Konoe slipped her pistol into its holster and observed her surroundings, not yet spotting any of the remaining terrorists despite their unmistakable stench… much like the body of her partner that lay at her feet. He was a rookie, first day on the job and a supposed rising star. Only an hour ago he had prattled on about how excited he was to catch these bastards, but his enthusiasm only led to his downfall. Swallowing the lump in her throat that threatened to choke her, Konoe proceeded onward. Sympathy would only lead her to the same fate as her colleague. She could grieve later.

Other bodies lay about in pools of blood, the gunfight lasting much longer than she had anticipated. She was glad that her partner had at least taken a few down with him before checking out, but she still wondered where the rest of her team was; by the time they arrived the battle would be over. Konoe sighed, not surprised.

The warehouse where the drugs were supposedly being held appeared a few yards in the distance. The large front door was slid open, revealing where the rest of those slimy terrorists had snuck off to amidst the gunfire. Konoe drew her pistol and slunk in, but they knew she was there since they consisted of dog and wolf beastkin, putting her at a disadvantage. Even though there were only three of them, their sight, vision, and physical abilities were far greater than her own. She could feel their eyes tracking her, waiting to pounce on any mistake she made, but she wouldn't. Not today, not ever. Her job was to annihilate these terrorists and that was exactly what she planned on doing.

The building was deathly silent, not even a creak from the rafters although she knew they were on the move. Konoe inhaled the stuffy air and tilted her head to listen, trying to ascertain their locations. Swiftly she dove behind a crate, a bullet narrowly missing her cheek. She fired three times in that direction, hearing grunts and the sound of metal piercing skin followed by a thud. Direct hit. Before they could circle around she kicked a barrel and spilled its contents on the ground, wincing; Konoe didn't need a radioactive bath. Last time her skin had glowed pink for nine days, when she earned the nickname Ragna gave her.

The nervous beastkin shot simultaneously at the liquid and disclosed their location which Konoe took advantage of, putting two bullets in another. She dashed toward the dead body crashing to the ground and another bullet barely missed her. Way too damn close. If his aim were steadier she might've been missing an eye right about now. She stared into the shadows as all fell silent; nothing moved. "Throw your weapon down and come with me! One of your boys ratted you out and told us everything! There's no point resisting. Come quietly and I won't kill you!" Konoe surveyed the area, attempting to pinpoint the origin of the shot. It would be nice for them to just come quietly once in a while… what a pain. Ugh, great, now I'm sounding like Ragna.

The bullet fired from her right, definitely from a higher vantage point. C'mon move. All she needed was to hear them. The beastkin had her trapped, so it made sense to why they didn't consider her offer. Though boxed in she remained calm and focused, listening for the slightest noise.

Then she heard a creak.

"Gotcha!" Konoe swung the barrel of her gun around and pulled the trigger with animal-like reflexes, shattering the silence. A pained grunt cut short by death's embrace resounded throughout the warehouse. From the rafters, the beastkin fell and landed with a thick thud. Finally, she had emerged victorious. Konoe stood and strode out, not even bothering to check if he was still breathing. There was no point, she never missed. Slipping the gun back in its holster, she bathed in the moonlight and frowned as her "back-up" arrived, responding to her SOS sent over two hours ago. She sighed heavily as her team rushed past to check the interior and clear the warehouse, groaning when her captain stopped before her.

"We arrived a bit late, I see," Captain Horus quipped and glanced at the bodies. "This was supposed to be a stakeout, but you decided to engage them knowing you were outgunned."

Konoe scoffed. "They fired first, I just retaliated."

"And you handled this yourself, hm? It's good to know you still uphold that nickname of yours, Phantom." Konoe grimaced and clenched her fists, trying to remain calm, debating whether or not to ignore his jibe. He continued towards her lifeless partner and shook his head solemnly. "Ryan… he was a good man. Determined, proud, loyal and strong. His wife is eight months pregnant, you know? Then you wonder why nobody wants to work with you. Poor rookie. I suppose not all roads lead to Rome."

"I get my job done. Maybe if you hadn't taken your sweet time getting here, I wouldn't have been left to clean up your mess. But all you're good for is thrusting the blame on others. Some man you are," Konoe snarled

His tone was laden with bitterness. "If it were up to me I'd send your ass right to a desk."

"But it's not up to you, is it?"

"Unfortunately. Because that bitch of a sister is the only reason why you—"

The hot press of the gun barrel cut him off, her eyes sharp and homicidal. "Go ahead, say what you were gonna say. I've got one more bullet in the chamber with your name on it."

Horus sneered and pushed the gun aside. "Next time, wait for back-up," he said before walking off to continue the investigation. Konoe looked at her partner and felt her stomach churn. A heavy sigh passed her lips as she helped load up the crates of drugs onto the truck, ready to set off back home with a job completed.


Cutting a freshly-peeled apple into five slices, Ragna proffered one. "Alright Celica, open up."

Celica smiled and opened her mouth, humming as she chewed the apple and in no way displeased when he offered to feed her. "Thank you, Ragna."

"Nothin' too it. Doctor told me you're gettin' better."

"Yep," she smiled. "In a couple months I should be out of here! Isn't that great?"

"I'm sure Nine'll be crying tears of joy."

Celica pouted. "And what about you? Aren't you happy?"

"Of course," he chuckled, standing. "I'm gonna get another apple."

Celica grabbed his arm before he could move. "No, stay here. Don't leave yet. I'll be fine for another few hours, I've eaten plenty."

"Celica, it'll only take a—" Celica's tight grip cut him off and he sat back down with a sigh. She looked healthy, at least. Her hair had finally grown back and her eyes sparkled with vitality. Ragna looked at his hand still held by hers. "Uh, anytime you wanna let go?"

Celica shook her head. "Your hand is warm. I miss holding it." She paused, blushing. "Um, Ragna, about what I told you the last time you came here…" Ragna's cheeks reddened in recollection, and she squeezed his hand a little tighter when he glanced away. "Well?"

Ragna scratched the back of his head. "I-I mean, I don't know. I haven't really thought much about us in that kind of relationship, you know? You're here, better, but…"

"You can tell me if you're dating someone already, I won't be upset."

"That's not it. I just have a lot on my mind, that's all. Ok, by the time you get out, I'll have my answer for you. Can you wait till then?" Ragna asked.

"Do you promise?"

"Yeah, I promise."

"Promise what?" Konoe's voice sent a chill down his spine. She stood before the door, murderous eyes directed at their joined hands. "Wanna tell me what you promised to do with my sister? They allowed me to take my gun in here, you know…"

Ragna raised his hands. "E-easy, I didn't do anything! We were just talkin'!" The vibration of his phone broke the tension, and Ragna wasn't sure to be glad or mad he'd been called in. Konoe's gaze stayed on him as he said his goodbyes and rushed out. When she faced Celica she found her pouting.

"Big Sis!"

"I know, I know…" Konoe sighed. She plopped down on the stool Ragna had occupied. "You know I'm just looking out for you."

Celica sighed. "I know, but… I really like him. Can't you give him a chance? You know Ragna wouldn't hurt me."

"I know that. Just… wait until you get out and then we'll talk about it. Be patient. That idiot won't do anything stupid. Trust me."

"Don't threaten him, please?" Celica changed the subject. "How did your job go? You just got back last night, right? Shouldn't you be sleeping? And please tell me you weren't drinking."

Ragna you just can't keep your mouth shut. "No, I wasn't. I was way too tired… but you come first before sleep Celica." Konoe squeezed her sister's hand, smiling warmly. "I'm sorry I haven't visited as often as I should. So much work and I can't get a day off."

"This is all my fault." Celica's treatment was being paid for by the NOL in exchange for her sister joining their special task force, undertaking missions that were legally questionable at best.

"Don't blame yourself. I don't care how old you get, you'll always be my little sister and I'll always protect you. That's why I'm here. And hey, when you get out, why don't we take a nice trip to Kazumotsu? …And yes, Ragna can come along too, but he's paying for himself."

Celica wanted to lunge into her arms but lacked the strength. All she could do was smile. "Thank you, Big Sis! I love you!"

"I love you, too." Konoe glanced at her watch and clicked her teeth.

Sadness filled Celica's voice. "You have to go?"

"Yeah. I'm off tomorrow, so I'll be here first thing in the morning. Maybe I can get permission to take you out." Konoe kissed her little sister's forehead as she giggled. She left the hospital, and about halfway to her home a man appeared from a dark alleyway, definitely not dressed like any salesman she'd ever seen. The stranger approached her, his gait deliberately slow, and she could tell that under the hood were sunken eyes and slouching posture reminding her of some drug addicts she saw down by Eighth Avenue every night. Konoe halted immediately, her body stiffening, shoulders tensing as if bracing for a fight.

"Heh heh, it's been a while since I've seen you in person, my dear Konoe."

"A stalker? Listen, I'm not interested, I don't love you, there's more fish in the sea." Konoe's line rehearsed throughout the years of rejecting men's advances came out drier than usual since she was far too tired to deal with some crackhead. The light of the evening sun illuminated the stranger's ugly visage, nothing redeeming about his expression. And when he gave Konoe a smile she could see all his missing teeth. The four or five remaining were dark in color, decaying. And… that scar!

He snickered while running a finger along the scar going down his eye... the one she gave him. "Is that any way to greet your father?"

"Get out of my way." Konoe wasted no time retrieving her gun, pointing it at him. But it was just a show of force, it wasn't loaded.

"Not until we have a little chat."

"Screw you," she growled.

He just smirked then pulled out a gun of his own. "You always were so easy to read, Konoe. That gun isn't loaded—I know it. The hospital would never allow a loaded gun past the door. Now put it down or I won't hesitate to blow your fucking brains out. There's nobody in this area. Don't worry, I checked."

"…What do you want?" Konoe didn't relinquish her weapon, as if it still held some kind of authority.

"A talk, that's all. You stopped replying to my texts so I got worried about you. But let's continue this elsewhere. Say, your place? Oh, and I wouldn't try anything funny. Wouldn't want your sister to get hurt, would you?"

Konoe gasped and glanced back at the hospital, ready to return to Celica's side, but she froze upon hearing his gun cock behind her. He snickered, knowing he held the advantage. This man would shoot her even in a public place—she knew he would.

All Konoe could do was obey.


Konoe ignored the nausea churning in her stomach as she stared down her worst nightmare from across her kitchen table sipping her coffee: the man responsible for Celica's current condition, who made their childhood a living hell. The vile piece of shit who kept their mother doped up and whored her out to random passerby's for some quick cash to fuel his own addiction and drove her to her suicide. Shuichiro was pure evil, the devil incarnate. A man without morals or worries, a man who solidified her hatred towards men. But now he wanted to talk? Konoe knew he had come to her for one of two reasons: extortion or blackmail because that was just how he operated.

"Make it quick," Konoe bit out.

"Don't be so hasty. We have so much catching up to do after ten years apart." Shuichiro sidled over and sat beside Konoe. "You look amazing. Maybe even better than your mother…" Despite his calm tone and smile, Konoe caught the faintest glimpse of desperation in his eyes. He got straight to the point. "Your father needs some cash. About… a hundred grand should do it, and you're gonna provide it by next Friday."

Konoe couldn't restrain her laughter. "You think I have that kind of money to just lend people? Even if I did, I wouldn't give you a damn dime. So you can leave now."

"I don't think so," Shuichiro said, much too insistently as he pressed the barrel of his gun to her head. "I wasn't asking you, Konoe. I'm telling you. Unless you don't care about your sister after all. She might be sick, but she'll fetch a pretty penny…" He smirked, running a hand over her thigh as she flinched. "…as would you. Besides, with your special line of work, you must be getting a hefty paycheck and have plenty of money saved. Isn't the NOL paying for your sister? The amount of cash you've got in that lovely little bank account and from the investments you made, you must have more money than you can do away with. A trip is so overrated. Should you share it with your dear daddy?"

White-hot rage boiled within Konoe's veins. It took every ounce of willpower not to wrap her fingers around his neck and choke the life out of him, caring little about the gun ready to blow her head off. "I should've killed you when I had the chance!"

"We all make mistakes, and you should have, but here we are having a nice family reunion." Shuichiro leaned into her ear and whispered while caressing her leg, curving his hand around to grope her ass. Konoe jolted, doing her best to maintain a straight face. "But we can make this reunion a little… hotter, can't we? I've missed you so much, my sweet little angel. You've gotten so sexy. The years have done you well. Your mother doesn't even come close to you." Shuichiro planted a soft kiss on her neck and traced the column with his slimy tongue. Memories she thought she had buried resurfaced, his touch and bites making her want to throw up like all those years ago. "Make it happen, or you'll face the consequences." Konoe caught the anxiety in his tone, leading her to believe he had gotten tangled up in a mess.

"Or, I can just tip off whoever you owe and have them do my dirty work?" Konoe goaded, having a good hunch that if she didn't come up with the cash, whoever he owed would wipe him off the map. She smiled triumphantly as he pressed the gun harder against her skull, his eyes wide like a rabid dog's and words falling from his mouth in a panic.

"Don't play games with me. You think I haven't been keeping tabs on my own daughters? Why would I confront you without some kind of ace? You don't want such a precious angel like Celica to get a boo-boo, do you? …I mean, it always hurts the first time, right? You should know better than anyone."

"What have you done?!"

His lips split into a malicious smirk. "Oh nothing. Well… would you really want to know?" Konoe made a sound of indignation. "Keep your ringer on, I'll be in touch." Shuichiro planted a kiss on Konoe's cheek and exited her apartment. Walking towards the elevator, he offered a gentle smile to Ragna just as he stepped off. A terrible feeling encompassed him, and seeing Konoe's door open, he rushed into her home to find her sitting at the table. He gasped when he noticed the tears streaming down her cheeks.

"Hey, what's wrong?" Konoe kept her head down, silent. Ragna looked to the open door, damn certain that whoever he passed on the way here was responsible for her tears. "That son of a…!" Konoe's barely-audible voice caught his ears and his gaze fixated on her. Her nails dug into her palms, drawing blood.

"Goddamnit!" Konoe brought her fists down on the table. "I thought I was past him! I thought I could finally move on, that he couldn't use me anymore! But here he is… here he is! Son of a…!" She brought her fists down again and again, flailing as Ragna tried to hold her still. Konoe swung at him while rising from the chair, stopping when Ragna held her wrists in a vicelike grip and shook her. Her visage shifted from rage to sorrow and almost helplessness, an expression he'd never seen on her face before. She couldn't stand anymore, going limp and taking Ragna down with her. "I don't know what to do. I can't think. I can't…" Konoe's hands searched for something to grab onto; she felt vulnerable and weak for the first time in years. She used Ragna's shirt to pull herself up to his eye-level, and his widened at what she asked, what she begged. "Please… help me."

Ragna froze for a second, then helped Konoe rise to her feet and walked her over to the couch as she wobbled. He didn't know how long that man had been here and feared the worst. Ragna sat her down carefully, treating her as if she were glass. Taking a seat beside her, he waited until she calmed down enough to ask, "Who was that guy?"

She inhaled deeply. "My father."

"Father?!"

"That's right, I never told you about him. He's… I-I can't." Konoe shuddered. She clutched her arms as memories of her childhood returned, images she worked so hard to suppress slithering up from the depths of her mind. A shaky breath later and Konoe continued. "My father, Shuichiro Ayatsuki Mercury, is a vile, sick man. He does nothing but lie, extort… use."

"Did he touch you?" Ragna's question was answered when he spotted a mark on her neck. After hearing what Konoe had to say about her father, he wanted to go after the man and finish him off. "What's that guy's deal? What does he want?"

"Money. A hundred grand, to be exact, and he wants it all by next Friday. It leads me to believe he's gotten himself neck-deep in some shady business. Owes money to some big shot, so he came to me. On occasion he sends me messages."

"And you only decided to mention this now? Why keep this to yourself?"

Konoe gripped her knees. "I thought I could beat him this time. I wouldn't allow him to destroy my life again or use me or Celica. He's the reason why Celica is the way she is now. I have to protect her from him no matter what."

"Then why not just pull this case up to the NOL? By now there has to be some dirt on him."

"No, that's impossible. Whatever he does, he covers his tracks." Konoe shook her head. "Celica can't know about this, about him. All I have to do is give him what he wants and then he'll leave. Hopefully forever this time."

"Are you really going to just give in to him?!"

Konoe snapped. "And what do you expect me to do?! Miracles don't happen! Celica is everything to me, and I won't let him lay a finger on her. It doesn't matter what I have to do or how I do it, I'll keep her safe from danger."

"Are you ok with that?"

"It doesn't matter if I am. I have to do this. Celica is my world… my cute little sister, and if something happened to her because of me I'd… God, I don't know what I'd do!" Tears flowed again, brought about not by her hatred towards her father but herself for falling into another one of his schemes. And now Celica was paying the price for it.

"C'mon." Ragna helped her off the couch and to the bathroom. "Take a bath and cool yourself off. I'll stay the night."

"I didn't ask you to—"

"Shut up and go," Ragna interjected, not trying to hear whatever shit she had to throw at him. "You had a rough day… I know how it feels. Fathers aren't exactly the easiest thing to deal with." He opened the door and turned on the water before leaving. Konoe worried that maybe her father still lingered in the vicinity even though she knew he was long gone. She stripped, climbing into the bath to let scalding water envelop her body.

"My dear sweet Konoe… You'll be a fine woman when you grow up, and I bet you'll taste even sweeter."

Konoe leaned against the wall and sank, curling into a ball like she used to so long ago. She recalled her reflection in the water. Covered in red bites, exhausted, rung out, commanded to wash herself off before her mother got home after an entire day of being used as a prostitute. His sickening voice echoed in her mind, her nails sinking into her arms, drawing blood. The only saving grace was that Celica never had to experience what she had.

Ragna waited in the living room for about an hour just listening to the water run. A little worried he rushed over to the bathroom and was about to knock on the door, stopping hearing the pipe switch off. He backed up when Konoe walked out still wet and wrapped in a bath towel. She stared dryly at him. "What are you doing?"

"Got worried hearing nothing but the running water." Ragna took notice of her swollen eyes, realizing why she kept the shower on for so long.

"Just give me a minute to get changed." Konoe walked passed him to her room. She got changed into her regular pink pajama's and came back to Ragna who waited patiently for her return. " Do you have some plan?"

Ragna let out a laugh. "You really think I got somethin' in the split second you were gone?"

"I don't care what you have in mind—it could be stupid or doesn't make sense just... tell me." Now she was the desperate one, her voice cracking, filled with anxiety.

"You said not to report this to the NOL, right?"

"Anyone if you value your life. He's got connections everywhere. I'm pretty sure my boss is how he manages to keep tabs on me."

"Not gonna call him out on it?"

"Who would believe the 'Phantom'?" Konoe earned that nickname a few years back after single-handedly slaughtering a terrorist group boasting a number of two hundred, using the night as a cover. But the stigma of that nickname left wasn't pleasant. To the human eye, she was a monster, her luck even worse. Every partner she's ever had ends up dead, the toll making fifteen the other night. "The NOL is a no-go and I can't do anything on my end..."

" ...But I can."

Ragna's claim brought newfound light to Konoe's eyes. "Are you serious? Don't mess with me."

"I might have someone to help me guard Celica until we find a way to handle this ass clown—an old friend who went into the mercenary business. She's discreet, equipped and can handle herself pretty well in a fight. We still keep in touch every now and again and as of last night she's in Yabiko. Lucky since she owes me a favor too. We can focus on catching your dick of a dad when she's safe. Should take her maybe two or three days to get here." Ragna fished out his phone.

"Mercenaries? How do you even...?"

"A very long story." Ragna's tone emphasized he had no intention of sharing where and how he got his connections, so she left him be as he made the call. "Hey Bullet, it's me. Yeah, I wanna cash in on that little favor."


Here's an actual update. I guess you can say this is where the story begins. Review if you feel so inclined and I hope you found this enjoyable. Thank you Wild Blue Sonder for beta reading once again! Also, TFS episode 60 was so fucking hype. Had to download Day of Fate.