A/N: This will be a somewhat dark series so there will be some gory content, language, alcohol and possibly sex in later chapters. If you can't handle it then don'r read. There's a reason why this is rated M.

Chapter 1

From the shadows I watched a few of my comrades (James, Bohr and Geoff) harass a man that was late on his payments. It had been almost two months since his last payment and Slackjaw wasn't too happy about that. The boss had a business to run and a name to maintain. At the moment he was too busy whipping up a new batch of elixir to be out here. He was known to get things done personally but being out here would have been a waste of his time if the client didn't pay up. Most of the time he would usually send Crowley on these type of assignments though he was too busy helping him out.

There was a flash of lightning followed by a clap of thunder. My figure was illuminated for a split second as I sat on the window sill. The man must have seen me because he began to cry, "P-Please don't hurt me!" I could feel a strange chill run up my spine as he backed into a table with a horrified expression. Slowly I melted from the shadows and materialized in front of him. The man let out a yelp as he fell back onto the table. His eyes were wide with terror as he froze in place. Beside me, my comrades gave me room to operate.

"Oi Doc, what d'ya got planned for 'im?" James queried with a cheeky grin. I glanced back at him with my head tilted to one side before returning my attention to the man on the table. In one swift motion I pulled my cleaver from the holster on my hip and hacked off the man's left hand. He let out a blood curdling shriek as he held onto the nub at the end of his arm. Sanguineous liquid oozed through the fabric of his coat while he continued to cry out in pain. I grabbed the wrist with the still attached hand and forced it onto the table. Beneath me the man struggled against my grip. I used my cleaver to nail his sleeve to the table so that I could have both hands free to restrain the rest of him.

"Monster! Monster!" He screamed struggling to sit up. I forced him back down and pinned his chest with my right hand as I grabbed the nub of where is left hand once was with my free hand. The mark on the backside of my left hand glowed as flames sprouted from my palm. The scent of searing flesh filled the air as I burned the nub. I felt the man cease his erratic movements as he succumbed to shock. His body became limp as I stepped back and removed my cleaver from his sleeve. He wasn't dead for I could see the steady rise and fall of his chest. Bohr rushed over to the body and checked his pockets.

"The bastard has nothing." Bohr grunted running a hand through his short brown hair. He glanced at me with a sideways look. I merely spun on my heel causing my large coat to billow dramatically as I made my exit. There was no need to idle when I had more important matters to attend to. This whole fiasco was a waste of my skills and time. I opened the window and scattered into an unkindness of ravens.

Soaring high above the city of Dunwall I looked down on its inhabitants. Once prideful and full of life were its citizens, now only reduced to mere hollows of their former selves. Families torn and lives lost from the plague that ravaged the city. What a grim existence this was with no ray of light at the end of this eternal darkness. On swift wings I reconvened at the old whiskey distillery on Bottle Street, becoming whole again. I flexed my fingers and rolled my shoulders as I jumped down into the courtyard. A few of the boys in the yard glanced at me before continuing their duties. Slowly I made my way to Slackjaw's office. Once I arrived at his office, the boss was busy finishing up his latest batch of elixir.

"Alice, just the woman I wanted to see." Slackjaw said setting down a vile and picking up a cigar. He clipped the end before lighting it with a match. "I have a job for you."

"Continue." I said removing my mask. The cool air of the distillery felt nice against my flushed face. There were times when the mask would feel constraining, but I wore it to conceal my identity. It was easier to assassinate someone when they didn't know your face. All they knew was that someone was out to get them. The last thing they saw-if they even saw me in the first place-was the Plague Doctor.

"There is a certain Captain of the City Watch that I want you to dispose of. His name is Richard Stonewall and he's the one that's been bumping up the number of Watchmen in our little neck of the woods." He said taking a few puffs from his cigar. "Also, keep an eye out for old Granny Rags. Some of the boys have heard her mumbling about a 'lovely doctor'."

"Hah, I wouldn't say lovely." I laughed dryly.

"You're plenty lovely darling." He said shortening the gap between us. Reaching up a hand he placed it tenderly on the crown of my head. "Now go before I dilute your share of the elixir…" I sidestepped him and snatched up my mask before exiting. I leapt onto a low bearing roof that allowed me to reach higher heights. Once I reached my destination I crouched near the edge of the rooftop. Lightning flashed across the sky as thunder followed. It was going to rain soon. I should hurry before I get caught up in another storm. Though, my body did not heed my mind. A familiar darkness crept up behind me as I remained rooted to where I was.

"Such a delicate and beautiful creature yet so cruel and sadistic," Came a haunting voice close to my ear. "Strange contradictions entwined into one…"

"Are you referring to just me or women in general?" I scoffed giving the Outsider an annoyed glance. The Outsider let out a sharp laugh.

"Witty as usual," He remarked with a smirk. "Yet it would be best to still your tongue." The dark haired man looked me in the eyes with a mysterious glint. I remained quiet as I waited for him to say something. "I have a gift for you, whether you accept it or not is up to you. It is hidden among the decay of this once flourishing city. Heed the ravens' call…" With that said the Outsider had disappeared into an ethereal darkness. I let out a sigh to his typical cryptic messages. He seemed to enjoy riddles as I thought back to the other scavenger hunts he had sent me on. The man also enjoyed following me around like my shadow. I knew that the Outsider wasn't one for choosing favorites among those that he granted his mark to, but the way he interacted with me made me think otherwise. Maybe I'd have to see one of these days how he interacts with the others. Though, that is if I'm able to encounter one such as me in this vast world. This makes me grow increasingly suspicious about Granny Rags. The woman was blind yet somehow knew about me as if she could see. My only guess was that the Outsider had said something to her. I shook my head of such foolish ideations and returned to the task at hand. There was a man to be killed and he wasn't going to kill himself.

Like a specter I stood at the foot of his bed; waiting for the opportune moment to strike. I watched as Richard Stonewall took in steady breathes as he slept. He looked so peaceful despite the tumultuous storm that raged outside his chamber window. It was a shame that I had to eliminate him. From what I could tell from where I was standing, he was rather handsome. He had short raven black hair that was currently disheveled from him tossing in bed. His well toned chest rose and fell with every breath he took as he turned so that he was on his back. I noticed a strange diagonal scar traveling from the left side of his collarbone and over his left peck. The scar was faded but visible enough to be a constant reminder of what had happened. For some reason I wanted to touch him, to caress his head and hold him to my breast. I removed my mask and set it on the trunk at the end of his bed. As if knowing that I was standing there, Richard awoke and stared at me. I was taken aback to see that he was not shocked but in fact curious. That curiosity turned into a more devious nature as a sly smirk snaked its way across his lips. The odd glint in his eyes reminded me of a time when a man was possessed. Someone must have enthralled this poor fellow. Though, his eyes spoke to me as they danced in the brief light that the lightning had created. So strange, so bleak they were as if I was staring into the very depths of the Void.

"Come…" He beckoned with an eerie tone. I wasn't entirely sure what happened after he spoke those words, but I later found myself naked and tangled in sheets soaked with blood. Beside me was the body of Richard Stonewall decapitated and my cleaver embedded in his pillow. As I sat up, parts of the sheets clung to me due to the adhesive nature of blood and cloth combined. I peeled the sticky sheets from my body before standing up. Stark naked in a mysterious man's chamber was certainly not how I wanted to spend this evening, yet oddly I had no regrets about it. With a shrug I bent over to retrieve my weapon from the pillow. I set the cleaver next to my mask on the trunk before I searched for a towel to wipe all this blood off me. It would be improper for me to return covered in sex and blood. Though, I doubt Slackjaw would care. We made our own rules living on the streets. And this wasn't the first time this has happened before either. With a sigh I shook my head. This has to stop happening. I need to find someone to settle down with one of these days. Bah, what am I saying? I'm an assassin by trade. Being domestic would be out of character and alien to me. I think I'll stick to sleeping with my kills before killing them. It may sound crude, but love is hard to come by in these bleak times. I loved a man once, but that was a long time ago. He said he wouldn't leave me and that he loved me, yet he left me for that whore! That whore stole him from me! But now they rot like the rest of this city!

I finished drying off from the bath I ended up taking. With quick precision I dressed in record timing before making my leave. Out the window I went, becoming a conspiracy of ravens. The cool rain pelted my wings as I flew through the city. I had barely made it half way to the distillery when I had to stop. I was forced to shift back into my natural form. The wind whistled around me as I crouched down into one of the abandoned apartment complexes. I pried some loose slats from the wall to use as fuel for the stove. The mark on my left hand glowed faintly before being engulfed in flames. A small stream of fire shot from my palm causing the flames that once surrounded my hand to leave. The wood within the stove were set ablaze. I closed the tiny grate and crouched before the stove. A comforting heat radiated from between the small gaps in the grate. I was about to make myself comfortable when I sensed another presence lurking about. Like a feline, I moved towards the mystery person. Out on the tiny terrace was a man cloaked in black. He had his back to me as he looked out into the darkness. I was sure that he had yet to notice me as I neared him, but how terribly wrong I was when he had suddenly turned around. Behind my mask I suppressed a gasp as I stared directly at him. The mask he wore was so ghastly in design as if modeled from nightmares.

For a while, neither of us did anything. It was as if he too was shocked just as much as I was. That was until he took a step forward. I stood my ground as he neared me. Once he was close enough he began to circle me like a predator would when sizing up his prey. I took note of the mark on his left hand that mirrored my own. He was also in contact with the Outsider. Was he the raven that the Outsider had told me about? This man was by no means a raven but a wraith or reaper. I could feel a still lingering sensation of bloodlust from him when he came to a stop in front of me. He must have been out on a contract. I can smell the scent of blood and sweat as he stood close. The heart strapped to him thumped every once in a while. How frightening. Who was this man? I must know more about him…

"What a chance meeting between two ravens…" The wind whispered around us. I looked around to see if I could spot the Outsider, though he was gone like the wind. The man must have heard him too for he was searching for its source. I took this moment of distraction to move past him. He caught my left wrist without even glancing at me. Upon instinct I burst into a flock of ravens. Startled, the man took a step back and watched me as I vacated the room. I wish that we'll have the chance of meeting again.