"Don't fall, Hei," Mao's dry tone drawled through his earpiece. Not bothering to respond, the younger contractor slipped around the corner, gliding between dark windows and the sudden drop without hesitation. Hanging from the umpteenth floor of an insanely large building was nothing new after all. He had to admit though, breaking into the police headquarters was a first. With the annual Masquerade Ball in full bloom, it was easy to slip inside with the food catering service. After sneaking away between shifts the moment there was an opening in the security, Hei made his way out a bathroom window and up the fire escape toward his destination, just as his contact had indicated.

"You're below now," Yin informed him and Hei stopped to look at the ledge above his head. He nimbly vaulted up, hoisting himself to the window of the Superintendent Supervisor's office. Holding back a sigh of relief when he found it left open an inch, the contractor shoved the pane up the rest of the way.

He spared a final glance over his shoulder at the buzzing city. The elevator would have been quicker, but Hei preferred to not be seen in a place filled with police. He had been especially careful to avoid the many security cameras, though he supposed that an inside man would have cleaned up any mistake anyway. There was no doubt in his mind that there was one as his infiltration into the police headquarters was too easy. It was probably someone powerful too.

"I'm in."

"Good, now get the goods," growled Huang.

Dodging around the massive, polished yet simple desk, the contractor scanned the plain white, shadow-licked walls, noting a narrow closet to his left and bookshelves and leafy potted plants—which were fake—to his right. Across from the windows was the door. Hei slinked through the dark room with only the false stars providing light; it was enough to find the grey file cabinet where the Superintendent Supervisor stored his more sensitive paperwork. It was nestled snugly between bookcases.

A small flashlight cradled in the contractor's palm illuminated the pasted labels, revealing that the drawer second from the bottom was what he was looking for. After picking the lock he pulled it open, pausing at the loud rattling as it rolled out. As far as he knew, the floor was mostly deserted, only the occasional guard patrolling (though none were anywhere near the office according to Yin). However, it didn't hurt to be cautious. Only one unfortunate person was necessary to complicate the mission. When the area beyond the closed door remained completely silent, he turned and carefully began leafing through manila folders and crisp documents.

"The party is picking up…" Mao hummed, tail probably twitching from his hiding place under a table. After being snuck in within a box of decorations, the feline had been told to find a direct view of both the partyers and the elevator in order to keep watch for possible interruptions. As if it was a mere afterthought and not a dig against the Black Reaper, the cat added, "I wonder if that lady cop is here." Hei's hand twitched but he continued his search quietly.

For once Hei appreciated Huang's bitter and biting interruption, "Who cares. Focus on your job." Mao grumbled, but did as he was told.

"Target A acquired." The folder found a place tucked under Hei's arm so he could keep looking unhindered.

"Good, now find B and C. Mao, any movement downstairs?"

"Meow," Mao replied and Huang could be heard swearing under his breath.

"Great, your lookout's gone catty. Yin, can you watch the party."

"No. They have heavy surveillance. I would be noticed."

"Damn. Hei, hurry up and finish."

The Black Reaper gave no indication of paying attention to the panic waging in his ear. As calmly as ever, he paused on a copy of an old case file under the name 'Kirihara.' It did not involve the Section Chief, so he quickly lost interest. Target B was directly behind it. "I'm almost finished."

With only one left, Hei was almost tempted to procrastinate; the silence was peaceful…until his cohort hissed for him to hurry up again. With a muted sigh, the contractor retrieved the last target. "I got-

The 'ding' of the elevator just across the hall interrupted the stillness and Hei instantly froze, clicking off his light. Rhythmic and sharp footsteps, as if from a woman's heels, approached leisurely.

"What's going on?"

"I'll tell you later," the contractor breathed before adding, "Be quiet."

Huang huffed, but complied.

Was it the Superintendent's secretary? Hei crouched instinctively. The contractor knew he wouldn't be able to close everything and slip out the window in time to go unnoticed. Though knocking the girl out would be simple enough, he was not supposed to be seen. He decided to wait for the opportune moment to escape undetected, recalling the narrow coat closet on the other side of the door. Opening it, he frowned at the tight fit, but did not have time to debate further as the doorknob was already turning. He folded his body into the darkness and disappeared.

~xoOox~

Misaki had long ago stopped wondering how she managed to find herself in the dangerous and degrading situations she often ended up in.

The newest example involved a Halloween party, or rather The Halloween party considering the status of the people who attended annually, thus dubbing it the annual Masquerade Ball. Big wigs the lot of them, including the Superintendent Supervisor of National Police Agency's Security Bureau, Naoyasu Kirihara. Whatever Kanami had been thinking when she shoved the young section-chief in the tight blue mini-skirt and blouse was beyond comprehension. She did not look forward to seeing her father while dressed in such humiliating and degrading way.

With a long-suffering sigh, Misaki sipped her champagne sparingly in a corner of the room, cap pulled low in a clumsy attempt to hide her identity; contact lenses instead of her preferred glasses were helpful. The room was packed and she hadn't noticed anybody she knew from Section Four, which was also good.

Shifting her stance slightly, the section chief winced at the jingle of metal at her waist. Of course Kanami had insisted that handcuffs were essential for the sexy cop costume, not caring that the result leaned more toward 'dominatrix' than 'defender-of-justice'. They hung from her belt on her right hip where the whip would have gone if she hadn't disguised the offending object as a clothes line.

A hint of movement to her right made her freeze. She shot a glare over the rim of her glass at the sixth man who'd dared approaching her since she'd arrived…twenty minutes ago. Kanami would declare the get-up a success while Misaki despaired. None of the men she was attracting were what she wanted, looking at her as an object rather than the self-respecting section-chief that she was. Besides, she had no time for a relationship.

As the male sauntered closer, smirking confidently despite the jiggling of his fat-suit, she turned away from him dismissively to stomp between two circles of mingling party goers. The woman kept her head low as she weaved through the crowd, pausing only to scowl at her friend. Kanami, dressed as a nurse, was slow dancing with a gorilla. Despite the situation, the head of the observatory appeared to be having a serious conversation. Misaki wondered if the ape was a colleague, but was soon distracted by a couple servers chasing what looked to be a cat. Apparently someone took their witch costume too seriously, she internally joked.

"Hello," a smooth voice drawled in her ear and the officer went for her gun, temporarily forgetting that she'd left it in her apartment. She didn't need to look to know that her earlier pursuer had caught up.

"Great party, right? Makes you wonder what idiot brought a cat!"

Unable to completely squash her involuntary shudder at his forwardness and poor attempt at humor, Misaki quickly said in a clipped tone, "Excuse me," and marched passed him, fleeing further into the crowd. With no destination in mind, she soon found herself waiting at the elevator and pushing the button. It wasn't until she was inside that she decided that her father's office was a decent enough place to hide since her desk would be the first place anyone (Kanami) would look. Before the doors closed, the flickering lights of the closed space sent a jolt of nervousness through her, twisting her stomach as memories flashed behind her eyes. The Section Chief only had to glimpse the party beyond to get over it though. There was no Black Reaper waiting upstairs to humiliate and demean her.

The case involving the theft of information from Dr. Hiro Kurosaki still left a sour taste in her mouth. Though the events themselves only brought an uncomfortable blush to her cheeks, the thought of her report was painful, almost as much as writing it had been. As a self-respecting officer of the law she felt compelled to enclose all details with complete honesty. She supposed she should have been happy that the Black Reaper hadn't killed her, that he'd only retrieved the flash drive in the most efficient way available at the time. Yet…the thin red grin painted on his pale mask still haunted her thoughts as she recalled how he'd meticulously shoving two fingers past the lacy lining of her bra to feel around for his target.

Looking down Misaki scowled. It wasn't like she had all that much to grab anyway, not like Kanami. Surely as a contractor BK-201 didn't even bat an eyelash over shoving his hand down a woman's shirt. It was the rational thing to do at the time.

"That's right," she agreed with herself as the elevator doors opened on the right floor. She would arrest him and add sexual harassment charges on top of murder, assault and theft. She stepped into the dim hallway before stomping in the direction of her father's office, deciding to snag a few of the candies that he hid in his bottom drawer. In her enthusiasm, Misaki sloshed her champagne onto her wrist. She grumbled under her breath before draining her glass and settling it onto the secretary's desk. She snatched a tissue from it to clean herself up.

With a sigh of annoyance, the section chief trudged the rest of the way into her father's office. Out of habit Misaki scanned her surroundings with a careful eye, but everything seemed to be in order…or as much as it could be considering it was her father's office. He was brilliant at his job, but lately he was also a little disorganized. Stacks of papers were strewn across his desk while a candy wrapper was nestled between pens. The closet door was even left ajar slightly, making Misaki flinch.

At least the room was quiet though. Rolling her shoulders, Misaki pulled her cap off and released her hair from its bun. She shook her head so waves of brown danced about her shoulders, before tying the thick mass into a low ponytail. Kanami would complain when she saw, but the section chief was beyond caring.

A minute later Misaki was spinning lazily in her father's chair and munching on chocolate with the lights on. She'd laid her phone on the desk, but ignored the buzz of texts from her friend. Stockinged feet toed the carpet while her boots were tossed out of the way. Her eyes itched from the contacts so, using her father's hand mirror, she carefully dabbed them out.

"That's better…" she hummed, tossing another creamy sweet into her mouth once the lenses were safely in their container and tucked behind the ribbon of her hat. Misaki closed her eyes to keep from straining them.

Letting her fourth chocolate melt on her tongue, the woman leaned her head back and enjoyed the motion of the revolving chair.

The 'ding' of the elevator interrupted her peace, while a jaunty laugh from her father sent her diving for the lights. Luckily he'd have to turn a corner before seeing the glow under his door. Normally Misaki wouldn't have minded her father knowing she was hiding from a party in his office; she'd done it so many times that he probably even expected it. At times he even welcomed the visits, not liking the walls of professionalism she constructed. However the thought of him seeing the costume Kanami put her in was too shameful. Misaki, who was just as serious about her job as her father, found the 'sexy cop' outfit to be degrading and insulting to the force, let alone her gender. How would her father react to the sight of his only child, his pride, dressed in such a manner? Besides, it sounded like he was not alone, and a colleague of his was also most likely a colleague of hers.

She had to hide.

Snatching up her boots and tossing the candy wrappers in the trash basket, she stumbled around in search of a hiding spot. Not under the desk…or behind the cabinet…Misaki recalled the closet and dove toward it. Blinking through the blurred darkness, she felt the door with her fingertips and hurriedly slipped in…only to bump into the back wall. It was an obviously narrow crevice, but she had not realized that it was so shallow. The loud voice of her father singing – wait, singing? – reminded Misaki that she should close the door. Though she meant to be as quiet as possible, the young woman overestimated her strength and accidently slammed it. Luckily at the exact same moment her father swung open his office door and a woman squealed as he hit a high note.

"Oh, stop it," a startlingly familiar voice chimed playfully. The secretary? "What if someone hears us?" She didn't sound very worried despite her words. Misaki shifted uncomfortably, doing her best not to breathe loudly.

"There is nothing wrong with coming to my office with my secretary. Or wanting to work overtime."

"Oh…you should know that I don't like to work overtime without out some sort of…bonus." It was obvious that actual work was the farthest thing from their minds. The worst part was that they seemed too familiar with each other for this to be a drunken fling – not that Misaki thought her father was capable of having one. The escalating situation left the woman dumbfounded and bewildered. And more than slightly disgusted. At least she now knew why her father hired a secretary that basically spent her days lounging behind her desk and painting her nails.

"Come here, Aiko, and show me what kind of bonus you have in mind…" Please don't…just go away!

Aiko the secretary giggled. "No," she teased, "you come here. And. Leave. The. Lights. On. I want to see you."

Crap.

"Hm? I'll leave them on dim. No longer feeling shy, are we Aiko?"

"No. I kind of like the idea of someone seeing us." Misaki pondered then, what is wrong with this woman?

"What about Misaki?" The section chief stiffened at the sound of her name. She internally begged her father to decide against having sex in his office. "She sometimes comes up here…" Relieved, she felt her shoulders relax until Aiko opened her mouth.

"I don't mind." Misaki covered her mouth to keep from groaning in frustration.

"I do."

"Oh, really? I don't believe you."

"Hm?"

"I think that you like doing shocking things." Deciding she didn't want to hear anymore, especially since things seemed to only be getting worse, she clamped her fists over her ears and curled inward.

Naoyasu Kirihara's gasp of mock surprise still wheedled through her defenses though, "Since when?"

"Since three days ago. When your daughter dropped by. And I was under your desk…"

Misaki struggled not to gag too audibly when her father moaned. She pushed her hands even harder against her ears in an effort to drown out the noise beyond the closet door. It was not enough.

Voice now a distant, muffled purr, Aiko said, "And you were panting like a puppy."

The section chief instinctively leaned back in the closet to escape what was going on in the room outside, but it was in vain. She remembered the sweat on her father's brow during the meeting in question. She'd commented that he should take a break from work, thinking he was just stressed.

How naïve and blind was she? Misaki could never imagine her father with anyone after her mother, but he was still a man like any other. Of course her father would eventually take a lover, or mistress, or perhaps even another wife someday. How could she not have seen someone like Aiko the secretary coming?

Hands still jammed harshly over her ears, the woman turned to bury her face into the coat behind her. Tears threatened to spill as she bit her lip.

"Aiko. Aiko…"

"Oh, Naoyasu!"

Needing to escape any way she could, Misaki tried to focus on something else: the darkness, the party on the first floor, memories of Li Shenshun, theories about BK-201…hell, even the coat rubbing against her cheek. Anything to distract her from the moans and gasps in the room over.

She laid her palms against coat pressed against the back wall. The fabric was thick and smooth under her fingers, but also heavy. Not her father's preferred brand from what she could tell. It didn't smell like his cologne either; instead there was a metallic scent mixed with sweat, cigarette smoke (her nose wrinkled), dampness, and something else. Something familiar…

She pressed her face farther into the coat as a squeal echoed shrilly. Perhaps someone else would interrupt them and she could finally escape…

It was then that Misaki noticed that the wall had a heartbeat. It was measured and steady, pulsing against her forehead. The wall was warm and soft as well. Freezing in place, she wondered if her technique of escapism was too effective. Had she conjured up her foe in an effort to protect her sanity? The Section Chief couldn't help recalling the eerie calm of BK-201 in the alleyway and gulped in trepidation. The deep voice…the strong chest and searching hands…the grinning mask. His scent. The memories did nothing to help her rising panic.

No, no, it couldn't be him. Her imagination was simply running amok. When she looked up, she'd find a simple coat hanging from a hanger; no dark assassin looming over her. There would be no glowing face smirking at her. Even though the scent was the same, it couldn't be him.

Her eyes rushed upward, eager to dispel her fears, yet instead found what she dreaded. Even half-blind in the dark and in shock Misaki could not mistake the Black Reaper.

It couldn't be though. He was the only thing in the world that could make her current situation worse, so what was he doing in the Superintendent Supervisor's closet with her? Didn't he have crimes to commit? Surely she was imagining him, or having a flashback to when he'd shoved her against the wall...but then why was she detecting details that she had not noted that night, like how his hair fell lazily, contrasting with the white porcelain, or how even his breathes were inaudible no matter how hard she listened.

Finally the woman had no choice but to accept that she was indeed hiding in a closet with BK-201; that not only was she humiliated and horrified, but she was in front of her greatest enemy—the most vile of all contractors—and that without her gun there was not much she could do.

Wait…

Misaki remembered the handcuffs strapped to her belt. It was a bad idea considering his power, but lugging her dead body around would certainly hinder his escape, perhaps even enough to finally be captured. And after what she had just witnessed, the Section Chief almost welcomed death.

As if sensing her thoughts, he moved for the first time, wrapping his arms around her and closing the space between them so that she could not move. Why he had not done something sooner was beyond her; she had been oblivious to his presence for several minutes. The fact that he was there with her meant that he had been in the closet since she'd first arrived. The question was: what had he been doing in her father's office before she'd interrupted him? Misaki, never one to give up, slammed her head against his collarbone, hitting his masked chin while she was at it. He grunted and gripped her throat with a gloved hand, shifting so his back was to the door; it was a very tight fit and involved the two of them squashed together for a few moments. In the end, Misaki found herself once more pressed against a wall by the Black Reaper with her wrists retrained by a single hand. The couple on the other side remained ignorant of the brief scuffle in the closet.

The couple…

For a fleeting moment the Section Chief debated calling for help, but in the end she could not bring herself to do so. A familiar and sturdy forearm also pressed against her windpipe warningly, forcing her arms into an awkward angle and reminding that she could very well be killed before the end of the night anyway. A glint in the darkness informed her that he was armed.

"Aiko, I love it when you do that," her father happened to say then.

The Section Chief glared up at her foe, fear turning into revulsion with every enthusiastic comment from either lover. She squinted through the darkness at the blurred silhouette of BK-201. If his shoulders shook even once she would scream, consequences be damned. She would not have him laughing at her!

To her frustration and aggravation, the contractor was completely calm, as if they were not hiding in a closet from two people having sex. "As if you don't find this disturbing too," she hissed louder than she meant. For once it was a good thing that her father and his secretary were such enthusiastic lovers. Misaki winced, unable to believe that she'd just thought such a thing.

Her stoic captor shifted his weight and the woman felt the cool bite of his blade resting against her collarbone in silent warning. Arching her neck away from it, she tried to put more space between them. If she could just reach the handcuffs on her belt, she could attach them before he knew what was happening. His grip was just as strong as ever though, and impossible to break with how he had her pinned.

What did he even want? Obviously whoever was pulling his strings—because Misaki had no doubt that the Black Reaper was a hired assassin—wanted…

…Wait…assassin...Looking up, at the mask with fresh horror and panic, the woman realized that perhaps what he wanted was her father.

Suddenly her humiliation, fear, and life meant nothing.

"No-umf!"

Her shout had not even fully formed passed her lips before his hand slammed against her mouth. Her arms fell limply before shooting to claw at his wrist. She tried to shake her head, to shake him loose, but he squeezed her face tightly. Misaki had a feeling that her jaw would bruise later, but did not care. Even when she cut herself against his knife she did not stop struggling.

To her mild surprise, BK-201 tucked his weapon away then. Why not just slit her throat and be done with it? Grinding her teeth under his palm, Misaki weakened her struggles. She immediately regretted doing so as her captor pinned her more thoroughly against the wall. He held her in place for several moments until the noise outside died down. The whole time Misaki glared into the eye holes in the mask, willing her hatred to seep into his mind and make his head explode.

…Perhaps not literally, but she still wanted him to receive some punishment for his crimes…and for the things she had to suffer that night.

Once it was clear that the Superintendent Supervisor and his secretary were finished, BK-201's shoulders stiffened even more, indicating that he was about to take action. The Section Chief give a final pointless wiggle before blinking pleadingly up at the Black Reaper.

Please, please, not my father.

The contractor was passive, loosening his grip slightly as he shifted. The mask hovered too close; she could almost feel the cool ceramic against her nose.

"…Sorry," he seemed to murmur into her ear. Misaki's eyes widened as BK-201 lurched backwards, smashing through the door and into the office. Aiko screamed and Naoyasu Kirihara shouted in surprise, but Misaki was unable to absorb anything besides the mask that didn't seem to grin quite so menacingly.

Sorry…?

Before, laughter seemed like the worst insult he could give. Somehow though, pity from the most wanted criminal in Tokyo was worse. Meanwhile, the masked man looked toward the window, but the lovers where in the way. He turned to the next best escape route.

Sorry…?

BK-201 slipped out of the door before anyone could move. A moment later Misaki came to life in a flurry of rage. Suddenly it was all his fault. She burst from within the tight crevice, barely reeling at the sight of her father wrestling to retie the hakama of his samurai costume. Aiko on the other hand was patting down her barmaid skirts while reaching to call for security.

"M-Misaki?!"

"Where's your gun?!" she roared, already knowing he had one in a compartment under his desk.

"What…You're wearing? Why…? Closet…? That guy…?"

"BK-201 has infiltrated the building. Call it in. I'll need backup!"

Misaki was armed and tearing from the room before her father could utter another syllable. Aiko was audibly sobbing, which sent a shock of satisfaction through the Section Chief before she narrowed her focus onto the target.

The elevator was too much trouble, so he probably went for the stairs. She was about to head toward the nearest stairwell when she recalled the criminal's habit of doubling back to throw off his pursuers. Misaki wasted several moments dashing between her father's office and the stairs, waiting for some sign that BK-201 would return. Perhaps she was wrong though, and that night he'd changed his tactics…

She paused, debating what to do when the elevator doors opened, making her jump. A knight in full armor, two zombies, and a famous anime character stepped out. She squinted in an attempt to recognize any of them, but without her glasses their faces where all blurs.

"C-Chief!" Saitou's voice boomed from under the knight's helm. "Wow…" He lifted his visor to blink at her and Misaki blanked when she realized she was still in a mini skirt and skin-tight top. With her hair disheveled, the cut on her throat, and only stockings on her feet, she rued what the officers before her must be thinking.

Gathering every ounce of authority, the chief of Section Four shouted, "Are you armed?" There were four nods. "Good! Now-

"Look out!" Saitou shouted and Misaki instinctively dived to the side. A black shadow darted past her, lithe and quick. The others stumbled out of the way as well, raising their weapons, but were reluctant to shoot with the contractor so close to their comrades.

Good, Misaki thought, the situation was too delicate to start shooting haphazardly.

Saitou was too heavy and stiff in his armor to move out of the way in time. The Black Reaper swooped in low, lunging forward to use the bumbling man as a step. He kicked in the paneling on the elevator roof and darted through the opening.

"He's going up!" Misaki stated, "You three, stay in case he comes back. Saitou, come with me."

"Yes, Chief!" He tried to get up from where he'd fallen, but could only roll around like a turtle. "Coming, Chief…" With a sigh of frustration, Misaki grabbed his arm and, with the help of the other three officers, lugged her subordinate back onto his feet. They were hurrying toward the stairs when her father finally marched from his office, costume back in place.

"Misaki! Wait!"

She ignored her father's call. She could not talk to him, let alone look at him then…perhaps she wouldn't be able to ever again. The truth was that she was glad for BK-201's presence; he gave her an excuse to get away as well as someone to throw her emotions at. He would pay for not only practically reenacting the nightmare in the alleyway, but also for seeing her in such a vulnerable state…and, even worse, for feeling sorry for her. She vowed to catch him, even if it was the last thing she did.

~xoOox~

"Will someone tell me what's going on?!" Huang shouted and Hei winced, debating disconnecting the earpiece again. "Mao, you mangy cat, I'll boil you alive if you don't snap out if it! Hei, answer me, damn it! Yin, find Hei!"

"I'm here," the Black Reaper grumbled, propelling up the elevator shaft. The entire time he was watching Misaki Kirihara from his hiding space, he had the gruff old man roaring through the earpiece. In all honesty, it had taken him a few moments to recognize the lady officer. Once she let her hair out of its severe bun though, he felt a tinge of curiosity. Never had he seen her so relaxed, even when he was Li. Once he realized that she was planning on joining him in his hiding place, even if she did not know it herself, he quickly silenced Huang the only way he could in his situation. His only comfort was her apparent blindness after removing her contact lenses.

"What's going on?! Why weren't you responding?" the old man once more interrupted his thoughts.

"I've been compromised; I need to get out."

"Compromised?! What happened?"

Hei didn't have the time or inclination to go into details, so he simply said, "I've been seen. Yin, I'm going up. Is there a route open?"

"No," her soft voice mumbled in his ear, "Head back down to the party. You can take cover with the guests."

He sighed, realizing he would have to take the stairs or the fire escape down again. Either way he would have to dodge dozens of bullets.

"Right. I'm going to need silence again."

Huang begrudgingly complied. Hei balanced on the ledge of one of the doors and used a dagger to pry it open, shorting out the circuits to make his task easier. Slipping into the dim hallway, he made for the nearest stairwell. He could hear the Section Chief and her bumbling knight in shining armor storming up, bringing a tiny smirk to form under his mask. Saitou was a great guy and an honest officer, but he was sometimes too easy for the Black Reaper to run circles around.

"How high did he go, do you think?" the man in question inquired. Misaki Kirihara did not respond, too busy kicking in doors at every level of her ascent, leaving a teeth-rattling echo to vibrate up the shaft. If Hei stayed still for too long they would be upon him quicker than he would like. Thinking fast, he smoothly lunged onto the railing and waited until Misaki kicked in another door, using the violent slam as a distraction so he could drop freely through the center of the spiraling steps.

Hei caught a final glimpse of Misaki, spinning to squint toward him at Saitou's shout. Her hair, thick and beautiful in its loose ponytail, fluttered around her shoulders and down her back. A couple strands clung to her lips as she gasped and scrambled to look after him as he allowed himself to freefall for several seconds before propelling the rest of the way.

Once his feet were secularly on the ground, he looked up at his pursuers. They gawked at him and he quickly slipped out of their sight to search for a safe place to switch back into his caterer uniform. Going down had been surprisingly easier than he'd thought it would be. He was not one to complain, but he still felt rather disappointed that the Sections Chief had not managed a single shot that night.

~xoOox~

Mao snapped back to his senses under a plastic tree next to the punch bowl. People were in a panic, but he quickly realized that it was not over him. The cat slumped slightly as he peered between glistening, green leaves. Cops adorned in exotic, cliché, and humorous costumes scrambled about while gripping guns and coordinating to surround the building.

Hei, Mao realized, must have been spotted.

"Damnit," he hissed, tail whipping in agitation. Misaki Kirihara slammed open the door to the stairs on his other side then, attracting the attention of everyone in the room. "The perp is somewhere on this level. Make sure that every vent, window, and door is covered. Do not let a single person in costume or otherwise out. And watch the stairs," she ordered.

She looked different and Mao was not alone in his appreciative admiring of her. She was barefoot with stockings providing little friction; her costume was not what he would have expected from her either while her hair was a mess. The woman panted as if she'd been running up and down the stairs for several minutes. It wasn't exactly a bad look for her. "Form into units and approach with caution; he is a dangerous criminal."

She seems more livid than usual. Damn you Hei. Somehow this is all your fault, isn't it!

A majority of the officers in the room probably had no clue about contractors or their abilities, but even an ignorant man with a gun could get in the way of the mission. Or a woman for that matter.

The lady cop skidded away with several others on her heels, including a staggering knight in full armor. Mao flattened his ears, annoyed by how things had turned out. He followed, having a feeling that Hei would need him as a distraction. The ground floor offices and compartments were searched one by one until the posse turned a corner and spotted a black-clad back standing in a doorway.

At first the feline cursed his partner for being stupid, then he realized that the man on the other end of the hall was too short to be Hei while his coat seemed to glisten instead of fade into the shadows. An imposter?

Kirihara reacted the moment she glimpsed the figure, not noticing the finer details that would distinguish him as a fake. She aimed her gun and shouted, "Freeze!"

"C-chief?" the young man stuttered while pulling his plastic mask up off his head; the elastic holding it on caught on his wig so it slipped off as well. An older officer dressed in a tuxedo trotted from the room with two of the party's security guards behind him.

"Kouno? Matsumoto? Damn it?" The woman lowered her weapon and moved forward with a snarl, "What are you doing dressed like that?"

He reeled away from her fury, his chestnut blonde hair flopped forward from where it had been slicked back, sticking to his forehead. "I-It was a dare…" he murmured and his superior huffed. Then she stepped forward to speak to the men around her, organizing them into a more effective search party. By then though, Mao was distracted by a black-haired caterer wearing a pristine, white uniform. He strolled from a bathroom and toward the main hall, unnoticed and almost jittery in his mannerisms. The cat contractor trotted after him until the man noticed and waited in an inconspicuous corner.

Mao could not resist demanding, "What did you do now, Hei?"

The Black Reaper gave him an unwaveringly stoic look then promptly changed the subject. "I handed the documents off to Huang," he said, "You should make your exit while I return to work."

"Yeah, yeah, but—

"If all you want to do is rant at me, then I'm going. I don't want to blow my cover." He walked away and Mao reluctantly did as he was instructed, listening to Yin's directions until he could slip from a tiny bathroom window and into the alley beyond. Hei would stay as part of the catering staff, waiting until the lockdown was over and he could leave as innocent, young Li Shengshun. He thought back to the Section Chief's ruffled state and hoped his partner hadn't molested her again. The first time may have been necessary to retrieve the flash drive, but she did not see it the same way. Mao knew humans were emotional and also that Kirihara was a nuisance enough without being trigger-happy.

Perhaps he was wrong though and the whole event would blow over. He certainly hoped so, but doubted he could be so lucky.