Report 2

Starla made her way carefully back the way she came, casting her flashlight this way and that. Why had she not waited until sunrise? Her heart was jackhammering at her ribcage. She could swear she heard a twig snap. She adjusted the grip on her light, if anything popped out at her, well…

The casing of this light had been dipped in iron cured in holy water and rubbed with a fresh coat of salt. It wasn't light either. If it didn't kill, it sure as hell would hurt. She pulled her gun, sixth sense kicking in. She was being watched, possibly followed. Some poor demon bastard probably thought she looked like a decent snack.

Her eyes scanned the area as she entered the small clearing along the trail. She stopped. Were those footsteps? Was that just the wind whistling by? Or was it something hoping to lure her off the trail? That branch moved. No wings, no wind, and no rodent would be that heavy. She fired a shot, satisfied to hear the rustling of branches fading as whatever it was decided to find something else to chase.

She continued on until she finally spotted the hotel's lights. The bright lobby would be a welcome sight, after about a hundred and fifty foot walk without cover. Once inside without incident, she made her way to the elevator and pressed the button to her floor, sighing with relief as the doors closed. At her door, she paused, key in hand. Her gut told something was wrong. Of course something's wrong! How many demons have rooms on this floor alone? Just to be safe, she entered gun first. She scanned the room, stalking quietly, listening for any noise as she moved to the table side lamp, clicking it on.

"You're certainly cautious, and a nice shot. Even in the dark."

She whipped around, leveling her gun at the voice. Touya was crouched low in the corner by the window, his finger ghosting over a small red mark on his cheek. He stood and walked toward her, gently pushing the gun aside, a smile gracing his lips.

Her brow wrinkled, "it was you following me? How did you get into my room?" Her eyes flitted from his face to the corner then the door.

He shrugged. "Scaled the wall." He nearly laughed at her stunned face. She was staring at him in disbelief. "B-but...this is the eighth floor!" He settled onto the couch as he answered, "Child's play." She fumbled for words. "Th-the window! I-it was locked! I secured the room before I left!"

At this, Touya did let out a short burst of delight. "Cute!"

Her face tinged red, embarrassment and rage. Her patience quickly thinned at his mocking tone. She looked to the window again. "Why were you following me?" Hadn't he left before her?

The Ice Master held his hands up defensively. "Simply investigating. I never accept a contract without knowledge of the client. I presume you did something similar before selecting me." She wanted to be angry, but he was right, so instead she walked over to the in-room brewer and filled it with water to boil.

"Have you reached a decision?" Her tone was professional.

"First, tell me what you do, again? Details please, because what I heard sounds like you work for 'Winchester's Inc.'; is that close?"

She pulled two cups. Was that a Supernatural reference? How best to explain it to him? She breathed deep, hoping she wouldn't get herself killed. Negotiations were easy, explanations could be difficult.

"Not quite. Though exorcisms and other such situations are too often necessary, we're more like...MIB demon division. We understand that humans are a food source, but we also believe with the right procedures, demons and humans could coexist. We help to prevent humans from being eradicated by over eager demons who would consume us without thought to the effect it would have on the rest of the world. We draw a line between demon and monster." She set the serving tray on the table and sat across from him.

He carefully lifted his cup, sniffing the air for traces of poisons before taking a small sip. "The difference being...?"

She smiled, he actually seemed interested. "The difference is the number of bodies dropped or disappearing. If we see that too many humans are dying in an area where demon activity is suspected, we send an agent to meet with them. We negotiate terms, even help less aggressive yokai to obtain nutrition. And for those that live within society, we even help to maintain human identities. We also provide health and child care."

"For all this, what is it you ask in return." Skepticism, damn! "That's circumstantial. Each demon is different. Usually we only ask that they not kill more than they need to survive. The occasional tip off is helpful, though."

Humans that care about the wellbeing of demons? That actually didn't sound too bad. "Alright. You work for an organization, but I see you're rooming alone. Shouldn't you at least have a partner? Especially considering the location."

Her face dropped, sadness washed over her features. "I used to, but now I prefer to work alone. Normally, it's not a problem, but I'm in over my head. That's why I came to you." Touya sat silently. Watching her face as she dealt with the recollection of trauma. He would ask about it later. There was business to deal with. "So, what would be expected of me?"

She refilled the empty cups, determining how much to say. "My target is a shapeshifter, likes to gamble, and his victims..." she pulled out the dossier, reading it again, "took high risk, without reward. His allotment was 60 victims per month. He's at 83, with an additional 65 unconfirmed matching his MO. The orders are nullify or exorcise." Touya whistled. "Sounds like a severe breach of contract. So you want me to do the dirty work?"

"No, I need a bodyguard", she replied. "Someone to watch my back to make sure I don't get overwhelmed or murdered before I can get to him. The presence of somebody with a level head should be able to help me focus."Touya narrowed his eyes cocking his head. "I am a well known ruthless killer, and you simply want a bodyguard. Tell me why I shouldn't kill you, instead."

She stopped breathing. The air had turned cold. "I promised to help you didn't I? You keep me alive, and the organization could lose some data on you, there may be a considerable amount of money involved. Maybe a way to bail some of your clanmates out of trouble. I mean, you do seem reasonable. And I'm certain most of your victims were "work related", correct. I heard you speak of the light. You're tired of being hired to live in shadow. We could help. Imagine, no more having to assassinate to survive. No more running and hiding. No more false names just to enter a tournament. You could be their messiah."

Touya met her eyes, peering into her soul, listening for a lie. She spoke like a crossroads demon; knew just what to say to keep the ear listening, but this one was human. He thought about it. If the deal went south, he could kill her and he was used to disappearing. Saving his family did sound like a good bargain for a little bodyguard job. "I'll need to gather some more information…."

She smiled as he left.