For every action, there is an opposite and equal reaction. This is Newton's Third Law of Motion. Others may cite karma, the essence of good and bad deeds of past lives, coming back to influence their lives. Or even more simple, what comes around, goes around. Consequences. Every action has one and whether it is good or bad is decided by the original happening. Sometimes, what someone believes will be the consequences, simply aren't. We believe that we are doing something good, but when it comes time for those around us to see it too, they cannot. Then the reaction, the karma, the consequences start. A loss of trust here, a financial problem there, a friendship suddenly gone. One may never know what will come of the action until it happens. The definitions of right and wrong vary more than one could possibly perceive.

~*~Chapter 9; Consequences~*~

She was livid. If there was one thing the poor secretary knew, it was that his boss was absolutely livid. He had been her secretary for years now, certainly much longer than other secretaries to high ranking Fable agents, but he still had never seen her quite this angry. And as Tyler Ramirez knew, Headwoman Webber had been through some of the worst scandals in the current history of the Fable agency. Currently, few would realize that the middle aged woman was near her tolerance threshold for blame and yelling. The West Coast Director was none too happy with what had happened under the command of Ramirez's boss.

He had nothing else to do lying on his desk now. He'd spent the morning getting it all done in an effort to not listen in on the conversation. Now mid afternoon, and all files had been done, all missions handed out, and other such things that came down from the director had been taken care of by his lunch hour. And with lunch now gone, he had taken to finishing up little things he had been meaning to do since his employment at this headquarters. Unfortunately it didn't stop him from being able to catch snaps of what was going on in the office beside him. And it just didn't sound good to him. He looked up from fixing a drawer in his old desk to find his Headwoman going through the closing procedures of her teleconference. All the standard pleasantries, and then Iris Webber was bursting out of her office doors, pinning him with her stare. She swallowed forcibly and dredged up a hard smile for her secretary.

"Would you please get our new Technology Expert up to my office before she leaves for the day?" Tyler nodded quickly and reached for his phone. Oh yes, his boss was most certainly livid.

--

With Spanish music coming with a quick, wondrous beat from her speakers, Garcia was feeling almost languid. She was fixing up the last of the coding she wanted, needed, in her newest computer (though she wished they hadn't insisted on a new one in the first place), and was generally enjoying the feeling of a mission well done. She had heard again from her friend, now taking a break in Scotland before heading Stateside (for real this time, he'd insisted). He'd made her promise not to get him caught up in more junk with the excuse that his sister was home, for once, at the same time as he was. She didn't buy it for a second. According to his file, he was an only child. She'd let him go only after making sure of the details of what had taken place, and teasing him mercilessly over what he really wanted the break for. It still made her giggle with the way the man had stuttered.

Any talk of the dating sent the man into red faced stuttering. It was too much fun to not tease him some.

A shiver ran through her and an instant later her phone rang through her headset. She hesitated for a moment, something feeling off. Tapping her lacquered nails carefully on the answering button for the headset she waited through a few more rings. It stopped and the tension that had gripped her stomach faded.

Within the next half hour, she finished her coding, logged out, and slipped out of the building unseen. Her motto, if something feels terribly wrong, go somewhere else. Ten minutes later her phone would ring again in her office.

In the next hour, the entire building would be aware of Headwoman Webber's intent to speak with the new tech. They shivered from the tone she had used, and wished the Latina woman good luck.

~*~Redemption~*~

It was sunny. That fact alone was almost amazing. The warmth of it was another. And the last miracle his fuzzy, happy mind could register was that the sun could even shine through the pitiful window and his brick wall view. The fire demon was feeling lazy, an idea that sent nerves racing through his body. Hiei was lying in the sun; eyes closed with Tatou a warm, fluffy ball beside his ear. He could hear her breathing every few seconds and little else. He'd been ignoring the paperwork for the past few days. Since he had gotten confirmation of the rescue, he'd felt no need to finish any of it now.

And the warm, beautiful sunlight was too tempting for anything other than laying in it wasting the day away. It was a simple pleasure he'd hardly, if ever his fuzzy mind reminded him, indulged in. It was finally an answer to why he had encountered many of the fire demons in his life in warm, sunny areas. Everything had gone well, somehow he knew that. He hadn't been let in on many of the details of the rescue up in Scotland, by his own choice, but there was a general sense of well done completion trickling down the line to him.

His hand twitched when he recognized the energy at his door. The agent who brought the files to him. The agent knocked on the door as a courtesy but nothing more for he was in far quicker than Hiei could have gotten to the door. Since the accident. A frown marred his contentment of lying in the sun when the other cleared his throat loudly. Hiei didn't move though he felt Tatou look up.

"You haven't done any work." The fire demon took a trick from Tatou's book and simply huffed instead of dredging up the use of his vocal cords. He'd never thought the agent was worth acknowledgement, let alone an actual answer.

"Get off your lazy ass and finish up these files. They're piling up and you certainly haven't done any since your escapade." The tone of voice and general disgust prompted Hiei to open his blood red eyes. The Fable agent was looking down his nose at the surviving detective. Tatou stepped over Hiei and started to growl. He heard the agent take a step back. A small, almost horrible grin came to Hiei's face. All warm, lazy feelings from the sun began to fade.

"I can't control her, you know."

--

Tatou had taken up residence on his chest. She huffed in discontentment even now. The Fable lackey had high tailed it from the apartment in the moment Tatou had bared her teeth. A smirk lifted his lips for a moment. The other had not remembered to leave the newest papers. Unfortunately that meant he'd be back sooner rather than later. Hiei dragged his hand down the animal's back, haphazardly trying to calm her. Her half growls did nothing for recapturing the feeling of the warm sunlight. Tatou curled up finally. He'd have to hold her back from now on. The fire demon opened his eyes.

What had he meant by his escapade?

He had done nothing. Nothing since he'd tried to "run". Okay….he'd "neglected" some papers. They weren't the first and they wouldn't be the last. From him or anyone. And besides…he just didn't do paperwork, it was only a waste of time, slowing you down and possible causing harm to whatever you were trying to accomplish.

Hiei sat up slowly, catching Tatou as she panicked. Maybe… A searching look came to his face. Unless…. The only possible thing… was the rescue. Something wasn't right.

~*~Redemption~*~

Garcia was hesitant, to say the least, to reenter the Fable building the following Monday. She'd had the weekend off, had unplugged her phone and spent her time catching up with her old friends and comrades across the world through her laptop. But the feeling she had left the office with had not totally faded. She'd avoided the 'ping' of her email when all the messages had been from Fable's disguised address.

Now she was standing on the threshold of her office, staring at the blinking light indicating messages on her answering machine. It brought back the feeling tenfold to sit heavily in the pit of her stomach. She shuffled into the room turning on the computer as she went. It seemed as if it booted up as reluctantly as she'd come to the office. She was about to place her headset shakily on, when someone knocked on her door. Garcia gulped, the feeling in her stomach making her queasy.

"The Headwoman is looking for you." The voice sounded as worried as she felt. She turned to find one of the lower tech agents standing at her door. The Latina brushed her bangs from her face in mild relief.

"I don't know what they want," he said shakily, holding himself up with the door, "but they haven't sounded happy all weekend."

"¿Está seguro?" she asked without thinking. The other nodded so vigorously his blond hair was tossed about.

"Y-you should get out of here then," she said with a smile she didn't feel.

"You and anyone else who doesn't want to be in this, understand?" His eyes widened, he nodded again, and rushed from the doorway.

Garcia turned back around and resolutely started working at her computer. If they wanted her, they'd have to come get her. Garcia wasn't going up to that office without a fight!

--

Garcia didn't make it to lunch. Fifteen minutes before she started her lunch break they had come for her. The headwoman's secretary and two agents higher ranking then the tech expert could ever hope to be. But it wasn't those two who worried her, hell they escorted people who were chronically late for assignments. They were never necessarily a bad thing. Having the headwoman's secretary come for you though, the people here told her, was never good.

It was a step away from having her come to you herself.

"So, what does Headwoman Webber want with me?" She didn't turn to the secretary, but whispered to one of the agents. The other agent looked to the secretary subtly, finding him engaged with getting the elevator to the right floor.

"Something to do with the rescue you started," was whispered back to her hurriedly. When the elevator lurched into action, Garcia's mind began to race, race to all the names of the people she couldn't say, all the people she sincerely hoped wouldn't be drawing any attention to themselves for….oh say a few months. She knew Techs could stay off the radar easily enough, most did it every day, but she worried for the agents in the UK who had offered their services. She looked to the floor and her glasses began to slip down her nose.

She worried more for her friend. He would have no one to band with against accusations. And she had no way to warn him.

The elevator lurched at its stop, jarring them. The secretary muttered something about getting it fixed. Garcia took a deep breath as she was escorted to the office. There was one way she could keep the headwoman from discovering too much. She wondered idly if the other knew any Spanish beyond 'hello'.

~*~Redemption~*~

Tatou cocked her head and gave a little huff at him. Apparently this attempt was too obvious as well. Hiei pulled himself from his cramped hiding spot. He got to the middle of the room and began scanning it again. He needed to be able to hide in the room; he needed to be able to listen in when the lackey came back. And that wouldn't happen if Tatou was in the open, cocking her head and huffing at his hiding spot.

"C'mere," he grabbed her before she could run. He gave a glance at the couch, figuring that hiding behind it would probably give enough space for them both. But as he moved to get behind it, to hide and wait for the Fable agent who took much too much joy from his job, Tatou moved awkwardly in his arms. It sent Hiei off balance, he caught himself but his leg went the wrong way. The pain that went up the nerves in his right leg sent the fire demon down to the ground with clenched teeth.

He had been wandering about the apartment without his cane for weeks now… some days it hurt like hell and it wasn't worth moving. But using that detested cane wasn't worth it in the apartment. Yet he had been feeling so good. It figured, he'd forgotten about it, ignored it… and now… it just figured. He got back to his feet quickly by sheer force of determination alone. Hiei limped his way over and slipped behind the couch. He sat down heavily, it seemed like his leg didn't want to move in any direction happily. Hiei was ready to wait the other out. Hell it'd probably give his crippled leg the rest it apparently desired.

It got a full four hours before the paper work bearing agent showed. Hiei heard the door opening, the first foot steps into the entry way. He tightened his grip on Tatou, who was ready to bolt and take the intruder down. She hadn't started growling yet though, and Hiei hoped it would stay that way.

Explaining a mauling was not in his plans. The agent made his way to the living room and Hiei gripped Tatou tighter as she began to squirm more. The footsteps stopped and Hiei hoped he'd take the bait.

"The little-," Hiei smirked. Perfect. If things went as he hoped, everything was about to be thrown out the window.

The agent was muttering and had dropped the papers into a scattered mess that extended just into Hiei's eyesight behind the couch.

"Sir there's a problem," his voice had gone professional but agitated.

"He's not in the apartment. Either he'd gone for another impromptu run across town or I was right. That rescue, if it really was a rescue, was a cover so he could plan his escape." The lackey began to pace but Tatou had gone eerily still.

"I know it could be a problem. I think it's a very serious problem. He's been through some delicate papers. There are things he knows that would destroy entire branches of this organization."

Hiei set his jaw. He translated those papers, as if he read to remember them. What this agent told his superior was certain to screw him over. He'd gotten enough of this 'red tape handling' between his time on probation and the 'care' they took with him here to understand almost too well what would happen with this. No matter how this went, the restrictions on him would only get tighter. He couldn't be cooped up in this apartment, this city any longer. He'd thought the control in Japan had left him little. This was set to become worse.

The lackey left in a rush, still voicing concerns to his commanding officer across the phone. The door shut and Hiei waited a moment longer before getting out from behind the couch. He dropped Tatou to the floor and clenched his hands. He was lucky they had taken the bait. Lucky that they had spilt their concerns without thinking he could be hiding. Of course his luck had ended there. He ran a hand through his hair. Well, it had been quite a streak…

"Hiei!" He turned to the window. Botan slipped into the apartment, jumping from her oar with practiced ease.

Only then did he realize how long it had been since her last appearance.

"I thought I'd leave you alone for a while. You seemed…stressed." Strangely considerate.

"I, umm, I stayed with the girls for a while. They seemed to be holding up. Yukina's well." Hiei looked away as Botan scooped Tatou up into her arms. It had been months since he'd seen Yukina, heard about her. Botan began to chatter. Tatou went from her arms to the couch and then proceeded to scamper up the back of it to sit, whining softly for Botan's attention once more. The guide reached for her, continuing to talk. But Hiei was catching none of it… the fire demon half sat on the arm of the couch and dragged his mind from the picturesque Japanese temple it had created. Now as not the time. If he wanted nothing worse than this little apartment with his brick view, strangely locked doors and Botan's talking away…he needed to find a solution for this mess.

~*~Redemption~*~

There was ringing in her ears, honest to god ringing. She was back in the ill functioning elevator with her three, equally stunned, escorts. Headwoman Webber had started in on her the moment the door was shut and the men left in the entry. Garcia hadn't needed to completely fake her hysteria. It had grown in her from the first words, anger barely contained, to flow from the other's mouth. When the branch leader paused for effect, Garcia hadn't even needed to think but fell into her won bumbling speech laden with Spanish beyond a 'dabbler's' comprehension. She had lost her head so quickly in her own babbling, the Latina remembered so little of it she had to pray she had not screwed over all those she had hoped to cover for.

The elevator once again lurched into action, much like, Garcia haphazardly mused, Webber had lurched from her chair after three minutes of nonstop Spanish

"I've…" one of the agents started, still in his daze, "I've never heard the Headwoman….screech like that."

"Screech is oddly appropriate," the other whispered. Ramirez, still with a deer in the headlights look simply rubbed a finger in his ear, as though he could clear out the ringing.

The Headwoman had berated the Tech Expert for the next twenty minutes; the last five being filled with hidden threats. None, that she had been aware of, had been threats of bodily harm…her ability to work with in Fable or survive outside of the organization…those had been cleverly disguised. If things even went well. She doubted she would be able to live without looking over her shoulder at every corner. A fate that would be extended to any they could so much as say she had said hello to during the search and rescue effort.

"What the hell did you do?" The taller agent asked.

"Una cosita," Garcia whispered back to him. They would get her; a cold feeling in her belly told her that. But she was a step ahead of them. Her computer was clear, as clear as an expert could make it, of those she had contacted to get help.

But for the one who had contacted her…maybe there was a last favor she could do him.

~*~Redemption~*~

The people of sleeping down the hall of the apartment complex hardly heard the door of 22C being kicked in. The agents, one of which had caught the door and kept the noise to a minimum, in a SWAT team like formation began their search, their preferred weapons at the ready. They separated into the kitchenette, the living room, the unused bedroom. Bu there was nothing, even midnight moonlight didn't filter into the brick view window. The single agent with an ear com walked back to the entry way. He touched the com, walking back through and checking in with each agent with a look as the line crackled to life.

"There's no one here." The line came back to life on the other end and then went off again. Headquarters had gotten the message. The head agent motioned for the other to search the apartment again as they waited for further orders. With his back to the window, he couldn't know of the lithe body about to crash into his. He hit the ground, the com knocked from his ear. The nearby agents were quickly knocked asunder as well, the occupant of 22C heading for the door.

Tatou was on his heels, something Hiei only noticed as she almost tripped him. The fire demon didn't have time to think about her, or anything left in the apartment or even where he was going. Out of town was the only mandate, as fast as possible. He passed the mail boxes and got out the door as the remaining agents hit the bottom floor. One broke from the pack, rushing after their fleeing 'protected agent' as the demon put on what speed he could without causing his leg to give. Hiei made a hard turn at the first alley he passed. The agent slid and followed. Hiei felt a throb in his knee at another turn. He was taking them too hard. Another burst of real speed in hopes of losing the agent before his wrongly healed leg truly protested followed.

"Hiei!" The voce was scared and so familiar. It shot straight though him, overriding everything and Hiei skid to a stop. A second later he was forcibly introduced to the brick building he was near.

"I thought you were supposed to be fast?" the woman whispered in to his ear. "That's why they put me in this…raiding team. They told me I would be hard pressed to keep up. Maybe we didn't need the backup plan." She pushed him into the wall again. He heard Tatou snarl and the female agent begin to curse. Where is she?! Where's Yukina?

--

Hiei stumbled into the chair set up before the large oak desk. Hands held behind his back with something he'd found himself unable to burn away, the agents of the raiding team had pushed and pulled him to the office as if he couldn't take directions. His body shook with too much energy, he was close to sinking to the level of biting them to get away…if only he knew where Yukina was, if she was truly there…how they had even known that she was something to him. He couldn't risk her.

But they would get hell for using her.

A middle aged woman slipped behind the desk, her face carefully wiped of expression for the moment. But when she sat down, lacing her fingers on the desk, a small, supposedly warm, smile came to her painted lips.

"Hello agent. I am Iris Webber, Headwoman of District One, West Branch of the US. And you, you are one of the most amazing translators this district has ever had the pleasure of working with. You are brilliant, really." The headwoman smiled and Hiei clenched his teeth to hold back a comment that would do him no good.

"That being said," the woman shifted and her look grew coldly professional, "there are several things you need to answer for. You will not be leaving until you have." Hiei rolled his eyes and settled into the chair, cracking tense joints as he did so.

"You mean I won't be leaving until I give you the answers you want." Hiei gave her a feral smirk, "Something tells me that 'I was translating those damn documents, noticed inconsistencies, got some help and in the end caused the rescue of agents this organization didn't even realize were close to being lost and that I don't know what exactly the hell happened in that rescue' is not any part of the answer you want."

"…I'm afraid you are right," the headwoman whispered, "though with some generous details in the right places it could very well be." Hiei exhaled and answered.

"Then it's too damn bad there are no details." The fire demon knew he was no good with words. Over the years he'd learned he was much better at infuriating other then could ever be at really reasoning with them. That…that had been Kurama…hell even Yusuke or Kuwabara in a pinch. Never him. Reasoning was a fluke with him. And as the woman across the desk morphed, Hiei decided it was for a good reason.

~*~Ispirkimas~*~

Hiei nearly retched when he was tossed into the dust covered little hole that had supposedly once been a rentable flat. The little strength that had came back to his limbs after his "escorting" agents had stemmed their talisman's effects was just enough to turn himself over and catch the cloth sack that supposedly contained his meager belongings. The cane that had been brought along nearly collided with his head as it was thrown his way; his saving grace being another attempted revolt from his stomach causing him to curl as small as he could about the sack.

The smell that lingered in all areas of the building helped him none as the agents began to talk. They neared as they did so, looking smug and Hiei got the impression what they said was important to him and living in this place. The fire demon shut his eyes and gathered the concentration needed to use the jagan, in hope that somehow it would clear the fog just enough. But in the moment it seemed to work he recoiled as if he'd been kicked in the head. It felt as if he'd been kicked in the head yet neither agent moved and Hiei forced himself to abandon the attempt with the third eye.

Opening his eyes again he caught sight of the agents about to leave. He forced himself forward and grasped the cane on the floor. With a burst of what energy Hiei had the black haired male caught one agent in the gut with the smooth, polished wood. The other agent back handed him across the room with an arm that felt more like steel then flesh and bone. And the door shut behind the men.

It felt as if a talisman was still inside the empty rooms keeping the fog about. For a little while he didn't bother to move. He sat there trying to muddle his way to anything he could do to get himself out of his current predicament. Finally Hiei forced himself up and staggered to the door. When he could finally get it open, a startled man was on the other side. With a hold on either side of the door way to steady himself, he barely comprehended that the other stood there before the man was talking. Each syllable was like a needle through his skull. A needle that cleared what the worried man said but left his head aching. The man smiled and Hiei suddenly registered how he shook his hand vigorously, near to throwing him off balance and then left. The short demon staggered back and the other doubled back to shut his door. Hiei finally did retch in the entry way and stumbled back to drop heavily down next to the cloth sack. He was vaguely aware, as he slowly slipped unconscious, of no furry weight at his side, that vaguely the scent that was all across the level was familiar yet again and the notion, which made his stomach flop in the haze, that the worst….was probably starting.

~*~Sukuu~*~

Papers, papers and more papers were littered across his desk the same as any other day in his life. Though as Koenma looked at it, it didn't seem to be any bigger than what he had begun to get just two years ago. Maybe the fact that the piles were no longer heart attacking inducing on sight was a good sign. The piles at one time had been lessened to an extent while he had detectives on some things.

Koenma rubbed at his eyes, he was tired of papers. But what could he do? No detectives meant that things were now again dumped on the Reikai as whole. Or maybe, he though ruefully, more him than others. A sandal shod foot stepped into the room causing the Reikai Prince to looked up. He had to smile at Botan though he took note of the start of dark bags beneath her eyes yet again.

"Hello Botan." The Ferry Guide gave him a smile and walked up to the paper covered desk.

"Your desk is covered again, sir," Botan shook her head at the sight. Koenma gave her a most exasperated quirk of the lips.

"Now Botan, shouldn't you be used to the sight by now?" She giggled softly.

"I suppose so." Koenma put down his stamp, brushed some papers out of the way and gave the woman his undivided attention.

"How have you been? It's been a while since you came to my office."

"It has been a few weeks, hasn't it?" Botan whispered, rubbing sheepishly at her arm through her kimono sleeve.

"Relax Botan; it's not as if you've been shirking your duties. How have they been?"

Botan relaxed. This was routine. Whenever she came back to the Reikai, they would have this conversation. Sometimes it was short, sometimes it took Koenma from his duties long enough to be noticed. The occurrence certainly never stopped them, often it seemed to encourage them when the stacks got too high, too…filled with things that reminded them both that time had passed.

"So?" He prompted her. He watched Botan's face light up and all thoughts of paperwork were pushed from his mind in favor of letting the Guide just speak.

"Keiko was happy to see me again. I thought she looked tired though. Probably throwing herself into her course work again, wh-what with the time of the year and all. But she had to tell me about all the things she's been doing in the last couple months. I think she's doing really, really well.

"I saw Shizuru for a little bit but… she didn't talk much, mostly let me. And I just was rambling! She really shouldn't have let me do that, I was there to see her…though maybe I haven't told them much about me lately so I may've had that coming, right?

"I saw Genkai for a brief moment… she looked…healthy..."Botan giggled embarrassed and Koenma had to smile. He beckoned her on.

"I had to look through a bit of the temple to find Yukina. She was outback and I really should have known that. I think I spent the longest with her. Keiko and Shizuru don't make it up to the temple all that often anymore. And Yukina… well it's hard for her to just meet them in the city. I think she's getting lonelier. There's a few song birds that have been coming to the temple, she's been feeding them." Botan stopped and looked at the ground.

"She' uh…sh-she asked me about her brother, just little guessing things…and then she brought up Hiei. I think she's hoping I…I could help." She fiddled with her fingers and then forced herself to lookup and unwaveringly at the Reikai Prince.

For a moment Koenma couldn't meet her eyes. Finally he swallowed harshly and forced himself to look at her.

"I wish I could help too…I really do. But the Reikai dropped Hiei like a …a sack of potatoes by the time they sent him overseas. I've been looking, I swear to you I have been." Botan gave him a wobbly smile.

"I…I guess that's all we can do."

~*~Ispirkimas~*~

He had decided that the building smelt heavily of some sort of fish. Sometimes the smell would make him sick to his stomach…most of the time he slept. There was a calendar in the kitchen….what would be the kitchen. Everything had a would-be use….He used the calendar to keep track of the days, how long he slept and how little he did. Hiei wasn't sure how he hadn't been kicked from the upstairs space. There must have been a reason but the visits from the people downstairs had waned and eventually ground to a near halt within a few short months. Yet again he had fallen asleep for hours…days….a week? He'd fallen asleep in what he assumed was the main area of the dwelling. The fire demon tilted his head to the side to see out the window…the sun was high in the sky. It was somewhere in the afternoon he had to assume.

The hazy feeling of the wards had never left. Finding the one that had been left in the apartment after his 'escorts' had left had been futile. The long exposure to them got to him …to where it left him hardly able to move. Waiting out the talisman was the smarter move then wasting energy to find and not even having the ability to destroy it when he did. But its power had never waned as he had expected it too. The flow of time was more obvious by the festivals he could hear from the streets below. A year and more had gone by. Hiei was positive that while he suffered from talisman induced slumber it had been exchanged as each grew weak. Thus his lethargy never left.

He had been left to rot here with talisman provided insurance.

Tatou nudged his chin. The little animal that had somehow managed to make her way to him. He wasn't sure how, wasn't even sure how he'd forgotten her very existence until she had nudged him awake weeks into his confinement. Now she suffered as he did, almost always curled tightly to his torso. They ate what was brought up to them, something he figured had been written right into his stay. Hiei took a deep breath and forced himself to his hands and knees. His cane had yet again been abandoned, if there was no energy to stand then there was no reason to have it nearby.

The black haired demon reached the window and rested against it. He watched the preparation below. Another festival was on its way. The last detective leaned his forehead against the cool window pane. He had slim hopes of not sleeping through this one. But it didn't matter. He already knew what one it was. It was the same one he'd seen when the people who lived and worked below him still stopped by, who had merrily explained it to him. He remembered it well now; it had been before sleep consumed his meager existence.

"Looks…looks like i-it's been two years now….." Slowly he slid down the wall from the window, murmuring to himself, "…this is a new level even for you…how pathetic…"

--

…I have no excuses for way this is so dang late. I can only tell why it is and why the next most likely will be:

1) I'm in college! & 2) Everything thing I've written since the start of September has been either for a class or a scholarship (which I need…) so I'm almost surprised I managed to finish this and get it edited.

Sadly this is a transitional chapter…we're going to hit the next arc of the story after this which I like to call Ragnarok. There are three arcs….the first of which is now finished. Thus ends the Descent to Madness portion. Hopefully I'll be back soon!