Darker than Black

(Well since Jess has not yet made her character sheet, Bailu and I will go ahead and get this started. Jess can join in once her sheet is complete)

Footsteps echoed ominously down a dark alley, the dim lights behind the buildings casting a pale, pallid glow on the puddles below. A foot splashed through the puddle, it's owner seeming to be in a desperate hurry. Panting, the man glanced over his shoulder, only to run into a wall he had not seen. A dead end, he soon realized as he clawed at the brick wall, his fingers bleeding as he scratched it in desperation. Another set of footsteps, quieter and slower, echoed off the walls and the man turned around suddenly, pressing himself against the wall and whimpering in fear. "No... Stay back! HELP SOMEONE PLEASE!!!" The young boy continued to approach, a blank expression on his beautiful face as he walked slowly forward. The man continued in his panic, scrunching himself even further into the wall. "I said STAY BACK YOU MONSTER!!!" He screamed and pulled a gun, but before he could fire, his own blood splattered against the wall and his life drained quickly from him with a soft groan.

The boy lowered his outstretched hand and walked to the body, checking the corpses pulse. Verifying it's death, he wiped his bloodied fingers on a clean part of the victims clothing. He then proceeded to remove his own, neatly folding and setting it aside, then checking his surroundings before taking a seat and picking up a large water bottle attached to the belt of his clothes. He took a swig of the water and looked up at the stars, or the fake ones. A star shimmered and then suddenly streaked across the sky, and he looked back down, shaking his head at the knowledge that another like him had just made their way to the other side. He stood and clipped the bottle back onto his belt, picking up his clothes to put them back on.

The same situation was happening not too far from where the young had dispatched his victim. An accomplice of the victim had split from him and this one was now tripping over his own feet as he ran from his pursuer. He turned a corner and like his now-dead companion, he tried to find footing to climb over the brick wall but to no avail. He clutched a parcel close to his chest and held on to it tightly.

There was no way out.

The man turned, shaking and eyes wide he watched with horror as a shadow appeared walking towards the alley he was in. From his position in the alley he saw the light of the street lamp make the shadow longer, signalling that the person was walking closer and then he saw a figure turn the corner with at a leisurely pace.

A white haired man was illuminated in the light of the street lamp. He wore a simple white button down shirt that had the first three buttons open, the top of his chest exposed. He wore simple black jeans and converse on his feet as he approached his target. As he walked into the alley the man could see the stoic and passive face on the young man's face.

The more frightening aspect though was what the young man was holding in his hand. The man started sputtering and screaming once he noticed the thing the other man held.

"STOP!!! Y-Y-YOU MONSTER YOU! STAY AWAY FROM ME!! I-I HAVE A GUN AND I'M NOT AFRAID T-TO USE IT!!! YOU HEAR ME?!?!" the man screamed as he started picking up things and frantically throwing them at the young man approaching.

They missed the young man by miles. He just continued to sip his bag of O negative blood as his gray eyes locked emotionless on the shaking man who eventually pissed his pants in fear.

Fear for his life he dropped the parcel in his hands and pulled out a Glock and fire the rounds at the man like crazy until he ran out of ammo. A half scared half happy smile appeared on his head as he laughed nervously. He was sure he killed the monster boy.

But the young man was completely fine, standing there with no signs of wounds, still sipping his blood. The man dropped his gun with shaking hands and fell on his ass and crawled backwards until his back hit the wall.

"Please...please don't kill me--" but it was too late as all the bullets he had fired at the boy came pounding into his body.

A void appeared near the young man's hand where the bullets came from. That void closed up and the young man walked over slowly and grabbed the parcel off the ground and then silently walked off without a backward's glance at the murder he just committed. He drained his bag of blood and pulled another from his back pocket as he walked back towards his comrade.

His comrade at that very moment was just slipping back into his rather odd clothing. It consisted of a white, form-fitting top, open at the sides on his hips, loose black sleeves that grew tighter as they approached his shoulder and left a gap near the top, and black pants, strapped to the top to keep it all together and with decorative shapes dangling like tailcoats from either side and feathers clumped together like a tail at the back. He adjusted the clothing and made sure that the feathers sticking out of his silver hair were still all in place and straight, then slipped back into his open-top shoes and clipped back on his dog tags.

The tags were a bright gold that shimmered in the streetlight and played along the name printed on them. 'Vandestelka Musco Fente', they read, a name he normally shortened to simply Van. He turned to his accomplice as he approached from behind and addressed him with a blank expression.

"Thank you for the help Nik. I see you retrieved the package. Good work. We should return to headquarters now" He picked up the knife resting on a nearby box and slipped it back into his belt, then walked past his comrade, expecting him to follow.

They walked a ways to a car parked on the side of the street, a jet black Lamborghini, which he proceeded to unlock and step into. He started the engine, not bothering with the lights, and waited for his friend to get in.

Nikolaevich Graves walked away from his kill towards where his comrade was waiting for him. He held the parcel under his arm as his other was holding the blood bag and he was sipping it with a bored expression on his face. He drained the second bag of blood and threw it away in a dumpster he passed by. His gray eyes narrowed as he realized he had better get to his comrade soon.

Nikolaevich, which people just called him Nik, turned a corner and saw his fellow Contractor Van standing by after getting dressed. Nik walked up and nodded to him silently. Every Contractor knew that most of them don't speak much. Nik was one of them that was usually silent. Van was no different as he spoke with a blank face.

"Thank you for the help Nik. I see you retrieved the package. Good work. We should return to headquarters now"

Nik followed Van to the black Lamborghini but didn't get into the car yet. He opened the door to the passenger side and set the parcel on the leather seat but he flipped out his butterfly knife and spoke without looking at Van.

"Moment," he spoke tersely as he stepped away from the car and then slashed the knife across his palm. Blood started to immediately pool into his hand and he bent his head and drank his own blood, a price to be paid in exchange for his powers. He had his fill and his wounds healed up.

Nik flipped the knife back into a safe form and tucked it into his pocket. He dug from his back pocket a packet of tissues and proceeded to wipe his mouth and hand as he learned that HQ didn't appreciate him dripping blood into the building or even getting the leather seats in the fancy car behind him dirty. So he had to clean up.

He pulled out a lighter and set the tissues on fire and watched as they shriveled and turned into dust. The problem with Contractors, their blood was a secret and no Contractor was to leave traces of their blood behind ever.

After Nik was done with his ritual did he get into the black sports car. Without bothering to put on a seatbelt he held the parcel in his hands and glanced at Van.

"Let's go," he said simply.

(Small clarification. Contractors don't have to keep their presence secret. The government wants the whole contractor business to be covered up, but their method is to just hunt them all down and lock them up or kill them. And just so you know Van is the leader of the organization. So blood on his seats is of course a big no-no. Also, there is nothing special about contractor's blood. it's just human blood)

Van Sat patiently while Nik took care of his payment and watched him burn the tissue. Thorough as he was, Van felt burning the tissue was a little much. But he kept his mouth shut even as Nik slipped into the passenger's seat and shut the door.

"Let's go,"

Van complied, flipping the car deftly into drive and speeding off, his lights off entirely to conceal their presence on the dark streets. The engine, though powerful, was muffled behind layers of metal and soundproof casing so the only sound was the rough grating of the tires on pavement.

The car skidded around a turn and sped forward, it's tires gripping the pavement and leaving marks on the turn. Van slowed as they approached a large, club-looking building with a sign out front reading "Hand of Hell," and in subscript: "Dance yourself to death". He parked out back, the sound of pounding music echoing from inside. Stepping out, he locked the car (once Nik was out) and proceeded in through the back. The music covered any noise as people ground against each other, but Van showed no interest, heading straight for the back room. He entered a small closet-looking space and waited for Nik, then pressed a hidden button. The door sealed itself and the hidden elevator descended into the building below.

When they arrived at the bottom, the door opened once again and Van stepped out, walking down a white, conservatively decorated hallway towards a lounge area, in which he reclined, grabbing a soda and drinking it.

(I'm posting later but I just wanna clear up something. Contractors don't have to be a secret but their blood isn't human blood. No person with special powers is going to have the regular load of your average joe. It's going to be mutated blood and therefore if some crazy scientists were to analyze it then something bad would happen. Their blood can't be leaks out. Or at least that would make it more interesting.

And I thought the contractors all worked alone, they didn't have a head. I thought they all just stayed at a place where ppl would hire them easily but I didn't think Van was the leader

(forget i posted this. But yes, they do typically work together or in organizations because logically they are more protected that way.)

(i've never seen the series so I wouldn't know but I don't like to go completely off a series plot so that's why I was trying to create some new stuff. I'm not good with using another plot so similar. :/ And I was just being logical. When you have powers why the heck wouldn't your blood be different? the powers are in your body therefore an energy source must be flowing throughout the body for you to harness the power. but if you just want to go off the series, then whatever. I don't really care and I'm not going to argue you over this silly little thing. and FYI i edited Nik's bio, his price isn't as dramatic anymore)

Nik sat in the sleek sports car as Van drove it back to their base. He was thirsty again and unconsciously scratched at his throat as he waited for them to get back. If he prolonged his obeisance then sooner or later he wouldn't be able to talk anymore.

Van drove the two of them and the parcel back to the base, which had the farce of a night club. The silver haired young man parked the black Lambourgini and Nik got out and followed Van inside the club.


Once inside the club Nik made a beeline towards the bartender and paid for 3 bottles of whiskey and 2 bottles of vodka. After he made his purchase he followed Van to the real HQ already popping open the cork to the first bottle of whiskey he held in his hand. He tipped the bottle and drank from it directly, letting the harsh liquor flow down his throat, satisfying his price. The whiskey burned but Nik was used to it and he didn't get drunk so neither vodka nor whiskey harmed him.

While drinking the whiskey from the bottle Nik followed Van to the closet-looking space and got in to the elevator with Van. He took a swig from the bottle as Van pressed the button and they descended to the lower level of the bar.

Soon they reached the bottom floor and the elevator doors opened and Nik followed Van out through the lovely hallway into the lounge area where he saw Van grab a soda and drink it. Nik placed his bottles of liquor on the coffee table in the middle of a circle of couches and finished off his first bottle of whiskey. Even when he drank so much, it seemed to have no effect on his liver or have any ill effects on his body.

He placed the parcel on the table and looked at it a while before looking back at Van.

"....What is that by the way?" he asked the leader as he indicated the parcel.

"....What is that by the way?"

Van shrugged, swirling the can of soda around a little. "Don't know..." He tipped the can up and took another swig, "...Don't care." The can clinked as he set it on the end table beside him. "Whatever it is, the client wanted it. Beyond that I don't care at all. You're welcome to open it if you want." He sat back again and shut his eyes, sighing slightly, then took the last sip of soda and crunched the can, tossing it into the wastebasket.

A tiny drop of soda clung to his index finger and he stared at it for a while as it threatened to fall, then sent it flying into the wall beside Nik. He appeared mildly amused, but soon went back to his naturally uncaring expression. Tiring of the lounge, he stood and smoothed out his clothes, brushing past Nik to head towards the kitchen. Not only was he in charge of the organization, but he was also the main chef, since most of the contractors that worked for Hand of Hell didn't know how to cook.

He stepped through the doors and looked around at the various cabinets, deciding what he should make for dinner, then grabbed his apron, throwing it over himself as he walked briskly towards the fridge. He pulled out some thin steak and tossed it onto the counter, then reached for the garlic seasoning and the peppercorn. He ground both ingredients thoroughly before mixing them with a little water and rubbing it over the entire surface of the meat, which he then tossed into a pan on the stove.

(it's a bit drab since the character themselves are not really talkative. What's a plot you have in mind to keep things moving?)

"Don't know..." He tipped the can up and took another swig, "...Don't care." The can clinked as he set it on the end table beside him. "Whatever it is, the client wanted it. Beyond that I don't care at all. You're welcome to open it if you want."

Nik glanced at the parcel with disinterest and shrugged his shoulders.

That drop of soda came flying by his head but he barely blinked as he turned to see the wall where the droplet hit and he looked back to his bottle of whiskey.

"I'll pass," he said as he took the rest of his bottles of liquor and walked towards his room so he could crash and sleep.

Actually to make things easier for himself he opened a small void and stuck the remaining bottles into the hole for storage but kept one out so he could drink it. He closed up the void and walked leisurely to his room, punched in his key code. The door automatically slide open once the right code was typed in and Nik stepped into his dim bleak room.

After taking more swigs from his whiskey, he set the bottle on a bedside table. Afterwards he went to the bathroom in his room and emptied his bladder from the excess fluids he intakes.

After relieving himself he flopped onto his bed and promptly fell asleep.

(You know the syndicate right? if not, check out the wiki. They're going to have some small run-in's with them at first, as well as with the police, and later, a third organization, and when it looks like they're going to be overwhelmed they'll team up with one who tries to help them work out what they believe is a conspiracy. We'll also have human characters, possibly ones who are in opposition to our characters, so they can have conflict. It's up to you what organization they're in, if they're in one, and how the relationship between them and your contractor progresses. Also, the characters don't need to be this anti-social. We can bend the rules and make them more talkative. I'll edit this later, once i post a bio for my human character.)

Back in the alley, police lights danced across the brick walls, illuminating the dead body. A man approached the body, kneeling down just beside the pool of blood that had already mostly dried and soaked into the cement. His shiny black hair, unkempt but stylish, reflected the streetlight dimly as he surveyed the crime scene. An officer approached him, his uniform ruffled and wrinkled, with bits of his dinner still clinging to it.

"Good to see you detective Hoshi," He said with a courteous bow. "I'll skip straight to the details we have. This was... very puzzling to say the least... It appears that the victim was shot multiple times, but we found no trace of the bullets at all." Detective Hoshi was silent, then he stood suddenly. "Thank you officer, you are relieved of your duty for the night. The Special Investigation Division will take over from here."

"Y-yes sir." The officer said with a bow, returning to his squad car and driving away. An assistant detective immediately came to Hoshi's side, pulling out a pad of paper. Hoshi smiled at the girl, straightening his button-down shirt. "You know me well Haruna. Always ready. Take notes. The victim's time of death was approximately 45 minutes ago, putting it at 12:30 am, give or take. He was apparently struck down by multiple projectiles, either non-physical, or of some dispersible substance. The holes are of various sizes, meaning the projectiles were of a random construction, and they had to be powerful enough to strike into the wall behind the man. He appears to have struggled and fought back with the firearm on his person, though we should take prints to make sure it was not planted. There is another victim in the alley beside this, but he appears to have been shot, possibly under unrelated circumstances, but that is questionable due to the fact that the times of death are extremely similar. Both crime scenes contain traces of synchrotron radiation, so I believe they are related directly to contractor activity."

Satisfied, he turned to his assistant who handed him the notepad, letting him read over it. He nodded and handed it back to her, then motioned towards the men behind him to move in and take the body. He walked back to his car and stood a moment, watching as they taped off the crime scene and began taking pictures, then hopped in and drove off with his assistant, heading back to headquarters.

(should I make a human too?)

(if you want)

Back at the police headquarters, a small woman was sitting in front of her iMac and reading an article and report about the recent activities that seemed to be connected to Contractors. Her intelligent green blue eyes scanned the reports and documents quickly, looking for specific details. After she read them she pulled up two more and scanned through those too, taking notes without looking as she went.

After reading through the four documents she looked at her notes and mumbled to herself as she drew connections and analyzed the reports the police gave to her to analyze. It was confirmed that the murders and recent ruckus has been caused by Contractors and the police is trying to track them down but the Contractors were always elusive.

Frustrated with the lack of progress she was making, she drew down her pen and leaned back into her chair, putting her hands over her eyes. Dammit, she was getting nowhere. Not close, not even a bit closer to finding him or helping him. Just thinking about him caused tears to well up in her eyes. Why life? Cause her misery for the majority of her childhood and just when she thought she found something to live for, life takes him away too.

A subordinate policemen came by her desk and handed her his report to proofread before he turned it in to the boss. She took it and read it, writing in comments and suggestions as she did and then finally returned it to him with instructions to do all the suggestions she wrote. He left and she was yet again alone in the office waiting for the investigation crew to return, Hoshi would be among them.

Back at Contractor HQ

Nik woke up from his nap and got out of bed. He grabbed his half empty whiskey bottle and downed the rest and followed it up with a bottle of water. He then immediately went to go relieve himself.

After that he took the empty bottle and mixed vodka and whiskey in it before taking it with him and exiting the room and walking towards the lounge. He was in time to see another Contractor come in.

This Contractor had dark gray, almost black hair with deep red eyes and a passive expression like all Contractors had. The guy looked up and saw Nik and inclined his head as an acknowledgment.

"Nik," the man said.

"Athos," Nik replied.

The two them then walked into the dining area and sat at a table across from each other. Nik held up his bottle of mixed vodka and whiskey and swished it.

"Join me?" he asked the older Contractor Athos.

The dark haired man looked up and nodded his head slowly.

"It would help," he said as Nik stood and grabbed two shot glasses. Both of them had high tolerance of liquor and often drank together. Though Nik could tell that Athos "felt" more problems than himself.

He put a shot glass in front of Athos and filled it up and then did the same to his. He drank his in one gulp and so did Athos. There was a comfortable silence between them as they listened to the sound of Van cooking in the kitchen.

"Mission?" Nik asked suddenly.

"Success," Athos replied as he filled his shot glass again.

"Same," Nik replied tersely as he did the same.

"Obeisance?" Nik asked again.

This time Athos went quiet for a while and Nik could tell from looking into Athos' deep red eyes that once again his price was bringing the man terrible emotional pain. Nik tried to feel sympathy for the man, it worked but only slightly.

"It hurts...greatly," Athos replied as he unconsciously moved his right and up to place it over his heart.

Nik nodded his head and the two fell silent again. They each knew the other's price. Nik knew that for Athos, his price of regaining his human emotions and memories is a worst price than his of just drinking fluids. He would never come to understand the pain that the older Contractor feels.

The bright red Koenigsegg Agera pulled into the station parking lot and Hoshi stepped out, shutting and locking the doors after his assistant who scurried into the building ahead of him. He strode calmly through the doors and to the elevator which he took to the second floor. The doors slid open and he walked briskly over to where the woman was working, leaning up against the desk and sighing.

"So Gemma. Got anything new for me? I have some more information for you to analyze if you want to." He dropped the notepad with all of the information from the crime scene on her desk and smiled at her. "You look a little frustrated. Don't push yourself too hard. Maybe you should go home and get some rest. It's past one in the morning you know."

His assistant rushed over and whispered something to him, then gave him an envelope. He nodded and took it, opening it up. "Well, they sure are fast." He spun around off the desk and plopped into the seat behind hers, which just happened to be his desk. The pictures of the crime scene spilled out over the tidy desk as he tossed the envelope onto it. He immediately began sorting through and organizing each photo efficiently. "Feel free to take a look at these if you're up to it," he said over his shoulder.

Contractor HQ

Van glanced through the small window over the serving counter and saw his two fellow contractors hunched over the table with their shot glasses. With a sigh, he went back to work, realizing that Athos must be going through his payment. Van, though usually emotionless and drab like any contractor, was actually unnaturally deeply connected to his emotions in a way he didn't fully understand, and it allowed him to empathize with Athos enough to feel sorry for the man.

Soon, Van emerged from the kitchen with three steaming plates of garlic peppercorn steak, along with mashed potatoes mixed with cheddar cheese, and a good helping of broccolini (not broccoli) that had been grilled and tossed with garlic salt and lemon juice. He set down the plates and silverware in front of each person, taking his spot next to Athos and pulling out another shot glass. "Mind if I join?" He said, working to put the same inflection in the words as a normal person, and succeeding greatly.

Gemma had her hands over her eyes when she heard the door open and then brisk footsteps. They got louder and stopped in front of her and she looked up to see her co-worker Hoshi Takanashi standing in front of her.

"So Gemma. Got anything new for me? I have some more information for you to analyze if you want to."

She cleared her throat and flipped through her yellow notepad which was completely covered with ink scribbles.

"Well there has been an increase of Contractor activity as of late. They definitely have been centered around this city. The killings though, from the autopsy and some deep research have nothing in common are look to be using the Contractors like murders-for-hire. Seems the Contractors are paid a big sum of money to do people's bidding and such. I feel like something bigger is coming though, it's just a hunch. I've been looking for a way to give Contractors normal lives, so far I've not found anything yet. It appears that the general public has no knowledge of Contractors, it is kept a secret. Higher organizations, powerful people and the criminal underground knows. And the police, well certain ones, know of them," she said as she read about 2 pages of her notes and then dropped the pad back onto her desk.

"You look a little frustrated. Don't push yourself too hard. Maybe you should go home and get some rest. It's past one in the morning you know."

Gemma sighed as she ran her hands through her chocolate brown hair.

"Of course I'm frustrated. I'm not anywhere closer to him and nowhere near finding a way to help him. I haven't sleep in 2 days," she said as she took a sip of the coffee that was sitting next to her.

She looked up at him for second with a confused brow.

"Tell me something Hoshi, what's in this investigation for you? Why so interested in Contractors?" she asked him as she started sorting all her paperwork.

"Oh and yes I would like your reports please. Set them here," she added as she cleaned while patting the empty spot in front of her on the desk.

Contractor HQ

Athos had finished his mission earlier that night, killing a mafia enemy and getting paid. He went through is payment and it lasted 8 minutes before it went away. Right now though he was suffering the aftereffect. The lingering thoughts and memories made no sense to his Contractor mind, but they were still having an effect on him emotionally. He keeps getting flashes of this woman's face and her smile and he didn't know who she was or how she was related to him.

He took another shot and looked up to see Nik opening his portal to get out two more bottles of vodka and whiskey.

Soon the delicious scent of food attacked his senses and he looked up to see Van coming over from the kitchen with three plates of his fine cooking. Even if he was a Contractor, he could still appreciate good food when he tasted it. Nik could too though he didn't quite understand it at times.

Nik and Athos waited till they had a plate of their own and Athos nodded to Van as the leader took a seat beside him.

"Mind if I join?"

Athos turned to Nik who had the liquor.

"Be our guest," Nik replied as he filled up Van's shot glass.

Nik filled Athos' glass too and they both drained them as they set to cutting up their dinner.

Athos took a bite of the food and chewed. He stopped suddenly and unconsciously tears started forming in his deep red eyes.

Nik ate and gave a thumbs up to Van until he noticed Athos' tears and he turned to look at the older Contractor.

"Why are you crying?" Nik asked as he tried to understand what Athos was going through.

Athos looked at Nik and then reached a hand up to feel his face and eyes. They were indeed wet and he made sure none got into Van's hard work.

"....I don't know. It just feels...painful and nostalgic...it's overwhelming," he said as he grabbed a tissue and wiped away his tears. Memories flashed through his brain. The same woman with a smile on her face, cooking the exact dish in front of him. Why was he assaulted by these images? What did they mean?

For poor Athos, his payment was that he could only regain his human memories and emotions temporarily. When he was back to Contractor mode, he doesn't remember anything of his human life sadly.

Athos turned to Van and bowed his head apologetically.

"I'm sorry Van. The food's great, I didn't' mean to imply otherwise," the older Contractor said as he ate the food gratefully.

Nik looked at Van and then back at Athos and silently ate his food.

"Well there has been an increase of Contractor activity as of late. They definitely have been centered around this city. The killings though, from the autopsy and some deep research have nothing in common are look to be using the Contractors like murders-for-hire. Seems the Contractors are paid a big sum of money to do people's bidding and such. I feel like something bigger is coming though, it's just a hunch. I've been looking for a way to give Contractors normal lives, so far I've not found anything yet. It appears that the general public has no knowledge of Contractors, it is kept a secret. Higher organizations, powerful people and the criminal underground knows. And the police, well certain ones, know of them,"

"Of course I'm frustrated. I'm not anywhere closer to him and nowhere near finding a way to help him. I haven't sleep in 2 days,"

Hoshi listened to her report, taking it all in as he continued to sort through the pile of pictures and make connections. He slid the last one into place and swiveled around in his chair to look at her. "It's time you got some sleep Gemma. If you really want to keep working, give it one hour tops. No one will blame you if you leave now. You've been working nonstop for two days."

"Tell me something Hoshi, what's in this investigation for you? Why so interested in Contractors?"

He thought for a moment, leaning forward and resting his chin on his fist. After a bit, he sat back up and smiled. "I suppose it's just curiosity. I've had a hunch about the existence of contractors since their appearance, but it wasn't until I joined this division that I got any real information about them. Of course I do have more personal reasons," He said, spinning his chair back around. "But, I'd rather keep those to myself for now."

"Oh and yes I would like your reports please. Set them here,"

"I'll tell you what. I'll type up the reports tonight and give them to you tomorrow. You go home and rest." He smiled at her and went back to stacking the pile of pictures in order as he switched on the computer at his desk.

Contractor HQ

Van took his shot glass and downed the liquid, not even wincing as it poured down his throat. He then set to work on his food, hungrily tearing at the meat. Looking back up, he saw tears in Athos' eyes and paused in his eating to observe, once again feeling pity for his fellow contractor somewhere deep inside him.

"Why are you crying?"

"....I don't know. It just feels...painful and nostalgic...it's overwhelming,"

"I'm sorry Van. The food's great, I didn't' mean to imply otherwise,"

"On the contrary, I'll take it as the highest of compliments. If my food was able to strike you that deeply it must be good." He thought about smiling, but figured there was no point and simply continued eating, sliding his glass forward for another shot.

"It's time you got some sleep Gemma. If you really want to keep working, give it one hour tops. No one will blame you if you leave now. You've been working nonstop for two days."

Gemma knew what he said was true. Her body was gonna collapse on her if she kept this up. Two days without sleep and she had a major killer migraine. If only he could see her now, he'd be so disappointed in her.

"Ugh I know I should sleep, but I can't seem to sleep anyway, too stressed. There's just too much I need to do and too much on my mind to get me a peaceful sleep," she said as she slapped her own face to wake up.

"I suppose it's just curiosity. I've had a hunch about the existence of contractors since their appearance, but it wasn't until I joined this division that I got any real information about them. Of course I do have more personal reasons," He said, spinning his chair back around. "But, I'd rather keep those to myself for now."

Gemma nodded her head as she spun her chair around to face him as well.

"Understandable. But hopefully you don't have 'bad' intentions shall we say. And don't let this curiosity send you to an early grave," she said as she rubbed her forehead with her fingers. Whatever Hoshi wanted from the Contractors, it better not get in the way of her research. If he got in the way of her finding him, she would not be merciful.

"I'll tell you what. I'll type up the reports tonight and give them to you tomorrow. You go home and rest."

Gemma decided to let it go for one night, knowing her body needed it and nodded her head.

"Fine I'll go. But call me if you find something earth-shattering," she said as she gave him a hard look. He better not keep something important from her. "See ya tomorrow Hoshi," she said as she stood up, turned off her iMac, gathered her things, grabbed her car keys and left the building. She drove back home, which always brought back sad memories, parked her car, went inside, and just flopped onto her bed and laid there, thinking.

Contractor HQ

"On the contrary, I'll take it as the highest of compliments. If my food was able to strike you that deeply it must be good."

Athos nodded as he brushed away the tears and took a moment, staring at the droplets of tears on his fingers. After a moment he wiped them away and then continued eating the food.

"Glad I didn't insult you," Athos said to Van as he took pushed his shot glass forward.

Nik saw this and filled both their glasses while trying to understand. It was futile for him. Nik was more emotionless than either Athos or Van. For some reason he had his emotions almost completely erased. He could only feel guilt or regret now and those two did not fit in this situation so he was lost.

Athos finished eating and stood up.

"...I'm going for a ride," he said as he took his plate to the sink and washed it, setting it in the dishwasher, and then sinking his shot glass and rinsing it.

He nodded to the two as he walked past them.

"Van, Nik, enjoy your night," he said as he swept out of the kitchen and into the lounge towards the garage where he parked his Speed Daemon.

Nik watched him go with a passive expression on his face and then continued eating.

"How does it feel....do understand him?" he suddenly asked Van. He looked up at the leader as he ate his food.

"How does it feel to know what he's feeling?" he asked out of simple curiosity.

Athos

He walked into the garage, grabbed his black helmet along the way and walked towards his bike. His Speed Daemon was custom made and his engine was silent, making him a great night time rider where he wouldn't alert anyone to his presence.

He drove out of the HQ and rode around the city on his bike, speeding through the empty streets, his thoughts on the fragments of those images that plagued him.

"Understandable. But hopefully you don't have 'bad' intentions shall we say. And don't let this curiosity send you to an early grave,"
"Fine I'll go. But call me if you find something earth-shattering,"

Hoshi made a little 'Phsh' noise through his lips, as if dismissing her comment. "Hey don't worry about me. You really think I'd have bad intentions? And I am definitely not letting this work send me to my grave." The computer was on now and he opened up the word processor on it, beginning to type his own report. He went through the pictures one by one, writing about each in detail and what he observed. "Don't worry, I'll be sure to call you if something comes up." He said quietly, just before lapsing into his trance-like state and blocking out everything else in the room. His mouth moved but made no sound as his eyes darted across the pictures and his fingers flew across the keyboard. He'd need a biiiig dinner after this.

(Contractor HQ)

"...I'm going for a ride,"

"Van, Nik, enjoy your night,"

Van nodded as Athos took his dishes and head out. He understood that the man would need some time alone now. It's just how he was. He heard the door shut to the garage, but the engine of his bike was too soft to hear.

"How does it feel....do understand him?"

"How does it feel to know what he's feeling?"

Van stopped, pondering this for a moment. How did it feel? It wasn't always a nice feeling. He raised his hand to his chest, putting it over his heart. "Sometimes... Sometimes it hurts here. And sometimes it's just... well..." He shook his head, not sure how to continue. It was so hard to describe it to someone who couldn't feel like he could.

"Hey don't worry about me. You really think I'd have bad intentions? And I am definitely not letting this work send me to my grave." "Don't worry, I'll be sure to call you if something comes up."

Those were the last she heard of Hoshi for the night as she laid on her bed and stared up at the ceiling. She turned her head and looked at the bedroom she was in. This little cozy one-floor house was built by them together. Tears welled up in her eyes as she remembered the time when he was still with her, when they were happy and were making this house together by themselves.

She tried to hold back a cry but it escaped her and she buried her face her the covers as she silently cried for the loss of him. Could she ever get him back? Will she ever see his face again, no matter how much he had changed?

The house was lonely and big now without him. With him, the house just seemed perfect with the two of them. Now she was lonely and the house was just too roomy. She didn't have any friends either so she couldn't invite anyone over that would keep her company. He was her only friend. And he had told her before to try and make more, but it was hard for her. He was the only one that understood her.

He was there for her when no one else was.

He brought her from the dark shelters of her room and into the bright world.

And in return that world took him away from her.

Athos

He drove his bike at top speed, silent as the night, streaking through the night. Instinctively he turned a corner and turned another, drove straight and turned another. He didn't have the faintest idea where he was going, but somehow he didn't stop to think about it. He just kept on driving.

In the black night he blended in with his dark attire and black gleaming bike. The engine was muffled and so just a slight humming noise was heard but it was barely audible.

Soon he stopped his bike and he turned his head to look at where he ended up. On his left was a one-floor house, a nice brick house, sturdy...and somehow familiar. Perplexed he took off his helmet to see the house better and he just stared at this building that was connected to him in someway.

Why though?

Flashes of images went through his brain. A woman smiling at him. The same woman holding tools to build something. Building the same house. And then her tears. And then pain assaulted his brain and he dropped his helmet, a clacking noise as it hit the concrete, as he grabbed his head.

Gemma

A small noise outside drew her attention. She stopped sniffling into her covers and sat up. She went completely silent and tilted her head to hear the noise again. All she heard was slight low groaning noises as if someone were in pain.

Cautiously, slowly, and quietly, she eased off her mattress and made her way to the window of her house. The lights were off and so no one could see her silhouette. She eased towards the window and then looked out.

A gasp escaped her lips as she laid eyes on the person parked in front of her house. Without a second thought she burst from her room and without even putting shoes on she ran out the front door towards the man that was now humped on the ground next to a pitch black bike.

"Athos!" she screamed as she dropped to her knees next to him and grabbed his arms as she looked at him.

"Oh my god are you okay? Speak to me," she said as she made him face her.

He felt someone come near him and then he painfully lifted his head to see who it was, and why the touch and voice were so familiar and nostalgic to him.

His red eyes widened in confused recognition as he realized the woman from the images was there before him.....


(dun dun dunnnn)

Hoshi sighed and leaned back in his chair, his concentration fading as he tossed the photographs and a full notepad of notes off to the side. His stomach rumbled angrily as grabbed for the clock on his desk. 3:00 AM. A full two hours had passed since he started these notes. Time for a break… and another dinner. He grabbed his coat and tossed the notes onto Gemma‘s desk, along with the photos of the crime scene and a small, polite note.

I’ll have the full report done by 2:00 tomorrow afternoon. For now, here’s the notes. Give me any feedback you feel necessary. Hope you got some good sleep tonight.

-Hoshi

Throwing his jacket over his shoulders, he walked briskly towards the door, checking his phone for any messages as he stepped out into the cold night air. He inhaled slowly and let out a soft breath, smiling before hopping in his car and starting the engine. The GPS in the console rang as it’s screen lit up and he briskly typed in a search for a nearby 24 hour buffet. The search returned with Li Wong chinese buffet at the top of the list, a 6.2 mile drive. He revved the engine and pulled out of the station parking lot, following the directions in the console until he could see the flourescent sign towering over the highway. Soon, he was seated inside at a large table, piled with plates of practically every type of food in the store, and eating hungrily.


(Van)


Van stood and twirrled his shotglass around his finger nimbly, then grabbed his plate and took it back to the kitchen, sticking it in the dishwasher after scraping it. He returned to the dining room a moment later, his keys in his hand. ”I’m going for a quick drive around the area. I’ll be back in three hours at the latest.” With that, he turned briskly on his heel and headed down the hall, into the elevator to the club above. He passed silently through the noisy bar, whispered a few words to the bartender, who nodded expressionlessly, and then he was out the door and in the black lambroghini parked outside. With a push of the ignition button, the car hummed silently into life and he cruised slowly out into the streets, scanning the sidewalks and wondering at the feeling he had just felt.

An hour later, and the feeling was starting to fade. He was about to give up until a glance out his right window sent his foot to the brakes. Another good look and he knew. He stepped out, staring at the boy crouched on the side of the road. 15 at the oldest for sure. His brown eyes were steady on his, emotionless, and his body was surrounded by the faint glow of synchrotron radiation. They stared in silence for a while until Van extended his hand. ”Come. I know you called. We need to leave before every contractor in the city shows up” After a few more moments of silence, the radiation around the boy faded and he took Van’s hand, helping himself up off the ground. He pulled a small knife out of the pocket of his torn jeans and slowly cut into the tips of each of his fingers as he walked around to the passenger side door.

He sat, and Van offered him some bandages, which he meticulously wrapped around each finger. The engine hummed to life once more and Van stepped on the gas, driving towards the highway. ”What’s your name?” he said, his eyes fixed to the road. The boy looked at him and replied softly. "Syaoran" Van nodded, pulling onto the highway and glancing around at the signs passing by. "I'll get you something to eat, and then we can discuss a safe place for you to stay, if you're interested in helping us." Syaoran stared at him for a moment. "Who's us?" Van glanced to his left and saw the sign for the Li Wong buffet, and made for the exit, pulling off onto the side street. "That will be explained in time."