The woman he was with was proving to be worth more than he originally thought. She was actually pretty smart and much older than she appeared (she was twenty-two!). Throughout the case, the two shot each other little notes. She was explaining what the professor was talking about and he would, on occasion, shoot her a dirty comment. Their flirting antics continue on until the class ended about two hours later.

"Well, I don't think I learned anything."

"You make it sound like that's bad."

"Ha ha. No, it wasn't. So the next person I need to check out is... Horatio? Or Constance. I was randomly given people to fol-" he stopped when he noticed the disgruntled face of the blonde. "What?"

"Horatio? Oh no, no, no, no. I'm not letting you pal around with him. He's social suicide. So buh-bye babes and hello losers." Her hands slid across her chest. "Yeah, let's just say he's a freak. He's blind. He's rude. And he has terrible taste. I think he and Constance are bow-chika-wow-wowing it up."

Allen couldn't help but crackle a laugh. "Oh really? Is that bad?"

"Uhh, duh. Constance is a total dim-wit. Talk about stupid. She falls asleep in class. And I swore, at this one party, I saw her teeth grow. Like she got super pissed at some guy and she tossed her punch at him and yeah... I saw fangs appear. It was so freaky."

"So freaky," he said with a blank face, attempting to tease her.

"Oh shut up! It was really weird. It makes me wonder why a vampire would attend a Catholic school. Like ummm, don't crosses and vamps not mix?"

"I'm sure she's not a vampire."

"If you get bitten, I won't tell you, 'I told you so.' So play with her at your own risk."

"She cannot be that bad. What's the real deal?"

"Whore stole my boyfriend."

"Horatio?"

"Hell no! Braith. Those two got pretty close and he left me for her. We've been going to the same school since we were five. Braith joined us in the tenth grade and he was so dreamy. We dated until I went off to the army. I was hoping he would propose but the ass dumped me."

"Ahh, that would explain the crazy visions!"

"I'm not crazy, I know what I saw."

Looking at the clock on the wall, Allen shrugged. "Well, I need to get going. That's for chatting. Will I get to see you again?"

"Here," she said while slipping a piece of paper with her number on it into his hands. "If you ever need dirt on someone, you call me." A quick kiss was planted on his cheek and she wandered off with her friends.

Dazed for a few moments, Allen shook it off before realizing he needed to hook back up with Cimy. There was so much to share. Now where the hell was she?

Cimy had happily spent the last couple hours of the class, strolling around campus, lifting wallets and munching on vending machine snacks. Nothing like taking from the poor and giving to the poorer. I'm a straight up robin hood, without all the bull sh** gaytitude. she thought to herself with a laugh. It was then that she noticed the time. "Oh F***" she swore to herself, taking off back to the classroom to touch base with Allen. With any luck he would still be flustered and hilarious with all the crazy female attention.

Unfortunately her hopes were dashed when she finally caught up with him in the hall, "What? No hickies?" she tsked, "I excepted more from you Ghosty. Now common, lover-boy Brian is meeting a hot chick, aka moi, in a few minutes. Lets go scare the cr** out of him!" she grabbed Allen by the arm to drag him off to the meet, not even asking about anything he may have found out himself. How rude.

She had managed to pick out a surprisingly secluded area for Brian to meet her in. It was close to the forest so there was an element of cover nearby and few people had reason to walk around this side of the school. The college youth was already there and waiting when Cimy peeked around the corner. She turned back to Allen then, "Plan is simple. He doesn't have any visual mutations so the best bet is to scare him. Pretty much every mutant ability is triggered by fear with the body trying to protect itself. Works pretty much every time."

Not even getting a chance to tell her anything, Allen was being swept away by his other half. She dragged him halfway across campus before she released her vice-grip on him, which allowed him to run with more ease. A few students here and there gave them a raised brow, wondering just where they were going. Thankfully, it wasn't too out of the usual as they two actually passed a nerdy glasses wearing chump frantically running to his class. The poor lad was losing his notes to the wind, too. Allen felt half-tempted to turn around and help him, but Cimy was still moving. Growling at how rude she was sometimes, he followed after her, only this time he didn't run. It was more of a fast-paced walk.

Meeting up at a shady spot a few paces away from Brian, Cimy revealed that mutants exposed themselves when fear became a factor. That comment left Allen wearing a cocky grin. He had just the plan. If he pulled this off perfectly, the rest of the school wouldn't go into a full blown alarm. Cimy would also have to trust that he wasn't about to do something completely reckless and destructive.

When Cimy went to go do her own thing to scare the hell out of the kid, Allen unzipped his prizes. Jumping out from behind the covering of the trees, he placed the two pistols on either side of the kid's head. "Boo," he said in a nonchalant but threatening tone. With the cold barrels slowly pushing into Brian's temples, Allen waited to see just what this kid would do. Would he turn into a beast? Or would he merely start to cry for his life?

Cimy rounded the corner and gave Brian a smile as she approached, "Hey, you came" she greeted but before she could say anything else, or in fact, do anything else, her partner had leaped into action. Cimy saw the flash of the guns and nearly face palmed the floor. Oh well, that could be effective to.

As it turns out it was very effective because Brian screamed like a little girl and tried to run away. With a sigh, Cimy moved swiftly into his escape route, summoning forth the shadows around them to raise like black tentacles from the earth, "Where do you think you're going?" her tone still held the happy flirting tone as she grinned at him, "I thought you liked me"

The poor student backed against the wall of the building, looking back and forth between the gun wielding psycho and the shadow controlling biotch. Unfortunately nothing too exciting happened, Brian's eyes rolled back in his head as he fainted from terror.

Cimy sighed, letting the shadows settle back into place, "Oh look, a fainter. And here I was hoping he would at least try to fight for his life or something." she turned on Allen with an angry look, "And what the heck was that?! You just jumped in here like a freaking lunatic you... you.... YOU WERE HILARIOUS!" she broke out into a fit of laughter, "Oh my gosh, I thought he was going to cr** his pants! That was so good!"

Allen remained crazed as he kept those pistols pointed at the poor boy. His grin revealed all his teeth but was slanted toward the left some. Oh and the right canine managed to poke itself in front of his lip, so he looked a bit vampire-like with that expression. His brows were downward facing, indicated madness and a bit of possessiveness. His red eyes also managed to kick in and, if Cimy looked close enough, she could spy his skin tone lightening some while his hair roots started fading black. But that side quickly vanished when the poor sap lost the will to stand; even his eyes returned to their blue color. It was over all too soon. Allen hoped for a bit of a fight, but he had assumed this one wasn't a mutant. While talking to his blonde lady friend, he spied on Brian. The nurse had nothing unusual about him. Didn't even smell like a mutant. Besides, it he was a mutant, Allen suspected he would be a bit cockier.

As Brian flopped onto the floor, Allen holstered the pistols and placed a hand on his hip. "I didn't even load the bullets," he murmured to the limp kid, "and he nearly sh-- his pants. How pathetic." It was then when he heard Cimy's voice. She sounded pissed and Allen couldn't fathom why. He did exactly what he wanted. Was she pissed that he stole her thunder? That was when she started laughing and it all made sense. She was trying to act cool, but was thoroughly impressed by his antics. Was he really the first of her partners to do something like this? If so, he understood why she killed them all.

Sliding a grin onto his face, that sexy grin to be exact, he laughed. "I thought you would like it. You seem like the kind of gal that likes things fast and action-packed. Fastest way to evoke something is to put their life on the line, or at least that's what I assumed." Slinging his sniper carrying guitar bag over his shoulder, he looked from Cimy to Brian. "Do we just leave him here?" It made sense too. He would be to prideful to run a muck spewing cries of monsters and psychos, too. As far as Allen was concerned, they were good to move onto the next target, which reminded him of his intel.

"So that lady you hooked me up with, she swore she Constance grow a pair of fangs. Called her a vampire... and a boyfriend stealer. But it look like this one might pan out to be worth the recon mission. Only thing is, according to her, Constance hasn't done it again. Is it possible for a mutant to have that kind of control? Or perhaps not know about their powers?" With the information on Horatio not being super useful, he didn't not to bring him up. A stuck-up, rude blind kid didn't mean much. Right? Then again, why was he at college. "Apparently Horatio is blind. Odd, right? Why would a blind guy go to college? I'm sure there are jobs out there but... let's be real, who would hire someone who can't see?"

When Cimy finally calmed down from laughing she nodded to Allen, "Yeah, no need to bother this one again. Who's next on the list?" she wondered as they strolled away from the traumatized boy.

Hot damn that man knew how to smile. Hit with that sexy grin it took a fair amount of self control to stay professional. It was a good thing she knew he could be a down right prick, so she stayed on topic. "Hmm, the elusive boyfriend stealer, clearly she's a mutant." Cimy commented sarcastically, though the fang comment had attracted her interest.

"A lot of people don't know they're mutants" she revealed, "that's why I usually stick with the scare tactics because even if they are aware, the probability that they've managed to get control over it that much is pretty low. I'm thinking, if Constance does have fangs, she probably let them loose by accident and doesn't know how to make it happen again."

"Wait, Horatio's blind?" she turned to look at Allen oddly, "No wonder he has like, no footprint on the internet. No facebook, twitter, or anything like that. Just a barely touched Skype account really." she thought about it for a moment but not much came to mind, "Seems like it'd be a waste for some blind brat to have powers. He's probably going to school because there's nothing else for him to. Heck if I know why people do the things they do." she shrugged.

The whole time she had been leading the way, not back into the campus but along a path into the forest. There were a few things she wanted to try and figure out about her partner and they still had some time before the party. So now that they were a decent ways away from the public eye, she paused and turned on Allen again and looked him straight in the eyes. "So, by the way, I don't seem to really know anything about you and that doesn't sit right with me."

She gave him another glance over, "There's nothing about you online, not even a whisper. If I had to guess though, by the way you handle yourself with those guns, you're ex-military and by the fact you had a pretty sweet stash hidden away, some kind of special forces. But seriously" she eyed him, "Where the hell did you come from?"

Pleased to know that his information was useful and that Cimmeria also had some red flags go up meant that they were on the same page, and that was a good thing. It really was a blessing to have such a smart partner. She was skilled but careful, knowing when to let her powers loose. Overall, she appeared reliable and like someone he could get used to working with. As he thought about her as a partner, he let his mind wander into the depth of his brain. He was curious to see if he could find any past information on partners. He had to have had one, right?

The more he searched for figures in his life, the more he realized that there weren't any. None of the faces reappeared again, save for one and that was a military man he presumed to be his boss. For a moment, he watched a memory play out. The boss figure made a comment about needing him dead. Allen's brows furrowed slightly at that comment. Why did his boss want him dead? Was he a pest? The answer soon revealed itself. He was needed for illegal missions. He was to be the one they sent in when they needed to cross lines. Interesting, he said to himself. It explained a lot. So he was a military man and they "killed" him to be a part of a special force team that carried out "unlawful" or "politically correct" mission.

Snapping to, he glanced down to catch the tail end of Cimy's comments. Oh shit! His identity was being questioned and he couldn't even recall who he was. The very last memory that was really solid in his mind wasn't much help. He recalled seeing boots through squinted eyes. There was blood around him too. As his hand reached out to grab his knife, darkness followed. He was obviously ambushed and attacked. A small glimmer of red flowing in the wind was ever so faintly picked up by those closing eyes, too.

Wait a minute. Red. As in our boss? Why did he want me? And why didn't whoever I worked for come find me? I guess I really was dead. Makes sense. But why can't I firmly recall my memories before that. I'm twenty-nine. I should have twenty-nine years worth of memories. And all I seem to have is memories that started a week ago. So what happened to them. Why are they so foggy?

As he tried to sort things out in his head, he found that there was going to be no easy way to explain what happened to Cimmeria. Being honest, he assumed, was the best solution and would probably be the most beneficial for their relationship.

"To be frank, I have no idea. I... I don't remember much. I just get random glimpses of memories. And every now and again a voice in my head tells me what to say or do. Like guessing your power was darkness, that was his call. I was going to say fire." A sheepish expression washed over his face. "I know, I sound crazy. I know I'm not. I was a part of the military, a sniper to be exact. I was recruited to join a special forces group. They 'killed' me and gave me a new identity, Allen Phantom." While talking, he allowed his hands to slid down to his pieces. Should Cimy turn on him, he wanted to be ready. Thank god he reloaded the bullets! Although, he wasn't sure if they would hurt a mutant. He would need to stock up on mutant killing bullets later, assuming he lived to see that day.

"I assume my changing personality probably coincides with the fact that I am trying to figure out who I am. Whenever I do something out of my character, that voice inside my head scolds me. I don't know why he doesn't surface, but he does tell me it's not time yet." His eyes looked sad for a moment. "I'm terribly sorry. Looks like you got yourself another crazy partner." Drawing out the pistol, he turned it over a few times before letting it rest in his hand. "It's just so weird. I can't remember who I am and yet I know how to use a gun. Hell, I knew where to find these. And, what's scarier, is that past me knew that future me needed these." Cocking his brows, he looked away from Cimy and then scowled down at the ground. "When I saw my papers on the table in the interrogation room, I saw my IQ. It's off the charts. I saw that my agility is also superior to most. A part of me wonders if those special forces enhanced me -- but not in a mutant kind of sense." Hand still holding the gun, he raised both as if to surrender. "I swear, I can't breathe fire and I can't turn into a cute, little kitten!"

Whelp, now was a good time to shut up and let all of that sink in. Finger on the trigger, he wondered just what Cimmeria would do. Would she accept everything? Would she laugh it all off and call him crazy? Would she assume he was lying? So many questions were being added onto the lump-some that already existed. At this rate, Allen could write trilogy of just questions!

Hearing voices? Not to mention there was the one that has surfaced earlier so hey, at least she knew he told the truth about that one. To be quite honest, she was more interested in the Allen with the red eyes than she was in the blue eyed one. Everything else seemed to actually make sense, though as he spoke she did notice his hands toying with his weapons and as a precaution for herself, there was a large collection of shadows rising up behind him, ready to strike if need be. Still, she'd let him have the first move if it came to that, as it was, he didn't seem like a whole lot of a threat-except for the fact he knew nothing about mutants and that could be dangerous to not know in this line of business.

"Crazy? I love crazy. Hell, crazy I can handle." she sighed, still eyeing him with uncertainty.

"Alright. I believe you but we need to get a few things straight because right now, you're as much a threat to both of us as you are to the mutants we're tracking. What you did back there was hilarious, no doubt about it" Cimy proclaimed, "but it was also stupid. You've clearly never gone up against a mutant before and pulling a stunt like that could get you killed-or as I'm more concerned about, it could get me killed. Yeah sure, some of these guys are harmless bunnies but I met one before who's power was death. Literally death. You touch her and you come down with any of ten different deadly-and might I add, incurable, diseases. Hell, one guy got hit with three at once. It took him two minutes to die while drowning on his own melted bones and disintegrating skin. That, I'm telling you right now, that is not going to be me. So give me one damned good reason why I should stick my neck out for you or you and I are going to have a few problems." she prodded him in the chest to drive home her point.

"Don't touch me," those red eyes appeared and honed in on Cimy's pair of brown orbs, "and we'll get along fine." Holstering the guns, the red-eyes person in control was trying to neutralize a very bad situation. Both were on the alarm and neither were going to like the outcome. Realize he needed to emerge to correct the situation, he did.

"Worry not about my actions or my life. I'm very capable." His hands dropped down past the guns, again showing that he wasn't about to do anything reckless, like attack her. "You'll have no further problems from this one either. I'll keep his actions in check." A slight head bow followed his comments and, when his head returned to its usual upright position, the red was gone. Allen was back.

"Got it. Some mutants can be very dangerous. It's a little difficult to know how to handle a situation when your partner doesn't tell you everything. Like how we're going to go about scaring someone or the fact that there are legitimately bad mutants." Allen's eyes shot away from Cimy, a bit of his pride was hurt. She still didn't trust him to some extent and yet she expected him to be perfect. At some point, he would understand all of this, until then, he would just air on the side of cautious. "Anyway, I'm not used to playing this game. I'm used to going up against dangerous men and taking them out of play. There was no recon for me. I'm a cold-hearted killer, partner." His eyes locked with hers. "Not sure you picked up on it, but when I put those pistols to the kid's head, I did pull the trigger. Had I not removed the bullets... well, yeah. Killings just in my blood. I'll work on that if you work on catching me up to speed on this whole 'mutant' thing."

A part of him was uneasy with the entire situation. He wasn't overly fond knowing that some mutants were that lethal. He much preferred the kind that didn't know they had powers and those with simple powers. But who was he to judge. He didn't know how they came to be mutants. Was it a drug? Was it an experiment gone wrong? Were they born that way? Again, more questions and less answers.

Allen, let your mind find peace. Some mutants are born as such. Others have their genes altered. For centuries a group of elites have been controlling the mutants, making certain that they don't expose themselves to the public. Ever seen Men in Black -- the answer is yes. It's a lot like that. This group we now work for would be those MiB agents. Cimmeria is the leader, you're the rookie. Follow her lead. If things get hazy, I'll step in.

Just who are you? And how are you here?

Allen, we are one and the same. I am merely your conscious. Since your injury, you've lost connection with yourself and your memories. I'm doing my best to repair that bridge, but it's not easy. Until then, just recall your military training. Be safe, be smart, and live. Understand?

Understood.

While talking to himself, Allen's head had dropped to his chest. It was almost as if he had fallen asleep. Coming to, he looked up at her partner and gave her a strange look. "Sorry, my mind was explaining something to me."

Red.
She couldn't explain why but it had always been her favourite colour. Blood, fire, anger and passion, a life filled with red was the life she wanted to live so when those crimson orbs locked onto her she couldn't help but feel a chill through her spine. I trust him she realized, the shadows that had been rising up behind her partner began to settle. She barely heard a thing that the red eyes had said and it didn't matter. He had somehow created a fire in her heart and all she wanted was to keep him there. To ride out into a night of murder and mayhem and those deadly red eyes.

Too soon they were gone and she was left with an oddly sad pit in her stomach. What could she do to bring them back? If she attacked then he'd probably leave afterward, perhaps there was something else she could do to please him instead? Threatening that boy had brought him out a hint so maybe something else along those lines?

"You could have killed him" She commented with a slight grin, "Not a mutant so he's worthless. I mean, generally we're supposed to let the normies go but where's the fun that?" she had relaxed considerably and seemed much more pleased with the situations, "Alright Allen. Here's the deal, I'll fill you in on as much of this mutant craziness as I can and you" she stepped forward, her eyes locked with his tantalizingly, "You tell that voice of yours that we'll get to killing just as soon as we can."

Allen felt like he was missing something. One minute this woman was on the alert and the next she wasn't. Grasping at straws, he came to the conclusion that whenever he was "in-control" that meant that Allen wasn't. Under that assumption it meant that only one persona could be present at a time and, if it was the other guy, Allen missed out on the conversation. How was that fair he wondered. Weren't they working on making their thoughts one? And yet he was going about things behind Allen's back. It certainly made poor Allen's head spin.

"Nah, no point in causing panic at the school. Besides, if I killed him, the party for tonight probably would have been called off. As much as I love a good assassination mission, I do know that death can cause alarm and change plans. It's much easier to wait. If we do things right, we should get a hunting mission next go around. I wager the only reason we're doing this is so you can redeem yourself and so I can prove my worth." His eyes shifted to her watch. "We still have a few hours left. What shall we do in the meantime?" Allen wondered if it was possible to get assigned two missions at once. Or, rather, to intercept another's mission so they could do it instead. Although, the idea of laying low and goofing around for a bit seemed fun.

"Question," Allen tried to figure out how to best ask it, "has my other voice spoken to you?" Biting his lip, he continued. "I think whenever we go into this mutant encounters, he should be out -- not me. He seems to have a bitter grip on things. Only," Cimy knew what was coming, "I don't know how to draw him out." Hoping for the voice to speak to him, Allen frowned when no such thing happened. "And he's currently ignoring me. I was hoping he would talk to me but I got nada."

Oops, perhaps she had implied too much?

Cimy was a little disappointed that the red eyes didn't come back as well, she gave a light sigh and offered Allen a smile, "I wouldn't sweat it Al. My experience with voices in your head, are to generally let them call the shots. It might take a little time but I'm sure you'll get a rhythm down with him." She basically ignored his first question though as she turned to head through the forest again.

"There's not much we can do until the party. How about we check out the town a bit?" she offered, skipping ahead. I hope I didn't make him mad she thought to herself. She really wanted another chance to see red eyes again. Something about him got her all tingly in a murderous way.

((What if they ran into Serk before the party? :P))

"Sure. What's the harm in wandering around town," he said while loading his pistols into the guitar bag. "For all we know, we could run into a mutant and we'll be there to save the day!"


((Woo, small post. I gotta work on something and that's about as far as I got. And sure, they can run into Serk/Calister))

((lucky for you, I don't mind little posts ^-^))

"you do have a point there" Cimy grinned, "I guess we'll just have to shake up a few people, you know, to be sure they aren't mutants" She was liking where this was going. There was nothing like causing a little insanity an maybe spilling a touch of blood, to pass the time. But where to begin?

"You know... We should probably check in on the rich side of town first," she reasoned, though the reason was clearly bull, "What with all those very important snobs, we wouldn't want any mutants to muddy up the neighborhood."

Allen couldn't help but catch a glimpse of Cimmeria's real purpose for wanting to visit some rich people. She was clearly looking to line her pockets and get items that could prove useful later. He wouldn't put it past her either. With the ease she had in stealing Brian's wallet (oh yes, he saw that), the blonde knew his partner would have no qualms taking larger items from wealthier individuals. As much as Allen was all for cool swag, the thought of actually stealing left a bitter taste in his mouth. Just looking at his gear, he knew he came from money. Was it earned was the real question. His head bobbed to say yes, clearly the other guy's doing. Knowing this left an even worse taste in his mouth. Cimy wanted to steal and she didn't need to. Now how was he to tell her that without making her want to rob him? Perhaps it was best just to avoid it altogether. After all, it's not like he knew where the stash was hidden -- or even his PIN for the account.

"So long as you don't steal anything, I would be up for a nice stroll in the wealth region." It's not like it would really do anything for him though. His mind raced back to those files he read. He was a US citizen so the odds of him owning a home here were slim. The only reason anything up here would click would be because he came here for training or a mission. Maybe both? Those guns weren't there by chance. If only he could figure it all out.

You're a special class elite soldier. They prefer that term over assassin. You've a safehouse in the neighborhood she's talking about. You went by the alias Danny Hellmund. You were stationed there to get a better feel for a Serk Sari. Our intelligence told us that he might make a great addition to our organization.

And what organization is that?

That doesn't matter at the moment. All you need to know is that you were one of the higher ups in the organization. You were the top soldier. Serk and his butler Calister were to be examined and potentially recruited.

The current organization I work for--

Not the same as us. We're different. I don't have much intel on Salvation. That was our most recent mission. We were to recruit Serk and infiltrate Salvation.

Fancy that. Guess we got the infiltration part down.

You're welcome.

So it was you that blocked my memories?

The enemy is dangerous. One cannot be too careful. When we get to Serk's house, mind if I take over?

It's all you, chief!

The walk to the neighborhood was silent, at least on Allen's end. He was soaking in the sunshine and always having a rather pleasant with the voice in his mind. At some point, he would name that voice. Well, he supposed Danny would work, but that was just an alias. There was no way Danny was his real name. It just wasn't badass enough for him.

Just call me Reaper. It's actually the name of one of the pistols you're packing.

So Reaper it was. Interesting name but there was a very obvious reason behind it. Reaper was an assassin so reaping people of their lives... well, it made a lot of sense. The real question Allen had, and was too scared to ask, was what side Reaper fought for. Was he a good guy? A bad guy? Did he fight for justice, for the people? Or was he -- no he wouldn't go there.

His eyes flicked over to his partner. She was interesting. Cimy was handling all of this very well. The military background of his probably helped, but still, her level of trust was off putting. There was cleaning something going on with her that he wasn't privy to. Just what was it. Did it really matter? No, he supposed not.

Within no time they were in a very nice neighborhood. The trees had nice fences around them; flowers were planted everywhere. The lawns were very green and looking lovely as ever. There were fountains and marble. It was truly a sight to take in. As his eyes looked over everything, the blue orbs halted on a very nice cottage-style house with a cute picket fence. "Would you object to making a quick pit stop at my house?" He could already sense her shock and disbelief.

Walking up to it, it noticed there wasn't a key hole -- just a key pad. Remembering the combo, he wasn't sure he even knew where to begin. Or how many numbers needed pushing. And were those numbers he spied? Sheesh! He probably had over a 100 options.

D34T96

Complying with Reaper, he entered in the digits and the door magically unlocked, welcoming them both into the modern yet classy house. It was much smaller than some of the other houses but it was easily just as nice, especially on the inside. There were so many nick-knacks. A lot of money went into this place.

A sudden purring nose came from below. Looking down, he saw a cat rubbing against his legs. "Hey there, Buster. Are you hungry?" Walking into the kitchen, which had a large-table like counter, he pulled some kitty food from a cupboard. Pouring it into the bowl, he admired the black and silver theme in the kitchen. It was very modern and sharp. The stove was fancy and the fridge looked like it was easily five-thousand dollars. Knives served as decorations on the walls and there was a picture on an end table with Allen (well, Danny) and another woman. That woman's face brought a sharp pain to his chest. Fighting down the glob in his throat and holding back the water that rushed to his eyes, he wondered just who she was. Why was he tearing up over her.

That's our wife. She...

Reaper didn't need to say anymore. He could feel everything. His heart wept; it all made sense now. There was a reason Reaper was so against flirting and it was because there was a woman. Dead or alive, she would always hold a special place in the heart. No, she held the only place in their heart. Even so carefully, he rested the frame picture-side down so he wouldn't have to deal with her face just now. Other things were pressing and she wasn't one of them.

"Uhh, make yourself at home. I know it isn't much but this is what I have."

No stealing? Where was the fun in that? Cimy gave Allen a sour look, "Do you see the state of my shoes? If I find a good pair you can't stop me." she scoffed. It wasn't that she just wanted to steal for the sake of stealing, it was more the expensive comforts. Sure she had gotten more than used to rat infested hell holes but a girl had needs, and as it turned out, one of those needs was to sit in a giant Jacuzzi bath for an hour or so.

She didn't even realize he had stopped at first she had to do a double take when he said that sweet dug beyond the fence was his. "No freaking way" she gawked a bit while checking out the place, "ooooo dibs on the hot tub!" she proclaimed, running around the house and playing with all the fancy toys.

"Kitty!" Cimy plopped down on the floor and started petting the cat, she was kind of all over the place.

The picture did not escape her eye though and the moment Allen turned away from it she picked it up to get a better look, "huh... she's hot."

It was obvious that no one had ever spoiled the woman, especially with the way that she was bouncing all over the house. One minute she was in the modern kitchen and the next she was in the forest-inspired wooden living room. When she was done touching everything (the Samsung LED/LCD 60" HDTV to the Bose speakers and subwoofer to the cherry tables and the leather couch) she moved onto the next room. Allen was thankful the house only had nine rooms (kitchen, living room, two baths, two bedrooms, den, office, and a conservatory), but those poor nine rooms were in for a nightmare. Allen swore he heard her knock over the pens that were probably sitting at his desk, but he shrugged it off because he remembered what it was like when his sister's children visited for the first time. With a smile on his face, he recalled seeing them run around the living room screaming as if they were kids in a candy shop.

With Cimy back in the same room as he, he had moved into the living room as did Buster, he could breathe a sigh of relief. She seemed preoccupied by petting the cat. Buster was an exceptional pet too. He was a large, brown Maine Coon with a super fluffy tail and overly large paws. He was the sweetest cat one could ever meet, unless they were sleepy. With a shudder, a memory flooded to his vision. There he was, sleeping as peacefully as could be, and Buster, out of nowhere, appears and shoves his coarse tongue up his nose. It was a hell of a wake-up call, but he supposed it was just the cat's way of saying, "I love m-you!"

Buster shifted away for a second, allowing his forest green orbs to fall on a flickering tail that was exposing itself form under the couch. "I was beginning to worry about that one. Glad to see Das Spook has made his presence visible for all to see," he quickly looked at Cimy. "I would hold off on petting this one. This is Spooky. He's a ba---rd. He'll use those claws, and with such ease too." Just then the massive black beast of a cat bolted from under the couch. Leaping into the air, he pounced on the other fluffy creature. The two duked it out for several sections, but soon Spooky found the whole battle pointless. Licking his paw, those taunting yellow eyes of him looked Allen dead in the eye.

"No. No. No, Spook. No" In a swift move, the cat leapt onto the couch. Ramming his solid head into Allen's nose, the blonde uttered out a whimper in pain. "Stop it you, ba---rd," Allen said while shoving the cat off the couch. "Go beat up your scratching post or something!" Spooky really was a demon cat from hell and yet, despite his jerk antics, the cat was a great cat. Hissing as he walked past Cimy, the black ball left the room.

"Thank god he's gone. He's such a pain. He's the wife's cat." He didn't want to bring her up, but Allen assumed Cimmeria would poke and prod until he explained. "We've been married for three years. I actually recruited her to work special forces with me. Passed with flying colors too. But it's..." he fell silent. "I don't know what happened to her, and I can't seem to conjure up those memories. I don't want to assume the worse, but based on what's happened, I assume she's...."

"The hot tub is in the downstairs bathroom, as you probably discovered. I have another one outside too, as well as a pool." Ah, yes, changing the subject. It was clear that Allen wasn't ready to admit that she might be dead. Still clinging to a piece of hope, the blue-eyed beau hoped that she would magically surface.

While staring blankly at the TV, he wondered just where his ring was. Did the man in the red cloak have it? He would have to ask next time he was in the area.

Cimy laughed at the cat's antics, particularly Spook, that was pretty funny but when it came to talking about Allen's wife well that got a little awkward. "oooookay then" she put the picture back down as though it might poison her, "Hey look a bird feeder!" she pounced on the couch by the window and placed her hands on the glass, smudging it up very well as she watched the birds flit around and feed. There were a few that didn't like her presence and flew off, "Awww, common!" she called to them, "Come back! Stupid birds" she leaned back and let herself fall into the couch.

Tilting her head back she looked at Allen again who has zoned out at the tv that wasn't even on, "Heeelllloooo, mission control to Allen, come in Allen. You're depressing up the place. Common, let's go in the hot tub together." she rolled off the couch and back to her feet. Suddenly she was right next to Allen and poking him in the arm while chanting, "hot tub, hot tub, hot tub!"

Had Allen actually been paying attention to Cimmeria, he would have offered the hyperactive miss a bit of advice. Sadly, being lost in thought prevented him from explaining that birds aren't overly fond of movement. Nor was he able to scold her for smudging up his glass. Her flopping on the couch, though not bad, did leave a nice indent in the leather that would take some time to regain its former shape.

The large black TV screen seemed to speak to him, only it was a silent movie. He could see memories with her playing out oh-so-vividly. Allen wanted to reach out and jump into that screen; it was happier there, especially knowing that she was alive. What was a man to do. He was burdened by guilt and riddled by pain. Allen should have been out there looking for his wife, not traipsing around the city with this mutant. Each day with the redhead meant another day from his blue-eyed raven. Smirking, he knew that she wasn't really a raven. His wife was a blonde who dyed her hair to help him with his cover. Was that devotion or what? She wanted to be with him and he wanted nothing more than to be with her. All was well until that night happened.

"Seems like we've lost him for a bit. He's trying to grasp the reality of what happened that night, just as I am. Sadly, I cannot recall what happened so we're both fighting for memories that aren't there." Only Allen's lips moved as the red-eyed side of him took over. "Splashing in a hot tub with a woman aside from my wife would draw too much attention. I'm afraid I will have to decline." Pushing himself up from off the couch, those red eyes began to really glow, which brought forth a full body change. Black hair soon replaced the blonde and the slightly tanned skin fell pale. There was a hint of darkness in the air now too, almost a chill down the spine, if you will.

"I need to talk to someone. Serk Sari. Ever heard of him?" Red orbs met with her own brown pair. "I was sent on a mission here to gather intel on the man, and I plan to carry out those orders, even while employed under your supervisor." Allen's hands moved forward, lightly stroking the cheek of the shorter woman. "You wouldn't tell on me now, would you?" Taunting yet memorizing eyes tried to win her over, swoon her with their breathing beauty and wonder. "For if you told, I would no longer be your partner and you wouldn't have a chance to," he leaned in closer. His lips were dangerously close to her neck. With a light chin tilt, those soft pale lips brushed against her ear. "... kill."

Pulling back, Allen's arms crossed over his chest. "Allow me to properly introduce myself, Miss Cimmeria. I am Reaper, or at least that is how you will refer to me and me alone. Allen, Ghost, will still remain the dominate host but while I am out, we're going to do things my way. Understand, darling?" Reaper's features, although nearly identical to Allen's, were far more beautiful. His dark eye lashes really made those red eyes pop, and that pale skin of his just made those rose-colored lips all the more tasty. Black wisps of hair outlined his face, almost giving him an angelic yet demonic look. "Well," he cooed in his semi-scratchy voice.

As disappointed as she was about the refusal on the hot tub, Cimy was much more interested to see Red Eyes coming out again. His entire appearance changed before her eyes and while others might refer to his presence as creepy and unnerving, Cimy found it thrilling more than anything else.

"I may have heard the name before" she commented on the matter of Serk, "but it was only in passing. I don't have any... information..." he was touching her cheek and she could feel her blood pulsing to the surface as she began to blush.

Kill. The way he said it was like he knew exactly how it made her feel-like the thrill of burning down an orphanage and making out in the warm charred remains. Pure ecstasy.

She looked up at him as he pulled away again, her deep brown orbs glinted with a touch of red but it was only a reflection his eyes in her. Coming to her feet she stepped up to him, her fingers toying with the fabric of his shirt, "I have a feeling I'm going to like your way" she spoke softly with a grin, though she paused as her mind strayed to what he was asking of her. Going off mission was one thing, but to take on another task completely that wasn't for the organization? That was dangerous, even for her liking.

"Thing is, Reaper, they'll find out. They always do" sure her little deceptions when it came to psyche evaluations seemed simple enough but there was always a lot of hard work behind those. Staging the scenes meticulously afterward and what not. She was pretty sure they suspected her of murdering her last partners but they'd never been able to prove it, so there she still was.

"and once they know you're up to something, they'll come after me for not talking..." there was a touch of fear in her eyes for the first time that he would have seen. They had something on her, of course they did. They had to know how to control each of their operatives of course, so none of them could betray the organization.

"Do I see a hint of fear in your eyes, my darling?" His lips pulled into a devious grin. "My doll, you cannot fully embrace the darkness unless you learn to stare fear in the face. Besides, fear often brings blood. And," his crimson orbs grazed at her, "isn't that what you lust for?" Slowly and seductively, he blinked, which allowed his lashes to attract her attention. There was just something about those eyes that screamed sexy, kinky fun. With his lips slightly agape there was almost a look of passion on his face, too. His pale features just melded into the moment, which would have drawn a swoon or moan from anyone -- man or woman.

Reaper rolled his shoulders back, which produced a popping sound. Swinging his head from side to side, he loosed up his neck muscles as well. Moving from his spot, he made his way toward the door. "I leave the decision to you. You can either join me or you can stay here to protect yourself." There was something about the way her said the latter part that probably set the woman off. It almost sounded like if she didn't follow him, he would vanish. It was true, too. Reaper wasn't about to throw this woman's life in danger. If she wanted to take the risks and join him, he would welcome Cimmeria with open arms. He would never force her to betray herself or her duty; it was just too much, even for him.

Moving out the door, he proceeded across the road. Serk's house was directly across from his on the other side of the street. It was planned for a reason; that much was certain. Adjusting his attire so it was cleaned up looking and without any wrinkles, Reaper walked up those white steps that lead to the large mansion. His timing was impeccable as he didn't have to breach the main gate. It just so happened to be opened by the UPS man who was delivering a package. The shape of the package piqued Reaper's interest. Something about it screamed body -- a deceased human body.

His hands didn't even land on the door. Within seconds of almost knocking, the green haired butler was before him. "You are not welcome here." The butler's voice was cold as ice as he accosted Reaper. "Now get lost."

"Is this how you treat all your guests, Calister." His pupils vanished for a split second, which triggered something within the green haired man. "Thank you for your hospitality," Reaped said with a slight bow. Just as he stepped into the house, he looked out to see Cimmeria. It's your move, darling. Will you follow or will your run and hide?

Embrace the darkness... clearly he didn't understand that it was the darkness itself that she feared. She knew it was pathetically ironic but all the same she was in fact afraid-no, terrified of the dark. It brought a numb terror to her body and an empty loneliness to her eyes.

There was a reason she loved fire, aside from the gorgeous red of it. Shadows couldn't exist without light and it was shadows, not darkness, that she controlled. Each shadow was like an extension of her body, she could feel them move, grow and shrink with the movement of the light. Fire made the best shadows, flickering and dancing all on their own, constantly moving as though they lived without her needing to call upon them.

Place her in pure, pitch black darkness however and all of that disappeared. It was as though her hands and feet were cut off and her insides turned to ice. Frozen and isolated, barely able to feel even the ground beneath her. The thought of it brought a tremble to her hands, so much so that she barely noticed Reaper leave.

Lifting her gaze she caught the tail end of him walking out the door. Should she follow? If she went along with him and the organization found out, they'd lock her away for years and, in her opinion, they always found out. They always found you, as well.

She stood in the doorway, watching Reaper go into the other house. He was different though... different from all the others. If anyone could pull it off, perhaps-just perhaps he could. But was it worth the risk? He knew all the fun stuff, that was for certain. An elegant murderer, terrorizing of the innocent, it was all fun and games until someone ended up in a light-proof cell, several stories below ground.

Cimy turned away, it wasn't worth it.

She walked over to the house phone and started dialing the number.

"Cindiary water services, how can we help you?" the voice on the other end greeted her.

"Sierra, one, three, Beta, zooloo, nine" Cimy replied and was immediately transferred to someone else.

This voice was far less pleasant sounding, "Cimmerian, I swear if he has already expired..."

"... he lives" she replied.

"Then why are you checking in so soon?"

"It is..." Cimy hesitated, glancing at the window and across the street, she fell silent.

"Yes?" he sounded impatient.

"It is the first name, Brian Stanson" she finally spoke again, "Definitively not a mutant"

"... is that it?"

"Yes."

"Stop wasting my time Cimmerian" and the phone was suddenly dead air as she was hung up on.

Slowly she set the phone down and stared at it. Why couldn't she do it? Why didn't she just turn him in? F*** it, she turned sharply and ran out the door. While crossing the street she nearly got run over but the car honked violently and skidded to a stop as she slid across it and landed on her feet. Continuing to rush up to the door of the other house, the angry car driver drove off cursing.

Reaper was already inside when Cimy finally decided he was worth the hassle. A grin appeared on his face, which caused the butler to furrow his brows some. Neither had said a word and yet this man was smiling. It was then when Calister realized why. Returning the grin, he turned the knob on the door, which allowed Cimmerian to enter. Both of the men looked down at the woman. They took everything in. Calister seemed in on whatever Reaper wanted him for, which probably left an uneasy feeling in Cimmerian's stomach. After all, she was the outsider who was privy enough to be invited into this circle.

"So, Mr. Skyt-," Calister began but was cut off.

"Reaper, if you please. I don't want that card revealed just yet. It's my ace in the hole after all." His red orbs directed toward Cimy, indicating that the lass wasn't brought up to speed on everything. Truth be told, she wouldn't be for quite some while, assuming she was lucky enough to earn that level of confidentiality. She still needed to prove her worth and, more importantly, her loyalty.

"As you wish," Calister nodded in agreement, fully aware of what Reaper meant. "I'm afraid my master is not in presently. But I might be able to answer your questions. As you can see, I know exactly who you are and why you're hear. Serk informed me of you. Said there was something about those eyes that would make it all clear." Calister smirked. "You truly are a marvelous creature."

"It's a shame that this world restricts my true potential. Earth has never been well to my body. What I pose cannot be fully used here. This atmosphere limits everything."

"I wouldn't say everything," the butler circled Reaper. "You still look handsome as ever. If I recall correctly," his hands pried open the raven's mouth. "Ah, yes. You still have your fangs. Very good." Twirling a strand of his green locks, he retrieved his hand from the lion's den and looked over at Reaper's partner. "Do your eyes suspect anything?" Yellow orbs locked with Reaper's red pair. "Is she a threat?"

"She's a good girl. She'll be find. Her open of betrayal has come and gone. She's in this one for the long haul. And I do hope she enjoys the ride." Reaper gave Cimmerian he's sexy grin, which caused Calister to choke a bit. "Cali, are you falling for my devilishly handsome good looks?" Fluttering his long, black lashes, he leaned into the equally tall male. "Do you want to play?" he teased while fiddling with Calister's tie.

"We both know I don't swing that way. And we both know you're straight as can be." Sobering up for a moment, he laid a heavy hand on Reaper's shoulder. "I heard about Aleu. I'm sorry for your loss."

As the scene played out, it became clear that these two actually knew each other on a deeper level than met the eye. Truth be told, Calister and Reaper were actually cut from a similar cloth. Both came from a demonic lineage and both were extremely talented in their specific fields. At one point, the two were actually partners, but they were forced to end in a rivalry due to some extenuating circumstances. It was odd how, despite such a bitter end, they were able to overcome that all and be civilized friends again.

"So do they know?" A look of worry quivered in Calister's eyes.

With a head shake, Reaper shrugged his shoulders. "I'm afraid I cannot answer that, my friend. I don't know that information and it doesn't look like I will, at least not anytime soon." A piece of paper became visible in his hands. Passing it off to Calister, Reaper nodded before turning to Cimy. "Our work here is done. Shall we get going. Haven't we a party to attend?"

She didn't even have the time to knock, in fact, as he hand rose to the door it suddenly swung open and she stumbled inside without fully meaning to. Suddenly she was between the two men who were much taller than her-not that she was incredibly short but there something about them that made her feel infinitely smaller.

They were talking, back and forth and none of it really made sense to Cimy. A lesser girl might have immediately fallen head over heels for the pair. Dashing good looks and a eyes that could either see right through you or pierce your heart. She adverted her gaze as they spoke, clearly they knew one another intimately-to the various meanings of the word.

Trouble was, she was still trying to figure out exactly what it was that compelled her to follow Reaper. Was it lust? Love? Nothing so silly, nor so trivial certainly. She had met others of great attractiveness before and they had been nothing more than play things to her so what made him different? The only thing that came to mind was red eyes. She'd never met someone with red eyes before, was that really all it took to claim her loyalty? Perhaps her mind had broken more than she realized. Either way, she couldn't seem to pull herself away from the situation.

I don't want to leave Cimy realized, turning her dark gaze back to look at the Reaper, whatever it takes... I don't want to leave red eyes... And the thought was equal parts thrilling as it was terrifying. With Allen she was in control, pulled together and even in charge to an extent but as soon as those ruby orbs showed up it was like all of her self control crumbled. What on earth had she gotten into?

"To the party then" she replied, finally finding her voice. "We aren't taking him along, are we?" she glanced at Reaper's friend. One of the two was difficult enough to handle. She couldn't imagine what would happen if they were both there.

Calister smirked at her comment. "Shall I not attend the party I was actually invited to?" His hand revealed an invitation to a party, the same party they were going to "crash." There was an exchange between the eyes of Calister and Reaper. They really enjoyed toying with the woman in such a way. It was as if they could talk via their orbs, which left her completely out of the conversation. "I don't plan on leaving now, though. I need to get some things in order prior to my leaving. I, however, shall see you both there." His hand extended out to meet Reaper's. A firm handshake followed and both men moved toward their destinations -- Calsiter the back room and Reaper to the door.

"Oh, R," Calister called from over his shoulder, "Will we be seeing you at the party? Or will it be that petty blonde boy, Allen?"

"Allen's less invasive, but I need to speak to Serk. I have no choice but to go as myself. Allen can have his fun later." Reaper looked over at Cimy, "Assuming you're okay with this." Winking, he knew that Cimmerian was totally okay with the thought of following Reaper around. Reaper was no idiot; he could see her desire for him and her distaste for Allen. She did decide to trust him and Reaper wanted to repay her by staying out just a bit longer. "I'm afraid I don't know where this Horatio, was that his name, lives. If you would be so kind, please lead the way."