Seeing something strange was actually quite normal. For me, anyhow. But… somehow, the level of strangeness of this sight was way over the top. It was like seeing a rainbow moon, or a monkey swimming in a tar pit.

It was exactly what was needed to get me to pay attention to how many energy drinks I consumed in a day.

But, aside from that, no reaction was forthcoming. Not even from what appeared to be a fresh cadaver. Instead of lingering on the fact that I was stepping in blood, I once again let my curious nature override my common sense and kept walking into the collapsed building.

"Hello? Anyone here?"

I listened carefully for a response and, not picking up any unusual sounds, I stepped quietly around the corpse and looked around, seeing nothing new. The only thing that had changed was the state of the old indoor swimming pool. I used to come here a lot as a kid to hang out, even though the crumbling building was considered a major safety and health hazard. I didn't listen, of course, and in all my childish innocence, believed the edifice to be alive, with feelings.

I would come and read stories aloud to it, at the same time improving my reading skills. I would sing and dance inside, getting odd stares from other people to the point that I waited until dusk to come and leap around.

In the winter, I would sit up on the highest point of the building, ignoring my cell phone as my parents tried to contact me. Every now and then, the stray cat I had named Peppermint followed me from the old oak tree and wait to be petted.

It was a bit depressing that my only true companion was a mangy stray, but at the same time I enjoyed the solitude. It made me into a bit of an introvert and a loner, but I didn't care.

A rasping couch brought my attention back to what I previously assumed was a dead man, and my reverie was halted by the sight of one missing eye and a rather large hole in his stomach.

"H…" he gasped. I walked slowly towards him, not really sure why I hadn't left yet. It was obvious he was almost dead, and that no amount of medical help could save him.

"Hel…p…"

"Uh, well… I would, except for the fact that you're pretty much dead anyway. I will call the cops to report a corpse, though, if that's what you meant."

Even though the killer was probably still in here, I couldn't get myself to feel any sort of fear, anger, or… well… anything. People always told me two different things about my lack of emotional responses: they were good for being un-judgmental, but bad when I was receiving a gift, or in any other situation.

The man in front of me, on a pile of rubble, screwed up his face in anger and pointed a trembling hand at me. What was in the hand, however, made me take a step back.

"Oh, no. If you point that at me, I'm gone and the police are here."

"N…no… cop…s."

"Fine, fine. I won't call them…" yet, I finished my sentence in my mind, taking another step back, just to be safe.

"What the fuck is a kid doing here? I thought I told you to keep the illusion up."

"I did. She must be observant."

"Voi! Brat! Get the fuck outta here!"

I turned just in time to see something sharp and metallic coming towards me.

"Holy shit motherfucking whores!" I dodged, skipping back a few steps.

"Heh… quite a mouth you've got, scum."

"Eh?"

I blinked a bit stupidly, not expecting a third man to walk out of the shadows.

"Why are you here?"

Two very threatening eyes glared at me, and I could've sworn they were glinting red.

"Well… I come here to hang out. I smelled something coppery, though, and I got curious. Why are you here?"

I straightened up slightly at his civil tone, and the way the others shrank back slightly, not wanting to be too close to him. If I didn't piss him off, the others two would probably leave me alone.

"Hmph. Eliminating a target."

"Target? Like, yakuza or something? No, you don't look Asian…"

"Take another guess, trash."

"From your complexion and suits… I'd say, Italian? Mafia, maybe?"

The dark-haired man blinked, smirked, and then…

Started to laugh. I'm pretty sure the other two were his subordinates, and they went insane trying to escape, and the man behind me cocked his gun and was about to shoot himself, whimpering. There was a muted sound, almost like a pop, then the coppery scent increased. I looked over my shoulder, and scrunched up my nose.

"Ew… Brains." My voice deadpanned, and the only other living person in the building started to laugh even harder, leaning on his knees.

Eventually he managed to contain his humor and straightened up, still chuckling darkly. He placed his two guns (which I just noticed) into holsters on his sides, and gave me another smirk.

"Listen here, kid. You won't tell anyone. You didn't see anything here that wasn't normal. You'll forget about this by tomorrow. Clear?"

I blinked, thinking the answer was a bit obvious. Especially since this guy was Mafia.

"Yeah. I got it. Though I doubt I'll forget it, I can pretend."

"You do that. Cause you don't want me pissed off."

"I believe it. I think I'll go home now."

I span on my heel and took two steps before a large hand clamped down roughly on my shoulder. I blinked again, looking up to see a half-evil grin on the guy's face.

"You're not too bad, for a bratty piece of trash. What's your name?"

"I really don't want to tell you, but it'd probably be a bad idea not to, so… wait, my name in the Japanese style, or Western style?"

"Spit it out." He smacked me across the head, making me flinch slightly.

"Ow, shit fuck flying monkeys, that hurt. Fine. First name, Togatta, family name, Yoshime."

"No fucking clue what that means."

"Would you like me to elaborate?"

"Shut it, scum."

He sneered and smacked me again, making me cuss.

"Fucking asshat mother of a whore!"

The annoying man that was actually pretty damn handsome, and rude, chuckled again, probably amused at my sailor's tongue. "You're not too bad, for a piece of shit. Maybe…"

His voice petered off, and what I previously thought was a simpleton turned out to be, well, not a simpleton. Or maybe he just has a good teacher. I don't quite know. Either way, he's a rich simpleton/good student of whoever has the balls to stand up to him.

"Levi, send the cleanup crew. The fucking piece of shit killed himself when I started laughing… None of your fucking business. Get them here, now. Squalo, Mammon, return to base. We're leaving for Italy by tomorrow, so get your fucking shit together before I burn it all."

He snapped the phone shut, giving a growl to the empty air.

"I think I'll go now. Wouldn't want to get in the way of the… clean-up crews."

"What, not gonna fucking break like the piece of shit you are?"

"Firstly, I am not a "piece of shit", nor am I "scum" or "trash"."

His face took on a rather astonished look as I used my sharpest Togatta-glare, crossing my arms.

"Secondly, I don't have emotional responses. Well, not like normal people. This is the only reaction you're gonna get outta me. So, if you have no more business to conduct or discuss with me, I'm gone."

I spun on my heel only to find, once again, a large hand clamped on my shoulder. I felt my leg muscles twitch, probably telling me to run, but instead of becoming a moving target instead of a still one, I looked up to see a nearly genuine smile and two very pissed-off red eyes.

"Yes?" I asked calmly to the face of death looming over me. He just chuckled again, and slapped something into my hands. An envelope.

"Keep your fucking mouth shut, and you might not see us again."

"I can do that." I nodded.

I stuffed the heavy package into the inside pocket of my sweater I sewed myself, looked one more time at the cadaver with a slightly disgusted expression, and walked out of the building, hearing a roar of laughter behind me.

As soon as I reached the corner of the street, I took one more glance behind me and saw some sort of comet traveling at high speeds, away from the ruins and the corpse.

"Alrighty then. To home."

And I continued to march until I reached my not-so-humble abode, climbing like a monkey to my window using an old tree, opening the glass panes, and slipping inside, almost sure I caught a glint of steel right before I shut my heavy drapes, blocking out the moon and stars.