Tokyo Babylon Fan Fiction / X/1999 Fan Fiction ❯ Even in Death ❯ Chapter 5 ( Chapter 5 )

Chapter 5

"Bring him in," a confident female voice ordered.

The two vampires from the park hastened to obey, carrying their burden easily. Bowing to the woman giving the command, they deposited Subaru's still form at the end of a large conference table.

The room was comfortable in a cool functional sort of way, with wood paneled walls, totally enclosed and windowless. The large glass table occupied the central position. On both sides various men and women attired in dark designer suits sat with the expectant air of waiting for an important meeting to start. Servants lined themselves near the door, poised to retrieve anything their masters wished. One might have forgiven for thinking the scene an ordinary board meeting, if not for the aura of danger over all the seated figures in the room-that and the pale limp body at the end of the table--certainly not a usual sight at any meeting.

A petite woman, appearing about thirty years old sat stately at the other end of the table. She ignored the still form that was slowly dripping blood onto her tiled floor, and concentrated her attention on a television monitor built into the table. After a few moments, she adjusted her black, wire-rimmed glasses and allowed a slight smile to pull at her lips at what she saw.

"It looks like the Sakurazukamori followed you all the way here," she commented to her underlings. Waving away their hasty apologies, she added, "Why don't we let him in and see what's so important about this young one?"

"Yes, Your Highness," one of the servants guarding the door said, snapping to attention. He moved aside just in time to allow Seishirou to fling it open.

The Sakurazukamori strode in, seemingly unhurried but forceful, as if to challenge anyone who stood in his way. His eyes immediately fell on Subaru's inert and bloodstained form, slumped on the table. Swiftly, he crossed the room, his heart sinking to the pit of his stomach at seeing him like this. He feared the worst but at least their bond was still active. Slowly, he reached over, pulled the wooden stake out and tossed it away, his hands shaking from both rage and dread. His glare at the assembled group told it all. If Subaru-kun was dead forever, these people would deeply regret it.

Thankfully, Seishirou didn't have to launch into a vampire slaughter fest right away. Subaru's body suddenly heaved and his eyes flew open, his face still wearing the astonished expression from when he'd felt the stake enter his body. He blinked at Seishirou, not understanding the grim look on his face.

"Wh-what happened?" he gasped out and coughed weakly. His hand went to touch the spot on his chest where the stake had protruded so recently. It burned him with an intense pain, but thankfully the wound was already closing.

"I apologize for my servant's rather rough treatment," the woman began. "We try to make any encounters as quick as possible when there is the risk of mortals seeing something they shouldn't."

"Who are you?" Seishirou demanded shrugging off her apology. He surveyed the room, looking up and down the table and at the servants standing along the walls. Even with his formidable power, there was no way he could take on this many vampires, not that it would make a difference if he had to take them on. However, it would be better if they were willing to be reasonable.

"Hold your tongue!" a young man seated near the head of the table snapped rudely, rising to his feet and glaring at Seishirou. "You're speaking to the Vampire Prince of Tokyo."

"Sit down, Hiroshi," the Prince said, waving her hand at him, apparently not minding Seishirou's hostile question. The man shot one last glare at the Sakurazukamori and did as he was told.

"My name is Megumi. I am the one responsible for maintaining order amongst the undead in this city." She then turned and gestured towards a young girl standing against the wall behind her. "Are you hungry, Sumeragi-san? I know you must have lost a bit of blood after your encounter. Do accept this as my apology."

The girl calmly walked over and knelt beside Subaru's chair, tilting her head to the side, offering her neck to him. The skin was scarred from many bites, as if she had been milked of blood quite often.

Subaru stared at the girl prostrated before him. His hunger rose, a terrible ache, overtaking his mind with only one thought-to consume. He'd been in this state of starvation before, when he'd displeased Kosarou and was punished. He knew he would soon be reduced to something near the level of a ravening demon if he did not satisfy this hunger.

Nevertheless, he knew his current need wasn't that bad, since he didn't immediately fall upon the girl and drain her dry. He was, however, unable to stop himself from embracing her quickly and biting, lapping up the lifeblood that flowed from her with a measure of gratitude. The soft gasp in response and the arching of the girl's body into his arms told Subaru that she was experiencing the bliss his bite gave.

Seishirou watched as Subaru indulged in his meal, fighting away a stab of jealousy to see the girl writhe in his embrace. Reason told him that since Subaru had already taken blood from him once today, to do so again would weaken him substantially and Subaru would be a fool to refuse something given to him so freely. Then there was another part of him, the perverse part, which enjoyed seeing Subaru perform this act of utter dominance upon another.

"We found you through one of our agents monitoring the supply of donated blood in this city. There was a discrepancy, enough to account for the feeding of one vampire. We traced it back to you," Megumi informed them clinically while everyone watched Subaru drink. "To keep our numbers under control, we demand that all newly born vampires present themselves to me."

It was a while before Subaru recovered enough to answer. He lapped up the last of the blood from the servant and automatically applied the coagulant in his saliva to heal her, before releasing the youth with an appreciative caress. She clung to him but when he let her go, she reluctantly returned to her feet and left the room, presumably to get some rest.

He sank back into a chair, not quite fully restored from his ordeal. He'd never been staked before and he could safely say that he didn't want to be ever again.

"I didn't know anything about you," Subaru said softly. "I don't want to be involved with any vampires. I just want to be left alone." He couldn't stop himself from shuddering with the fear that associating with any vampires would bring him back into Kosarou's grasp once again.

The Prince frowned. "Who sired you?" she asked, a bit surprised that the Sumeragi apparently knew nothing of their secret society. Without exception, fledgling vampires had to report within a few days of their turning. Failure for a sire to bring in his new child was a serious offence, usually punishable by banishment.

The Prince's tone must have held some hidden power because Subaru was compelled to answer immediately. "K-Ko-sarou," he blurted out, stammering from the compulsion. He hated saying the name and winced but stopped himself from cringing pathetically. He wasn't so lost and without pride that he would that. Besides, he knew that cringing before a room full of predators would do no good. He had escaped once, and if it was necessary, he would migrate to another city if he had to, and escape again.

The murmur among the assembled vampires signaled that they were familiar with the name. Megumi's face grew taut, as if the word left a bad taste in her mouth. It had been nearly a century since her last encounter with the notorious rogue, but she still remembered his deadly obsessive tendencies and the horrors that he inflicted on his offspring. She bowed her head.

"I'm sorry," she said softly. "You have my sympathy."

"What does this mean?" Seishirou cut in, not at all liking the way Subaru had been forced to reveal the name of his sire. He reached over and placed a possessive hand on the Sumeragi's shoulder, hoping to make it clear to the others in the room that Subaru was his.

"Kosarou has been a rogue long since before I took over as Prince of this city," Megumi began. "He's been nothing but a thorn in my side since then, but he's always been careful to keep his activities low-key. He preys upon young men, recklessly creating new children without permission. There is a sizable reward for the one who can bring him in dead or alive."

She eyed Subaru with pity. She had seen Kosarou's other offspring and the effects of his abuse on them. Most of them were broken people, unable to function properly in society, whether human or vampire. The Sumeragi must be exceptional to have escaped his clutches.

"Since the fault is not yours, I will not hold anything against you for breaking the law," she added with a condescending nod. A glint of her eye was the only sign of her sympathy.

"I'll kill him," the Sakurazukamori murmured quietly.

Megumi's keen ears heard him from across the room. "It's easier said than done," she warned. "Though I know you are very good at what you do, it would still be extremely dangerous."

Subaru shook himself to regain his composure, rebuilding that stoic façade he'd taken on to face the world. Without it, he would fall to pieces.

"No, Seishirou-san," he said, levelly. "There will be no need for you to go near him. I just… I just want never to be with him again, ever."

With some effort, he pushed himself to his feet and addressed Megumi directly. "I don't know very much about being a… vampire," he said, trying not to make his distaste of his state too obvious. It wasn't Megumi's fault and polite as ever, he bowed as he added, "If you have any pointers, I would be grateful."

Megumi smiled, then got to her feet. "Why don't you take a walk with me, Sumeragi-san, Sakurazuka-san? This is hardly the place to discuss such things."

"Your Highness," one of the seated vampires called out. "Aren't we going to discuss the housing situation?"

"Hiroshi can carry on the meeting without me. This won't take very long." She then walked over to Subaru, her full height barely reaching his shoulders. "Right this way," she gestured, leading them out of the room. One of the servants discreetly walked some distance behind them, clearly there to assure the Prince's safety.

Subaru followed the female vampire. On first sight, she didn't appear imposing enough to be the leader of all the vampires in the city. Now, walking beside her, he could feel her presence pressing like a velvet vellum weight on his mind, soft and soothing but rich and significant nonetheless. Royal was the word that came to mind. She'd demonstrated her power over him earlier and for that, Subaru was wary. He hadn't had a good experience with vampires in general-- getting turned by an abusive creature and staked by another was enough to make him wish never to encounter any others. Too bad, he had to count himself amongst their fraternity.

The two followed Megumi to the top of the building, where they spilled out onto a parapet with a huge glass covered structure in the middle. Megumi waved them through a thick frosted door, allowing them to precede her. Once inside, Subaru paused to take in his surroundings. He could feel Seishirou's comforting warmth behind him and wondered just what the man was thinking about tonight's events. From what he recalled, Seishirou had almost seemed concerned when he first opened his eyes. For now, Subaru wasn't sure what to make of that.

The sweet scent of night flowering blooms filled the air. Subaru gazed in awed silence at the number of plants in the huge conservatory positioned at the top of the skyscraper. The place was almost like a jungle, the trees swaying slowly in the artificial air circulating around the structure. The air was heavy, wet and moist and in the dim starlight, the place took on a mysterious aura. Being the Prince of the city had its compensations if Megumi could live in such luxury.

"Most of us weren't given a choice when we were turned," the lady Prince began, walking over towards a trellis covered with delicate, white flowers. She plucked one and rolled it around in her hand. "The best we can do is support and look after each other. So long as you obey the law, you will always have somewhere to turn."

She turned and gave Seishirou a look, noticing the numerous bite marks adorning his neck and smiled with pleased amusement. "I see that you've been feeding Sumeragi-san. Have the two of you…slept together?" she asked delicately. At Seishirou's frown, she clarified. "It's a common practice for one of our kind to take a mortal as a primary source of blood. Also, the sexual activity tends to increase our power temporarily."

A strangled choke sounded from Subaru. "Wh-what?" Subaru stammered. He waved his hands frantically, feeling appallingly gauche. No matter what he'd gone through, it still embarrassed him to talk about such things as sex, especially in the presence of a woman.

"It's not like that at all! Seishirou-san has nothing to do with this," he protested, a flush rising in his cheeks, thanks to his newly digested meal. "In fact, I don't even know what he's doing here…" His voice trailed away as he cocked his head at Seishirou, trying to puzzle out what happened between his getting staked and wakening in Megumi's conference room.

Seishirou chuckled, finding the question and Subaru's answer terribly amusing. "Subaru-kun is far too gentle to drink from an unwilling mortal."

"That is a trait you will lose after a few decades of living this way," Megumi said with a hint of sadness in her voice. "Survival becomes more important than kindness."

She paused, letting the pure white blossom fall from her fingers. "Your efforts are appreciated, Sakurazuka-san, but I must ask that you reconsider your offer to kill Kosarou. He's from the same generation as I am. This means that he is roughly my equal in power. I don't want to see any others hurt by him."

"Thank you for the warning, but when I promise to kill someone," Seishirou said, his smile feral and deadly. "That person will die."

"But why would you want to kill him?" Subaru butted in, his voice grim and displeased. He didn't like being ignored while the two of them talked like he wasn't there. Seishirou was behaving like an idiot and he wasn't going to encourage him. This had to be settled between them and he wasn't going to wait until they got to a more private spot.

"What K-Kosarou-san did to me cannot be undone. If it's anything, it's my fight. So if I am staying away from him, why on earth would you want to involve yourself?" The exasperation in Subaru's voice was undeniable. He was frightened for Seishirou's safety, although he wasn't going to tell that to the man, knowing it would be a challenge on his pride.

"He violated you, therefore I must defend what is mine and kill him," Seishirou replied, his face that of complete solemnity.

With a great effort of will, Subaru resisted rolling his eyes at that attitude. He opened his mouth to argue further but Megumi spoke first.

"Before you go any further," Megumi said, interrupting the other two. "I must tell you what is and isn't allowed. It's important that you understand our law and the consequences for breaking it."

Seishirou raised an eyebrow but decided to be a gentleman and allow her to continue.

"First, you aren't allowed to kill a mortal human without my permission. Second, you may not sire any new offspring without permission. Third, you do not kill or injure another vampire unless he is found guilty of breaking the law. Fourth, all vampires within the city limits must have presented themselves to me. Lastly, you are to do whatever it takes to hide our presence from normal humans. That is it." She paused, allowing them to digest everything.

Subaru shook his head at her. "All I want is to be left alone. I don't ever want to be involved with any vampire or come in contact with any vampire… ever," he said stubbornly. "As for other humans, it's too late now. Seishirou-san knows all about me, so do my family. And I will not abandon them." He didn't like someone telling that he was subject to her laws, especially since he wasn't a vampire of his own volition. As for not abandoning Seishirou, he had mixed feelings about it. His heart whispered that perhaps it would be better to never see Seishirou again, but Subaru knew that if he ever made that decision, the next day would be the day he walked out into the sun.

"Sumeragi-san," Megumi said softly, touching his arm. "I said normal humans. Sakurazuka-san and your family are practitioners of the magical arts. They do not fear or despise our kind. You haven't knowingly broken any laws."

"Though I am not bound by your laws, Megumi-san," Seishirou reminded her.

"But you should know them, since you are Sumeragi-san's protector, are you not?" she asked, an ironic smile twisting her lips. She had him there. Even if he refused to admit it, Seishirou was showing all the symptoms of a man obsessed.

Seishirou thought about that question before replying. "I suppose I am now."

"Good. Then he can stay with you until we have dealt with Kosarou. He has a number of vampires loyal to him in this city. It's possible that if we were able to find you, he will too. Please be safe," she said, compassion shining in her dark eyes. Subaru's situation nearly broke her heart, having lived through the nightmare of abuse by one's sire herself.

Subaru was too busy gaping at Seishirou to notice her pitying look. "H-how, w-why… my protector?" he burst out, gulping in wide-eyed shock. Seishirou-san was astounding him by turns. Yet he remained suspicious of Seishirou's motives. Was he putting on an act for Megumi's benefit? It didn't seem that there would be any point, but how else was he supposed to explain this declaration? Perhaps it was the challenge? Was Seishirou only after the thrill of going up against another hunter? If that was so…

Subaru's reaction was obstinacy. "I don't need a protector. I'm fine alone! I'll… I'll just be careful!" he insisted. He'd survived safely for the last few months with the help of his family. Kosarou would never find him, not if he hid more carefully. Regretfully, he decided he wouldn't be able to see Seishirou for a while if the man insisted on behaving in a way that would put him in direct danger.

"Sumeragi-san, please," the Prince said, with a bit more force in her voice. She might be short in stature and delicate in appearance, but she was a natural leader. If Subaru was too proud to accept the assistance he was being offered, she would make him take it. "I know what you've been through. There is no shame in accepting help from another. We can prevent him from taking you again."

It wasn't that Subaru was too proud. A sinking fear lay in the pit of his stomach as his anxiety for Seishirou grew. He knew exactly what Kosarou was capable of and there was no way he would willingly expose Seishirou to that danger. If Subaru was the source of the problem, then he would remove his presence from Seishirou's orbit, no matter the cost to his heart.

As the other two pressed, Subaru grew more obstinate. "No thank you," Subaru said, politely but firmly, in tones that signaled he'd made up his mind. "Seishirou-san, you don't have to worry about me. After tonight, you won't see me again." He bowed to Megumi. "I will be careful. I have no wish to return to… K-Kosarou-san." He was ashamed that he couldn't even say the rogue vampire's name without stuttering but just the thought of Kosarou was enough to make him shudder with fear.

"A pity," Megumi said, taking a step towards him. "You're a good person, but I'm afraid you must learn to trust the right people." With that, she reached up and tapped his forehead. She was so unassuming that the young vampire hadn't even expected that particular move. Her magic overwhelmed him, pouring through his senses until he finally collapsed from the strain. As he toppled backwards, Seishirou quickly moved to catch him before he hit the ground.

"He'll sleep for at least eight hours," she explained before Seishirou could get angry with her. "Take him home so that he'll be forced to stay during the day. We'll keep in touch." With that, she turned away, her posture an obvious dismissal.

"I'll cover my windows and prepare the spare bedroom then," Seishirou replied. He knew that he wouldn't have been able to convince Subaru to stay with him without the Prince's insistence.

Seishirou scooped him easily into his arms and exited. The trip back was short, even though he had to exert himself once more to fly from building to building, occasionally looking down at the cool bundle he held.

Subaru was as beautiful as he remembered, perhaps even more so. Now that he had a rival vying for possession over him, Seishirou was filled with a strong desire to protect and keep him. It might be possessive, but it was the strongest emotion that Seishirou had felt in a long time. This rogue vampire had no right to claim something that didn't belong to him. Seishirou indulged in fantasies of what he would do to Subaru's sire as he walked into his house. He was going to make the other pay, no matter that Subaru might protest. He chuckled, thinking the young vampire should have more faith in him. It was a good thing Subaru was unconscious or he'd have been shocked by the wicked smile spreading on Seishirou face while he contemplated on the most painful means at his disposal to kill.

Walking to the spare room, Seishirou laid his burden down on the bed, though Subaru was hardly a burden, weighing as little as he did. He hurried to pull the drapes tightly shut, for he didn't want that pristine skin marked by the burning rays of the sun. Just to be safe, he proceeded to go around the house, covering every window well enough so that not a single beam of sunlight would be able to enter. By the time he was finished, a pounding sakanagi headache was thrumming behind Seishirou's skull. He was going to have to remember not to exert himself so much in the future, although that might be easier said than done. Subaru was proving to be quite a handful. On the other hand, he reflected that he hadn't enjoyed himself so much in years.

He brushed a brow over Subaru's forehead and chuckled. "Silly, Subaru-kun for trying to resist. You're mine, just you remember that." That fact established, Seishirou settled himself into an armchair beside Subaru's bed and slept.

Notes:

Megumi is female but referred to as Prince of the City. A lot of our vampire information comes from White Wolf's Vampire: The Masquerade… and some bits we made up. :-p Vampires are fabulous creatures, as you can customize them to fit your story. As one of our pre-readers said, Megumi reminds her of Sir Integral from Hellsing. I agree, except that Megumi can kick bigger ass.