Shizume city was as busy as always. The streets were packed with people rushing from here to there, trying their best to stay out of the bitter cold as much as possible. The bright neon signs cast a rainbow glow on the perpetually wet streets. Looking down at the beautiful scene below me, it was almost easy to convince myself that all was right in the world.

"The cold must be getting to me again." I muttered to the sky. "December is such a cruel month."

I sighed as I took in the sights from my rooftop perch. At first glance the city was indeed beautiful. However, I didn't have to look hard to find the dirty corners that everyday citizens ignored. Another day had come and gone while everyone was consumed in their own selfish needs, too busy to open their eyes to what really went on. The crime that Metro PD covered up in the dark of night. The gang violence that took place in shady alleyways and abandoned warehouses. The parts of town that no one dared to venture into, no matter the time of day.

I stood and stretched, my red sweater riding up enough to expose a small strip of stomach, just as the wind picked up. I shivered, suddenly wishing that I had chosen something else to wear today. I had left in a rush tonight, giving very little thought to my outfit choice. I had been lounging around in a plain black tank top, black denim shorts, and thigh-high black socks when I noticed it was past time to leave. Instead of looking for something much warmer, I opted to grab a plain, crimson sweater and slip on my black combat boots that were by the front door. It was a rather boring outfit to most, but I wasn't trying to impress anyone.

I readjusted my clothes to cover a little more as I pulled my PDA from my back packet. Still no notifications.

"Tch." I clicked my tongue in annoyance. "I ran all the way out here and there's nothing going on."

No sooner than the words had passed my lips, the screen of my PDA lit up. It was a call to the outer edge of the city. I grinned as I put the device away and started making my way across the rooftops. It was a hit for some gang leader's right-hand man that stole something from a rival gang, or something like that. I didn't bother with the details. All I needed to know was where to go and how much I would get paid for doing the job.

I was only two or three buildings from the target's location when the sound of yelling reached my ears.

"Get back here you little shit!"

I picked up the pace, only slightly worried that someone else had already moved onto the job before me. I scanned the alleys, trying to locate the source of the rapid footsteps. I made the decision to work my way down and pursue my target on a more level playing field. Once on the ground I followed the trail of overturned trash cans and other debris to an old bakery. Twenty or more guys in dark clothes were at the entrance, poised with guns and other weapons in hand, ready for a serious fight. I felt my own heart rate speed up in response. I couldn't see who or what they were glaring at, so I stuck my head around the corner.

What the fuck?

Two younger looking men, no older than my own twenty-five years of age, were standing across from the mob. They were both dressed in normal street clothes and had no visible weapons on them. The one closest to me was slightly taller with short, spiked red hair and a single hoop piercing in his ear. He had both hands in his pockets, looking very bored with the situation. The other gentleman was very attractive and he carried his head high like he knew it. His long, light brown hair hung slightly into his eyes and he had a smirk on his face.

I scrunched my nose in confusion. I couldn't understand why the gun wielding mafia would look so afraid of these two ordinary men. That's when the brunette spoke up.

"Come on now guys. It doesn't have to be complicated." He reached his hand out as if waiting for something to be placed in it. "Just turn your man over to us and we'll be on our way."

"Fuck you, red!" One of the men in the crowd shouted. "This isn't any of your business. If you know what's good for you, you'll leave now and let us handle our own affairs."

The rest of the mob joined in the yelling and taunts, creating a blanket of noise loud enough for me to move unnoticed from my position. I scanned their faces as I crept around beside them, until I located my target. He was in the middle, one of the few not holding a gun or any other weapon. I figured that he had picked that position on purpose. Anyone wanting to get to him would have to go through everyone around him.

"Go figure." I heard the red-head mumble. "We're going to have to do this the hard way."

As soon as he said that, all hell broke loose. I ducked into a nearby corner as screaming and gunfire began to echo down the streets. I knew I had to make my move, and soon, before the situation got worse. I had only taken a couple steps forward, when a motorcycle came racing into the fray, red flames bursting from the tail end.

You've got to be fucking kidding me. This bounty has suddenly become way too complicated for my taste.

I didn't stick around to know what happened after. Those red flames belonged to a very notorious group in the inner city. One that I stayed away from at all costs. As I climbed back up to the safety of the rooftops, I clicked my tongue in annoyance.

"I guess I'm going to have to look for a different hunt."

The next few hours passed by slowly. No hits were coming in, so I chose to pass the time watching small street fights. I made a game out of it, betting against myself on who would win based on their appearance. When I grew bored with that, I would lay back and watch the silver airship run its route, or count helicopters that passed overhead. The white noise of the city was relaxing enough that I actually dozed off for a little while.

"I came up here to film the city lights."

The sound of a calm voice pulled me from my sleep. I rolled over to see two young men standing across from me. They must not have seen me when they came up, since I was mostly hidden behind a large ventilation unit. The one who had spoken had his back to me. I couldn't tell much about him, other than he had brown hair, but I could see that he was holding an old-fashioned movie camera. Across from him was a young boy that appeared to be in high school. He had hair as white as snow and didn't seem to be paying attention to the brunette.

"It's a nice night tonight." The brunette tried for conversation.

"A nice night you say?" The white-haired man turned then and I could see he had a gun.

He had a twisted, disturbing grin on his face as he fired a shot straight into the chest of the boy facing him. I moved as fast as I could across the rooftop. Acting on instinct alone, I jumped between the two of them, grabbing the wrist of the gunman, and drove my free hand into his stomach. I heard him gag as his breath was knocked from his lungs, and he dropped the gun while falling to his hands and knees. I kicked it away and, knowing he would down for a bit, moved the few feet to where the brunette was lying on the ground.

"Who are you?" he struggled to say.

I really looked at his face then and hissed out a sharp breath. Long, ashy blonde hair hung over his brown eyes and a single silver hoop adorned his left ear. I ripped open his shirt, partly to see the bullet would, but also to see if I was right. Unfortunately, I was. As I leaned the boy up in my arms, I could see the small emblem of flames on his shoulder.

"Shit. Tatara you idiot." I muttered.

"Y-you know me?" his breathing was shaky and his words came out stuttered and strung together.

"Just shut up and try to breath." I ordered.

As gently as I could, I ripped his shirt and jacket off enough to feel along his back for an exit wound. There wasn't one, which in this case, worked out better for him. I laid him flat on his back and started my work. He was losing blood fast, and for the second time I found myself wishing I had chosen a different outfit. I pulled my sweater over my head and ripped the sleeves off, forming a makeshift rag to fold and press down onto his chest. Even leaning all of my weight onto him, it was doing little stop the rapid flow of blood. I heard movement behind and glanced over my shoulder. The white-haired boy from before was gone.

I don't have time to worry about that right now. Tatara is going to bleed to death if I don't do something quickly.

"Dammit, I wasn't fast enough!" I screamed in frustration.

"H-hey, it's all, it's alright." His voice was fading and his skin was turning a ghostly shade of white. "It'll all work out in the end."

"Not if you die!" My yelling startled him, his eyes cutting up to mine. "Think of your clan! What will they do if you're not around! How would they feel?"

He opened and closed his mouth, not knowing how to respond. I made a quick decision that I only prayed I wouldn't regret later.

"Do you want to die?" I asked.

"W-what?" was his confused response.

"Just answer the fucking question! Do you want to die tonight?"

"N-no." he shook his head, tears pooling in his eyes. "Please, help me."

I sighed and leaned back on my heels, letting my hands hover on his wound. I closed my eyes and focused hard on the supernatural power lying dormant inside of me. Suddenly, like a damn bursting under pressure, a bright light enveloped the two of us. A long black tail formed at the base of my spine and I knew my sapphire eyes were shining. The wind seemed to pick up and my long black hair whipped around as the power flowed from me to him, closing his wound and restoring his health, almost as if the bullet had never pierced his skin. After a few moments the light faded, the only sign that anything had happened at all, was the silky tail sticking out from the back of my shirt.

"What did you do?" he asked at the same time a voice coming up the stairwell screamed his name.

"Tatara! Where the hell are you?"

I jumped to my feet and started backing away to the opposite side of the roof.

"Hey! Wait!" I heard him calling after me. "Who are you?"

As I looked back at him, two men came bursting through the stairwell door. I didn't recognize the younger one in the beanie, but I knew immediately who the older one was. It was impossible to mistake him for anyone else, with his sunglasses on despite it being well into the night and his unbuttoned black shirt haphazardly thrown over a plain white one. Tatara's attention was on them and I knew I should I go, but they hadn't noticed me yet. I lingered for just a moment too long, making sure that they were all okay, before turning to run again.

"Please, wait!"

Maybe it was the tone of his voice, or the chill of the night that made me stop just short of jumping the gap between my current roof and the next one. I looked over my shoulder to see all three of them on their feet moving toward me. I flinched, surprised at how close they were. I made eye contact with the shorter one and I could've sworn he stumbled a little and a rosy tint crossed his cheeks.

Shit, it's now or never. Time to move.

I didn't waste another minute. I flung myself over the edge, using my power to vanish out of sight. I looked up from the ground and could see them scanning the alleyway for me.

"Where did she go?" Tatara asked.

"There's no point looking for her." The man in dark sunglasses said, placing his hand on Tatara's shoulder. "Let's just get back home. Mikoto is going to want to know what happened."

I stayed perfectly still and quiet, long after they had left the rooftop.

That was way too close. I don't think I'll be patrolling this side of town for a while. Knowing them, they'll be looking for me.

I couldn't stop the thoughts running through my mind.

That's the closest I've been to them in a long time. What would have happened if I had stuck around? Should I have stayed? At the very least to make sure Tatara is okay. I didn't leave him my name or anything so it's not like he could do anything to find me. Shit, my sweater. No, they couldn't find anyone by a sweater. They're people, not hounds.

"Dammit all!" I yelled to the sky, running my hands into my hair to squeeze my head. "What the fuck is wrong with me?!"

I kicked a nearby dumpster out of frustration, regretting it immediately as the pain slowly spread through my foot. A long string of profanities spilled from my mouth as I made my way across the city to my apartment. I pulled my PDA from my pocket to make it a quick call.

"Yea? What is it?"

"I'm done. Don't send anything my way tonight. I'm heading home."

"It's only midnight. You sure?"

"Yes."

I ended the call and continued my walk. I knew I wasn't going to get any sleep at all.