What the hell? W-was I just assaulted with...confetti...?

"Now give us your money!"

"Eh?"

"You heard us! We want all of your cash or any valuables. Preferably not any change. Though, quarters are excepted. "

The kids were smiling at her. Such stupid grins.

Luka looked down quickly and she saw that, while they were still holding hands, they both had a small golden hand guns in their other free hands. They matched which, as of now, was unsurprising.

"M-My money? Ha! I have nothing. Shoot me if you want. All that you will get is a mess!"

Luka laughed and crossed her arms over her chest. Foolish kids.

They looked at her for a second then looked at what she was wearing. Their mouths formed the shape of "o"'s and they turned to each other then they started whispering to each other. Luka could not hear but she did catch some words.

"Run?" "Hot Coffee?"

What were they talking about?

Luka looked at them for a second then laughed and ran back to the main street.

They could not get her now.

As she ran down the street that were aglow with shop lights and people who grumbled when she pushed by people. Some of them glared. Did she care? Nope.

She had one destination and it was that shit hole that she called a home. She had no where else to go. She could not go to Club Truce. She had to go home. She looked up and saw that on one of the buildings there was a glowing red sign that advertised the temperature and the time.

4:03

33ºF

Happy Holidays!

She sighed and kept running down the now empty sidewalks. The only up side to all of this was that her running kept her warm...ish.

"Don't Worry! My daughter will be home soon and she will clear this whole mess up! You'll see!"

Luka's mother stood in the middle of the old cafe in front of a man. His hair was brown and kind of rumpled and he wore a brown suit. His glasses were a little askew but he held himself with confidence.

"Wait, wait, wait. What the hell's going on here?" Luka stepped into the cafe. The lights were still out. Everything was still a mess. Nothing changed.

" I am Hiyama Kiyoteru and I have been following, you Ms. Luka Megurine, for the past two weeks. It is obvious that you are in an unfit environment and you need to be taken somewhere safe immediately."

" Wait.. you've been following me?"

"Yes, it was necessary to lead a thorough investigation. I have watched as you go to clubs, you drink illegally and you, the child, is taking care of the adults when it should be the other way around. "

At this moment Kiyoteru took out a small yellow notepad and he cleared his throat.

" Mr. and Mrs. Megurine you have both been charged with child abuse, drug use, invasion of..." He look around at the cafe. "Property.. and theft. I am now going to take this child. "

He reached out to grab my wrist but I jerked back.

"I don't want to-"

" If we let you take her can we be relieved of all charges and get one hundred dollars in cash?"

Luka gaped at her mother. How could she do this. She was, at the moment, seemed to be sober. Luka remember how only hours ago she had put her mother to bed because she as too drunk to do it herself.

" This is ridiculous!" Kiyoteru exclaimed.

" Luka has a pocket knife on her. If we ask her to use it then she probably will."

Her mother continued with her hands on her hips. "Also, my husband here is almost twice the size of you. " Big Al, who had remained silent through the whole situation and had been leaning against the wall, straightened his back and loomed over the man.

He was indeed a threat.

"F-Fine. You will be relieved of your charges and you will get your one hundred dollars but just know that I am doing this for the child."

Luka winced at being called a child. She was a woman. Luka stepped back but she felt a pair of insanely strong hands go around her.

Her father, who was quicker than he looked, had grabbed her and was carrying her out of the building and towards a sleek black car. She had no idea what type it was but it looked expensive. He had jerked the back seat door opened and threw her in the car and slammed the door shut.

"Mommy! Daddy!" Luka screamed out what she had called them when she was a little girl and before they had changed. Before society had changed them.

She tried jerking the door open but her dad was leaning against it.

Luka closed her mouth and felt tears rolling down her face as she saw her mom wave her hand and blow a kiss at her.

These tears feel sharp. These tears burn. These tears are so cold.

Luka's head jerked up as when she heard the front door of the car slam shut and Kiyoteru placed his hands on the steering wheel and smiled a comforting smile at her from the rear view mirror.

" I know this is hard now, but it was for the best. "

" That place was all that I have...or had. "

"Y'know. I have a daughter. Younger than you. Her name is Yuki. "

"...Why the hell are you telling me this?..."

Kiyoteru sighed and kept looking at the road. "Just trying to make conversation, I guess."

"Well, I am not really in the mood for conversing. Y'know I just basically got kidnapped from my fami-"

Kiyoteru pulled over on the side of the highway and slammed the breaks. He then spun his head around.

"Those... People... were not your family! They were a responsibility on you. You took care of them when they are supposed to take care of you!"

Luka sat there is silence and looked out the window as he pulled back onto the road.

"Hello? This is Kiyoteru... Yeah. I've got her. She is safe but the family would only give her up if they received no charges...Yeah."

It took Luka a second to realize that he as on the phone...talking about her.

Luka had so many feeling swirling inside of her.

Pain, Hate, Sorrow, Jealousy of that girl Yuki, happiness.

It felt someone had stabbed her chest and pierced her heart.

I was traded. Like a slave. Like I was property. What right did they have? I have done so much for them! I hate them.

Once Luka had thought it she knew that it was a lie. She loved them. She was ashamed of that fact and she was ashamed that the love was unrequited. She felt so foolish. So... in pain.

"Here we are. I was told that you would be staying at my place until we can find you a new home."

Luka was snapped from her thoughts when she heard the guys voice.

She opened the door of the car and slid out. Her boots hit the gravel and se was struck with the sounds of the city.

It sounds just like... home.

Luka looked up and saw a set of brick apartment complex's. Kiyoteru was leaning against the car with a lit cigarette in his mouth and his thumbs in his pant pockets.

"Alright, Ms. Luka, follow me. You will soon meet my beloved Yuki. It's a little small but we have a kitchenette and a shower. You can share a room with Yuki for now or take the couch if you want. "

Luka was led up a set of stairs on the side of the building and down the the second door on the third floor.

Kiyoteru fished some keys out of his pocket and opened the door.

" This is it. Your new home. "