DISCLAIMER:

If I owned it I would be such a rich bugger XD

SO I'm in love with a band…

Called Art of Dying.

I got a free song of theirs on iTunes and I was just like "HOLY HELL IT'S IGGY"

Listened to the whole album and the whole thing REALLY fits Catalyst. (at least all I know about it -cackles-) So it's now a massive staple in the seventy-four songs that all go to Catalyst on my iPod.

LOL I'll write it out

Because I'm a gomer…

By 30 Seconds To Mars - Stranger in a Strange Land, Alibi, Closer to the Edge, Hurricane, 100 Suns, This is War, Night of the Hunter, Escape, Attack.

By Trapt - Headstrong

By Trading Yesterday - The Beauty and the Tragedy, World on Fire

By Three Days Grace- Time of Dying, Get Out Alive, Riot, Animal I Have Become, Pain, Life Starts Now, World So Cold, Break

By Superchick- Stand in the Rain

By Story of the Year - Razorblades, Anthem of Our Dying Day, And the Hero Will Drown

By Skillet - Monster, Hero

By The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus - Grim Goodbye

By Red - Fight Inside

By One Republic - Everybody Loves Me

By Nickelback - Savin' Me

By Mayday Parade - The Last Something That Meant Anything

By Linkin Park - The Messenger, The Catalyst, Iridescent, When They Come For Me, Burning in the Skies

By Ke$ha (yes, Ke$ha XD) - Blow, The Harold Song

By Katy Perry - Who Am I Living For?

By House of Heroes - In the Valley of the Dying Sun

By Hinder - By the Way

By Evanescence - Whisper, My Last Breath, Hello, Tourniquet, Haunted, Everybody's Fool, Going Under

By Drowning Pool -Bodies

By Disturbed - Awaken

By The Devil Wears Prada - Louder than Thunder

By Creature Feature - Buried Alive

By Chris Cornell - You Know My Name

By Breaking Benjamin - Dance With the Devil, Until the End, Breath, Into the Nothing, Dear Agony, Anthem of the Angels, I Will Not Bow

By Art of Dying- Fits of Clarity, Better Off, Breathe Again, Straight Across My Mind, Best I Can, Raining, You Don't Know Me, I Will Be There, Completely, Whole World's Crazy, Sorry, Get Thru This, Die Trying

And Sound The Bugle from the Spirit Soundtrack XD

OH! And the newest Maximum Ride book is out BUT (BUUUUT) Do NOT tell me about it.

I haven't read it, and I won't until I finish Catalyst. XD I don't want to steal any "ideas" from Patterson, so I'm going to just continue my reading experience like Blind Sided was the next book after FANG.

pres1111 - Thank you. We actually got a new cat (haven't met him yet since I'm at college). He's an orange tabby that is named Mac. (like Mac and Cheese -delight-) And apparently he wags his tail like a dog. XD Can't wait to see him.

Arisana - Lol, I kept reading "I'm lazy" as "Shizaya" for some really dumb reason. XD BECAUSE CLEARLY I AM OBSESSED! -coughs- Anyways, I don't mind if you're anonymous or logged in. All the reviews are loved and appreciated. :3 You're my first Non-Maximum Ride person reading this fic, but I have a lot of people who don't know Detective Conan. Funny huh? XD

Aleathiel Elendil- LOL yes, there will be some cute little filler things between Fishy-san and Mike I think. Some Tom and Jerry-esque stuff to try and lighten the mood. (Because crap is going to get dark lolol) I'm serious when I say love these filler chapters. There's sad heavy stuff right around the corner…

Em Phantom - Yes, I'm happy I'll be able to write him out in this. Ahahaha, keep him alive in his own special way.

Serendipital (XD) - Heeeey! -point- Congrats on the account c: LOL nah, don't feel bad. I laugh at Haibara's jokes on the show myself, XD. Also I love puns…LOL HEY LOOK ahaha TOTALly -so amused right now-

Pally - Lol, thank you very much. Eh, yeah. I kinda had to drag that chapter out and I was honestly crying. XD it was a bit sloppy, if I rewrite it I'll go back and fix it up.


Chapter Nine - If Only I Were Dreaming

Christopher was, in all honesty, more exhausted than he'd ever been in his whole entire life. This, of course, was unsurprising. If one were to take the time to think about his situation, this only made the most sense possible.

He worked a hard enough job without those bastards breathing down his neck all the time. And the things he saw there anymore, he walked away with nightmares anymore. He couldn't sleep, he could hardly eat.

He worked with murderers, and he was beginning to lose his grip on who he was.

Months ago he'd have said he was a life saver. He would have said that he tries his hardest to make sure that people others have given up with have a second chance in life. Now he was pretty sure he was some kind cruel person.

He kept bringing those people from the brink of death. Only so that they could be tortured more. It was so sick. Christopher held his head between his hands and bit back a sob. Maybe he should go back home. Return to Canada…

No…that wouldn't work. Idiot, they were destroying the world. Or they wanted the world. This wasn't a country related thing. These people, they were everywhere. In the corners, in the back alleys. They had their glinting eyes, their vendettas, their cruelty.

Many, like him, just wanted to make sure their family lived.

Christopher moaned to himself. But at what cost? The life they were granting their family, was it truly, in the end of it all, worth it?

For them it was. But Christopher…was unsure if, when he finally got out of this tangled mess, he'd be able to live with himself. Not after the things he'd seen. The things he'd DONE. Christopher shuddered, his stomach heaving sickeningly.

That child…that little girl lost her father, and he'd been unable to stop it…

"Otou-san?" The sleepy voice made Christopher jerk, he turned his head, surprise flickering in his brown eyes as he spotted the child in the doorway. The boy was staring up at him, "Are you alright?"

No…he was a monster…

He was not alright. He'd never be alright. Yet he shoved the feelings aside, and put on a false smile. He leaned down, scooping the little boy into his arms. The child laughed, snuggling closer to his father. Christopher shut his eyes tight.

Nobody in this world truly lived until they had a child. He was lucky enough to have two. Little Jason, the boy he held in his arms now, and his youngest son, a three year old named Joshua. The names weren't Japanese, of course, but Jason seemed to be getting along fine enough here.

"If you had a nightmare, you can come sleep with me Otou-san." Jason said, brown eyes meeting Christopher's. The boy gave him a genuine smile, "If it makes you feel better."

Nightmares, he was plagued by them. He didn't want his son near those dreams, it was why he wasn't sleeping with his wife now even. He didn't want her exposed to it, somehow. Even if it was still in his subconscious, still in his head…

It was all too close.

"I'm fine." Christopher lied to the little boy, "How is school going?"

"Eh…we made art projects yesterday. Yoshi-kun and I both drew puppies. Ne, Otou-san, you said I could get a dog someday. When can I get a puppy?" The boy's pleading eyes lit on him, and Christopher frowned.

He felt so tired, he wasn't sure how an animal would react to the scents he carried home all the time, but the boy wanted one it seemed. At least to him.

He wished, desperately suddenly, that this was all a horrible dream. That he could somehow erase the things he'd seen, done, said even…and just reassure himself by waking from this living nightmare. All a dream, nothing but a figment of his imagination. Not reality.

He jumped a little, the sound of his cellphone jerking him violently from his thoughts. He pulled it out, and felt his stomach fall to his shoes. Jason tried to peek and see what it said, but he was setting the child on the ground.

"Go back to bed, Jason." He told his son. The little boy let out a groan of complaint, but Christopher was heading for the hook where he kept his coat. His wife, Rebecca, peered outside of the bedroom they shared and into the hallway.

"You're leaving again?" She said, worry in her tone. "Work?"

He felt so sick, when he turned to look at her. He half longed to cry to her. To tell her everything. To go back to the days where he didn't keep secrets from the woman he loved more than anything in the world. He swallowed the feeling, tasting bile in his throat as he did.

"Hai…don't wait up for me." He said to her. Jason complained aloud as his mother grabbed the boy's hand. Christopher stood by the doorway, feeling like he was going to be sick. He was so aware, suddenly, that this might be the last time he'd ever see the two of them.

He rushed her suddenly, wrapping his arms around her and crushing Jason between them. He kissed her fiercely on the mouth, ignoring his son's exclamation of childish disgust. As he pulled away he noted the worry in her eyes, he wanted to go hold the baby too…but he didn't dare wake the child.

"Christopher…what's wrong?" Rebecca said, but Christopher didn't dare answer. He turned and headed for the door, pausing only when he was at the threshold.

"I love you all." He whispered quietly, before ducking outside. Leaving his child and his bewildered wife behind. He got into the car, and only then did he allow the single tear to trace it's way down his cheek.


Daisuke watched with a smirk as Christopher drove away. Silly fool, you'd think with his night job he'd be a bit more protective of the folks back at home. The man lit a cigarette, sucking in the lung destroying smoke before shaking out the flame on the match he used to light it.

Him? Daisuke had no family. Or at least, not one he gave a flying rat's ass about. The man would just as soon feed his mother to a pack of Eraser's…oh wait, he already had. He chuckled to himself, amused by this for some reason.

Really, Christopher was just moronic. Did he truly think that his family would have any place in the new world order? They'd be mowed down, just like everybody else. Hell, Daisuke was aware of the fact that he himself was expendable.

At least he knew his place. He was going to die, when all this shit was said and done. When it came right down to it, his life was going to be nothing more than a red stain on the sidewalk. Daisuke grinned, putting his sunglasses on, before starting his car and slowly following after his 'partner'.

This, of course, didn't mean he wasn't going to have his fun before he went out in the world. Daisuke tossed his head back and laughed, overjoyed with himself for a few moments. Oh yes, there was going to be a hell of a lot of fun to be had.

In fact, he'd like to be the one to round up that little family Christopher so longed to protect. Daisuke chortled under his breath. It would be a treat, certainly, to have Christopher be forced to bring his wife back only so she could suffer under more experiments.

Delicious, the agony of others!

It was like a dream come true~


His name was Ayumu.

He was sixteen years old.

He lived with his mother, his father had left them.

He wasn't exactly the top of his class, but he had good grades.

He had a girlfriend named Chouko.

They had been dating for nearly a year.

His name was Ayumu…

It was like a never ending chant. Keep saying it…over and over and over. Eventually things, they lose their meaning when you do this. Chant things under your breath. Say it, say a word fast enough and you lose what it means. Was he trying to remember, saying all these things about himself, or was he trying desperately to forget?

There was pain, agony so much. It hurt, and he felt nearly sick. There was blood everywhere. It had spattered the walls, it was on the ground. Dripping from his fingers too. He could see the little droplets, and if he had the strength to hold his hand up, he'd hold it to the light.

Bleed, bleed, bleed. Drip, drip, drip.

A hellish nightmare. Something that he wanted to wake up from.

He'd been walking home from school. Alone, but then, when you're sixteen and on the Judo team you never think that you need any sort of protection at all. Lies, of course. He had needed protection. He'd gone down so easily.

"Is it working?" Some person spoke, their voice sounded far away, and all at once too loud. Ayumu moaned, turning his head, or trying to. The tendons in his neck screamed in pain when he tried to move.

"He's not dead yet, delightful…" Someone laughed as they spoke. "Smith-san will have to make sure he doesn't die on us though. We'll make him even stronger. He'll be the perfect sacrifice to awaken the Catalyst."

"Sounds awful hocus-pocusey to me, the whole deal about sacrifice." One man spoke dubiously. Sacrifice? Catalyst? What was it that they were talking about?

"You'd say that, you don't know about the Catalyst do you?" The man snorted as if he found something funny. "Don't worry, you underlings rarely are told shit like that."

"Like what?" There was curiosity in the other person's voice. Ayumu wanted to know too. What about this Catalyst? This…thing he was supposed to be sacrificed to. To be offered to like some animal back in ancient times.

Was he going to die? It was almost a relief at this point.

"I was warned that it was going to be hell." The other man spoke, his tone was so soft that Ayumu barely heard it. "That the person offered up to the Catalyst was going to die an unimaginably painful death…multiple times."

Fear closed over Ayumu's heart. Oh god.


Christopher slipped out of the room, wiping his hands and keeping his eyes focused on the ground as he walked. He knew Daisuke was there before he even looked up, there was just something creepy about the man that seemed to tell you of his presence when he was about.

"Helluva thing ya can do Doc." Daisuke said, laughing gleefully. "Think you coulda brought that Yoshida guy back so I could have let him beg again?"

Christopher felt ill. He didn't want to think of Yoshida. He didn't want to think about the kid he patched up just now, stabilized. That boy, before he had started to work on him, he'd begged him. 'Let me die…'

He had begged him, maybe not with words, for the boy had been in too much pain to speak. But his eyes, the tears, the way he looked at him in betrayal as he gave him the anesthetic. Like he was doing something far worse than killing the boy.

"You hear what I said Doc? Oi." Daisuke suddenly grabbed Christopher, shoving him against the wall. It was cold, and he felt the wind get knocked from his body. Daisuke, Christopher was learning rather quickly, was little more than a big brute.

"I heard you…" Christopher said, he more growled the words actually, than really spoke them. Daisuke smirked, leaning a bit closer, his dark eyes locked on Christopher's. The doctor grit his teeth, trying to put all the hatred he felt into one single look at the man.

"You've got spunk Doc, I like that." Daisuke purred, releasing him so suddenly that Christopher crashed to the ground. His knees slammed against the concrete, and he barely caught himself on his palms. Daisuke laughed, walking away while shoving his hands in his pockets.

"OI!" Someone's shout at the end of the hall made Christopher turn his head. Daisuke stopped his walking as the guy ran up to them, panting and sweating. Hastily, Christopher scrambled to his feet, trying not to blush as the newcomer glanced his way with an arched eyebrow.

"What the hell do you want?" Daisuke snarled, Christopher winced, glancing at the poor man who looked ready to wet himself suddenly.

"Um, is there a problem?" Christopher queried, ignoring the irritated look that Daisuke shot him. The man relaxed, fixing his eyes on Christopher as he spoke. Probably because…well Christopher was clearly the sane one here.

Daisuke, not sane. Christopher, totally sane. Or, at least compared to Daisuke he most certainly was. As long as he was working here, as long as he kept seeing the things he did every day, Christopher was starting to think that he'd probably end up madder than the Hatter in the end.

"We're on alert right now…" The guy said, blinking. "So…somebody snuck in and got a look at the important files."

"What?" Daisuke snarled, Christopher blinked. That…was bad news. At least for whoever did this and…he jumped, surprise coursing through him as Daisuke spun and slammed the heel of his foot against the poor messenger's head. He lifted his foot to stomp the poor man, probably to death, but Christopher grabbed his shoulder.

The look he got froze his blood, but he somehow managed to stay calm. So miraculously. He kept his tone level. He was surprised, a little, by a small bit of concern for the man. As a doctor he couldn't help it, it was unhealthy to be that angry all the time. For Daisuke as well as others around him. "Don't shoot the messenger, Daisuke-kun."

"Why the hell not?" Daisuke hissed, Christopher took a deep breath.

"You're angry, I can see that. But right now, we need everyone on alert." Christopher glanced at the man on the floor, who was holding his jaw. "Including this guy here, right?"

For a moment, Christopher feared he'd end up in just as bad a situation as the guy on the floor. But then Daisuke was wrenching his arm away, mumbling something under his breath with a glare down at the man on the floor.

Christopher leaned forward, helping the poor guy to his feet and only nodding a little to the grateful smile he got. It was probably smart of him, the way he split soon after that. Christopher watched him run down the hall, before yelping because someone grabbed him by the collar of his jacket.

Unsurprisingly, it was Daisuke. The man looked pissed, but Christopher managed to get his feet beneath him before he hurried alongside the taller man. He glanced at the wall, feeling sorry for whoever had broken in, and back at Daisuke, noticing the guy had a cellphone out.

"What's up?" Christopher said cautiously.

"I get to play a little game of round-up seems. Not supposed to kill him…ehehehe, nice." Daisuke glanced down at Christopher, a look of sudden complete unamusement crossing his features. "What the hell you looking at?"

"Nothing." Christopher mumbled, looking away and staring at the opposite wall. Daisuke grunted something under his breath about morons, and walked ahead of him. Christopher stopped at the end of the hall, and sighed.

Whoever had done…well, whatever it was that had been done. He didn't envy them. Even if they were told to be kept alive. He shoved his hands in his pockets, wondering if he should head on home or stay around here and help look for the intruder.

He felt like a villain, a monster from a television show. Christopher shut his eyes, and walked down the hallway, not really looking for someone, but trying to appear as busy as he possibly could at the moment.


Daisuke was, to be completely honest, pissed.

And it wasn't because of the intruder getting out. That could be fun. It was that…stupid moron Christopher. Who the hell did he think he was? Touching him like that? Daisuke grinded his teeth together, felt the veins in his forehead pulse.

He wanted to break that man in half. The make him weep. He'd tear him down into the most bottomless pit he could possibly do, even if it meant killing the guy's children. Daisuke glared out the windshield, feeling his heart race.

"Got him with some of the drugs we've been experimenting with, but I don't think it'll take him down." The guy Daisuke was driving with was prattling on, and Daisuke glared a bit harder out the window. He was thinking damn it.

Why the hell had that Christopher guy done that?

"Daisuke-san?" The man next to him asked. Daisuke twitched, twisting the gun around and firing once. It was all it took. With a grunt he pulled the car to a stop, leaned over the corpse, and shoved it out the door.

The tires screeched against wet pavement after he slammed the door shut, his eyes narrowed in vicious rage. God damn, now he was in even more of a foul mood. And it was all that Christopher guy's fault. Stupid doctor.

Why had he looked like he was freaking worried about him? Daisuke didn't need friends god damn it. He didn't need anybody. Least of all a stupid doctor that couldn't figure out that he would be better off dead in the world.


It was raining buckets.

The darkness made it hard enough to see, and the downpour was so intense that he didn't dare fly. It'd be the most ridiculous thing you could ever possibly do. Flying with this wind, this rain. It was a death wish.

He winced, biting his lip until he tasted the sharp tang of blood. Bitter as it was, it brought reality to him. Clarity to the world around him. As if the added pain was something that could possibly wake him from…from what, exactly?

He wasn't near passing out. To be honest with you, everything was almost too clear. Yet it was in a haze as well. So damn confusing. He grit his teeth. He wished, so severely, that this wasn't the case at all. That he could just…think clearly.

He flicked his hand out slowly, remaining with his back pressed against the soaked brick. Thank god it was dark out…if it wasn't it'd be all the harder to hide. Hell, the rain was even something he could thank, despite the fact that it kept him grounded.

At least it made it easier for him to hide, to not be seen. Not that he ever had any problems with that before. His dark eyes flicked to the cellphone in his palm, and he bit back the hiss that rose up. No replies. God damn it!

The brick near his head suddenly exploded, or at least, in his moment of disorientation that's what he had thought. He realized that it was a bullet that had shattered the hard material, sending sprays of shrapnel to dig sharply into the side of his face. He darted away from the wall, one arm coming up to cover his dark eyes and shield them from the dagger like pieces of brick.

"Heat seeking goggles give me a hell of a headache…But, I have to say, they have their perks. Fang-kun." The man stepping toward him had said appendages attached to his face, a wicked evil smirk plastered over his features. Fang slowly lowered his arm. "Like seeing a freak who normally can melt away into thin air…"

Do not show you are nervous or worried. As if he needed to say anything to himself. Fang didn't smirk, he didn't tremble or even glare. The expression he gave to the man who had a gun leveled at his head was calm, almost indifferent.

"You're not going to ask who I am? Why I'm chasing you?" The man asked him. Fang quirked an eyebrow at him, tilting his head to one side. His hair, soaked from the rain, was plastered to his skull.

"Would you tell me if I did?" He queried, his tone calm as always. But his heart was pounding pathetically. Death in the skies, as opposed to a gun toting jerk…he was thinking he'd end up taking his chances above.

"Don't fly, Fang-kun…" The man said. "Believe me, we don't want this to end up badly. But there's more than one person who can hold the Catalyst."

Fang winced. This is what you get when you snoop. When you stick your nose where it doesn't belong. In all honesty, Fang had no one to blame but himself. He had tracked these guys down, he had found them, and now he knew about them.

Or, knew more than the average Joe on the street.

"The Catalyst?" Fang said, feigning ignorance. He knew well enough about the Catalyst. That's why it was crucial to get ahold of Max as soon as possible.

"Do not play dumb, Fang-kun." The man before him was nearly trembling with rage suddenly. Short fuse…Fang filed this information into a corner of his mind. It could be useful later. When he wasn't holding a pistol.

"And you think that I can control it?" He said, he kept his tone carefully neutral, but he felt a little sick as he spoke the words. To hold that sort of power, to be able to crush an entire civilization…nay, a whole planet…it sickened him.

Terrified him, more than anything.

The man tilted his head to one side, for the first time something like amusement crossed the man's face. He laughed, and Fang's tensed muscles screamed at him to fly away. Do it now. Yet that damned curiosity kept him rooted to the spot.

He wanted…to find out what this man was talking about. Why was he laughing, when he knew some of the darkest secrets these people had? When Fang could bring them all to their knees if he really wanted to.

Just with a few pieces of information.

"You don't know yet, do you?" The man said. "We caught your scent before you could find out."

Fang gritted his teeth, but he said nothing. Did nothing. Just stayed rigid and still. A sound above him made him blink, and he looked up. On the rooftop above, there were people with nets. Fang hissed. Damn.

The man on the ground was stepping closer to him, a grin splitting his features. He wasn't very happy, Fang realized. In fact, despite the psychotic grin, he seemed to be in a bit of a foul mood. Fantastic. Because, you know, the crazies are so much better when they're royally pissed off.

The only thing worse was when they were smart.

"You didn't figure it out…amusing. I thought that you'd get it, almost right away. But then, maybe you just aren't as smart as everyone above seems to think, Fang-kun." The man grinned at him that pistol ever level in his direction.

"Hm? So you know?" Fang asked.

"Ahahaha, yes…and does it make you angry that I do?" The man grinned, but Fang only blinked back at him. Frustrated, admittedly yes. But not angry. He had been close, and it was only a matter of getting it out of this guy and getting away.

Easy.

"Hm…to be honest, it just seems like you're bluffing to me." Fang said, shrugging his shoulders. He watched as the guy stiffened, rage seemed to pulse through the air around the dude, but he pressed on, casual as you please. "Why would they tell someone like you, their big secrets?"

"Because, I'm expendable." The man said, grinning. "I can be killed. It's the people that are important like Doc that they keep in the dark, you know why? Because if they don't know anything they can't say anything Fang-kun. We won't be forced to kill them."

"Pretty happy go lucky, for a guy that's practically deemed worthless in his own club." Fang responded, tilting his head to one side and blinking at the man. He laughed in response, though there was something uneasy behind that laugh.

"All I need is to hear the screams of my victims, and to know that I have the power to take away their lives." He said with a grin. "IT's the most powerful thing in the world."

"Seems like you have all your cards sorted out." Fang grunted.

"The best of us do." The man grinned, "You still don't believe me?"

"Why would I?" Fang responded, this time allowing the smallest of smirks on his face. The man stepped closer, and Fang tensed his shoulders. If he ran to the left, and then pulled a U and A then he could get away…but just a little more. He was close…

"Tell you what…" The guy said with a grin. "I'll tell you what the Catalyst is, like I said…there are others who are perfectly capable of controlling it. You're expendable too, Fang-kun."

"Am I now?" Fang said, a drop of rain traced its way down the side of his face. Yet he didn't flinch, he didn't move. He stood as still as possible, his dark eyes locked on the man in front of him. Just a few more words…

A gun fired, and to be honest, Fang was surprised by the sound. He hardly even registered that he'd been shot, even as the pain tore through his chest, even as his legs buckled and he hit the concrete. Someone yelled at the man who shot him, and Fang's ears were ringing.

"God DAMN it Daisuke!"

"The Catalyst…" The man, Daisuke, was whispering in Fang's ear as the darkness swamped over him. "Is…"


CLIFF HANGER! NYAHAHAHAHAHAHA!

What's this? A chapter without Iggy? XD it had to be done. LOOKIT ALL THAT PLOT CRAP!

Happy guys? XD Oh my god, Fang was SHOT what's going to happen!

Developed some more personality for Daisuke and Chris. I love them both, by the way. XD Even Daisuke, he's so awesome. I'm thrilled with his character and I can't waaaait to make it develop more in the story.

Iggy will probably be around next chapter. Apparently I'm gonna try updating once a week. Sorry this one was late guys, but I hope you like it and all that jazz.

R & R