Chapter 1: No one

Chrollo Lucilfer slowly opened his eyes. A single white star on a black canvas welcomed him. He stared at it, hypnotized by its rhythmic surges in intensity. It throbbed and pulsated like it was alive, like a heartbeat. Then, suddenly, it flickered out of existence. He widened his eyes. A very familiar smell invaded his nose, bringing forth flashes of his past, of childish memories and obscured faces. He sat down and, after a quick survey of his surroundings, sighed in wistful realization. He was on a dumpster in an alley, surrounded by trash. That explained why it smelled like home.

He stopped himself from further thinking about his hometown. There was something more important to figure out. Where was he exactly? How did he end up here?

He jumped out and silently landed on the ground. Two medium-sized buildings were encompassing the narrow trash-filled street, with a barely functioning street lamp turning on and off every few seconds. He tried to remember the sequence of events that might've thrown him into this situation, but for some reason, he couldn't recall anything. What did he do yesterday? Or the day before? Nothing came to mind. His surprise was soon replaced by a growing frustration. No matter how much he tried to concentrate, nothing came to mind. He furrowed his brow. What happened to him? There was a fog in his mind keeping his short-term memory hidden. Perhaps he suffered a concussion…? He looked up towards one of the building's roof. Did he fall down and hit his head?

He shook his head. There were too many unknowns to conclude anything yet. Then, it occurred to him that he remembered his home. How far back could he go? He sat down with his back to the green dumpster and closed his eyes.

The furthest memory he was able to access was filled with innocent laughter, as he played around with two people whose faces or names he couldn't recall. The smell of home. Trash and vultures. He found a book under a pile of broken and rusty mechanical parts. It was incredibly hard to get to, but it was worth it. Although he couldn't understand a single word written on the yellowed pages, he was able to learn. Eventually, he taught himself how to read and then his eyes were opened to the immense world he lived in. He was free. Limitless potential, too many options to analyze. The stories that once appeared unattainable to him were within his reach. He no longer had to hide in his imagination. At that moment he decided to become someone. To try and live as a human. He chose the name Chrollo Lucilfer in honor of the main characters of two of his favorite stories. He tried to be like them- No, he became them. He played the part until it became a part of him. Until it wasn't enough...

His body felt cold and his extremities grew numb. This hollow feeling. This was exactly why he didn't like to ponder the past. He opened his eyes for a moment and found himself sweating profusely. His breathing was labored. He raised a trembling hand and stared at his palm. Just who was he? A borrowed identity from two nonexistent characters? Wrong, a stolen identity, which he continued to use and hide behind. He wasn't free. All he did back then was deceive himself because he was afraid of the truth. He was no one.

He noticed that he was continuously punching the ground, though no pain registered in his mind. Blood dripped from his knuckles to the concrete, but he couldn't stop his arm from striking down once more. And again. And again. His body moved on his own.

He was no one.

But that couldn't be it, right? There had to be something more, a meaning hidden underneath. There had to be. Why was he alive if there wasn't? Why did he exist? What purpose did he serve?

He had to have a purpose. Every single person had one and he was… he was…

'You think you're a human being? Don't make me laugh. Every single one of us, born in this godforsaken dumpsite, we're nothing. Our value is less than trash. You think I'm wrong? Let's see, what are your parents' names? Do you remember them? A person needs to have parents, you know? What about a family, do you have one? No. A home? No. Belongings? You've stolen everything you own. What do you have that makes you a person?'

Why…? Why did nothing came to mind? What was his answer!?

His fist cracked the ground and the following noise brought him out of his stupor. He looked down at his right arm currently embedded in concrete and found himself in shock. The way the ground cracked resembled something. A web.

He gripped his head when an annoying headache overrode his senses and took several deep breaths, as well as halting his thought process for the time being. He was beginning to feel exhausted. Using the back of his uninjured hand, he wiped his brow and concentrated on nothing but the sound of his breathing and the sensation of his lungs filling with air.

Once he calmed down, he struggled to open his now heavy eyelids. Everything looked blurry. He shook his head multiple times, trying to stay awake. He couldn't fall asleep. Not until he found out where he was. Wait, where he was? Unconsciously, he covered his mouth with his left hand as he thought. If he had no recollection of anything that had happened in the last few days, why was it important to find out where he was? Why did he think he wasn't supposed to be here when he had no idea where he was supposed to be? He took another look around and found the answer. For some reason, this place didn't feel right. It was… wrong. He couldn't pinpoint the exact reason why it felt wrong, but it did. Thus, he needed more information.

He stood up with a goal in mind; to get out of the alley and ascertain where he was. Certainly, there had to be more people. Perhaps it would help him remember- His head throbbed in pain and he had to stop thinking for a few seconds. He sighed. What a troublesome situation. Before he left, he took one last look at the hole he punched in the ground. Why did that random pattern seem so familiar? What did it mean? He pushed those questions to the back of his mind for the time being. He didn't want the headache to return. Wiping away the blood that still flowed from his wound, he began to walk.

It wasn't long until he heard the distinct noise of cars and he left the alley. The first thing that took his attention was the countless buildings with big, colorful screens that illuminated the street in total contrast to the dark place he left behind. Soon enough his eyes began to hurt from the brightness and he had to look away, just in time to avoid crashing into a middle-aged man who was too concentrated on his phone to notice him. There were multiple people walking, way more than he expected. Perhaps it wasn't as late as he thought? His eyes darted from side to side, taking everything in. He didn't recognize the place, but it was a city. How big he couldn't say yet and judging by how relaxed, and even careless, the people he saw were behaving, it would suggest that he was in a low crime rate zone.

"-zing, I tell you, amazing. It was like once in a lifetime experience, I swear," he heard a pair of women talking as they passed him without a glance and he decided to follow them. He had spent enough time standing in one place and he didn't want to appear suspicious.

"Lucky! Man, what I wouldn't give to see him in action. But at the same time, doesn't it sound scary? I mean, if he appears then it means the situation is dangerous," the other woman replied.

"Mmm, I suppose you're right. I didn't give it much thought, I was just, y'know, living the experience. Pl-"

The women took a left turn and he kept walking straight. He had to find a place where he could listen to conversations, ideally with several people, without raising suspicion. A plaza or a park. Perhaps he should ask. At the very least everyone seemed to speak his language.

He turned to search for someone who looked like they would answer for directions, but froze. He saw his reflection on the glass of a closed store and a kid with grey piercing eyes stared back. His black hair framed his pale features and his clothes were torn, ragged and dirty. It was him. But again, it felt wrong. For some reason, there was something out of place, but he couldn't quite tell what it was. He felt the headache coming and reluctantly stopped thinking about it. This was getting annoying. He hurried the pace.

In a few minutes he found an adequate spot for gathering information. It was a small plaza with a fountain in the center, circled by a good amount of what he assumed were food establishments if the tables outside were any indication. He counted more than thirty heads with a single glance, less than ten sitting around the fountain. He approached and sat on a stone bench near a tree, and immediately looked straight up into the night sky, sharpening his hearing to the max.

"-orry but I'm busy tomorrow, I forgot to tell you. I'm really sorry!"

"-ever you do. It's just a warning. I can see it, so please act accordingly from here on out."

"How am I supposed to know!? Just say it straight! It ain't that hard!"

"-vely, yeah thanks. Honey, could you bring me another glass of water? Perfect."

"-ow what to do, I feel like I've failed them somehow. I know it's not my fault-"

He sighed. This wasn't such a good idea after all. He needed a different approach. Again, the idea of just asking flashed in his mind, or kidnapping someone who was alone and then disposing of them. The latter seemed like it'd give him the most information, but he wanted to lay low until he knew for sure there wasn't a threat. Furthermore, he didn't know the layout of the city and he had already counted at least four hidden cameras in his short walk. He would have to plan it well.

At that moment, he felt eyes on him. He didn't react whatsoever on the outside, seemingly enjoying the cold breeze. However, his muscles tensed like springs, ready to engage at a moment's notice. It took him less than a blink to find the source of his discomfort. Orange hair, teenager, wearing glasses and a green, oversized jacket. It didn't appear like she was carrying weapons, but she could've been hiding them beneath the jacket. Still walking in a straight line towards him. By the way she moved he could tell she was inexperienced. He was sure he was hiding his presence, so how did she find him? Was she some kind of tracker? Since he couldn't feel any ill intent he remained sitting, waiting for the girl to make her move.

"It's you," she finally said, a few feet away from him and… sniffing the air? When he heard her voice he regarded her and was slightly surprised to find her grimacing in disgust. Did he know her?

"... were you looking for me?" he asked, adding a little bit of confusion to his voice.

"Looking for you!? Dude, I don't know how to say this so I'm just gonna give it to you straight, alright? You stink. It's absolutely horrid. I was trying to enjoy one of my favorite- no, scratch that, my favorite dish after a stressful day when suddenly I have to run to the bathroom to vomit because someone decided to stop showering for some reason. When was the last time you even touched water!?" she said, her voice sounding nasally as she pinched her nose tight.

Well, he woke up in a dumpster so that didn't surprise him. Did she have a hypersensitive nose? That could prove useful. It was able to detect him, so it was good enough. What to do with the owner, though? What was she expecting of this encounter? How could he deal with her?

"I'm truly sorry!" he said while bowing down, his voice dripping with honesty. He looked up at her and found that his tactic had worked, she had taken a step back with a surprised expression. He rubbed the back of his head with a sheepish smile, "I should've been aware, rummaging through a dumpster and all, I didn't think it would bother somebody else. So, I'm sorry for being inconsiderate!"

"Rummaging…? Why would you…?" the teen trailed off, probably because she realized the implications of the statement, but he was already prepared for that. Based on how she acted, how she spoke and her small reactions to each word he said, he had begun assembling an image of her personality. She was so easy to read. The painting just kept getting clearer.

"No, no, that's not it!" he said and waved his left hand for emphasis, "This is a little bit embarrassing, but I thought I heard what sounded like a cry inside a dumpster. The second time I heard it I was certain there was something, and before I knew it I was already inside, throwing bags out. It didn't take long to reach the bottom and… I found a small kitten. I guess my nose got used to the smell quickly and the fact that I dived into a dumpster didn't quite register in my mind. Again, I'm really sorry."

The girl looked at the ground, still pinching her nose, with a conflicted expression. Such an honest individual. It was like every single one of her emotions surfaced and played with her features in a way that amazed him. Did she truly feel all of that? He recognized a bit of disbelief, so perhaps she didn't buy the lie as well as he thought. Was she also playing a character to fool him?

Another thing that amazed him was how easy he elaborated the lie in such a way that a person like her, or who he guessed she was based on her attitude, would believe it and lower their guard. But… why did he do it? Her guard was already down. He didn't question the decision to lie, it just came naturally to him, almost like a reflex. He knew what to do.

The girl spoke and brought him out of his mind before he could further analyze his decision. "It's fine, I guess. I didn't know. I-" she stopped and bit her lip. Maybe a sign of guilt. So, she probably felt glad that his reason for smelling like shit wasn't because he was homeless or because he had to scavenge for food, things she didn't consider before she approached, and then felt guilty for feeling like that in the first place. She was being mindful of her words because she didn't want him to realize this. An earnest girl that took action and spoke her mind, but often didn't consider the situation or the consequences; as such, she was usually portrayed as being the aggressor. "I'm sorry as well," she said quietly.

That's exactly why he had apologized for being inconsiderate, to play to her insecurity. He smiled, "Hmm? You said something?"

"N-Nothing, I said that it's cold as hell," she said while looking to the side. This was… fun. He found it extremely interesting, though a bit easy. This was part of who he was. Understanding others, understanding humans, was essential to understanding himself, "By the way," she added after a pause, with a grave expression he wasn't expecting, "Do you want to become a Hero?"

The question took him by surprise, enough for a tiny bit of confusion to seep through his controlled mask. A hero? Where did that come from? He slowly shook his head, "No, I don't want to be a hero. The reason I did what I did was simply because I wanted to. That's all. Plus, we're a little bit old to play hero, don't you think?"

The girl stared at him, her amber eyes glued to his own, intensely searching for… deceit? He could tell that the question was important to her, but why? Why would she use the word hero with so much weight behind her tone? She wasn't joking, at least as far as he could tell. Then, she grinned and lowered her arms to her sides, before she sat down to his right, "That's such a relief!" she exclaimed and laughed at his confusion, "Come on, you must know what it feels like to be surrounded by wannabe heroes all day! Sometimes I think it's like a sickness. Oh by the way, I completely agree with you. You don't need to be a hero to do good deeds, it's just that everyone translates good deeds as heroic demeanor. I wish I could drill some sense into my lil sis head, but it's useless I tell you, useless! If only she had more than three neurons, but that's too much to ask, ain't it?"

He was lost, but trying to make sense of her words. Was she talking in code? Perhaps she mistook him for someone else. Wannabe heroes? What was that supposed to be? Why was she so adamant about the hero topic? It didn't make sense. Maybe the word hero didn't mean what he thought it meant.

"Now that I think about it, you look around her age… Oh, I haven't introduced myself! I'm Kasumi Kendo, and you are?" she asked cheerfully, a drastic difference from a few minutes ago. Now she seemed to be very friendly and easy-going.

"Chrollo Lucilfer," he said while lost in thought, staring at her face. Even when he correctly identified a lot of her thoughts and emotions, there was no way he could've predicted this outcome. So strange, yet so fascinating at the same time. She was so simple, but at the same time so complex. He wanted to dissect and analyze her. Maybe she held the answer he sought. Somewhere, deep in her mind. He just had to probe until he found it.

"Chrollo Lucilfer," she repeated with some difficulty, "Chrollo. That's… odd. It's a foreign name, right? I thought you were from around here since you have no accent..." His desire to know intensified by the second. He needed to get her to a secluded place, where they could talk with no interruptions and where nobody could find her body. But that was risky, wasn't it? He glared at the camera that surveyed the plaza. He could probably convince her to follow him, but where would they go? The only thing that came to mind was the alley where he woke up, and he could avoid the cameras he saw on his way. Yeah that was it. He could barely contain his excitement.

"Carrot head?" a female voice he didn't recognize called from his left before he was able to say anything. He almost attacked on reflex. How? He didn't feel her presence at all, he didn't feel her approaching. He took a quick glance. Long black hair, arms crossed, exasperated, no weapons in sight, absurdly open to any attacks. Just another teenager. He released a breath he was holding, "What are you doing?"

"Mmm?" the orange-haired teenager turned to face the intruder and recognition dawned on her. She wasn't alone. He clenched his fist out of sight. "Oh, right. Um, meet Chrollo! I was just talking to him and I, uh-"

"You forgot about me? Classic," the other girl interrupted, but despite her words he didn't detect any disdain behind them. Her features were locked in place so it was hard for him to read her, but there were some subtle emotions leaking. That and she hadn't taken a single glance at him. "I saw you storm out with that look on your face, so I decided to wait it out. When you didn't come back I realized you were in some kind of trouble." If the way her friend spoke was any indication, this kind of event happened frequently to them, and she was probably referring to the face she had when she arrived to tell him that he smelled like garbage. That's the stubborn drive he saw, a purpose so strong that she could do nothing to stop herself. He wanted to know what it was, where it came from, what made her that way.

"I didn't forget, I just got distracted," she said while puffing out her cheeks.

"And this is your distraction, I take it?" the other girl said, looking at him for the first time with a single eyebrow raised. One single look was all it took and he knew it'd be next to impossible to follow through with his plan. She didn't trust him, not one bit. He could get her to trust him, but it'd take time and he needed her now.

"Chrollo, my pleasure," he said, keeping his anger as far away as possible. As soon as he finished speaking he gritted his teeth.

"Mio," she said with a small nod. Mio. How could he gain her trust? There had to be a way to do it quickly, before it was too late. Mio. She probably was a close friend, so their personalities probably complemented each other. Mio was serious, calm, she had to be. She most likely helped her friend out of conflicts by keeping a cool head. Protective. Sharp enough to notice certain things her oblivious friend could not. Booksmart. She had stars on her necklace and on her earrings, so she probably enjoyed astrophysics, or space in general. Quick, he had to find something he could use. She wore a long-sleeved, plain, teal shirt and black leggins on black shoes. No design anywhere. There had to be something he could use! "It's getting late, it's time to bounce."

No matter how much he thought, he concluded the same thing over and over. If he tried to delay it even a single minute, Mio would never trust him, regardless of what he said. He had known it as soon as they made eye contact. This was a futile struggle against the inevitable. "Really? Come on, let's stay a while longer. I just met Chrollo and… I think you'll like him! He doesn't want to be a hero either!" the orange-haired girl said and it immediately gave him hope. He realized that he didn't need to convince Mio to stay, his approach was wrong. He just needed to convince her. If he managed to appeal to her stubborn side, then it was his victory. He only had to bait her.

"Yeah, I may look like I'm homeless but I assure you I'm not," he said while appearing as laid back as possible and at the same time slightly embarrassed, "We were having a fun conversation about heroes. There's much to talk about. Surely, you can join us for a little while longer?" He didn't need to turn his head to know that she was begging Mio with her eyes. They kept staring at each other for a few seconds longer until… he noticed Mio's shoulders slumping forwards.

"Alright, alright, let's stay a bit longer. Allow me to join," Mio said, finishing her sentence in a mocking tone, but nonetheless walking closer. The girl to his side threw her fists up in celebration and laughed. He joined her with a laugh of his own. Wonderful. Now, onto phase number two. He was going to show them the kitten he had found under the trash, to make them follow him. And finally, he was sure they wouldn't disappoint. He had a lot of questions to ask, about themselves, their opinions, their beliefs and about this place.

A high-pitched alarm interrupted them. They froze in place. It was coming from Mio's pockets. A ringtone. She pulled out her phone and answered in quick succession, "Mom?" He couldn't understand what they were saying on the other side of the line, but he guessed it was important due to the urgent tone and Mio's crumbling expression, "Okay, I'm going right now. Love you," she hung up and sighed heavily, "The gnome fell down and broke his arm. My parents are taking him to the hospital."

The orange-haired girl gasped and stood up at once, "No way… are you kidding? You serious?"

"Yeah, sadly," Mio replied, her even tone betraying a bit of what he thought was excitement, "Dunno what happened exactly, mom didn't say much."

The teenager looked at him. He didn't know what that expression meant, "I'm sorry but we must go. Mio's little brother… well, you heard her. Can we… can we hang out some other time?" Was that fear? Anger? Joy? He couldn't tell.

The girls quickly walked away. Did they figure him out? How? When? His hand reached out towards them. The orange-haired girl suddenly spun around and said, "I'll be waiting!" with a tone that could only be a mix of disgust and hatred, before they disappeared into a small crowd. He lowered his hand and stared at the ground. They… they realized he wasn't human.

Don't go.

Kasumi Kendo was practically jogging next to her best friend on their way to the train station when a beat-up bus accelerated next to them and blew out black smoke to their faces. She immediately covered her nose while waving her free hand to clear the air. "Come on! Really?" she said and coughed a couple of times, "I had to forget my facemask today, didn't I?"

Instead of an answer, she heard Mio made a noise that usually meant she remembered something. She hoped the dark-haired girl had read the trains' schedule correctly, since she knew her mind got in disarray when she was worried and there was nothing that could worry her more than her little brother. Damn, she should've checked the schedule to make sure, "About that," Mio said, "Wasn't that guy the one that made you run to the bathroom to vomit?" Oh, Chrollo? That's right, the guy's stench was unbearable. It made her eyes water. Where was her friend going with this? She nodded slowly, unsure, "Yet you were sitting right next to him, without covering your nose."

Had she? She didn't notice it. Looking back though, it was true. At some point the rancid smell stopped bothering her. She supposed she got used to it. Or her interest got picked, that as well. She turned to Mio and found her green eyes pinning her down. She was giving her that look. Kasumi felt heat creeping up her cheeks and her gaze lowered to the ground, "I-I suppose I got used to it," she sputtered, "It's all mental! Like you always say, see? I c-can ignore it, doesn't bother me! Smoke? Whatever dude, don't care. Ha ha."

Mio simply stared at her, not amused in the slightest. Ugh. She would never live this down.

"Hey! We're gonna miss the train!" she exclaimed and stormed off, not waiting for her friend to react. Ugh, stupid Mio. It wasn't like that. She had better control of her emotions nowadays.