Chapter 2

"Mary was just another girl, she wasn't a particularly interesting girl, she wasn't pretty and her grades were average. She was bullied by her classmates and they pushed her over the edge. She waited patiently until one of them said something and the whole class laughed at her, she took out the knife and killed every single one of them, no matter how much they begged she killed them. Mary took all oftheir souls and devoured them. Now she was here… she wasn't sure how but she was in this huge orphanage. She tried to kill all of them but a lot of them fled. Her sanity slipped until she was little more than an animal. The police had tried to enter but she'd sent them off. She keeps the building as her territory, she runs a dangerous risk of becoming a kishin so your job is to eliminate her." The white haired girl read from the file on her, the car hit a bump and it did a little bounce.

"So the usual?" Eric said, his green eyes wide with the fear Kayo was so used to seeing, her eyes remained unchanged and un-bothered by the impending fight.

"We're almost there," The driver said to the pair, completely oblivious

"Thank you," Kayo didn't even look at him.

The taxi slowed and the Meister and weapon could see the derelict building, standing tall and proud in the pale moonlight. Kayo paid the driver and got out, as the car pulled away Kayo lit the file with a lighter and dropped it to the floor. The tall iron gate blocked their way, through it they could see the weed filled front garden, smashed windows and the collapsing ceiling. Eric looked at the gate, it was heavily rusted and a chain was wrapped all the way around, it was secured with a large padlock.

"It's locked," Eric glared at the lock for a moment.

"Transform," Kayo held out her right hand, Eric closed his eyes and his body broke apart into a white light, it all met in her hand and formed a combat knife, it's blade elegantly curving, with it's blade shining bright silver. Kayo tugged on the lock but she didn't feel it give at all, she slipped it into the sheaf wrapped around her thigh, just covered by the hem of the elegant white and blue skirt she wore. Kayo stood on the waist high wall that fenced off the building to prevent intruders, she lifted herself up to the top and vaulted it. She landed on something soft and cursed, she'd looked at her foot and saw the cat turd smeared on her boot. Kayo stepped up to the wooden doors with the frosted glass panes smashed, glass strewn across the doorstep. The door was locked, Kayo hunkered down and from her boot she pulled out a pair of lock picks. After a brief moment the lock clicked and the door swung open with a creak.

The reception area was a long rectangle, directly in front of the door was a long, plain oak wood staircase. To the right there was a reception room. In the corner there was a headless decaying body leaning against the wall, his white polo shirt was coated in dried blood, she couldn't see the head's location. Kayo searched the bottom floor, she ignored her partner's whimpers whenever they saw a body or a pool of blood. Eric had an intense phobia of blood, he would often become paralyzed upon seeing blood which often left Kayo to defend herself on missions. When she stepped into the kitchen, her eyes widened, there were three tables set out in the expansive space, across them there were napkins, jugs and other kinds of things you'd find on an average table, but it was what was on the chairs that made her eyes widen. Bodies. Their clothes stained and torn, they were sat at the table as if they were still alive and about to eat a meal. Disturbed Kayo quickly moved around and only found more corpses, she returned to the lobby and began climbing up the steps, they creaked and Kayo feared they were so rotted they'd collapse beneath her. She reached the landing and looked at doors lining the hallway, she chose the dorm that had it's door hanging off one hinge, it opened with a squeal which sounded uncannily like a dying pig. Kayo looked across at the long room, the dorm was lined with beds and the windows. The dormitory was dimly lit by the moon and the left wall looked like it had been savaged by an animal in a tantrum then Kayo was flying across the room, she hit the wall and her head smacked it. From the floor she could see the kishin coming for her, Mary's long black hair framed her pale white face and glowing red eyes. Kayo tore the knife from the sheaf and tried to stand then a foot smacked her in the face and she was back on the floor. Eric transformed into a human and shoved her away with all his strength, then Mary tore a butchers knife and a kitchen knife from a barbers belt around her waist. She pounced for her partner, weapons flashing, Eric transformed the lower half of his leg into a blade and deflected the hit in a shower of sparks. The pair fought, the room being lit by bursts of sparks while Kayo tried to pull herself up. Mary's pale face contorted with rage and for the first time Eric could make out a badly stitched cut across her face, then his guard failed. Bloody Mary seized him by the throat and with insane strength hurled him at the wall, Eric hit in and the seemingly mangled wall broke when he hit it, he continued through and caught something.

A lifeless corpse fell down next to him, the slit throat let a little spray of blood that splattered up his face. Eric wailed and scrambled into the corner as the monster bore down up him with her knife ready to deliver a fatal stab. Kayo pulled through her concussion and stumbled to them, then she saw Mary stab him in the chest. Kayo felt like her world had fallen apart right in front of her eyes, blood spurted from the open wound and sprayed across the wall. Eric screamed in pain and tried to struggle, his phobia had paralyzed him and it had costed him his life. Mary stabbed repeatedly and Eric's screams filled the room and through blurred vision she could make out the room, on the walls there were bodies held in place by long rusted nails through the necks. Kayo stumbled forwards and tripped over, fury propelled her forward then she grabbed a clump of long black hair and used it to throw her away from her partner. The hair tore from the scalp and she slammed against the far wall with a screech, Kayo dropped the bundle and dodged the blitz of swipes and stabs then she dodged another stab which implanted it up to the handle in the wall and Kayo roared and stomped on the knee. With a sickening crack splinters of bone exploded out of the skin and showered the floor, Kayo furiously seized her by the head and slammed her against a vacant nail. It burst through in a shower of crimson but she wasn't done next she tore the knife from the wall and stabbed it through her hand, pinning it in place next Kayo grabbed the other knife and with her teeth bared she hacked the hand clean off the arm in another shower of blood. By now Kayo's clothes were absolutely saturated in the red, her white skirt stained by blood and dripping. It also trickled down her from her forehead across her nose and to her chin. The kishin pinned by her throat and unable to get out of it Kayo turned to her partner's limp form, she could still sense life inside of him. Kayo lifted him like a newly wed husband would hold his wife. She left the kishin to struggle against the binding of knife and nail, she walked down the enormous staircase with Eric's arms weakly wrapped around her neck then the room swayed and she tripped. Kayo flew down half the stairs and used her own body to shield her weapon's as she bounced down them and smacked her head on the steps. Cursing furiously with more blood pumping from her forehead she limped across to the open door.

"Kayo…" Eric breathed weakly.

"Eric you're awake!" Kayo's face blossomed into a beautiful smile

"I haven't got long I know it,"

"Hang in there we're going to take you to the hospital and they'll help you!" Kayo started walking quicker until she laid her eyes the padlocked gate

"Stop."

"What?" Kayo knew why but she refused to believe it

"Put me down let me look at the moon." Kayo set him down, with him in his lap.

"You're going to be fine!" Kayo held her hand to the gaping wound in a desperate attempt to stem the flow.

"I need to tell you something."

"Save it for the hospital." She said gruffly

"Kayo." He looked into her eyes "Since I met you I've always looked up to you you're like my big sister and the last two years with you have been the best I've ever had if I'd had another partner I know they wouldn't be as good as you," His vision darkened around the edges and he made an effort to stay awake "What I'm trying to say is is that I love you and I have since I met you!" He swallowed then Kayo laughed softly and Eric grinned painfully. She leant in and pushed her lips lightly against his and held them there, tears came from the eyes and slid down her face. She pulled away and he smiled warmly and slowly that smile began to dip until his smile disappeared and his eyes closed.

"Eric, Eric wake up." Kayo's voice cracked and she began to sob

"No, no, no, no!" Tears slashed down onto his face "Wake up!" She screamed. She cradled him to her chest and sobbed like a wounded animal. Then the sound of sirens came and Kayo remembered police and ambulance workers coming to the gate-before she passed out.