CHAPTER ONE

The sun shimmered on her pale white, almost silver hair. It was pulled back into a ponytail and secured with a slim purple ribbon. From the color of her hair, one might think she was very old. But then taking in her smooth, delicate features and small, girlish frame, the observer would see she was actually quite young. On rare occasions, her vivid violet eyes would hold a glimmer, but today they were flat and lifeless. She crossed her slender ankles as she swung softly back and forth on the swing.

It was odd. Contractors were not supposed to have feelings, yet every time Hei looked at her, there was a strange sensation in his chest. He vaguely remembered it from his human days, but couldn't quite place it. Yin stared vacantly at the sky, seeming to forget the world around her.

"Have you been listening to anything I've just said!" Huang shouted angrily. Hei jumped, almost slipping down from the top of the slide he was sitting on.

"Uh... Sorry. What was that?" Hei grimaced and ran a hand through his jet black hair. He turned slightly to face the older man.

"I said, 'We've got a job to do!'" Huang growled. "There's an unregistered Contractor on the loose, and by the looks of this report, she's pretty dangerous."

"I'm sure she'll be brought down easily. Just another crazed Contractor, killing because they like playing God." Hei replied dryly.

He picked at his thumbnail, glancing again at Yin. She had taken Mao and was now stroking him lightly on her lap. The small black cat was purring contentedly, his eyes shut. Anyone who saw this would think nothing of it. That is, until Mao shrugged his shoulders and sighed loudly.

"A little to the left," The feline murmured. "Ah, that's it!"

There was a tiny, almost unrecognizable, smile on the girl's face. Someone who didn't know her wouldn't have noticed, but Hei did.

Even more so than a Contractor, Dolls were not supposed to feel. They were soulless and cold, but the smile on Yin's face said otherwise. Hei smiled as well, although the Doll never looked up to see.

"No, this one's different. This one hasn't killed a single person." Huang replied.

"Then why are we even after it?" Hei asked gruffly, tearing his eyes from Yin and twisting to face the other man.

"She may be just a petty thief, but what she does to those who get in her way..." Huang's voice trailed off, leaving Hei still curious.

"What does she do?" Hei scrunched his brows and squinted at Huang.

"She's the one that's been behind those bank robberies, and I'd put my money on it that she was the one who broke into that jewelry store last week." Huang mumbled as he stuck a cigarette in his mouth and dug through his pocket for a lighter.

"Come on, that doesn't sound dangerous. Get to the point." Hei sighed, getting frustrated.

"Well, everyone who's gotten in her way, they don't end up so good. Muttering crazy talk, jumping at their own shadows. She's even taken in a few, torturing them, or something, for days. She always lets 'em free, though. But in my opinion, those poor bastards are better off dead. They don't even know who they are anymore, they're worse than Dolls when they finally get away from her." He puffed on his cigarette and leaned against the railing of the slide.

"What's her ability?" Hei was intrigued, what could she be doing to her victims?

"No one knows. It's obviously got somethin' to do with the mind, anyone who's seen her is now half crazy, at least. Almost all of 'em end up in the loony bin."

"So I'm guessing that means no one knows what her payment is either." Hei rubbed his chin and squinted his eyes in thought.

"Nope. Her victims always go on about the same things, though. Darkness, dreams, being lost. She goes by a few names; Ghost, The Blue Devil, but the one I hear most is The Whisperer. I don't know what that means, but it can't be good." Huang seemed nervous, his cigarette shaking slightly in his mouth.

"The Whisperer. What are you?" Hei said quietly, a soft breath to himself.

"We start our mission tonight. Be ready." With that, Huang climbed down the slide ladder, straightened his cap, and marched off.

Mao leaped gracefully off Yin's lap and followed the stout man.

"Be careful with this one, Hei." He said as he bounded down the alley. Hei shrugged and stole a last glance at the girl in the purple dress as she wandered dreamily back to the tobacco shop where she lived and worked.

"The Reaper and The Whisperer..."

Yay! My first non-Brawl story! I love Darker than Black and I've had this idea for a while, I'm excited to start this! Let me know what you think! :)