"So."

"So what?" She replied.

Zero stared at Maya from across the table, arms folded. Kaito sat down next to him after having a bathroom break. 

"This is getting out of your hands."

Maya made a noise in the back of her throat as she picked up her glass, staring at the ice cubs. They had met up together in a local pub downtown. There were only a couple of other people in there including the barman, which made for a good place to have a chat. 

"You think I don't know that? I'm doing the best I can." She replied.

Kaito sighed. "Everyone can only take so much more of this, Maya. I don't want to see my little sis get the hammer."

It was Maya's turn to sigh, closing her eyes for a second to think. "I've already considered that possibility."

"There have been rumors circulating for a while now that you were the one to kill the Tanaka's and Maeda's" -her brother added quickly after- "which is not good in the slightest, given your history."

Maya slammed the glass down on the table, letting out a snarl. "I KNOW!" Maya lowered her voice. "It's all about my history and the choices I made these days, now I have to live with the consequences. Frankly, I'm sick of hearing about it all, especially from my own family, Kaito. It's getting repetitive and it makes me sick."

Her phone rang, allowing a tiny break in the tension formed between the three of them. Maya picked it up, seeing that it was Kaien.

"Hello, Kaien."

"Maya..." The tone in his voice made her narrow her eyes.

"What."

"Your presence is demanded in the town's courthouse, right away."

Maya's eyes were now hid by her bangs as she listened to him. "I'm with Zero and Kaito right now."

"They need to be there too."

Maya ended the call right then, standing and threw a couple of bills on the table. "Kaien just called, he wants all three of us, namely me, to be at the courthouse right now."

The two males shared a look before standing, looking concerned.

"Did Cross give you a reason?" Zero asked, slipping on his jacket.

Maya shook her head as they exited the bar into the night. 

"Any clue what it could be about?" Kaito asked as he pulled out his keys to the car they took together to the bar.

"Several, and none of them are good."

Maya stared up at he courthouse when they arrived. It was a human courthouse, but the many aura's she felt made the hairs on the back of her neck stand on end as they approached the front doors. She spotted Kaien standing just below the stairs that led up to the doors.

"What is this about, Kaien?" She ordered.

Kaien took off his glasses and rubbed his nose before shoving them back on his face. He was angry about this. "They held a meeting without me present, and that included Yagari. I have no idea what this is about, Maya. I got a call from one leaders of the Association councilmen, Mr. Akiyama. We are both just as upset and confused about this as you are."

Maya sighed, adjusting her long, black hunter coat, stuffing her hands in her pockets. "I'm sure everything will be revealed within the next few minutes, Cross. I was expecting something like this would happen eventually."

The atmosphere in the building was uncomfortable and foreboding. Going up a few flights of stairs, the three of them stopped outside the designated courtroom. Entering the room, it had the same set up as the courtroom in high moon, but with less seating. Every seat was completely filled. All three sections were filled with either vampires, hunters, or dire-wolves. Maya recognized most of the faces in there, give or take a few unfamiliar ones from the dire-wolves side.

Kaito huffed. "This is insane. What the hell are they planning."

Maya shrugged, and pushed both Zero and Kaito into two side-by-side empty seats to the side right at the front. Maya then walked forward, hands in pockets, head held high as she stared at the mix of leaders at the head podium. She let her aura float about the room, letting every living soul in there know she was not happy about being surprised like this. 

"Takamiya-sama. Do you know why you have been summoned?"

With a slight shake of her head, she replied. "No, I don't. But withholding information from important people who are in this courtroom says that it is illegal. I am curious as to why you've brought a multitude of people to witness this meeting."

The councilmen head, Mr. Akiyama, cleared his throat. "I'm sure you're aware of the events that have taken place. It seems that this is not the first time this has happened... as history has a lot to play in the matter. I brought the other councils in to discuss what is to be done, and it seems they are all in agreement with what I am about to explain to you. Arrangements pertaining to you have already been decided."

"I beg your pardon?" Maya was greatly confused. "What do you mean? Perhaps the issues involving me could have been resolved if you had just talked-"

"If I read these correctly" -the man held up a rather thick stack of documents off the table in front of him- " you were the instigator for most of the tragedies that befell the people in the city and beyond. Hundreds of innocent lives, including but not limited to hunters, dire-wolves, and vampires alike, were killed because of your reckless behavior. Before the time of the incident, you were known to have sided with Kaname Kuran, a pureblood vampire who killed multiples of his own kind. You were part of this were you not?"

Maya felt cornered from every angle, and felt like she wanted to just sink into the  stone floor and disappear. Still, she kept up a brave and defiant façade. "Yes, but that's-"

"So much time, energy, and money were put into your efforts, which wasted away. It seems your great ideas were not so tactful. Now that we have another powerful enemy to deal with, what the hell do you think we should do now?"

As Mr. Akiyama spoke, Maya felt the humiliation grow heavier and heavier on her shoulders. She wished someone would step in and say something, anything.

Her savior was her adoptive father.

"Akayima-kun," Kaien interruped, "whatever this is, I implore you to stop. You've already broken written law by not letting me attend the gathering before this interrogation." He was trying, and Maya respected him for that, but Maya's accuse was to have the last word and there was nothing that neither of them could do. Nor were they prepared for it.

It was Ken Suzuki to speak up from out of the blue, who sat next to Akiyama's left. "I'm sure you've heard the phrase 'actions speak louder than words', Cross-sama. Since she was young, this woman has been nothing but trouble for the Association, High Moon, and the respectable personages of the vampire race. Chasing after some murdering monster that nearly wiped out seventy hunters in under ten years! The Takamiya line is unpredictable and toxic as they come. Her own father was not up to the task to follow rules, and neither is this dog standing before me. She helped start bloodshed, to hell if any of us let it continue before it get's more out of hand. It's clear that after evaluating Maya Takamiya's actions, she is not fit to be part of this war no longer!"

By the time Ken had finished his tirade, his voice had risen to a shout. The silence was so stiff, she could have herd a feather drop. Maya couldn't speak, her gaze frozen on the floor near her feet.

"Suzuki-sama!" Yagari was half-way out of his seat, only to be cut off by Akiyama.

"Silence, Toga Yagari. Maya Takamiya, in order to prevent any possible problems, we have come up with a solution. You are to be discharged from your role as Co-President of the Association. Your hunting priveleges are banned and your title as hunter will be stripped until further notice. Or perhaps, by some miracle you come to your senses and act accordingly by the book. You are forbidden from entering the Association grounds again, or any other supernatural corporation until this mess is resolved. Whether or not this information will be released to the supernatural public is under the discretion of everyone else in this room. All of the given punishments are effective immediately after this meeting."

Maya couldn't bring herself to look at anyone in the room. Her feet were frozen in place, countering her wanting reaction to flee the room right away. Slowly, Maya raised her head, gaze settling on the man. She'd despised him for a number of years. He sat there and talked down to her, treating her like an animal.

"Is that all?" She managed to ask.

"Yes. For now."

Without so much as a breath, Maya finally found her ability to move, turned on the heel of her boot and walked out. She wrenched the door open so hard that it cracked against the wall. Maya didn't stop walking until she was outside, hand forcibly grabbing the railing going up the stairs to stop herself. The wolf part of her was skittering back and forth, unsure on how to react to the news. 

She leaned back against the railing crossing her arms. Maya took deep breaths in and out, over and over while she thought about what to do next. The worst thing she could do now was give up and crumble under the pressure, become a pathetic whining dog. That wasn't like her. Sure, Maya had lived thousands of years, experienced rigorous dangers even though she held no special powers like her pureblooded siblings. With Kaname, Naomi, and Taro not here, she would have to do this alone.

Taro...he was sleeping peacefully in his coffin next to Maya's empty one. She'd had Kaien help her transport it down there. Of course, with the lid closed on her coffin, Kaien didn't suspect a thing. As is how it should be. She wouldn't awaken Taro, no matter how badly she wanted to. This was not the time, and he had wished for a peaceful slumber for the rest of his days. Maya would grant that at least, knowing the cruel reality that would await him upon his awakening.

Tilting her head back, she closed her eyes, forcing herself to relax under the glow of the near-full moon. If that was how it was going to be, then she would have to take matters into her own hands.

Nearly twenty minutes passed by before four people exited the courthouse, all fuming. 

Maya cracked her eye open to glance at them for a moment. "Didn't go well?"

"I let them have an earful," Yagari stated, "but they're too stubborn and kicked me like a downed dog for supporting you, kid."

Kaito spat on the ground. "I can't believe they'd do something like that. They don't know the half of it."

"I told you, I was expecting something like this to happen, brother. Just not to this extent. All three sectors must really have it out for me." Maya lowered her head, opening her eyes to look at the fireflies dancing near a line of trees.

 Zero shoved a hand in his pant pocket. "Akiyama knew full well you wouldn't talk back if you were in that position in front of all those people, that much I saw. He's a bloody coward."

Maya peered at Yagari. "Ready to have your position back, old man?"

Her master let out a short laugh. "Absolutely not."

"So" -she looked over at Kaien- "what happened after I left?"

"I tried to reason with them, warning them they were overreacting, but most seemed adamant on their vote to get you out. I managed to speak to a few long-time friends of mine, and they were against the idea to boot you just like that. I guess with mild-confidence, we can say that there are still some to admire your...repentance of past actions."

"I see..."

"This is probably not the best divergent from the conversation, but after that, I'm dying for some food and alcohol. I'd rather discuss this over a full stomach," Kaito grumbled.

This broke the ice between the five of them, and they all laughed.

"I'm more than happy to oblige, Kaito. Only if you pay."