I had always had a face. I didn't know why. But it was always there.

I had always had a name. I didn't know about that either. But life went on.

Fighting had always been in my blood. It was instinctive, so natural that I didn't have to 'learn'. I 'knew'.

I practiced each day, becoming swifter and more skilled with each passing day, until soon none of the faceless adversaries I had could even come close to defeating me. I smiled as I ran my knife into the man before me's exposed flesh, blood sprinkling the ground.

To defeat me was an impossible thought. It had come to the point where simply challenging me was commendable. I wouldn't kill them; I would just bring them so close to death that they'd learn not to come back to me. But as time went on I began to kill, and soon I began to like it. It wasn't long before I was obsessed with the feeling of another's blood dripping from my knife as I went home victorious.

There weren't many others like me- those with faces and names- but I knew they were powerful. I had heard stories of them all my life, those who ruled over the Country of Heart. I wanted very much to fight one of them, tiring of the same no-faced opponents day after day.

I lived in Clover, though, far from any of those with duties. Except for one- rumored to be among the most powerful of them all.

Nightmare Gottschalk. An incubus, master of Clover Tower. A demon that controlled everything in Wonderland- something few knew.

The name of my self-declared rival echoed in my mind satisfyingly, my hands twitching in anticipation as I walked on towards the Clover Tower. I went inside, not so much as knocking on the great doors, and passed the servants who stood in complete awe as I made my way forward.

One leapt from the crowd and I raised my knife, already having anticipated a conflict when I had first begun my journey.

Another attacked, quickly joining his ally on the ground in a bloody heap as I carried on casually. They piled up, one by one, until finally a powerful voice stopped everyone, including myself, in their tracks.

"Gray Ringmarc, what brings you here?" I turned to face him, the great one-with-duties who reigned secretly over Wonderland, my eyes narrowed. A satisfied smile crossed my face.

"I'm here to fight you, Nightmare." He came closer, examining me closely before shaking his head. "Backing down so quickly?" I taunted, gripping the knife even more tightly.

"I see no point in fighting you."

"Why not?"

"Because there's no reason to."

I gritted my teeth. He wasn't taking me seriously. "What do you mean 'no reason'?" I demanded, not giving him time to answer. "I have my own reasons!"

He nodded slightly, still not impressed. "That you do, Gray. Although they're selfish reasons. Besides," he yawned, clearly not taking me seriously, "I've got too much work that needs done."

"But how can I prove myself if you won't fight me?" Nightmare sighed.

"You're proving yourself to whom? Me or yourself?"

I knew my answer, but I didn't say it out loud. Nevertheless, he seemed to know what I was thinking. "Very well then, lizard…" he muttered. "I had such high hopes for you, too…"

I slashed at him.

Miss.

Again.

Miss.

And once more after that.

Still nothing.

No matter how quickly I moved he was always one step ahead of me, dodging so fluidly that I could land nary a single strike. "You could perhaps defeat the dormouse," he said, raising a hand to stop me. "But not me."

My hands were shaking and I dropped my blade onto the floor.

Defeat.

It was like nothing I'd ever felt before. Was that what it was like for those who I had fought before…? I glanced at the servants, who had by now deteriorated into a simple pile of clocks. "What a bother…" Nightmare muttered. "Now I'll have to repair those, thanks to you."

I didn't say anything, still trying to bear the feeling of having lost. "Come on, now. Get up." My heart pounded as I obeyed silently. "You show promise, that's for sure. As an assassin you're one of the best I've seen, although you need work."

I nodded slightly. "With that said, I want you to become my subordinate." I stared at him in confusion, my eyes wide. "That is what you were meant to do from the start."

I didn't understand at the time. But I would come to over time, and Nightmare became my mentor. He showed me how to fight, helping me to improve until he himself couldn't defeat me, and how to carry out the duties of managing the citizens of Heart and Clover. The memory of my defeat faded slowly into the background.

The last day of mine as an assassin…

It was my beginning, not my end.

/AN/ I was bored XD And I love Gray, so I had to write something about him. He's like, epic pwnage times two minus one. Thus making him right below Blood lol Reviews are welcome, although this sucks anyway XD