Chapter Two: Obsession

"Rei!" Streak stood at the doorway, her eyes wide as she looked at the room. She had heard a blood curdling scream while working on mission plans before rushing to see what was wrong, half expecting to see an intruder. However, she didn't expect to see the room half destroyed and Rei huddled in the corner, her hands covering her face. "Rei? What's going on?"

"I…I'm not a m-monster…" Rei stammered, shivering quite visibly. Streak blinked and crossed the room, kneeling next to the girl. Rei flinched away from her, almost appearing to shrink in on herself. "No…please…"

"It's okay," Streak murmured softly, touching Rei's cheek gently and then pulling the small girl into an embrace. "You're not a monster…shh…"

"But they said…they said I was…" Rei whispered, burying her face into Streak's clothes and muffling her voice. "Those children…in the dream…I remember it."

"It was just a dream," Streak replied, slowly rocking both of them back and forth. The shinobi leader was glad that it hadn't been one of the school children here or else she would have to have a serious talk with them. Lately, Rei would wake up in the middle of the night, screaming from nightmares. But tonight was the worst night thus far. "That's all it was. A nightmare."

The child slowly began quieting down until there was only an occasional hiccup. Streak watched as Rei's breathing evened out and she slowly relaxed in her arms, having cried herself to sleep. Poor child…Streak thought silently, picking Rei up carefully and lying her on her bed. I'll have to find some way to get rid of those dreams.

Sighing to herself, Streak walked to the doorway and glanced back at Rei before opening the doorway and leaving.

"Where are we going now?" Rei asked energetically, looking around the city with curious amethyst eyes. Streak smiled at the younger girl's cheerfulness, glad she had already forgotten what happened the night before. Rei never seemed to tire of their weekly trips to the streets of Benith, since she was usually cooped up in the Crimson Bandit's base.

"Well, we have to make a couple of stops to get some supplies first," Streak replied, pulling out a list and handing it to Rei. "It seems that some of our veggies has disappeared recently, though no one can find the culprit."

Rei sweat dropped as she looked at the list, recognizing it for the food she had snatched to give to Kage. He was bigger than the other chocobos there, so he required more food, in her mind anyway. "That's weird," she laughed nervously. "Wonder who would steal vegetables."

"Yea, I wonder," Streak smirked, taking the list back. "And after that, Hayate needs more medical supplies and then we go to Baba."

"Baba?" Rei blinked, wondering if this was a place, or a name. She had never heard of either, so she was unsure if this was good or bad. "What's that?"

"She's a well-known psychic in the slums of Benith," Streak explained, turning a corner. Rei followed, curious of this 'psychic'. What was a psychic anyway? Streak must've seen Rei's confused expression, because she continued to explain. "A psychic is someone who can control things with their minds. They can also sometimes see things in the future, or past, and are excellent mental guides. We're going to get help for your dreams, okay?"

"I guess…so…" Rei nodded, skeptical about this whole 'psychic' business. A person would could control things with their mind? It just seemed…weird.

"But first things first; veggies and medicine." Placing a hand on Rei's head, Streak ruffled her hair and continued down an alleyway.

Rei looked at the shop before her with a skeptical stare. Looking up at Streak for a few seconds, she turned and looked back at the shop yet again. And repeated that a few more times. Finally, after about five minutes of merely standing there, Rei snorted and folded her arms. "Are you sure you didn't screw up on the directions, Streak-sama?"

"Yes, I'm sure you smart aleck," Streak retorted, giving Rei a small push towards the store and walking to the door. Rei followed hesitantly behind, sulking slightly. She didn't want some weird person reading her mind or anything. Streak slowly opened the creaky door and stepped in, practically dragging Rei behind her.

"Can we please just go home?" Rei muttered, looking around the shop. It was full of plants, weird talismans, and odd trinkets. Everything in the shop gave off a magical aura and it made her nervous.

"Well…what do we have here?" a raspy voice asked, sending shivers up Rei's spine. In the shadows, Rei could see an old woman standing there, twisted and…well…ugly in her opinion. "So, you think I'm ugly, young one?"

"What?!" Rei blinked, stiffening. How did that old lady know what she was thinking?! "I…uh…"

"Oh, I get that all the time," the lady cackled, stepping out of the shadows and walking up to Streak and Rei. She pointed to a table in the middle of the room, set with three chairs, almost like she had known they were coming. "Sit, please. Now, what can I do for you?"

"I came on a rumor that you would seer dreams," Streak replied, sitting at a chair around the table. Rei, still unnerved that the lady was in her mind, climbed up on her chair and sat as quiet and motionless as possible. "This child has been having nightmares for many nights now, and they are steadily becoming worse. I come to ask if there is some way we can get rid of, or prevent them."

"I will do my best to help her," the old woman nodded and looked over at Rei. Almost immediately, Rei created a mental block around her mind instinctively, her face looking as it was set in stone. "Come here, my child. I will not poke and prod where you do not want me to."

"Rei…it's for the best," Streak reasoned, giving Rei a look that clearly stated 'do it, or else'. Rei sent a nasty glare back at Streak before getting down from her chair and making her way around the table to the old woman.

"Now…this may hurt a bit, but you can be a strong girl and endure, right?" the old lady asked, receiving a curt nod from Rei. "Now, don't move." The old lady laid her hand on Rei's head and both closed their eyes. They became so silent, Streak had thought they had fallen asleep when Rei winched and then yelped in pain.

Suddenly, without warning, a crimson energy crackled between the old lady and Rei and they both cried out before being thrown apart from each other. Rei landed on the ground not too far, while the old lady had merely tipped over in her chair. "Rei?!" Streak gasped, rushing over to the small girl and making sure she was alright.

"I'm…fine…" Rei gasped, sitting up weakly and looking over at the old lady, who had scrambled up also.

"You…you're…" the old woman wheezed, pointing at Rei in shock. "Get out of here, Cursed! Get out!"

"What the hell are you talking about, you old hag?!" Streak growled, clenching a fist. Rei trembled, her eyes wide.

Cursed…am I cursed? Is that what's wrong with me?

"Get rid of that child if you wish to live!" the psychic screeched in a high pitch voice, grabbing a nearby staff and waving it around.

"I don't believe in something as foolish as curses," Streak spat, picking up Rei and walking over to the door. "You were right, Rei. This was just a joke and waste of time."

"She's cursed, I say. Cursed!!" the old woman shrieked right before Streak slammed the door shut and continued out onto the streets of Benith, heading towards the Crimson Bandit's base.

Name: Rei Tamashii
Alias: Zero Soul

Age: 8
Height: 3' 5"
Weight: 54 lbs

Rank: Elite
Class: Special Unit: Z
Specializes: Stealth
Recommendation: Highest

A bandit officer glanced over a sheet of paper the young girl handed him, slightly dubious. "Well…everything looks like it checks out…but you're so young."

"And yet I'm a rank higher than you?" Rei asked with a mocking tone. She hated it when people looked at her, and then thought of her as incapable of doing her job. Some even went as far to pick fights with her so that one day, she might slip up and they could tell the whole world.

"Watch your tongue, brat," the officer growled, unsheathing his blade and holding it right in front of Rei's face. "You may be Streak's favorite little helper, but I will cut off that sassy little tongue of yours if you don't watch it."

"What is the meaning of this?!" Both the officer and Rei turned their heads to see Streak standing a few feet away. "Put that blade away and return to work, officer! You're lucky I don't throw you in a cell right now! Rei, get inside and stop taunting people!"

"But…I didn--" Rei silenced herself when she saw Streak's critical glare. "Okay…" she stated and walked into the building, sulking in an almost cat-like manner. Inside, many bandits milled around, looking at various stuff, chatting amongst themselves, or bragging about their latest spoils.

I hate gatherings… Rei muttered mentally, sticking her hands in the pockets of her outfit and finding a shaded corner to stand in. She was never very good with large groups…it just meant more people to keep an eye on. With bandits for allies, you could never be too careful.

"Welcome everyone!" Streak smiled, stepping up to the podium. Everyone quieted and looked at the head of the Crimson Bandits, currently thought to be one of the best bandits in all of the worlds. "I'm glad all of you could come here on such short notice. If you are here, that means you know the present mission, and you are one of the best."

Rei thought back to what Streak had told her about the mission that they were going to go on that night. Baron Kashid, a powerful capitalist and very rich man, had recently started hiring mercenaries to capture or kill any bandit within Benith. While bandits were already outlawed outside of the Thieves Capita, bandits weren't always captured or killed in such quantities.

Most bandits have been outraged, especially when some of the mercenaries even went as far to come into the Thieves Capita for 'game', as the mercenaries called it. In the last couple of months, more than 200 bandits had been captured or killed. Streak saw it as her duty to get rid of this baron by humiliating him, and looting his residence near the outskirts of Benith.

"I would like all of you to meet at the designated place by nightfall tonight, understand?" A few murmurs ran through the crowd, mostly of excitement. Not only would they put a stop to the nonsense, but they could plunder one of the richest men in all of Benith. "Good. I will see all of you tonight. Until then, enjoy yourselves here if you like, or return home and prepare."

With that, Streak left the stage and started talking to a group of bandits that still had questions. Rei glanced around, looking for something to do, when she caught sight of a person heading towards the doorway. What is he doing here? I know for a fact that Streak didn't invite Ghen. I am the person that delivered all of her invitations. That sneaky bastard.

Ghen had a well-know reputation for foiling people's plans, spying, and squealing on bandits. Of course, he was a bandit himself, but he lacked the honor of most.

Rushing for the door, Rei kept to the shadows so that Ghen wouldn't see what she was doing. The other bandit was just about to reach the door when Rei leapt at him, her foot catching his jaw and sending him into a decorative statue. Ghen wasn't a very brawny man…he was very lanky and slim. This should be as easy as pie. Rei landed on the ground near the fallen man.

A few people screamed while more gathered around. "What the hell?!" he shouted, standing up and facing his attacker. Rei spit to the side and then glared at him.

"Trying to rat us out to the highest bidder?" Rei muttered, loud enough for the crowd to hear. A couple of people growled, making Ghen shrink in on himself and glance around with a worried expression. "It's been a while since I've had a workout…" Rei smirked, cracking her knuckles. "Instead of turning you in, I think I'll just teach you a couple lessons right here."

"Yea right," Ghen smirked, taking a fighting stance. "Your kick was just a lucky shot. I'm going to beat you into the ground, girly."

Rei's crystalline eyes narrowed and she leapt forward, kicking at the man. Ghen blocked it and then punched out at her, but she dodged it and flipped over him using his outstretched hand as leverage. "Lesson one. Don't underestimate you're opponent!" Rei shouted as she kicked him in the back and made him sprawl onto the floor.

Ghen quickly got back to his feet, only to see that Rei had disappeared. His eyes darted back and forth, trying to see where she had gone. What is that girl made of?! She can't be human!

"Lesson two. Don't be seen." Ghen barely had time to react before something kicked his legs from underneath him and he once again found himself on the floor. Growling in fury, the spy stood up and faced Rei, pulling out a knife.

"You're going to pay!" Ghen yelled, running forward with the blade glinting from the light in the room. Rei ducked as he slashed and then leapt to the side as he stabbed down at her. "Not so great now, are we?"

Rei glared at him and evaded his knife a few more times. "I don't need a weapon to beat scum like you…" Flipping backwards to avoid another attack, Rei's foot caught Ghen under his chin and sent him stumbling backwards.

"Lesson three," Rei muttered, walking forward. Ghen stabbed at her with his blade, but Rei caught his arm and held it there. "Never pick a fight with someone stronger, smarter, and better looking than you." Rei struck him in the face with her fist and he tumbled backwards and hit his head on the statue, knocking him unconscious.

"Good work, Rei!" Streak smiled, pushing her way into the clearing. With a wave of her hand, two officials took Ghen by the arms and drug him out of the building. "I didn't even notice him. I wonder how he got in here. I'll have to talk to the officer."

"Do you think he was really going to tip off Kashid?" Rei asked, turning to face Streak. She didn't know if she should feel guilty or not. True, he had been in here without permission, but he was also known for being snoopy. The possibility of him not here to tip off anyone was also acceptable.

"Well, we won't know until we question him," Streak replied as the crowd began to thin. "Don't worry about it. He had it coming to him anyway." Streak ruffled Rei's silvery-white hair fondly and smiled. "I see you forgot your knife back at the base…again."

"Yea…but I didn't really need it," Rei replied, smiling sheepishly. "I'll go get it before the mission, though, okay?"

"Well, you better leave pretty soon then. It's getting pretty late." Rei nodded and Streak was about to say something else when a couple of bandits interrupted her with more questions. Not feeling like bothering her, Rei headed for the door and left the building, stepping onto the streets of the Thieves Capita.

Benith was known for being a city that never slept. Lights were on in almost every doorway and the bars stayed open almost twenty-four seven. The Thieves Capita was a small section inside of Benith that was made solely of bandits and was famous for its black market. Pirates, bandits, and thugs from all kinds of worlds came there to trade and bargain for all sorts of goods.

While the main part of Benith was sorta of gray and dull, the Thieves Capita was very colorful and active. Despite this, Benith was more or less industrialized and had many high buildings and high tech equipment. The Thieves Capita was a bit more like a small town, though it had its share of high tech equipment.

Putting her fingers up to her mouth, Rei blew out a high-pitched whistle and held it for about five seconds before stopping and waiting. Within a few seconds, a loud chirp responded to her whistle and Kage ran into view. Rei laughed as the big chocobo nearly stumbled on a food cart, but barely managed to keep itself and the cart upright.

"You should be more careful, you silly bird," Rei smiled, rubbing the side of her partner's head. "Streak doesn't know you're here and if she caught us, we'd be in big trouble and she'd cancel my first big mission!" Kage let out an apologizing chirp and Rei pet him again. "It's okay. Now let's get going! I need to go and get my knife."

Kage lowered himself to the ground and Rei pulled herself onto his back and clicked her tongue. Almost immediately, Kage set off, heading for the Crimson Bandits home base.