#the blueprint I fear. sorry guys I just saw a video of him in Japan and I blacked out for a second

[pinkpogiclub]

mathieu growing his hair out and going bleach blonde as a desperate attempt to emulate the first real alpecin sponsored bad bitch (marcel kittel)

[dragonrajafanfiction]

Dragon Dancer Chapter 24: “I Believe You”

“Stay calm. It might be just surveillance.” Johann held me close as we hurried toward the car.

“Not if it's Hydra.” I whispered. “They’ll kill me for my connection to the Devil Clan!”

“They can’t attack us here. Too many cameras…”

He seemed to be right. We made it to the car which was already on when I got in. He must have started it remotely.

Dark colored vehicles were charging toward us. 

Master List

I put my seatbelt on just before Johann threw the car in reverse. I was pressed against the door as we spun a complete 180 and then back against the seat as we sprinted towards the parking lot exit. The engine whined with the acceleration. The tires screeched, cutting an L-shaped turn onto the street, barely slowing.

“Keep your head down.”

I fold over, tucking my hands under my knees like I saw in the airplane safety video.

Johann then spoke a few words in Chinese. The navigational touch screen converted into a blueprint of the surrounding area. Three cars were pursuing us. 

We made a hard right turn.

“What’s happening?” I whimpered.

Johann shushed me like a child, eyes on the rear view. We were still accelerating. The flash of the bright street lamps going by at an unprecedented speed told me we were back on the highway and going ninety miles per hour.

Maybe more.

Johann said something else I couldn’t understand and the computer responded. He reached under the center console, taking his hands off the wheel. 

Auto pilot!

He pulled out a pistol and screwed on an attachment to the barrel. Despite our dangerous rate of speed, the top of the convertible folded back. He unbuckled himself, turned around and took aim.

The crack and flash of the gun made me flinch. I listened and heard the squeal of tires behind us. Johann turned back around into his seat, securing himself once again. He either blew out their tires or just straight shot them to death. One of the two.

He suddenly slammed on the brakes. I shrieked when he pointed the gun over my head and fired twice, shattering my window, showering me with glass. I squeezed my eyes shut, fearful that the ferocious wind would blow the shards into them. I felt us move to the other side of the road and down a ramp.

The highway lights disappeared. Johann shut off the head lamps and we moved into the deep shadow of an overpass. 

“You alright?”

I can only whimper a response, eyes still closed. We wait in silence. I carefully brush the glass off me.  

“Sorry.”

I laughed a little, “Sorry nothin’...” My voice had never trembled so badly. “This is the least of what could have happened.”

“Care to explain now?”

“I ended up on the Hydra’s hit list probably because of Comemnus Corp. She, the grandmother, sold… some of my genetic material to someone named Dr. Herzog. He’s with the Devil Clan.”

“Genetic material…?”

“Yes… my… my eggs.” I cracked my eye open, careful not to blink any flecks of glass into them.

“What exactly… are they planning.” Johann’s artificially dark eyes frightened me more than his amber ones. With contacts, their light of life wasn’t present. He looked even colder.

“They said something about embryonic research.”

Even though we weren’t in danger, I could see his breath accelerate. “Where can we find this guy?”

“I don’t know. I’m sure if you looked you could find out.”

“Stay down…” A car drove by, passing us normally. “When we get back, you need to tell us everything.”

“But I can’t….”

“Why not?”

“I’m afraid… I’m afraid that… if I say anything, Cassell will treat me the same way Comemnus did… Like a lab rat!”

“We won’t let that happen.”

I sniffled, shaking my head.

Johann’s jaw clinched in frustration. “I swear it. I swear it on Murasame… that I won’t let that happen!”

I gave in. “Okay… I believe you.”

The deja vu, the fact that this was a very similar conversation as the one we had under the bare cherry trees of Japan, was not lost on Johann. He leaned against the steering wheel and then used the tips of his fingers to remove the contacts from his eyes, glaring into space.

He rested his head on his arms.

I lifted my head when I saw the glittering in his eyes. “Hey…” 

“I’m fine. They were just starting to get dry and irritating.” He reached down to put the gun away. “We have to get out of here. Anjou’s going to gut me for keeping you out past curfew.”

We put the top back on the car but without the window it didn’t fit quite right. Johann hung the car’s dropcloth over the broken window to keep the wind off me. I fell asleep some time after we got back on the road.

“Meixiu… wake up. we’re here.” 

I sat up. I tried to open the door but it was locked and I couldn’t find the button.

“Careful around the glass. Get out driver’s side.”

Pebbles of it were falling off of me as I got out. Anjou was waiting, as was Manstein.

Johann took a breath. “Allow me to explain.”

Manstein did not. “You’ll have your chance. But I’m afraid we do have rules. Even though we give our students of legal age much leeway… the wards of the College have none. You said you understood that.”

I came to his defense. “He saved my life. He shouldn’t be punished for it.” I said.

“Young lady, we were already considering greater restrictions on you. This has not made that any easier.”

My eyes went wide. I shut my mouth, freezing in place.

Johann’s eyes flicked between me and Manstein. “Let’s talk about this somewhere else pl-”

“I’ll have no backtalk from you. Always ruining the freshmen…” He turned around and walked away. “A week suspension!  One more word and I’ll make it three!” He shouted into the dark.

A series of chuckles rolled out of Anjou. “I was wondering how late you two were going to come back. Maybe another six months?”

His careless quip shattered me. “That’s not funny…”

“Ah my dear.” He pulled out a handkerchief from his jacket and held me as I started to cry.  

After a few seconds I felt the soft fabric of my stuffed bear. I turned from Anjou and held on to it. Johann had retrieved it from the car and was giving me a very sad, solemn look.

“I wish you could see yourself. The glass in your hair sparkles like the stars in the sky…” Anjou sighed.

“Ugh…” Johann grunted. 

“Save the report until the morning. You may walk the young lady home.” Anjou turned away and led us back onto the campus, singing a jaunty tune to himself.

After he had left us alone, I had to ask. “What is with that guy?”

“You don’t live as long as him and panic over everything.” Johann said. 

“Oh. How old is he?”

“Some estimates put him at 150… but no one can be sure.”

“One hundred and fifty?” I hissed.

“He controls the skill Time Zero. He uses it often enough to extend his own life.”

“You look tired.” I said, with some concern.

“You fell asleep. I had to drive.”

I considered pointing out that he had an incredible autopilot but then I remembered that the autopilot wouldn’t be able to tell us if we came under attack.

We reached my dorm building. “I had a good time today… never mind how it ended. I’ll see you tomorrow?”

“Well, I’ll have to write a report. So, swap the free hours to the morning. I’ll text you when I’m done.”

I stood in the door and watched him walk away. I squeezed the bear tightly. “Johann!”

He glanced over his shoulder.

“I still believe you.”

“Thanks.”

I watched him until he was out of sight.