A/N~ Some of you may be wondering why the chapter title says "(4/3)"; the reason it says that is because I expected to be finished with this day, but it needs another part...so I added one. Simple. I don't care that it makes the fraction top heavy - it's possible, and necessary /mumbles: Cause Hope is a fail. (For anyone that doesn't know, my name is Hope.)

Now, on with the story...

I sputtered, spittle flying from my open mouth as Matsumoto punched me square in the gut, again. Sadist. I could taste blood in the back of my throat and the sensation made me quite dizzy. Odd, isn’t it? That a vampire would hate his own blood so much. Unfortunately, that was the truth of it, nothing I can do about it. Literally. Matsumoto had me strung up by my arms with my feet chained to the floor, and every so often he would pull at the chains of my arms and they would rise painfully high.

‘Ma-Matsu...’ I panted out on the verge of collapse.

Matsumoto paused.

‘Yes Jin dear?’He asked.

‘...._{kill me...}’

‘Sorry?’ He asked, leaning in closer.                                                 

I sagged, panting, against my chains, ‘Kill me,’ I said.

Matsumoto’s eyebrows flicked up but he had an answer ready, ‘No,’ He said.

‘Ba...bas...bas..tard.’

He sighed.

‘It’s okay Jin, it won’t last forever; nothing ever does – not even forever.’

I shook my head lightly. ‘You’re not making any sense,’ I croaked out.

My voice sounded like someone had taken a knife to it, and a dull one at that.

‘I never do.’ He raised my face till the beams of the lights bore into my eyes and he placed his lips gently on the sodden skin of my forehead.

I closed my eyes and exhaled slowly, anticipating what was to come. But it didn’t.

I creased my brow, eyes still closed, ‘Matsumoto?’ I called.

Knowing that this must be a trick I slowly opened one of my eyes anyway. I surveyed the room as best I could but as far as my eye could see Matsumoto had gone.

‘Mas- Aaaaaaah!!’ I shrieked as I felt a small warm hand on my back and hot liquid trailing lower.

I bucked wildly, trying to turn, but I was bound too tight.

‘Matsumoto, Matsumoto?’ I repeated like a mantra.

The hand left my back but the hot substance didn’t. Wonderful.

‘Jin, calm down. It’s me.’ said a familiar voice.

I froze.

‘Umi?’

‘Yes?’

‘W-where’s Matsumoto?’

‘Dead, I killed him.’

I felt like my head was spinning. My features kept scrunching themselves up as I tried my hardest to wrap my brain around even the thought of what he had just said.

‘...What?’ I asked.

Umi rolled his large green eyes and I swear if the circumstances had been different I would have squealed like a teenage girl because the gesture just looked that cute on him.

‘He’s dead, now shut up and let me rescue you.’ He deadpanned.

‘I’m not sure I like this Umi, I want the old one back.’

‘Are you drunk?’

‘No, should I be?’

‘Never mind.’ He groaned, unlocking me from my chains.

I wobbled for a second then collapsed with a grunt.

‘Oops, sorry,’ Umi apologised.

‘What for? It’s not your doing.’

‘Jin, don’t make me beat an injured man.’

‘Sorry.’ I mumbled. Hey, true or not I don’t want to go up against anyone that could take on Matsumoto never mind take down Matsumoto.

Umi hauled me to my feet with impressive strength for someone his size and wrapped an arm around his shoulders. I felt like a rag doll.

It was completely quiet apart from my laboured breathing as Umi lead us out of a maze of identical corridors. I still couldn’t process what was happening, and I was just too tired to care fully, or at all really, right now.

‘Umi, where are we going?’ I finally asked.

‘Somewhere safe,’ was all he replied.

Umi kicked open an escape door and I was blinded by light.

‘This better be heaven or I’m gonna kick God’s .’ I muttered.

‘You’re not dead.’ Umi deadpanned.

‘You sure?’ I asked.

‘Jin,’ He said my name as sternly as any teacher could and I knew I was irritating him. Whatever.

‘Umi!’

We whipped round at the voice. Well, he whipped – I was dragged, and rather unceremoniously as well.

‘Kazuya,’ I breathed.

‘Jin!’

‘Ace?’

What’s going on?

word count: 666 kekeke XDDD