I picked up the wooden case, dropping it on the bed with a soft thunk. The leather strap I had attached to the corners slid over my head, resting the clunky box against my hip. The edges would hurt after a while, but I would deal with that then.

Zero was sitting in the living room when I came out. A sword hung in a sheath by his hip, and he looked annoyed and uncomfortable.

Ah, he doesn't have his gun.

He didn't talk. He just stood up and opened the front door. I followed, shutting the door behind me. Yagari would lock it.

"We're taking the bus," Zero informed me gruffly, his right hand resting on the hilt of his sword. Part of me wondered how we were going to board a bus without getting screams. As if in response to my thoughts, Zero shifted the belt, unclasping it to slip it under the long coat he wore, until only the tip of the sheath was visible in the shadows below it. Soon, it would be invisible as the setting sun cast its final rays over the housetops.

~~~

Of course my fears about getting arrested in public were ridiculous. The bus that took us to the edge of town was empty, save the bus driver, a haggard looking woman who looked like she'd prefer being in the shower than the dingy bus that rattled up to the bus stop.

As Zero and I boarded the bus, I didn't miss the looks I got from some people still waiting at the stop.They were looks of confusion, suspicion, and fear.

Yup, we're definitely boarding the right bus.

Zero went straight to the back of the bus, sitting down on a seat as he immediately turned to look out the window. I opted to sit on the seat opposite him, sliding along to my own window.

With a warning rumble, the bus jerked into motion, carting its two passengers down the darkening road.

We got off on the first stop. The bus had trundled its way straight through the city, finally stopping at a dim lamppost that marked the stop. I had no idea where the bus would stop next.

The dirt road was hard under our feet, a few shades lighter than the sky in the moonlight. A bird flapped away on my left, sweeping into the rooftops of the houses that made up the outskirts of the town. Our destination was in the other direction.

Even with my vampire eyes, I could only make out the blurred silhouette of a ramshackle house that stood like a demented giant in the distance.

Zero's hair gleamed dully in the light of the half moon, and idly, I wondered how he could still remain stealthy with a head like a beacon.

The house was closer than I thought, or we had just been walking faster than I realised. The scrubbery that dotted the ground shifted uneasily under our footsteps, and I laid a hand on the wooden box that rested against my hip.

"Stop," Zero held out a hand, the first word he spoke since we left echoing through the silent air. Even the crickets had stopped chirping.

Kneeling as silently as possible, I put down the case, opening it quickly and carefully, to pull out the silver bow and quiver. I left the box on the ground as I stood up. I would retrieve it later.

Zero placed a hand on the sword in his coat, his gaze fixed on the house in front of us. I opened my mouth slightly to taste the air. The scent of blood was stale, but strong. The vampires were definitely here.

Zero stepped through the open door first, his boots creaking on the wooden boards inside. A soft breeze picked up as I followed, releasing creaks and groans through the house. It was like a horror movie, but I wasn't too scared. I was a vampire, the villain of the movie.

The fresh smell of blood hit me like a wave. The faint trace of a whimper floated from upstairs.

Zero motioned to the stairs, and I nodded. He went first, and I tailed him, keeping an eye out for surprise attacks. I pulled an arrow out, notching it, but didn't draw.

It wasn't the first time I had this thought, but fighting with a bow and arrow was extremely disadvantageous in a house like this. Rotted floorboards and wires dangled from the ceiling, making it hard to get a clear shot. Not to mention it was close-range in the small space, an absolute no for an archer.

Too late to back out now.

'"RARGHH!" The feral scream was the only warning we had before a shadowy figure lunged from the top of the stairs, its glowing red eyes pinned on us.

Zero had his sword out in a split second, impaling the creature before it could touch him. It exploded into a cloud of dust, sprinkling onto the staircase.

"Don't forget the second one," Zero half-whispered, half-yelled, as we ran up the rest of the stairs, trying to gain as much elevation before we were attacked again.

The second vampire wasn't as rash as the first, and remained hunched over in the corner, glowering at us. Grey mounds dotted the room, the remains of its victims. I pulled back the string, aiming the arrow at the Level E. It wasn't daunted by the silver tip, and circled closer, its mouth open in a snarl.

"Watch out!" A rustle of movement made me turn, just in time for clawed hands to catch me on the face, blood spraying into my eyes.

The second vampire took the opportunity to strike, and Zero stepped in with a swing of his sword. It was faster than I anticipated and ducked around the sword, lunging towards me.

The third vampire took advantage of Zero's distraction to rake its claws down his exposed back, its shriek of triumph screeching through the room.

Dropping to floor, I rolled halfway, dodging the vampire and brought my bow up to release the arrow at the vampire still in mid-leap. It went through its shoulder, inciting a howl of pain.

The wounded vampire landed unsteadily, and turned to me. In the corner of my eye, I could see Zero fighting the third vampire. The Level E had picked up a piece of rotting wood, and was, rather skilfully, deflecting Zero's blade with it. It would only be a matter of time before the wood gave way and Zero could kill it though.

The vampire ran at me before I could take another arrow, and I had no choice but to bring up my bow, the silver metal clashing against its clawed hand. In the split second we locked, I yanked another arrow out of my quiver and speared the vampire in the neck, flinching as it swung its other hand around.

Before it could touch me, it disintegrated into dust, some of it falling onto my shoulder, leaving me panting as the adrenaline surge died.

A final howl marked the end of the mission, as Zero swung his sword in a deadly arc, cutting the vampire through the middle.

The lower half of its body disintegrated, but it's torso was still whole as it turned to face me, its red eyes gleaming fiercely.

"Traitor," it hissed, the first proper word it had spoken. I shivered as it exploded into dust, forming another grey mound in the room.

Zero sheathed his sword, wincing slightly.

"Are you hurt?" I shook off the fear that came with the vampire's word.

Traitor.

"It got me from behind," Zero took off his coat, inspecting the claw marks in it. "It should be fine."

"You should get it dressed," I replied flatly. I wasn't going to be held to blame if he collapsed from blood loss or infection. Hunter, vampire, or not. "Hold on a second."

Running from the room, I descended the stairs, leaving the house, my eyes scanning the ground for the box I had left. It was still where I left it, and I opened it, taking out the small first-aid kit stashed in the corner. The gauze wrap was just about the only item used from it, to stop bleeding, since Hunters didn't need antiseptic and alcohol wipes and whatever. Those were for any lucky human survivors who hadn't been completely devoured by vampires.

When I returned to the room, the smell of blood was fresh, and I caught sight of Zero. He sat on the ground, shirtless, his torn shirt and coat lying on the ground next to him. He had his back to me, his face tilted towards the window. From my position at the top of stairs, I could see the ugly slashes on his pale back. His blood was slowly seeping out the gashes. As I neared him, I could see a tattoo curling downwards from the nape of his spine.

"I didn't know you had tattoos," I commented as I crouched behind him, picking up the gauze and laid it on top of his right shoulder, preparing to wrap.

"Didn't you know," Zero didn't react to my presence. I raised an eyebrow at his response.

"There's one right there on your back. I couldn't have seen it," I lightly tapped the tattoo. Upon closer inspection, the swirls and curves resembled a fox, with a long sweeping tail.

"You mean the one on my neck?" Zero turned slightly, a crease between his eyebrows. I shook my head.

"No, the one on your back, starting from the back of your neck."

"Like your one?"

Now it was my turn to frown.

"Which one?"

"The one on your back," Zero countered. "I saw it at the Hunter headquarters."

When he walked in on me changing.

"I don't have a tattoo," I repeated, confusion and fear beginning to swell in my stomach. Zero shrugged, the movement reminding me of the half-wrapped gauze around his torso. Shaking my head slightly, I continued wrapping.

"Well, I saw one," Zero replied. "It looked like a fox."

A chill had begun to spread down my spine.

"Yours does too," I whispered, dread filling me. There was enough dressing on the wound now, and with shaky fingers, I found the small pair of scissors and cut it.

"Are you sure you saw one on my back?" I demanded, replacing the items in the kit.

"Definitely," Zero reached out to put his shirt back on, the white of the bandages filling in the gaps in the shirt.

I craned my neck back, trying to see my back. It was a stupid move, considering the clothes I wore, but my skin prickled at the thought of a tattoo appearing on it out of nowhere.

"Is there a mirror anywhere?"

"You can check back at the headquarters," Zero dismissed the question. He seemed unfazed about the tattoos, but his eyes had a slightly haunted look to them now. "We have to stay calm."

I nodded, biting my lip. Freaking out wasn't going to help me in any way. The sooner we returned and got the mess sorted out, the better.

"The mission said there were only two of them," Zero pulled a crumpled envelope out of the pocket of his coat. It took me a second to realise he was referring the vampires.

"Maybe they didn't notice the third one," I shrugged half-heartedly, slinging my bow over my shoulder, picking up the kit in my other hand.

"Maybe," Zero didn't sound certain.

~~~

The bus arrived as I finished untangling my hair, flicking out dust and splinters that must have caught on as I rolled on the floor. It was a different bus this time, coming from the other direction, but may as well have been the same. The haggard-looking driver scratched his head with his cap as we boarded the otherwise empty bus. He was indifferent to our boarding in the middle of nowhere, taking our coins without comment and starting the bus before we could get seated.

With a final wheeze, the bus jerked to a stop a few streets from the Hunter's Association, right next a train station. The driver leaned out of his seat to peer at us.

"Last stop before it goes to depot," his voice was scratchy and monotonous, like a rusted clock. Zero and I got off without comment, carbon monoxide blowing in our faces as the bus sped off, charging for the depot no doubt.

~~~

So, I think I'll end here. Did you guys enjoy it? I hope you did :)
It's almost school holidays. Just one more exam before I can hopefully get into regular updates. What do you guys think of the tattoos. Please comment and vote if you liked it :3

~Evil_Incubator