Chapter 9 - Questions

"It is a pleasure to meet you." The man gave a small bow, his eyes never leaving me. "May I have the honor of knowing your name?"

"Who talks like this?" I thought with a frown, crossing my arms over my chest protectively.

I clicked my tongue against the roof of my mouth and pursed my lips together.

"Depends on if you can give me the right answers to my questions."

The vibes rolling off gas-man had me on edge. I had to remind myself that I wasn't the same little girl all those years ago when he took me away. I was stronger, and this time he could not touch me.

"Questions?" The man cocked an eyebrow, curious.

"Who are you?"

"Ah, apologies. I have not introduced myself yet, have I? I am Purveyor." He lifted a hand over his heart, bowing.

That answer told me nothing, so I pressed on.

"Who do you work for?"

"For myself."

He was keeping his answer ambiguous, allowing my frustrations to build up.

"Alright," I gritted my teeth, "what it is exactly that you do? You don't strike me as a person who likes to get their hands dirty but isn't above taking children."

"I seek out and find potential quirks for the highest bidder. That should have been obvious I would think."

"And where do you take the people you find?"

"Now, now." He tisked, "That's confidential information. You'll have to give something of equal value before I answer that. Your name will do."

"No." I resolutely snapped.

"Very well," he shrugged, not the least bit put off, "I will have it soon enough."

I frowned at this. I knew I was dangerously close to the edge of my emotional limits. He was toying with me, letting me frustrated when I was getting anywhere with my questions. I wanted to lash out and make him tell me everything right then and there, screw the consequences. But something within me told me that he would not easily break under threat of pain. He was cunning and observant.

He was dangerous.

I sighed, trying to get myself back under control.

"These children you take," I spoke, my voice strained, "They end up in underground auction houses, don't they? To be sold to the highest bidder. But not all of them make it there."

Purveyor's eyes sharpened. "Perhaps."

"What happens to the ones that don't get there? Where do they go?"

"You will have to be more specific." He chuckled. "Quite the market to be had for those with special and rare quirks. There have been so many over the years. Take that little girl for an example." He pointed to the sleeping figure of the girl. "Her quirk lets her copy anything that is paper based. To the right buyer, she's worth her weight in gold." He laughed at some inside joke. "And I am always happy to provide my client's with what they require."

The Purveyor's words left a sour taste in my mouth. The memory of that night was quickly resurfacing to the forefront of my mind and I was slipping.

I had no choice. If I wanted answers and to get out of here with the girl quickly, then I would have to be direct.

I clenched my fists, and spoke. "Fifteen years ago, you took two children from St. Augustine's Orphanage. One of them ended up in the auction house. Where did you take the other?"

A silence hung in the air as Purveyor studied me hard.

"I do not recall."

"Think hard." I growled, taking a step forward threateningly.

"Were they precious to you?" He looked down at me rather amusedly that he had sparked a reaction from me.

"Think hard." I repeated, ignoring his question. "You put them to sleep and then drove away."

"The warp boy and the girl with the sleeping quirk." There was recognition behind his eyes this time.

"Where did you take the boy?" I leapt at the chance to ask the question that had haunted me all this time. I was so close to having the truth.

"It was a stroke of luck finding him." Purveyor didn't answer my question, talking more to himself as he relived that night in his mind. "Warp quirks are so exceedingly rare, and in such high demand. I leapt at the chance to acquire him. But the girl," he paused, "was an added bonus. A freebie. Paid practically nothing for her." He stated plainly.

I couldn't prevent the low growl that escaped from my throat.

"If I remember anything from that night," he chuckled, getting the reaction he wanted, "it was her."

Hearing this I froze.

"You see," he began to walk around me, "she woke up when she shouldn't have been able to."

"The boy," I huffed, desperately trying to redirect the conversation, "Where did you take the boy?"

Purveyor ignored me. "I knew she was special, but," he sighed. "I had an order to fill that night, and so I left her at the auction house."

"The boy." I snarled. "Where. Did. You. Take. The. Boy?" I spat out each word.

Purveyor was not phased at all by my threatening tone.

"I do believe it's time for my payment." He said as a dark smile reached his eyes as he reached out his hand towards me.

"You're not getting my name." I quickly snapped, backing away.

"Pity." The hand retreated. "Then allow me a question of my own. An observation if you will."

My eyes narrowed and a chill went up my spine.

"You are not a hero." The accusation hung there in the air like a knife that threatened to slice me open. "A hero would have prioritized the safety of the girl above this interesting conversation of ours. From this I know you are working alone. There is no one coming to help you."

"I'm not alo-"

"You have caught my interest," He cut me off, "and that is a dangerous position to be in for you. Do you want to know what I have discovered about you?" He grinned. "You are not really here. You see, my quirk allows me to emit whatever gas I want from my skin. Gas to put people to sleep. Gas to numb even the strongest pain. Gas to make metal objects corrode. And gas to make people drown in their blood. But also know," His voice grew darker as he took sure steps towards me, continuing, "that with the gas I emit I can detect all fluctuations in the air. Surrounded by my gas I see everything - feel everything - and I know you are not here. So that begs the question..." He paused, leaning over me, "What exactly are you?"

I took a step back at his advance, my fists growing tighter as he continued his assessment.

"Throughout our entire conversation you have not taken a single breath." He continued, "I have seen you breathe, but I would have known if you had inhaled my gas for you would be on the floor just like them." He swept his hand in the direction of the four bodies by the desk. "True, you could be holding your breath, but at some point everyone needs to breathe." Even with the gas mask on I could see the wide grin that had grown there.

"Which leads me to think you are a projection." He stood back, his eyes roving over my form in an appraising manner like one would give to inspect choice meats at a market. I gave a shiver under his gaze. It felt wrong.

"But a projection," he continued thoughtfully, "cannot interact with the physical world like you did with me." At this he held up the hand that I had touched in the air as evidence. "So that means you are here but also not. You are an apparition. Some might even call you..." he paused and my eyes grew wider, "- a ghost."

He had figured out who I was, and he didn't need any confirmation from me to know that he was right.

"Well, well, well." He clucked his tongue in glee. "I have to say it is a pleasure to finally meet you, Ghost. I should have never let you go that night. What an interesting candidate you have turned out to be."

If my blood hadn't been running cold before, it was downright frozen now.

I should have kept my mouth shut. I should have up and vanished from sight. I should have knocked him out right then and there. But the world was built on should haves and regrets.

"H-how?" I stammered out.

"Your questions told me all I needed to know. You should have been more careful with your words." He spoke sternly, reaching out to me with a hand.

It was the same hand that reached out to me when I was a child. The same hand that tore Natsu away from me. His outreaching hand was enough to shake me awake and send adrenaline pumping through my veins once more.

That was it. I had had enough. Even now I could feel my soul beginning to feel strained from the time being spent away from my body.

"We're done here. " I vanished from sight, ending the conversation.

"Going so soon?" He called out, "And here I thought we were becoming fast friends. Don't you want to know what happened to your friend?"

That gave me pause but I shook myself. He was stalling for time, and time was something I did not have in generous supply.

"The police can sort you out." My voice echoed in the air.

"A-ah." He chided. "You're not thinking about the situation clearly. Come back into the light where I can see you. After all," he chuckled as a fog slipped from his hands, "you wouldn't want the girl to die. You may not need to breathe, but she certainly does."

My heart stopped as I glanced between the slow fog that was drifting off of Purveyor's body over to the little girl. She was gasping. They all were gasping and clutching their chests, struggling to breathe. He was willing to kill them just to get to me.

I needed to shut him down - and quickly. I didn't know what kind of gas he was emitting, or how fast it could work. There was only one thing I could do- my trump card to end everything.

Taking a running leap, I launched myself at this body, entering it in a flash of light. Purveyor hunched over at the sudden invasion of another soul in his body, his limbs straining as I gained control.

"What a fascinating quirk you have. Very versatile." He gasped through a strain. "But taking control of my body will not stop my quirk."

"Say goodnight." I spoke inside his head, turning off the lights in his brain and making him fall face forward in a deep slumber. I was none too gentle with him as he slammed against the ground.

He was right though. Despite being put to sleep his quirk was still active. I could feel it oozing out from still inside his body. I was desperate and time was running short. Instinctively I knew what I had to do to save the little girl, but this was certainly going to paint a target on my back from now on.

I spread out my soul further into the man's body, grimacing through the sickly sensation that his body naturally held, but I was searching for something.

"There." I voiced in my head when I found what I was looking for. I mentally reached out and took hold of it, letting a surge of energy flow from me and into it. Purveyor's body gave a twitch and his quirk died within my hands.

With the immediate danger thwarted, I left the body all too quickly, glad to shed the oily feeling that had been running over my soul since I entered it. Not everybody that I entered was like this - just the ones that housed particularly nasty souls.

I rushed over to the girl's body, terrified of what I might find. Resting her body fully on the ground, I leaned over her chest and listened for her heartbeat and lungs. She was still breathing, but the breaths were shallow and irregular. She needed medical attention.

Mentally I cursed myself. This was all my fault. I had become blinded in my quest for information and ignored the very thing that I had come here to do. And in doing so, she had been hurt. I was far too old to be making these kinds of mistakes.

With the girl in need of care and me not knowing exactly where I was in this complex, I stood and made my way over to the desk in the room. I reached for the phone and made a call.

"119. What is the nature of your emergency?" A male voice answered on the other end.

"Requesting immediate backup and emergency personnel to my location. I have the little girl reported missing this morning with me and she needs medical attention." I internally continued to scold myself as I said this. It was a mistake that I would not be forgiving myself anytime soon.

"Wait, who is this?" I could hear a hush come over the room from the other end.

I ignored his question, and continued on, "Send some heroes too. I'm not sure how many villains are left in the complex, but you'll find at least three - sorry four -," my eyes landed on Purveyor's sleeping form, "villains knocked out when you get here. The little girl is also unconscious."

"Understood. Sending services your way. What is your location?" The male asked.

"I'm...unsure." My voice faltered. True I knew the general vicinity of where I was, but I had passed through the ground. I had no clue where the entrance to this base was. "Track this phone line. You can do that, can't you? I'll trust you can find your way down here from the surface." I spoke with assurance. Ivan had told me once in the past that police had that sort of capability.

"Ma'am, please stay on the line while we track down your location..." His voice faded as I set the phone face down on the desk, not hanging up but also not hanging around to answer any more of his questions.

I walked back around to the front of the desk and picked up the little girl in my arms before proceeding over to the sofa. I laid her down on the cushions with her head resting in my lap. I couldn't do much for her anymore except make her comfortable as we waited for the heroes to arrive. I kept an eye on the unconscious men for signs of waking and an ear out for any sounds beyond the door.

I could have carried her out of here myself, but it was a dangerous move to make. I didn't know this place, nor did I know the enemies' numbers. While I could leave unharmed being in my soul state, the same could not be said for her. She could easily be caught in the crossfire if the villains decided to attack me. So the thing to do was to stay put and wait till help arrived.

A hum slowly rose in my throat as I absentmindedly laid my hand over the girl's chest to feel the rise and fall of her lungs. It was a small comfort to know that I had not massively screwed up and she was still alive. My eyes landed again on Purveyor, and instantly I felt myself tense up.

He had found out my identity so easily. He was the one man in the world who I should have never let slip to. There was no telling what he could do with that information, and inwardly I started making preparations to run. But I couldn't run, I reminded myself. Purveyor hadn't answered my question at all, and at the moment he was my only lead to finding Natsu.

I had to stick around, at least until I could wring it out of him.

I sighed angrily at the situation I had dug for myself.

A chorus of yells sounded beyond the door, drawing my attention to the fight that was happening outside.

"I guess they're finally here." I whispered. Gently, I removed myself from the couch and positioned my soul off to the side of the room while turning invisible once more. It wouldn't do to be seen by the heroes at this time - not that they could do anything to catch me.

I waited for a moment and the noises coming from outside suddenly died down. I frowned. I could see several souls gathering just beyond the door, and from their bright colors alone I knew that they were heroes.

"What are they waiting for?" I thought.

I didn't have to wait long as the door was smashed open, the wood splintering into a thousand tiny pieces as the heroes burst through in a dramatic fashion. One man in particular shot out the bindings from around his neck with frightening speed towards the villains lying on the floor, effectively rendering them immobile.

Not that he needed to really. They were still out cold.

The police filed in shortly after and I found the room suddenly cramped by the amount of bodies that were pressing inside. I edged closer and closer to the wall with the screens, hoping to stay out of the way and praying that I wouldn't accidentally pass through one of them.

"Four villains unconscious - just like the report said." The man with the bindings said, a foot nudging one of the villians in the side to confirm their state.

Another hero reached down and lifted the girl off the sofa with the branches he grew from his arms.

"I've got the girl here. She appears to be alive. But I don't like the sound of her breathing."

"Get her back up top, Kamui Woods." Binding man pointed to the ceiling, indicating to the emergency services that awaited up on the surface.

"Right." Kamui nodded, whisking the girl out of the room and out of sight.

Another hero with large heavy arms, knelt down before the mummified villains, poking them with a finger.

"Someone clearly beat us to the punch, Eraserhead." He stated forlornly. He clearly did not have his fill from the fight from outside.

"The report said the caller was a woman, correct?" The man with the bindings who I learned was Eraserhead spoke with a frown.

"Yah, what of it?"

"There weren't any women here when we arrived. Either they had already left before we could arrive, or..." He trailed off, as he started to inspect the room with earnest. The phone resting off it's receiver on the desk caught his attention. He reached for it and put it back on its hook.

His gaze then swung over to the spot where the girl had been laid down.

"But why leave the girl behind? Why call in and then leave? It's illogical and reckless to leave an unconscious child surrounded by villains. Unless," he stopped suddenly, pulling his bindings from his neck and assumed a battle stance. His long black hair came to life and the bindings slithered dangerously in the air. His red eyes glowed behind the slits in his goggles, steadily scanning the room.

The hero with the large arms took notice of Eraserhead's sudden alertness, springing to his own feet ready for a fight. The police tensed, holding their guns closer as they nervously looked around the room.

I held my breath as I felt the hero's unblinking stare wash over me, lingering for a second too long on my corner of the room as his brow furrowed. It felt like for a split moment that he could actually see me, and I actually wondered if he was one of those special people who could. I froze, muscles coiled in preparation to flee. In the moment I could feel his eyes peering into me an image of him flooded into my mind. He was bundled up on the floor of a hallway, a puffy yellow sleeping bag encased around him as he took a long slurp from a juicebox he had hidden away in the sleeping bag. He looked like an overgrown caterpillar that was rudely awake from his slumber. Why I suddenly had that vision of him in my head, I couldn't even begin to wonder why or how. But it was gone in flash. Leaving just as quickly as it came until it was forgotten.

Eraserhead's gaze moved on away from me, and I breathed a sigh of relief. His hair fell around his face and he returned to his perpetual slouch.

"False alarm." He said nonchalantly, stepping out from behind the desk.

"You sure?" The other hero questioned, still looking about the space.

"Yah." Eraserhead nodded, "If they had still been here, my quirk would have canceled theirs's out and we would have found them."

"Huh." This bit of info was interesting to me. I guess he couldn't erase my quirk while I was in my soul form. I filed this bit of info away for later study in the back of mind.

I had hung around long enough. The little girl was safe now and the villains were being rounded up. There was nothing more for me to do here.

Flying upwards, I rushed through the ceiling and up into the ground, wanting to get this over with as soon as possible. I shot out of the pavement above like a bullet from a gun, hanging back for just a moment to watch the active scene below. The villains were being led away in cuffs to the back of a black van while a group of onlookers stood behind the police tape, their phones whipped out to record the scene for social media.

The sun was beginning to crest over the horizon. I had stayed out all night, and inwardly I made a groan. I was going to need a long sleep after this.

The journey back to my body was quick and straightforward. I wanted to return home as soon as possible to relay the news to Ivan, and I made every effort to expedite my travel time back to my apartment - even turning down breakfast when the inn keeper had offered it when I emerged from my room. My stomach grumbled its displeasure all the way to my front step as I stepped back inside my dark apartment.

"So how did it go?" Ivan called out from under my bed sheets where I had banished the laptop the previous day as soon as the door clicked shut behind me.

"We may have a slight problem." I panted breathlessly from the quick jog up the apartment stairs. I dropped my overnight bag to the floor and dug out the computer from under the covers of my bed.

"Oh?" The concern was evident in Ivan's tone.

"But," I quickly added, flipping open the laptop to look at the bright screen, speaking this time with a bit of renewed hope in my voice. "I may finally have a lead on Natsu."

We finally get to see the person for why we're all here - the dark and beautiful hero that is Eraserhead. I wanted to set up Eve's first encounter with the hero to be like two passing ships in the night, and I also wanted to begin hinting at her reincarnation. Did you catch it? Those kind of things are going to pop up more and more as the story progresses until there's a climax and things will really take off from there.

Eraserhead's part in this chapter was awfully short. I did warn you. Here's a romance story about Aizawa, and he doesn't even show up till this chapter. What kind of romance writer am I? I'll tell you - I'm an evil one :P

Got to introduce him sometime, though. He'll show up again in chapter 12, and will be a regular character from then on. I promise ;)

And for those of you who jumped straight to this chapter - yes, I'm looking at you. All I have to say is for shame. Tsk, tsk. Going straight to dessert before eating the rest of the meal? And yes, I do mean Aizawa is the dessert. A tall piece of sinfully delicious cake is what he is :P