Chapter 1: Forgotten

Paperwork, paperwork and more paperwork. How Dōmyōji managed to mess up his reports more than half the time was a wonder to her. "Amano-san?" A familiar voice rang out from behind her and she whipped around to see Akiyama Himori, one of her many co-workers in Scepter 4, standing behind her and holding another huge stack of paper. She let out an audible groan at the sight. "God… Why do there have to be so many incidents? " She grumbled as she reached out her hands and snatched the stack away, earning a sweat-drop from Akiyama.

There'd been a lot of incidents around Shizume Town recently. Most of them concerning Strains and HOMRA causing trouble. Lena scowled a little before she resumed typing on her laptop, hoping to go through the stack quickly.

Without warning, the alarm sounded, startling her. She regained her composure fast enough to stand up from her desk and run towards the door in a few seconds before being followed by her fellow clansmen.

"This time, it appears to be another Strain. A large group even." With a resigned sigh, the bespectacled man at his desk stood up and adjusted the sword at his side before turning to the curvaceous blonde beside him. "Awashima-san. Issue an order for the Special Ops squad to move out." She nodded curtly before walking out.

'AGAIN WITH THE INCIDENTS.' Lena grumbled mentally as she readjusted her position on the rooftop she was stationed on. Her sky blue eyes darted around, searching for her assigned target. With an exasperated sigh, she flopped herself down, her sword sheath clinking softly as it hit the ground. Was it just her or was everything starting to look really blurry? She rubbed her eyes and shook her head before peeking over the ledge of the roof.

Then, she saw him.

The brunette teen, with the red and blue eyes she recognized. She scowled, knowing that he was her assigned target. "I am going to kill you." She muttered to herself as she unsheathed her sword cautiously.

The brunette on the ground looked up and saw the standing female figure on the building. A smirk formed on his lips as he raised his hand in a mock salute to her.

"I found you~! "

Within seconds, he'd disappeared and reappeared on the rooftop behind Lena. She whirled around, sabre in hand and glowing with her Aura. He gave a sadistic smile before flames engulfed his hands and he began throwing punches at her. She managed to dodge most of them before she sent 3 silver knives flying towards him. Damn, that guy could fight. 1 knife lodged in his side but he yanked it out and ran towards her again. Using her sabre, she managed to block his next blow but was sent staggering back. The ledge of the roof hit her ankle and she was well aware that she was at the edge.

"You have nowhere to run. I guess I can do it now right~? " He cooed in a sappy-sounding voice. Lena shuddered and bit her lip. If she wasn't careful, this could be her end. But she wasn't going down without dealing him at least a few more blows. She ran forward, ignoring the painful burning sensation that met her side as soon as she did that. Swinging her sabre at him, she managed to slash him on the chest. He let out a guttural cry of pain and anger before managing to punch her in the chest, returning the previous hit. Again ignoring the pain she threw another 4 knives, all of which managed to hit their target. With a final cry of pain the brunette slumped to the ground, unmoving.

Lena fell to her knees, gasping from the pain. She could feel blood streaming out of the wound in her side and the aching pain in her chest was bothering her to no end. Shaking her head, she retrieved her PDA before dialing Fushimi's number. "I'm done, but I'll need some backup." As soon as she was done, the pain somehow intensified and she saw dark spots dancing in her vision. She groaned as she tried to keep awake until her colleagues came, but found herself losing consciousness instead. The last thing she saw was the sharp red blot that flashed past her vision before everything turned black.

-TIMESKIP-

The first thing that hit her senses hard when she opened her eyes was the strong smell of antiseptic. Everything was white. 'Shit, did I just die on them? But if I can smell antiseptic I should be fine.' That was the first thought that ran through her head. As her vision cleared up, she could clearly see medical equipment beside her bed. Not to mention she could feel the bandages wrapped around her torso and the dull aching pain in her chest. 'At least I'm still alive.' With a sharp gasp, she eased herself into a sitting position just as the Lieutenant, a lady by the name of Awashima Seri, walked into the room.

Within seconds, the older female was by her side pushing her back onto the bed as gently as possible. "You've got serious burns on your side. You need to rest." Came the voice, firm and cold as ice. Lena let out a groan before complying with her superior's orders, flopping herself back onto the bed. "So what happened?" She asked, desperate to know what the red blot was. "When the others arrived at your location, they found you out cold in a puddle of blood and the Strain's body was horribly mutilated by someone. A message was spelt out using his blood."

The wounded girl felt ready to puke, but insisted on hearing what was written. "Apparently, it was a message for the Strain or possibly for us. 'If you hurt her again, I'll make sure you pay.' " Awashima looked at her before asking, "Do you know anyone who would do this?" Lena shook her head. She herself was concerned. Who would go this far to ensure she was safe? She quietly fingered the white strands of hair that contrasted against the raven black of the rest of her hair. The quiet whirring of the air-conditioner was the only sound that could be heard in the infirmary.

Then, the door opened and the heads of Dōmyōji and Hidaka poked themselves in. Upon seeing that Lena was awake, they gave joyous shouts and rushed in to attempt to hug her before being met with a sword sheath to the face. (Courtesy of Awashima.) They gave her sad puppy eyes while Lena facepalmed at their actions.

The rest of the Special Ops squad filed in and took their seat in various corners of the room. Ignoring Awashima's protests, Lena forced herself back into and upright position. "Are you feeling better?" Akiyama asked, concern written practically all over his face. Lena gave a small smile and a nod before a low growl interrupted their conversations. All heads turned towards the door, hands on their sabres.

A red-haired teen was leaning against the doorframe, a black-colored aura covering him. His piercing yellow eyes made most of the guys freeze up. "Tch. Hasn't my warning reached you? Step away from her. Now." His voice was dark and laced with poison and pure hatred. Lena stared at him. She'd seen him before, but she just couldn't remember where. Slowly, dark purple flames wrapped themselves around the male's hands as he stepped forward. "Didn't you hear me? I said STEP AWAY." At this point in time, Lena reached for her silver knives, which were still in her Scepter 4 uniform which in turn lay beside her bed. She might have known this guy, but she wasn't going to let him hurt her friends.

Without warning the male rushed forward and swung a fist towards Akiyama and Benzai, successfully throwing them into the wall. Fushimi used this chance to aim and throw 2 knives at him. They were blocked and flung back, hitting him in the arm and he hissed in pain. Hidaka and Dōmyōji were next to attack but they too were flung away. Successfully retrieving her knives, Lena aimed 2 at the male's legs and threw them. Her attack hit and the male was sent back staggering in pain. His yellow eyes met hers, his full of disbelief and hers, cold and unnerving. "Don't hurt my friends." She hissed, anger filling her entire being as she brandished her knives, which glinted evilly in the white light.

The redhead's face fell. "Do you really not remember me?" In contrast to his tone earlier, his voice was now quiet and contained traces of sadness. Lena's eyes narrowed. "Get out." With a small chuckle, he got up and yanked the knives out of his leg. "I see. So that's how you want to play. I'll play your game." He looked up, a sadistic look crossing his face.

"We'll meet again. Amano Lenalee."