A/N: This story is rated mature because it contains explicit materials not appropriate for the young and the innocence. If you are any of these please do not read.

You have been warned...

Zero was on a special mission today.

Ever since Kaname Kuran had destroyed the Vampire Council there had been an increase in the numbers of uprising, groups of vampires who opposed the new agreements set by the Hunters Society and Kaname. Most of them were simply Vampire Council wannabes posing as a boss in a group of newlings. A made up gang. Rebels who wanted to make it big by wrecking havoc. However, the Hunters Society had caught wind of a higher threat: an organized conspiracy led by an Aristocrat, or even a Pureblood. Because the rebels were no longer random and erratic in their quest for destruction, they were well organized and moved swiftly, but the facts were still the same the pawns were merely newlings controlled by a just as weak vampire. The only threat was the one pulling the strings.

Today, his mission was clear and simple, the way he liked them: eradicate a new group of vampires spotted outside Cross Academy. Even if they were no threats to Zero, Cross Academy was no longer occupied by the Night Class, therefore vigilance helpers were limited in the protection of the Day Class Students.

Zero moved swiftly from rooftops of café shops and the restaurants that occupied the area around Cross Academy. They were close, he could smell them. Even though he was repulsed by the vampire in him, he found some qualities of vampirism useful in his hunt. It was quite ironic he wanted to laugh. Bitterly of course.

It was easier to kill vampires when you were one.

There.

Between two close buildings in a dark ally, the newlings were harassing a young waitress from the restaurant nearby. The girl was young, still in her teens, innocent…and scared. Normal people didn't know of the existence of vampire, she simply thought they were normal men as scary as they were. She had no idea the danger she was in. Well the kind of danger she was in that is.

"I have to get back to work," she pleaded nervously for the vampires to make way. They closed in on her forming a tight circle around the defenseless girl. Zero felt a smile began to form on his lips. Yes, he would enjoy this.

Four shots and four vampires were dead. Only four left to go and he would be home free. The other four vampires watched as their companions fade to dust and danced away with the wind. Confuse and dumbstruck they were clearly new to this. The girl screamed making a dash for the wall and cowered on the ground behind a trash can.

Stupid girl, she could've run away, Zero thought. He had no sympathy for the girl.

In the peripheral of his vision, Zero saw a ragged, though not as ragged as the other, vampire backing into the darkness. He was obviously their leaders. He would know something about the conspiracy and the infamous leader.

Sometimes Zero wished that the anonymous leader was Kuran then he would need no excuse to kill him. It was partially why he was personally interested in the rebels. Then an image of Yuki popped into his head like an uninvited phantom.

He was going to leave. After what he'd done to her, there was no way he could stay. He'd lost to his hunger and hurt her. For her to find out that way had cut him deeply but it probably didn't compare to the shock Yuki was in.. It was the worst way possible for her to find out. He felt disgusted angry and guilty. He felt like he'd betrayed her. So he was leaving, for his own good and for hers.

But she'd followed him, her determination would not waver him. She would not hold him back.

"I can stop you. If that time comes. If you want me to stop you…I will stop you."

He was wrong. With those words, Yuki had shattered his resolve. In her fragile shaking arms, he'd lost to her seductive promise.

At the edge of the roof, he cocked his gun at his next target, Yuki's words echoing in his head. A phantom imaged of Yuki danced mockingly in front of his aim inviting him to shoot her. His life seemed to be consists of irony, maybe his existence was a paradox for all he was worth. At that time Zero'd thought that he'd betrayed Yuki when in the end, she'd betrayed him. A Pureblood. How sickening. He hated her with each trigger he pulled in the last two year. The illusionary Yuki continued her dance laughing merrily. He pulled the trigger.

It was becoming increasingly easy to shoot the imaginary Yuki who was often there to provoke his anger and as much as he hated to admit it, his yearning for her.

Bang, bang bang. Three more dead. The last one would serve useful in providing him some much needed information. He leaped off the roof and landed gracefully on the pavement and before the last vampire could make his escape, Zero already had him in his grip.

"Who are you working for," Zero's voice was practically dripping icicle.

"Nobody! I swear…" before the ragged vampire had the chance to finish, Zero had made quick work of him. It was no use threatening the rebel; he was under strict orders from a very powerful vampire to not say a word. Even if he wanted to, he wouldn't have been able to. That was the power of an old Vampire. Just as they'd suspected, an Aristocrat, or a Pureblood was pulling the crimson strings. Even if they were smart enough to enforced secrecy on their subject, that fact alone confirm what they'd already known. That was one step at least.

In the dorms, people watched him pass with curious eyes. They knew he was different than the Zero they'd always known though they didn't know in what ways. None of them remembered the war, other than a few who insisted they kept their memories. None of them also remembered their old classmate, a certain Yuki Cross. No, she was no longer Yuki Cross. Now she was a Kuran.

In front of his room, Zero reached for the door knob and froze as he felt a presence inside his room. Cautiously he opened the door, one hand at the readied on his Bloody Rose.

There was a girl sitting on his bed. Her head jerked up as he opened the door.

"Ichiru!" The girl hoped off his bed and threw herself on him. It was Maria Kurenai. Delusional as always. "Where have you been? I've been waiting!" she pouted.

"I had a mission," Zero replied prying her arms off of him.

The girl pursed her lips a complained in a small childlike voice. "Zero you're no fun. You could at least play along."

"I've never once played along with your delusional games." He said turning his back to her as he took off his shirt, opting for one that didn't consist of vampire dust.

"That's not true and you know it," Maria's voice had changed dramatically, what was once childlike was now cold and hard. There was an edge to it that seemed to pierce Zero's conscious. Because of course, she was right. He locked his jaw reaching for a white clean shirt from his closet when she laced her arms around his bare skin making him shiver. Yuki flashed into his mind again, smiling at him as she ate her chocolate parfait at a café they'd been to together while on an errand.

"We have an understanding don't we?" Maria said crushing her small form into the crook of his back as her hands roamed his naked flesh. "We're simply using each other to bring back our lost loves. We both benefit. When we're together, it's easy to imagine that you're Ichiru, you look exactly like him though you lack his charm. But I guess it's not as easy for you. After all I look nothing like your darling Yuki-chan."

Every word she spoke was the painful truth, Zero knew. No matter how much he hated Yuki, he couldn't deny the fact that he also loved her. He wanted her.

They stood there in pregnant silent as Maria let her words sink in like poison. Then when she'd decided she'd won, she stepped back and began to strip.

"Ichiru," her voice was once again whiny and childlike. It was creepy, Zero thought. There was little in this world that could evoke that strange feelings in him, though Maria had mastered it perfectly. It was like there were two people in that petite body. Or maybe it's the fact that she saw his dead brother in him. Or maybe it was the Ichiru in him that stirred at her calling. All three were definite possibilities.

He tiled to look at her in response and was not surprised that she was already in her underwear. She looked up at him with obscene yet innocent eyes almost pleading him to take her. She was already in her role.

"Please, Ichiru. Hold me," she opened her arms invitingly and in the glow of the lamp light, he willed Maria to become someone else. Someone he'd yearned for, for two whole years. Someone who he'd denied any feelings for, though that was only on the surface.

Zero took a step towards Maria, his hand brush against her soft cheeks, trailing a line to the corner of her lips where he continued to caress them with his thumb. He imagined Yuki's shell pink lips and his breath caught. Uncontrollable rage, the desire to posses and conquer began to build up in him and his hands shook.

"Ichiru?" Maria gazed up at him with bright round eyes and at that moment he snapped. Zero seized Maria into his grasp crushing her lips with his. He wanted to violate her, to hurt her. Zero wanted to break her. Mentally, Zero told himself that this was not Yuki. He continued to silently remind himself crucially that Yuki was very far away because the truth was, he was scared. Scared that if he ever clouded his mind and made himself believed that Maria was truly Yuki, he would turn into an uncontrollable beast. If ever he believed that Maria was Yuki, Zero would not be able to hold back.

Under his lips, Maria gasped. Zero could hear her heart pounding in her chest, accelerating with each and every kiss. He plunged his tongue into her mouth, knowing the moves she liked best. The more aroused she became the better her blood would taste and that thought only served to turn him on. His hands roamed her back searching and finding the clasp of her bra but unable to take it off. Zero growled in frustration before ripping it apart, a task he found far too easy for him and quite enjoyable. Maria also didn't seem to mind, she was a natural masochist, which served his purpose just find.

With each and every kiss, Zero began to lose himself to his urges. The heat built up rapidly inside him, making it impossible stop. Maria's small fragile hands found the button of his pants but before she could undo it, Zero'd roughly tossed her onto the bed. She gave a breathless cry as she hit the mattress and looked up at Zero's looming figure.

Zero looked down at the helpless figure on his bed as though watching his prey. Without taking his eyes off of her he opened his zipper letting his throbbing member sprung free of it's confinement. Maria's eyes widened as he moved in on her. Kneeling at the edge of his bed, Zero pulled on Maria's leg bringing her closer to him, unable to hold on any longer. He pulled her legs on either side of him and nudged away the thin piece of cloth that was her underwear with the tips of his member. Placing his tip at just the right place but not quite entering, Zero held his breath, savoring the moment as Maria writhed and whimper under him. He was at the brink when he leaned forward and took her right nipple into his mouth, sucking on it earning him a cry from Maria. He twirled her nipple around his tongue and took it between his teeth letting her relax beneath him as he continued to rub at her opening. Then when she let down her guard he plunged into her as he pulled her nipple with his teeth making her scream in sheer pleasure and the pain of penetration. With out giving her time to adjust he began to move rough and hard, pinning her hands on either side of her head, attacking her with each relentless thrust. Underneath him, Zero saw Yuki, tears pulling in her big innocent eyes, her voice crying out his name.

"Ichiru!" Maria cried and Zero growled at her. He hated this, hate what he was doing with her, hate that he wish it was Yuki he was holding but unable to stop. His emotions felt overwhelming, he wanted to destroy everything and though however unreasonable, he wanted to take it all out on Maria. The stupid girl just didn't get it.

Building up his speed and momentum, Zero could sense that they were both nearly at the edge. He wrapped his hands in Maria's silver hair, much like his own, and imagined that they were a dark brown. He pulled it into a tight painful fist as he leaned into her neck putting all his weight on her small frame, crushing her beneath him. As he continued to assault her with gaining speed, Zero licked the nap of her neck and waited for the climax to build up to it's peak.

With one final thrust, he bit her.

Yuki.

A/N: Please review even if you didn't like it, I would appreciate it very much. Thank you.