Chapter 2

I awoke the next morning to a knock on the door. I smoothed my hair down as I made my way to the door. When I opened it I saw Haru standing at my door step. I looked at him curiously. Not fully awake enough to comprehend. Haru was my fathers weapon. They had been best friends for years. His face was usually all smiles and goofiness. He always had a funny joke or a fun story to tell. But today was different. There was no smile on his face, no hint amusement, just a sad look in his eyes and a his lips clamped between his teeth. That's when it dawned on me. Dad had left on a mission yesterday. Every mission he went on Haruwent with him. So why was he here and not my dad. I was a smart girl. It didn't take that long for me to put two and two together. I just didn't want believe it. I was in denial.

"Where's my dad?" I asked. I didn't want to hear what he had to say. I was still slightly hoping this was some sick joke he was playing on me that he thought would be funny. Or maybe he was just in the hospital severely injured. But I didn't hear any of the things I wanted to hear.

"I'm so sorry Kurayami. I failed him. I failed you. I'm so sorry." he broke down crying. I was to shocked to move. I just stood there as he hid his face behind his hand to cover up the tears that were going down his face. "He's dead, and it's my fault. He was killed because I wasn't strong enough. I wasn't..." he continued to cry. No, no no no no. this isn't real. This has to be a nightmare. How could anything like this ever be real. My father was so strong. He never did anything rash and always planned out everything in perfect detail. How could this have happened. I felt the first tear go down my face. The first of many that were to come.

"I'm sorry Haru" I said in an emotionless voice as I shut the door on him. I couldn't see his face that reminded me of nothing but my father; I didn't want him to see me like this. I felt my knees buckle from out from under me. I fell to the ground, and just sat there and cried. I didn't move. I couldn't think straight. Random thoughts screamed at me in bursts.

'He's gone!'

'You're alone!'

'Your have no more family left!'

'How?'

'Why?'

But the one that kept screaming at me angrily was 'Who!?' I laid there and cried in the hallway for hours. Finally I got up and trudged my way to the bathroom and turned on hot water. I stood in the shower for a while before I decided to just lay in the shower. Just lay there while the shower head kept beating my with its jets of water. The salty tears and clean water merged as they ran down my face. Once I ran out of hot water I still stayed in for a few minutes. Letting the cold water smack me awake. I was in like a trance. I was scared to get out of it and face what I needed to do. But I knew I needed to so I let that bitter ice water wake me from my daze and turned off the water. I so bad just wanted to lay naked, wrapped in my towel and just lay on my bed and cry. But I knew that would do no one any good. I needed to know everything that happened. When? Where? Who? what was the mission about? Where was he? When is the funeral? So many questions I needed answers to.

After getting dressed I didn't even care to put on makeup or really fix my hair. I made my way down the stairs and checked the time. It was 5 pm. I grabbed my phone and threw it in my pocket not even looking at it. I had to go to the head office of SSS in my area. Where the missions are dealt out to people depending on their ranking, and where any affairs dealing with the SSS are handled. It was a good way away. The one closest to me is about an hours walk our about 20 min or so on bus. I checked my wallet and took out some money for a bus. I wasn't feeling walking today. I waked slower than usual and all my guards were down. If ever someone was out to get me, now would be perfect time. I was at my weakest I had ever been. The bus was quiet except the rattle every time we went over the smallest bump.

When I made it to the office I looked at it. I had only been here once before when my dad had taken me to show me where it was at. We used that day as sort of a field trip. He showed me his favorite training places and all the secret meeting places. Thinking about him made a tear go down my face. I wiped it and headed toward the double doors. The place was a huge important business building. But it had a secret basement that was where the SSS part of the business was stationed. I had actually never been in that part. I went in the elevator. Quickly closed the doors as I saw a lady rushing over to try and make this elevator. It shut right as she got there. I bet she was pissed. I thought back to when dad had told me how to get down there. I think you were suppose to press 1717 and it went down. So I crossed my fingers and tried it. I clicked the buttons as they lit up a dull orange color. I looked up at where it showed were the floor the elevator was going to. In red blocky numbers it showed -1. Huh, I guess it worked.

The doors slid open after a short ride. I walked out and looked around. It looked really small. Just a lobby full of chairs and a secretary lady behind a half oval desk. I walked across the room to her desk. There were a couple of people sitting in chair waiting for something. The place reminded my of a doctors waiting room. The lady looked up at me and smiled.

"Yes sweetheart?" she said in a happy voice. It just didn't fit at all. It seemed like everything should be depressed like me. Happiness just seemed so weird right now.

"Uhm. Yes, is this the SSS office?" I questioned quietly. If I was right and not everyone in this room knew it I could get in trouble. She nodded and continued to smile her bright red lipstick smile.

"Yes it is, how may I help you? Do you have a meeting?" she asked still all to happy. I shook my head at her.

"No, I don't think. My father.." I couldn't figure out how to say it. My voice caught in my throat. I was scared I was going to cry in front of this stranger. I used so much strength to keep the tears behind my eyes and not to spill over. He facial expression softened and I saw her smile become not so bright.

"Was your father Yutaka Hataku?" she asked in a a sympathetic voice. I nodded and looked down at the ground. "Come this way honey." she said as she got up and walked around and out of the little desk area. I followed her through one of the doors and into a large hallway with a couple more doors on each side of me and door directly in front at the end of the hallway. She knocked on the door and we heard a mans voice say to enter. She held the door open for me and I walked in. I heard the door shut behind me but she was not in the room. I looked and saw an older man standing in front of a desk, he gestured to a chair near him. I went and sat.

"Hello, you must be Kurayami. I am Misaaki. I am the president of this office. Your fathers death is very tragic. He was dear to many of us and was a great asset to the society." the man spoke very strongly. I pictured him giving speeches many times and I wondered to how many families he had given this speech to. But I just simply nodded. "Well, we have a funeral arranged for next Friday at noon. And you will of course will get a monthly check from us to cover your living expenses until you are 18 years of age." he continued explaining things like legal issues and then it got to who I was going to live with. I was only 16.

"Now you have two options, you may chose to live with who your father put as your legal guardian, Hataku. Or with his permission you may chose to be emancipated." he told me. I thought about it for a minute. It wouldn't be all that bad living with him but I don't want to be a bother to him. He was living with his newly wed wife. I would be a total nuisance to them.

"I will speak with him about it." I told him even though I knew what I wanted to do.

"So I have some questions." I told him. He nodded understandingly and awaited my first question. "What was the mission he was on?" I asked bluntly.

"That's classified information." he told me.

"This is my father we are talking about!" I said. I was already in a bad mood. So it didn't take much to piss me off.

"I understand but I cannot give you that information." he said sternly.

"Fine, how did it happen?" I asked. I didn't want to straight out say died. I don't think I could if I wanted too.

"How he died?" he asked. Wow way to be insensitive. I just nodded curtly. "His weapon and him go knocked out. When his weapon woke up he was gone. He did as he was suppose to and went and searched for him. When he found them, the guy they were after had killed Yutaka and gave him a message to relay back to us." when he finished I had tears in my eyes. Out of sadness that he was dead and anger. Pure hatred for the bastard that had done that to him. Used him to make sure a message got passed. Rage engulfed me and I felt my eyes burn. I looked down so Mr. Misaaki couldn't see me. I wanted to lash out but I barely kept my composure. "Anymore questions?" he asked. He didn't sound impatient at all just uneasy. I bet talking to a crying girl about how her father died is difficult.

"Yes, just one. What was the mans name?" I asked.

"That's part of the mission information. I can not give you that. I'm sorry." he had repeated that same 5 letter word a hundred times. But I doubt he meant it a single time. I bet sorry was just a casual word he had to learn to say to each person he had to turn down information to or inform them of a passed away loved one.

"Ok, that's all. Thank you." I told him blankly.

We discussed further details about the funeral and he apologized many times for my loss. After a while the lady from before knocked and came in again.

"Sir, you have a meeting with Mr. Yamato in 5." she said with her bright smile. She turned to look at me and somehow managed to smile bigger. She nodded and left.

"Well, I guess I will be going. If you have anymore information, you can contact the main office at this number." he handed me a almost blank business with just a number on it. I took it and held it in my hand as he waved me out the door. I left still looking at that number. I slid it into my pocket. I had to know the answers to those questions. And I would get them. I had to think of a way to get the mission information, I figured though, that it wouldn't be easy or legal. As I walked out of the office and got into the elevator I was already concocting a plan.

That night when I got home I was exhausted. I went upstairs to my bed and just laid there looking at the ceiling. I felt hallow. I felt destroyed. I felt like I wasn't actually there. Like everything that had happened had happened in a parallel universe or something. Eventually I started crying. I cried and cried until, like a baby, I cried myself to sleep. I awoke the next morning late so decided not to go to school. With all the chaos yesterday I hadn't put on my alarm to wake me up for school. Even if I had I still probably wouldn't have went. I laid there in my bed as all my memories of the previous day. I started to cry again when I heard my phone ring. I pulled it out of my pocket and I realized I was still dressed from the day before, including my shoes. The phones shows dads weapon name. I flipped in open and answered.

"Hello?" my voice croaked. Wow I was hoarse. I guess all the crying took a tole on my throat.

"Kurayami? Hey. Are you OK?" he asked. I don't know why. He aught to know that I wasn't. I guess my silence told him that. "Well, I'm gonna come by for a minute. Misa made you some food and I'll bring that over for you too." I realized then that I hadn't eaten all day yesterday. On the phone, he kept talking "Plus, we have to go to court Wednesday to find out where you will be staying. We can discuss all that when I come over."

"Ok." I said again. My voice really did sounded terrible and kind of hurt coming out. We hung up and decided to get out of bed. I went and took a shower washing my face of the saltiness that stained them and hoping the steam would help my throat. I got out and brushed my teeth and got dressed. I kept doing things to keep myself distracted. I had time to blow dry my hair, fix my make up perfectly and clean up down stairs before Haru showed up. I opened the door for him. He didn't look much better today. He wasn't crying but there wasn't a hint of happiness on his face. But I couldn't say anything. I was the same way.

We sat in the dining room while I ate the food he brought over. Which was just some simple curry. I ate mindlessly while he talked about living arrangements. After he finished telling me how he wouldn't mind me staying with him and talking about all the changes they would have to do I spoke up.

"I want to live alone." I told him. After I spoke I hoped I hadn't offended him. I wasn't meaning I was totally against living with him. I just would rather live alone than inconvenience them.

"Oh, well are you sure?" he asked worryingly.

"Yeah, I stay by myself a lot when dad was out on missions. So it won't be much different. This house is already paid for. Soon I'll be doing my own missions and making my own commission but I'll also be getting money from the SSS." Hopefully I was telling him enough information that would ease his mind and let me be emancipated.

"Alright. And I can give you some money from time to time." I immediately rejected him.

"No thank you. I will be ok." I didn't like people taking care of me. I never borrowed money from my dad either. I worked for it around the house or something first. I don't believe people should just be handed things. They should have to work for it. And Haru knew this. So he didn't argue the matter. He just simply nodded. I had a feeling though that I might have some bills paid for me already sometimes. He sat in silence for a minute before he got up.

"Well I better head back, Misa is waiting for me." I nodded and got up as well. I walked him to the door and we said our goodbyes. As soon as he walked through the thresh hold I felt my composure start to fall apart. I went to the living room and barely made to the couch before I started to sob. It didn't feel like that much longer that there was a knock on my door. I picked my head up off the couch to look and saw the clock glowing 8:36 in green squares. Wow, I must of dozed off or something. I decided if I should get up and check who was at the door when another knock was placed on my door rather roughly followed with a "Kurayami! Are you in there?" That was definitely Kana's voice.

I pulled myself off the couch and trudged over there. I knew my mascara had probably smeared, and I knew I probably looked like the living dead, but I really didn't care. I wakled to the door and barely opened it.

"Yeah. I'm here." my weak voice told her. She could tell something was wrong.

"What's wrong? You haven't answered your phone since saturday and you didn't come to school today. I was worried about you. Open the door so I can talk to you." she said softly.

I thought about it for a second before I opened the door more, but I kept looking at the ground. Next thing I knew I was being hugged really tightly. I wasn't one to show weakness in front of people, so Kana knew something was terribly wrong. For some reason all it took was that simple caring touch to make me break. I sat there in my oblivious best friends arms and cried for a good ten minutes. Finally she pulled back still holding onto my arms to question why it was she had been consoling me.

"Now please tell me, what happened." she said with tears in her eyes. She was crying for me? I never understood why people did that, but it made me feel really special.

"My father... He was murdered." I said with pure raw anger flowing through my words. I heard her gasp and hug me again.

"Oh my god. I'm so sorry Kurayami." she said holding me as tears continued to leave my eyes.

She decided to spend the night that night. She told me I didn't have to come to school tomorrow but I needed to go to SSS club. Her company helped a little. But I still felt hallow. I felt like something was missing. He was my only family, he was my father and my best friend, more so that Kana. We watched movies until she fell alseep. I oculdn't sleep that night. The night when Haru came to my door to tell me of my fathers death. I kept replaying it. Then my horrid imagination would make up different ways he could have died. Hopefully it was quick so that he didn't feel pain. But I would also like to think he had put up a good fight.