Takao looked around the room, a little taken back by how clean it was. There wasn't a single speck of dust at all and even the glass coffee table was free of finger marks and ringlets from glasses. There was a few coasters spread over the glass, but even they looked chaotically neat. He sat stiff on the couch, not sure if he could lean back against the soft, cream leather or if that would be deemed inappropriate. He didn't even know what to say. Izanami had just said that after work he needed to come with her, he had no idea that Imayoshi and Kasamatsu were going to tag along either.

Then again, the look on her face when they joined them clearly said that she wasn't expecting them to join her and Takao either. That was how he ended up in Izanami's apartment, sitting stiffly and waiting for someone to say something. Imayoshi was sitting on a wicker arm chair across from him, one leg crossed over the other and relaxing into the chair. Kasamatsu was lingering by the door to the hall and Izanami had disappeared into the kitchen to make some tea.

Izanami had called in the dead man, but she hadn't said anything to Takao. In fact, the only thing she said to Takao was that she needed to explain somethings, but after that had remained tight lipped. When they returned to the department, barely three blocks down the street, Izanami was immediately on the phone, talking to someone rather quickly and ferociously. Next thing Takao knew the Superintendent-General herself was standing in their office, glaring at Izanami.

...

"Is there any particular reason why you decided to cut his throat in the middle of the day well within the public view?" Aida Riko demanded, her arms crossed over her chest and her glare evident. Izanami grunted, rolling her head to crack her neck before crossing her legs onto her chair again.

"Because I wanted to scar the good little kiddies lurking in the dark."

"Izanami," Aida growled. Izanami seemed unaffected by the icy glower and she just clicked her tongue, sniffed once and then let her hands rest behind her head.

"There were two Depraved, one got away and I got him. Then there was a third, I couldn't pick what he was but he sure as hell wasn't any threat to them."

"And you thought, with your Blood Status, that it was all right to meddle in their affairs, not taking into consideration you are an officer?"

"As an officer it is my duty to protect the citizen's of Japan."

"This is different."

"But he was a citizen of Japan. I don't know why you're busting my balls Riko, you got a Depraved out there running around and you're in here smacking my ass!" The look on Aida's face should have been more than enough to break even the strongest man. Izanami seemed unaffected, if anything the sneer seemed to have the adverse affect as she looked like she was genuinely losing interest in the conversation. Aida didn't say anything else, she just spun on her heels and stormed out, the click clak of her heels echoing down the hall.

...

Takao jumped when a tea cup was placed in front of him, nodding in thanks to Izanami who wasn't even paying any attention to him. Kazamatsu had moved from his place in the doorway to the couch and he fell onto it beside Takao, stretching his legs out before nestling comfortably against the cushions. Takao remained in the stiff position he was.

"You got a stick up your ass or something?" Izanami questioned as she collapsed into an arm chair, sighing happily. It was a lot bigger than she was and for a moment it looked like she was about to be swallowed by an overgrown marshmallow. Takao reached forward, trying to force himself to relax but he felt uncomfortable, which was unusual for him. He tried to pick up the tea cup, but his hands were shaking and he felt a little ill. "Wait, was that the first dead person you ever saw?"

"Mm-hmm," Takao nodded, his hand still shaking as he pulled the tea cup up. Kasamatsu reached out, gently touching the rim of the cup and pushing it back down lightly. Takao let him, his eyes glazing over as he thought back to earlier, when he first stumbled across Izanami. She was just kneeling beside the body, like it was something every day, and she looked so casual standing and walking over to Takao. He'd almost vomited but she didn't notice, or care, and had just told him to wait there and not let anyone into the alley while she made a phone call.

Takao screwed his eyes shut, taking a deep breath before opening them again. He knew, he knew, when he trained to become a police officer that he was going to have to face death at some point. He just didn't realise it would be so soon. Kasamatsu's hand was placed firmly on his shoulder and his senior officer gave his shoulder a squeeze.

"There are a few things that must be explained to you Takao, although we were all hoping that you would go through the year without being brought into this," Imayoshi cleared his throat, crossing his arms over his chest. Despite the fact he sounded solemn, he still had a light smile on his lips because he couldn't deny that part of him wanted Takao to discover the truth. The man would be a great addition to their team permanently, despite his energetic personality.

"You know, if you're going to say that Shoichi, you shouldn't say it with a grin," Izanami snapped but she turned her attention to Takao. The latter was still shaking slightly and she wasn't sure if the information she was about to give him was going to calm him down or not. "The man in the alley today was not Human, he was, eh I don't really know what they are exactly, but they're referred to as Akuma's."

"I'm sorry, you lost me at not human," Takao choked out, looking to Kasamatsu for clarification. This had to be a joke, some kind of sick hazing session they had been waiting to conduct. He wanted to stand up and shout that it wasn't funny, that this was too cruel and there had been a dead body that Izanami was just casually kneeling next to!

"I - I don't know how to make it much more clearer than that Kazu-Chan," Izanami clicked her tongue as she rubbed the back of her head. She was frowning at Takao like he was an idiot and he wanted to throw the cup of tea she had made at her face. He wasn't the insane one, he was the only sane one in the damn room!

"If this is some sort of hazing it's not funny!" Takao shouted, standing abruptly. Kasamatsu stood as well, about to yell when Imayoshi slowly rose to his feet. His arms were crossed over his chest and his lips were pressed in a thin, serious line. He slowly reached up to his glasses, taking them off and cleaning them with a handkerchief, glancing to Izanami out the corner of his eye.

"I think you need to show him, the thing."

"The thing?"

"The thing," Imayoshi nodded and Izanami pouted a little. She stood up in a jerky motion and gripped the bottom of her shirt, wrenching it over her head in a fluid motion. Takao's breath caught in his throat as he took in her bare abdomen and arms. There were white, swirling tattooes all over her body and stretching over her chest. He stepped back, eyes widening when her eyes closed, her fingers tightening into hard fists.

Slowly the marking over her body grew whiter, more defined until it reached a point of where she was glowing. Takao felt the breath in his throat catch and his mouth opened and closed repeatedly as she opened her eyes. The moss green iris' he had grown used to over the past six months were no more, in their place the same bright, glowing white that was now all over her body. Izanami let out a sigh, unclenching her fists and the light was gone, she returned completely normal and looked to Takao.

"Should probably mention I'm not entirely Human either," she shrugged as she started to pull her shirt back over her head. Takao pointed to her, his mouth still opening and closing before his vision became clouded. His eyes rolled into the back of his head as his body grew weak, his knees giving way as he crashed to the ground.

...

Kagami Taiga paced the floor of the common area, tugging on the tufts of his red hair in worry. He had woken after hearing Kuroko calling for him, but when he went to check on him in his room, he found the bed empty. Their Leader had refused to let Kagami leave their home, sending another out in his place.

Kagami bunched his fingers into tight fists as he let out a hiss. He should be the one out there finding Kuroko to bring home, not that stupid dick head. Kuroko was his, would always be his, so he should be the one protecting him.

"Kagamichii, you're making me worried," Kise Ryouta complained from where he was lounging on a dark red couch. His blonde hair was slightly ruffled from sleep and his gaze around the common room was lazy, hints of sleep still lingering in the golden irises. Kagami growled, turning to face the Underling with a fury. Kise hadn't been part of their family for long, in fact he had been lonesome for quite some time before Kuroko had stumbled across him. Not that anyone really invited him into their family, Kise just sort of hung around.

"Go find something to do Underling, you're pissing me off," Kagami snarled, his arms crossing over his chest. He knew his anger at Kise was misplaced but he was having trouble thinking straight. Kuroko never left home and when he did he always told them where he was going. This was him effectively sneaking out and the many possibilities of what may happen was overwhelming to Kagami. What if Kuroko was meeting someone else? Or worse, what if he ran into a Hunter?

"Wah, so mean," Kise sulked, rolling over so his face was against the cushions of the couch. Kagami shook his head and returned to pacing, his mind working a million miles an hour. By habit his fingers reached up to the necklace he always wore, finding the cold metal of the ring comforting. He closed his eyes, thinking back to his last family. Himuro Tatsuya, his sworn brother, and Alexandra Garcia, the woman who trained both of them. If he were back with them, Alex would have let him go out and find Kuroko himself. None of this heirarchy bull shit, she would have let him go because he needed to go.

"Kagami-Kun." Kagami spun around upon hearing a monotonious voice. Kuroko was standing by the door, a little red in the cheeks and panting from running, his legs shaking and his hand on the frame of the door to help keep him steady. Kagami rushed forward, wrapping his arms around Kuroko and gently lifting him off the floor, kissing the side of his head.

"Damn it Kuroko, you should have known better. Where the hell have you been? What happened? Why are you shaking so much?"

"Kagami-Kun," Kuroko repeated, but this was more a whimper. His fingers latched onto Kagami's shirt as Kuroko buried his face into the crook of Kagami's neck. He breathed in, his body still shaking from what had happened that day. The Depraved, and the Hunter. Kagami started whispering comfortingly into Kuroko's ear as he carried him from the common room up to Kuroko's room. Kuroko normally would have objected, that being treated like an Underling was embarassing and he shouldn't be doing so to someone like Kuroko, but he didn't object. If Kagami put him back on the ground his legs would give way from how tired he was.

Kagami nudged the door open lightly with his foot, stepping into the dark room. He managed to avoid some of the shoes on the floor, gently laying Kuroko onto the bed before walking back to the door. Kuroko rolled to the middle of the bed, feeling his heart still racing but noted the adrenaline was finally leaving his system. He watched Kagami, who had closed the door, as he walked back, his usually bright ruby eyes darkened by fear and irritation. Kuroko propped himself up on his elbows, his eyes not leaving Kagami as the latter crawled across the mattress, catching Kuroko's wrists in his hands and holding them above his head.

Kuroko fell against the mattress as Kagami swung his leg over his lap, crouching over the smaller man. Normally Kuroko would have taken this as an invition from Kagami (he was generally straight forward) but there was something in Kagami's eyes that told Kuroko he was not in the mood for playing.

"Kuroko, what happened?" Kagami repeated, his voice harder than before. His eyebrows pulled together as he looked down to Kuroko, waiting for an answer. Kuroko closed his eyes for a moment, taking a deep breath. Kagami was going to be very worried and he didn't exactly want to tell him what happened.

"I heard something and chose to investigate. During that, I was ambushed by two Depraved."

"What?" Kagami hissed, his teeth clenching as his eyes narrowed. A Depraved was a very dangerous part of their species, Akuma's that had fallen into madness and carried no care for decent thought nor behaviour. They were driven by bloodlust, Human, Akuma or otherwise. Kagami bent his forehead against Kuroko's chest and the latter noted that he was taking deeper breaths than before. "What happened to them? How did you get away?"

"They drove me into an alley, where upon they were caught by surprise. One was killed but the other fled," Kuroko replied, wincing as he knew exactly what Kagami was going to ask. He could not lie to him, Kuroko knew that already, and how he would recieve the news Kuroko did not know. Kuroko didn't even understand the situation completely himself.

"You killed one of them?" Kagami asked as he looked back up to Kuroko. The latter hesitated, considered lying, but let out a sigh.

"No."

"What happened?"

"It is not of importance."

"Kuroko, what happened?"

"Can we talk about another subject?"

"Tetsuya," Kagami pleaded, his head dropped back onto Kuroko's chest. Kuroko sighed, closing his eyes for a moment as he swallowed. He was uncomfortable telling Kagami what had happened because it was like a dream to him.

"A Hunter."

"What!?" Kagami roared, releasing Kuroko's hands as he reared back, kneeling and his hands balling into fists. Kuroko saw a fury blazing a dark red in Kagami's eyes and he sat himself up, gently running his hand on Kagami's jaw. He felt Kagami clench his teeth as he reached out to Kuroko, gripping his arms so tight he knew it was going to leave a bruise. "Was there a fight? Did you get hurt? How did you get away?"

"There was no fight, and if there were I would not be here."

"So what, it's not like they just let you go."

"That is exactly what happened Kagami-Kun," Kuroko blinked back. Kagami stared at Kuroko for a few minutes, his mouth gaping open. Kuroko wasn't surprised, he had the same reaction even after he had fled from the alley, the Hunter purposefully turning her back on him to let him leave. Her attention had been captured by the Depraved and she didn't really seem to care all too much about Kuroko himself.

"Th-they just let you go?" Kagami questioned before his eyes flashed to the door. "How do you know you weren't followed? Kuroko, you cannot trust them to..."

"She killed the Depraved that almost killed me, and then told me to return home before the other returned. For some reason, she had no interest in killing me," Kuroko said. Kagami bit his lower lip, shaking his head as his grip on Kuroko's arms loosened. He rolled over onto his back, collapsing on the mattress and staring up at the roof, unsure of what to make of the situation. Hunters, especially in his experience, killed any Akuma they came across, even if they posed no threat at all like Kuroko.

"Wait, did you say she?"

"I was very surprised myself. They are very rare, are they not?"

"And very strong. Damn it Kuroko, are you sure..."

"She did not follow me, nor did anyone else. I have been wandering around Tokyo all day," Kuroko yawned, settling himself against Kagami's side. He grabbed Kagami's arm and wrapped it around him, resting his head on his chest. Kagami hugged Kuroko close, gently kissing the top of his head and gently rubbing his back.

The last female Hunter that Kagami had run into nearly took his left leg off with her shot gun. In a way he was grateful, because then he wouldn't have needed to find a Healer that day, and he wouldn't have found the Tenshi Tribe, he wouldn't have found Kuroko. Kagami wondered what would have happened to him if he had listened to Himuro that day. He would have stayed with Alex instead of exploring Tokyo, wouldn't have almost been crippled and wouldn't have met Kuroko. He would still be with them, Alex and Himuro, still feeling lonely despite his family.

"Kuroko, this Hunter, what did she look like?" Kagami gulped. He wanted to know, needed to know, if it was the same as the one who had attacked him. Kuroko nuzzled his face against Kagami's chest.

"Ano, she wasn't very old. I think, she might have been in her mid twenties. Her hair was brown and she was about my height. Oh, and her eyes were green. That is all I remember." Kagami let out a sigh. He should have known it wouldn't have been her. Part of him wished that it had been, so Kagami would have a lead on where to find her. Kagami huffed, pulling Kuroko as close as he could manage without breaking the smaller man, kissing his the top of his head. The thought of losing Kuroko terrified him in ways he didn't know existed.