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Description
The day had started out normal, I woke up, got dressed and headed out the door with Teru right beside me. She'd been riding to the school with me ever since I'd first offered to drive her and even now she was just as excited as the first time. It seemed that I couldn't help but shift my blue eyed gaze to watch her, a single hand gripping the steering wheel while the the other held a lit cigarette. I'd cracked the window to allow the smoke to escape the jeep knowing that Teru hated the smell of a burning cigarette. Beside me, safely buckled into her seat the young student was happily jabbering on about some school trip to the beach that she was supposed to attend in only three days. I had my qualms with the idea, not liking the fact that she'd be out of my site for a full four days and three nights but hell I was just Kurosaki. Maybe Daisy could say something but I'd seen first hand how excited she was and I would by no means spoil it for her because of my unease. No instead I planned on sending Riko as my personal watch dog.

Pulling up into the staff parking lot, I would never have expected the incident to happen. No I was like an unsuspecting child who, enraptured by this young woman's happiness couldn't imagine what was to come in only the span of three hours. With such a carefree attitude I allowed the reason for my living to walk out of my sight, to enter the grounds of a coming war zone and to be in the line of danger that I was supposed to be protecting her from. "Hey Kurosaki?" Teru turned around and called out my name, her generous eyes filled to the brim with great expectations of the coming day. "Will you... would you come to the beach with us?" She asked of me in such a soft voice. I was turned away from her, my back facing her. I instantly lit up at the fact that she wanted me there, wanted me to be with her on such an important day of her life. "Ah, I don't know." I drew out my words as if it meant nothing to me before slowly turning to face her, face composed to look uncaring while he smirked. "Come on, Kurosaki! You need to get out."

I made a face, shifting my weight to my heels while I watched her move around restlessly. After I hadn't said anything for a few moments; Teru changed tactics. Her face softened, those doe eyes of her grew even wider then they normally were as she walked toward me to softly grip at my sleeve. "Master...please?" Teru looked up, those lush lips pouting slightly in her gamble to make me agree to come. Hell I couldn't say no! "Fine, what ever." I said gruffly brushing off her hand, my heart gave a painful twang at the loss of her contact but at least she'd begged me with those eyes of hers. Instantly Teru perked up, loosing her puppy dog eyed look and reverted to her cocky I-Win-You-Lose face as she held two fingers up in a peace sign to her forehead. "Great! I can't wait to tell Kiyoshi and the others." Having been granted her wish, Teru gave me a small wave and practically skipped off toward class. I kept to my normal chores; keeping the side walks clean, hanging around the gym during Teru's second hour PE class, during third hour I made my way toward the science building hoping to catch a glimpse of my Teru during her classes. I always did this, bent my day around her classes and soon, with lunch hour coming around the bend I would be in the back garden waiting on my slave to bring me lunch like she always did... but it never happened.

Twelve o'clock the school's bell tower chimed the beginning of the break, students filed into the cafeteria gossiping as they swapped the latest news. Knowing that my Teru was almost always on time, I lay relaxed in my 'throne' as she called it and quietly counted the minutes till she'd show up food in hand to feed me. I chuckled as I thought about my fantasy, Teru had never hand fed me before but I with my Master/Slave fetish had always dreamed of laying with my head in her lap while she fed me grapes. I closed my eyes, Teru's normal arrival time was close so I wanted to seem as if I were asleep but for the strangest reason I couldn't hear the young girl's foot steps; no instead I heard the sound of a bomb going off. Distant screams filled my ears as if I were right next to them, the horrifying realization that something had gone wrong had me leaping out of my chair and sprinting toward the cafeteria. Students of all years were rushing about, eyes wide with fright as they ran to escape from what ever had gone wrong within the eating area. Terrified screams echoed through the hall while gunshots ricocheted as they bounced off the walls; keeping my head low I sprinted toward the first place I could think of to find Teru.

Knowing the young woman's habits had never before come in handy so well, I moved swiftly pushing students out of the way as they bumped in my path in their mad rush to escape; my heart beating rapidly in my chest. I couldn't think of getting out, I had to dive into the madness before me to find Teru... even if it cost me my life. Never before had I heard such screams of terror, every horror movie I'd watched with Teru could never add up to the fear I had now, the knowledge that I may already be to late to save the one person in this world that I was meant to save was eating me up worse then the fear for my life. With a particular hard shove from a student, I felt my body thrown against the wall; echo's from gunshots only growing louder as I neared the shooter. Jumping in my throat, my heart blocked my breathing as the rancid smell of gunpowder and smoke attacked my nose. Blood lined the hallway walls where injured students had tried to run, tried to flee the scene only to be cut down by shooter and escapees alike. It was every man for himself, live or die and right now; as I watched the faces of the passing students as they fled in that single moment, I knew I was to late. As if an out of body being was screaming in my ears, despair attacked my clouded mind. She's dead! It screamed over and over until I pushed myself from the wall and continued on.

I was so close now, the once over overbearingly loud footsteps of racing students had vanished in their mad attempt at fleeing and I now stood just out side the lunch area. Sucking up what ever courage I had, I peeked my head through the small glass window in the door. I could see bodies of students laying on the floor, some still others moaning as they tried to crawl away from the killer while he advanced toward the door that I now stood. From the way he simply walked passed the injured, I could tell he didn't really mind that his shots hadn't killed them but once the killer stopped by a particular injured person he smiled. I watched in slow motion while the shooter slowly aimed his gun into the forehead of that unlucky soul, watched as he smiled with that crazed smirk to pull the trigger; blood splattering upon his cloths once the bullet penetrated the unknown's flesh. I wanted to gag, to run and scream but I was also scared; for myself and Teru. Again the killer started walking, stopping by a particular wound's side to slowly kill them as if he had a vendetta; I couldn't grasp why this was happening only knew that if I got my hands on the person... I'd surely commit murder too.

Behind me a door slammed open, students filing out to run toward the door. Behind them a teacher suddenly shouted for them to come back, that it wasn't safe! It clicked, with quick steps I seized up the teacher, pushing him back into the class room and shut the door. "Teru! Teru Kurebayashi! Is she here!" The closet door was handing open, a handful of shivering students held each other as they cried; fear so clear on their faces. "Kurosake?" I knew that voice! Letting the teacher I go I turned to see Kiyoshi and in his arms the one angle I'd been looking for... blood rolling down her shoulder. My world could of stopped, all noises seemed to fade out as I moved in such painstakingly slow strides to slide beside Kiyoshi almost tearing the young girl from his arms. As soon as I touched her skin everything came back in full force but I had Teru in my arms. The door I'd just been standing out slammed open, a few shots fired down the hall and scattered screaming of the escaping students. From within the closet we all held our breath, trying to be as quiet as possible for fear of being found.

"Its Arai and Muri-sensei!" A student cried quietly, my dark eyes darting toward her in surprise. A student clapped his palm over the girl's mouth, silencing her from any further talk while footfalls sounded in the hall. The killer was just to close, I could feel the heavy gaze while they walked the halls just waiting for someone to cross their paths. The resounding crack of a discharged bullet sounded, again and again until finally it was only a mere sound in the halls. The student finally withdrew his hand, pushing the girl away from him in disgust. "Next time," he hissed. "Keep your slutty mouth shut, President." I blinked, trying to focus my eyes on the students that we hid with. Teru; still bleeding lay in my lap her eyes closed and her chest rising shallowly, Kiyoshi was pressed to my side his hand holding onto one of the wounded girl's, Rena the class president also the not-so secret lover of Arai-sensei. "Our luck you'd be in on this shit and would let him know we're here!" The student spat again, I watched while Rena paled. "Shit not like we can throw you out either, you'd defiantly lead him to us." Being so close, I could hear quiet agreements from the others... even the rapid beat of their hearts.

"We have to get out of here!" Kiyoshi muttered in my ear and I couldn't help but feel he was right. Even with Teru in my arms I was still over flowing with fear, not that I wouldn't find her in time... but now that I wouldn't get her help in time. Even with the bullet wound in her shoulder I knew she could bleed out if left alone for to long... or we could be found and shot; either way I wasn't risking staying here. Scooping her up in my arms bridal style, I got to my feet cradling Teru's head to my chest. "I'm making a run for it." I whispered while I looked at Kiyoshi. "Like hell I'm staying here waiting on that bastard to find us!" Teru's friend nodded, pushing his glasses up on the bridge of his nose; how at that exact moment I still found the kid nerdy I didn't know but under stress the mind is odd I guess. The teacher blocked our path however, placing his big body before the door. "I can't let you leave, you may give away our position... if we stay here we can bar the door." I glared at him. "And what? Wait for him to fucking shoot us through the wood?" I questioned. "I can't wait for that, she needs help!"

What came next I knew would make me see red for the rest of my life. "She's just one girl!" The teacher whispered back, his face contorted with anger. "I won't allow myself to be killed over one girl." I almost set Teru down, my fists clenching in anger wanting to do nothing but sock the man in his gut. "Move." I snarled, blue eyes merely slits. Beside me, Kiyoshi seemed to be pulling something out of his pocket. With a slight skink I watched as the blade of a small knife glittered. "I don't know about you sensei but I'd move." The young boy whispered. Had I not been so surprised or scared for the life that I held clutched to my chest, I'd of asked where in the hell the kid had gotten the blade but at that exact moment I didn't care; hell I was proud of him! The teacher paled, gasps coming from the students behind us as they got to their feet and stood behind us. "Yeah sensei let us out." Over powered, his beady eyes on the blade the teacher finally moved out of the way and I stepped out of the closet. It had been a while since I heard a shot and even as it pained me to think it, I was glad the killers were no where near us at that given moment. "Stay close!" I muttered and walked to the door. Peeking outside through the glass I couldn't spot anything but fallen papers, bodies of students and blood. The whole scene would haunt me for my life, knowing that I was one of the lucky ones only made me feel even worse. "Ok, lets go." Kiyoshi opened the door and I walked through, turning left into the lunch area. In my mind it was best to move away from the shooters then make our way out of campus and that's exactly what we did... never imagining the fact that we could run into the second shooter.

Just outside the library I stopped giving a quick look around before motioning for the five students who'd fled with us to rush through the door. For once in my life I was glad of my job as a janitor, knowing all the exits to the school had never before come in handy before now. "Go to the north wing!" I whispered. "There's an exit to the main courtyard." This close to the parking lot we all could hear the wails of students who'd gotten out, the blare of the police's sirens and of shots being fired at the front doors. With renewed vigor the children with us started to cry, their faces so tear stained and stricken I couldn't help but want to cry as well. In my arms Teru stirred, her first real actions since I'd taken her from Kiyoshi's hands. Quickly shutting the door I moved to hid behind a large bookshelf with the rest of our group, leaning on the wood I gently ran my fingers down the sides of her cheek my blue eyes taking in the sight of her pale flesh. "Hang in there Teru..." I murmured in her ear. "Daisy has you." At this moment I could care less if Kiyoshi knew it was me, this was Teru laying in my arms and nothing meant more to me then her well being. Even so I saw Kiyoshi give me a sideways glance, as much surprise as one could feel in the situation was plastered on his face.

I couldn't respond to his questioning look, rather I tightened my hold on Teru as the library doors swung open with a loud thunk. Mad maniac laughter filled the hallowed halls of the room; from the tempo I guessed that the second shooter was indeed the new 'nurse' Mori Chiharu. "Come out, come out where ever you are!" Mori screamed letting off a few rounds. Terrified moans came from the two girls of our group and although they'd stiffled them with hands clasped to their mouths it had been loud enough to draw the attention of the shooter. "There we are kiddies," Mori chatted to herself while advancing toward us. Finding no way to safely run, I passed Teru over to Kiyoshi with a silent look and got to my feet. Hiding behind a bookshelf gave me a slight advantage, being male only helped to better those chances for me to tackle the mad woman before she had the opportunity to shoot everything that I held dear. At the first sign of the gunned woman rounding the shelf, I quickly reacted; slamming my hand into her wrist to force the gun up and toward the ceiling as she shot. Bullets peppered the sheet wall, pieces falling down onto tables while I gambled with the woman.

Mori was small but better armed. Quickly dropping the gun she reached into her coat to pull out a similar blade like Kiyoshi had pulled on the teacher. Her quick hands easily flicked the blade open, holding it in an experienced grip that said she'd practiced before her crazy run through of the school. "Just back off Mori." I snarled, my back to the children as I acted like a flesh barrier between them and the woman. "There's no need to die here..." The nurse snickered, waving the knife between us. "Your the only one who's going to die!" She screamed before lurching forward. Trying to move as quickly as she, I darted to the side my foot slipping on a fallen book. Mori took notice and with an expert hand sank the blade of her knife into my shoulder before pulling it out. A ragged yell of pain tore from my throat but I beat it back; grasping onto her arm that held the knife and twisting. It was Mori's turn to scream as her wrist was wretched sideways, fingers quickly dropping the blade as my elbow made contact with her nose shoving her head backwards. Dropping quickly, I pulled her body downward with mine in a bent over position and swept the woman's feet out from under her. She gave a startled scream, desperately trying to break her fall with a free hand before Mori landed face first on the carpet. My shoulder was flashing with pain but I tried to act as quickly as I could and moved to pin my knee into the woman's back; sweeping her arms behind her. Working my belt loose with my injured arm, I quickly tied Mori's hands behind her back.

With Mori struggling to release herself, legs kicking I backed up to let a deep pent up breath escape from my lungs that I didn't know I'd been holding. "Ok lets go." I grunted, taking Teru back into my arms while my arm throbbed in pain. I could of almost laughed, together Teru and I had blood running down the opposing arms but I really couldn't find the humor in my dear girl bleeding. "No telling if she can get out of that or for Arai to come back this way." Kiyoshi nodded and stood along with the rest of the students. "Exits toward the back." I pointed with my bad arm and started walking. When those doors opened, sun light streaming through the door hundreds of cops and SWAT alike started yelling. "Hands UP!" The students, Kiyoshi and I all did as told and as the armed men surrounded us, carefully backing away from the door I pointed back. "Mori, the female shooter is tied up." One of the SWAT looked at me, "she's got my favorite belt." I sighed.

All around us EMT's were hard at work patching up the wounded, parents swarmed around their children checking for wounds and other wise trying their damnedest to stay strong in the horrible situation that their children had been put through. Reporters were competing for witnesses, their stoic faces holding no pity or respect for the fallen, only stray dogs searching for a scrap of meat. Our group soon split up, the students moving off to find their friends and family members while a particularly bloody EMT rushed up. "You two, come with me." He said pointing to my stab wound. "She needs help first." I lifted Teru's body, showing him her shallow breathing and the blood that had dried on her arm. "Ok I'll treat her first." We were safe our terror filled journey was over and yet at the same time... I knew that this was only the beginning to a long period of grief.

Description
The day had started out normal, I woke up, got dressed and headed out the door with Teru right beside me. She'd been riding to the school with me ever since I'd first offered to drive her and even now she was just as excited as the first time. It seemed that I couldn't help but shift my blue eyed gaze to watch her, a single hand gripping the steering wheel while the the other held a lit cigarette. I'd cracked the window to allow the smoke to escape the jeep knowing that Teru hated the smell of a burning cigarette. Beside me, safely buckled into her seat the young student was happily jabbering on about some school trip to the beach that she was supposed to attend in only three days. I had my qualms with the idea, not liking the fact that she'd be out of my site for a full four days and three nights but hell I was just Kurosaki. Maybe Daisy could say something but I'd seen first hand how excited she was and I would by no means spoil it for her because of my unease. No instead I planned on sending Riko as my personal watch dog.

Pulling up into the staff parking lot, I would never have expected the incident to happen. No I was like an unsuspecting child who, enraptured by this young woman's happiness couldn't imagine what was to come in only the span of three hours. With such a carefree attitude I allowed the reason for my living to walk out of my sight, to enter the grounds of a coming war zone and to be in the line of danger that I was supposed to be protecting her from. "Hey Kurosaki?" Teru turned around and called out my name, her generous eyes filled to the brim with great expectations of the coming day. "Will you... would you come to the beach with us?" She asked of me in such a soft voice. I was turned away from her, my back facing her. I instantly lit up at the fact that she wanted me there, wanted me to be with her on such an important day of her life. "Ah, I don't know." I drew out my words as if it meant nothing to me before slowly turning to face her, face composed to look uncaring while he smirked. "Come on, Kurosaki! You need to get out."

I made a face, shifting my weight to my heels while I watched her move around restlessly. After I hadn't said anything for a few moments; Teru changed tactics. Her face softened, those doe eyes of her grew even wider then they normally were as she walked toward me to softly grip at my sleeve. "Master...please?" Teru looked up, those lush lips pouting slightly in her gamble to make me agree to come. Hell I couldn't say no! "Fine, what ever." I said gruffly brushing off her hand, my heart gave a painful twang at the loss of her contact but at least she'd begged me with those eyes of hers. Instantly Teru perked up, loosing her puppy dog eyed look and reverted to her cocky I-Win-You-Lose face as she held two fingers up in a peace sign to her forehead. "Great! I can't wait to tell Kiyoshi and the others." Having been granted her wish, Teru gave me a small wave and practically skipped off toward class. I kept to my normal chores; keeping the side walks clean, hanging around the gym during Teru's second hour PE class, during third hour I made my way toward the science building hoping to catch a glimpse of my Teru during her classes. I always did this, bent my day around her classes and soon, with lunch hour coming around the bend I would be in the back garden waiting on my slave to bring me lunch like she always did... but it never happened.

Twelve o'clock the school's bell tower chimed the beginning of the break, students filed into the cafeteria gossiping as they swapped the latest news. Knowing that my Teru was almost always on time, I lay relaxed in my 'throne' as she called it and quietly counted the minutes till she'd show up food in hand to feed me. I chuckled as I thought about my fantasy, Teru had never hand fed me before but I with my Master/Slave fetish had always dreamed of laying with my head in her lap while she fed me grapes. I closed my eyes, Teru's normal arrival time was close so I wanted to seem as if I were asleep but for the strangest reason I couldn't hear the young girl's foot steps; no instead I heard the sound of a bomb going off. Distant screams filled my ears as if I were right next to them, the horrifying realization that something had gone wrong had me leaping out of my chair and sprinting toward the cafeteria. Students of all years were rushing about, eyes wide with fright as they ran to escape from what ever had gone wrong within the eating area. Terrified screams echoed through the hall while gunshots ricocheted as they bounced off the walls; keeping my head low I sprinted toward the first place I could think of to find Teru.

Knowing the young woman's habits had never before come in handy so well, I moved swiftly pushing students out of the way as they bumped in my path in their mad rush to escape; my heart beating rapidly in my chest. I couldn't think of getting out, I had to dive into the madness before me to find Teru... even if it cost me my life. Never before had I heard such screams of terror, every horror movie I'd watched with Teru could never add up to the fear I had now, the knowledge that I may already be to late to save the one person in this world that I was meant to save was eating me up worse then the fear for my life. With a particular hard shove from a student, I felt my body thrown against the wall; echo's from gunshots only growing louder as I neared the shooter. Jumping in my throat, my heart blocked my breathing as the rancid smell of gunpowder and smoke attacked my nose. Blood lined the hallway walls where injured students had tried to run, tried to flee the scene only to be cut down by shooter and escapees alike. It was every man for himself, live or die and right now; as I watched the faces of the passing students as they fled in that single moment, I knew I was to late. As if an out of body being was screaming in my ears, despair attacked my clouded mind. She's dead! It screamed over and over until I pushed myself from the wall and continued on.

I was so close now, the once over overbearingly loud footsteps of racing students had vanished in their mad attempt at fleeing and I now stood just out side the lunch area. Sucking up what ever courage I had, I peeked my head through the small glass window in the door. I could see bodies of students laying on the floor, some still others moaning as they tried to crawl away from the killer while he advanced toward the door that I now stood. From the way he simply walked passed the injured, I could tell he didn't really mind that his shots hadn't killed them but once the killer stopped by a particular injured person he smiled. I watched in slow motion while the shooter slowly aimed his gun into the forehead of that unlucky soul, watched as he smiled with that crazed smirk to pull the trigger; blood splattering upon his cloths once the bullet penetrated the unknown's flesh. I wanted to gag, to run and scream but I was also scared; for myself and Teru. Again the killer started walking, stopping by a particular wound's side to slowly kill them as if he had a vendetta; I couldn't grasp why this was happening only knew that if I got my hands on the person... I'd surely commit murder too.

Behind me a door slammed open, students filing out to run toward the door. Behind them a teacher suddenly shouted for them to come back, that it wasn't safe! It clicked, with quick steps I seized up the teacher, pushing him back into the class room and shut the door. "Teru! Teru Kurebayashi! Is she here!" The closet door was handing open, a handful of shivering students held each other as they cried; fear so clear on their faces. "Kurosake?" I knew that voice! Letting the teacher I go I turned to see Kiyoshi and in his arms the one angle I'd been looking for... blood rolling down her shoulder. My world could of stopped, all noises seemed to fade out as I moved in such painstakingly slow strides to slide beside Kiyoshi almost tearing the young girl from his arms. As soon as I touched her skin everything came back in full force but I had Teru in my arms. The door I'd just been standing out slammed open, a few shots fired down the hall and scattered screaming of the escaping students. From within the closet we all held our breath, trying to be as quiet as possible for fear of being found.

"Its Arai and Muri-sensei!" A student cried quietly, my dark eyes darting toward her in surprise. A student clapped his palm over the girl's mouth, silencing her from any further talk while footfalls sounded in the hall. The killer was just to close, I could feel the heavy gaze while they walked the halls just waiting for someone to cross their paths. The resounding crack of a discharged bullet sounded, again and again until finally it was only a mere sound in the halls. The student finally withdrew his hand, pushing the girl away from him in disgust. "Next time," he hissed. "Keep your slutty mouth shut, President." I blinked, trying to focus my eyes on the students that we hid with. Teru; still bleeding lay in my lap her eyes closed and her chest rising shallowly, Kiyoshi was pressed to my side his hand holding onto one of the wounded girl's, Rena the class president also the not-so secret lover of Arai-sensei. "Our luck you'd be in on this shit and would let him know we're here!" The student spat again, I watched while Rena paled. "Shit not like we can throw you out either, you'd defiantly lead him to us." Being so close, I could hear quiet agreements from the others... even the rapid beat of their hearts.

"We have to get out of here!" Kiyoshi muttered in my ear and I couldn't help but feel he was right. Even with Teru in my arms I was still over flowing with fear, not that I wouldn't find her in time... but now that I wouldn't get her help in time. Even with the bullet wound in her shoulder I knew she could bleed out if left alone for to long... or we could be found and shot; either way I wasn't risking staying here. Scooping her up in my arms bridal style, I got to my feet cradling Teru's head to my chest. "I'm making a run for it." I whispered while I looked at Kiyoshi. "Like hell I'm staying here waiting on that bastard to find us!" Teru's friend nodded, pushing his glasses up on the bridge of his nose; how at that exact moment I still found the kid nerdy I didn't know but under stress the mind is odd I guess. The teacher blocked our path however, placing his big body before the door. "I can't let you leave, you may give away our position... if we stay here we can bar the door." I glared at him. "And what? Wait for him to fucking shoot us through the wood?" I questioned. "I can't wait for that, she needs help!"

What came next I knew would make me see red for the rest of my life. "She's just one girl!" The teacher whispered back, his face contorted with anger. "I won't allow myself to be killed over one girl." I almost set Teru down, my fists clenching in anger wanting to do nothing but sock the man in his gut. "Move." I snarled, blue eyes merely slits. Beside me, Kiyoshi seemed to be pulling something out of his pocket. With a slight skink I watched as the blade of a small knife glittered. "I don't know about you sensei but I'd move." The young boy whispered. Had I not been so surprised or scared for the life that I held clutched to my chest, I'd of asked where in the hell the kid had gotten the blade but at that exact moment I didn't care; hell I was proud of him! The teacher paled, gasps coming from the students behind us as they got to their feet and stood behind us. "Yeah sensei let us out." Over powered, his beady eyes on the blade the teacher finally moved out of the way and I stepped out of the closet. It had been a while since I heard a shot and even as it pained me to think it, I was glad the killers were no where near us at that given moment. "Stay close!" I muttered and walked to the door. Peeking outside through the glass I couldn't spot anything but fallen papers, bodies of students and blood. The whole scene would haunt me for my life, knowing that I was one of the lucky ones only made me feel even worse. "Ok, lets go." Kiyoshi opened the door and I walked through, turning left into the lunch area. In my mind it was best to move away from the shooters then make our way out of campus and that's exactly what we did... never imagining the fact that we could run into the second shooter.

Just outside the library I stopped giving a quick look around before motioning for the five students who'd fled with us to rush through the door. For once in my life I was glad of my job as a janitor, knowing all the exits to the school had never before come in handy before now. "Go to the north wing!" I whispered. "There's an exit to the main courtyard." This close to the parking lot we all could hear the wails of students who'd gotten out, the blare of the police's sirens and of shots being fired at the front doors. With renewed vigor the children with us started to cry, their faces so tear stained and stricken I couldn't help but want to cry as well. In my arms Teru stirred, her first real actions since I'd taken her from Kiyoshi's hands. Quickly shutting the door I moved to hid behind a large bookshelf with the rest of our group, leaning on the wood I gently ran my fingers down the sides of her cheek my blue eyes taking in the sight of her pale flesh. "Hang in there Teru..." I murmured in her ear. "Daisy has you." At this moment I could care less if Kiyoshi knew it was me, this was Teru laying in my arms and nothing meant more to me then her well being. Even so I saw Kiyoshi give me a sideways glance, as much surprise as one could feel in the situation was plastered on his face.

I couldn't respond to his questioning look, rather I tightened my hold on Teru as the library doors swung open with a loud thunk. Mad maniac laughter filled the hallowed halls of the room; from the tempo I guessed that the second shooter was indeed the new 'nurse' Mori Chiharu. "Come out, come out where ever you are!" Mori screamed letting off a few rounds. Terrified moans came from the two girls of our group and although they'd stiffled them with hands clasped to their mouths it had been loud enough to draw the attention of the shooter. "There we are kiddies," Mori chatted to herself while advancing toward us. Finding no way to safely run, I passed Teru over to Kiyoshi with a silent look and got to my feet. Hiding behind a bookshelf gave me a slight advantage, being male only helped to better those chances for me to tackle the mad woman before she had the opportunity to shoot everything that I held dear. At the first sign of the gunned woman rounding the shelf, I quickly reacted; slamming my hand into her wrist to force the gun up and toward the ceiling as she shot. Bullets peppered the sheet wall, pieces falling down onto tables while I gambled with the woman.

Mori was small but better armed. Quickly dropping the gun she reached into her coat to pull out a similar blade like Kiyoshi had pulled on the teacher. Her quick hands easily flicked the blade open, holding it in an experienced grip that said she'd practiced before her crazy run through of the school. "Just back off Mori." I snarled, my back to the children as I acted like a flesh barrier between them and the woman. "There's no need to die here..." The nurse snickered, waving the knife between us. "Your the only one who's going to die!" She screamed before lurching forward. Trying to move as quickly as she, I darted to the side my foot slipping on a fallen book. Mori took notice and with an expert hand sank the blade of her knife into my shoulder before pulling it out. A ragged yell of pain tore from my throat but I beat it back; grasping onto her arm that held the knife and twisting. It was Mori's turn to scream as her wrist was wretched sideways, fingers quickly dropping the blade as my elbow made contact with her nose shoving her head backwards. Dropping quickly, I pulled her body downward with mine in a bent over position and swept the woman's feet out from under her. She gave a startled scream, desperately trying to break her fall with a free hand before Mori landed face first on the carpet. My shoulder was flashing with pain but I tried to act as quickly as I could and moved to pin my knee into the woman's back; sweeping her arms behind her. Working my belt loose with my injured arm, I quickly tied Mori's hands behind her back.

With Mori struggling to release herself, legs kicking I backed up to let a deep pent up breath escape from my lungs that I didn't know I'd been holding. "Ok lets go." I grunted, taking Teru back into my arms while my arm throbbed in pain. I could of almost laughed, together Teru and I had blood running down the opposing arms but I really couldn't find the humor in my dear girl bleeding. "No telling if she can get out of that or for Arai to come back this way." Kiyoshi nodded and stood along with the rest of the students. "Exits toward the back." I pointed with my bad arm and started walking. When those doors opened, sun light streaming through the door hundreds of cops and SWAT alike started yelling. "Hands UP!" The students, Kiyoshi and I all did as told and as the armed men surrounded us, carefully backing away from the door I pointed back. "Mori, the female shooter is tied up." One of the SWAT looked at me, "she's got my favorite belt." I sighed.

All around us EMT's were hard at work patching up the wounded, parents swarmed around their children checking for wounds and other wise trying their damnedest to stay strong in the horrible situation that their children had been put through. Reporters were competing for witnesses, their stoic faces holding no pity or respect for the fallen, only stray dogs searching for a scrap of meat. Our group soon split up, the students moving off to find their friends and family members while a particularly bloody EMT rushed up. "You two, come with me." He said pointing to my stab wound. "She needs help first." I lifted Teru's body, showing him her shallow breathing and the blood that had dried on her arm. "Ok I'll treat her first." We were safe our terror filled journey was over and yet at the same time... I knew that this was only the beginning to a long period of grief.