A peaceful night at a town not far from the Gate... on a stone path covered with ancient trees, sound of leafs wavered as the wind gently brushed against them. A black cat was lazily swaying his tail on one of the trees, almost falling asleep. His half-closed eyes followed a small leaf which landed on his nose. Distracted, he got up to shake it off, stretched his back and jumped on the pathway. Ringing the tiny bell on his neck, he slowly walked towards a stairway leading to an old Japanese temple. Jumping up a few stairs, he stopped, turned his head back and listened for a remote sound. His green eyes gazed at the end of the alley. Momentarily his eyes widened. Turning back he jumped his way up until the end of the stairs.

Meanwhile, unseen in the shadows, a black figure was standing with his back on the temple wall, arms folded, gazing at the garden as he waited for something... He was dressed completely in black, with a long coat and leather gloves. Looking at his outfit he looked like some sort of secret agent or mob, the type you wouldn't want to cross paths with. His overall physical features were well fit for that kind of dangerous work, young in his twenties, tall, with an athletic build. His black outfit was complemented with straight black hair and dark eyes which now held a gaze that's not usually expected from a cold blooded night person. His face was tilted slightly up as he gazed at the stars behind the passing clouds, eyelids half closed as if remembering a sad event that may have taken place on a similar night, when the wind brushed his hair gently and the scent of the fresh soil could be felt. Just by looking at his face he seemed like a kind, innocent person meditating deeply in solitude.

Suddenly he was distracted by a faint ringing sound and small running footsteps approaching towards him. He broke his gaze from the sky and looked towards the stairs. A black cat appeared jumping up and run towards him. He stopped a few feet away, looked up and unbelievingly, with a human voice, spoke.

"Hei!.. he is coming!"

As if the fact that a cat is able to utter words is a common occurance, without any reaction other than taking a step from the wall he was leaning on, he replied.

"Ok.."

However, in an instant his expression and posture were completely changed to a deadly serious one. His eyes held an emotionless, cold gaze and you could feel from his stance that he would take you down anytime if you threatened him, and he wouldn't have a bit of mercy on you.

Hei took a few steps and stood by the side of the temple to avoid being seen, his back on the wall. He took out a white mask from his coat and put it on his face. The mask had a small figure of a lightning piercing the right eye and a straight red line for a mouth. It gave off a odd, creepy feeling.

A few minutes passed as hurried footsteps of a man climbing the stairs grew closer. A man seemingly in his mid-thirties, formally dressed in suits appeared. He was breathing heavily out of exhaustion and worriedly looked around as he walked towards the shrine. Hei calmly took a few steps forward to face the man, who was startled by seeing him get out of the shadows. Calmly, Hei spoke.

"Is the harvest ready yet?"

With a scared look on his face, the man replied.

"The.. the harvest is ready for the reaper to saw..."

"The item..." said Hei.

He gulped and took out a black box that seemed to be a container for something. He

took a step towards Hei to give it to him, when suddenly gunsots were heard. One of the shots scratched the arm of the man. Crying in pain he dropped the box on the ground. Hei, tumbling with a quick reflex, took cover inside the shrine. The frightened man lay down on the ground. He waited a few seconds after the shots stopped and then escaped towards the stairs, soon lost out of sight.

Standing on his knee Hei took out a large hunting knife from his side and scanned the area covered with trees where the shots were fired. It was too dark to see. He listened attentively for any movement. Suddenly out of nowhere the black cat run into the bushes creating a momentary distraction. Hei took the opportunity to rush out, took the box from the ground and run down the stairs as shots were fired after him without reaching the target. When he reached the bottom of the stairs he pulled out a metal wire connected to his belt and threw it towards the trees, catching one of the branches of a big tree. He pressed the mechanism on his belt and immediately was pulled up onto the tree, skillfully landing on a branch. Hiding in the dark he whispered to the communicator placed in his ear.

"Huang... i wasn't told there would be others targeting the item..."

It seems like a competitor is trying to get their hands on it..." replied a harsh voice.

"Yin... can you see the position of them? How many are there?"

A few miles away, in a dark narrow street a pale girl in a gothic dress stood on a water pool. Staring on the ground, she replied mechanically.

"There are two.. one is hiding behind the tree on the right side of the stairs.. the other is coming down the stairs toward you..."

The steps came closer as a man approached cautiously toward the trees, his gun in his hand. Hei watched the man from up the tree, while backing the tree to cover himself from possible shots. As expected, he held his gun up and fired a few shots towards the trees, one of them scratching the tree stem instead of Hei's face as he slightly pulled himself back. The man listened attentively trying to hear any movement, but other than the rustling of the trees everything else were silent. He took a few steps closer. He looked up but he couldn't see Hei hiding in the dark behind the branches. Looking at his right, he took a step forward to check other places, however he suddenly felt a cold wire curling around and grasping his neck. He clinged onto it desperately in fear to remove it, but instead gave out a dreadful scream as a high voltage shock was released through the wire. His body shaked uncontrollably and a few seconds later he dropped motionless on the grass. Hei pulled the wire back immediately and looked to the direction of the other assailant, who was still taking cover at the foot of the stairs.

Slow steps were heard approaching as a dark figure appeared far at the end of the alley. Hei stood still, waiting for the passer to appear. A minute passed as he saw a young girl approach with her hands in her pockets. She looked about twenty years old, dressed casually in jeans, boots and a coat that enveloped her slim figure. Her long straight black hair was let down freely. As she walked she was gazing at the scenery of the ally and the shrine in front of her, while humming a melody with a soft whisper.

A student, perhaps... thought Hei. Better pass quickly without getting in the way...

Contrary to his wish, she stopped just in front of the tree Hei hid himself. She took out her ipod from her pocket.

"Come on, now!.. Don't die on me... that's my favorite song!" she said whining.

She shaked the device a few times and pressed some buttons desperately.

"Hopeless... " the girl finally gave up and put the device in her pocket. Just as she took a step to go, she noticed the body lying under the tree a few feet away from her. She was startled for a moment but quickly walked to him and knelt down, saying:

"Mister!.. Are you alright?.. mister..."

She poked the man, getting no response she touched his wrist to check his pulse. She quickly pulled her hand back.

"That's hot?!.." she said with surprise, but then again placed her hand on the man's wrist to feel his pulse. Her eyes widened as she felt none.

"No way..."

Meanwhile the other man silently stepped out of his hiding place and walked towards her. Hei looked at the approaching man, ready to move, as the girl hurriedly placed her hands on the dead man's chest to resuscitate him. However just as she was about to start massaging his heart, she paused.

"What's this..." she whispered, looking closer to his throat. "Burn marks?.." Puzzled, she pulled back. Then she heard approaching footsteps and turned to face the man, who wore black expensive suits. She narrowed her eyes, suspicious of the man.

"Are you and your friend alright, young madame? Were you attacked?!.." asked the man with a worried tone, looking around at the same time.

"No... i just found this person lying on the ground, his heart's not beating, he needs an ambulance immediately..." she said looking at the man.

"What?!.. that's terrible!.. but in these kind of situations we should try first aid before anything.. i don't know how but I can help if you tell me what to do..." he said in a concerned manner.

"Sure..." hesitated the girl.

Better not tell him i noticed the burn marks... he looks suspicious, he might be testing me... she thought.

Trying to use her as a shield... Hei watched them as he waited for the moment to act.

"Ok, sit by him and when you give two full breaths to him i will apply pressure to his chest, and then again..." she instructed him.

The man took a step forward as he secretly took out a gun from his back. Hei saw his intention but the frail tree branch slightly cracked with his weight giving out his location. Hearing it, both the man and the girl looked up, while in a flash a knife was thrown at the man which he avoided by falling back to the girl's side. Finding the opportunity the man grabbed her by the neck and fired a few shots toward the tree brach. However Hei had already flipped backwards, gracefully landing on his knees on the grass. The man aimed for another shot at him but instantly his gun was knocked off with another knife. Hei instantly he rushed forward, grabbed the man's arm folding it backwards while the released girl fell on her knees. Hei pushed the man down on the ground, almost breaking his arm in his grasp. In a demanding voice, he asked.

"Who do you work for?!.. tell me.." twisting his arm further.

"Aaaaarg....." The man screamed with pain, while the girl was frozen watching the scene happening in front of her. He cried:

"Ok, ok.. stop i will tell... I'm just hired to get the item.. we cut a deal on the phone... i don't know who he is..."

"Where were you instructred to take the item?.. where is he?.."

"I don't know.. he would call to tell the place after we got the item... please let me go now, i don't know anything else... aaaarrrggg... i swear..."

Suddenly the container Hei just left on the ground started to make a beeping sound. Hei lifted his head to look at it. Surprisingly the girl spoke.

"That case... it's our company's protection system for our samples...if you don't enter a code in the case in 90 seconds it self destructs to protect theft... i mean, it explodes!.."

Surprised, Hei asked.

"What?.. do you know how to disarm it?..."

"The code is known only by the client who ordered the item.. i may try to disarm it but very low chance to succeed... we better run quickly, i don't know how strong the explosion might be..."

"Try to disarm it if you can...quickly..." demanded Hei.

Foooool.. why did you say you could disarm it, you giant foool... she swore at herself secretly, since now she had no choice but to try. She quickly knelt down by the container and opened it, entered a few codes onto the buttons inside.

Still holding the man in his grasp Hei watched her while she was busy with disarming. Taking advantage of the distraction the man freed his arm from Hei's grasp and threw him off, running for his gun. However as he reached for it he fell down motionless on the ground, struck on his back with the knife Hei threw. Making sure he was dead, he turned back to the girl staring in horror.

"Go on... quickly..." he said as he walked towards her.

She tried a few more codes, but the beeping sound seemed to get faster and faster. Hei stood by her.

"It's no good, i can't disarm it...we should run.." she said desperately, looking at him.

Hei bent down as and took the container, then threw it as far as he could on the pathway. Then grabbing her arm he quickly pulled her behind the nearest tree and held her firmly to shelter from the explosion, which came a few seconds later... or it should have been an explosion, but instead it sounded more like a puffing sound coming from inside the container. Both of them peeked at the box lying far on the ground, with smoke coming out of it.

Momentarily frozen with astonishment, the girl sighed with relief.

"That was an explosion?!... I was completely fooled by that jerk at the security department... but still it seems so weak.. I wonder if it even destroyed the contents..." she mused.

Hei released her from his grasp as she remembered the danger of the man behind her. With a shy look, she turned around to face him.

An innocent type, and so young... she really works for that company?... doesn't look like the type... thought Hei for a moment.

"Do you work for the company that produced this item?.." he asked quietly.

"Y..yes. I work at the laboratory, as an assistant researcher..."

"Did you know there would be a transaction tonight?"

"No... They don't tell us anything about those stuff... we just prepare what's asked of us in the lab... but indeed there was a really urgent compound that was to be completed for today... that's why i was so late tonight... she sighed... but i don't know if this is the same one here..."

Hei looked at her silently for a few seconds. Trying to break the silence, she spoke.

"Are.. were you supposed to take the compound to the purchaser?.." she asked hesitatingly.

"Yes... if those two didn't interrupt."

Saying that, Hei turned and walked towards the container still intact lying on the floor. The girl followed after a moment of hesitation. Hei knelt down to look inside the container, however the contents were already distroyed.

Hei stood up and turned to her.

"Your name is..."

Surprised, the girl replied.

"Yuki..."

"I'll let you go since you work for the client. But don't ever talk to anybody about what happened tonight, understood?.." said Hei almost in a whisper, meanwhile implying she would certainly get into trouble if she did.

Message taken, Yuki replied.

"Ok... i won't tell anyone..."

"Good.. now go, before anyone see you..."

"Ok... then... I'm going..."

She turned around and walked away, but then stopped and turned back.

"Ah.. by the way, thank you for sheltering me from that explosion..." she said smilingly, and then she turned and run away, disappearing after a corner.

Hei watched her as she was gone.

"Is it allright to let her go, Hei?.." asked the cat, now standing beside Hei.

"She's part of the client, they can handle it themselves... besides she may be necessary to complete the mission... if she makes any stupid moves, then..."

"Then... it would be nice to pay a second visit to such a beauty like her, isn't it?..." teased the cat. "Say, Hei, how long has it been since you last dated such a pretty girl in the middle of the night?.. he he he..."

"Don't say stupid things... talk to Huang, about the mission..." he said, walking away.

"Hmpf...with that attitude you'll never get the girl anyway..." said the cat, following after him.

Meanwhile Yuki slowed down as she approached her home. Her heart was beating fast from running and she was still astonished with the events she witnessed.

Pff.. that was a really close call. He looked like... no really was a very dangerous guy.. I think he shocked that man, then he killed the other with the knife.. and he did it so swiftly... He could kill me too if he wanted... or at least he could knock me unconscious in that moment he held me... thought Yuki, suddenly blushing with the thought of him holding her tight in his arms.

Am i getting confused because he protected me?.. he must've done it to get information from me about the company... what else would he be willing to let me go.. he certainly was a contractor, but still he felt different somehow... he didn't get my memories erased either... it seems like a risk to let me go... a contractor with compasison?.. feels odd...

She entered her apartment and almost threw herself to the shower.

Aahhh!.. i don't understand anymore!.. i'm just glad he let me go... underneath that creepy mask what kind of person is he, I wonder... his voice felt kind... tonight was he just following a logical course of action... or can there be a kind person deep inside... if that's really possible for a contractor of course... thought Yuki as she finally threw herself on her bed and slowly fell asleep wondering about the events of the night and if she'd ever get to see him again...