Disclaimer: Sadly, I don't own Darker than Black or Harry Potter. If I did…well, let's just say that they would be pretty different, k?

"Talking"

'Thinking'

Dream Flashbacks

Death

Warnings: Some foul language, bit of violence, but nothing much. I don't think I left the T range...tell me if that's wrong though, my violence meter is kinda fucked up. As an overall though, if you haven't finished season 1 of Darker than Black there will eventually be spoilers for you. I don't think I'll be incorporating any season 2 elements any time soon though, probably not until the sequel. And believe me. There will be a sequel, I've already gotz the main plot planned out ^.^ .

A/N: Sooooo…*glances at calendar* I know it's been more than a few days. By like…almost 4 months or something equally ridiculous. Buuuuut, you see, what had happened was…I had this chapter all ready and raring to be posted, but it was only, like…900 words. And I was like, 'Nuuuu, I don like teh short chapterz' and then I was like, 'Well, I'll post it anyway…' but then I realized that the next chapter could just as easily become the second half of this chapter. So I decided to finish that, then post them together as one chapter. But Luna decided to do her own thing, midterms came up out of nowhere like, 'WE R HERE RU SURPRIZZZED? *demented laughter*', my muse for a totally different idea I had just completely exploded, and my 16th birthday came up with all the intricacies of a party, soooooo…yeah. Sorry 'bout that. Hope ya'll are satisfied! You should be, it's pretty long! XD Couple more things to address...

IMPORTANT: Oookies, 2 things and then I'll let you go on XD. 1, I went through all the previous chapters and fixed my paragraphs and shtuff, so it should be a bit easier to read. If not, tell me and I'll, like...do something. 2, and more importantly, I need to know people's feelings on slash pairings (and I mean both F/F and M/M; season 2 had that one hinted at lesbian couple that I kinda wanna keep together once I get there…). Thus far, the people who've responded weren't totally against it, (In fact, at least one person requested it before I even asked about it…XD) they were more against the idea that romance (of the rainbow variety or otherwise) would take over the fic, or that I'd write bad slash and ruin the reading experience (though a couple just didn't want slash at all).

I totally agree with your concerns guys, I know I've read fics that've been ruined by romance (again, slashy or otherwise) in the past. I won't allow that to happen here. That being said, I won't totally rule out the idea of some romance, but if I do put it in, it won't be my main focus. In addition, this fic will definitely stay T in the romance department, which means no smexy smutty lemons for ya, sorry. If it gets to that point (which I honestly doubt…), I'd do a separate sidefic/oneshot type thing. Anyway, sorry for the long A/N, I've interrupted your reading enough. On to the fic!

Hei stood stiffly outside the room of the teen he'd carried to the hospital, leaning on the wall next to the glass window that allowed him to peer in. Part of his attention was focused on watching as various nurses walked briskly past, anyone could be an assassin these days after all, but most of his attention was focused on the male he'd brought in. He glanced over the teen, or what little bit of him he could see that wasn't covered by the blankets that the overenthusiastic nurses had practically cocooned him in. The male looked about 18, and his face was sunken with malnutrition. He was pale and unkempt, and the clothes he'd arrived in were mere rags.

Hei's body was tensed, his instincts telling him that something was off with this teen. Though he looked almost peaceful in his unconsciousness, Hei knew that there was something weird about the teen, something just inherently different that made him feel off kilter. He attempted to shrug off his discomfort and seated himself in one of the nearby chairs, turning it to face the window, but was immediately forced to abandon the halfhearted attempt toward calmness when he just barely stopped himself from pulling one of his hidden knives on the other male as he twitched in his sleep.

'Obviously, this isn't working.' Hei thought with a slight frown, pulling his chair closer to the window as he continued to stare at the comatose male. His lack of composure was something that he was beginning to take personally; it wasn't part of his character to allow himself this little self-control. With a frown, he allowed himself to slip out of his civilian persona and mentally flipped the switch that allowed him to become the cold blooded killer he always held in check, the Black Reaper. His posture relaxed slightly and his eyes blanked as his analytical mind went over the events that had lead him to the hospital.

-Flashback-

Yin had been acting oddly for the last few hours during the mission, actually needing directions, questions, and orders to be repeated multiple times before she responded. Luckily, even though she seemed somewhat distracted for whatever reason, they were still able to carry out their mission with relative ease. After all, they weren't considered the Syndicate's best team for nothing. There hadn't been any complications, other than a slightly confusing mishap in which the doll posing as Chiaki Shinado acted on her own and sacrificed herself to save Hei's life. A confusing event to be sure, but no one in administration was losing any sleep over it. In the end, she was only a doll. Hei was walking Yin back to her place, which had become the norm after she'd been mugged and almost killed by some brawny men who'd pegged her as easy prey.

Hei, who'd still had his ear com connected from the last mission, had come, quickly and violently, to her rescue. In the end, the syndicate had been forced to erase the memories of some twenty or so passerby who'd witnessed Hei slinging around his electrically charged knives as Yin stood by, silently holding the small bag they'd tried to steal and her broken arm.

The two of them were walking along in companionable silence, when she suddenly stumbled slightly, holding her head in pain.

He turned slightly from where he'd been walking in front of her. "Yin?" He asked, "What is it?" There was no response as she stared sightlessly up at the sky directly above their heads. He followed her gaze, not seeing anything above them, and turned fully to her as she slowly reached an arm up toward the stars. Suddenly, her knees buckled beneath her. Hei just barely managed to grab her before she hit the ground, and he kneeled with her, holding her in a pseudo embrace as he attempted to get her back on her feet. "Yin," he shook her shoulders slightly.

She turned her head toward him at the sound of his voice, pain filled eyes staring blankly at something past his head. She reached a palm up to his face, running it over his cheek. He pulled back slightly, cold eyes showing surprise, and her hand fell. She opened her mouth to speak, but just keened in pain, hands gripping either side of her head. "Yin…" he murmured, unsure what to do. Her head jerked up, almost colliding with his, and she gripped his shoulders. Her eyes were slightly wild as she stated, "Help him." Hei's response was colored with slight confusion. "Nani?"

"You have to help him." She repeated, fuchsia eyes begging. Hei stared back, quickly going over his options. It was possible that this was a trap, and that by trying to assist he'd end up dead, but...he tilted his head thoughtfully. He'd never seen Yin, or any doll for that matter, react to anything this way when in their base personality (A/N: as opposed to a false one like Chiaki-doll's), so it was highly unlikely that this was a trap. In any case, if it was a trap, it was likely one created by the syndicate, meaning there was no way to escape it anyway. Therefore, as a team member, it was his duty to help his comrade and possibly walk into a trap.

Dissatisfied but still resolute in his reasoning, his brief lapse in concentration having only lasted a moment, he returned his attention to Yin whose condition seemed to have worsened. His blank eyes flashed with minute concern before it was snuffed by his usual apathy. "Where?"

Yin's eyes warmed slightly, as she pointed directly to her left. He glanced around memorizing their location, and carried her to her place, as she still couldn't stand through the pain, then backtracked to where they'd originally been and listened as she told him where to go. She was back to her usual monotone, but he could hear the slight strain that came from speaking through pain. "Forward to the end of the street, then left." he walked briskly, not quite running but still moving quickly. "Seven blocks forward, then cut through a copse of trees." He advanced, wading easily through the rush hour crowd, and slipping silently through the trees before hopping over a fence, idly noting that he was beginning to traverse the more poverty stricken area; graffiti covered the walls, and the houses were more abandoned than inhabited.

He continued to follow her increasingly short and pained directions as she spoke through his ear com until she stopped speaking altogether. "Yin?" he asked quietly, but she didn't respond. He continued forward cautiously along the street he was on until he heard a loud crash come from an alley to his right. He tensed, the possibility of a trap in the front of his mind, before mentally switching to his civilian persona and calling out, "Hello?" He didn't hear a reply, and moved forward a bit more, one hand slipping behind him to rest on the knife in his waistband.

As he crept closer, he saw a male lying prone on the ground. He was attempting to prop himself up on his elbows, and failing. For some reason, Hei felt himself tense; the urge to stab this man while he was down was almost overwhelming. He shook off the feeling, pushing it to the back of his mind for later review, and asked "Hey, are you ok?" The male stared up at him with blank green eyes that were a nearly unnatural shade of emerald. More importantly though, they were the emotionless eyes of a contractor. Hei tensed further, waiting for an attack and wondering why he'd even bothered to come if he just knew it was going to be a trap.

To his slight confusion, the male just collapsed, still staring blankly at him. He crept closer and placed a restraining hand on the teen's shoulder, resisting the urge to release his electricity and murder him where he lay. "Hey, what happened?" The male stared at him for a moment more, and their eyes met, before he passed out. Hei stared at the unconscious body for a moment, and was slightly startled when Yin spoke in his ear again.

"Hei." He jerked from his blank stare and, after making sure the man was truly unconscious, picked him up bridal style. He didn't trust anyone at his back, even if they seemed to be unconscious. "Yin, lead me to the nearest hospital." She complied without comment. It was an edgy walk to the hospital, Hei expecting the unconscious man to regain consciousness at any moment and attack. Surprisingly enough, nothing out of the ordinary occurred and, about a block from the hospital, Hei shifted the man in his arms to a more precarious position and pretended to stumble tiredly to the emergency room door.

He burst in yelling, "This man needs medical attention!" gaining the attention of the bustling medical staff. He'd watched as they lifted him onto a gurney, and waited until they'd come back and told him about the teen's medical condition. Apparently he was extremely malnourished, and had a broken ankle, a hairline fracture in his femur, and four broken ribs, as well as extreme exhaustion and a multitude of scars littered throughout his body. They'd told him that if he hadn't brought the man in when he did, he may have died.

-Flashback end-

Hei attempted to relax his tensed muscles, knowing that his civilian persona would be fretting over the man's condition rather than staring stoically at him from the other side of a glass window, but he couldn't seem to unwind his rigid posture at all. Questions buzzed through his mind; where was this teen from? Who was he? A spy? A new contractor? Why had he gained Yin's interest? Had he escaped from somewhere? Where had these injuries come from? Torture? Had someone found him out as a contractor and attacked him? Was it just a matter of people's fear and hatred for the unknown, or something more?

He sighed, forcing himself back into the neutral emotions he usually felt as a contractor and felt himself relax. No matter the case, there was nothing he could do until he had more information. To figure out this puzzle, he first needed more of the pieces. Hei sighed again, shifting to try and get comfortable in the hard hospital chair; he'd never been the most patient person.

"Back again, Harry?" a mocking voice resonated through the blank white space. Harry momentarily ignored the easily recognizable voice as he stretched his senses out, trying to get a sense of his location without opening his eyes, though he was already mostly sure of where he was. Feeling nothing, which confirmed his hunch, he responded without opening his eyes, "I highly doubt that I'd be here if you didn't somehow draw me here. It's not exactly like I wish to keep you company."

"Oh, your words are razors upon my soul." Death deadpanned, dramatically clutching a hand to its chest. It was ignored again as Harry slowly sat up, finally opening his eyes and taking stock of his body. He winced as he stretched, his most recent date with the floor having given him some more minor cuts and bruises to go with his broken ribs and ankle. He prodded his ankle, which was once again facing the wrong way, and sent a small amount of magic to it, allowing it enough healing power to at least turn the correct direction, which was good enough for the moment. He glanced up from where he was seated on the floor, ignoring his broken ribs for the moment, and finally paying more attention to his host, who was seated on a black throne. He and Death stared at each other before Harry eventually spoke. "Why am I here?"

Death seemed to sigh. "It seems your little...trip through the multiverse was harder on your too-frail body than was originally expected. Additionally, one of my subordinates apparently made a mistake with the recreation of your power." Harry raised an eyebrow questioningly, but Death just waved a bony hand impatiently. "Doesn't matter right now." Harry's other eyebrow joined the first, but he was ignored in favor of a continued explanation. "You were close to death upon arrival in your new world, so your soul was automatically attempting head off to the Beyond. However, this is not part of our deal. Therefore I got to you before you moved on, and manifested you here." Harry nodded in understanding.

"This problem was caused by one of my subordinates, so the other Immortals feel as though I'm to be held responsible." Death stated with a frown, ignoring Harry's amused smirk. "Therefore, in compensation, I will allow you seven questions regarding your new world. Ask carefully." Harry raised his eyebrows in muted surprise before closing his eyes in thought.

His mind flipped through questions at an amazing speed, quickly discarding those that wouldn't help him survive and trying to figure out which were the most important. 'What exactly do I need to know...' he pondered. Moments passed in empty silence before Harry's eyes opened, and the questioning began.

"In comparison to my original dimension, exactly how parallel is this world?" he asked, leaning back on his arms as he relaxed on the slightly cool floor. "Too ambiguous of a question. Be more specific or ask a different one." Was Death's prompt response. Harry frowned before curtly stating, "Geography. History. Inhabitants." Death smiled mockingly at him.

"This dimension and your previous one are very similar, unlike some of the worlds you could've been sent to. Gravity hasn't changed, the earth still revolves around the sun, clocks still move clockwise, humans still inhabit the planet, the geography of the earth is still the same, etc." Death replied, ticking off the various similarities on bony white fingers. "The only main differences are the changes in anything involving wizards. Wizards do not exist here, so any events involving wizards either doesn't exist, or was done differently. For example, in your world wizards created the pyramids, but in this world, they pyramids weren't created with any supernatural power, just man's own power. Similarly, Diagon Alley doesn't exist because there's no need for it, since there are no wizards. Magical creatures do not exist either, since this world uses a different form of supernatural energy."

Death shifted slightly upon its throne before continuing its explanation. "Regarding people, of course some of the people from your world will exist here, but they will most likely have little to no similarity to those you know from your world. Or, they may be extremely similar to your world's versions, but they won't have the same memories and experiences. Conversely, there are also people in this world that never existed in your world, and vice versa."

"So, my…friends…" Harry trailed off, careful not to actually voice his inquiry. Death answered the unasked question that hung in the air. "Indeed, it's relatively likely that your 'friends', while they may exist here, will not be the people you once knew." Death leaned forward on its elbows before remarking tauntingly, "What, did you perhaps wish to reconcile with your long lost comrades? Find your dogfather, moon-mutt and parents alive and well? Build a relationship with this world's version of the youngest female of the redhead brood?"

It was almost surprised when Harry's response was long, loud, hollow, and borderline hysterical laughter. Harry didn't stop laughing until he began coughing and choking on his own blood as he hacked it up from a punctured lung. One of his broken ribs had pierced his right lung, he noted with a muttered oath. He sent the smallest amount of magic he could afford at it, repairing the rib and pushing it back into place. "The only reason I wanted my world's version of my people," he began as he vanished the blood in his lungs, "is so that I could use them before killing them once they lost their purpose."

Death eyed him with an unreadable expression, watching as he licked the blood from his lips. "How much of your answer is bravado, I wonder?" It stated musingly. Harry snorted distractedly in response as he checked his reserves to see if he could afford to use any more magic on his ribs, before he decided that he'd just have to deal with the annoying pain that shot through him whenever he breathed.

"What are the people who have powers in this world called, and what are their powers?" he asked, abruptly changing the subject. "Ah, getting to the more important questions, are we?" Death asked with a mockingly proud voice. Harry's response was a deadpan expression. Death took it in stride, proceeding with his explanation. "The two main types of super humans in this world are contractors and dolls, though there are some sub-categories. *Contractors are individuals who have gained superhuman powers due to the appearance of the Hell's Gate and Heaven's Gate. Their powers come at a price; they have to pay a fee of sorts which is called an Obeisance, and they're compelled to do a task of some kind. Some have to do something as simple as humming a tune while others are forced to mutilate themselves in some way. They have a wide array of powers, different for each person, and no two contractor's powers are exactly the same."

Harry tilted his head slightly in thought, his mind flashing to the blue energy he'd witnessed in his core as well as the emotionlessness he'd found sanctuary in during his stay in Azkaban. 'So, I'm a contractor now? But I still have my magic as well; I guess that's the mistake Death's servant made. A mistake that benefits me for once? The wonders of dimension hopping will never cease!' he thought sarcastically. 'I wonder what my power is, and my…Obeisance was it? I'd like to hope for one that isn't hard on my body, but...' He snorted with a smirk, 'I'm forever Fate's whipping boy, I'll probably end up needing to practically die for my price.' He snorted again, ignoring the glare Death sent him.

Death glanced at him to make sure it still held his attention before continuing. "**There are also dolls, which are emotionless "mediums" created to mimic the forms of humans. Dolls can form a variety of functions, the most common of which is their use of observer spirits, which serve as reconnaissance. Dolls have different mediums through which they can send their observer spirits and must be in contact with this medium while observing. A Doll can also be given the memories and personality of another person and assume a person's personality perfectly, mimicking all their habits, dreams, and feeling, though not permanently." Harry nodded in acceptance, obviously he wasn't a doll since he still had his emotions, inaccessible though they may be, and moved on to his next question.

"Who are the most influential of these people?" Death tutted in annoyance. "You're thinking of contractors too similarly to wizards. They don't have a society solely for themselves; most people don't even know that they exist. Though they are a secret to most of society, they are deeply involved in most every part of it, especially the government. Almost all branches are run by humans, such as MI-6 and the CIA. In fact, there is only one group run by a contractor, and they're more of a resistance group than anything. They're called Evening Primrose, and their leader is Amber, who is the first confirmed contractor. Other than the Syndicate and Evening Primrose, the various secretive branches of government that existed in your own world are very nearly the same."

Harry raised an eyebrow in question. "And I'm expected to know exactly how things are run in the 'secretive' branches of the government because…" he trailed off carefully, sure to end his statement before it became an actual question. Death's response was a snort. "Mortal, both you and I know your history. Knowing secretive branches of government was your chosen occupation for years, there's no information I could give you that you don't already know." "Untrue," Harry refuted, his face completely blank, "I know nothing about the Syndicate, or Evening Primrose."

"True." Death replied with a cruel smile, "But what fun would it be if I gave you all the answers? Life is better with more challenges, no?" Harry paused, his face morphing into a large, insincere grin as he stated coldly, "I think I truly hate you." which Death responded to with a mocking tilt of its head. Harry let the grin slip off his face as he moved onto his next question.

"Why did you think this world would suit me?" He asked, remembering Death's words from the last time they'd met. "Because..." Death seemed serious for the first time in the conversation, leaning forward, lacing its fingers broodingly in front of its face, and staring at Harry intently. "I need you to do something for me." Harry leaned forward as well, a raised eyebrow implying a question. Death continued gravely, "I didn't send you to this universe purely on whim or out of a desire to assist you." Here Death seemed to sneer. "Truthfully, I would've preferred nearly anyone other than you, seeing as you nearly doomed your first universe by trusting the wrong people," He paused to give Harry a foul look, to which he responded with an unrepentant shrug, ignoring the regret that attempted to pass his mental barrier.

"However, you were the only option. Similarly to your original universe, this dimension you've been sent to is considered a pivotal point; one of the universes whose fate determines that of its fellows. Originally, it was one of the lesser dimensions, but somehow an entity from a universe completely different from either of those you've inhabited managed to gain access to a portal to this world, and used some of its considerable power to create both the Hell and Heaven's gate. Usually, this wouldn't be a problem," Harry interrupted it with a disbelieving look which caused Death to pause.

"Dimension traveling is fairly normal amongst lesser entities; many of them believe that if they leave their homeland the Immortals no longer keep track of their actions. Obviously, this is untrue." Harry hummed in understanding before falling silent.

Death shook itself, getting back on track. "As I was saying, this wouldn't normally be a problem, but when this entity pulled from his power, it wasn't enough. He needed more, and somehow pulled from mine as well." Death leaned forward further, resting its elbows on the arms of its chair and speaking with emphasis, "This. Should. Not. Be. Possible. As an Immortal, my power is mine and mine alone. It shouldn't be possible for anyone other than myself to use my power, let alone pull it directly from me." Death leaned back against the back of its throne with a sigh. "Fortunately, the entity wasn't prepared to handle the immense concentration of my essence that is present in my power, and his soul was ripped apart. However, these...gates are still dragging power from my reserves." He admitted, spitting out the word gates as though it were a curse.

"And you want me to help you by…" Harry began, his face completely blank. Death tilted its hooded head slightly, staring at him as though he was a specimen under a microscope. "The leader of Evening Primrose, Amber, is attempting to destroy the gates." Harry's dull emerald eyes bored into death's hollow ones. "I am to help her, then." He stated.

Death shook its head, "Not exactly. She is not the focal point, nor is she the savior. I need you to help the pivotal character of this dimension. Everything revolves around him, no matter the choices he makes. The fate of this universe rests on whether he strays from his path. He needs to join with Amber, otherwise this world is doomed."

Harry looked away slightly, eyes becoming glassy in thought, before they sharpened, and returned to the Immortal. He tilted his head in consideration. "...what is this savior's name?" Death smirked widely before replying, "Hei." Harry raised an eyebrow at Death's apparent amusement, but ignored it in favor of contemplating his decision. 'Truly, there are no other options. If I refuse, I'll most likely be cast immediately into the fiery pits of Hell, which is not exactly the choice I wish to make.' He mused discontentedly.

"Soldier? A rather cliché name I'd say…" He said vaguely, stalling as attempted to find a loophole in his decision. Death's smirk widened. "He's been destined for this task since birth." It stated, as though in answer. Which, Harry idly guessed, it could be; he didn't understand the complex ways of the Immortals. He snorted irritably; he'd come through the veil with a wish for freedom, and now he was being imprisoned by a choice…a choice that he really had no say in, and couldn't find a way out of. He gave Death a frigid glare, which it responded to with blank apathy. He sighed, brushing away all emotions; there was nothing he could do other than what Death wanted, and hopefully he'd find a way out of this later.

"…what will I tell them?"

Hei was pulled from his thoughts as the beep of the heart monitor began speeding up. He quickly snagged a passing nurse and followed her into the room as she went to check on the teen. He waited impatiently for her to leave; this male was a contractor, he didn't know how he'd react when he awoke. He nearly breathed a sigh of relief when she finally left; he didn't want Huang on his ass about yet another incident.

He sat down in a nearby chair, far enough to be out of immediate physical range, but close enough to subdue if necessary. Being closer, he could see the details of the man better. Up close, he looked even younger, and unhealthier. If he was standing, Hei didn't think that he'd reach past his nose. The various scars scattered across his body looked even more raw up close, as though they'd occurred very recently. His hands were long-fingered and bony, and there seemed to be a ring on his index finger. Hei leaned forward unconsciously; the ring was odd, shaped like a triangle with a circle inside of it and a line through the center…

"Understood?" Harry nodded in confirmation before he paused. "What will I do for money, food, and shelter?" he asked. "Surely you're not that stupid, mortal?" Death replied with a condescending eye roll. "The Syndicate will provide lodging for you once you begin working with them. Honestly…" It muttered something about wasted questions, reminding Harry that he should still have one left to ask. He thought for a moment before remembering his previous conversation with death, and asking, "What is the 'surprise' you've sent with me?"

Death waved a hand vaguely in response. "You'll have to figure that out on your own." "What happened to 7 questions?" Harry asked, almost amused. "You asked 7 questions, all of which I answered." Death replied with a smirk. Harry mentally retraced their conversation, resisting the urge to facepalm as he realized he'd wasted a question asking about a name of all things…Death seemed to take amusement out of his annoyance as its smirk grew.

It looked up into the blank white sky, seemingly reading it, before it turned to face Harry again. "It seems that you are on your way to waking up. We will hopefully not meet again until you're here permanently." Harry didn't bother to stand from his place on the floor, idly watching his feet as they seemed to slowly fade out of existence. He interestedly prodded at the space where they should've been, but his hands met nothing but air. He locked eyes with Death, jaded green meeting empty black. The fading sluggishly moved up his body, until the only things remaining were his eyes, which soon faded out as well, the ethereal green not wavering from hollow black until they were completely gone.

Death stood from its throne, which vanished as soon as it had been vacated. It looked around the blank white space, idly flexing its hands as it began to walk forward. "Should I tell him?" It paused and glanced at the spot where its most recent guest had sat. "…no, I'll let him figure it out on his own. Their tortured expressions are always better when they figure it out at the last moment, just a second too late." It allowed a malicious grin to cross its face as it walked through a black portal that had suddenly appeared. "Foolish mortal…"

Hei jumped slightly when the ring disappeared as though it had never existed. He quickly glanced up at the other man's eyes, only to be met with blank, yet guarded, emeralds staring back at him. He jerked back, internally cursing his inattentiveness, and returned the stare with equally blank eyes for a moment, before he fell into his civilian persona. He rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. "Uh, sorry about that. I was just…looking." He felt a brief flare of annoyance at his mask's docile manner before he forced it down. Unsurprisingly, the other man didn't respond, choosing instead to just keep staring blankly at him.

"Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't introduce myself." He stated, flushing with embarrassment. "My name is Li Shunsheng." He executed a slight bow from his seat, surreptitiously keeping his eyes on the other man, not allowing him out of his vision for a moment. "I found you collapsed in an alleyway and brought you to the hospital." The other man just continued to stare blankly at him before silently glancing around the room. Hei pretended to be oblivious to the brush-off and continued to smile cheerfully as they sat in silence. He noted that the man's eyes paused briefly on the two cameras in the room, of which one was behind and above Hei while the other was behind and above the hospital bed, before coming back to him.

Just when Hei was wondering if the other was mute, or possibly just going to give him the cold shoulder no matter how long he stayed, he heard a slightly garbled but still understandable, "Let's end this charade. There's no need for it." However, though this is what he heard, the man mouthed, "Arigato gozaimasu." Hei blinked placidly at him. Apparently, he didn't want their conversation to be monitored through the cameras; they transmitted only picture, not sound. Hei considered ignoring the other's efforts, but eventually decided that it would be ill-advised to isolate him this early in the game. He allowed only his eyes to revert to their normal emotionless state, his posture and facial expression remaining genial, and rubbed his head sheepishly while mouthing, "Ah, no, it was no problem." And bluntly stating, "Do you know?"

The other man stared at him for a moment more before he seemed to get in character. A worried façade seamlessly covered his previous expression as he mouthed "How am I?" while the language he spoke with switched to French, stating, "Know what?" his eyes flickered with a slight, and hollow, amusement. Hei tensed slightly, his eyes hardening as he mouthed, "The doctors said you'll be ok." And replied, also in French, "Don't start this game." The slight amusement in the other man's eyes was snuffed as he slowly blinked and mouthed, "That's good." And affirmed, "Da.", switching to Bulgarian.

Hei tensed even more, ready to move at a moment's notice. If the other knew what he was, he must be allied with someone already, which meant that they were probably enemies. He ignored the little voice telling him they could be allies as well; he'd found that listening to it only lead him into aggravating situations that he'd rather avoid. He put on a concerned expression and mouthed, "What happened?" While stating, "Who're you with?" in Bulgarian. The other man blinked again in obviously false confusion, before both mouthing and stating, "What do you mean?" in Japanese. Hei felt a flicker of annoyance before he pushed it down and mouthed, "How did you end up in that alley?" and stating, "Who are you allied with?"

The other man paused for a moment, looking him over. Hei didn't know why, but for some reason it felt as though he was being measured. When the look ended, he didn't know whether the other had deemed him satisfactory or not. The other man mouthed, "I don't know." While stating, "What is your name?" in English. Hei idly noted that the teen had a British accent, storing it away for later use, as well as the fact that his civilian name obviously wasn't passing off as real. He watched the other teen, pondering his options.

He obviously wasn't going to give him his messier code, so BK-201 was out. He could use a different fake name, but some instinct told him that he wouldn't get away with lying to this man, and it wouldn't do to cut him off when the game had just begun. He eventually decided upon using his usual codename, let the Syndicate deal with the eventual shit storm if green-eyes wasn't an ally, and responded with a mouthed, "What do you mean?" And a stated "My name is Hei." The other seemed almost surprised for a moment before his lips twitched into a bland smile. He mouthed, "I don't remember." And stated, "I'm allied with you." Hei jerked in surprise before both stating and mouthing, "Nani?"

The other man mouthed, "I'm sorry," and looked abashed while stating, "I'm allied with you." Hei allowed his features to soften and mouthed, "It's ok, it's not your fault." While stating, "You mean the syndicate?" The other man looked vaguely amused for a moment before donning a thankful look and mouthing, "Arigato" and stating, "Perhaps." once again in English. They stared at each other for a moment, one slightly confused, one completely blank, before Hei eventually decided that he wasn't paid enough to care about understanding, and it was time to report his findings to the syndicate.

He excused himself and stood to leave, bowing as he went, and keeping his senses on alert for any possible attacks. As he was walking out the door, he asked without turning, "What is your name?" He waited. Just when he thought the other wasn't going to answer, he heard a faint response of "Erebus". He nodded in response, and stalked his way out the door, locking away his confusion. Though he was still suspicious, he remembered that Yin was the one who'd lead him to the other man. He didn't trust her, didn't trust anyone, but she was probably as close to him as anyone could get. He didn't understand her, but he'd go along with this...for now.

Harry, now dubbed Erebus, continued watching the door long after the other had gone, his eyes glazed over slightly in thought. He'd hoped the other wouldn't disappoint him during his little game with languages, and he was indeed satisfied. Having two conversations at once is complicated, especially when trying to feint emotions during one and switching languages. He remembered what Death said; he'd help the other man. However, he wouldn't make it easy for him; after all, what fun would that be? He still wondered what Death's surprise was, but he pushed his thoughts away for the moment, as he needed to be well rested for the next part of his plan. He rolled over on his side, back to the wall and facing the door, as he began falling asleep. His last thought before he was swept away by the darkness of sleep was, 'Perhaps this will be worthwhile.'

Two guards were sitting lazily outside a large scientific building of some sort, which was far away from all signs of civilization, and surrounded on all sides by a thick forest. Neither of the two men knew what went on inside; they were merely brawn to keep away civilians and raise the alarm in the event of larger threats. Both of the two were idly watching the clock as they waited for their shift to end, not paying much attention to their surroundings, which would cost them. A shifting of leaves was heard, and something appeared through a break in the trees. Neither of the guards noticed it until it was leaving the shadows of the trees, made longer by the incoming dusk, and by then it was too late. But of course, neither of them knew about their imminent demise.

"Hey Kiroku, what's that?" one of them asked the other, standing from where he'd been leaned against a wall. "I'm not sure, Daisuke." His fellow replied, squinting as he tried to make it out from his seat in a rickety chair that he had tilted on its back two legs. They both craned their necks, attempting to see better, which was unnecessary as the being was headed in their direction. Within a few more steps, they could begin to make out an actual figure.

"Hey, I think it's a woman! What on earth is someone doing all the way out here?" Kiroku wondered, allowing the chair he'd been sitting in to fall onto all four legs. The sound of it hitting the ground seemed extremely loud in the sudden silence. "I dunno. Does she have an identification tag? The boss said all scientists should have one, check her." Daisuke asked. Kiroku held up a small device that looked similar to a ray gun with a screen on the top, and allowed it to scan the woman, which it did even though she was so far away. Whatever it was searching for came back empty. "No, it doesn't look like she's a scientist." Kiroku said perplexedly.

"Well, she's probably just lost, but she's gotta go, random people aren't supposed to come here." Daisuke stated with a shrug, raising his voice slightly to speak to the incoming woman. "Hey lady, you're not allowed here. Sorry, you'll have to turn back." It seemed that she was either ignoring them or didn't hear, as she kept coming. Kiroku, obviously the smarter of the two, placed a hand warningly on his gun and stated, "Miss, if you come any closer, I'll have to deem you a threat and act accordingly."

His tough guy act was ruined when his partner shoved him and stated, "Man, you have no idea how to handle women. And, she's just a random civilian, you don't need to be so harsh to her. There's probably a reason she's out here anyway, what if she's the wife of one of the scientists or something? You tryin' to get us fired? Jeez…" he turned and walked toward the approaching woman, meeting her about halfway. "Hey, I'm sorry, but you're gonna have to leave. You're not allowed back here; it's government official land." She didn't even turn, and kept walking past him.

"Lady, you need to-" He placed a hand on her shoulder to turn her around when she suddenly turned to him. She raised her chin, her hair falling from her face to show dreamy, silvery-gray eyes. However, something was wrong with them. They looked almost as though they were dead. Daisuke began to get worried, more for her than himself; he assumed something horrible had happened to her. And I suppose it had, though it would be a matter of opinion. "Hey, what's wrong?" he asked, the hand on her shoulder tightening. Kiroku tensed further, his hand snaking around his weapon. Daisuke waved his other hand slightly in front of her blank eyes, stating, "Are you oka-" the woman shifted slightly and, mid-sentence, he paused.

Kiroku was tense as a spring, his hand beginning to shake with the strain as he quietly pulled his weapon. The woman slipped silently from Daisuke's grip. Kiroku trained his weapon on the woman while stating, "Stay back!" and calling to his partner, "Hey! What's wrong with you?" Daisuke remained motionless. The woman tapped his back with her index finger as she passed, and he fell apart in neatly sliced pieces. "Stay back lady!" Kiroku yelled, his voice cracking slightly with panic, gripping his weapon tightly as she continued walking toward him. "STAY BACK!" he screamed. She paused about 5 feet from him. Before he could sigh with relief, she twitched an eyebrow and he fell apart. She glanced down through the blood pooling at her feet to see an empty gun. She stared silently at it for a moment before continuing.

She moved through the doors of the facility, and walked quietly down the hallway toward her destination. On the way, she met more guards, these more experienced and better armed than the first two. She didn't let this stop her however, and she tore through them too. She darted over to the closest guard, slitting his throat with a twitch of her finger, and stealing his gun. She dove in and out of the ranks, shooting and cutting as she went; a finger shot off here, an arm cut off there, until she ran out of bullets.

The guards donned arrogant smiles, thinking she was trapped, and opened fire on her. Within moments, they realized it wasn't working; the bullets halted centimeters from her body (A/N: Matrix style!). When the sound of bullet cartridges being fruitlessly emptied in her direction had stopped, she shot them back at the guards and scientists at twice the speed they were shot at her at. Most died on impact. She just glanced at them before moving on.

After two missteps involving a large group of guards and a vending machine, she finally came to her destination, and spoke to the figure who was there awaiting her. "Stargazer-sama." The decrypt figure slowly turned its attention to her as she patiently waited. "Is it time?" the elder asked. "Indeed." The woman replied stoically. "Hn." Came the stargazer's stilted reply. "You know you will have to…" she was interrupted by the woman. "Yes." "Are you sure?" the stargazer asked, for once focusing her full attention something other than the stars as she stared intently at the woman in front of her. The woman paused, her hair shadowing her eyes, before she looked up, dead eyes shining with unshed tears. "Anything."

The stargazer expressed her first emotion of the conversation through shock. "You mean?!" the woman nodded resolutely. "Understood." Stargazer replied with a slow nod. They stared at each other in silence for a moment before Stargazer asked, "Aren't you supposed to…" the woman merely made a quick gesture behind her. Stargazer's eyes filled with understanding. "Remember." She stated, tapping the side of her head with a bony index finger. The woman gazed at her, seemingly searching for something, before she closed her eyes and nodded. "Hai. Thank you elder." And then, she was shot through the back of the head, gore flying all over the calm visage of the Stargazer.

The woman jerked out of her meditative state, her chest heaving for breath, and collapsed onto her back. Blood dripped like pseudo tears from her eyes, nose, and ears, and she quickly grabbed the damp towel that was offered to her. "You went in too deep Runa-chan." Someone nearby stated. "Hai, wakata." Blonde hair and a bright smile flitted around the edges of her vision before a childlike voice stated, "Good job. I'm eager to see what you can do with some training." Luna forced her eyes open. "Hai Amber-san."

A/N: This fic had its first birthday! YAY! I swear, half the things that end up in this fic are totally unplanned; Harry and Hei's conversation wasn't planned to be anything more than a normal conversation, and I dunno why the hell Luna thought it would be a good idea to stick with Amber of all people…jeez, she needs to get her life together! Oh, and no matter how awesome people get, don't worry, there won't be any Mary Sues/Gary Stus. I'm not about that life. I hope no one was too OOC; I just wrote Hei and Yin the way I see them in the anime. Hei tries to pretend he doesn't care about the people close to him even though he does, and Yin isn't really conscious of whether she cares for anyone or not, though she does. Luna's name is just the way it would be pronounced in Japanese (according to google translate anyway…) and Harry's new name is based off the Greek god Erebus, who is a minor god of darkness or…something. XD Are you guys confused about Luna and Stargazer's conversation? And Death's little blurb of blurbness? You should be! It'll be explained later, I promise. I'll see you guys next chapter! By the way, did anyone catch the HP canon line hidden in here? I'll give you a hint; Death has a sick sense of humor and enjoys trying to get a rise out of Harry. Read and review please, I love getting feedback from you guys!

P.S. If anyone is interested in being my beta, I'd reeeeeally love it! Onegai! I know I make hella mistakes…DX Sorry!

*Paraphrased info from the DTB wikia

**Paraphrased info from the DTB wikia

(Just had a random thing in class about plagiarism and I don wanna be arrested...XDXD)