Song by Godsmack

Chapter Nine

Spiral

Creamers by Dreamers

Hinata sipped on her chai tea as she read. Tonight she had the evening shift, so she had some time in the afternoon before she went in. She wanted a little treat this afternoon since she had been working so hard for so long. She wondered if 313 would be different at night or if he even knew the difference between night and day, since he was underground. Hopefully she could get him to eat tonight.

A man in black slid beside her and gripped her arm. She jumped up but he flashed a badge at her and jerked her back down. Fear curled in her stomach as she met his furious gaze.

"You're in a lot of trouble Miss Hyuga, but it'll go easier if you cooperate. You don't want to be convicted murderer do you? Then you'll do as I say." His dark eyes glinted underneath his bizarre hat. He squeezed her arm painfully, and smirked at her. That arrogant bastard, in broad daylight even!

"Let go of me!" people began to turn and stare at them, but no one moved to help.

"No, if it had been up to me I would've just had you thrown in prison for what you've done, but my superiors have a different idea. You have someone very important to our organization in that hellhole. You're starving him to death in there."

"What are you talking about!" she thought furiously, and, unexpectedly, 313 came to mind. Great, now her issues with him were bleeding into her personal life. She knew that somehow, someway, the situation with him would come to a head.

"You know exactly who I'm talking about! Now shut up and listen! You will do exactly as I say! Stop starving him!"

"Let go of me!" she twisted and writhed to no avail. He gripped her tighter, bruising her delicate skin.

"You can't feed a tiger salad and expect it to thrive. Feed him, Hyuga, or suffer the consequences." He got up and left her there, shaking like a leaf.

Ward D

"Yeah, run you cock-sucking fucking bitch! You're just lucky that I can't call Jashin down to kill you, you fucking bitch! Just you wait, when I get out of here I'll have you on the fucking alter with your throat slit, bitch!" 784 screamed at her as she left him to eat his dinner. The former cultist was a psychopathic murderer with an exceptionally foul mouth. She got off easy tonight with him. She left him cackling madly to himself. She sighed softly; then pulled herself together. She still had 313 to contend with.

313's door loomed ominously in front of her, and she steeled herself. So far she had been lucky, but it was said that as bad as he was during the day he was far worse at night. She wasn't sure she could handle any worse from him. Just last week he had tricked her; she had managed to dodge the hot soup that he had hurled at her but not the tray. He had flung it like a Frisbee; and it had caught her on her right side. The jacket and baggy sweater had absorbed most of it, but she still had a hell of a bruise there. Sai had said that if the clothes hadn't absorbed the impact she would've had a couple of cracked ribs, from a plastic tray no less!

She reached for the handle and opened the door before she could lose her nerve. There he was, standing in the center of the room with his arms down at his sides. The chain on his waist was only a little slack, and he glared ferociously at her. Well, it was good to know that some things never changed.

She debated about the intelligence behind offering him food; trying to give him his vitamin shot, and trying to take a blood sample. The tray always got thrown at her and she had yet to get in close enough to do anything with a syringe. He was too fast and too strong. A nursed rushed by with a gurney; and the resulting puff of air hit her back and slid around her lightly. Hinata barely noticed it.

313, however, perked up a bit. He looked at her with sudden interest and tried to step forward; only to be held back by his chain. He gave a short snarl of frustration. Hinata was puzzled, and concerned. His sudden interest couldn't be healthy for her. Why it was happening now all of a sudden was a mystery.

Four guards showed up behind her, causing him to snarl angrily at them. They fanned out behind her, and began to slowly advance on 313.

"We will attempt to restrain him; you will only have a brief opportunity to get the shot in him and draw some blood. Get ready." They lunged forward in an attempt to pin him, only to have him duck down low and rise up in a sudden movement that sent one flying against the door. 313 swiftly landed a vicious kick to the throat of another, and the resulting snap echoed in the room. Hinata swiftly began to tend to the guard at the door, who was unconscious. A gash in the side of his head bled profusely; he was going to need x-rays and stitches most likely.

She looked up to see a third caught in his chain; and the fourth was staggering to his feet. Two soft pops sounded behind her, and she looked to see Asuma behind her with a large gun of some kind. She looked back to see two darts imbedded in 313's abdomen. That got his attention and he roared angrily. Two more darts landed in his torso, and he slid down. The drugs were taking their toll, but far too slowly. He realized this, and jerked his chain to him, along with the hapless guard still entangled in it. 313 seized his head and twisted in a violent motion. Hinata screamed and tried to run forward but Asuma stopped her.

"There's nothing you can do, Hinata. He's trying to bait you. He wants you to come in close so he can get you too. Wait for the drugs to take effect; then finish what you needed to do. I know it's hard, but believe me, it's necessary." His eyes were hard, but gentle at the same time. She shuddered, and then nodded.

313 slumped to the floor, blinking slowly. A soft growl came from him, as he struggled to fight off the drugs surging through his body. Asuma sighed softly as the injured and dead were pulled from the room and Hinata made her way over to him. It was a new tranquilizer that hadn't been used on him before, and yet it still took four shots to bring him down. What was this thing in this room? And what was the real story behind him?

Prey-enemy was coming closer. The others had already taken his prizes, leaving her to torment him. He had been so close, so very close! But no, the other one, he had to come in and use his stinging poison on him! Treacherous, cowardly prey-enemy! Now he was down, barely able to move as the pretty female prey-enemy came closer. She smelled different, though. An ally's scent was on her, faint, but there. Yet, here she was, stealing his blood and pumping that foul toxin in him! The ally had failed him, in whatever foolish scheme he had concocted. He was on his own, like always.

He had to get the flesh and blood, or the other would rise. It hurt so bad, so very bad. How was he supposed to get the nourishment he needed in here? That was what was holding him back, and if it lasted for much longer…no, best not to think of that. If he thought of the other, it would rise that much faster in his current state. No, he had to focus. He needed to sooth the burning sensation in his gut and throat. He needed to feed.

Hinata's Apartment

She sighed as she slumped against the door. She could've sworn she'd seen someone following her home; and her mind immediately flashed to the incident earlier today. And when you added Three-thirteen's homicidal rampage tonight, well, what was anybody supposed to do about that? A hysterical giggle erupted from her, and she dimly realized that she just may be in shock. Goody.

"Wanna snack, wanna snack!" Urasai shrilled out at the top of his lungs. She laughed and went over to him, letting him out and stroking his belly as she held out a nut treat for him.

"Gonna get your belly!" she smiled and laughed again, feeling a sense of calm wash over her. Dinner would be good. Yes, she would get some leftovers from the fridge and eat.

She needed to talk to Neji, but first she needed to dig a bit. The guy at the coffee shop had unsettled her and 313's rampage today on top of that…well, she needed to deal with it, face it, and get her head back on her shoulders, or he would kill her.

He was definitely military, or close enough to it that it didn't matter. Suna military no less, which just added a whole new level of scary. Everyone knew you didn't screw around with those guys. They had overthrown their own feudal lord just a little over twenty years ago, after he had tried to invite another country to interfere with their affairs. He should have known better than to try to marry a foreigner when he himself was foreign.

Their people backed them up, and the result was a powerful military-run country that had the best soldiers in the world. They didn't let anyone push them around, and violent reprisals were the norm.

So why would they allow one of their own be imprisoned here? And why would the institution keep him instead of returning him to his people? Unless that guy from earlier was from their military…but he hadn't made any sense; all he had done was threaten her and tell her to stop starving him. She sighed; she just wanted to move, to get away and have a quiet life…but it would seem that wasn't happening anytime soon.

She stuck a bowl of soup in her microwave, and then rifled through her cupboards in search of something melty and chocolaty; hopefully very gooey. Chocolate made everything better.

Her cell phone rang; the sounds of birds chirping startling her. She fumbled for it and looked at the screen. The number was unfamiliar. She hesitantly answered it.

"Hello?"

"Miss Hyuga, good evening; I am calling on behalf of my colleague. I'm afraid he may have frightened you earlier." The voice was male, and it had a slight accent she was unable to place.

"I'm not sure I know what you're talking about."

"Oh come on, no games. Earlier today at the coffee shop? Well, first I would like to apologize; he's a little stressed over this situation. We all are."

"I don't understand. What do you want with me?!" she fought the fear that threatened to creep into her voice.

"It's alright. I understand that you are new there; hired after the incident. You had nothing to do with it. You see…well, this is better discussed in person. I will see you soon; to discuss the situation with you. We would appreciate your discretion in this matter." He hung up. She stared at her phone in shock. What on earth was going on?! Why was she being harassed by these people?!

Medical Ward

The cramping was more painful now, and he could feel things slithering under his skin. He moaned with the pain, but it was all secondary. The pain couldn't compete with the hunger. It was a single, unyielding need, and if he didn't eat soon, he would-

The door opened and a huddled, trussed up form was shoved in hurriedly before the door slammed shut. He scuttled over swiftly, ignoring the forms frantic, muffled cries as he buried his face in its belly. Wet tearing sounds delighted him, but not as much as the wondrously hot liquid pouring down his throat or the divine source that caressed his tongue as he squeezed it between his teeth, or even those things that crunched so delectably on his teeth. The cries stopped after a time. He did not.