventually, she directly asked him to carry her again. Much as it was terribly frightening to be hoisted in the air by a vampire and carried around like that, she couldn't keep up otherwise, and the desperation in Aidou's behavior told her of how urgent it was. In Kaname's room, Ichijou was pacing nervously. He'd been quiet for a while now, but he felt worse and worse about the situation. Letting Kaname die as he wanted would be horrible, and yet, forcing him to live against his will was perhaps even worse. And at any rate, he was convinced that no one had the right to make that decision but Kaname himself. He felt increasingly restless and searched for a non-violent way to try to convince the hunter. Zero was leaning over Kaname, pinning his arms down to the bed so that the pureblood struggled less. He leaned in more, purposefully leaving his neck very close to Kaname's face, clinging to a twisted hope that if Kaname passed out, then maybe the hunger automatically triggered by the blood loss would cause his body to react on instinct and bite him. Even if nothing horrified the hunter more than the possibility of a vampire taking him for prey once again. The simple idea of it sent terrified shivers through his whole body as he leaned forward, desperately trying to focus on anything but the memory of Shizuka's fangs on his neck, her lips hovering lecherously over his skin, the loathed sensation burning with terrible reality as he held Kaname so close to his neck. Another pureblood. It was necessary, it was for Yuuki, it was so she would be okay, but it was all Zero could do to focus with all his mind on those thoughts, to be able to continue functioning and pinning the pureblood down on the bed. But Kaname was still very much conscious, and Zero was amazed that he still had enough control to not call for the help of the other vampires. If the pureblood could avoid doing that despite how desperate he was, then there wasn't really any chances of managing to get him to unconsciously bite Zero. Much as Kaname still struggled constantly against his captor, although more and more weakly, the both of them knew that if he wanted a really effective way to get Zero off him, all he had to do was scream for help. Vampire hearing was extremely powerful. The growing crowd in the corridor would be inside in a second, and would tear Zero to pieces. Even if Kaname could not use his mind powers at the moment, a command from a pureblood was law, and they would all obey. That he was so desperate to end his life to go as far as begging to Zero, and yet did not call them at any moment was an incredible proof of the control he still had. Zero winced with guilt, knowing he could only do what he was currently doing to Kaname because the pureblood refused to harm him. Even on the doorsteps of death, he was thinking of Yuuki's wishes before his own. Zero couldn't help the tears stinging in his eyes. "You stupid, stubborn jerk... Don't you die on her! Don't you dare!!" he couldn't believe the lump in his throat, making his voice shaky. Was he really almost crying because of the idea of Kuran dying?! Kaname didn't seem to notice, his own mind too lost in the pain. "She...has you... now... She no...longer...needs me..." How could simple words hurt so much to say? But if only he could get the hunter to understand, maybe he would finally leave him alone. Zero was surprised to hear the pureblood's voice still sounding coherent. He hadn't made much sense in what he had been saying through gritted teeth during the time that had passed since Aidou left. "Just hold on a bit longer, Kuran. You have to live. Yuuki is almost here." The change upon hearing those words was so sudden that the pureblood almost managed to throw the hunter off the bed, for a moment, as Zero wasn't expecting the reaction or the surge of renewed energy, and had been putting less strength on his hold of Kaname's arms. "WHAT??! WHAT?! YOU CALLED YUUKI HERE?? YOU FOOL!!" It was as if his strength had decupled in a matter of a second. Kaname now trashed violently against Zero's hold, still extremely weakened, but stronger even than when they had tried to force him to drink Ichijou's blood. This was bad. He was struggling too hard for Zero to be able to hold his arms well without making the wounds worse, and either way the tie was biting into Kaname's wounds, tearing the flesh open where it hadn't closed completely. "SHE CAN'T SEE THIS!! HAVE YOU LOST YOUR MIND?!!" The pureblood was fully alert now, as if the desperation had brought him out of the daze he'd been slipping in deeper until now. Reassuring as that may be from a certain viewpoint, it also meant he was quickly squandering whatever forces he had left, and it wouldn't be long before he used up whatever reserves he still had, and his body began the solidification preceding death in a vampire's body. "If... if you're concerned about the blood and the nudity, I'll cover you, don't worry, I'll get a sheet and..." Zero was babbling fast, nervously trying to get a grasp on Kaname without causing any additional damage, but the bloody skin was slippery and made matters even harder. Kaname still had a surprising amount of strength left, to the point that Zero looked up worried when the head of the bed made a nasty cracking sound and almost gave way. It was a marvel the tie hadn't torn off, probably pure luck combined with the strong silk and how many times Zero had wrapped it around. "YOU MISERABLE FOOL! DO YOU WANT HER TO SEE ME DIE?!" "You won't! Just wait until she's here!!" Seething hatred in his eyes, Kaname seemed now to have finally gotten cornered as far as he could possibly go. Once there's no more space to run, a wounded beast has only one choice left and becomes all the more dangerous. Without interrupting his trashing, Kaname finally commanded. "Takuma!! If you ever felt any loyalty to me, come to my help, now!!" If trying to pin Kaname down wasn't hard enough, his hunter instincts suddenly sent a jolt through Zero's mind, intuition telling him to look up quickly towards the direction he felt a new danger coming from. Ichijou had taken the Bloody Rose and had it pointed at Zero's forehead. "Kiryuu-kun... I'm sorry, but you must leave now." "Oh no, not you too!!" Zero kicked himself mentally for having put the gun away from himself in the first place. He hadn't wanted it anywhere near them, where there was a risk that Kaname might manage to take it from him and use it on himself. "I will shoot you if I have to. You may think I'm just an easygoing person, but I should remind you of what I once told you about ex-human vampires. And you must know I am the one with the highest kill count in this group." He was referring the the times the Elder's Council had sent for them to eradicate a level E before the hunters got to it. His eyes were filled with sorrow at threatening an innocent, but he saw no other choice, and would stand by Kaname to the very end. Zero knew he was serious. He had seen him kill before his very eyes before, in a single graceful sword strike. But he chose to still call the bluff, based on how hard Kaname had been protecting him by not calling anyone's help until now. "I don't believe you. Shoot me if you have to, but I won't let go of him." His hunter intuition told him it was a terribly dangerous move, playing with the loyalty of a vampire aristocrat towards a pureblood. A fool's move maybe. He might not be as good a strategist as Kaname, but he simply had no other pieces to play. He bet all he had on the chance Takuma wouldn't have the courage to pull the trigger. Zero was very wrong. Takuma shot him without so much as a flinch of hesitation. (to be continued) |
This one ended up being longer. ^^; *tweaked and re-wrote a lot, isn't quite satisfied with it yet, but has to stop poking at it at one point or another* ^^;
Chapter 4, hopefully tomorrow, otherwise sometime this week. ^^/
