A/n: Please tell me what you think. I'd love to hear from you! :)

Disclaimer: FT doesn't belong to me!

Once the taxi brought Kinana to her destination, she thanked the driver politely and stepped out of the car, getting a good look at Magnolia Prison for the first time. For a moment, she could only stand, transfixed, as she took in the tall, dark, and depressing building that loomed over her. To her, it looked almost frightening, and she knew Erik didn't deserve to be in a place like this.

"You can do this, Kina," she reassured herself as she walked up to the guard by the door. She nodded to him and introduced herself. "Hello, my name is Nana. I'm looking to apply for the custodian job that had been posted online."

The guard looked over her, his eyes lingering on her chest. Kinana tried not to squirm as he smirked at her, and she was suddenly very glad that she'd wore the old shirt to cover up her cleavage. "Hey, there. What brings a little lady like you to a place like this?"

"I would like to work here," Kinana said firmly. "My family is having financial difficulties, and...I want to be able to support them."

The guard blinked sympathetically. "I'm sorry to hear that, Miss Nana" he said, running a hand through his dark-colored hair. Kinana thought he didn't sound sorry at all. "Let me talk to the boss, and we'll see what we can do for you."

"Oh, thank you so much!" Kinana beamed, trying to look hopeful as she followed him inside.

After turning right at the corner, the guard led her to a small room and told her to wait while he left to fetch the boss. As she waited, Kinana got the chance to study her surroundings properly. She hated how small and empty the room was. She felt trapped, and she longed to be anywhere but there.

"You have a mission to fulfill, Kina," she told herself, slapping her cheeks lightly to keep herself alert.

The room was so quiet that she almost jumped when the door flung open again, revealing a short, almost chubby man. His mouth was covered by a square mask, adding to the ominous air around him and preventing Kinana from being able to see his expression. He probably wasn't someone you wanted to mess with. "So you must be the cute girl he was talking about," the man said in an overly bright tone. "I'm the manager here. The name's Grog, but everyone just calls me Boss. What did you say your name was?"

Of course, Kinana hadn't told him her name yet, but she didn't want to make a bad first impression by correcting him. "It's Nana, sir," she said, bowing in greeting. "It's nice to meet you."

He peered closely at her. "Have I met you somewhere before?" he asked suspiciously. "You look awfully familiar."

Kinana shook her head, her heart quickening at the thought that she had already blown her cover. "Oh no, sir! I must have one of those faces, that's all..."

"Huh. For a moment, I almost thought you looked like that new singer, you know, the one who's become pretty famous despite just debuting a while go. Kina-chan, was it?" Grog mused, talking more to himself than to her. "I heard people were speculating that she blew up the concert hall on purpose to get attention, but you can never believe in the press these days..."

Kinana stiffened at the thought that people thought she was putting her fans in danger on purpose. She almost tried to defend herself, but managed to stop at the last minute. If she did, she would blow her cover. Out loud, she lied, "O-Oh, is that so? I'm not really into show biz, so I wouldn't know anything about that. A-Anyway, sir, about what we were discussing..." she trailed off, hoping that he would get her point.

Grog nodded importantly. "Oh yes, I haven't forgotten! You're hired!"

"I'm sorry, what?" Kinana stammered, unable to believe her ears. How could she have gotten hired so easily? There wasn't a catch or anything, was there?

His eyes sparkled. "Well, it's not everyday we get a cute girl coming in to Magnolia Prison and looking for a job. So, you're in!"

Erik awoke the next morning to the unpleasant sound of a whip slashing his back. Each stroke burned his skin, but he gritted his teeth, unwilling to give the person beating him the satisfaction that they were causing him pain.

"Wake up, Cobra," an unfamiliar guard sneered. "Trying to catch up on your beauty sleep, eh?"

He was instantly alert. "Well, it's not like there's anything else I can do," Erik retorted.

"Good news for you, then. We're moving you to the main area," the guard explained curtly. "Come along."

Erik instantly guessed why. They were probably aware that he was behind Nadal's sudden quitting of his job, and were trying to avoid the same incident from happening again. Moving him to the main jail would make it easier for the higher ups to keep an eye on him, without him being able to do anything to the guards. In other words, it was two birds with one stone.

This was good for him, too. It would give him a chance to mingle with the other inmates and see if he could find out anything about Zato and the person he worked for. As much as he hated to admit it, the culprit was certainly smart for having another man do his dirty work, he mused, purposely taking his sweet time to get out of bed to piss off the other man.

Erik followed the guard down the long, empty corridor. Erik occupied himself by counting the the number of tiles on the floor.

As they walked, they passed the prison's manager Grog, who was walking towards them with another person in tow. It wasn't often the manager showed up - he was usually always hiding away in his office, and no one knew what he did behind those doors. This perked Erik's interest, and he wondered who the other person following him was. He couldn't see them clearly, but because she had long hair, he guessed that she was a girl.

It wasn't often a girl showed up at the prison, especially if she wasn't a prisoner. Who was she and what was she doing here?

"Ah, Cobra," Grog spoke up, breaking him out of his thoughts. "Good timing. Don't try anything, you hear? We'll know all about it."

"Yeah, yeah," Erik drawled. The person behind them shifted suddenly when the manager mentioned his name, and Erik raised an eyebrow curiously. He leaned closer towards her to get a better look, and almost fell over when he realized that he knew who she was.

Kinana.

She was wearing a blond wig - she was obviously trying to hide her original hair color - but it was her, alright. Erik could recognize her anywhere. He stiffened as he stared at her, wondering what the hell she was doing there.

She must have detected that he was watching her. As she lifted her head and met his gaze, her eyes instantly filled with relief and something else that he couldn't detect. Erik was good at reading other people's emotions, but he had a million and one questions when it came to her. He remembered that time when she fell when they were kids, but smiled at him despite her injuries. Why had she been smiling then...?

He wanted to talk to her and ask what was going on in her mind when she made the decision to come to a place like this. But with the two other men within earshot, it was impossible for them to speak without giving anything away.

"She's our new recruit, Nana," Grog explained to Erik's guard, answering Erik's unasked question at the same time. He kept his voice low, but thanks to Erik's skilled hearing, he was able to hear everything. "She'll be our new custodian starting today. If she needs anything, make sure to help her out, alright?"

"Will do, Boss," the guard nodded. "Come on, Cobra. Get moving. What the hell are you staring at her for?" He whipped Erik again to force him to move on, and Kinana jumped at the sound.

Erik knew one thing for certain then. She didn't belong here, not in Magnolia Prison, and definitely not in his world. She was too pure for the world of darkness that he was trapped in.

Kinana shot him a longing look as they passed each other. She wanted to touch him, but she knew she couldn't. Frustration flickered in her eyes, but there was nothing she could do.

She settled on reaching for his sleeve.

Her touch lasted barely for a second, and Erik wasn't even sure if it had simply been his imagination, but his hand tingled where she brushed against him. He turned his head and gave her one last look before she disappeared around the corner, leaving him alone with the guard once more.

Erik groaned inwardly. This was going to be a long, long day.

To say that Kinana felt frustrated was an understatement.

Throughout the day, she tried to look for Erik in an attempt to speak to him, but she couldn't find him anywhere. Not to mention that since it was her first day on the job, she found herself getting lost a few times - fine, she admitted that it was definitely more than just a few times - and accidentally locked herself in the broom cupboard in the process. It wasn't until a few hours later when a guard finally passed by and let her out.

The prison was like a maze. Many times, she would turn in one direction but suddenly find herself back in the same place she started. Kinana had no idea how the guards found their way around, but then again, she guessed that it made sense for the prison to be designed that way to prevent anyone from trying to escape.

When she finally did get a chance to see Erik from across the room during lunchtime - she was responsible for cleaning up after the inmates and making sure that they didn't leave a mess in the cafeteria - there was no way they could speak to each other without other people overhearing them.

By the end of the day, she was completely exhausted. She gave up on trying to talk to Erik, and after finding her way to the workers' quarters, collapsed down onto the tiny, uncomfortable bed. She knew she was wasting time, but there wasn't anything she could do.

Maybe this wasn't the best idea after all...

Just as she was starting to regret coming here at all, a female voice suddenly interrupted her thoughts, startling her. She didn't think there would be other women workers in the prison. "First day? I haven't seen you around before."

"Yes," Kinana answered weakly. "My name is Nana. I started working as a custodian today."

Kinana looked down from the top bunk to see a girl about her age with long, white hair. She looked dangerous, and definitely wasn't a force to be reckoned with. "The name's Angel," the girl introduced with a smile. Angel was the last name Kinana would have guessed, but she didn't dare say that out loud.

"Are you new, too?" Kinana asked. She hadn't seen the other girl during the day.

Angel shook her head. "No, I've been here for a while. I'm stationed in the back, so you probably wouldn't have seen me."

"I see," Kinana nodded. It was nice to have another female worker to talk to after a long day of seeing nothing but guys. "Do you know what happened to the previous custodian?"

"We don't talk to each other that much around here, but I think he quit because they overworked him," she explained. Kinana wondered whether that was why she was bogged down with so much work. "The retention rate here certainly isn't very high. Why, just yesterday Nadal left without an explantation. He was assigned to Cobra, the poor guy." She smirked, as though she found the situation rather entertaining.

This instantly perked Kinana's interest. "You've been here for a while, right? Were you assigned to Eri - Cobra, too?"

"Nope. The manager only lets the guards who've been here the longest keep an eye on him. I don't think they trust me enough to watch him, seeing how I used to be...ah, never mind. The manager also mentioned something about him playing with your emotions..." she trailed off, changing the subject. "Anyway, why do you ask? Don't tell me you're interested in him? Though, I wouldn't blame ya. He's quite a catch, that Cobra."

Kinana was very glad that she was sitting on the top bunk, so Angel wouldn't be able to see her embarrassed expression. "N-No, of course not! I was wondering if the rumors about him were true, that's all." That was when she picked up something from Angel's tone. Unable to stop herself, she asked, "If you don't mind me asking, from the way you talk about him...it's almost as though you know him?"

Angel's eyes widened, but then she said quickly, "Cobra's pretty famous around here, you know. Everyone knows him. Even you do."

"Good point," Kinana agreed. She didn't think she would get an answer from Angel tonight, so she didn't press the matter further.

"Well, I'm beat. Night, newbie!" Angel bade her goodnight. It didn't take long for the other girl to fall asleep, leaving Kinana alone to her thoughts.

Had Erik been playing with her emotions all along? Was he trying to get close to her, then hurt her like he did to all those other people? Kinana couldn't help wondering, recalling what Angel had said earlier. She shook her head, clearing the horrible idea out of her mind. No, Erik wouldn't do that to her, she told herself firmly. He protected you in exchange for his own freedom.

Besides, no matter how evil and manipulative he had been in the past, she knew he wasn't responsible for Laki's death. And that was mattered the most.

With that reassuring thought in her mind, Kinana soon drifted off to sleep, unaware of the danger that was looming over her.

Meanwhile, as Erik lay sprawled out in his bed, he thought back to what had happened during that day. To say that it had been hell was an understatement. Sure, now that he wasn't locked up by himself, he could finally see other people and actually get to talk to them. But that also meant he could overhear the dirty thoughts they had, too, especially when they revolved around a certain girl.

One of those instances happened during lunch. Erik was watching Kinana scrubbing the messy tables dutifully when he overheard a couple of inmates talking about her.

"Where the hell did they hire a girl like her from?"

"Dunno. She's some great eye candy though. I would do anything to bang her. Think she's a virgin?"

"I bet my share of dinner that she is."

"Dude, you think?"

Erik glared at them. He couldn't take them talking about her like she was a prize they could claim, so he stalked forward and grabbed the first man's shirt collar. "Keep it down a little, would you?" He snarled. "I could hear your disgusting words all the way over there." He jerked his head back towards the table he had previously been sitting at.

The first man's eye's widened, and he gulped as he recognized him. "Chill, man. It's not everyday we get to see a girl like that. Let us have some fun, would you?"

"Besides, what's it to you? Don't tell me you've set your eyes on her or something?" The second man challenged.

Erik knew what they were trying to pull. As soon as he denied it, they would claim her as their prey. He knew he wasn't going to give them that opportunity. "Maybe I have," he growled dangerously. "And you know I don't like to share."

The first man whistled. "Alright, man. You're no fun. But we promise not to hit on her anymore. Come on, mate, let's go," he hissed to his friend. The two men turned and quickly ran away, casting furtive glances back at Erik.

"Scaring poor, innocent folks off first thing in the morning, eh? I see you're grouchy as ever, Cobra."

A familiar voice spoke up from next to him. Erik whirled around to see Racer, a member of Oracion Seis, lounging in the chair next to him. Erik had been so focused on the two men that he hadn't even noticed that he was there.

"What are you doing here, Racer? You got caught by the police, too?" he asked, unable to hide the surprise from his voice.

Racer nodded glumly. "Unfortunately. It happened shortly after you were arrested the first time. I thought you were released, though. What made you come back?"

Erik sighed. He pointed to where Kinana was still busy cleaning the room, blissfully unaware of the dark things that were happening behind her back. "See that girl? It's because of her."

"Who knew Cobra would turn himself in for a girl?" Racer asked incredulously. He reached forward and tried to touch Erik's forehead. "You don't have a fever or anything, do you?"

"Fuck off," Erik snapped defensively, pulling away from Racer. "Don't get the wrong idea, idiot. I did it to protect her."

"Sure, sure," Racer said, though he didn't sound like he believed it one bit.

Erik changed the subject to avoid being interrogated even further. "So, you're here. Is anyone else here too?"

Racer thought for a moment. "Angel's here, too. Not as a prisoner, though. She was able to get off easy, lucky bitch. She's working as a guard for free on the condition that she never leaves the prison. Looks like they're short on manpower if they're willing to hire her."

"Guess women get it easy," Erik mused, realizing something then. That probably also explained how Kinana was able to get a job here so easily.

Racer's eyes darkened, not missing a beat. "You still haven't told me the real reason you're here yet. So, you better spill, Cobra."

Erik knew he wouldn't be able to keep his secret from Racer. With a sigh, he whispered, "I'm here to search for someone."

"Your long lost lover?" Racer teased, nodding at Kinana again.

"What the hell, no! A guy by the name of Zato. That ring a bell for you?" Erik asked, glaring at Racer for teasing him.

Racer frowned. "Zato, huh...the name sounds familiar. I think a few years back, he was a information dealer who worked on and off for Brain. But after you killed Brain, the guy disappeared and was never heard from again. Why are you looking for him?"

"If he hid then, why would he show himself now?" Erik asked himself thoughtfully. "I can't imagine Zato would have a reason to kill her..."

"Her? Who's her?"

"Kinana."

"No way. You mean Kina-chan?" Racer asked, confirming Erik's suspicion that Kinana was their childhood friend.

Racer had also been a part of the group from the orphanage. His name was Sawyer. Racer had the best memory in their gang, so Erik didn't doubt that he would remember their past. When Erik nodded, Racer looked thoughtful. "You know, the only person I know who could have an interest in her is Brain. He was aware of who we were and recruited us personally after we were kicked out of that damn place, remember? He's dead, though, so I can't imagine how he could kill her. Unless he's come back to life as ghost and is haunting us for betraying him," he half-joked to lighten the atmosphere.

Erik's eyes widened. Racer may have been joking, but his words made Erik's brain whirl in thought. "Racer, was there a body at the scene?"

Racer shook his head. "Not that I remember. After you shot him in the head, you left him for the dogs. A few days later I passed by the area again and he wasn't there anymore. We figured the dogs had gotten him."

"But what if they hadn't?" Erik pressed. "What if he wasn't completely dead, and someone saved him? Damn, I should have checked when I had the chance!" he punched the table in frustration.

His violent move alerted the guards. Before Racer could respond, two men came stalking towards him and grabbed him by the arms. "Cobra, I presume?"

"What the hell do you want?" Erik demanded.

"We're taking you back to your cell. We can't have you displaying violence in the prison."

Erik glowered at the guards, but there was nothing he could do. He glanced back at Racer as he permitted them to take him away, his mind spinning from the information he had gotten.

If what he and Racer discussed was true, Kinana was no doubt in grave danger. And it would take more than the Magnolia Police to protect her from Brain. He was the most powerful Oracion Seis member of them all, a cunning man feared by gangs throughout Earthland.

And no one, absolutely no one, has ever survived an encounter with him.

A/n: Dun dun dun! It's time for the plot to thicken! ;)

Hope you enjoy! The plot is actually inspired a little by Detective Conan because I've watched way too much of that anime lately LOL. I'm not going to spoil anything though :P I love reading everyone's reviews and seeing your predictions on what happens next~!

Fun fact: All the names of the characters actually have appeared in Fairy Tail at some point XD

leave a review if you liked it? :) Special thanks to Vilandel, the kitty killer, and FeeBee Bumblebee 2002 for reviewing the previous chapter! New readers are always welcome! :D