Sunlight shone through a small window, falling on a head of orange hair that contrasted greatly with the dark blue pillow underneath it. Ichigo's eyes scrunched closed to block the bright onslaught, groaning as he turned onto his back, a dark blue sheet tangling in his legs as he moved. The orange head brought his arm up to cover his eyes as he slowly blinked them open. Sighing, he rose into a sitting position, a hand running through his hair as he looked around the room. His mind was still clouded with sleep, but his dream still played perfectly through his mind. He shivered as he remembered being locked in a small brick cell, water trickling down the bricks giving the room a musty, moldy smell. The only window in the room was small, covered in bars, and at the same level as the street above him. He remembered hearing the footsteps of those passing by. He remembered screaming for help, but no one stopped. He had curled up in the corner of the room on a pile of damp straw, hugging his knees close to his chest as he stared at the thick wood door that had more iron bars covering the opening at the top of the door. The last thing he remembered seeing was a cruel smirk, and dark purple, laughing eyes as Luppi stood in the open doorway. Ichigo shivered, running his hands over his face as he crawled out of bed. Grabbing a towel off the back of his desk chair, the orange head moved into the bathroom.
Gripping onto the counter, he stared at his reflection in the mirror, his eyes moving to examine the newly formed bite mark on his neck. It was bruised again, but didn't hurt nearly as much as the first one had as he poked and prodded at it. After a minute, he stepped back, slowly stripping out of his black sweat pants before stepping into the shower. Fiddling with the knobs, he got the water to the temperature he wanted, and stuck his head under the spray. As he bathed, Ichigo tried feverishly to push his dream to the back of his mind. There was no way Luppi could be capable of something like that, so he had no reason to fret over it. After rinsing the shampoo out of his hair, he turned the water off, shaking his head to rid his hair of the excess water. Once he stepped out of the shower, he grabbed the towel, running it over his face before drying himself off. Wrapping the towel around his waist, he wandered back into his room to pick through his closet. He had gotten home late the night before after helping Tatsuki make sure Keigo and Inoue got home safely. It was now nearly two in the afternoon. Throwing on a pair of loose jeans and a white t-shirt, he left his bedroom, heading down the hall and into his living room. He turned on the TV, switching it to a station that played nothing but music before sauntering into the kitchen to make himself a pot of coffee. Just as he flicked the power switch on, his phone rang. Grabbing it off the counter, he looked at the screen that was flashing his father's number. Sighing, he flipped the phone open bringing it to his ear. "Hello?" He answered, cringing when his father's high pitched voice sounded through the receiver.
"Ichigo my son! How are you!" Isshin cried, his voice happy. Ichigo thanked the stars that he didn't live with the crazy old man anymore. His mornings were quite peaceful without having to worry about his father bursting into his room with a surprise attack.
"What do you want?" Ichigo growled, popping some bread into the toaster.
"I called to see if you would like to join us next Tuesday for breakfast at ten," Isshin responded, oblivious to his son's annoyance.
"Dad, I've told you before classes start at nine!" Ichigo snapped back.
"I know, I know! I was just testing to see if you were going to skip!" Isshin remarked cheerily, making Ichigo scowl.
"If that's all you wanted I'm hanging up," Ichigo grumbled, pulling the phone away from his ear. He placed it back when he heard his father scream for him to wait.
"I heard you got yourself a job," Isshin stated, suddenly sounding serious.
"That I did," Ichigo said, cradling the phone on his shoulder as he pulled the bread out of the toaster, spreading butter and jam over the pieces.
"At a night club Ichi?" Isshin questioned, his tone scolding.
"It's only four days a week until two in the morning dad. Don't worry I'll get my school work done on time like I always have and I'll get enough sleep," Ichigo grumbled back.
"All right, but if it gets to be too much you know what your priorities are," Isshin drawled, and Ichigo could practically see his father with his serious face on. It made him smirk, taking a bite out of the toast.
After chewing and swallowing, he said, "I know dad, I'm not stupid." On the other end of the phone Isshin sighed loudly.
"I know that Ichigo. I'm just looking out for your best interests. When do you start?" His father questioned as Ichigo turned to pull a coffee cup out of one of the cupboards.
"I start at eight tonight," the orange head responded, picking the coffee pot up to pour himself a cup. After he set the pot back on the burner, he grabbed his cup and toast, walking into the living room.
"Well I wish you luck my son! Daddy will talk to you real soon!" Isshin exclaimed cheery once again.
"Bye dad," Ichigo grumbled, snapping his phone closed. Sighing, he set his cup onto his computer desk, sliding into the chair in front of it, pushing the power button on his computer. As he waited for it to boot up, he finished off his toast, taking a big gulp of coffee afterward. Pulling up his paper on the Circulatory System, he scanned over it, making changes where they were needed before printing off the final product, placing it into a folder before sliding it into his messenger bag that rested on the floor next to his desk. With his homework done, Ichigo went about cleaning his apartment, intent on keeping busy in order to make time move faster. The whole time he worked, Luppi was on his mind. He tried to figure out just what the raven head had meant by his words last night. Was Luppi threatening him? He had no reason to in Ichigo's opinion, but he couldn't stop the way his stomach twisted at the thought.
After thoroughly cleaning his apartment, Ichigo sighed, plopping onto the couch. He still had two hours before he even had to think of getting ready for work, so he decided to spend that time with his feet propped up, a cold glass of tea in hand as he read up on his book of medical terms, soft music playing in the background. He had just started to review surgical terms when someone knocked on his door. Shutting his book, he tossed it onto the coffee table, walking over to the front door. Looking through the peep hole, he groaned when he spotted his next door neighbor on the other side. Opening the door, he asked, "What do ya want this time Matsumoto?"
"Ah, hello there Ichigo! I was hoping you could do me one teensy weensy favor," Matsumoto said with a pleading look in her big, blue eyes as she clasped her hands together. Ichigo sighed, running a hand through his hair as his other arm rested against the doorway.
"What sort of favor?" Ichigo questioned.
"There's a mouse running rampant in my apartment!" The ginger haired woman exclaimed and Ichigo fought to hide his smirk.
"Show me where," Ichigo ordered, shaking his head when Matsumoto let out a girlish squeal, dragging him into her apartment by his arm. She stayed in the doorway as Ichigo made his way into the kitchen where she had recalled seeing it last. An hour, and a few bumps and bruises later, Ichigo held the mouse by the tail heading for the door. Matsumoto cringed away from him as he made his way out into the hallway and to the front of the building. Letting the mouse go on the lawn, Ichigo turned back into the building. It was about time for him to get ready for work, the stupid mouse taking up the rest of his free time. When he reached his door, Matsumoto peeked her head out of her apartment calling her thanks to the orange head who lifted a hand in acknowledgment before disappearing into his own home.
Pulling the white t-shirt over his shoulders, Ichigo skimmed through his closet for a decent shirt to wear for his first night of work. He chose a black muscle shirt that clung tightly to his body, quickly followed by a pair of khaki colored cargo pants. Ruffling his hair some, he checked his appearance in the mirror. Once satisfied with how he looked, Ichigo walked into the kitchen to grab himself a quick bite to eat before grabbing his keys, cell phone and wallet. Shrugging a leather jacket onto his shoulders, he left his apartment, locking the door behind him. He twirled his keys in his fingers as he made his way towards the parking lot where a bright red convertible sat waiting. It had been a graduation gift from his father, the only thing the old man seemed to have done right. Sliding into the drivers seat, he turned the key in the ignition bringing the engine to life. Taking a deep breath, he turned the volume of his stereo up, blaring Head Strong by Linkin Park through the speakers. His fingers tapped against the leather steering wheel as he sang along with the song under his breath as he drove through the streets heading for the club.
When he pulled into the parking lot to the side of the club, Ichigo was not surprised to see a line stretching from the front of the building all the way down the sidewalk and around the side of the building. Shutting his car off, he clambered out of it, shutting the door. Pressing the lock button on the remote on his key chain, he turned, heading for the front entrance. Yammy was the first to spot him, and gave the orange head a slight nod.
"Just head on through," he stated in a low gravely voice.
"Uh, thanks," Ichigo murmured, realizing that it was the first time he had heard the giant of a man speak. Kenpachi held the door open for him as he walked through giving the orange head a grin. In the front room, true to Shirosaki's words, Grimmjow was waiting for him, leaning against the wall next to the door that lead up to the VIP room. Gin gave him a warm smile as he walked towards the teal haired vampire, and Ichigo returned it with a smile of his own. When he reached Grimmjow, he looked around, a confused expression crossing his face. "Where's Nnoitra?" He questioned, suddenly realizing what was missing.
"He's up on the third level, which is where I'm going to take you right now. Come on," Grimmjow explained, pushing off the wall. Ichigo followed behind him as Grimmjow led him through the club towards the bar. Instead of stopping, he pushed open the door in the back that Ichigo had seen him and Ulquiorra disappear through the night before. Grimmjow led him up another set of black marble stairs.
About halfway up, Ichigo spoke, "I ran into Luppi outside the club last night." Grimmjow stopped in his tracks, turning to look back at Ichigo.
"What happened?" He questioned, his tone was demanding, but Ichigo could hear the worry in it.
"He asked what my relationship was to Shirosaki and how I met him. I lied of course," Ichigo explained and Grimmjow grunted in approval.
"Good just keep your guard up ok," the teal haired vampire ordered, moving again when the orange head nodded. When Ichigo stepped onto the third level of the club, he was pleasantly surprised. It wasn't anything like he was suspecting, but none the less it looked amazing. In the middle of the room two half circle, black leather couches sat, a long mahogany table in the center of them. Two people were sprawled out on one of the couches. Ichigo recognized one as Nnoitra who gave him a grin, raising his hand to wave at the orange head. Ichigo waved back, before his gaze flicked to the other person. The man had shoulder length pink hair and piercing gold eyes that were trained on Ichigo.
"Ichigo this is Szayel. He's in charge of finances," Grimmjow explained. The man named Szayel rose from his seat and walked over to Ichigo his hand outstretched. Ichigo took it, looking the man up and down.
"It's nice to meet you Ichigo," Szayel spoke, his voice sounding bored.
"Nice to meet you too," the orange head responded. Ichigo pondered if the man had any excitement in his life, but quickly brushed it off in order to take in the rest of the room. There was a row of lockers to his left, names printed onto the steel surfaces. The floor beneath his feet wasn't carpeted, but a polished, stained wood that gleamed from the light flickering from the crystal chandelier above. White marble pillars stood in the corners over the large room, crimson red drapes wrapped around them. The walls were painted a dark red, black cast iron sconces placed symmetrically around the room giving off more light. Nestled in the center of the far wall stood a set of polished gold doors, framed by a brick doorway. Intricate writing was carved into the stone at the top, and Ichigo recognized the name.
"Shiro," he murmured, staring at the carving with wide eyes.
"That's his office," Szayel stated from next to him, flashing Ichigo a smile when the orange head glanced at him.
"Huh?" Ichigo questioned, his face twisted in confusion. Szayel just chuckled, shaking his head.
"You were staring quite intently at the doors so I figured I would tell you what was behind them," he explained, before sauntering off to take his place back on the couch. Ichigo blinked, still confused as to what had just transpired, but Grimmjow's gruff voice broke him out of his revere.
"Come over here," the teal haired vampire ordered, walking to the left towards the row of lockers. He stopped in front of one, turning to wait for Ichigo to move. When the orange head finally joined him, Grimmjow pointed to the locker, and Ichigo followed his finger, finding his name printed onto the steel surface. "This one is yours. You can put anything that you don't want on you during work in here," Grimmjow explained, pulling open the door to the locker. Ichigo shrugged off his jacket, handing it to Grimmjow who placed it inside before slamming the door closed. Turning to Ichigo he said, "Let's get ya down to your station then." Ichigo nodded, following him out the door and down the stairs towards the main floor. As Grimmjow busted through the doors, Ichigo stared at him with annoyance. It seemed that the teal haired vampire liked to make a big entrance where ever he went. Ichigo moved to follow him, but was stopped by a hand on his arm. He looked back to find the blonde bartender standing at his side.
"What's up Shinji?" He questioned, tilting his head to the side. The blonde just smiled, walking over to the bar where a large book sat. He picked it up, turning back to Ichigo.
"This will help ya learn the drinks. Everyone likes things a certain way, and they should be in there," Shinji explained, handing Ichigo the book.
"Uh, thanks Shinji! This will help so much!" Ichigo exclaimed, flashing the blonde vampire a smile. Shinji returned the smile before shooing him off after Grimmjow. When they reached the front room, Ichigo was surprised to see Nnoitra leaning against the door to the VIP room. The tall vampire turned to him, a devious smirk on his lips. "How did you...? When?" Ichigo sputtered out, pointing back into the club then at Nnoitra.
"What's tha' Ichi?" Nnoitra questioned, moving to hover over the orange head, his hair falling to curtain the sides of Ichigo's face. The orange head's eyes widened, and he took a step back from the man.
"How did you get here before us?" Ichigo questioned, avoiding Nnoitra's gaze at all costs.
"I'm just tha' fast," the ebony haired vampire responded, a teasing grin spreading across his lips. Grimmjow let out a sigh, rolling his eyes as he brought his hand up to smack Nnoitra in the back of the head.
"Shut up will ya! You're annoying as fuck!" Grimmjow growled, earning him a snarl and a dark glare from Nnoitra.
"Watch yourself Grimm," Nnoitra warned. Grimmjow just scoffed, waving his hand towards the door Nnoitra had been leaning against.
"I'm waiting," he growled, tapping his foot in impatience. Nnoitra growled, pulling the key out from under his shirt and unlocking the door. Grimmjow nearly drug Ichigo up the stairs and into the VIP room. When he stopped, Ichigo stumbled, slamming into his back.
"Ow! Grimm warn me next time," he whined, rubbing his forehead as he righted himself. Grimmjow turned to him, a dark look in his teal eyes and Ichigo quickly snapped his mouth shut. After an agonizingly long minute, Grimmjow sighed, running a hand through his hair, letting go of Ichigo's hand. He motioned for the orange head to follow him to the bar. When Ichigo stood on the other side of the bar, Grimmjow spoke. "People will come and go all night. All you have to do is make the drinks they request, and if you would like you can engage them in small talk or whatever. Just don't freak out if someone starts ta feed in front of you. That's usually why people come up here," he stated, and Ichigo nodded his head in understanding.
"Hey Grimm? Can I ask you a question?" Ichigo asked, fidgeting with the towel he had just picked up.
"You just did," Grimmjow remarked, earning him a scowl from Ichigo. He laughed at the orange head's expression before leaning his elbow against the counter. "Go ahead," he mumbled.
"Well...I was just wondering if you or Ulquiorra have any that you've marked," Ichigo asked nervously. The thought had been bothering him after he had noticed that he had never seen either with a human. After the words had come out of his mouth, Ichigo wished he could take them back. The murderous look in Grimmjow's eyes wasn't directed at him, but it still sent chills through his body. The teal haired vampire's fists clenched at his sides and he seemed to shake with a suppressed rage. Grimmjow gritted his teeth, shaking his head and Ichigo breathed a sigh of relief when his body started to relax.
"Ulquiorra and I don't have any marked ones anymore. Haven't for a long time," Grimmjow whispered so softly that Ichigo almost didn't hear him.
"Then how do you..?" He trailed off when Grimmjow's eyes snapped to him, a deep emptiness swirling in their depths.
"We get our meals from Szayel. He has a donation clinic set up for cases just like mine and Ulquiorra's," Ichigo shivered at how dull and lifeless Grimmjow's voice seemed. He hung his head, unsure of what to say to the vampire.
"I'm sorry," he whispered quietly earning him a snicker from Grimmjow and a ruffle of the hair.
"Ya got nothin to be sorry about! I'll be back later ta check on ya, got stuff I gotta get done. Good luck!" Grimmjow called before leaving Ichigo all alone, staring after him with a confused expression on his face. Grimmjow had gone from completely vacant to his normal sarcastic self so quickly that Ichigo wasn't sure if he hadn't imagined the whole exchange between him and the vampire. Shaking his head, Ichigo turned his attention back to the bar and spent a good time organizing everything to his liking. He was just placing the last bottle of alcohol in it's spot when the door opened. Ichigo snapped his head up to find three people walking into the room. One was a female a little on the short side with large deep purple eyes and shoulder length black hair. She seemed a little childish in a full length black dress with white ribbons and lace all around it. A white ribbon was tied into her hair and she was clutching what looked like a stuffed bunny in her arms. Next to her was a tall, lean man with long black hair, and cold, expressionless gray eyes. He wore finely pressed black slacks, a white sweater with a black blazer, and there was some sort of scarf around his neck. Ichigo looked the pair up and down making the assumption that the two had to be siblings. They looked so much alike. His gaze drifted to take in the other figure, finding a tan, muscled red head. The man's hair fell around his shoulders standing out brightly against his black shirt and jeans. His arms and neck were covered in black tribal designs and his brown eyes met the orange head's, a smirk twitching at his lips. Ichigo quickly looked away, busying himself by wiping down the already clean counter. He watched the first two take a seat off in one of the corners of the room out of the corner of his eye before fixing his gaze back onto the bar.
"Oi!" A deep voice sounded from in front of the orange head nearly making him jump. Ichigo raised wide eyes to the culprit to find the smirking red head leaning against the bar.
"Can I..um..h-help you?" Ichigo questioned shakily, twisting the towel in his hands. The red head grinned, fixing Ichigo with an amused stare.
"Never had anyone up here before. Shiro must have given in ta Grimmjow's whinin. What's your name?" The red head questioned, sliding onto one of the stools.
"Ichigo," the orange head mumbled.
"Interestin name ya got there. My names Renji," the red head stated, holding out his hand, which Ichigo took hesitantly. He cringed underneath the man's grip, and exhaled in relief when Renji let him go. "The other two over there are Byakuya and Rukia. Don't worry if they don't really talk. They rarely talk to anyone, especially humans," Renji explained, turning in his chair to look at the pair. He tilted his head to look back at Ichigo when he said the word humans, a sly grin on his lips. Ichigo's eyes widened exponentially as he stared at the red head who just tilted his head back and laughed. "Don't worry about it man!" Renji exclaimed, turning back to Ichigo.
The orange head nodded before asking, "What can I get for you?"
"Give me a beer and a shot of tequila. Make it the strong stuff," Renji ordered, and Ichigo darted off to fulfill the order. When he came back, he placed a shot glass and a bottle in front of Renji who pulled his wallet out from his back pocket and pulled a bill out from it's fold. He folded the bill between his fingers before handing it over to Ichigo who took it quickly, avoiding touching the man's skin as much as possible. "Keep the change," the red head stated, giving Ichigo a wink. When Ichigo opened the bill, his eyes widened and he opened his mouth to object, but the red head was already across the room sliding into a seat next to the woman named Rukia. Shrugging his shoulders, Ichigo moved over to the cash register. After ringing up the order he picked through the book Shinji had given him, occasionally lifting his gaze to look over at the small group.
Up in his office, Shirosaki paced, his arms folded behind his back. Ulquiorra, Nel, and Halibel stood against the wall in front of him waiting for the vampire to speak. Shirosaki paused in his pacing, turning to his desk to pick up a vanilla folder. He flicked it open, staring down at the papers inside, a thoughtful expression on his face. "Halibel I want your men on constant camera watch. Anything that looks suspicious bring to Ulquiorra right away. Ulquiorra, you know what to do," Shirosaki ordered, lifting his gaze to look at the trio. Both Halibel and Ulquiorra nodded before disappearing out the door leaving Nel and Shirosaki alone.
"Sir, you don't think he'll attack here do you?" Nel questioned, taking a hesitant step forward. A frown had formed on her lips when Shirosaki tossed the vanilla folder back onto his desk, a scowl plastered on his lips. It was her fault that he was so angry. She had been the one to find the warning. Her hands clenched at her sides as a bloody message painted onto the side of a building all the way across the territory flashed through her mind. Beneath the message had been a body. A young, fairly skinned, blonde woman whose throat had been cut.
"It seems Tousen is wasting no time in calling attention to himself. He's a danger to everyone Nel, and I'm not going to allow him to get inside these doors if I can help it," Shirosaki murmured, fixing the green haired woman with a hard look.
"What do you want me to do?" Nel questioned, straightening the fingerless gloves on her fingers. Shirosaki seemed to ponder for a minute, his finger tapping at his chin.
"I want you to send out an alert, warn people he's back and to be careful. Keep scouring the streets too. See if you can't find out where he's hiding," Shirosaki ordered, running his hand over his face. Nel nodded, quickly leaving the room. Shirosaki stood in the middle of his office, one hand curled around his chin, his other stuffed into his pocket. His mind was in the past, reliving the last time Tousen had shown up. He remembered how long it had taken him to get Grimmjow and Ulquiorra to get up and about again and he breathed out a heavy sigh.
"I won't let you do this again Tousen!" He growled low, running a hand through his hair. His gaze flicked to the large grandfather clock on his right, and a small smile touched his lips. It was almost nine meaning Ichigo would be in the VIP room. Grabbing a black blazer off the back of his chair, he shrugged it on, leaving the office. As he made his way down the marble stairs, his smile grew.
Ichigo was at a loss. He didn't know what to do or think. He had been excited when Gin had come through the door waving at him with a bright smile on his face. He had been so happy to see a friendly face that he knew, someone who he could talk to. But that was before he had seen who Gin had brought with him. Now Ichigo stood transfixed at the bar, staring at his next door neighbor who had her arms around Gin's waist. The ginger haired woman turned to look at Ichigo, a wide grin forming on her lips.
"Oh Kurosaki-Kun I didn't know you worked here!" She exclaimed, bouncing over to the orange head. Ichigo looked Matsumoto over taking in the short, red dress that barely left anything to the imagination. His gaze stopped at the mark that was displayed clear as day on her shoulder as she brushed her hair to the side.
How did I never notice it before? He thought, missing Gin's amused grin as the vampire walked over to them.
"You two know each other?" Gin questioned, making Ichigo jump, snapping out of his thoughts. The orange head turned to look at him.
"We are next door neighbors!" Matsumoto explained cheerily, practically beaming, her fingers linking with Gin's.
"It really is a small world. Ichigo be a dear and bring us a bottle of red wine," Gin said in a sing song sort of tone as Matsumoto led him towards the back of the room. Ichigo nodded, still in shock at meeting his neighbor at his place of work. He numbly grabbed two long stemmed wine glasses and a bottle of chilled wine and brought them over to Gin and Matsumoto who had taken residence on one of the leather couches. Matsumoto took the glasses giving him a sweet smile. Ichigo's lips twitched in a small smile before scurrying back over to the bar when Gin leaned over to kiss the side of the ginger haired woman's neck. Before he could make it back to his post, a pair of arms wrapped their way around his waist from behind and Ichigo had to cover his mouth with his hands to stop from screaming. A deep chuckle sounded behind him and a pair of lips brushed over his ear.
"You sure are jumpy tonight," the deep baritone voice spoke, a voice Ichigo knew well. He relaxed in his captors arms, his hands coming up to grip the arms around his waist. His head leaned back against the man's shoulder earning him a pleased growl that reverberated against his back. "That's better," Shirosaki purred, planting a kiss against Ichigo's neck. The human let out a sigh, allowing Shirosaki to turn him around. When Ichigo's gaze took in the vampire before him, he realized just how much he had missed Shirosaki in only a days time. "How's your first day going?" The silver haired vampire questioned, running a hand through Ichigo's orange locks.
"It's been interesting," Ichigo responded in a breathy tone, leaning into Shirosaki's touch, earning him a small smile. The vampire kept an arm around Ichigo's waist as he walked with him back over to the bar. He had just pulled Ichigo into a kiss when the door opened, a rather large group of people entering the lounge. Reluctantly letting the orange head go, he took a seat on one of the stools, watching Ichigo take the orders. He smiled warmly as he took in the bright shine in Ichigo's eyes, and the large grin that seemed like it would split the orange head's face in two. He watched as Ichigo started a conversation with a small blonde haired girl whom he knew as Lilynette and her father Starrk. Nothing made him happier than to see the human so welcomed and enjoying every minute of it.
Nel made her way down the cracked sidewalk, her heels clicking ominously in the silence. Street lights above flickered on and off, sending dark shadows over the brick buildings to her left. She breezed by the alleys, keeping her eyes in front of her and her senses open. Just a little bit ago she had stopped to talk to a small cluster of vampires that were huddled around the front steps to one of the restaurants that littered the territory, only to learn that the group had recently heard an ear piercing scream coming from the direction she was heading in. She made her way briskly towards the intersection, only to come to a stop when she rounded the corner. "No," the word passed her lips in a whisper as she stood frozen in shock, her wide eyes trained on the huddled body laying in the middle of the sidewalk in front of her. Above the body was another message written in blood, and her gaze flicked to it, quickly knowing that whomever was laying on the ground was dead. Moving with slow steps, she approached the body, crouching down low to study it closely. It was human, a male this time with very short black hair. The man's blue eyes were open and lifeless, staring up at her. Her gaze flicked to the man's neck to find it slashed, blood still pooling out of the wound. She scanned the body, stopping at the man's wrist. Lifting it up gently with her fingers, she leaned forward to get a closer look. There was a scar on the man's wrist that she recognized quickly as a bite mark. She let the hand fall from her grasp and turned her gaze towards the message painted in blood on the wall.
YOU WILL ALL FACE JUSTICE! Gleamed back at her and she felt a shiver go through her spine. This screamed Tousen's work, and it looked like he had taken another human's life. Covering her mouth with a shaky hand, she slowly got to her feet, turning away from the scene. She reached her free hand into her pocket, pulling out a sleek black cell phone. Pressing the speed dial, she brought it to her ear, listening to it ring. Finally, a voice picked up and Nel removed the hand from her mouth, clearing her throat. "Yes it's me," she answered shakily. Nel quietly listened to the voice on the other end, taking one last look at the bloody mess behind her.
"I've found another victim," she stated, rounding the corner to lean against the wall. She cringed at the harshness of the other voice and closed her eyes.
"Yes, I understand. Please hurry," she whispered shutting her phone and falling to her knees.