Yu-Gi-Oh! Fan Fiction ❯ Brutal Immortality ❯ Chapter Three ( Chapter 3 )

Me: Okay okay, one thing I always forget when I write stories is the disclaimer. I don't any of the Yu-Gi-Oh! In any of my stories, so there. On with new chapter.

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Brutal Immortality

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Chapter Three

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"There's been another attack!" was what Seto awoke to the next morning. He opened his blue eyes, to find a pair of honey ones staring down at him, "Get up, Seto, get up! There's been another attack!"

Jou led Seto out to the main conference room, where Kuri was holding Merriam's body close to him.

"No…no…" He was murmuring.

Everyone's eyes turned on Seto, who took a step back.

Kuri looked at him, growling, "He did it! Merriam was killed within these walls, and he's the only vampire who knows the way in!"

Seto shook his head, "I didn't."

Kuri set Merriam's body down and stood, "He must've! Merriam was being untrustworthy of him, so he killed her to shut her up!"

"No!"

Kuri readied himself to pounce on the brunette, but Jou, in his full dog form jumped in front of Seto, growling at Kuri.

He morphed back into himself, "Stop it, Kuri! Seto couldn't have been the one to kill Merriam. Hanyou told me when she woke up to Merriam's screams, Seto was still sleeping on the mattress by her bed!"

Seto blinked. Why did the dog keep calling him by his first name?

Kuri looked to Hanyou, who nodded, "The shadow of the vampire who killed Merriam retreated before I could catch him."

Kuri looked down at Merriam. She was cold and white. Kuri glared at Seto. He now, like Ryou, hated vampires.

Seto leaned against the wall, his head bowed, his unruly brown hair falling in front of his eyes. He didn't know what to do. The next time an inu-jin was killed, they'd blame him again. And he may not get off so easy.

"I shouldn't be here. I'm a threat," Seto murmured.

Jou tilted his chin up, "That's not true. We know you didn't do this. You couldn't have."

Seto looked at the blonde. The blonde who didn't seem like boy he knew back in school. He seemed so different. So much more mature. And so much more beautiful.

Seto nodded, "Thank you."

Jou nodded and smiled, before walking away.

Seto closed his eyes. This was one of those times that he wished Mokuba was still around. He needed someone to comfort him. To tell him everything would be all right, even if won't be. He needed Mokuba…or a friend. Anybody who would listen to him. Anybody who would -care-.

Seto sighed, a heavy sigh, before walking over to Hanyou, "Now what?"

Hanyou massaged her throbbing temples, "I don't know…this monster now knows where our hide out is. We'll need extra protection to keep him out."

"Let me," Seto said.

"Hmm?"

"Let me guard the entrance. I'm a creature of the night. I can handle it," the brunette replied.

"Seto, that is putting you in a very vulnerable state…" Hanyou murmured, looking to the floor, her eyes flashing back and forth as if searching for something.

"I owe it to your clan, Hanyou," Seto told her, his eyes determined. Hanyou looked back up at him, still not sure if this was a wise decision on her uncle's part, or a foolish way to get her clan to trust him. Either way, she knew she could not change his mind.

"All right. But be very careful. If you're out there, and the other vampire comes and attacks another inu-jin, there are a -lot- of ways he can make it look like you did it. And then, even if you were innocent, I wouldn't be able to stop the clan from destroying you."

With that Hanyou walked back into her chambers.

Seto glanced toward the wall which secured her quarters, before he started walking toward the steps which led to exit and entrance to the inu-jin hide out. His arm was grabbed by someone's hand. He turned and was met by dark brown eyes, filled with worry.

"Seto," Jou murmured, and paused.

There was his first name again…why did Jou keep calling him that?

"Be careful," He said, finally.

Seto smirked, feeling like his old self for a second, "Why do you care, mutt?"

Jou glared, and placed his hands on his hips, "Well…well…Shizuka and Mokuba would have wanted us to…to get along, and Shizuka probably wouldn't have liked it if I'd said something like `I hope the other vampire EATS you.'"

Seto glared back, "You always did waste my time, inu."

"You know what, I don't even know why I tried! I hope the other vampire DOES eat you!" Jou growled, before turned and walking down one of the hallways.

Seto scowled, and continued up the steps and out of the den. He sat out front, his head leaned back against the wall. Mokuba and Shizuka -would- have wanted them to get along. And for some reason, every time Seto was close to the blonde, he had a strange feeling in his chest. Like a tingle. Or a spark. It was strange to him. He shook his head, his eyes closing. He was a creature of the night. And so, as day had just begun, he was going to do what any nocturnal creature would. He was going to sleep.

And he did.

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When he awoke, he felt strange sensation in his neck. He stood up and inspected it. It was two puncture wounds. He blinked away the blurriness, and found himself back inside the inu-jin den. Still slightly bleary-eyed, he began to walk toward Hanyou's chambers when he tripped on something. He stood up and looked down.

It was Kuri.

He was dead.

Seto noticed the Sun going down, and the inu-jins began to filter out of their rooms to hunt for the night. The brunette didn't know what to do. He was standing right by the body. He smelled blood. It was close. His eye teeth grew at the smell. He felt them, and his lips. His lips were sticky with something.

The blood he smelled. Someone had smeared his lips with Kuri's blood. He'd never be able to convince the inu-jins it wasn't him. They'd, surely, kill him.

Hanyou, Jou, Ryou and Yuugi emerged first from their respected resting places. Then a few others came out. All eyes were on him now. He had Kuri's blood on his lips, on his eye teeth. He was right by the body.

A few people gasped, one screamed, and the rest growled. Most of them had, by then, reverted to their true forms, and were readying to pounce him. Seto was, literally, back into a wall.

"Uncle…how could…" Hanyou's eyes were filled with tears, and she shook her head, turning away, two, small, almost incoherent words escaping her lips, "Kill him."

The dog's pounced, and the tears fell from the woman's eyes.

"No!" One screamed, and jumped in front of Seto. It was Jou. He was defending him. But why? What evidence did Jou have to believe that Seto had not done it? And what was this, Ryou was protecting him, too. Why?

Hanyou called the dogs off, and looked at the two, curiously, "I don't understand…"

Ryou reverted back into himself, "Hanyou, from the look of the body, Kuri was killed at least two hours ago. The blood on Kaiba's lips is fresh. If he'd killed Kuri, it would be dry by now."

Ryou was right. The blood was still wet. But why would he help him, anyway? Even if he hadn't killed Kuri, Ryou still hated vampires. So why defend one, and stop his pack from ridding the city of one less vampire?

Hanyou shook her head, and walked up to Seto. She glared at her, before slapping him. The clan all looked on.

Seto blinked, his face now turned away from Hanyou.

"Somehow, `I told you so' doesn't quite do it," Hanyou snapped, "But I did! I told you that if you tried to guard the den, the vampire would find a way to frame you! And he almost succeeded!"

Seto fingered the puncture wounds on his neck. The vampire must've drank enough of his blood to render him unconscious, and then placed him by Kuri's dead body. He couldn't have smeared Kuri's blood on his face, though, because, like Ryou said, it would be dry by then. But then, how did he get the blood on Seto's face?

Seto closed his eyes, as he massaged his pounding head. When he opened them again, everything was blurry. He realized how weak he was. His legs gave way, and Jou and Hanyou were under his arms within seconds, holding him up.

"He hasn't had anything to eat in two days, Hanyou," Jou murmured. Seto realized his weak state could be the state that just saved his life, but Jou was right. He needed blood.

"I…I have to get out of here…b-before," Things were getting blurrier, "If I get any worse…the inu-jin scent…I don't want to attack…whoa…"

He felt dizzy.

Jou set him down, and Seto could see him pulling his shirt down a little bit. He arched his neck, "Here…this time I give it willingly."

Seto breathed in Jou's blood's scent, which he could now smell fully, now that the sweet veins were revealed. His eye teeth grew, his eyes turned red, and his pierced Jou's flesh, drinking from him.

Jou winced, but let the vampire devour his life fluid. He began to grow weaker, and just as he fainted, Seto pulled away, wiping his mouth.

Jou fainted atop him, and Seto held him there, not sure of what else to do. Hanyou kneeled and took Jou from Seto, "He'll be all right. He's just unconscious. It was a very brave and kind thing he did for you, though."

Seto nodded.

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Seto sat against a wall, outside Hanyou's quarters. He was a very pensive sight. Contemplating many things. His brother. Hanyou. Jou. Mostly Jou.

He couldn't understand why Jou was treating him so kindly, and calling him by his first name. He didn't know why Jou had given up his blood, -willingly- to him. And now, it'd been twice that Jou jumped in front of him and was prepared to protect him from his own pack.

Seto closed his eyes. He never really did understand the blonde, but back then, when they were teenagers, it was trivial things. Now it seemed, understanding Jou was at a whole new level.

Speaking of which, the blonde suddenly emerged, looking tired. But he smiled at the brunette, "Feeling better?"

Seto nodded, "You?"

Jou nodded in reply and sat next to him.

"I bet you're wondering why I've been so nice to you," He murmured.

Seto blinked, "How did you--?"

"I'm a dog…dog's know," Jou admitted, with a slightly sour grin, "Well, it's kind of…giving something back to Mokuba and Shizuka, I guess. I know they always hated it when we fought…because they were so much in love…even back then. So I think, if they're looking down on us right now, they'll finally be able to rest in peace, knowing they did something good by being the reason we don't fight anymore."

Seto just stared at him, before he nodded, a small smile forming on his lips, "Yeah…"

Jou looked up at him, smiling too.

Ryou, Yuugi and Hanyou stood across the room.

"Is it just me or do they seem-" Yuugi began.

Hanyou nodded, "Yep. They definitely like each other. More then just friends, mind you. It is true that Jou wants to get along with Seto for his sister but-"

"He's had feelings for Kaiba since high school," Ryou finished. He remembered overhearing a conversation about it that Jou had had with his sister. He hadn't meant to overhear it, but he already had dog ears and could ear from long distances.

Hanyou nodded, "He told me when I first took him in. He actually let it slip, and seemed intrigued so he explained to me who Seto was and his feelings for him. Of course, he didn't know I already knew who Seto was."

The trio looked back over, and saw Jou deep in conversation, and Seto slowly drifting off to sleep. It was a funny sight to see Jou rambling on, and Seto about to pass out.

Jou stopped talking as he noticed the brunette falling asleep, and whacked him, "Hey! Don't fall asleep!"

Seto snorted, as he jerked awake, "What, what?"

Jou glared, but he was smiling, and his weak expression held little conviction.

Hanyou walked over to Jou, "Come on, Jou. It's hunting time. We'll see you in a hour or so, uncle."

Jou nodded and stood, following Hanyou and the rest of the pack up the stairs. Seto stood up, yawning. He walked over to the caskets that held Merriam and Kuri. They were propped up on the wall. They looked like old egyptian style sarcophaguses, but they were freshly carved out of a trees that a few of the pack had brought back.

He opened them both, and began to inspect the wounds on their neck. From the look of the puncture holes, the vampire had gone deep into the vein before he actually started to drink any of the blood. Then, Seto noticed something. On both bodies, there was dried blood on the neck and part of their clothing.

That's strange, he thought to himself, vampires never get any of the victim's blood on the body…unless…!

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The pack returned from their hunt, to find Seto pacing in front of the still open caskets.

"What the hell are you doing, vampire!" Kenji, one of the bulkiest, and meanest of the clan, snapped, "All they're blood has been drank already, so I don't know why your snooping around for a snack!"

"Kenji!" Hanyou scolded.

"No! Hanyou, his statement is the perfect way for me to tell you what I'm about to tell you."

He pulled Merriam's body, then Kuri's, and set them on the tables he'd set up.

He looked at the clan, hard, and narrowed his eyes, "Here…"

He pointed to both of their clothing, "…you will see that there are blood stains on each of their shoulders. And dried blood on each of their necks where the puncture wounds are. Now, I may not know much about your kind, but I know a thing or two about vampires, and vampires never spill blood, when they are drinking from a body."

He stopped, his eyes cast down, but he was pacing, "No…this vampire did not drink the blood, and if he did, he did not drink much. This vampire did the old gasoline out of a car engine trick. He sucked on the puncture wounds, making the blood flow from them. When the blood stopped flowing, he'd suck again. He did this continuously until most, if not all the blood in their bodies were drained."

He turned back to the clan, his eyes cold, and determined, "Once a quarter of the blood in a persons body is drained, they fall unconscious. More then half and you're dead. But you say most vampires who puncture an inu-jin with their fangs kill them instantly?"

Hanyou nodded, "Almost always. It's very rare to have a case like yours' and Jou's."

Speaking of that, why was Seto able to pierce Jou without killing him?

He shook the thought away, "So, Kuri and Merriam didn't struggle at all because they were already dead. Which made it very easy for the vampire to steal the blood."

"But -why- would he -want- the blood?" One of the pack members asked.

Seto nodded, "That's the awful question, isn't it? Why, indeed…"

Why indeed…

Well, that was something Seto still had to figure out.

And at this point…

…he didn't have a clue.

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Me: And the plot thickens. Why is the vampire stealing blood and not drinking it? Hmmm….R/R and I might write more….for the plot is slowly revealing itself…and I know you all want to know what is going to happen….MWAHAHAHA!