Blood Rose (Midnight Rose Sequel)

Chapter 18: Hidden

Quick A/N: In case there's a slight bit of confusion, this chapter takes place at the same time as chapter 17.

Kokichi skipped carelessly throughout the warehouse. It was just him, or so it seemed. All of D.I.C.E. were out in the city. They all did his bidding around the city, causing as much trouble as they desired. Kokichi would've joined them, but he had more important things to take care of. It was the Hunter's Moon after all.

He snuck out of Hope's Peak, as part of his routine. Honestly, even with double the measures, security was quite laughable. He had been sneaking out so easily that the security guards just may as well be nonexistent. He just got back from the Blood Market, getting his usual supply of blood with a couple of extra bags. Normally he would just sneak back into the school after giving D.I.C.E. orders, but not this time.

Not for the past couple of Hunter Moons.

Kokichi continued to go over to room that he deemed as his office. It was locked by an electronic lock, and a secret lock that the rest of D.I.C.E. didn't know about. It doesn't hurt to make extra sure that no one would go snooping around without his knowledge. Not that it would probably be that easy to do so anyway. The whole room was in almost a complete mess. Boxes were staked haphazardly and papers were scattered around the floor and desk, almost making it non existent. Cork boards covered the walls, decorated with maps, pictures and plans. After locking the door, Kokichi strode across the room, carelessly kicking up a few papers as if they were leaves. He went behind the cluttered desk, and pulled open a trapdoor.

Not skipping a beat, Kokichi went down the stairs, taking an electrical camping lantern with him. His footsteps echoed as he entered the secret basement. The light was just bright enough to light up a quarter of the room, revealing a small square cage, just large enough to fit a wolf. In the dim light, there was someone inside it. They were huddled up, trying to keep as far away as they could.

"So....how's everything going?" Kokichi grinned, kneeling in front of the cage like an excited child. The prisoner didn't answer. The small vampire didn't seem to pay any mind to it. "Yeah? You're all good? Good. Oh! I've got a present for you!" The occupant raised their head as Kokichi pulled out a full fresh, blood bag. They immediately tried to scoot away, sitting flat against the cage.

"I'm not drinking that." They said, their voice raspy and quiet.

"You don't have a choice." Kokichi smirked, tossing the blood bag so it was within reach of the cage. The prisoner hadn't moved an inch. "You haven't taken a drop since that day. Either you drink it, or you'll lose your sanity." Those words appeared to have gotten through to the occupant. A thin, pale, boney hand reached through the bars. It shakily picked up the blood bag. Kokichi watched eagerly as it disappeared into the darkness. However, he pouted when the prisoner didn't start drinking the contents.

"What are you planning?" They said, looking right at the vampire.

"Okay! Since we're such good buddies, I'll tell you." Kokichi smiled rather too innocently for anyone's liking. The prisoner shifted uncomfortably. "I never turned anyone before. So I thought that I'd just have a little fun, I just wanted to try an experiment." The prisoner instinctively covered up a particular spot on their neck. A spot that tainted his pale skin with two pinprick scars. They was shaking a little as they remembered how they had gotten them. They looked down at the blood bag, their reflection looked right back at them in the darkness.

"Drink up, Shuichi. Don't want to spoil the fun before it started." Kokichi smiled, thinking that he had changed the prisoner's mind. Shuichi suddenly snapped his head up, glaring at Kokichi. He looked more angry then he ever had before. With strength that he didn't know he had left, he defiantly threw the blood bag. It hit Kokichi in the forehead, causing him to stagger back. He looked dazed before his eyes trained on Shuichi.

"You can go to hell!" Shuichi spat, turning so his back was facing Kokichi. The smaller vampire glared darkly at Shuichi.

"Fine! Be that way! I was just trying to be nice." Kokichi shouted, pocketing the blood bag and snatching up the lantern. He'll have to try again later. He turned, only to glance over his shoulder at Shuichi. "Oh! By the way, Kaito hasn't come back yet. Just thought you'd like to know." Shuichi only curled in tighter on himself. He was only cruelly reminded of the fact that Kaito hod this secret from him for so long. He wasn't mad at Kaito, if anything he was understanding. However, a feeling gnawed at his insides. Was that frustration or something else? Either way, it was a feeling that made him feel sick. There was something else as well. Something that made him immensely hungry. He assumed that it was because he hadn't eaten yet.

Kokichi knew that he wasn't going to get much else as a reaction. He immediately retreated back upstairs. He closed the trapdoor with a heavy clang, locking Shuichi in the dark once again. As he heard it faintly echo, there was suddenly a ringing of a phone. Kokichi pounced on the desk, almost cartoonish, as he scattered the papers around. They each feel on the floor until he found a small mobile phone. He looked at the caller ID and groaned. He was half tempted to ignore it, but he knows that he can't for long.

"What do you want?!" He demanded after answering the phone.

"I just want to know how things are going. Has there been any luck so far?" A voice asked, ignoring the fact that Kokichi was clearly unimpressed by this.

"No." Kokichi said, glancing down at the trapdoor.

"Are you sure?" The voice said, laced with suspicion.

"I don't know. I'm a liar after all. Even I don't know if I'm telling the truth." Kokichi shrugged as he laid flat out on the desk.

"Whatever..." the voice muttered, sounding impatient by what was being said by the small vampire.

"What's this about anyway? Why do you want this so badly?" Kokichi asked. He had been to ask this for a while now. Since he had been contacted months ago in fact. It was just out of the blue. The phone was just posted to his dorm room. The second that he opened the package the phone rang, and the offer was brought forward.

"The Vampire Hunters have done enough hunting. It's time for humanity to be taught a lesson." The voice answered, once again, speaking with such malice that even Kokichi was unnerved by it.

"That's almost too evil, even for me." Kokichi grinned, hiding that he almost lost his composure.

"Just turn someone and we're all good." The voice ordered, losing all patience with the small vampire.

"You can count on me!" Kokichi smiled, holding himself back from "accidentally" crushing the phone in his hand. If there was one thing that he loathed, was being ordered around, as any leader naturally would.

"Good! You better!" The voice snapped and the call ended. Kokichi slowly lowered the phone, snapping the flip phone closed. He once again glanced down at the trapdoor. He briefly wondered if he should call back and confess about Shuichi. However, he kept his mouth shut. He didn't know why, but he had an awful feeling if he brought Shuichi back into it. He originally thought of turning Shuichi for a prank. Rub it in Kaito's face that his best friend might turn on him for hiding something like this. That was when the offer was brought forward, before he could start his prank. He turned Shuichi, but then he started having some doubts. That's one reason why he took Shuichi when the Ultimate Detective passed out. The other reasons were not that important.

Why did he get tangled up in this?

Hey everyone. Sorry for the lack of updates. Just letting you all know that in a few days, I'll be away for a couple of weeks, so I won't be able to update the story, but I'll make it up to you.

Hope you are all staying safe and I'll see you all soon.