Chapter 2: Flawless

Korin cursed the heavens as he ran. Not a single one of the weather channels he followed had said anything about the heavy rainfall currently pouring down on him on their forecasts. What the actual hell. At least he was thoughtful enough to pack his black raincoat on his bag at the start of the week. In fact, with this kind of wind, he didn't know if an umbrella would've been able to do its damn job.

He almost slipped as he skidded to a stop in front of Java's Cafe, but luckily he managed to find some balance before he fell. What an eventful morning. Hopefully, that meant that starting now the day would get better. He climbed a set of steps that led to the Cafe's entrance and that thankfully had a roof, and placed his bag on the wooden floor in order to remove his coat. Freed at last, he messed his short brown hair with his hand and yawned. The sound of raindrops hitting the street and the ceiling forced an image of himself, lying comfortably in his bed, wrapped in blankets and sleeping soundly. What a life. Hopefully, it rained soon, but late at night. That'd be great. He looked at his bag but decided to wait a bit before starting his workday. After all, his legs were sore from running.

He walked to one of the tables near the Florren Plaza and sat down. Watching the rainfall was calming. He also enjoyed the unmistakable and familiar scent that accompanied it. It was so curious, like what was it? It was always the same smell.

Although his vision was clouded by the rain itself, something caught his attention. A blurry figure. Was it a new statue? It was sitting down, unmoving on a bench under a tree. No way they made it so fast, or he didn't notice they were working on it. Weird. He yawned and brushed what remained of his sleepiness with the back of his hand. The figure was gone. He brushed his eyes again and checked. There was nothing there. He looked around, but he was completely alone.

Did he imagine it? No, he was sure he saw it. He shivered. When did it get so cold? He quickly turned to look behind him, but there was no one. Only the sound of rain. He gulped. He stood up, the pain in his legs forgotten, and searched for the keys of the Cafe's door. Time to work.

Chrollo Lucilfer's body moved on instinct. As soon as he felt eyes on him, he abandoned his position and left. He didn't know how much time had passed or what was happening around him. He simply walked on autopilot with an unclear destination.

Ethereal shapes and colors blurred together. There was something he needed to say, but he didn't know how to express it in words. It was a desire so strong that he couldn't keep it in. Just like her. In order to stay alive, he needed to find a way to say it, and above all, he was a survivor. Eventually, he found out that he could say it with his actions.

A dark-gray sky welcomed him. Raindrops tapped at his face and trailed down. His clothes were soaked. It took him a second longer to realize where he was. The same alley where he woke up. Following that realization, he noticed that his heartbeat was out of control and clutched his chest in pain. He put his back to a wall to prevent himself from falling. What could've gotten him so agitated? He didn't-

Oh, he remembered. Orange hair. That girl with fierce eyes. Their conversation. His pulse accelerated and he forced the images out of his brain for now. Empty mind, calm yourself. He slid on the wall until he was sitting down and closed his eyes. After several minutes of deep breathing, he opened them again. That was better, he felt in control.

When he stood back up again what had been a heavy downpour was replaced by a drizzle. He had much to think about, but he wanted to do it in another place. He glanced up. In a couple of inaudible jumps, he was on the roof of one of the two buildings that formed the alley.

He wasn't able to see that far due to a fog that covered the city, but as far as he could see there were huge, towering buildings on one side and small houses on the other. He wanted to see more, but he supposed he had to wait. There were a couple of sun rays visible through the clouds at the horizon, as the dawn turned to day. He sat down on the edge and watched. The silhouettes of birds flying across the landscape, the sun slowly crawling above the clouds, the sky turning to shades of blue, orange and yellow. A small smile found its way to his face. He enjoyed the moment for as long as possible until the emptiness consumed him once more and cold eyes regarded the city.

A question popped in his mind and he quickly established a theory that explained it. Why did it feel so bad, when he was certain this was how he normally felt? Because of the encounter he had a few hours ago. He was sobering up after an overdose of emotion. And it was time to analyze what had happened.

The girl… he didn't remember her name, but her face immediately came to mind. And those amber eyes, filled to the brim with meaning- he wanted to know much about her, about her mentality and her motivations. But she was a simple, innocent girl. How did she leave such a strong impression? Was it because she took him by surprise, because she had found him when he was hiding his presence? Or was he so desperate for purpose that he latched onto the first thing available? Either way, he still wanted to ask her a bunch of things and eventually he would find out what intrigued him in the first place, or so he predicted.

However, he needed to be more careful. He somehow got so distracted by her that Mio managed to get next to him. He grabbed a side of his head. At that time he was so entranced by his thoughts that he lowered his guard. That was incredibly foolish. If meeting her again was going to be his short-term goal, he needed to stay sharp. He was still in unknown territory. About that… how did she find him? She said she had smelled him from afar, so her nose must be inhumanly sensitive. Or she was lying, though he doubted it. Could it be a mutation of some kind? Whatever it was, it was a good ability. He stared at the wound on his right hand. Was she able to smell his blood? She didn't say anything, but it could've been overshadowed by the other stench.

Her nose meant that he needed to take a bath before he saw her again, and the rain probably wasn't enough. She would get suspicious if he arrived wearing the exact same dirty clothes. He flinched, remembering her parting words and the tone she used. Hatred and disgust. That had to be a misinterpretation from his part because her words were rather friendly. They hadn't found out. He was safe. He exhaled in relief. By the time they find out he will be a person, he decided. A human. Someone. Indeed, she was a simple girl, but she was still human and overwhelmingly so. He just had to find out what made her that way.

Additionally, he was aware of the irrationality in this course of action. Logically speaking this wasn't a good idea. And that was exactly why his desire to follow it through was so intense. Something was calling to him and he would discover what it was.

He leaped off the roof and landed on the alley. First things first, he needed to take a bath and find new clothes before nighttime, when he supposed the girl would arrive. He already had a plan, but carrying it out in one day with no previous information increased the chances of failure. Nonetheless, if there was someone able to accomplish it successfully, it was him.

At that instant, he saw something sparkling in the corner of his vision and as he turned, he saw it again. He walked closer and crouched beside a puddle. There was a golden coin under the water. He took it out and studied it. It had some weight. On one of its sides, it had the depiction of a web, and on the other, there was an image of a twelve-legged spider. The engravings had depth, he noticed when he trailed a finger on top of it.

As he clutched the coin in his hand, he felt a strange connection to it. The coin hummed in agreement. It belonged to him. It was part of him. It felt… familiar. He hissed and closed an eye in pain at the sudden headache. The humming grew louder. An image was forced into his mind, an image of the coin flipping endlessly.

'Heads or tails?' someone had told him, somewhere down the passage of time. A faceless someone that he once knew. Its voice sounded distorted, 'I'll throw the coin and whoever wins gets to decide. Let's leave it to chance. That way there won't be any feelings involved unless you're a sore loser.' Were these his memories? They felt so far away. How many years had gone by? 'Why leave it to chance in the first place…? It's easy and quick. We may discuss the pros and cons of our plans until one of us reluctantly agrees to follow the other or we can simply toss a coin. Besides, this means that neither of us is above the other. We're equals.'

He took a sharp intake of breath. We're equals. The words echoed in his mind. A mix of feelings he didn't know how to describe coursed through his being. A contradiction. He liked it and disliked it at the same time. It was confusing. He didn't have any equals, he didn't want any equals. Yet, he craved it. Why?

His pride refused while his loneliness begged. Was that the reason he wanted to be human? So he could have equals? Wrong. For starters, what kind of equal was he thinking about? To say you were equal to another, first you had to pick a trait for comparison and that trait had to be measurable. Height and weight were easy, but things like knowledge, strength, status or power… they were harder to quantify. Still, it was possible. But what about personhood? Not all humans were equal, but they were all equally human. How did you quantify that specific trait? How? He glared at the spider depicted on the coin, demanding an answer. It responded with silence, as expected. He placed the coin in his pocket. Hopefully, in a matter of hours, he would be able to reach a conclusion and finally settle the uncertainty that plagued his mind. Time to hunt.

He left the alley, walking south towards the suburban houses he saw at the roof.

Two hours later, he had finally found an ideal target. He remained hidden as he watched a middle-aged man wearing a suit hastily locking the gates of his home. Said man ran past him, muttering something about being late, oblivious to his presence. As soon as the man was out of sight, he moved, sticking close to the walls. It had taken a while, but he was almost certain that the man lived alone. The thing about this kind of zones was the fact that most of its occupants were families with children, and more often than not one of the parents stayed home while the other worked. In cases where both of them worked, they frequently left a family member behind to watch the kids or hired somebody to attend to the house. Therefore, it was uncommon to find an empty residence.

He easily climbed the fence and, as soon as his feet touched the lawn, darted to hide under the window next to the front door. The medium-sized house had two floors, so he planned on clearing the first one before he moved onto the second.

If he had the option he would've stayed near the alley and aimed for an apartment, but it was hard to check if there was anyone present without infiltrating first. If he had more time, he would've chosen that alternative, because it was rather simple once you had identified a potential target and memorized their routine. However, given his circumstances, this was the better choice.

He hugged the side of the house until he was at the backyard, next to a sliding door. He hadn't heard anything. He peeked inside and observed the living room. The lights were off, the coaches vacant and the kitchen barren. He gently pushed the door. It was unlocked. Great.

Originally, his plan consisted of finding a property on sale, and he had found it. Three of them. However, they all had multiple people inside. He could hear their footsteps inside the building, walking around. He didn't spare a second to consider it at first, but the third time he realized something. A detail he was dumb to overlook. Today was a working day. Following this realization, he slightly modified his plan to take advantage of it.

He entered the house through a narrow opening, wide enough so he could sidestep in, and slid the door close behind him. He scanned the dark corners. There was no surveillance equipment, he was certain now. Good. In less than five seconds he cleared every room on the ground floor. There was no one. He made his way towards the stairs and climbed to the second floor. Again, he checked every room. Empty. He had secured the property for the time being. It was his. He relaxed.

His search had taken him to a rather run-down part of the suburbs. The buildings looked older and unkempt. That would usually translate to a lower price, something that a single person could potentially afford. And it seemed he had deduced right.

A flawless operation. Although the risks had been minimal, he knew it wasn't the best course of action. Regardless, he had succeeded. He made his way towards the main bathroom. How many times had he undertaken similar actions, he wondered. Too many to count. His body knew exactly how to move as a product of endless repetitions. He took off his clothes and stared at his pale body reflected in the mirror. Every muscle on him had been perfected to perform a single task; to steal. In that cursed and beloved place where he was born, he had to steal in order to survive. Of course, they didn't call it that. They didn't have a word for it. It was their undisputed currency. Everything was fair game as long as you were strong enough to take it by force, or sneaky enough to take it and escape without being seen. He learned of the word thief from one of his books and it took him two years to find what it meant. An old man had explained it to him in exchange for food.

'A thief, huh? 'aven't heard that in ages. It's a popular word they like to throw 'round on the outside. Ya', I remember. When I... ventured on the outside I was called that many, many times. Ya' have to understand som' 'bout the outside. They… trade paper for all kinds of things. All kinds. Food, water, shelter, weapons, it all has a value in paper. Ya' follow me? And when they trade paper, ya' can't take those things away. Well, ya' can, but they'll get mad and call ya' a thief. 'Cause those things belong to 'em. Once they trade paper, ya' can't take it away or they call ya' a thief and punish ya'. Oh and lemme tell ya' som' else! About the outside. Ya' interested? Only for an extra ration, what do ya' say? Good, listen well. There's a special word for a thief that steals som' that has unmeasurable value in paper. A thief that steals a life ain't a thief no longer. They call 'em murderers and they punish 'em worse. Hah, unmeasurable value they say. I would sell my life in a second for a night with an outsider woman again... Kid, I know that look in ya' eyes, 'ave seen it before. Ya' need to understand som'. They think too different from us. Ya' will be happier if ya' forget 'bout it.'

"You're right, old man," he said aloud with a hint of a smile. Even so, he remembered that as he heard those words he was distracted by the sheer emotion in the old man's eyes, an emotion he had seen only in the eyes of those who left and came back. It was so easy to spot them amongst the lifeless, calloused and cold gazes of the rest. It only served to push him harder towards his goal. He shook his head, "Perhaps I should've listened."

He turned the shower on and closed his eyes as the water washed away the filth in his hair and body. He was both a thief and a murderer. That and his love for books were the only traits he remembered he had before he had taken the persona of Chrollo Lucilfer. If he wanted to survive, he needed to steal. That was how it worked. If he was weak, he would get killed and they would take everything he had. He wanted to live, to see the world he always fantasized about, thus he stole and murdered. Was it wrong? Should he have allowed them to take his life instead? Was that… what a human would do? No. He knew it was false. Because there was a difference between society's expectations and humanity's nature. He had seen it with his own eyes once he ventured out. Most of them pretended to be better than they really were. Most of them attempted to hide their true faces. Why? Because they were afraid. They didn't want to accept the ugly side of being human, they would rather pretend it didn't exist. Was that what he needed to do? To let go of the only things that made him something other than a stolen persona? Could he make the choice? He didn't know.

A hollow feeling spread from his chest to the rest of his body, and there was only one thing keeping the sinister, grim and somber sensation at bay. His desire to meet her again. He clenched his fists. Soon. Just hold on for a bit longer.

When he turned off the water the skin on his palms resembled that of an old man and the steam blurred his surroundings. He was about to dress, but a sudden thought stopped him. Right, he couldn't wear the same clothes or this would've been for naught, as the smell would stick to him. He opened the door to the master bedroom and took a couple of plain items. A dark tank top, a pair of gray pants and black sneakers. They didn't fit properly, but they would do until he stole new clothes, which was the next step to his plan. He grabbed his dirty shirt and ripped six strips to serve as bindings, and hid them in his pockets. Perfect. Onto phase two.

Before he left he looked at the kitchen. Maybe it wasn't a bad idea to eat something, but he wanted to leave as few hints as possible. He shook his head. He would eat something later.

After leaving the suburbs he returned to the city and blended in almost perfectly into the crowd. Almost. Most people were wearing jackets and long-sleeves while he pretended to be cold with his tank top. Another detail he had overlooked. Perhaps his theory of falling down and hitting his head was true after all, it would explain his memory loss and his recent stupidity.

He kept pace with the multitude while drawing a map of the city inside his head, every so often spotting cameras and marking their location and angle, besides looking for a clothing store. It wasn't long until he found one.

He ignored the store's name and pushed the door open. Several people were shopping and the workers seemed to have their hands full, running around the shop. That was ideal. He glanced at the security guard to his side and saw him yawning. What a joke.

Less than five minutes later, he came out wearing a black jacket with white fur details on the hood, dark pants and boots. A dark, purple scarf wrapped around his neck and hid most of his lower face from view. Another flawless execution. He couldn't help but feel a little bit of pride, though he could've done it better.

After walking and exploring the city for hours, he finally arrived at the plaza where he met her just as the sun was beginning to set. He quickly surveyed the area, hopeful to see her orange hair, but sadly she hadn't arrived yet. There were more people than yesterday. At that moment the streetlamps turned on. He supposed he could eat while he waited.

"Table for two?" the woman standing outside the cafe asked him with a fake smile and a fake tone. He despised talking to people like this woman. Why did most find it enjoyable, he didn't understand. It was obvious that the workers didn't enjoy it either. He smiled back with his eyes.

"Nope, just me," he said. The woman handed him a menu and motioned him to follow. The place was filled with couples, so that explained her initial question. They all had their backs wide open, like they didn't care if they got attacked. Like they didn't expect to get attacked, he corrected.

"Would you prefer to eat outside or inside?" the waitress asked, spinning in an exaggerated manner to face him.

"Outside is fine," he said while looking at the plaza, "A table with a good look of the fountain would be perfect." The woman nodded enthusiastically and quickly sped up to a table on the corner overlooking the whole area. She pulled a chair out for him and he sat down while mouthing a quiet thanks.

"Just call me when you're ready to order, mkay?" she said and left.

As soon as her back was turned his eyes darkened for half a second, but he shifted his gaze towards the menu. He wasn't feeling hungry, however, he would be stupid to not eat right now. First, he didn't know when was the last time he ate. Second, he didn't know when he would be able to eat again. Third, he had already stolen money in order to pay for this. So, he would eat. His eyebrow twitched in annoyance. He didn't want to, though.

The waitress ran back and placed a glass of water in front of him, "Are you ready to order?" she said with the exact same smile, down to the finest details. That had to be a talent.

"I'm trying to decide between the All Mighty Burrito and the Endeaburger. What do you recommend?" he said and lowered his scarf in order to drink.

"Do you enjoy spicy food?" she said and he shook his head, "All Mighty Burrito!" she exclaimed while throwing a punch to the air, "Coming right up!"

He nearly spat his water at the display. Was that woman for real? No wonder her smiles were so forced if her employer made her do those things, she had to have a thick external layer to continuously do this all day without showing any hint of anger or embarrassment. Or perhaps she did enjoy it. He looked at her, laughing as a customer told her a joke, and noticed she had auburn-colored hair that stopped at her shoulders. No, it was clear she hated her job. It was a hunch. Well, enough of that. He turned to stare at the plaza, specifically at the crowd of people walking on the street. Soon. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw a tall creature and his senses abruptly concentrated on it. A threat? Did it escape? It was walking among the crowd, but there was no panic. In fact, a few people seemed to be… speaking to it? They were laughing as the tall, crystal-like creature moved its mouth to talk. What? He focused on the creature and recognized at once that the way it walked resembled that of a human. He rubbed his temples. Although its form was imposing, he was unable to feel any ill-intent coming from it. A mutant of some kind perhaps, or an experiment. Nobody reacted to it, so that meant they either didn't see it or they were used to its presence. The fact that not a single person gave it a sideways glance managed to worry him a little bit. Was it some kind of popular creature? He doubted it. It seemed like those kind of creatures were common. A second after, he noticed a horn on a person's head. Next, it was a tail.

He took a deep breath. It wasn't that those specific creatures were common; rather, there were different abominations. He hadn't noticed, but now that he had, he couldn't stop seeing different... things. Then, it clicked. Her hypersensitive nose. It was probably some kind of mutation, but where did they come from? Genetic experiments? A product of radioactivity? What a troublesome, troublesome, situation, yet he couldn't help but smirk. Just where the hell was he? He flexed his fingers under the table. Hopefully, she knew all of these answers. He heard footsteps coming his way and discreetly turned. It was the waitress, holding a plate.

"Here's your All Mighty Burrito," she said as she presented the dish, her grin never reaching her eyes, but she faltered slightly when she saw his face. Shit. Was something wrong? "Oh my, you are way younger than I thought. Sure you can cover the bill?"

"No worries, I've got enough," he laughed, relaxing back into the chair, the smell of his food reaching his nostrils. He wasn't hungry.

"Mmm, still, it's your first time coming here, right? I don't remember your face," she said while staring long and hard at him with playful light-green eyes. What was her game? Engraving a new customer's face to memory? Yeah, but there was something else.

"You're right, I just moved in here. Quite perceptive," he said, faking amazement in his voice.

"Oh my, you also know how to use fancy words, what a cutie. Anyway, I'll leave you to enjoy your food. If you need anything else just call me, mkay?" she said and winked. Oh. That was it. Was it? Probably. She was trying to ensure he would return to this place, seeing him as an inexperienced teenager that would easily fall for her charms. So, an appropriate response would be…

He looked down at his food with a faint blush. Underneath her smile, a smug smirk flashed for a second, one he easily noted. Yeah, that was it. Her motives were rather obvious and shallow. The more clients that preferred her, the more money she would make on tips, the quicker she would be able to quit. So, what she wanted was money. The real question was, why? What did she want it for, and what she planned to do afterward. She probably hadn't thought that far ahead. As he watched her carry four plates on each of her arms while displaying plastic emotions, he couldn't help but feel jealous. Why did most humans push themselves through things they hated over and over again? Because they had no other choice, right? That was their fate. Their purpose. And they were essential to the functioning of society. They were needed. He wasn't. He took a bite of his burrito and almost retched. The food was okay, but he didn't feel right. He forced it down. He didn't belong here. Deep breaths, deep breaths. Calm down. She would be here soon and he would discover his purpose. He was going to find the answers and become human. Soon. He had to hold on.

Suddenly, he was sitting on the stone bench, the same one as yesterday's. Did he pay for the food? He hoped he had. He didn't remember. Surely, he must have. If he didn't, then it would be harder for him to see her again. He looked to his right. There it was, the cafe where he ate. What did he eat again? He couldn't remember. However, everything seemed normal. There were multiple people eating. He saw a familiar shade of auburn-colored hair and recognized the woman as the waitress. He remembered her. Fake smiles. At least it wasn't a fake persona. He held his head between his hands. Don't lose control. Deep breaths. She would arrive soon. She said it in a tone filled with disgust and hatred. No, that wasn't right. He misinterpreted it that way. Then why wasn't she here? She… she must've figured it out.

One by one, people were leaving the plaza. Minutes ticked by. He remained frozen in the same spot, his fingers intertwined and shaking imperceptibly. His eyes were glued to the pavement. A glimpse of auburn hair jolted him awake and he twisted his neck in that direction. He seemed to start breathing again. He stood up, watching the waitress hugging another woman and then walking out of sight. Could it be… perhaps she would be able to answer some of his questions- but what if she came while he was gone? No, she wasn't going to show up. She realized what he was planning and told him that to trick him. She saw through his facade. But what if she wasn't able to come today? Perhaps he should wait- a cold hand gripped his heart and he gasped. He couldn't wait. He needed to know. Moving as calmly as possible, he walked in the opposite direction.

In the footage of the camera that recorded it, it looked like Chrollo had merely tumbled in his step for a second before continuing on his way.

An instant after leaving the camera's range, he disappeared from view, moving as fast as possible and without making a single sound.

In two seconds he was on top of a building, watching the waitress walking and trying to predict the route she intended to take while judging the perfect spot for contact. If she takes a right there, I'll wait for her in this corner, he thought, visualizing his mental map of the city. He held his breath as she approached the turn. She kept walking forwards. Next try. If she takes a left, then I'll drop down behind her. She turned right. Come on, come on. He needed to approach before she arrived home or it would be too late.

Take a left and I'll hide behind the dumpster. He didn't blink as he studied her form. Do it.

She neared the corner. His legs tensed. This was it. Veins popped out of his flexing hands. She turned to the left. He widened his eyes. She took out her keys from her purse and walked towards the door right next to the corner. There was a camera pointing right at her. He ducked out of view.

Kimi Ebina sighed in relief as she took out the keys from her purse. For some reason, a bad feeling had settled in her stomach for the entire night, but she was finally home. Finally out of work. Was that what they called intuition? She could feel that something was wrong. Shivers had coursed through her back as soon as she had left that damned plaza, but they stopped as soon as she arrived home. She looked behind her and found an empty street. A cold breeze whistled. She was just being paranoid. A noise to her left called her attention, but again, there was nothing but a street lamp. Wait- wasn't there a surveillance camera at that spot…? As fear slowly enveloped her face and she made the decision to run towards the door, she felt the air in her lungs being forcefully expelled and darkness invaded her vision.

Chrollo stood next to her with his hood on and the purple scarf hiding the rest of his face, making his only visible feature his gray eyes. He dragged the waitress towards the alley and walked a good distance away from the main street. Next, he tied her legs and arms and gagged her with the strips made out of his rags. Finally, he waited for her to recover her bearings because he was sure she wouldn't understand any word he said due to the pain.

It took her around five minutes of wheezing, coughing and trashing to calm down. She began to make noises, but he grabbed her by her short hair and she whimpered. She was trembling.

"Shhh, calm down. You're alright. I won't hurt you. Look at me, you remember me, don't you? I'm the kid you spoke to at the cafe. Just look at me. Everything will be alright," he said in the most soothing voice he could muster. It worked. The woman calmed down. At least she did, until she looked at him. Her eyes shone in recognition and then her tears dried. He almost smiled. A sudden fire ignited in her eyes as she furrowed her brows. She began to struggle harder and made louder noises. That wouldn't do.

He dropped her and crouched down to look her in the eyes. He could feel her heavy breaths. Her mascara was trailing down her face in black tears, drool was gathering at the corner of her mouth and she shook uncontrollably, yet her eyes remained defiant. There was a fierce determination behind them, mixed with anger and fear. Why? What did she hide behind those fake expressions?

As Kimi stared at those emotionless grey eyes, something deep inside her understood that she was going to die. She wasn't going to make it out of this. However, she was currently fighting that certainty with all she had. I just need one chance, she thought, one chance and I can escape. I need to do this. A single face flashed through her mind. Her little baby. Even as an overwhelming amount of malice crashed down on her, even if her instincts were going haywire due to the sheer presence of the predator staring her down, she had to fight against it. Because… because she couldn't leave her baby alone in a world with this monster.

"You hate me, don't you?" he said with a hint of sadness that caught her off guard, but his eyes remained dispassionate, "I won't keep you long, I know you have things to return to," she flinched. Did he know? "You don't believe me?" She did not, he couldn't possibly know- unless… for how long was he stalking her!? "Well, I can assure you nothing will happen to any of you. I just need your help. I need your help in order to answer some questions and then I'll let you go, okay?" Was he insane!? What kind of shit was he on about!? Wh-

"Our time is limited," like a switch had been flipped, all emotion drained from his voice and it chilled her to her bones. He was growing impatient, she understood that fact, "Are you trying to delay our conversation deliberately? If you don't stop struggling, I'll kill you." She needed to find her chance. She stopped moving and glared at him. "Good choice. Since I need you to answer some questions, I will have to remove that cloth in your mouth. If you try to make any loud noises, I'll kill you. Do you understand?" After a few seconds, she faintly nodded.

Chrollo placed his hands on her face and she didn't flinch. She was captivating. Thankfully he had managed to read her and find a way to calm her down. He saw himself reflected on those pale eyes of hers. They weren't that different. There was a connection, somewhere. He removed the cloth and threw it to the side. The woman kept glaring at him, not moving an inch and without making any noise.

"Now then, first question," he said, anticipation building in his chest, "Let's start by breaking the tension a little bit. What's your name?"

"Ki...mi…" she said with a hoarse voice. Did he hit her that hard? He was holding back a lot of his strength, but he had to act quickly. That sounded painful.

"Kimi. You can call me Chrollo. I wish I…" he trailed off. What was he saying? "I wish I didn't have to do this to talk to you, but I couldn't wait. I don't know how else- nevermind. That's not important," he said. Yeah, that wasn't relevant right now. He had limited time, "What do you think it is... that makes someone a human being?"

"...that's h-hard... to answer…" she said, slowly looking up towards the night sky. Was that a joke? No... She had seen something for the first time in those eyes of his as he asked that question. An unbearable loneliness. That desperate hint in his tone… she didn't think it was false this time. He was a kid, suddenly she understood. She would be a monster for what she was about to do. But… It was either that or dying. She had to lie to him, to take advantage of his weakness and then attack when he was at his lowest. That's what she needed to do to survive. To see her baby again. Then why, why did her throat tighten to such degree? "...I think...nothing…"

"Nothing…?" he repeated.

She hardened her resolve and looked back down until her gaze locked to his again, "...there's nothing… that makes us human… we just are…" she said, "... you just are…"

For some reason, the anger in her eyes had vanished and another emotion had replaced it, one he didn't recognize. The sudden change took him by surprise, long enough that he couldn't process her answer before his instincts screamed at him. There was something wrong. From above. A glint. His head darted to the left, narrowly avoiding a projectile. He immediately took a quick glance up, but there was no one. Where did that attack…? A sound made his blood run cold. He allowed his body to react.

"HE-!" a sickening crunch echoed through the alley as Chrollo twisted Kimi's neck. Her body twitched for a few seconds until it stopped moving altogether. She laid completely still. He stared at her corpse, his breathing slightly shaky. He checked behind him and saw a rusty nail, buried into the ground. She had attacked him, somehow, and tried to call for help. He turned to look at her again. Her neck was turning purple already. He warned her that if she made any loud noises, he would kill her. Did she want to die that badly? She didn't hate her job that much, did she?

"I thought I heard something!" A voice said in the distance. He sparked to action, grabbing the strips and securing them in his pockets before he slipped into the shadows. That… that had not been a flawless operation.