Who knew what was wrong with Shina, Zero shrugged as he marched back to the association headquarters.

Someone walking past him suddenly stopped, and as Zero turned to look, he met the face of a strange, young woman.

"Ichiru?" Her voice was disbelieving, husky, despite her youthful appearance. "Is that really you?"

"Uh," Zero backed away a step, lost for words. "No - no... I'm not-"

"You might have changed your hairstyle, but I know it's you," she placed her hands on her hips, staring at Zero knowingly.

It was then that Zero realised how strange and out of place her clothing was. She wore a long, dark dress, the top of it hidden by a flowing black cloak which sat on her shoulders. Her hair itself was jet black, flowing down her black. But she didn't feel evil.

Not completely.

"Come with me," she grabbed Zero's wrist, pulling him down the street. "You haven't come for years, I was worried something had happened to you."

Whoever this woman was, she knew Ichiru, but obviously not well enough to have received the news of his death.

The only part of Zero that still let him get dragged along by the stranger was his open curiosity as to her relationship with his twin and what she wanted to tell him.

Another part protested that it was deceitful, and he should just tell her now that Ichiru was dead and he wasn't Ichiru.

Curiosity won over and Zero followed the woman through the city, finally stopping in front of an indistinguishable store.

Herbs and other small trinkets were scattered on display tables dotting the room. Dream catchers hung from the ceiling, drifting ever so slightly in whatever breeze the air circulation went within the musty store.

A bored looking teenager sat at the counter, his thumb moving rapidly across the screen of his phone as he sat there, texting.

"Back to work, Ren," the woman breezed past him, giving him a sharp tap on the wrist.

"Sorry, Hana," the phone clattered onto the table as the boy caught offguard hastily tucked it back into his pocket. "But there's no-one who ever comes to the store. How did you even keep it running all these years?"

"Bu having workers that don't slack," came the sharp retort as Hana ducked past a long black curtain that hid a doorway which Zero hadn't noticed.

Having no choice but to follow her, Zero also walked through the doorway, casting a sidelong glance at the sulking shop assistant as he walked past the counter.

"You don't seem to remember Ren," Hana turned to look at Zero. "Just what did you do for two years? And you didn't contact me once."

Who was this woman? What kind of a relationship did she have with Ichiru?

Was he a two-timer? The ridiculous thought rose to mind. He pushed it away as soon as the thought even registered.

"You don't seem as talkative anymore," Hana turned left into a room. A small table and two chairs sat on either side of the dark, mahogany table. Papers and various files littered one side of the desk, unconsciously reminding Zero of Kaien's desk at the association.

"Don't tell me you're acting all moody because you broke up with that brown-haired chick," Hana sat down on one chair, motioning Zero to follow on the other seat. "Did she reject you?"

"You mean Saki?" Zero asked in confusion. "She's not a chick." The words leapt from his mouth before he could stop it.

"Yup, definitely her," Hana muttered to herself, pouring a cup of tea from a pot that Zero hadn't noticed before. "She didn't like your attitude?"

"I'm not Ichiru," Zero replied bluntly, unsure of how else to put it.

I'm sorry, the man you thought you were talking to died two years ago, killed by a savage vampire. I'm his twin brother. Oh, and when he died, he and Saki were still in a relationship. No one got dumped.

"I thought as much," Hana nudged the cup of tea towards him, beginning to pour a second cup. "Or you would be giving me a thousand reasons why I shouldn't be so nosy about your love affairs. Or what you were doing for the past two years."

"You knew?" Zero didn't know what to think. He hadn't done any acting at all, and yet, this Hana seemed to go along with everything.

"Ichiru is dead, isn't he?" She asked calmly, setting the teapot down and taking a sip of her tea, staring Zero directly in the eye. "Drink your tea, it's getting cold."

"Right," Zero took the small cup awkwardly, taking a tentative sip. This woman's presence cowed him slightly, with her calm, but firm demeanour. "Why did you bring me here?"

"I did some investigating on Saki's kidnapping," Hana began flicking through some sheets on the table. "And some investigating on associated aristocrats."

"You knew?" Zero did a double take. "How?"

"I've been keeping a close eye on the pesky thing," Hana pulled out some sheets. "For the past two years ever since she went missing. So obviously I would know about her kidnapping."

"Why?" It was probably the biggest question Zero could ask. Why bother watch over someone like her? There was nothing special about her. Sure, she killed Rido, but her mood swings and countless other flaws turned her into any other person. Less than a person, seeing as she was a vampire.

"Well, apart from your brother's undying love for her and whatnot, she's connected to a little...problem, I'm trying to solve," Hana began pushing the sheets towards Zero. "Her kidnapping is part of a much bigger mystery that I've been aware of for...what? 5 years?"

"5 years?" Zero repeated. "What kind of problem is that?"

"An annoying one," Hana replied briefly. "Here are a list of aristocrats associated with her kidnapping and others that I believe are associated with the bigger plan. They're all just helpers of course, but hopefully I can track down the big boss from them." A slender finger pointed down a list of names, all written in elegant handwriting.

"Big boss? Helpers?" Zero stared at the list in front of him dumbly. Some of the names he saw, he recognised, but one of them caught his eye in particular. Ichijo. "How did you get all these names? What big plan are you even talking about?"

"Men these days." He could have sworn he heard Hana mutter.

"This big plan I am talking about," Hana leaned forward on the table, her hands splayed flat on the wooden surface. "Is in essence, a revolt. Despite having been investigating it privately for years, I still don't know the full intention and mastermind behind it. It would be a very patient one, seeing as they have been waiting for several years."

"A revolt?" Zero couldn't process what he was hearing. "Are the vampires going against the hunter association?"

"Something like that," Hana replied. "But not just the hunter association. You see, not all the vampire clans are involved or in on the plan. There are many clans that have already joined, which I have here, and the ones with marks next to them are particularly important and have a larger role in this revolt."

Hearing this, Zero took another glance at the sheet in front of him.

A big cross sat next to several names, but there was only one he was looking for in particular.

Ichijo.

Dread coiled in his stomach as he registered the fat, black cross that lay on the sheet next to his name, glaring up at him.

Vice-president of the Night Class. Takuma Ichijo.

Was he involved?

"Are you planning to take this to the association?" Zero gestured to the sheet. "They will probably find this information useful."

"No." Hana's answer was blunt.

"No?" Zero cast a disbelieving glance at the mysterious woman. "Why not?"

"There's a spy in the association," Hana replied, leaning back in her chair. "More than one actually. I just don't know who."

"How do you know there are spies then?" Zero challenged her.

"Because those aristocrats have some information that they shouldn't be dealing with. The only way for them to obtain that information is by having someone in the association relay it to them."

Zero remained silent. For the first time, he was beginning to wonder just what was going on in this corrupt world.

~~~~

I'm sorry, I haven't updated in a lifetime XC I hope you guys are still well and alive XD

Was the chapter suspenseful (hehe)? I hope it's built up enough of a conplication - I know, I am actually following a plot line (kyaaaaaa!!!) When normally I just write off the top of my head :P
~Evil_Incubator