The light of the moon shone overhead, the pale blue light partially illuminating the ground below as the starry night sky twinkled with life. There wasn't a single cloud in the sky—which made sense given that it was still the middle of summer.

It was a beautiful night, all things considered. It was rare for nighttime to be a calm, peaceful time, especially in the current day and age. Though, considering that Faraway was far removed from the outside world—at least for now—it was still a perfectly safe time to venture out into civilization, though most didn't due to having to get up for work in the morning, or getting ready to start the new school year in a week.

But for one person in particular, that didn't really matter all too much. The person in question was dressed in a hoodie, stalking about near the woods with a mask adorning their face. The mask was of the fictional serial killer and horror movie monster Jason Vorhees, given to them by their close friend, Kel. The only thing that one could make out about the figure was their pitch-black eyes underneath their mask, and even then shadows had obscured those as well, so technically nothing of them was visible underneath.

Their hoodie was black, which matched in contrast with their pair of light green sweatpants and dark brown boots. Their hands were in their hoodie's pockets, and even those were covered by a pair of black gloves. Every inch of skin was covered, just so that they weren't identified.

Earlier in the day, their appointment at the bank went swimmingly. All they had to do now was wait till the end of the week for their cheque to register, and they'd have access to the funds given to them by Mayor Faye. While it was annoying, it was better than nothing. All things considered, it could've gone far worse. They could've been denied, and if that happened… well, their life probably would've taken a turn for the worse.

Luckily for them, that hadn't happened. So they counted that as a win.

When that had been over and done with, they went back to Kel's as promised and played Mario Kart with him and had something to eat since they hadn't eaten all day—Kel made them a burrito, which they were very happy about. Of course, they left before Kel's parents came home, but before they did, they got the mask they were currently wearing off of Kel. They were originally going to return it to him after a few days, but Kel insisted that they kept the thing.

They didn't care. Free stuff was free stuff, and with basically nothing to their name, they weren't going to complain about having to carry around a cool-looking mask.

Which led to the question: Why? Why have the mask, and why cover their body from head to toe with clothing to cover up their appearance? Well, there was a good reason for that.

Simply put: Sunny Fushiguro, formerly Sunny Suzuki, was not going to take any chances when going to this meeting with the mystery individual that Mayor Faye wanted him to attend. He was able to get the phone number of the person in question from Mayor Faye, and the number belonged to one Kimberly Sugar.

It didn't take a rocket scientist for him to immediately recognize the name having belonged to one of Aubrey's closest friends. From what he was able to gather about Kimberly, around the time when he had hidden himself away within his childhood house for all those years, Kimberly became Aubrey's best friend. He had also heard through the grapevine that she was also Aubrey's ex-girlfriend.

That honestly hadn't shocked Sunny. He knew that Aubrey was a little different from most people he knew at the time. But still, the idea of Aubrey being attracted to the same sex did briefly throw him for a loop.

Oh well, not that he particularly cared about what Aubrey was into. It was none of his business, even if it did make him feel slightly stupid. Back when he was younger, he used to have a crush on Aubrey, even if it wasn't exactly the most prominent thing in the world. It was shortly washed away after the incident, so it didn't last for very long.

He wondered that, if Mari hadn't died, would he have been able to confess his feelings for her? He might have but probably would've been rejected knowing what he knew now. Still, at least then he wouldn't have had any more lingering feelings regarding that…

Though, there was something interesting in that tidbit about Aubrey and Kimberely's relationship; that being the whole ex-girlfriend part. That implied something happened between the two. Whatever it was, it didn't drive a wedge between their friendship. With Aubrey being one of Sunny's only remaining friends, he was glad that she was still on good terms with Kimberly. She deserved happiness after everything that happened.

Now, all of this talk about Kimberly, and yet there was no explanation for the outfit. Well, on the second day that Sunny had until… the other incident occurred, Sunny had run into Kimberly. And while their encounter was brief, Sunny had a rather unique appearance, and it was one that wasn't easy to forget. So just in case she recognized him, he wasn't going to take any chances.

Sunny stopped walking, cracking his neck from side to side. The location he was supposed to meet Kimberly at was a secluded part of Faraway Park, off by the abandoned swingset next to the entrance of the lake. He leaned up against the closest tree, kicking up his right foot against the bark as he pulled out his left hand, examining his gloved fingers.

It was late, midnight to be exact. He didn't want to be up this late, but the meeting conditions were as such, so it wasn't like he was in the position to complain about that, now was he? And thankfully, it didn't take long for Kimberly to show up. But she wasn't alone, and it had put Sunny on edge for a brief second. Not because he didn't like who had come with her, but because he hadn't expected it.

And it also might've been the fact that the person who showed up was his reason or even signing up for this whole Devil Hunter program Mayor Faye was doing for those with contracts.

But first, the person he was set up to meet with. Kimberly was wearing a light blue hoodie, a pair of dark blue jeans and red high-top lace-up shoes. Her hair was shaved on the right side, and the left side of her hair was swept over her forehead shaped like a lazy pompadour. Her light brown eyes were narrowed in his direction with a hint of suspicion.

That was the expected one. The one that wasn't expected was Aubrey.

Hip-length dyed pink hair, aquamarine eyes, and peach-coloured skin were a familiar sight to Sunny. She wasn't wearing her typical outfit. She was instead dressed in a button-up jean jacket and black shorts that stopped at her lower thighs. A pair of black knee-high boots completed the outfit and overall made her look like a true punk—the ones you'd see from those 80s greaser movies.

"You the person I'm supposed to meet up with? This was the location, so if you're not them, I'm gonna ask you to leave," Kimberly said as Aubrey glared at him. As she did, Sunny saw what Kel was talking about. There was a distinct lack of something there. It was… strange. He didn't like it. Not one bit.

It reminded him of how looked in the mirror when he was being followed around by The Suicide Devil. It meant that his hunch was right. She was its next target. That didn't bode well, but there wasn't much he could do about it now.

"What's with the mask?" Aubrey asked, her eyes narrowed.

"Shit…" Sunny thought, pursing his lips from underneath the mask. Now was not the time for her to be nosey. But, considering her personality, it was to be expected. Aubrey wasn't the type to trust easily, and with his very distrusting appearance, he could understand why she was skeptical of him. But, he didn't have time for this.

"None of your business," Sunny replied, his voice muffled from the aforementioned mask. He shifted his gaze to Kimberly. "Kimberly Sugar, right? Mayor Faye said that I was supposed to meet you here about The Situation." As Sunny said that, Kimberly frowned, sighing. She glanced at Aubrey and motioned for her to leave.

"Alright, Aubrey. It's good. You can go home now," Kimberly said, scratching the back of her head as Aubrey glared increased. It was only now that Sunny realized she had her bat over her shoulders. That familiar nailed-bat was a deadly weapon if used correctly. It was a blessing that Aubrey didn't know how to use it properly. Still, though, the fact that she had it put him on edge again.

"No. I'm not leaving till this guy either takes off that stupid mask or gives me a good reason for why he has it on," Aubrey spat as Sunny blinked. Was she serious right now? Well, he guessed it made sense. After all, Kimberly was a close friend of hers. And considering what she assumed Sunny to be, that being Dead, being protective of her supposedly only friend remaining if she discounted Kel now was most likely high on her list of priorities.

Unfortunately, he couldn't tell her the truth. He didn't want her to think the worst of the situation. If that happened, then he would most likely have to fight her, and even though he was a Hybrid—something he didn't know the significance of yet—he didn't want to risk getting into a fight and either badly injuring her or being badly injured in return.

So, he had to lie to her face.

"Nasty scar on my face. Don't like people seeing it. Happy?" Sunny replied as Aubrey's glare lessened.

"Fine. What's your name."

"Aubrey. Seriously, you don't have to do this…" Kimberly groaned as Aubrey moved her bat to her side.

"Yes, I do. The last thing I want is for you to get hurt. So just in case this creep tries something, I at least have a name I can give to the cops."

"That's actually really smart…" Sunny thought, a hint of an impressed gleam in his eyes. He couldn't say no to logical reasoning like hers. Again with the whole "protecting one's friends" thing. Even though it was annoying, he couldn't say no. He really didn't want to have that bat smash into his face. So, he did the only thing that made sense.

"Fushiguro. Not telling you my first name. It's a secret. Only The Mayor and the police know it. They won't tell you if you ask. I told them to do that," Sunny replied as Aubrey scrunched up her face in disapproval.

"If that's true, then I'm not leaving—"

"Aubrey, for the love of God!" Kimberly snapped, turning to face her friend with a glare. "It's alright. I have it on good authority that this guy's chill, 'kay? You don't gotta worry. And even if he tries something, I can protect myself. I'm not defenceless, you know this."

Aubrey blinked, shock strewn across her face. It stayed like that for a few seconds until it shifted to a look of understanding. She sighed, putting her bat back over her shoulder, and turning to leave, but not before sending one more glare in his direction. "If you so much as touch a hair on her head, I'm coming for you, got it?" Aubrey spat, before leaving. Kimberly pinched the bridge of her nose, before adjusting her glasses. The pair waited until Aubrey was fully out of view, and even then, they waited a few minutes after that, just so she was out of hearing range.

Kimberly took her phone out of her pocket and groaned. "Already almost 12:30… damnit. I wanted this to take less time, but whatever. Can't be helped. Now off with the mask. I don't buy that bullshit about a scar. Before you say anything, I know how to spot a liar. Don't ask how. Now take it off."

Fushiguro blinked. He wasn't expecting that. He stared at her, unblinking as she did the same. She wasn't appearing to budge on that stance, and seeing as he didn't want to get into a fight, he caved. "Fine. Don't say anything to Aubrey."

As he was taking off the mask, Kimberly scoffed. "And why wouldn't—" She stopped midsentence, as Sunny removed the Jason mask from his face, and let down his hood. Short black hair and pale skin were now exposed to the air, as Kimberly's eyes widened. "H-Hold on a second! Aren't you supposed to be that dead kid!?"

Sunny nodded, putting his hands in his pockets. "Contract with Grief Devil. Made me a Hybrid… whatever that means." He shifted in place, narrowing his eyes at Kimberly. "I mean it. Do not tell Aubrey."

Kimberly raised her hands in a placating gesture, "Alright, I get it, I won't say a word. But damn… I definitely wasn't expecting that…" She ran a hand through her hair, a nervous tick, he assumed. "Still though… that's insane. I knew making a contract with a Devil was some powerful shit, but I wasn't expecting it to be able to do that…."

Sunny shrugged. He just assumed that was something Devils could do. He looked down at his pants pocket and reached into it. When he did, he pulled out a strange-looking knife. The blade was pitch black, with a serrated edge. The handle was made out of human bones, specifically the spinal cord, with a small skull as the pummel—probably from an infant or something, which was disturbing all things considered. He had felt it in his pocket ever since he had woken up this morning. He had only dared to check it out after he went to the bank, not because he knew it was a weapon but because he had a feeling that no one else should've seen it.

"Contract gave me this. No idea what it does, though…" Sunny continued, before putting the strange knife back into his pocket. He looked back up at Kim, crossing his arms. "The Suicide Devil. That is our target. I've narrowed down where it is."

Kim blinked, shock taking up her visage. "Wait… what? You know where it is?"

Sunny nodded. "Pattern. First, it targeted me, then it targeted Basil. Thought it was a coincidence, but Kel said something that made me realize something." Sunny cleared his throat. He wasn't used to talking this much. Unfortunately, much to his discomfort, he had no choice but to keep talking. He had a feeling this was something he'd have to get used to.

"The Suicide Devil's been targeting Mari's friends and family. It attacked me and caused my "suicide." It attacked Basil for some reason, killing him. Probably because he was The Mayor's son. But also because he was close to Mari." He cleared his throat again, "No other suicides have happened yet. And I had just seen Kel. He also said something was off with Aubrey. Which means one thing…."

Kim covered her mouth in shock, staring at the ground. "Oh shit… It's targeting Aubrey next… no wonder she's been all moody lately. She's depressed. I mean, I know she's been having it rough the last few weeks since yours and Basil's Death happened… but it did get worse as of late…" An angered look appeared on her face as she slammed her fist into a nearby tree, making it shake.

"FUCK! Why didn't I notice!" Kim shouted, removing her hand from her face and dropping the other fist, now bloodied from punching the tree to her side as her teeth gnashed together in anger. Sunny shifted uncomfortably. He expected this reaction, but that didn't mean it hadn't unnerved him.

She looked over to Sunny with a gleam of determination. "We need to get to her house. Now. We can—"

"No." Sunny interrupted, earning a glare from Kim.

"What do you mean no? You can't seriously tell me your identity is more important than her life…" Kim growled. Sunny shook his head, sighing.

"I have a plan. Calm down." Sunny said as Kim frowned.

"Well, what are you standing there for? Spit it out."

Sunny nodded. "We need to draw it out," Sunny replied as Kimberly gestured for him to continue. "From personal experience… The Suicide Devil won't show itself unless it's threatened. It's attached to Aubrey, meaning it is physically on her." Sunny explained, clearing his throat again. He really needed something to drink. "We need to attack it. The only way to attack it is to attack Aubrey. Remember when I slashed Aubrey's arm? That wasn't me. That was The Suicide Devil protecting me from danger. It must mean it only gets power from suicides. It can't have its host die."

"So if we endanger the host…" Kim muttered. She cursed under her breath. "That's horrible… I don't want to hurt her. But… if that's the only way to save her from herself." Kim looked disturbed. Sunny understood, but at the same time, what needed to be done was obvious. He needed to make sure that Aubrey was going to live, damnit. Even if it meant opening up old wounds.

"Tomorrow. Bring her here to the park after you and The Hooligans meet up and do whatever you guys do. I'll be in the forest waiting. When you get to the park with her, say "Do you want some candy" and I'll begin the attack. We need to force The Suicide Devil out, no matter what. We can't hurt her too badly. You understand?" Sunny said, before clearing his throat for the fourth time in an hour.

The two stood in silence before eventually Kimberly nodded in agreement. Sunny looked up at the sky as a breeze of cool air went by, blowing his hair to the right. He got a bad feeling in his stomach that something was going to go wrong. He didn't know what, but whatever was going to happen he didn't know.

All he knew was that something was going to go south. It always did when it came to him. Whether it be trying to make amends, or whether it be trying to stick to a plan, Sunny was a walking disaster when it came to that. Of course, he didn't want that to be the case, but considering his track record, he couldn't be so sure.

"Aight, well if that's all, I'm heading back to my place. I don't know your situation, but I'm sure you'll be fine. I'd invite you over, but seeing as your identity needs to be kept a secret for some reason, I can't have my brother seein' yeah. I can keep my promise about not saying anything to Aubrey, but Vance is loose-lipped. Can't keep a secret for shit."

Sunny hummed in acknowledgement as the two went separate ways. As he did, he put his mask back on and flipped up his hood. He could always fall asleep on his house's doorstep again, but that left him with a sore neck. He couldn't check into the motel because he was broke, and the church would probably think him a Demon for obvious reasons.

He didn't have many places to go. He thought about the bench in the park, but he didn't want to deal with the police waking him up. He didn't know what he was going to do for sleeping arrangements. He was truly at a loss for ideas.

Just as he was about to make his way back to his house's porch to sleep, a car pulled up next to him. It was a brown 1994 Honda Accord coupe. The driver-side window rolled down, and on the other side of the window, he was greeted with a familiar face. Brown eyes, tan skin, and mauve hair. The person was a woman, and they were dressed in a black nightgown with white flower motifs.

Sunny immediately recognized the woman, and she seemed to recognize him—which should've been impossible given the mask, unless she had seen him when he had put it on. Regardless, the fact that she had spotted him made his heart pick up in pace. Not because he was scared, but because he wasn't supposed to have been spotted.

And just as he was about to panic… "Sunny? Is that you under that mask?"

Ms. Polly had found him.

-To Be Continued-

Hiya! Long time no see! I know this was a short chapter after such a long wait, but this was the perfect place to leave it. I didn't want to prolong it any more than It was. Besides, I'm a fan of cliffhangers. Anyway, I'll see you all in the next chapter. Peace out!