Author's Note: This is just a side project. I've been really hooked onto Darker Than Black ever since I jumped into it early on in season one (Gotta love me some Hei ;D) I haven't seen season 2, but I kinda know what happens. Bleh. Anyway, this story is very Kirihara and Hei centric, just getting it out there. Oh and it's set a month after season 1, so yeeeah. Enjoy!

Darker than Black: Eluding the Shadows

"Smash the final glass to bits, kick out the familiar landscape

And jump clear of the daily grind where the world revolves in reverse" - Hero without a name

Kirihara sat at the table alone. The quiet rattling of plastic chopsticks against ceramic bowls was the only other sound that was made in the last few hours Misaki had been in the family-run restaurant. She sighed softly as she watched the soggy noodles drift around in the now stale soup. It was unlike her to waste food like this, but Kirihara couldn't help but think about the incident a month back.

The incident involving him.

It was already a full month since the explosion at PANDORA, and a full month too long since Misaki had seen Li, or BK-201. She still wasn't too sure if she could accept the fact that the shy, good natured and clueless Li Sheng Shun was really the Black Reaper, BK-201. And to think she was chasing after him all this time.

The owner of the restaurant went over to Kirihara's table and set down a hot cup of tea with a comforting smile. Misaki looked up at him in surprise then she mouthed a small thank you before picking up the cup. She had been coming here since Li went missing, always coming here with a small hope that she might one day catch him slurping through 20 bowls of noodles alone with the chef grinning at him. But he never came back.

Sometimes Misaki wondered if she should just give up, but every time she saw a man with hair like his and in the white button shirt he always wore, Misaki would jump the gun and confront the man. And of course, it was always never him. Kirihara knew that she shouldn't be chasing after him when she doesn't even know where he is.

Ever since PANDORA, the whole of Tokyo was in internal chaos. The existence of Contractors made everybody jittery, but it also made Misaki's job easier, not having to lie about her job. Kirihara was also still working closely with Kanami, her old friend informing her of every other major contractor who'd activated their powers recently. Also, as a favour to Misaki, Kanami had set aside an entire computer unit to watch BK-201's star alone. She wanted to know immediately, she wanted to be the first to find him.

"Hei. Food," Yin said as she pushed the large packet of fried rice right in front of him, but Hei wouldn't touch it.

Hei glanced around furtively, and then he asked softly, "... Where's Mao?"

The light haired doll gazed at him emotionlessly, "..."

Hei sighed and nodded slowly. He picked up the packet of rice and started to eat. As he ate, Hei began to speed up with chewing and eventually forgoes chewing altogether. He hasn't eaten since two days ago. Sometimes when he watched the small television in the apartment he rented with Yin, Hei would unconsciously watch the news particularly for Misaki Kirihara. He knew that after cutting ties with the Syndicate, he was under no obligation to spy on her any longer, but this time, he was doing this on his own accord.

Hei believed that it was the least he could do since he had been lying to her all this time. He knew that the lady officer, as Mao called her, had harboured secret feelings for him. And to a certain extent, he felt attracted to her as well. But Hei still didn't know if it's just the 'Li' in him talking. While it was true that 'Li Sheng Shun' was basically who Hei would've become if he wasn't a contractor and thus the 'Human' him, but still...

Shaking the thoughts from his head, Hei finished up with his food and stood up slowly. Yin would leave soon to tend to her small cigarette stall, similar to her old one, at the nearby street corner. Hei decided to shower and head out. It had been a whole month since he had last used his power and it had also been a whole month since he had cut his hair, shaved and left the apartment. Hei looked into the mirror and had to admit to himself that he looked like a wreck.

There was a soft knock on the bathroom door and Hei turned to open the door, but Yin decided to just speak through the door.

"I found Mao." She said.

Hei felt his eyes widen, "Where?"

Again, emotionlessly, Yin replied, "Mating with a white cat down by the river."

Hei couldn't help but cringe.

Author's Note: An extremely short chapter! This is a prologue of sorts and while I don't plan on working on this very often, I'm not gonna abandon this either! (I have two other major projects ongoing, but I kind of ran out of creative juices to write them right now.) Reviews are welcome and thanks for dropping by!