So, it took me a while, nearly a year, but hey, I finally got an update! Yeah, except things to be slow. When it comes to fics, I usually have little energy to do them. Plus I have been losing motivation from things I will not mention, but I will try my best whenever my muse smacks me with a yellow pages.

Disclaimer: I do not own either Darker Than Black or Elfen Lied.

Chapter 4

Hei had left, leaving her alone. This was her chance, she thought. If nothing else, she could just use him for the time being. No blood meant no trail, and hopefully it would stay that way, previous night aside; he was just going to kill that other man anyway. He might find her again, but all she had to do was lay low. Though thinking on that, fatigue settled in. She brought a hand to her face, sighing with frustration. The price, already?

Ignoring Mao and finishing her meal, she snuck back into the room. Might as well be hers while Hei was gone. A simple tired sigh later, she fell forward, wanting to embrace the darkness as quickly as possible, the only comfort she had in this world.

And the quickest to reject her as well. She awoke once more, staring at the clock. A few hours at best moved. Even for something so simple as toying with the animal. Then again, she had been reborn from a melted, disfigured body. Maybe it just needed more time to fully heal properly. What happened before, that too needed to be avoided. She put her hands on her arms, just as a precaution. She could remain stable here, right? She healed from that stab wound after all, mostly. Only now was she actually thinking of the possible ways everything could backfire.

She heard a sound, head rising the moment the door creaked. A blur passed through the rugs, and soon enough, the familiar animal came to her, hopping onto the bed. Her brow rose. What did he want? And why was she taking this seriously?

"Awake again I see," he spoke, rather calmly and casually for someone who was worried about her as a threat. Sounded like an older man come to think of it, maybe double the age of Hei. "Just checkin' in on ya. I know it can't be easy dealing with Hei-"

"He's annoying."

"That too." Mao chuckled. "Least you didn't see him in his drinking phase. Not a pretty sight."

She recalled seeing people drink, both at Kouta's house and as a child. Drunks were never pleasant, and him drunk...the images in her head were things she wanted gone immediately. Not amused, she stood back up. Staring at Mao, she watched him crawl from the covers, and then turn away.

"He has clothes in the drawer. You can just use those for now."

Not the first time she had to rely on another set of clothes. She followed his advice at least, but only for one purpose: to leave. This place already made her feel uncomfortable, the cold not helping either. She took out the clothes, tossing them on the floor when certain clothes were not appealing. Eventually, she settled for a white shirt and some sweatpants. His sizes were a tad bit too much for her, but nothing that could not be fixed. She had only given a single glance at the mess she made. Well, his problem, not hers.

And only did she reach for a purple and black jacket did Mao speak up.

"Hey! What do you think you're doing?" he spoke with much panic. "Listen, it's not exactly safe. You are better off here, trust me. Plus, you'd kinda stand out."

She listened, but said nothing, instead getting a cap and bundling her hair. At least that way, no one could see her horns. Again, she heard Mao.

"There isn't extra set of keys."

"Who said I was using the door?" she countered, walking out the door. Into the living room, she opened the window, already stepping out of it. She growled when she felt that animal jump into her. "Leave me alone."

"You wanna get lost in this city? If I just let our guest get lost in the city, I would be a horrible host."

Her brow rose. He wasn't stopping her now. "Why the sudden change?"

She couldn't make it out, but it did seem like he was...pinching his nose? The bridge of it maybe. There was even a tired sigh. "Listen, we may not know the whole story about ya, but we can kinda sympathize. Hei lost a lot of people in his life, more than anyone should. Trust me, this world ain't exactly filled with the happiest of fellas."

All she could do was glare. Sympathy? Just because they helped her, it meant nothing, not now at least. The mere thought that Hei of all people could relate to her, living so happily in this comfortable apartment, and killing others in a mask, didn't make her see the real meaning in Mao's words. "I don't need either of your sympathy."

And after closing the window, using her vectors, it was all she needed before jumping onto a nearby rooftop. Buildings were high enough for some exploration, away from the humans. Just because she wanted to explore, it didn't mean socializing. She wasn't so foolish as to allow herself to get caught. There was only one thing to worry about, aside from the creature resting in her pocket: time. Aside from that man returning, the sleep factor. Just a few minutes, she thought. More than enough to explore everything she could.

Not that there was much.

Everything seemed relatively normal. A world of Contractors, and no chaos? She expected much worse from this place. Everyone was simply either smiling or walking without any cares, some rushing to jobs, while others laughed with friends, gorging on fattening foods. The exact same thing. Some difference. She sighed. Of course, what else did she expect? She might as well have been the only one unique in the world again, until they finally came out again. Would they attack her as well, or the masked man? Was Hei just putting a front, a trap for her? As much as she wanted to doubt, she kept thinking more logically, emotions fading every now and then. A strange new way to think, but it helped immensely. Keep waiting and see, and after taking one last look at another crowd, she decided to do just that.

That, and his words kept ringing in her ears, nonstop. She balled her hands into fists. Useful advice, and yet all she could do was want to punch him, at least once.

She stared back at the apartment. Good, not too far away. Just a few simple jumps, and she could sleep to pay off the contract. Fatigue had not settled in, even as she kept on going. Maybe she could last a bit longer-

But she suddenly stops, eyes glued to an alleyway. Kids, and the sound of a dog whining in pain. There was a broken bottle, but no blood at least. Good, it was still alive, probably huddled in the trash cans somewhere. But the kids were still there, toys in their hands and smiles on their faces. Again, something was being hunted, and it was something she never wanted to see again.

The dreadful sight Lucy saw forced ugly, foul memories to surface. For the briefest of moments, she felt everything from that day, seeing the twisted smiles on everyone's faces. She saw the little girl constantly made fun of and betrayed, losing her one and only friend, the one being that accepted her when others would not. The scenes didn't seem any different than before. A low growl came with the pain pressing against her fingers, stone not doing well to hold in her anger. She would-

"Hey hey, calm down! Let's not do something drastic!"

The voice broke her out of the violent thoughts. What was she doing? Again, she nearly allowed her to come out. There was a problem with that though: That other side, that devil was not with her now. No longer could that be an excuse. She was Kaede. She had control, and now more than ever did she need to master it. Constantly, she had to remind herself of that. She took a long, slow deep breath. Right, Contractor now. She was just like every other mutant here. Thinking was easier than ever, emotions easily discarded as she scanned the area below once more. Three kids, no adults nearby, and just one dog. She could get away with her plan of rage, but Hei's words kept ringing in her ears. No. She would do this without death, no matter how much those kids deserved some punishment. But she couldn't use her abilities. A bulls-eye might as well be put on her.

"Now then, just think it over," instructed Mao. "Don't wanna do this, but even I think the animal deserves better, and you're just gonna ignore me anyway. I can't transfer into it, unless we want Hei explaining why the momonga is gone."

She merely nods. As silly as it was, the animal was right.

"Alright, so if we can just use a distraction, you can probably sneak on down with your powers, and we're out of here. Easy stuff, right?"

Then it hit her, and she stared at the creature on her shoulder. Mao quickly looked back at her, taking a small step back. It seemed the creature knew a thing or two about being bait.

"W-wait a minute! We can just get something el-"

Wasting no time, she hurled Mao towards the kids. Panic was in his voice, but he flew regardless, smacking right into one of the kid's face. She smirked. Perfect, and now they were all too busy to see her come down with the grace of a leaf. Quickly and quietly, she used her vectors, climbing down. Glancing at them, she smiled a bit; Mao was putting up a hell of a fight. Good for him. A small yep did catch her attention the moment she landed, and she bent down to the puppy. Pure black, small enough to easily be held in her hands. No real visible wounds, but it did give a weak cry. Poor thing.

Disgust and anger filled her all over her again. By the time Mao fled, the kids looked back, eyes growing wide at her. The glare of near bloodlust worked. Good, she thought, but not enough. Visions flashed before her eyes, memories of her own dog brutally beaten, murdered by little monsters like them. And just like before, the urge to kill rose again. All she had to do was think and-

'Do you want to repeat that life again?'

Those words came back all too quickly, her fury vanishing instantly. Of all the voices, that man's had to ring through. And he was right. It made her sick to think about, but the truth was right there in front of her. Her first chance at life was destroyed by the devastating destruction she caused, even though she wasn't completely at fault. Can such a mistake happen again? Staring at the children through her glare, could she shed their blood?

No. As much as she hated those brats, the risk was too great. With nothing to her name, and beings like Contractors out there, her last fight proving any example, she couldn't do anything. History would repeat again, blood everywhere and the image of a young girl in tears over the life she created with her own hands ringing again and again. She gave a small, frustrated growl, waving the kids off.

"Get the hell out of my sight," she spoke in a low, demanding voice, annoyance replacing her rage. She did allow a small smirk though, fake, but those kids sure didn't know the difference. "Besides, don't want to run into a Contractor, do you?"

The fear on their faces grew, skin growing pale as most did when she so much as cut off a limb. She didn't smirk or chuckle, only sighing, relieved to see them run away. Without the brats around, her head began to feel lighter. She swore under her breath, bringing a hand to her face. Of all the times…

"We should go back." Mao's voice chimed in, jumping onto Lucy's shoulder. "Never know when the kids may come back with their folks, and you knocked out."

She silently turned her attention to the animal Contractor. Unfortunately, he was right. Taking orders from Hei, much less this squirrel, but there was little choice now. Turn around, she had prepared to leave the dark place.

A small bark broke the silence, forcing Lucy to stare down. It was the same black puppy from before, of course. Why was it still here? She raised her hand, pointing the other way; she had no intention of having another animal around her, much less one that reminded her of something painful.

"Leave. Now." The tone was hard and serious, glare added. The tactic had always worked—

And completely ineffective. The cute dog sat in front of Lucy, looking up needy eyes, eyes she knew all too well.

Damn it, she thought. Shaking her head, she stomped on the ground, acting angrier, more violent. She could even feel Mao struggling to stay on her. "Leave!"

The same gaze was given to her. The Diclonius' heart sank, the very look tormenting her now. Memories were flooding in quicker than before, the very awful day that began her true nightmare. Leaving this animal here to face the disgusting behavior of the humans, she was doing what the world did to her. The comparisons couldn't all be drawn, but she didn't want this.

She bent down, grabbing the puppy and taking it in her arms. She heard Mao's voice pipe up again, but it fell on deaf ears. She couldn't kill, but she would be selfish. There was nothing wrong with this, so long as she kept the dog safe and near her. The air shifted, aura briefly surrounding her before her vectors sent her up to the rooftops.

And once again, she fled away from another scene. At least this time, no blood was shed. Felt better at least.

After much time of traveling from rooftop to rooftop, Lucy had finally made it back home. Even thinking the word like that caused some discomfort. This was not even anything like the home Kouta shared with the others. There was no food welcoming her, nor Nyuu suddenly gaining control; maybe the latter was better off being gone. She almost missed it. Pushing the thoughts aside, she got near the window. Mao leapt off, flying and pressing against the glass. She waited by the side, waiting for his report. He may have been Hei's ally, but the flying rat had seemed to fear what Hei might do to him.

Times such as these, she wished the weirdness of this situation could settle into her mind. The fact it hadn't saddened her.

Mao glanced back at her after he checked out the apartment through the window. "Coast is clear. "You just might be able to—"

"Get home before Hei?"

That voice caught her off-guard. Body froze, eyes widening for that second alone. She saw Mao having the exact same reaction—no. His had been more humorous given his body, all seriousness of the situation torn in the instant. Her head moved, and sure enough, Hei stood right behind her, those same eyes glaring at her. He was a lot quieter than most she met. Any other person would have lost their head near her. Were he not here though, she might have laughed at Mao, if only a little. Her annoyance from Hei saved her from embarrassment for a change of pace.

"Open the window and get inside," he told her, calm and serious as always. "We have much to talk about."

Red orbs glared at the man for only a second before she turned back around, opening the window and hastily climbing back inside. She gave a stomp on the floor, moving back to the bed she was used to. His words were not something she wanted to deal with right now, and sleep was getting harder to control. She would be damned if she let him touch her again. She heard the slam of the window, turning her head back to meet Hei's gaze. And noticing the puppy in her arms, an idea formed.

"Now you can explain abo—"

And having the young puppy pushed into his face certainly made him quiet. The push was light enough not to harm her new pet, and made some anger fade from her; pushing this man's buttons when he did to her brought some strange pleasure. She went back in the room as Hei dealt with the animal, ignoring the words spoken, and heading towards the bed. She fell forward, landing on the soft bed with a thud. No sigh or anything of the sort. Just the comfort of the darkness once again.

It didn't take long for Lucy to wake up, though she gave a reluctant groan when doing so. She rubbed her eyes, yawning while doing so. Sleep like that had not come every day, not even that much when she was living with Kouta and the others. Rising up from the futon, or what she had thought to be it, the reason had been found the surface had been softer, her hand sinking slightly against the cushion. Eyes flickered about, taking in her surroundings. Nothing much, save for a dresser and mirror right across from her, the closet also right next to it. His room then, and on his bed no less.

Quickly, confusion spread through her mind, her cheeks only growing slightly warm at the thoughts racing in her head. He had carried her again, into his own room, tucked her in and just let her sleep without so much as trying to wake her up? She placed a hand on her forehead, sighing. Trying to understand Hei was impossible with gestures like this. Frustrating was a more accurate term though. Least she no longer had to deal with Nyuu. That was something to be grateful for.

She reluctantly pushed herself off of the bed, finding it strangely difficult to move herself from it. Nonetheless, either way, she would have to get off thanks to Hei. He was either going to yell at her on the bed, or out there, and Lucy just wanted to get it over with. Walking to the door, she pulled on the knob.

And the sight she was not one she expected.

Hei had been cooking, again, his head not turning to acknowledge her presence. Mao on the other hand had been pinned to the ground, a familiar black ball of fur obscuring most of him. Lucy saw just how dark Mao's own fur had gotten, soaked from the licks the dog continued to give. She nearly snorted, though paid more attention to Hei.

"Please make him stop..." groaned Mao, his eye twitching. "Can't...take much...more..."

Glancing at Mao, she rolled her eyes. Part of her wanted to leave him lying there, but he had helped her out to save the poor pup, and avoid making an incident. She took her time, walking slowly before taking the puppy into her arms. Watching it turn its attention towards her, licking its face, Lucy had nearly smiled.

"So you're up."

And such an idea fell out of existence. She turned her head, spotting Hei stare right back. His face still contained no gentleness, those eyes hardly carrying anything to them either. It should have been easy to read him, yet he constantly made it a struggle. This had been frustrating, staring into a mirror as if fighting with herself, a wiser and yet more blunt and scolding version.

"I warned you not to leave."

She wanted to glare, wanted to get angry, yet she could not, simply staring at him. There was no malice present, no inner voice to telling her to kill him. All she could remember was Mao's words.

"Listen, we may not know the whole story about ya, but we can kinda sympathize. Hei lost a lot of people in his life, more than anyone should. Trust me, this world ain't exactly filled with the happiest of fellas."

"And you didn't think of the consequences, and put yourself in danger because of your impatience," he scolded, anger now apparent in those eyes of his. "Were it not for Mao, you would easily fallen back to-"

The puppy wiggled from her grasp, jumping away and catching her off guard. Watching it go near Hei, she felt a pain in her chest. Not surprising, considering everything always preferred-The thought however was cut off, and she watched Hei give the dog a treat, a dog bone. Those powers she had summoned before had faded, anger slipping, replaced again with confusion. Was he scolding her or not?

He finally got back up to stare at her. His mouth opened, though just as quickly closed, eyes glancing away from her. A sigh came from his lips before he turned right back around, tending to dinner. "Just...don't do it again." He paused before adding, "I don't need another problem in here."

Anger did come back, though the dog barked instead. Right, she had nearly forgotten him already. For some strange reason, the little black ball of fuzz seemed able to calm her down with just a simple bark. Realizing that, rage faded, and she instead picked the puppy back up into her arms.

"So...does that mean I can keep him here?"

"So long as you take care of him, I don't care." He pointed off to the side, to a small bag containing dog food. Even a book was sticking out on top, one that told of training an dog. Considering how obedient it was for her though, "That is all the help you are getting from me regarding that however. The rest is up to you."

Again, this had been confusing to her, but nonetheless, she nodded. Doing this by herself was all she could ask for, the freedom being the most treasured of this. Still, she looked down, staring at her own feet, the wobbling black fuzz blocking most of her view until it licked her chin. She couldn't help but give it a smile for that. It really did know how she felt.

"Clothes are ready for you as well. At least then you'll have something more presentable," Hei continued.

Lucy nodded, turning around to make sure Hei did not see her face. Kind, scolding, sad, these emotions continued to baffle her whenever he saw him. Mao's words ringing in her head did not make any of it easier as well. They were alike? That man may have seen it, but Lucy did not, not exactly. Only eyes that she could rarely see ever gave a brief glimmer, and nothing else. For now, she walked over to the bags. Changing out of these clothes would be good for now. Yet just as she reached the bags, she looked back at Hei.

"...Thank you."

Those words were met with silence. Mao's words and Hei's actions thus far were enough. She began to ponder, pulling out the dog food and using her vectors to open it. As harsh as Hei had been, he aided her no matter what, and showed no sign of fear all the while. Maybe, just maybe, living here wasn't too bad after all. Placing the food down before Masaru, and watching him shake and dig into it so eagerly, her muscles pulled at her mouth. A simple dog like this, enjoying the care she provided, made her far more happy than anything these past few days.

It may take time, and even if the days were few, she at least wanted to enjoy them. Annoying, yes, but she honestly had far worse days; they all tended to end with a body at her feet before. All she could do was wait for the truth to be revealed, and only then, could her future be revealed. She had a guess to that though. If he was just using her, then she would know what to do.