I was hoping this would be one of the last chapters for 2019, but I wasn't happy with its quality so I went back to polishing it.

Fun fact, this was from a 4000 word 'short story' but I am going to split it. Although this first part ended up being 4000 words anyway… Here is the first part.

Project A-M1010: Preparations.

Project A-M1010, a secret project researching around anti-matter. Leading the project was Kotaro Yanagisawa, heir to the Yanagisawa Family and in charge of the World Research Foundation. William T. Spears explained this to a group of reapers.

Pictures of the lead scientist, along with other key scientists was laid out across the screen. There were some delightful comments of how Yanagisawa's face was very punch-able.

"We had some difficulties when finding out about the project, as it is unofficially and privately funded by the man himself. It has appeared we have found the 'Grim Reaper' is residing in said project."

The profile picture of a single man smiling was front and centre in the presentation. "He was to be the project's subject, that if anti-matter can be generated within a living subject."

A meeting was being conducted for assignment for a group consist of reapers from the Intelligence, Scientific and Technology Divisions. It was held in one of the many boardrooms that the Department housed. Which meant that it was a high-level mission to be briefed like this as William debriefed his presentation to the group.

One specific person from the group was Ikeda. Ikeda diligently read through the report and his briefing, his finger tapping on the table. There was dark glint in his eyes and a smirk etched across his face, those who worked with Ikeda long enough that he was very excited for this assignment.

Someone like Kain, who sat beside on his left side and was refilling his glass of water. Or Diva who sat at the front, and next to her was her elder brother Albert. The two were helping William in the debriefing. The two were considered as legends within the Intelligence division, despite a young career of 100 years.

Ikeda and many reapers heard of how she once took down an extremely strong lingered Ghost as she was down to her last ounce of strength with her junior, Peter. Reaper no. X-5672 of the American Branch, or no. 5910-3400-2001 under the general Department classification code who was declared seceded almost 20 years ago, but that was a story for another day.

She and her brother was currently taking a mandatory break from working in Intelligences, they are currently helping the Management Division, more specifically its Legal Sector. Reapers that work within any Division must take mandatory breaks from prevent burn-out and as one of the means to reduce episodes which warrant a trip to the Mental Ward. The Intelligence Division have some of the must strictest rules in regard to their mandatory breaks.

One of the problems presented to the Department was that it encourages a 'workaholic behaviour.' So reapers has to be forced to take up less work prior to the mandatory break. One of the popular jobs during this time period is to take up the mantle of a main senior.

"The subject, the 'Grim Reaper' arrived at the secret facility on-."

At the mention of the 'Grim Reaper', everyone turned their page on the assassin, condensed and summarised.

The 'Grim Reaper' was an infamous assassin whose endeavours was well-known to the hallways of the Department. There was no official birth certification to his name that could be found, that is if it even existed; So the Identification Division had to assigned his most infamous nickname 'Grim Reaper', there was also no. 9201-K070-AE81 but that was a handful to say every-time.

The profile picture of the man with short black hair dressed in a formal clothing who was kindly smiling stared back at him with unassuming eyes. Ikeda thought of how dark those eyes were as if it would consume him, as if he was staring into abyss and the abyss was staring back at him.

Ikeda had heard of 'Grim Reaper', it was hard not to. He even had to collect the soul of a world leader who died of 'natural causes' and that just one he could think of from the top of his head.

Stories spread quickly through the Department, of how the man who singlehandedly brought thousands upon thousands of souls for them to be collected. However, the assassin was more the butt of the jokes to the Department every time he left behind a trail of bodies due to his name.

Officially on paper, he was named as 'Grim Reaper', unofficially and more commonly in the Department he was given what some can perceive as a crueller and humiliating name; The Fake Reaper.

A name given in jest and mockery to a man who killed and destroyed many lives in his path. Given as it went everything against what the Department stands for, reapers are observers by nature and collectors of the decease souls. It was almost a result to call himself a Grim Reaper, when given about the circumstances of the Department.

Many of his closest colleagues have to collect the souls of his victims. Lucia, Ivan, Diva, An, Rilliane, Mark, James, Johnny, Kain and many more.

Lucia had to collect the soul of a poor girl who happened to be caught under the assassin's rader, paid by a rival family he had the victim dunk in a closed vape filled to the brim with water. Her hands bled and bruised as she desperately tried to claw her way out for an escape. If Ikeda remembered correctly, it was so traumatising that as soon as Lucia finished her shift, she immediately went for the bottle as she rambled of still hearing the girl's desperate pleads to escape to Wolfie.

Another story came from Kain, the white-haired reaper had seen the assassin from the start of his killing career. He wouldn't say much, but he did comment that it was eerie of how the Fake Reaper had grown more efficient since the reaper has grown last saw him.

Even Gakushu witnessed one of his killings, although it ended up with Ikeda having to collect the victims soul. Not that Ikeda minded. As it turned out, Gakushu's first collection on a murdered victim, on a Christmas no less was the work of the Fake Reaper. What Ikeda assumed that it would had been gang related because at the time, he was dispatched to that area where gang-related crimes were common. He never expected that it was the infamous assassin, and not many things surprise Ikeda in his line of work.

The scene grotesque to put it so kindly. Ikeda was quick to react to shield Gakushu's eyes from the mangled body, the force of the knife so vicious that her limbs were barely hanging onto her body. But the smell of blood was still there, and Gakushu emptied his stomach.

Despite the mockery which surrounded the Fake Reaper, there was a sense of a morbid curiosity befitting to the Department. The stories that brew from his killings, they were fun and interesting to talk over lunch, dinner or any sort of conversation. Of his next kill, of where he will be spotted next and the manner he will take. People love to talk whenever they collected the Reaper's victims.

Intrigue within the Department for the assassin's story. A boy who grew up with nothing in the worst of slums to become the most notorious assassin the Department recorded as of yet.

An being kind-hearted that she is, felt pity for the boy who was consistently surrounded by death and corruption. Ikeda could see that, if possibly in another alternate universe, she would had immediately adopted him in her pack of strays being the mother-hen that she is.

Gakushu had to laugh at the absurdity of it all, saying that 'Reaper' was doing his job as a reaper completely wrong. Saying that no wonder he was given the nickname, the Fake Reaper. As the strawberry blonde boy so kindly puts it, he was shit at his job and would be given extra shifts at the Office as punishment for no adhering to his duties. Grell agreed, it was good to say that he matured long since the Jack the Ripper incident.

As the strawberry blonde laughed, he may not had noticed it, but Ikeda did; Of how he could slightly touch his check. Of where the spray splatted across from the Fake Reaper's Christmas victim.

Ikeda share the same both of their sentiment.

And then suddenly, two years ago his killing spree just ended. It sparked interest amongst the Department given the assassin's character and infamous work. He hadn't died, somebody would had mentioned that they collected the soul of the Fake Reaper.

Reapers love to talk, when they are not being vague little shits.

It was discovered, in part of the Intelligence's work that the assassin was finally captured and sent to be a test subject of an unofficial project. Ikeda was intrigued to say the least as he flickered through the files and documents given.

He kept his laughter in when he learned the real reason of his capture, his own student betrayed him in some assassination mission. As the report continues, along the way, he stole his teacher's name and intentionally became a live-action Red Skull. Ikeda loves his work sometimes.

Much of the information from William's mouth became white noise for Ikeda who was already up to date with the reports. He was a quick reader, but he dutifully listened anyway like a good reaper he is.

"You will begin your assignment tomorrow morning at 0500 exactly."

Everyone stood up, strong and straight, and saluted in perfect unison. "Roger!"

As soon as William left for his next debriefing. Ikeda immediately got to work. "We should split into two teams, one team will come with me to the laboratory, the other will reserve and set up a room in the restrictive area of the Intelligence division."

"You got it." A reaper with short orange hair responded as he walked over to Diva and Albert who will help sort out the needed documents and equipment essential for the assignment.

"I will organise a Restriction Zone of us." As the name implied, only a selected number of reapers are able to enter.

Ikeda looked back to his files again and looked more deeply at the assassin's profile. A smile of a gentlemen. He let out a dark smile and a bountiful laugh. Ikeda's chartreuse phosphorescent gleaned with excitement as he held up the profile. Already, he was thinking of ways to bug the entire building, how to spy on the VIP, to find a place where they could do their assignment inside of the laboratory.

Although Diva would say that it was more of a crazed look, than excitement.

"So, we are setting up a secret room in the laboratory? Tricky stuff." One of the reapers whispered to her colleague.

"Don't forget, we have to add surveillance everywhere as well."

"This is getting interesting." Kain said as he stood up from his seat for a stretch.

Ikeda snickered. "Looks like it, but I wonder how long it would last." He rested his cheek against his hand as he looked up to the white-haired male.

He flashed him a dazzling smile. "I get bored very easily."

After finishing the preparations for tomorrow's assignment, creating a plan on how and where to plant cameras and voice recorders, creating a space for the reapers to do their work, etc, Ikeda went off to the nearest cafeteria for some much-needed lunch.

Ikeda was carrying his food tray, he ordered a chicken cheesy-avocado focaccia with a side of fries and a simple bottle of water. He looked around for a spot to sit at. Along the way, he met up with Rilliane who was done teaching a workshop on Office duty.

Before Ikeda could ask Rilliane how her day had been and how her workshop went. He stopped himself when he looked over the hazel haired reaper closely. In her hand was her lunch tray. She ordered a pasta salad filled with vegetables and topped with mozzarella today with an extra slide of salad.

There was something odd about her that Ikeda swear that it was on the of his tongue as Ikeda observed. She looked haggard, her tie uneven, her suit-jacket wrinkled, and she looked like she went through a battlefield. In her hands was her food tray, presenting Ikeda of what she ordered; her pasta salad and teapot of what presumed to be some sort of black tea…

'Oh god, she ordered tea.' Ikeda quickly realised, although his calm demeanour outside bear no indication of shock and dread. He should had realised it earlier when he couldn't find that familiar aroma of coffee that would normally accompany the hazel haired reaper.

"Rough day Rillie?"

"Don't get me started Ikeda."

"What happened?" Ikeda asked as they placed down their trays and sat down at a table, they somehow managed to find during the rush hour lunch time. Rilliane massaged her temples, she filled up her plastic cup with her tea. From the smell it carried, it was mostly a blend of Earl Grey.

"In the middle of the lesson, I had to sort out Grell's paperwork mishaps." Rilliane simply answered.

Ikeda pitied and sympathised with the poor girl, that cannot be good. Despite Grell being an excellent reaper in his field work, he was comically horrendous with paperwork. And sadly, it was mandatory for every single reaper with a monthly quota.

"Again?"

'Remind with me again why there can't be exceptions again?' Ikeda thought to himself.

She nodded and then she hid her face in her hands. She let out a sorrowful and tired moan, she looked like she was going to experience a second death. "It was so bad, how did he even get paint all over it, there isn't any paint in the Office!? How even!? How, how!?"

"In the middle of class where I was teaching high-schoolers and college student juniors, to help their avoidance on the paperwork-."

Ikeda sat there quietly, listening and allowing her to rant and rave. He quietly ate his fries while Rilliane brashly explained her day.

"The important to teach those students about the importance of paperwork and help them overcome their avoidance due to their unfortunate circumstances that led them to the Department's door."

Ikeda worried for his friend's caffeine intake today, she looked like she was about to have an stroke. He had Tae-sik number on stand-by.

"I know that nobody likes doing paperwork, but it was so fucking sloppy! L-like! It was so bad!"

She held out her hand, almost pinching her finger and thumb together. "I was this close rage-quitting, this close!" She raged.

'I can imagine why.'

Ikeda didn't even need to ask how, because Rilliane immediately started to explain how there was numerous documents mixed up, finance papers, bank statements and medical records.

Then she went into a unrelated tangent. "By the way, your medical records were in that pile, luckily as I was sorting through it, it looks like your visits are somewhat decreasing."

"Good to know." Ikeda quipped.

"There was papers to set up that secret Dojinshi Convention, papers for Drake's parrot, business transaction of a Department-run New York café, instruction booklets for juniors, medical records of Mark's various trips for and I quote 'in the name of science', pay slips from ten different business, invoices, contracts of whatever it is about." She dismissively waved her hand away.

Ikeda wandered how she managed to say all of that in one breathe, and along with that how she wasn't out of breath.

"And you know what the worst part of it is?" Rilliane sounded so close to sobbing her eyes out, Ikeda readily prepared to hand some tissues and some of his fries. She dropped her head down and rested on the table top beside her tray.

"What?"

"Some of it… was stapled together."

Ouch. Ikeda could feel the harsh pain close to heart.

"How much is your coffee intake today?" Ikeda had to ask, because like junior and senior, Rilliane as the habit of over-drinking her coffee like Gakushu overeating his sugar when stressed or grumpy. 'From what I heard, the intake is going be really bad.

Rilliane let out a tired sigh, waving her hand dismissively. "Don't know, don't care. Although An had to call an intervention and stop my coffee take for three days." She held up three twitching fingers. Ikeda could tell that already she was suffering from withdrawal.

'Yikes, that's really bad.'

"Good thing that the Intelligence Division handles most of its own papers. Well, most of it at least."

"The workshop then turned to a 'what to do when Rilliane comes into a coffee rampage.'" Rilliane continued.

She let out annoyed sigh, she felt light after unloading onto Ikeda. She lifted her head up and took up her cup of black tea. Taking in the gentle smell as she glanced up to the other. "So, what about you? How was your day?"

"Definitely not like yours Rilliane." He let out a wide and dashing smile that would make any girl or guy swoon, but not Rilliane however. "I got called in for a debriefing by the Zeus."

"William? I still don't know how you gave him that nickname."

Ikeda grinned even wider as he laughed. "It's a good name, because his wrath could match with Zeus. Therefore, William is Zeus." He took a bite of his fries. "Also, I didn't come up with the name. Yes-yes, surprising I know but the award should go to Antonio."

"How surprising." Rilliane sarcastically added.

"Anyway, I got debriefed for an assignment, don't know how long I would be gone for."

"Could be weeks, it could be months, although I'm betting that I be gone for months." Ikeda said with a mouthful as he took a bite of his lunch, some of his avocado spilled out. Ikeda whined as bit as he scooped up his fallen lunch, "Aw man."

'He never had luck with avocado… or burgers for that matter.' He internally sighed.

She rose her brow as she set down her tea at the lack of further information. "Classified?"

"Classified." He said with a mouthful of food, luckily with his mouth closed.

They sat in the cafeteria, finishing their lunches while breaking in some conversation, from talking about Rilliane's new book, to Ikeda's next shopping trip when another reaper's conversation pipped their interest.

"Is it me, or we haven't heard about our favourite assassin?" A female reaper, which the two weren't familiar with asked to her lunch companion.

"It's not you." The other reaper replied, as he took a large bite of his high-staked beef burger. Rilliane recognised him to be Shawn, the reaper who gave her Grell's latest paperwork mishap earlier today. He looked as haggard and tired as the hazel haired reaper. "Haven't heard any of his new victims in weeks.

"You think he died?" She asked.

"If he did, you think someone would have talked about it. Be like, guess who just collected the soul of." Shawn dryly answered.

"Alright, alright. No need to be so melodramatic you sad chicken man." The female reaper says dryly, her lunch partner stiffened at the name.

Rilliane turned to Ikeda and whispered so the other two couldn't listen in, "You think they are talking about the Fake Reaper?"

"Looks like it, it sounds like our jester of a Reaper." Ikeda yawned and stretched out his arms. "They are right, I haven't heard about any of the fake's victims in ages. I hear more about his student's killings if anything."

"You don't sound that interested?"

Ikeda shrugged and took another fry. "Honestly, I'm more interested in the story because his 'sad chicken man' name." Ikeda was being careful, so he must act as if he was already bored of the Fake Reaper. Considering of how well-known Ikeda is within the Department, his recent work was in the Grand Fashion Show that showcase his motor-chase skills; SSS Rank. He and any reapers of the Intelligence Division showed off their skills and new equipment and uniforms. It was known that Ikeda was an adrenaline junkie.

And also, Rilliane was a very close friend to Ikeda, it wouldn't be out of character for him. Actually, it was expected of him to grow bored of the Fake Reaper's antics, unless of course it was bigger than the last.

He couldn't let Rilliane knew that the Department's favourite faux reaper was heavily involved in his next assignment. He reels in the bait. "They look like a couple, don't they? The way how they argue like they are an old married couple."

She takes the bait, playing to her love for match-making and romantic sub-plots. She quickly looks back. "Oh my gosh they do. I hope they are, because they would be very cute couple." She was gushing as the potential story ideas.

Imelda chuckled, resting his chin onto of his hand. "And if they weren't, imagine if Gretel were here."

She laughed, almost choking on her tea. "We could all imagine how that would turn out to be."

"How's Shu doing?" Ikeda asked after swallowing his bite. "I haven't seen him that often in the Department lately."

"He is grumpy that he will have to go back to that school again soon." Rilliane said as she took another sip. "Because of that, he can't stay around here too long and I or Hoshino would turn in our collection booklets after his shifts."

"Hoshino is working the night shift now?" Ikeda was intrigued. He remembers that Hoshino almost always does her collection duties during the daytime, that is what Antonio tells him.

Rilliane shook her head. "Not exactly, she got stationed in Kungigaoko Town for the Team Mart store as part of her mandatory break. Gakushu could going into the store, give her the booklet and get some snacks. It should only last for his school year I think?"

"But he is doing well, although I would have like to accompany him on his shifts more often. But that is the main senior in me talking."

"I don't blame him." Ikeda said with a distasteful snarl. "The dad is a piece of shit."

Rilliane let out a long sigh. "Don't remind." She finished her tea. "And his friend Ren won't be there for the first couple of weeks."

Ikeda winced a bit. "Oof, that can't be good for Shu's temper. With no support like his anchor in school, he is going to have a rough time."

"Remember the last time Ren did that the year before." She asked as she refilled her cup with her glassy tea-pot.

Ikeda visibly blanched at the memory, remembering the time when Gakushu concocted the sickly-sweet plate of spaghetti where its sauce comprised of maple syrup, caramel sauce and chocolate sauce. Sprinkled with unhealthy amounts of chocolate chips, a handful of m&ms and marshmallows, and finally garnished with a fudge pop-tart and a dollop of vanilla ice-cream. How the strawberry blonde managed to come up with it was beyond him nor how he was able to stomach it. But then again, Ikeda wasn't as much as a sweet tooth when compared with

'Wait, we did watch the Elf movie for our Christmas movie marathon…'

Ikeda checked his watch. 'I should get back. Can't miss out on the preparations.'

"I should get back. Watch Shu to make sure he doesn't through the entire ice-cream shop." He got up from his seat, shaking the salt from his lap away.

Rilliane wearily smiled as she let out a sigh. "I will try, can't say that I will succeed despite my efforts. And don't worry about the tray, I will put it away for you when I'm done with my lunch."

"Thanks! See you in a couple of months." Ikeda said, waving before he walked away.

"See you in a couple of months." Rilliane answered, returning the wave.

"…"

"…"

"…"

"There is that look in your eyes." Rilliane noted, far from which Ikeda could hear.

Her eyes still bored on Ikeda's back as the man walked away, being consumed by the busy traffic of the Department. She slowly turned back to her meal and took a sip of her tea.

"You can be serious when you need to be, it's almost scary of how easy you slip into your job."

Rilliane knew Ikeda well enough, although there was a three-year gap between their first arrival to the Department, they encounter each other often that they grew to become close friends. She could see it, the morbid curiosity that borderlines vicious, his itching to dig his teeth into his new assignment and to dissect every inch of it, how his chartreuse phosphorescent light up when he talked about his new dispatch.

It was like a mask, but unlike Gakushu's who desperately tried to hold onto his mask as a means of protection. Ikeda was just another extension to himself.

It is only there when he needs them to be. Slip on and slip off. It was very simplified way of how Ikeda's thinks when on the job as Antonio puts it.

As Ikeda walked, the background noises of the passing reapers doing their daily duties, he gleefully wandered how Project AM-1010 will play out.

'How long will this fun last?'