The office was the embodiment of success: high end tapestries hanging on the walls, state of art equipment for every possible need and desire, and to top it all off was the sweeping view of the city below. Two figures currently in the office were sitting on opposite sides of a desk set against one side of the room; the object in question was polished mahogany outfitted with some elegant chairs on one side and what could only be described as a throne on the other side.
One of these people sitting in one of the elegant chairs was a young man in his early twenties, dressed in a button up green short sleeve shirt, tan slacks with a black belt and black dress shoes. He calmly brushed a piece of his dark brown hair away from his face, and let his eyes look over the room while occasionally glancing at the young woman sitting across from him. She was around the same age as the boy, talking to someone on the smartphone she was holding to her ear, and sitting in the throne as though she were a queen. She looked like one as well; dressed in a long fur coat, with long dark red hair that framed a face that was both striking and beautiful, anyone who looked at her would easily mistake her royalty.
She didn't acknowledge the young man sitting across from her, putting all of her focus on the phone call she was presently taking.
"…and is she secure now? Good; have Akihiko watch over her for the time being. No, let them go. We already came to an understanding, and they can take care of themselves. If you or any of the others run into them again, let me know and I'll handle it. …yes, he has arrived and is going to accept the assignment."
At that final remark, the young man sighed dramatically, rolling his eyes and giving a small smirk.
"Once the job is explained in full, he WILL agree to do it." The young woman glanced at the boy sitting across from her and gave him a stern look, raising an eyebrow to emphasize her point.
"I will give you more instructions tomorrow. Talk you then, Yukari."
After ending the call, the young woman put her phone in a pocket lining her fur coat.
"You know," the young man commented casually, "if you're going to keep me waiting for over an hour, you could have had Fuuka-chan call me over later than she did."
"I apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused you. I wanted to make sure you arrived with time to spare," the young woman replied, leaning closer to the desk before her.
"It's alright. I've gotten rather used to you summoning me like a servant who waits at your beck and call," the boy teased, smiling with a glint of mischief in his eyes.
"Marcus, you know I don't treat you that way," the young woman remarked seriously, giving the young man the full scope of her piercing gaze. "I'm well aware of your…tendency of not taking things as seriously as they should be, and I am taking appropriate measures."
"Alright, no disrespect intended, Mitsuru," Marcus responded calmly, his smile fading as he returned her serious look. "All things considered, even though I joined up almost a year ago, I feel like there's more for me to learn. I wouldn't be where I am now if it wasn't for you and the other Shadow Operatives."
"Now don't sell yourself short, your actions speak for themselves," Mitsuru said, giving Marcus a rare smile. "You were among the most promising recruits we have ever had. In fact, you remind me of…"
At that, her smile faded and a far-away look crossed her face. After a brief pause, Marcus gave a puzzled look at her last comment. "Of…who exactly?"
"…someone I used to know. He's not here anymore," Mitsuru replied, returning her gaze to Marcus after giving her head a small shake. "But enough about the past; let's focus on the topic at hand."
"Very well, what was this assignment you wanted to tell me about?" Marcus asked lightly, sitting up in his chair with an intent look.
"You remember the incident that was resolved recently? Regarding the Midnight Channel and the stolen Anti-Shadow weapon?" Mitsuru inquired cautiously.
"Yeah, sorry I couldn't help out, I hope you understand why I wasn't able to come with you and Aigis," Marcus replied, giving a slightly guilty look.
"Yes, your reasons were justified, and I admit we were rather hasty with our departure," Mitsuru reassured him, "but the mission was a success. We retrieved the Anti-Shadow weapon with no civilian casualties."
"Great! That's wonderful news!" Marcus said excitedly, leaning forward in his chair. "Is this one anything like Aigis? A newer model perhaps?"
"Actually, this one is older than Aigis," Mitsuru replied. "Her name is Labrys, and she has agreed to join us as a Shadow Operative."
"Wow, that's fantastic!" Marcus responded, and then a curious look crossed his face. "Although, I'm still not sure how this relates to me, since I haven't met her yet or anything."
"The assignment I need you to do…" Mitsuru declared, giving him her piercing gaze again, "…is to pair up with Labrys and show her what it means to be a Shadow Operative."
A moment of silence passed between the two, while the view outside showed a glorious sunset basking the entire city in a golden glow.
"…Well, of all the things I was expecting, that wasn't one of them," Marcus finally said, raising his eyebrows and tapping one of his shoes on the marbled floor. "Why ask me? I'm sure one of the senior Shadow Operatives would be better qualified to do this assignment."
"None of the senior members, including myself, have time to spare for her transition into the group," Mitsuru responded, putting her hands on the desk in front of her. "I have deemed you most suited to the task."
"What about Junpei?" Marcus asked, a smile spreading his face. "He has the time and experience to help out this new recruit. Not to mention one of the coolest attitudes I-"
"Junpei is currently on leave and is only on call in emergencies," Mitsuru retorted, frowning at Marcus in scrutiny. "Not to mention you are currently trying to find a new job since being laid off your previous one, so you have plenty of time to devote to this assignment."
"Wha-how do YOU know about that?" Marcus yelped, surprise flashing across his face.
"I'm the head of the Kirijo Group and the leader of the Shadow Operatives, it's my JOB to know," Mitsuru replied dryly.
"Well, when you put it that way, I guess I'm your man," Marcus sighed, shrugging his shoulders in surrender. "Plus it will give me the chance to meet this Labrys person-er, robot. Who knows, might be fun."
"That's the attitude I'm looking for," Mitsuru said, giving Marcus another small smile. "Also, having gotten to know Labrys somewhat, I'm sure you two will get along just fine."
"Alright, sounds like a plan!" Marcus said confidently, standing up from his chair. "Is there anything else you want to tell me? I have to head out soon for dinner, since I had a light lunch today."
"There is one thing you should know," Mitsuru responded, rising out of her throne to match his height and gaze. "Your first meeting with Labrys is scheduled for tomorrow, 6 a.m. in the training facility here."
Marcus groaned with a look of despair on his face. "You know I'm not a morning person. You're doing this to torture me, aren't you?"
"I'm not torturing you," Mitsuru said sternly, walking around the desk, past Marcus and towards the double ornate doors set on the opposite side of the room. "Consider it training. You never know when you have to be ready at a moment's notice."
"Yes, your majesty," Marcus muttered under his breath as the doors closed behind Mitsuru. Walking towards the doors himself he says absently to thin air, "I hope I get some sleep tonight…"
The sun had begun to set, and the street lights illuminated the path winding through the park. With a fountain set in the middle of the park, the scene would have been described as peaceful, except the atmosphere was slightly different this night; the darkness seemed deeper than usual, and the light seemed unable to penetrate it at all. Also out of the ordinary: the usual sounds of the bugs and running fountain were muted, as though someone had put a blanket across the entire park, smothering all signs of life. At first glance, no one was seen inside the park, but then a figure suddenly stepped out of the shadows near the fountain, facing the tallest building in the city right next to the park. The person was a young man, dressed in some type of school uniform with the jacket tied across his waist and two swords strapped through his belt. He had bright red hair, eyes the color of ice, and a scar in the shape of an x across the center of his face. His gaze went to the top floor of the building he was looking at, and a smile spread across his face.
"So this is their new base of operations. Not much subtlety in this location, if you ask me. There's probably gonna be some collateral damage along the way. Oh well, they all deserve it anyway…"
Suddenly, the young man was cut from his thoughts and he quickly turned his head, his smile vanishing as he looked at the opposite side of the fountain behind him.
"I know you're out there," he called, his eyes narrowing. "You can't hide from me. Show yourself."
For a moment, there was only silence. Then out of the darkness, another figure stepped into the light. This person was wearing a full length black robe, with long sleeves and a hood pulled down to completely hide the face of the wearer. The figure wore black gloves and black boots to complete the look, the only defining feature being the height of the figure, which was equal to the young man on the other side of the fountain. The mysterious new arrival walked slowly around the fountain, darkness seeming to cling and emanate in its wake. Stopping about five feet away from the young man, it turned to face the same building in front of them.
"You know, it's unusual for someone to get that close to me undetected," the young man said, eyeing the robed figure up and down with a calculating gaze. "You're either very skilled, or something else altogether."
The hooded figure said nothing, not seeming to respond to anything the young man had just said.
"Perhaps you don't know who I am?" the young man inquired, a smile coming across his face again. "I'm Sho Minazuki. And who might you be?"
Still, the mysterious figure said and did nothing, continuing to face the tall building before the both of them.
"Not talking, huh?" Sho said, his smile fading and drawing one of his swords to aim at the figure beside him. "Perhaps cutting you up a bit will loosen that tongue of yours."
Finally, the hooded figure turned to face Sho, the gaze beneath the hood seeming to focus on the sword aimed at the place where its heart would be.
"Finally got your attention I see," Sho said coldly, giving the robed figure a look that would instill fear into the hearts of ordinary men. "How about I teach you to show some respect before you die?"
Before Sho could make a move, however, the light in the park dimmed. And in the next instant, a patch of darkness seemed to reach out and grab Sho from behind. A look of surprise flashed across his face, and despite his struggles, he could not break free of the grip that held him in place. The hooded figure remained passive, its focus remaining fixed on the young man.
"Well, I must say I'm impressed," Sho grunted, still straining against the bonds that had frozen him in place. "You're much stronger than I originally thought. You might not even be human. My mistake for letting my guard down."
The mysterious figure began walking towards Sho, and with an idle flick of the left wrist, brought the arm holding the sword down to Sho's waist, pinning it in place through sheer force of will.
"Might I ask what your purpose in being here is?" Sho inquired, his eyes narrowing as the figure stopped one foot away in front of him.
The hooded figure raised its right arm, and summoned a card into its hand; the card appeared to be some kind of tarot card. The figure raised the card to Sho's eye level, showing him the image on the card.
For a moment, Sho simply looked at the card. Then he started laughing, a complete change from the serious look he had worn a moment ago.
"It seems our goals might be similar after all," Sho chuckled, an amused look crossing his face as he looked again at the mysterious person in front of him. "I see no reason to fight, since you're clearly far more powerful than me."
The hooded figure lowered its arm, and the card it carried vanished into thin air.
"I will leave you to your own devices, and not interfere with whatever you plan to do here. It would be foolish to get in the way of one so…focused. Does that sound good to you?" Sho offered.
After a moment of consideration, the mysterious figure nodded, then turned around and walked away from Sho, melting into the darkness from whence it came. As soon as the hooded figure vanished, Sho felt the bonds binding him fade away, and he flexed his arms with a pondering look in his eyes.
"Well, well, well... Seems there's another hunter in our midst," Sho mused, sheathing his sword back into his belt. "These are interesting times ahead of us. I wonder how they will react when it comes to stalk them in the night. Either way, I will get what I have set out to obtain…"
With that final remark, Sho turned and walked in the opposite direction the hooded figure had left, vanishing into the night with a wicked smile on his face.
Everything in the reception room was a deep shade of blue velvet: the floor, the walls, even the furniture. Sitting on a couch set against one side of the room was a man, dressed in a two piece suit, his white-gloved hands folded in front of him as he seemed to be thinking with his eyes closed. Sitting across from him on another couch was a young woman, dressed in a button-up blue dress and blue heels, reading a book in her lap. Both appeared to be focused on their own thoughts, silence filling every part of the room like water in a bowl. Suddenly, the man seemed to perk up, cocking his balding head to one side as though something had caught his interest.
"Hmm…most intriguing…" the man mused, a smile spreading across his face.
"What is it, Igor?" the young woman asked, glancing up from the book she was holding in her lap.
"Something very fascinating indeed, my dear," Igor replied, opening his bulging eyes and turning his head, pointing his very long nose in the direction of the young woman sitting to his left. "Did you notice, Margaret?"
"Yes, I did. It seemed like a…change in the air. A shift in the balance of the outside world," Margaret answered, closing the book and turning her golden eyes to the older man beside her.
"Very good. It was an almost imperceptible change, but one I would expect my assistant to recognize," Igor said, nodding his approval.
"What do you think this change will cause?" Margaret inquired, a thoughtful look crossing her face.
"Hmm…conflict, but also a resolution," Igor declared, closing his eyes again as though lost in thought. "Remnants of the past will return, yet new possibilities will appear as well. This will draw out the best and worst in those involved, and all of this seems to be focused around one individual. This person will visit us soon, and seek guidance in a time of change."
"Hmm, very interesting," Margaret replied, gazing at Igor with an attentive gaze. "I look forward to meeting this guest."
"As do I. You might be surprised to know that one of the people tied to this individual is your sister," Igor responded, opening his eyes and glancing at Margaret with a smile.
"Elizabeth?" Margaret asked, her eye brows rising as she returned his smile. "That is surprising news. It's been a while since I last saw her. I'm even more intrigued to meet this guest now."
"Yes, she will play an important part in the events to come. The choices she will make shall shape the future of, and provide a unique possibility for, this particular guest." Igor leaned forward, gazing at the deck of cards lying on the table in front of him. "Change is a fascinating thing: an unpredictable storm, with results that can be unremarkable or life defining. When change occurs, bonds can be strained to their breaking point, or be reformed in the most unexpected ways. I will be curious to find out what this change will bring about."