*waves*

Um. Yup. I'm back. Hopefully for good this time. My history class had begun during the first week of July so updating wasn't a huge priority. Then I got my wisdom teeth yanked out a few days ago and was bedridden. I thought about updating my status on my profile but I didn't think many people would bothering reading so that never happened. And I really hate it when authors put up a hiatus note on their stories. It always gets to me. Especially if I was excited for an update, so I didn't want to put you guys in that spot either.

Sorry.

And bear with me on this new story. Its my first attempt to write chapters rather than a series of shots so if things get bumpy, tell me and I'll try to fix it. Criticism is welcome. After prologue, chapters will be longer.

Oh, if you're looking for pure romance fluff its unlikely you'll find it here. I'm flexing my fingers on the mystery genre so you'll probably first encounter squirreled secrets, Cloud angst, massive confusion, and then a helping of Cloti on the side.

Disclaimer: FFVII is the property of SE

Who cut off their tails with a carving knife,
Did you ever see such a sight in your life,
As three blind mice

Prologue

Little Boy Blue

The darkness of the sleeping city stirred at his flight, its hollow silence broken by his pounding footsteps and heavy breathing. Awakened by the tremors, rats darted out between the crevices, their beady eyes reserving judgment, flashed red as the crouched and stared impassively at the man's retreating form.

In the distance, an inhuman screech the night. Even the ground shuddered to hear, the moon beating hungrily down on the damp pavement as the roaring drew nearer. Immediately, the hooded figure stiffened then muttering a curse, he swerved sharply into a darkened alley. Only the smothering blackness beckoned to him, pulling him deeper and shielding him within its inky mists.

Wheezing, he raised his head with supreme effort. The striking skeleton of Monument Bridge loomed large in his peripheral vision, and grew larger still with each strenuous step. How much further? He couldn't guess. The slums were usually a place he avoided and tonight, he'd taken too many detours to be sure.

His shadow, flickering along the road was caught underneath a light pole, stretching into a pair of long limbs. Strong arms pumped the air, scarred hands visible through the gloom. In his left, he clutched a manila envelope. There was nothing remarkable on its exterior, no stamped seals or messily scrawled address, still, the man pressed it closer to his chest. He was taking no chances tonight. He leapt lightly over the slosh of trash and rubble, his narrowed eyes never once straying from his goal.

A sudden shriek of metal grinding against cement shattered the silence. His breath hitched. The crash sounded but a few seconds away. Not good. They would be here soon. Without turning his back, the man began sprinting with a renewed vigor. He wished he had the foresight to bring a gun. Two hours ago when he first bolted out the door, he had weighed the consequences. Being slammed in jail was his kindest punishment. The more probable outcome included a stuck knife, and his body being tossed overboard some boat.

He knew that. Except they hadn't felt real then. Now as he spun angrily from another dead end, the first beginnings of fear hit him with a cold rush. He was terrified.

He kept on running. He didn't care where. The mixture of adrenaline and panic, like a double edged sword, lent him speed but wiped his mind blank. His arms flailed madly as he scrambled towards the nearest building. Then, with shaky fingers, he stuffed his envelope into a corner, pivoted and ran back the way he came. If he was to be caught, he'd sooner be damned than hand over the evidence.

The street was empty when the man finally broke free from the alleyway. Pausing for breath, he strained his ears; sight was often misleading. Any small twitch in shadow could merely be the effect of a failing bulb. Though what he heard next, he knew, was no illusion. It was cleverly muffled, almost indiscernible but undeniably, there. The soft purring of an idling engine.

They were right on him.

Swearing loudly, he jumped to his feet and tried to make one last desperate run. Seconds later, a sleek black hurtled onto the road and tore after him. His lungs burned and he gulped in air frantically. This was the end.

The chase was pitifully short, less than a minute. As he stood, squinting against the bright headlights, a blonde woman stepped out of the vehicle. She was quite young, not more than twenty five. She did not seem afraid, and her grey, steadfast eyes looked straight at him.

"Where is it?"

"Where is what?" He shrugged, picking at his collar. He didn't feel threatened. Hardly. Despite the woman's cool appearance, he'd detected a hint of impatience in her voice. In his line of work, he'd met many of her kind. Emotion meant inexperience. Until she called his bluff, he would continue to deny everything. Meanwhile, he could keep an out eye out for an escape route. "I don't have anything."

"The package."

A man's voice behind him made him start and turn. He was impressively tall. Unlike his partner, there was an air of cool professionalism about him which demanded obedience. His eyes were hard as steel when they roved over his body.

'Like I told her, I don't have it."

"He's lying!"

The woman flushed. "Nobody else was seen leaving the place," she added, looking meaningfully at him. "If he doesn't have it here, that just means he stashed it away somewhere."

"H-Hey!"

The man nodded at her then held out his hand "I'll give you one chance, Blue, to tell me the location. One. It's a generous offer. I'd take it if I were you."

Staring up at his captor, Blue shuddered. Any notions he'd entertained of weaseling out with lies fled his head. A single glance told him nothing got past this man. Not ever. And in the event someone did challenge him, the slight protrusion in the man's left breast pocket told Blue all he needed to know. It'd be an incredibly stupid move to press his luck further.

He dropped his gaze.

A pause.

"It's behind a dumpster, two blocks from here...Take a left around this corner and.." He took a step forward.

A shot rang out. Suddenly his knees felt weak, and his chest seized. Whimpering, Blue crumpled to the ground. His vision swam.

The smooth barrel of a gun was pointed to where he last stood, its deadly metal sheen reflecting the dim light. He coughed. A dribble of blood escaped his mouth. He was so tired. Already his world was tinged with spots of grey.

"Idiot! Why did you -"

The woman's voice cut in. "I didn't mean too! I thought he was going to run ag-

Blackness.

Prologue Fin