Cross Marian

"That little shit is gonna fuck with everyone in there, I know it." Cross growled to himself. He had just dropped off his young charge, Allen Walker, at one of his acquaintance's facilities. Southwood Psychiatrics Retreat was considered one of the best hospitals in the country. Since he personally knew Irina Jelavic, the owner of this facility, he was able to ask for a favor with such a high chance of it working out properly. Irina was one of his… closer friends. That time when they met had been wonderful, in both their opinions. All of the things she can do with her body...

Cross trailed off into thought, too far gone to notice a man walking up beside him. "Too bad she's not interested in messing around anymore." He muttered, mildly dejected.

He sat in silence, allowing himself to run through all of the situations they had found themselves in, all of which they managed to mess around after. There was the time with the cops, the time with her parents, the time with the brat… and so many more. At some point, though, she up and decided that being friends would be better for both of them and left to run this place. Family business and all. She used to be annoyed by the pressure people would place on her to make sure this place did well, but at some point that switched and she started actually caring about the screw ups in this place.

"You should stop gripping the chair so hard. It would be inappropriate to break the facility's items." Cross shifted his head toward the black-haired man next to him. If the guy was curious about what Cross was thinking, he didn't show it. He also didn't seem put off by Cross' quick glare. "You dropping off a kid for the first time, too?" With merely those words, the bag's under the guy's eyes became more accentuated and his brow furrowed. If Cross had to guess, the man was around age 40, maybe a couple years younger.

"Yeah, don't know what else to do with the brat. He's just gotten so fucked up since I took him in. Doesn't help that his old man was crazy, too." The raven just nodded along. "What's up with your brat? Most people don't like it when I say this shit."

A sigh escaped the stranger's mouth. "That kid's been screwed over by life. Goes back long before I met him." A solemn look passed his face, though he quickly hid it. "He was left for me to deal with, since I was the one who found him in the first place. No one knew where else he could go, since the kid's so young and the people felt bad such a young kid was going into the system. A couple of them didn't want to lose another child, the others were blinded by his charisma." Even though Cross was definitely curious to figure out just what this kid was up to, he didn't pry. Treat others the way you want to be treated, and all that bull. It didn't seem like this man could be bullied into telling the story, anyway.

Allen's story was still too fresh for him to tell in exchange. Mana's story was still too fresh.

"Well, things like this happen, even to those too young to understand. The name's Cross Marian, by the way. My brat is Allen. You'll be able to tell who he is when you see him, stands out in a crowd. He's the politest little shit you'll ever find, but don't let it fool you." Cross growled. All of the women he could have taken to his bed were instead enamored with Allen's cute younger brother act. The boy even stole a couple of his targets and took them to his own to have his way with.

"Same with Nagisa. He's a cute little brat, and he has every act known to humanity memorized and perfected. He can read people's personalities and tailor his own to get the best results. He won't even wait for you to turn your back before going for the kill." Cross paused for a moment, trying to figure out if that was literal or figurative language, but he let it pass. His mind flagged a reminder of how the kid could have 'gone into the system' and how the people felt bad for him.

It was a thought to ponder at a later time. Especially if the kid would actually kill someone. That entire thing about 'going for the kill' was too serious to fully brush off. "Well, Allen could probably do that. For now he just mimics his old man, being the gentlemanly type. It freaks people out when he steals all their cash with a smile on his face. The sadistic bastard." This time it was the man who paused. "I never did get your name. You know mine, after all. It's only fair."

"Yes, I am Tadaomi Karasuma, just call me Karasuma. I am not entirely comfortable with the English way of addressing people." Cross nodded. He'd been to Japan before, and it had been an odd switch.

"Just call me whichever you like."

"Yes, Marian, what do you mean by stealing money? Has he been arrested before?" Cross laughed. There was no way Allen would let himself get caught by any run of the mill cop. He could charm his way out of anything, except maybe murder. Gambling didn't exactly fall under something that most people would check for, especially where they tend to live. Then again, Cross kept the two on the move, changing location nearly every month. People didn't tend to like having their hard earned cash taken by a young brat.

"He's real good at betting, that's all. People think they can swipe him of his goods, but instead he takes theirs right from under them. I've seen the guy strip people to their underwear before letting them leave. Sure, he normally gives back the clothing, but the people leave with their egos crushed. It's fun to watch, sometimes." Karasuma nodded, clearly not as put off about this than actually stealing. It's probably a good thing he doesn't know that Allen is only 15.

"I know of one time we were on a train. I let the kid go explore since it would be a while before our stop, and he was missing for thirty minutes. Normally I wouldn't worry about something like that, but when he left there was this grin on his face that meant trouble. So, I followed. When I found the guy in the way back of the train, he was picking on a group of three men. Next to Allen was some other brat, probably around 20, that was stripped naked. Allen seemed to be defending the boy, so I didn't do anything. After that, it only took an hour before the three men across from him were also stripped, and the other brat had his clothing back. Allen threw the cash back at him by the time those three men had to get off the train. He gave them their stuff back, which they all took without prompt.

"I could tell they'd been sucked into his charm, probably even while they were being dominated by him. One of the guys gave Allen a gift of thanks, some rock with a small amount of value. Don't think the kid sold it yet. He's sentimental about shit like that." He didn't mention that Allen liked to have proof that he affected someone's life, that he might have saved someone in a small way. That Allen feared he didn't truly exist, or that his presence was that equivalent to a dying dog at the side of the road. Cross didn't mention how the kid picked up his gambling skills, or how he was able to hold his alcohol more than was healthy for a growing boy.

In exchange, Karasuma told Cross about his adventures when chasing the Shiota family. "Nagisa's mother was a spit fire. She was able to lie like the devil and sing like an angel. Whenever I met them, she had dinner ready and was wearing beautiful clothing, and she made sure that Nagisa was as well. She didn't want anyone to think there was anything off about her family. Nagisa seemed to agree well enough. He acted the way she wanted, making friends with people of all ages. At first I thought some of his acquaintances would be too dangerous for a young boy to know, but I later found out that the kid could hold his own. No one wanted to mess with him, since people more powerful than them would defend the kid.

"Everywhere the two went, they left a trail of broken hearts. Not all were romantic, of course. There were many friends that were left behind by their crazy lifestyle. I spent a good portion of my life just trying to keep up with those two. It's sad to say, but they managed to fool me multiple times into thinking that they wouldn't be moving out of town for the next couple of weeks, and then they'd up and vanish that night. It was amazing, if you think about it. And I knew that even as I followed them. No matter how frustrated and angry I got at those two, I always had an amount of respect for their skills." Karasuma trailed off, most likely getting lost in thought. Cross did the same.

It was six years ago when he first found that kid, Allen Walker, sitting next to the newly dug grave. The name Mana Walker was etched into the uneven stone. Allen couldn't buy a proper grave marker, so he was forced to make one of his own using the biggest rock he could find, and carving into it with a smaller rock. The kid's hands were bloody by the end of it, but he finished his work. Cross tried speaking to him, tried to explain that this didn't have to be a sad thing. Mana could move on to the next life, and Allen could continue to live his without regret.

He gave Allen his current address, and said to come whenever within the week, before he planned to leave once more. Cross did plan to watch him from afar, and make sure the kid didn't try to harm himself in any way.

It was a good thing he did. On the third day, he saw Allen with a knife. With a short shout of alarm, Cross ran to free the knife from Allen's shaking hand. He didn't manage to make it before Allen damaged his already scarred arm, etching two deep slits in his hand. The bloody mess took more of his attention than Allen's reasoning. He assumed it was because Mana died, that was clear enough. The only problem was that Allen must have been told to 'keep walking' multiple times during his life with Mana. That man would tell anyone who gave him the time of day that they just had to keep walking, no matter what happens.

It must be carved into his mind far more than any knife could do to his hand.

Cross would figure out later what that would mean for the kid. His current worry was getting the bleeding to stop without a trip to the hospital. One of the people around this area was a nurse that owed him a favor, even though he didn't like Cross much anymore.

Karasuma Tadaomi

Karasuma couldn't help his train of thought. Going all the way back to when he thought Nagisa was an innocent child with a crazy mom, back when he could underestimate the boy's cherub looks and friendly smiles.

Shiota Nagisa had been six for a couple of months when Karasuma finally got close enough to the pair to actually make contact. He knew it would be a risky move to actually initiate contact, but with such a young kid there, he had to divert from protocol.

Hiromi was at the house doing chores, watched my multiple agents to make sure she couldn't make a run for it, or kill all of them. Since she wasn't able to watch over Nagisa, it was the best time to talk to him and gauge just what was happening to the poor kid.

"Hello, little one. I am Karasuma Tadaomi. Are you in trouble in any way?" He asked, attempting to soften his strict features. It must have worked, because the kid smiled at him with shining eyes.

He softly answered 'yes' before rolling up his sleeve. Karasuma berated himself for not noticing the kid was wearing long sleeves even on such a hot day. That was a clear sign of abuse. This time he made sure to scan the boy for any other abnormalities. His clothing was perfect, no stains on it despite the child being merely 6 years old. What looked to be makeup was covering his cheek. It was professionally done, but Karasuma had seen enough people hiding wounds to know the difference between natural colouring and makeup.

Marring the pale skin was a dark, purple and green bruise the shape of a finger. Karasuma was sure that if the boy were to continue to raise his sleeve, there would be an entire hand.

"I see. Well, would you mind coming with me to a police station? Don't worry, nothing bad will happen. We just want to talk with you for a little bit and maybe talk to your parent. Is that alright?" The quiet boy nodded his consent and took Karasuma's outstretched hand. A couple of hidden agents moved out of their changing line of sight so the kid didn't get scared.

"Can you tell me a little about your home life?" Karasuma asked. Nagisa grinned widely.

"My mother makes sure everything is always wonderful! I looooove her food! And she always makes sure that I can make friend with people, always! So I'm never lonely." Karasuma couldn't help but feel that the kid was reciting a line he'd been fed over and over. It didn't make sense for him to smile while saying something he didn't want to, though.

"She sounds nice." He commented, if only to keep the boy talking.

"She is! Most of the time, at least. When mama's in a bad mood, it's no fun. When that happens I'm supposed to be silent or play with some other friends. But that's okay! I like playing with the Onee-san and Onii-san! They're really nice to me and let me do a lot of fun things." As in on cue, a small group of people ranging from 15 years old to 25 years began to enter the street from the buildings.

"Hey, bro, where you going with our little brother?" One of the elder ones growled. Karasuma signaled for the other agents to stand down. It wouldn't be good to fight a bunch of brats. In addition, these ones would probably accuse him of kidnapping a six year old, which would put a bad stain on his record even after everything got cleared up. The joke would go on for at least a decade.

"I believe there is a misunderstanding," Karasuma said, voice cold. He was hoping it would be enough to scare away the brats, but with no luck. Multiple of them drew weapons ranging from blunt objects like bats to even a few guns. Karasuma debated whether or not to put his hands up and explain the situation or just take out the kids and be quick about the entire thing. It wouldn't be much longer before Hiromi decided to check on her child, after all.

He didn't get the chance to finish decided, though. Instead Nagisa spoke up. "Don't worry, Onii-san. I will be fine." The kid must have smiled, but the aura coming off of him spoke of a different story. It was the first time Karasuma began to wonder if the kid picked up on his mother's true nature. He seemed to calm down the punks, because the one who spoke previously bowed his head slightly.

"Oh course, Nagi-san! I shouldn't have been so forward. Just know that we got your back, 'kay kid?" It seemed as though this change from formal to informal was normal within the group, since no one else was surprised except Karasuma and the hidden agents.

"Well, Nagi, we should get going." Nagisa gripped his hand tighter before leading them through the parting crowd.

Karasuma's thoughts were interrupted as Cross stretched and a groan escaped. "Honestly, all the brat does is cause trouble. Don't even know why I took him in. There were so many other people who could have taken him in. Ah, oh well. This place can deal with his crazy now." Cross reached into his pocket, pulling out a phone. "There's only ten minutes 'till they're done with this group session thing. Aaaah, what should I do… maybe Kiyoshi will talk to me? I'm sure he'll like an update on the brat. That guy's been saying to get Allen mental help for years." Cross left to make his call, leaving Karasuma alone in his thoughts. It was for the best that he was interrupted before reliving those next moments.

Instead he moved to think about some of his other cases. There was one where someone was experimenting on humans to create some sort of drug, it would seem. No one in the labs had figured out what the end goal of this person was, but each solution that was tested left a nasty side effect on the corpse. There wasn't an age group or ethnicity that was being targeted, though the majority of the victims had been male.

There was no identifiable trend among any of the vics, and the rate of deaths weren't going up so the unsub wasn't frantic or panicking. It would seem they derived no joy from the deaths, only from the science they were performing.

Karasuma much perfered this case over the mind fuck that was the Shiotas.

He didn't have much longer to think, however, seeing as the group just finished and Nagisa would be walking over to him any moment now.

There were times Karasuma wondered how Nagisa thought of him. Maybe as the one who tried abducting him multiple times when the boy was younger, maybe someone who could be thought of a constant in his chaotic life. After all, Nagisa would make contact with Karasuma at least once every year since the age of six. The kid never seemed to be upset at him for any of his actions, but the kid never seemed upset. Not even when his mother sent him on terrible missions alone, without her as backup.

"Karasuma-san," Nagisa said as he got closer. His eyes were bright, just as they had been the first time they met. Karasuma couldn't help but think Nagisa was just hiding underneath another mask that he hadn't yet taken off, even after the group session. It was to be expected, though. But why he would chose this sort of personality to adopt was beyond Karasuma. The kid wouldn't get out of therapy just by acting normal. In fact, it would only bring him farther into their grasp.

"Hello, Nagisa. How was the meeting?"

"Ah, it was great! I've made a lot of friends! And everyone was so weird, so I fit right in." Nagisa's eyes slowly became dazed as though he was euphoric. Everyone's eyes were drawn to him, and Karasuma felt the urge to groan. The kid was already putting his skills into use.

"I see. Well, please remember why you are here. No getting into trouble. I have to head out for now, since there is a case that requires my attention. I will come in every few days to check on you, and the people here will be giving me updates on your behavior and condition." Nagisa smiled and nodded, while everyone around them looked at Karasuma with mild dislike. He was used to that. People were always charmed by Nagisa to the point they didn't believe anyone had the right to be mad at him. Especially not the strict-looking Karasuma.

Karasuma walked out the doors, but not before seeing Cross Marian standing with a boy with white hair and an arm covered in burns. It must have been the kid that Nagisa was talking about before. There was no way someone else that age had such white hair, even if they tried to bleach it. Even the kid's eyebrows were stark white.

The smile on that kid's face looked almost identical to Nagisa's, which was probably why Nagisa copied it. If this kid took his interest, he was probably trying to create a personality that would fit best. If that meant almost identical to this kid's, that's what Nagisa would form. Now was the question of why. The only thing Nagisa didn't seem to copy was this guy's crazy eyes. They were glazed over yet intense, like he was seeing things that weren't there. It reminded Karasuma of the druggies that he had to chase back when he started on the force. The ones who saw demons chasing them, and would rip their skin off and even bleed to death. It reminded him of the guy who ran out in front of a car because he was being chased and got hit by a car. He didn't die instantly, but the guy probably wanted to. Even after he was unconscious and pumped full of fentanyl, the guy was still moaning.

It was a pretty terrible thought to run across his mind while looking into the eyes of a child.