Lucy Maud Montgomery prided herself in few things. An orphan since she could remember, she rose to prominence following her recruitment by the Guild. Even so, her past always followed. The idea of failure scared her. To disappoint the Guild was to lose her spot in life. That was not something she could accept. In a place where she felt accepted, the thought of losing it all was her worst nightmare.

So when she was tasked with keeping multiple members of the Armed Detective Agency imprisoned, her resolve was set. And what a pleasant surprise it was. 3 members, two non combative along with the tiger that they had set a bounty on only days prior. She laughed at her fortune. What were the odds that they were right where she wanted?

«Anne of Abyssal Red»

In an instant, the world around Atsushi Nakajima changed. No longer was he in the open streets of Yokohama. The sky was replaced with a deceivingly innocent pink. He quickly noticed the sheer amount of people that stood by him. As he continued to observe his surroundings, Atsushi took note of the fairytale-esque decorations. It looked like something straight out of a children's book.

He was on high alert given the situation. It was obvious that wherever he was wasn't friendly. Then, a girl began to speak.

"Welcome, everyone, to Anne's Chamber!"

Atsushi's eyes quickly found the speaker. She was a red haired girl, probably around his age if not older. Her red hair cascaded down her back in a pair of braids while a flower sat atop her head.

"My my, this is embarrassing… so many people are looking right at me. I'm not very good at talking to strangers, but that won't do. I have to give a proper explanation or everyone will be so lost," she continued.

He studied her closer. There was an unmistakable sense of familiarity with her. He had never met her before, he knew that for sure. Yet something was off about her.

"All of your loved ones are in there," she said. The room seemed to freeze as Tanizaki rushed for the door she had pointed to, confirming that she was telling the truth.

"Now now, that one won't open up without a key," she explained. "That one opens, though," she pointed to a white door across the room. Atsushi rushed to see just what she was talking about. He could see the real world through the window, yet nothing seemed to move.

"My name is Lucy, and this is a dimension I created with my ability. But don't worry, you can leave whenever you want from that white door! That is, if you don't want your colleagues back," the girl, now known as Lucy, told them.

"What do you want?!" Tanizaki yelled.

"Oh, that's simple. I just want you to play with Anne in this chamber. Come, Anne," as the words left her mouth, a yellow light surrounded her.

People screamed as a giant ghoulish looking doll hovered above them. Nervous chatter began to fill the room as Lucy continued to explain her wants.

"She's a bit needy, but she's quite cute!" The doll's eyes opened revealing an eerie green color, and panic erupted as many of the civilians ran for the door.

"Oh, but if you exit through that door, you'll forget everything that happened in this room," still, almost all of them left. The only ones who remained were Atsushi, Tanizaki, and another man.

"You should leave," Atsushi told the man. "It's not safe here."

"I can't," he replied. "I'm looking for a girl. She's lovely, just like an angel," he took out a picture from his pocket, showing it to Atsushi. "Have you seen her?"

"No, I'm sorry to say I haven't."

"I see. Her name is Elise. Ever since we've been separated, I've been beside myself. She may be behind that door. If that's the case, I'll regret running away for the rest of my life. I need to stay."

"I get it," Atsushi replied.

Lucy clapped once, getting the three men's attention. "The rules are simple. Play tag with my lovely Anne. If she tags you, you lose. If you can open the door using that key before she catches you, you win! I'll return all the hostages. So, who's in?"

The devilish grin on her face seemed to underestimate the powers of Tanizaki and Atsushi. They both nodded to each other and Atsushi grabbed the key.

"Are you ready?" She asked, her grin only growing wider.

"Yeah," Tanizaki answered.

"Ready, set.."

Atsushi braced himself.

"Go!"

In an instant, the doll had already closed the gap, grabbing Tanizaki. Atsushi's eyes widened in surprise. 'She's fast!'

Lucy laughed. "There goes the first one!"

The door opened and multiple arms came flying out, grabbing Tanizaki before shutting it as they dragged him in.

"Well done! We've made another friend, Anne!" She said to the doll. "What's that? You want more?" her eyes locked with Atsushi's. "Well then."

In a flash, the doll flew forward, straight for Atsushi. Utilizing his gift and natural intuition, the two had an intense game of cat and mouse.

"What a strong, useful ability," she commented. "I'm sure you were valued highly from the moment you were born. I heard you're an orphan. I grew up in an orphanage too! It was a very cold place," her smile grew more sinister as she continued to speak. "After using ice-cold rags to clean the whole day, my fingers would ache for days. Given my ability, everyone thought I was a freak… But not you, surely! I heard the Agency was desperate to find you when you were taken. How great! It must be because you have a great ability."

Atsushi silently seethed at her words. There was nothing great about his ability. Nothing great about his life. Sure, the Agency was the best thing to happen in his life, but she was going on and on about just how fortunate he was. She couldn't have been further from the truth.

"The Guild took me in because they saw potential in my ability, too!" Her smile faded in an instant. "But there's no room for error in the Guild. If I fail in this mission, I'll be tossed aside like a used napkin. Then I'll be all alone again…"

The game of tag picked back up in an instant. However, Atsushi was faster. In a rare opportunity, Atsushi had an opening. He rushed for the door and tried to put the key in.

However, a voice from behind made him think twice.

"Watch out!"

The man from behind called out to him and he quickly looked down just to dodge in time. The key in his hand had turned around, razor sharp, aiming straight for his face. It grazed his cheek and he threw it in shock.

"My my, the key is quite important you know! If only you could open the door with it… truth is, I don't even know how to use this key!" She laughed maniacally.

The situation began to dawn on him. There was no way to win in the first place. If he couldn't open the door, he would be caught eventually. With that in mind, Atsushi made the hardest decision he had faced, rushing for the white door only to be stopped by a ribbon around his neck.

The man spoke to him. "If what she says is true and you leave the room, you'll forget everything once you go through that door. You'll forget about the enemy's attack as well as your ally's safety. Even so, she'll continue to press the attack. I'll teach you something."

Atsushi stood up and the two faced the girl. "In game theory, the optimal strategy is to launch a total counteroffensive on an enemy who has attacked you."

"How would I do that?" He asked.

"An enemy that believes that they are invincible is the most vulnerable. And did I hear right that the ones behind that door are the ones that tried to save you when you were taken?"

"You're right…" Atsushi said as he began to walk forward.

"Are you two done talking yet? Well that's too bad, because it's already over!" She yelled as the floor beneath Atsushi began to open up, a doll coming through the floor. He jumped for the ceiling only to notice the girl's smirk. It was too late. Another doll emerged from the ceiling, grabbing him, ending his game.

She watched as he flew behind her, taken by the arms from within. As she set her eyes on the man in front of her, she felt her entire body grow cold upon making eye contact. She shivered in absolute terror as neither she nor Anne could make a move.

"It won't work. Nothing you do will work because it's already over. You've lost. Take a look at the door."

'Snow?' She asked herself as she turned around. The once closed door had shimmered, revealing Atsushi holding on to the frame, preventing himself from being dragged in.

"Impossible! I know I shut the door!" Her voice grew more and more panicked.

"You're a fool. The fight was a two on one from the very beginning! As soon as that door opened, Tanizaki created an illusion."

"Even so, you're able to resist the hands from sucking you into the room with your arms and legs alone?"

"You misunderstood everything. I'm not strong. I'm not popular. I've led a cursed life. That's why I understand your jealousy and hatred of others so well. Please, I don't want you to fail this mission! I don't want you to lose the place where you can feel you belong! But because I'm weak and inexperienced, I can think of no other way!" He said as he jerked his arm.

At the same time, Lucy felt something around her waist, pulling her forward. The illusion melted away, revealing the ribbon he had grabbed from the man.

Atsushi pulled harder and the girl flew into his arms. "Release your ability and let everyone free or I'll let go and send both of us into the room."

Her heart seemed to stop as she understood the implications of him doing such a thing.

"Without a key, no one leaves that room. That means, if you're imprisoned inside, you can never leave. If that happens, you won't be able to return to reality even if you release your ability. Am I wrong?"

"That's… you're insane!"

"Our abilities aren't tools of convenience made to control everyone else. I know that better than most. Do you want to be trapped in the dimension of your own making forever? Even in death, you'll never leave this place."

She shook her head, desperation clear in her voice. "I- I can't afford to fail!"

"Neither can I. You have a split second from when I let go to the door closing to make a decision."

"Wait! Don't-!" As those words left her mouth, Atsushi let go. Lucy had never felt fear as strong as that. Not even the man held a candle to the thought of losing her place in life. Being stuck within her own dimension meant she'd lose it all.

When she opened her eyes, the world was back to the way it once was. Tears threatened to spill from her eyes as she understood her defeat.

"Excuse me, if I- If there's anything I can do," she had had enough. As tears began to trickle down her face, she stood up and began to run.

Yet she was quickly stopped as Atsushi rushed forward, grabbing her hand and holding her back. The two stared each other in the eyes, and that was when Atsushi finally understood.

"We're alike, you and I," he told her with soft eyes. As she stared back into his own, she understood what he meant. She recalled a saying: The eye is the window to the soul. Even if the rest of the face betrays the notion, one could always find the truth in the eyes. As they stared into each other's eyes, a deep understanding formed between them.

The tears broke through and Lucy began to cry. She gasped, tears stopping as she felt him pull her close. He closed the distance and he embraced her, a feeling she had never felt in the 19 years of her life. "I'm sorry."

At his words, the tears continued. Here was a complete stranger who she had tried to imprison, comforting her. It wasn't right. She wasn't allowed to have this. Right?

To hell with it all. She would be selfish, just this once. She didn't care if she was worthless. She didn't care that she failed. All that mattered now was the boy in front of her.

She returned the hug and cried her heart out. Not once did he seem put off by her actions. The people around stared but she didn't care. They could look all they wanted, none of them would ruin this moment for her.

By the time she had calmed down, the crowd had moved on. The only ones that remained were Atsushi and his colleagues, along with the man and his little girl.

"You have compassion," the man said. "Good. It'll take you far in this city of bandits and thieves. I'll be taking my leave now. I wish you all the best of luck," with a bow, the man parted ways. That left only the Armed Detective Agency operatives as well as the girl that had trapped them all.

"Come on, let's get going," Tanizaki motioned for the group. "It's getting a bit late. Since we've retrieved Kenji, I'd say our job here is complete." The Agency members nodded and began to follow him.

Lucy however, was reluctant. She had been a burden long enough. He had comforted her, given her a shoulder to cry on. Stayed by her side until she eased up. This was asking for too much. Not to mention, she had trapped his friends. There was no way she would be allowed to go with them.

But where would she go? The Guild wouldn't accept her back. There was no way they would. Not when she had failed such a simple mission. Her heart trembled. She had lost her place.

A reassuring hand on her own brought her out of those thoughts.

"Come on, they're leaving us behind," Atsushi said with a tired smile. He held onto her hand and began to walk. Lucy felt compelled to accompany him.

She thought back to his words as she watched him lead her. 'We're alike…' She knew she was wrong. She of all people should have known what it felt like to be an orphan gifted with an ability. Their stories were almost identical, yet their endings were different. While he had pushed through the veil, seeking whatever was best for him, she had lied in wait, content with whatever came along for her.

The Guild was not her home. She knew that for sure now. Here in this bustling town of crime and justice, she felt she had a place right beside the boy who had saved her.

"Hey, Atsushi, right?" She asked. He turned to face her. "Do you… do you think it would have been different? If we had known each other before? You know… maybe if somehow we had been in the same orphanage. Do you think-"

"If we had known each other then I'm more than certain that we would have already been friends," he cut her off with a sincere look. "Those orphanage directors sure are something, huh?" He said with a laugh.

Lucy was caught off guard by his words. She could tell he was still uncomfortable talking about his past. She didn't blame him. It was hard for her to open up about her own days in the orphanage. Hell, she had even learned to hate many of the things that she had suffered through there. Cleaning, cold water, dry hands. All of them reminded her of nightmares of her past.

Here though, she felt none of that.

"Your hand is surprisingly warm," she mentioned as they continued to walk. He quickly let go, sputtering with embarrassment as he remembered that they were holding hands.

"S-sorry! I just- I didn't think- I forgot- I-"

She laughed and shook her head, waving it off. "Don't worry about it. I appreciate your enthusiasm but a little hand holding isn't enough to put me off," she quickly grabbed his hand back. "Maybe it's enough to pull me in a little closer, hm?" She said teasingly.

Despite her words, Lucy could feel her heart rate quicken. Her teasing had an effect and she watched as Atsushi's face grew red. Their arrival at the Agency building was quickly met with strange looks by the other detectives.

"You?" Naomi asked. Her presence during the Guild's initial meeting meant that she easily recognized the girl. Her red hair was unmistakable.

"Ah, um, hello again," she replied, waving to her.

"Well, can't say I'm surprised to see you back with him. He's got that sort of aura, doesn't he?" Naomi said with a smile. While she still held her love for her brother, there was no denying that Atsushi was a surprisingly charismatic person.

"Yes, he certainly does. Even if he does some things without thinking them through, he knows just what to do. It's impressive," Lucy praised.

All eyes were on Atsushi who grew nervous at the attention. "A-anyway, I'd like to request a little favor from the Agency," he said as he looked at Haruno. "I know I haven't been here very long, but I'd like to get Ms. Lucy here a room."

Lucy was caught entirely off guard at his words. "W-wait, what? I didn't ask for-"

"Please, Haruno. Are there any available rooms in the Agency dorms? I'll be willing to pay for whatever the costs are for her stay."

"Atsushi, please-!" Lucy continued to try and reject his offer, yet he was having none of it.

"I want to help you, Lucy. I remember what you told me. Let me help you," he pleaded.

Lucy looked over at Naomi, hoping for some sort of input only for the girl to shrug back to her, a small smile gracing her lips.

"Well, there is a dorm available, but it's meant for more than one person. If you're willing, I could arrange for you to move in alongside Kyouka and Lucy."

"I'll do whatever it takes," he quickly answered. The Canadian girl began to protest, blushing at his insistence that he help her. Living on his dime was something she could swallow her pride for. Living in the same room as him? That was going to be… difficult.

It wasn't that she disliked him at all. In fact, it was the opposite. His tenacity made her heart throb. She felt guilty accepting his generosity, but he made it hard to refuse.

She couldn't deny it. She hadn't even known him for a day, yet here he was doing everything he could to help her. She felt… confused. Yet one thing was certain. 'I… already have feelings for him… God you're so pathetic, Lucy. He shows you just a smidge of kindness and you fall apart like a little girl?' She looked back at him. 'He is cute though…'

While she daydreamed, Atsushi continued to speak with Haruno. He would need to move out of his dorm with Kyouka by tomorrow. Their new room would be a larger one that would accommodate separate rooms for all three of them, along with a full kitchen.

"Thank you so much, Haruno. I'll have to pick up a few extra jobs now, huh? Please let me know of available jobs whenever you can," Atsushi said with a bow.

"Sure thing! But judging from the President's reaction earlier to our other guests from the Guild, I don't believe we'll have much time for many jobs soon."

Eyes fell upon Lucy when the topic of the Guild came up. She understood what they wanted. It was entirely reasonable. Afterall, she knew there was no chance of returning to the Guild without consequence. If she wasn't welcome back, she had no problem divulging all their plans.

She nodded to the woman and a silent agreement was made. "Anyway, Atsushi, you should show Lucy around town since she'll be living here. I'll get some people to begin the moving process if that's okay with you."

"Sure thing! There's a few places that I had in mind," Atsushi led the girl out and the Armed Detective Agency grew quiet.

"He sure does have a knack for changing the hearts of our enemies, doesn't he?" Naomi mentioned with a smile.

"He certainly does," Kunikida replied.

"It's pretty incredible," Naomi continued. "I know I'm not the one that fights, but they're all people too even if they're against us… it's hard to think that if it weren't for him, maybe things with them would have ended a lot… worse."

"Yeah, Kyouka is a prime example of that. She even got the President to accept her. If he's accepting of her, then I completely trust his judgement."

"She seems nice… I know, it's weird saying that considering she trapped Kenji along with me and my brother, but… outside of there, she's just an ordinary girl."

The staff of the Armed Detective Agency had a long day ahead of them. On top of moving two of their members' belongings to a new dorm, they also had to deal with the fallout of Lucy abandoning the Guild. There was sure to be a coming storm if the girl's interaction with Haruno was any indication.

"President Fukuzawa," Haruno greeted with a bow. "Atsushi has come back with someone and requested that we allow them to live in the company dorms under his payment."

"Who is our guest?" The stern man asked.

"Lucy Montgomery of the Guild, sir."

The man's expression darkened. He wanted no part in the guild. After Francis's earlier actions, it was obvious there would be conflict. Hearing that one of the Guild's members was to live in their dorms was off putting, however Fukuzawa shook away those thoughts.

The individual was in no way to be represented by the company. Everyone that walked through those doors was subject to be judged for their own merit.

When the time came, his meeting with the girl was significantly more pleasant than he had anticipated. What his employees said was entirely true. The girl wasn't a major threat to his Agency. As Haruno had said, she was just an ordinary girl. Her words were backed up by Atsushi. Even if he hadn't been there long, Fukuzawa trusted his employees as well.

The girl held no ill feelings towards the Agency. As Atsushi had mentioned, she simply wanted to live as normal a life as she could. For that matter, he had a plan in mind. The cafe that the members of the Detective Agency frequented was a perfect place for her to work while remaining close enough to her dorm to not be inconvenienced. He would have to speak with the owners.

He was proud. Atsushi had saved the lives of two in his short time working for the Agency. Despite his reluctance to accept Kyouka as an employee, he couldn't deny that he too felt sympathy for the girl. Like most of his employees, she too came from a tragic background. It just so happened that her past was much more troubled.

It wasn't even like Lucy was asking to join either. She had admitted that she was reluctant to work for an organization that utilized her ability. She was afraid of failure. Her experience with the guild was far too stressful for the young girl.

And so, before they had left for the night, Lucy divulged every secret she could about the Guild. She knew they had planned to attack. It was the least she could do for the Agency that accepted her and decided to take her in.

When they arrived, all three were surprised to see the quality of the building. It was a lot more than they were expecting. They had a common room with a large couch and TV. Their kitchen was large, more than enough for the three of them. Their individual rooms were completely furnished, their belongings waiting for them along with ample space to store everything.

It was late in the day so Atsushi began to prepare for dinner. It wasn't much, but in the short time that he had been living in his dorm, he had picked up cooking with pointers from all members of the Agency. Everyone had something to say and he took it all to heart. Although he wasn't the best cook, he was good enough.

By the time both Kyouka and Lucy had showered, the food was done. He had prepared a simple enough dish of tonkatsu with white rice with a side of shredded cabbage.

They finished eating and Kyouka and Lucy urged Atsushi to let them clean up. He had cooked the meal after all. It was the least they could do. He left to shower and returned just in time to catch Kyouka heading off to bed, saying a quick "goodnight" before she entered her room.

He found Lucy sitting on the couch by herself. She looked over to him and motioned for him to come closer. He took a seat next to her and she began to talk.

"Thank you for dinner… I can't remember the last time I ate with other people like that," she said, smiling. "If you want, I can cook something up occasionally. I've lived on my own for so long that I've been able to pick up a few skills here and there."

"If you want to, then the kitchen's yours. I'm not the best cook so I'd be glad to see what you come up with," Atsushi nodded.

The two sat in relative silence for a while, simply enjoying each other's company before they realized the time. "Thanks for reaching out to me, Atsushi… I- I don't know what would have happened if I went back to the Guild. I only know that I wouldn't be welcome there anymore."

"I couldn't just leave you. It's my fault you failed your mission after all. I didn't want to let you carry all that pain by yourself. I had to help."

"I still feel guilty though… After all I did to you and your colleagues, you still cared about me. You didn't turn away in disgust or try to shoo me away. You pulled me in and helped me to my feet. I don't think I'll ever be able to repay that."

"You don't need to. Honest."

"I'll see you in the morning then, alright? Goodnight," Lucy said, standing up.

"Night."

For the first time in years, Lucy Maud Montgomery felt like she truly belonged. As she pulled the covers over herself, she felt warm inside. She would have never believed she would find something to hold dear. Yet she knew deep down, a match had been struck, and her heart had been set ablaze.