Central Europe; 996 B.C.

Betrayal.

Rashnu looked around the marble-floored room at the other Lords, each sat upon a gilded throne as ornate as his own. Bannan stroked the polished ivory of his throne's arms, almost subconsciously, as his red eyes locked on Lucia, the lady of death herself,
through the emerald fire blazing in the font at the very centre of the chamber. She, in turn, tongued her own fangs while trying to avoid anyone else's gaze.

The ancient Chamber of Lords had stood in various places for countless centuries - offering sanctuary and communion between the pale-skinned creatures of the night and the demons who'd, at time's beginning, birthed them into existence to rule over whatever was to come. Or so the vampyrs had been led to believe.

Each of the eight lords had been promised dominion and wealth, to be worshipped by whatever lesser creatures were destined to live in this world. For more than nine millennia that was true, but a change was approaching. The Lord's children, sired by death and imperfect, were weak, mindless fools who had no concept of self control; rather than feeding to demonstrate both power and wisdom, they simply feasted at the first slightest pang of hunger. They were malformed creatures with no beauty, closer to human than deity, faces twisted to horrors.

And with each generation, the lesser creatures - humans - began to fear, rather than worship, their overlords. Fear in controlled amounts was healthy, but too much and it grew to desperation. Desperation was dangerous, and as humans became more desperate, they grew. First they learned how to make weapons so they could hunt their own beasts for food, and it wasn't long after that they stopped crawling along the ground. Soon they were speaking, and their fears were truly shared.

Ravinter shook his head as the image of the first human walking upright he'd ever seen flickered in his mind's eye. It had ran past him in the heat of the noonday sun, shamelessly naked, covered in fur and grunting with a sharpened rock its fist. It was a sickening sight: these creatures were alive only to serve and nourish, yet there was one taking a step toward dignity. That day Ravinter almost threw up his innards at the atrocity.

Yet he'd been forced to watch, unable to act, sickened, repulsed, as these beasts defied all that was holy. For the Vampyr Lords,
for all their grace and countenance, could not live without the humans and the Demons of The Nine forbade any direct interference with what they claimed was the natural order. Eventually he, along with his seven siblings, took to distancing themselves, and so the Chamber was constructed to offer a realm that was comfortable, familiar.

It was to that Sanctuary they gathered on their final day.

"Which of you was it? I will not wait for much longer before I kill each and every one of you. Brothers and sisters or not."
Acul's dulcet voice shattered the silence and all eyes turned to him as the long-haired youngest sibling crossed his legs, feigning confidence and grandeur; a clever tactic, to display superiority in the place all Vampyrs were equal. Even bearded Nosferat, frail with age, widened his lilac, serpentine eyes at the open threat.

"I concur, though I'd rather we didn't resort to violence just yet." Nosferat's words grated slowly, like sandstone against lime, yet all listened.

"Why not, eh? I'd rather be killed by one-a yous than a half-breed freak, and y'all know they're about 'ere already." Lelithia's words always sounded like song, though Ravinter sensed fear.

It saddened him to think of his favourite sister trapped in trepidation, fallen so far from grace. "It doesn't matter; even an army of the filthy animals won't touch our power. We're Lords, Vampyrs, not childre..."

"Do not be foolish, Ravinter. Not one of us has fed in a hundred years; our powers wane." As much as he hated being interrupted, Ravinter knew that Dante was right. The white haired, muscle-bound giant always had a wisdom hidden beneath his brutish appearance.

Betrayal.

One of the Lords had revealed the Chamber's location; no other logic explained why several hundred of the animals were gathered at the castle's gates, their thirst no longer sated by human blood, the half-breed atrocities yearned for the blood of their creators, of the Vampyr Lords themselves. The Chamber moved once a week, and only the original inhabitants of the world could sense its whereabouts; none other alive or dead could ever hope to learn its secrets.

Yet here they were, faces stained with filth and blood, brandishing swords and bows as though they truly believed they could win.
Rage filled Ravinter as he heard the first sounds of banging against the castle's mighty oak maingate. He barely noticed the crushed goblet in his hand, warm blood dripping from his clenched fist onto the cushioned arm of his throne.

"Anticipating them, Ravinter?" Acula sneered a half-grin. "Excitement, maybe? I always did think you hated them a little too much. Perhaps it was simply a ruse for so..."

Even before the accusation left his mouth, Ravinter smoked across the room in an instant, and reformed inches from his younger brother's face. His hand gripped the other Vampyr's throat, and as his razor sharp claws extended, they promised to rip a head clean off. "Continue, dear brother... Don't let me stop you. Give me a reason to destroy you, force us to truly fall."

Ravinter took a shocked step back as he noticed his brother's eyes darken, become dry, like ash. It grew, covering Acula's face,
crept down his neck. He spun around, and saw the same in all his siblings, to a one they seemed to burn from the inside, faces and arms and leg darkening before collapsing under their own ashen weight. As Lelithia's last hair began to fall and disintegrate,
the Chamber's door violently swung open and a swarm of half-breeds rushed in, screaming like animals, weapons raised above their heads.

The one remaining Vampyr Lord displayed his power as the room turned to black, filled with a dense, all-encompassing fog that swallowed even the sound of the guttural roars of the savages. Only the green flame resisted, and Ravinter scooped it into his hand and with a swing of his arm, he cast it over the horde, and spoke with a forced calm that only barely hid his rage.

"The night bore you, so shall you remain, to never again feel the sun's warmth upon your wretched flesh. You'll be hated and hunted, and though the humans sicken me, they will surpass you and you'll forever live in the shadows, never to rise, never to taste the glory my brothers and sisters held. And when you fall, I will witness it, I will watch as the last of you burns to ash, but rather than the dark paradise they now inhabit, you will never the joy of The Nine. Your souls are mine."

He misted from the Chamber, full of grief, filled with hatred, bursting with rage.

Northern Russia; November 1197 A.D.

Ravinter had travelled the world, seen its wonders, watched as the human race flourished; he had long since forsaken the vow of starvation, and fed daily. He tossed the child he'd just drained dry into the snow and entered the cave. Deeper and deeper it went, delving into the earth's core. This was where he would rest and watch the world evolve. The Chamber of Lords presented itself and he laid upon his bed.

As he closed his eyes, visions of his curse flashed before him. Of half-breeds burning in the daylight, of icy water scolding them,
stakes being driven into their beatless hearts, of them turning to ash. It happened on occasion, but the filthy humans were still not evolved enough to destroy all of Ravinter's children.

The day would come. He knew it. He waited.

Luna Island; Some Time in the 21st Century A.D.

Ravinter began to stir from his slumber, as awareness began to return. The world was different. His mind reached out to sense more half-breed-like creatures. They were all weak, mere shadows of the pitiful beasts he had cursed several ages before;
he could feel his fangs ripping them apart as though he was truly tasting flesh once more. Humans. So many humans filled the world it made the air dense with their stench, choking the Vampyr Lord awake.

He looked at the geometric patterns etched into the Chamber of Lord's high ceiling with tired eyes that glowed black with hatred.
The Lord reached out with his mind for hope of sensing one of his siblings, but he knew they were long dead, long forgotten,
probably lost even to myth. The emptiness dared him to sit up, beckoned him toward the sun's warmth, tugged at his shirtsleeves to follow.

The world was different. It buzzed with a gentle hum foreign to the truly ancient being, something artificial, something destructive. Lips parted in a grin to bare still-sharp fangs in the gentle glow of the Chamber. It was starting, and he would witness it.

Then he would cleanse the world.

Betrayal.

(Tagging everyone so everyone knows that it started)

For a long time, there had been legends of supernatural beings and myths about gods and demons, angels and magic. People believed in such things, admired such things, and feared such things. They existed among us at first, but as time went on they existed only in myth and legends, then as fables and stories told to entertain, and less and less people in the world truly believed. However, as society and technology began to advance further and further into the twenty first century, the supernatural that had faded into fable and fiction began to be discovered once more. It was not a fast or immediate process, and to this day more is still able to be discovered, but now the world was aware of the truth. That the supernatural was more natural then the common people believed. That things like Vampyres, Lycanthropes, Angels, Demons and all sorts existed in the world.

But with the light, also comes the shadows of darkness that also appear.

And in an old, medium sized building on the side street known as Harvest Lane, there were a group of people who had become involved with many such phenomenon. It was a three story building, with a basement, and the outside looked sturdy yet worn. The windows looked plenty clean with several stones with odd symbols placed on the inside edges, but it was clear that the building had quite the age to it. And yet, it ended up giving off an atmosphere of eerie and unusual, but also one of safety and sanctuary.

The owner of the building, and the business that it housed, approached it with a sturdy look while wearing a business suit. His appearance was that of a very well built man that might be seen as a body builder despite the business suit, with matching brown hair and eyes that gave him a certain charm. And with the usual stoic and serious expression on his face, with a touch of gentleness, he arrived at the door while another figure approached from behind.

That figure was a blonde haired woman with blue eyes, and was the receptionist for the building in question. She had stunning and breathtaking good looks to the point where one might consider them unnatural, but she otherwise appeared entirely normal. She was of average height, and her proportions would be considered idealistic as well.

Although there was an entrance into the first floor, that floor was mainly just the garage, workshops, and storage rooms. Instead, they took the stairs up to the second floor, where they had the receptionist desk, a visitor's lounge, an employee's lounge, a small kitchen, and some offices in the back. Also, through the employee's lounge was the file room. And upstairs, that was where the owner's office was, along with his personal file room, a room where he had a variety of weapons stored, a small library full of important books, and another storage room.

There was also a basement, but it was rarely used so it wasn't really something people thought of very often.

Normally, one might think that something bad would happen from this scene, especially for those who were observant that noticed certain characteristics about the man. That, even if he smiled, there was something about his movements and his eyes that would indicate he had witnessed an unyielding darkness. As if he had seen countless people die before him, and expected to see countless more dead still. Although he clearly had not lost his hope, anyone with a good skill for reading people could easily tell he had experienced quite a bit and was prepared to experience more.

That he was someone who chased after darkness, and who was surrounded in darkness. As if he would lead all around him to ruin.

And yet, there was another element that made it seem otherwise. And it was that element that showed in that moment, as he conversed with the woman next to him and dispelled any such notion that trouble would occur.

"Good morning, Mr. Devlin".

"I told you Clara, you can call me Alex".

"Okay, Boss Alex".

"...now I sound like a Mafia Boss".

The two had a fairly cheerful and somehow humorous conversation as Devlin unlocked the door and they entered into the main hall. This was a typical morning for Alexander Devlin, the owner of the building and the business run from it, and his employee Clara Brooks.

The offices themselves still appeared to have a clean and proper appearance, and everything appeared to be in order of which Devlin was thankful for. For anywhere that non-employees were usually able to enter, such as the visitor's lounge, the receptionist desk, and the offices the floor was the same and meant for regular foot traffic and all looked proper and business like.

"By the way, if you don't mind eggs and bacon please if we have any! If not, then just whatever we do have and a muffin or something would be fine!"

While she made that request, Clara sat down at her desk and prepared for work. And meanwhile, instead of heading to his office on the third floor Alex began to head towards the employee's lounge and the kitchen connected to it. There was also an employee's bathroom as well. And even though the building had been totally locked and secure, as he entered the employees loung in the area where one would take off their shoes after entering the room, there was a pair of child's sneakers and a pair of child's boots next to them.

And so as Alex's eyes looked over to the couch inside the lounge, he saw a young boy. Even though he was twelve years old, he was short for his age and had snow/ash white hair, both made him stand out quite a bit. Furthermore, the boy could not be called muscular or masculine at all, as his body was clearly visible dressed only in a sleeveless white shirt and boxers that in his sleep had almost slipped off. There was a blanket that had fallen off of him discarded on the floor, and pillows that his body had wrapped around which caused a bit of an incident as the boy slept sleepily and unaware.

However, it was blatantly clear that the boy was not human, because although the boxers had been accidentally shifted down while he moved in his sleep, anyone who did look there would likely have their eyes occupied not by the embarrassing part, but by the tail that was sticking out right above and fully laid out across the couch to its normal length. It was a black tail, that if was stretched out along his body could reach up to the back of his head. It did not have fur or anything though, but it was not quite sure if you could call it skin either. A mysterious black tail, and a clear and obvious sign he was not human, although while he did have a tail he lacked any sort of animal ears, still maintaining normal human ears.

That was because the boy was a Half-Demon. He had a humanoid appearance, but the tail was considered to be some sort of manifestation of the Demon Power that could not be fully contained inside the body. Half Demons were born between a Demon Father, and a Human Mother. They would only gain a portion of the power from their Demon parent, but in exchange they would either be immune or highly resistant to the weaknesses of a Demon. However, due to the history and commonly known mentality of most Demons, Half-Demons were probably faced with the highest level of discrimination. They were also met with some fear, because lacked the weaknesses of a Demon, but could always train and get more powerful.

In fact, it was that power which was why the boy was shorter then others his age. The more powerful they were and the more they grew their powers, more nuitrients that are normally used to grow the physical body would be used to grow and maintain the Demon Powers, and additionally the more vitality they had which meant they aged slower as well. And that was only the beginning of the potential side effects of being a Half-Demon.

Even though he clearly moved around a lot in his sleep, right now he was not moving around at all and was still and calm, though he seemed to be mumbling something in his sleep. At this scene, Alex had a faint smile and sighed as he walked over to the couch. He was aware just how hard it could be to wake him once he was calm like this, and so he used the only surefire way to wake him up. He grabbed the tail, and pulled it slightly before letting go immediately.

Even though it had been an extremely gentle tug, the boy erupted from his slumber immediately. His face had turned bright red, and in his fluster he fell off the couch and onto the floor. But he did not let that stop him, and jumped up to look around the room with his bright ruby red eyes before they came across Alex.

"What the hell?! Y...you know I hate it when people do that! I told you to stop that!"

"Hey, it was the best way to wake you up quickly! Besides, you always look kind of cute after that".

"I told you to stop calling me cuu...waah?!"

The boy tried to walk forward, but tripped on something around his feet and fell down. After he looked back, he noticed his boxers had fallen to his feet after his sudden movement and turned even more bright red, as he quickly stood up and pulled them up.

"But you are cute, Little Zy".

Unfortunately for the boy, Zyler, Alex was not the only one who saw as the receptionist, Clara, had come to check on the commotion and also witnessed everything. Of course, as Clara was not only the receptionist but also the on sight doctor who gave all the employees medical checkups, she had given Zy an examination already despite his protests but he was still embarrassed by this.

"I...I don't want to hear that from a succubus! And don't you dare...I was the one who did it last time!"

Yes, the receptionist Clara Brooks who was also the doctor was also a succubus. She was someone who controlled her powers however, and was able to maintain herself without killing anyone. The method was simple moderation. She was able to take only a small portion of lifeforce from someone, something that would be regenerated easily and not cause lasting damage, and only did that with those strong enough. All she had to do was kiss, but she also did not take without permission. In other words, she mainly got her energy from her fellow employees.

Additionally, although usually Succubi could inherit the memories and physical knowledge of whoever they kill, though the method Clara used which left them alive and only slightly tired, she would learn the current status of their physical bodies. Of course, due to the sheer number of aliments and issues she also did a full medical examination as well, but when one deals with Supernatural forces that could leave things like cursemarks, or other such magical aliments that could hide themselves from her ability, it was understandable. Thankfully, unless they got seriously injured or dealt with something dangerous that could produce effects like that, this was something that only happened during a bi-yearly examination.

"Its okay Zyler. We thank you for your service. As a boss, although I regret it, I need all my strength to focus on paperwork so I delegate my turn to you".

"Actually, I was not here about that. I just came to make sure you two were okay. Oh, that said, I am hungry for breakfast. Zy, mind making bacon and eggs? If you do, I will absolutely make sure our boss is the one who is next".

Clara told them that, which got Zyler to get perked up while Alex gulped a little despite his still stoic appearance.

"You got it!"

Clara left on those words, while Alex looked back at Zyler.

"You know, its been a year since you showed up and you are still sleeping in the offices like this. Don't you think its time to find an apartment of your own?"

"I have tried, and am still trying. But you know, the last three times I tried to get one I got super unlucky. I mean, what are the odds that my last attempt to get my own place led to it being a demon in disguise who tricked people into getting eaten by it once they entered? By the way, can we please finally renovate the building to have a bath?"

"No. This building is not supposed to actually be lived inside of in the first place. There is a public bathhouse nearby, so you can keep using that".

"Oh come on!"

Zyler chased after Alex while he complained, so Alex produced a small eraser from his pocket and turned around. He used a single hand and flicked it right into Zyler's forehead, causing his body to fall backwards and make a star shape on the floor.

Normally, such a comedic scene would be realistically impossible. However, the reason it was possible was because neither of the two people were normal. Alex was a man who possessed a supernatural level of strength and ability for a normal human, and Zyler was actually Half Demon. Therefore, as Alex flicked the eraser with superhuman strength, Zyler's feet and legs held the strength to instead of being sent flying, "grip" the floor enough to instead just get planted backwards into the ground. But not enough so that the fall doesn't stop them from leaving the ground at all, just to stop enough momentum that would cause him to fly backwards.

Zyler looked up after that and scowled at him, while Alex left with some words.

"And I would also like some breakfast! Also, put on some shorts or pants or something before any clients show up!"

"You can have whatever scraps are left once me and Clara are done!"

The two argued a bit, but in truth this was actually them getting along. Zyler was actually one of the exceptional stars at the organization they worked at, a place that investigated unusual and supernatural crimes and occurances known only as "The Agency". Even though Zyler was only a twelve year old boy who should still be in school, he was an employee and authorized member of this agency. This gave him the ability to even investigate police crime scenes, look through evidence, and carry weapons. That was the kind of power, track record, and authority that employees of The Agency had in this city, and on this island. Even though he was a twelve year old boy, he was exceptionally talented and had the authority to work serious cases, take down criminals, and enforce the peace.

Even though he was a Half Demon, someone related to a race known for producing some of the most dangerous and untrustworthy beings in history, he was still a boy who was at the age to be going to middle school. In fact, even though he was a half demon, the laws had been catching up and so legally he still had to attend school. However, he had quite a number of times where he had himself excused due to work, almost all of them true. Because as a half demon who looked like a weak and pathetic boy, he ended up getting bullied quite a bit.

Of course, since they were only children he couldn't just go do something like use his powers and abilities on him, since then all sorts of bad things would happen.

As Zyler got out the ingredients and began making breakfast, he quickly set out a number of plates as he got to work. Very unlike what people tend to expect from a boy, which really wouldn't help him given his appearance, he was exceptional in the kitchen as he handled multiple different foods and pans at once, ensuring that he would have enough for everyone and himself. It did not take him too long either, as he made no unnecessary movements and avoided making any real mess, and so before anyone knew it breakfast was already ready.

Once he was done, he made sure to grab some black shorts and a red T shirt, changing out of his white sleeveless shirt before he opened the door.

"Alright, breakfast is ready!"

"Mmmhmm. As usual, this is extremely delicious".

Surprised by the voice, Zyler turned around and saw Alex holding a plate and carrying it back to his office.

"You..."

Zyler tried to go after him, and yet as he opened the door a bucket of ice cold water that Zyler had set up on Alex's office door fell onto him. Because of that, Zyler had to grab some new clothes, go into the bathroom, and get changed again into a pair of blue shorts and a white T shirt before he was able to eat breakfast again.

"I swear. one day I will get him!"

Zyler swore such a thing while he scarfed down his breakfast, while two of the older agents, a black haired and black eyed man from Japanese decent named Tooru Nakamara, and a red headed and green eyed woman of American decent named Elena Smith, just looked at him with half smiles and half looks of pity. They were fully aware of Zyler's campaign to successfully prank Alex, and that so far he has lost and had been subjected to a counter prank each time. However, they thought it was admirable how he never gave up.

They also remembered when Zyler first came here, how dark and sulky he had been. He was pretty quick to recover after the horrible incident that led him to be here in the first place. Zyler had been a boy raised by a single mother, a witch who could use magic. She had used her magic to keep Zyler's tail and powers a secret, and according to Zyler she had never once told him anything about her father except that he was a demon. Not if it had been willingly, not if she loved or hated him, not if he was dead or alive. But she had showed him love each and every day...up until one day, when a mysterious Demon showed up in Zyler's town and burned down a huge part. The two of them had gotten trapped inside their house, and she only had enough time to save one of them...so she chose to save Zyler, and told him to keep on striving for a happy life and for fun and to be the version of him that she knew he could be.

It was The Agency who had gone to investigate, and then defeat, the Demon that had caused the incident, and as they were looking around they found him. The demon had already run away and escaped back into hiding, the destruction covering it's trail, but the Half-Demon Zyler was still there. The magic that hid his true nature had dissipated due to his mother's death, and they knew that after part of the town had been destroyed by a Demon, he would likely be blamed and mistreated regardless on the connections he had made. And also...Alex could tell immediately. Zyler's potential, and also his desire for revenge.

And that was why Alex decided to take Zyler in, and give him a job at The Agency. In the first place, things like age, species, and such did not matter in the Agency. All that mattered is that you upheld the ideals of The Agency, and that you had the ability to help. And also, it was because Alex was worried about what Zyler could turn into if he did not have a positive environment to help him.

For the first few weeks, Zyler had been pretty gloomy and obsessed, but over time he calmed down on his own. He wanted revenge, but they knew if they let him out in that state there could be a risk to innocent people. Alex and the others made sure he had a home there, and they also let him stay in the office until he got his own place. It would be too dangerous and harsh for him in the foster system, so they decided either he would sleep inside the building or would get an apartment of his own if he was able to.

What helped him also was this quest of his, at least that is what they felt. The energetic relationship between Alex and Zyler, and how Zyler would keep trying again and again, as he never gave up and kept having fun. That was what they believed help Zyler.

But there was also something else they all knew helped Zyler as well, something that really helped him connect with people.

"Hey, Zyler! We just got a call from the police, there is another case! We need you at the site immediately!"

"Alright! Let me just get changed into some work clothes".

"No time! Get your shoes on and go now! This is a serious, high priority case!"

"Alright fine!"

And that was the very thing Clara just told him to do. The feeling Zyler could get by solving cases, helping people who need it and avenging people who could not do it themselves. It was something that helped give him something incredibly valuable. A purpose.

And so with that purpose, Zyler quickly ran out of the apartment and rushed towards the address he was given.

"...given the seriousness of how it sounded over the phone, I wonder if I should send anyone else? Well, I will see who is interested".

===============================================================================

A huge, bloody mess. That was the only thing that could be used to describe the scene in front of her. Sure, more detailed words could be used, like gory, horrific, and frightening, but she felt that just calling it a huge, bloody mess was more accurate. That it would not let anyone be too focused on any particular clue, and that it would help keep people objective.

However, it was already blatantly obvious this was no normal case. If it was, she would not be holding a phone in her hand, trying to overcome her dislike of those people and call the Supernatural Detective and Crisis Handling Organization known as "The Agency". But, she knew in this case she would need their help.

This small girl disliked using those people, especially since she had the habit of running into him whenever she did, but there was really no choice. She needed them on this scene in front of her. In broad daylight, five people dead. Four slaughtered around the fountain, and one of them propped up on the fountain itself as if crucified. They had been discovered in the public area one hour ago. But that was not the biggest issue. Aside from all the blood that was around, not a single drop had tainted the fountain or got on the statue the fifth body was propped up on. And yet, that was still not the strangest thing.

The strangest thing was that an hour ago, these bodies had not been here. No, to be exact, they had been there for hours, but somehow no one noticed them at all until one hour ago at eight AM. This was a bloody scene, people had been horribly murdered and left in public, but no one noticed until eight AM on the dot. This was clearly intentional, but the question was what happened exactly, and why?

"Archangel Lulella".

A police officer came over to the girl who while little was actually not young at all, being over thirty years old, and then eyed her phone.

"As police, we should be able to solve this case on our own..."

"First off, while yes I am a powerful Angel, please use my true title as Police Commissioner. Second of all, I too want to have the police handle it on our own. But...as the police, it is not our pride or image that matters. It is ensuring the safety and security of the people in our charge! We enforce the rules, but we do not rule over them. And if we need help to guarantee the safety of our families, our neighbors, our citizens, then so be it".

As she spoke those words, the officers around her looked at the Police Commission who appeared as a young girl with white wings that magically emerged from her back and stretched with praise and admiration. Not because she was an Angel, or because she was easily described as cute, beautiful, or pretty, but because her words rang in the souls of their hearts. As they faced the darkness of people in the city every day, the words she spoke was like a fresh of breath air that broke through the darkness and disgust of the scene in front of her.

"...but I swear, if I have to look that Half Demon in the eye again, I am lodging a complain with Mr. Devlin. It is like he is trying to set us up, that idiot".

“Why… why did you do this to me?” The small frail man muttered as blood crept out of his mouth. “I raised you as one of my own, I helped you when no one else was there.” Splintered wood penetrating through his chest cavity, covered in blood, as he whined and died slowly. Rae looking down at her shaking bionic arms, looking around hastily. Rage had once filled her, at this moment nothing did. As she bent down to the now dead man, “But… I…” she said out loud. As she went to stand up, the dead man yanked at her arm pulling her to his face “YOU DID THIS! YOU KILLED ME!” He, it, yelled!

Rae sat up breathing heavily, trying to catch her breathe. “It was a dream…. It was just a dream.” She muttered to herself. Nightmares and terrible dreams have always haunted Rae, always of her past jobs, or her past regrets getting revenge, nothing could help her escape it. All she could do was try to cover it up, ignore it as much as possible, with work, alcohol, and whatever toys she can buy. Rae put her head back down on the table, glaring down the hallway.

The Agency. The place that supports her bad habits, and the place where she was one of the most “normal” things walking around. Rae was one of the very, very few that did not have some sort power or magical thing about them. The only thing that made her special was her skills as a fighter, her hobby if tinkering with just about everything, and of course her two favorite eye sores; her bionics arms. Nothing too fancy, just the lightest, and fourth strongest metal alloys on the market that within holds numerous multi-function tools like a small voltage taser, smoke release valves to cool off the circuits, and numerous other functions, okay maybe a little fancy. Rae was always tinkering with her arms, adding and removing different features to suit however she feels.

Rae was finally brought back into the world of the living when she heard some lady down the hall scream out of excitement or shock, but nothing too worrying. She sat back up and looked at the digital clock on the wall, seeing it wasn’t early at all Must have fallen asleep, or passed out, Who knows. she thought to herself, looking across her table. It had random papers scattered across it, one of her arm attachments in the corner and a now empty bottle of pills. “Gah, damn sugar pills!” Rae exclaimed as she grabbed the bottle of pills and throwing it into the wall, breaking it on impact and leaving a small dent in the wall. Rae had volunteered for a study of pills that rumored could give some sort of supernatural powers, but just like every other thing she’s tried, still no results.

“Oops” Rae said as she got up and looked around, quickly moving a frame photo of something to cover the dent. She quickly made the table look a little cleaner and grabbed her jacket off the back of the chair and headed towards the elevator, rolling up her sleeves as she walked. “Third floor.” Rae commanded as she entered the elevator, fixing her hair in the reflection of the elevator wall.

As Rae walked out of the elevator she noticed the floor in front of Alex’s office was wet, so she walked over to his office door and knocked a couple times, “You drowning in there, or did we hire some new slug creature that I didn’t know about?” Rae asked through the door without waiting for a response from her knock.

Alex continued down the series of paperwork he had in front of them. Some confirmed payment they were receiving, some were bills for expenses...or damages. And some were simple inquiries. But most of it, as any building owner could attest to, was junk mail. Random, boring, meaningless junkmail. It even included details of things they did not need, like a new refrigerator or TV provider.

However, there was one letter in particular he noticed and opened immediately, Alex might joke around a bit with his employees sometimes, especially Zyler, but he was the boss and could make a serious face. Upon seeing the crest which was on the letter, he immediately opened it up and read it. After which, his face had an appearance of stoic mixed with other emotions.

"Well, I am glad I already sent Zyler on a case. It looks like the Mayor has asked to speak with me about a...private...matter".

Alex watched the letter closely as he read it, understanding the details. The Mayor himself was not the issue, she was heavy on reform and understanding. But a few members of the City Council were not as appeasing, and Alex knew for a fact that her aide hated Demons and Half Demons because of the fact they lost both their mother, and their son, to a Demon. They were also strong on compensating victims that had gone through these tragedies, and were good at their job, which was why they were around a mayor who was heavy on reform.

Alex was also pretty sure she was using him to understand what the opposition would feel about some of her new policies so she could plan around that.

However, because of those factors, whenever Zyler went with him to these high society stuff and important meetings, words tended to get muttered and occasionally fights broke out...though, somehow in some way shape and form it was Zyler on the defensive. Anyways, he figured it was best that Zyler went out on a case already while he dealt with this.

And that was when Rae came in and asked her question.

"No no, that was just Zyler's latest attempt. It was decent though, he turned the bucket, the water, and the wire invisible, and even set up runes so that it modify it's trajectory to hit me. He might actually get me one day at this rate. But, I decided to send him a message that he would have to do better then that".

Alex said that in a serious, yet clearly not serious, way.

"Speaking of which, Rae, Zyler went out on a case. But it looks like today might be a big day, so would you mind going after him and making sure the city doesn't blow up or something? That would be really inconvienent, I just got our taxes settled and everything. So, would you mind? Oh, he might be a bit mad at me though, since I woke him up again by pulling his tail. But, the reaction he has when someone does that is really just too amusing".

He also then turned to Fumiko, who was haunting the building like Zyler. But unlike Zyler, as a ghost she was not really messy. He just greeted her with a smile.

"Good morning to you too" he said, even though it was Rae she had greeted. "Well, you could always tag along with me or Rae. I am going to be dealing with some snobby politicians most likely though, but who knows, maybe a good haunting will get them to be more agreeable, so its up to you".

He then looked over at the picture he had on his desk. It had Zyler, Alex, and a few others gathered in a group after they had a company retreat to a mountain resort. It was right after a Leviathan rose out of the ocean and tried to consume the city, but then they combined with the police and a few others managed to stop it.

"...maybe I should organize another group vacation while I am at it. Its been over half a year now..."

========================================================================

Meanwhile, Zyler had raced down streets, across rooftops, and through alleyways to get to the crime scene in the shortest amount of time. That way, he would have more time to catch the killer, and do other things he wanted to do. And yet, the moment he arrived, he regretted not taking longer. He saw someone he really did not want to see...

"Hey you, brat! This is an active crimescene, you can't be here!"

But before he could sneak away or hide in the shadows, some rookie cop came over and started harassing him. And then, he noticed the tail.

"A half demon...could it be, the cul..."

"Oi oi, its a rookie mistake to assume someone is the culprit based on that. I know you are new, but don't believe all the rumors you hear about Half-Demons".

Thankfully, before the situation escalated further, or Zyler felt the need to punch the man for racial discrimination, an older cop came by and cleared things up.

"Ah, Officer Bacho!"

"Hey, Zyler. How is it..."

Before he could finish though, another voice shouted up as a young girl...no, the Police Commissioner of Luna City walked up to Zyler and stuck her finger right into his chest.

"Its you! Half-Demon brat! Sparky!"

"You! Tiny Princess! And I told you not to call me Sparky!"

"I told you not to call me Tiny Princess!"

"YOu started this, so its your own damn fault, Tiny Princess!"

"You wanna fight, Sparky?!"

"Is that you requesting a good beatdown!?"

Meanwhile, the officers looked at them with a peculiar gaze.

"They look like they are having fun".

"Our commissioner really gets along well with him, and he gets along with her too..."

"We do not!"

They both replied in unison after hearing the officers remarks. However, the rookie officer just looked totally confused and did not understand what was going on at all. After all, this was an extremely strange situation for him.

"Officer Bacho, who is that brat?"

"That kid is with The Agency, a private organization that works on supernatural cases. However, thanks to their track record, ability, and confidentiality, as well as the connections they have, their members all have permission to carry weapons, investigate police crime scenes, gather and examine evidence as well as look at the reports and police files, and even a limited degree of ordering officers around in certain situations. And that boy is Zyler Rook, he has only been there for a year but is one of their best and most trusted".

"What?! That brat is?!"

"Indeed. I worked with him two months ago on that Serial Killer case that was using their blood for some ritual. Well, it turned out he was just a normal person who was delusional into thinking his ritual would work, but not all of their cases always have supernatural elements. Just...most of the time. Ah yes, he also helped me stop the Werewolf Child Abduction Case four months ago, where countless werewolf children were being kidnapped, forced to transform, and then sold as pets on the Black Market. I think I had nightmares for a week after that case..."

"...really? That brat?"

As those words were said, the argument between Lulella and Zyler calmed down finally. Well, the two themselves never noticed it, but they were both smiling the whole time. Though rather then being described as innocent, the smiles looked a bit scary, or rather mischievous.

"Alright, so what are the facts so far Lulu?"

"Stop giving me weird nicknames, Zy-chi. Anyways, as I said on the phone it looks like whoever did this set up some sort of magic barrier so that no one would notice the bodies. Not make invisible mind you, but to not notice them at all. Once the spell wore off, they remembered the bodies being there the whole time but just not reacting to them".

"What? Are you sure?"

In terms of magic, making something invisible was easier then making it unable to be recognized or percieved. That was because invisibility only hid it from sight. However, by having something ignored from being perceived they could hide it from other various senses, and make it impossible for someone to notice it even if they made noise, threw paint all over it, or such. Zyler was still unable to utilize this even with Runecraft.

First Zyler looked over at the four bodies that were left in pieces and was...well, Zyler could only really describe it as a bloody mess. But the body that drew his interest was the one that seemed crucified on the fountain. The atmosphere around Zyler changed as he took a step towards the fountain, and continued until he was at the edge. He looked at that body for a moment, which was a scene that a boy probably should not be looking at, and if they did would have thrown up, but Zyler acted like it was nothing.

Compared to watching my mother burn in front of me, this is nothing...

As he thought that, he slipped off his shoes and stepped into the water with his bare feet. With the way he was dressed, he really did just look like a young boy intruding on a crime scene...except Zyler's eyes. If one saw those, they would understand immediately that his gaze was serious and professional. That Zyler was focused on the case now.

Zyler's eyes were not normal eyes either, but a trait inherited from his Demon Blood, called Demon Eyes. Depending on whatever color his eyes changed to, it would have a corresponding effect when he activated them. This allowed him to utilize an array of Ocular Abilities. However, even without using the abilities themselves, it meant his eyesight was fantastic. He could even zoom in and focus on someone that was dozens of meters away easily, and could measure spacial distances with extreme accuracy and understanding. He could also see certain frequencies of light and entities that could not normally be seen with the naked eye.

And from the moment he stepped into the fountain, he had been communicating with someone else as well. The water fairies that inhabited the fountain. That normal people could not see unless they specifically allowed them to. Of course, the group was picky and refused to communicate with Zyler unless he submerged himself in water.

Actually, they wanted him to go completely naked and submerge his entire body in water, but this was the compromise he worked out.

"I see...so it was a male, the exact age was unknown...but it was definently not an old man but older then me".

"Wait, you mean they did not kill each other? I mean, this does look too brutal for anyone here to do but..."

"No, because thsi woman was the last to die".

"Wait, how do you know that?"

"Because, none of the others were killed in a ritual style. Think about it, a perception negation spell requires a lot of power. Enough that if a person was used, they would try to run away rather then maintain the spell. And something needed to maintain the spell, right?"

Once he said that, the Police Commissioner and the veteran officers realized what he was getting at. The woman at the center had been the one who was used to maintain the spell that would prevent anyone from noticing the bodies, which meant she was alive until exactly 8AM.

"That...that would mean the killer had the ability to understand just how much to measure it to have her die exactly on that time".

"Yes. As for the reason it was a perception negation spell, that was so that people would walk all over this area, do their morning activities around, all of that, and obscure any physical evidence. But, we do have some clues to work on. First off, the identities of the victims...according to their wallets and personal belongings, they all seemed to be staying at the same apartment building".

Notably, when Zyler raised those up, the police officers and detectives that were supposed to be holding them finally noticed they were gone, and that Zyler had taken them. As for how he knew that, all of their apartment keys had tags on them to identify which was for which apartment. However, there was also something else that was troubling the Commissioner.

"You say that she died last...but, based on the bloodspatter she was there first. So then, how did these four die?"

"Hey hey, its only the start of the investigation. BUt, I do agree these seem like pretty severe wounds. I doubt any of them could do these unless they were all insane. The only way to learn more would be to investigate their apartments and lives".

"Sigh....I suppose we have no choice then. Unless anyone has any better ideas".

As Rae waited for Alex to answer door she heard Fumiko say hello to her out of nowhere, startling her a little bit. “Oh, hey Fumiko.” Rae said in reply. Fumiko was the friendly Agency ghost, and to think that almost wasn’t normal. She and Rae got along well, Rae would allow her to follow her on errands sometimes from a coffee run to different cases. Plus, she was finally starting to not get too scared when she chooses to appear, after a small incident where Rae punched her on accident when they first met.

“I wouldn’t call it sleep, think I passed out late last night, you know.” Rae said as she imitated the drinking motion with her hand. Rae wouldn’t call herself an acholic, but she did fancy a drink just about every night after work. Before she could talk about her recent case Alex answered, talking about Zyler’s pranks. For as along as Rae could remember, Zyler has been trying to do pranks and tricks on Alex. Zyler once tried a prank on Rae, which ended with her destroying the Keurig in the lounge.

Alex interrupted Rae’s train of thought asking her to go after Zyler and help him on his case. “Sure I’ll go babysit. Fumiko if you want to come, meet me in the garage, pretty sure you can beat me there with your whole ghost stuff, if not, see y’all later.” Rae said as she headed into the elevator “Oh and Alex, thank you for not dragging me to all that politics stuff, real boring.” As the elevator doors closed

After waiting a minute for Fumiko, Rae figured she wouldn’t be coming. “So just me and the demon child.” Rae said under her breathe as she got onto her motorcycle and put on her helmet. Rae quickly sped out of the garage and down the streets to catch up with Zyler. Whenever Rae would get ticketed or pulled out, she would just reference The Agency and tell them to talk to Alex. She would still in some trouble with Alex, but she always got the job done.

Rae pulled up to the public fountain and parked her motorcycle up on the sidewalk, just outside the crime scene so she wouldn’t taint it. "Ma’am, this is a closed off area, I’m going to have to ask you to leave.” The officer said as he stepped in front of Rae. “Do I look like an innocent bystander. Now I’m going to have to ask you to get out of my way.” Rae said as she walked passed him and up to the scene, with Zyler and Lullela, Zyler just finishing talking.

“Well if it isn’t the Archangel herself.” Rae had a couple of run-ins with Police Commissioner in the past before she started at The Agency and after, all. Rae studied the fountain and the messy scene, Defiantely some magic, but not all completely She thought to herself, “Solve the case yet Zy? This seems like your specialty and such.” Rae may treat Zyler like a kid here and there, but she knew he was probably one of best when it came to things like this. "Zyler, I have a feeling about this case, and I don't think it is a good feeling."

(Sorry for taking so long. I did want to leave some time for the others, but I meant to post at least yesterday. Wensday is just a day I am usually busy though, but thursday also ended up being rather busy, hence why it took me till friday. Well, since I have not seen Saladin in awhile, and Double messed me about him, until they do post I will now go with the fact they are too busy IRL right now to post and we will just continue with the three of us)

Zyler looked around the scene some more as he dried his feet off, now that he had stepped out of the fountain. He didn't want to put his shoes back on while his feet were wet, so he sat on the edge and looked around some more. It was clear from the crime scene normal humans did not do this. However, there were signs that these four did all kill each other. It was based on what Zyler could see regarding the blood spatter on their bodies, blood under their nails, the state of their clothes.

The only one who did not die like the others was a single person, and his wound was why they had thought they were all killed by an outside force. No, he was killed by an outside force, but only him. There was a massive stab wound in his back, that was where he had been killed.

At that point, he heard a familiar voice besides Lulella. Rather, it was the voice of one of Zyler's coworkers, Rae Rose.

"Hey Rae. Not yet. There is not enough evidence as of yet. It looks like someone made the person propped up on the fountain the core and powersource to a spell, made all these people fight each other, killed that last guy over there, and then let her slowly die. Probably from the strain the spell had on her. I think we need to see their apartments to learn more. See if they have a common link. Well, they all live in the same apartment building so that should make it easier".

"Actually, I object to taking you to those apartments Zyler".

"What?! Why?!"

"You have horrible luck with apartments. Your last one tried to eat me".

"That is only when I go to buy one....wait, are you suggesting I would go to buy one from there?!"

"Well, I had my officers look it up, and apparently it is a well maintained rent controlled apartment so..."

"Did you say rent controlled?!"

A light appeared in Zyler's eyes, as he heard that legendary term.

"You are not allowed to try and buy one until after the case if over!"

"What?! Rae, tell her it will be fine!"

Before the conversation could go on though, another officer came over to them.

"Actually, we have a problem. The entire apartment building...was firebombed fifteen minutes ago. It's totally destroyed. However, we learned that in addition to these five, there were three more apartments excluding the owner's. The owner is away on vacation though and we have been unable to get in contact. As for the other three...we found these".

The officer, who was more familiar with Rae and Zyler, passed a report to them as well as the commissioner. And that was where they saw something interesting. All eight of these people not only were single and lived alone, but also...they all worked at the same place. A research laboratory on Magic and Supernatural Phennomenon. All eight were supposedly human, too, with no magical abilities.

Zyler was not happy though...

"This feels...off...there is something we are missing I can feel it. Where are those three?"

"At the lab".

"...all of them? Then, who firebombed the apartment...and why. This feels too rushed, like its trying to pull us in a direction. And, since the only place we can get information now is that lab, we have to go there".

Having let his feet dry enough, he put his shoes on and looked at the other two.

"So, shall we go see where this path set for us leads to?"

=========================================================================

Alex nodded at what they said, and watched as Rae left before he turned towards Fumiko.

"Oh, you know you are far more useful then that. You have a large amount of information, plus as a ghost you are great at gathering information. Besides, you are far more pleasant then most of those politicians. Alright, lets go then".

Alex said that as he picked up his coat, and headed towards the car with Fumiko. After all, he knew a good route to drive through that would not take too much time and he had the ability to use the reserved parking lot. So with that set, he would head right there.

And as usual, his route worked and he got there just in time. His car was actually conditioned so that ghosts could easily enjoy its comfort, as it would take no energy for them to interact with. Of course, it also made it so that no hostile ghost could just break in either, and other supernatural creatures and abilities also could not use their power to break in. That was how it worked.

But as for getting into the building itself, a complication rose up.

"Don't trust the freaks!"

"Monsters are not people!"

"Demon-Spawn are always evil!"

There was a group of people again, spewing their hate. Normally, something like this would probably be dispersed and shooed away by the police or security, but they did this under the premise of self awareness and warning. After all, Vampires fed on the blood of people, Succubi fed on their life source, Werewolves could be problematic even when it wasn't a full moon, not to mention the public nudity incidents, and of course among all the others there were Demons.

Not all Demons were inheritly evil. That was actually the thing, there are a number of neutral or even good Demons out there. But, there were a large amount of Demons that did evil things, even if a number of them kept all of those things legal, and they had caused chaos in the past. Not to mention the Demon Contract, which allows a Demon to utilize special powers in exchange for the one they made a deal with giving them a soul.

Demons, and subsequently half Demons, were especially hated also because there were more Demons known to be evil then good in the world.

"I see you are followed by a ghost today" a man said as Alex entered while trying to ignore those people. "Probably better huh? Those people were actually expecting you, it seems they want to dump red paint on that Half-Demon pet of yours...you know, its your business, but it would probably be better for you if you dropped that brat".

As for the man in question, he was someone who sat on the City Council, Norman Godfrey. He was someone who lost both of his parents to a Demon, and then lost his aunt and uncle to a Half Demon that went on a rampage.

"You know, its racist to say all Demons and Half Demons are the same".

And as he said that, he looked around for a second and then whispered something to Fumiko.

"We are being watched. Fumiko, please keep an eye out. Something supernatural is watching".

Rae listened to Zyler explain basically how the case went, as he talked she got a closer look at the victims, she felt she had seen the female someone, maybe even talked to her, but shrugged it off. As Rae got back with the angel and half-demon, they were arguing about apartments. “Wait, when did the angel go to your apartment?” Rae asked before another officer came up to all three of them with more information.

Research laboratory… Rae thought to herself. This same research facility was the one Rae had volunteered to be a test for a drug that was rumored to give non-supernatural people, some sort of magical powers, or atleast that was their goal. “Zy… Uh, we need to-“ Before Rae could finish Zyler asked more questions that she should have been thinking to ask, but was too distracted.

Rae looked back at the fountain. The research lab, that’s where she knew her from. She started connecting small dots here and there. “Maybe it wasn’t some sort of magic that made them fight, maybe it was a drug.” Rae accidentally said outloud when she just was trying to think in her head. “I mean, something like a drug, not a drug exactly, sorry was just brainstorming” She quickly said trying to cover her tracks. Rae needed to talk to Zyler, maybe even Alex about this, but she couldn’t risk Lulella finding out. She already has tried to take Rae into custody numerous times, but Alex was able to usually fight her off about it.

Pulling out her holo that’s built into her arm, Rae sent a quick message to Alex. Medical Research Company; “NextStep Labs.” Please look into if time. asking him to look into the research laboratory that all the victims worked at, and that she had been a part of a study with. Maybe he might have luck with said politicians, or him or Fumiko knew something already. Rae caught the end of something Zyler was saying but figured out he was asking if they should go there. “N-“ She was about to argue against going, but knew it was necessary for the case. “No problem, meet you two there?” Rae asked as she hurried towards her motorcycle.

Fumiko followed Alex into the garage, drifting not far from him with a small smile playing around her lips. It wasn't so strange that her self-confidence had taken a blow after her death, so Alex's words cheered her up immensely. She felt as though she ought to return the favour, but, right now the only thing she could think of was to be as much help as possible during their meeting. Even if, genuinely, she didn't think there was anything in a politician's office that Alex couldn't handle himself.

They reached Alex's strange-as-fuck car, which she understood to be under some sort of enchantment. It meant that she could sit comfortably in the passenger's seat without fear of accidentally falling out, which was a huge plus. Fumiko's face was glued to the window throughout their drive, so absorbed by her observations that she sometimes drifted out of view, her skin growing transparent as she counted coffee shops and tried to read as many ads as she could before they passed.

As they arrived at their destination, however, it was clear that something might be going on beyond a routine visit to the town authority. Fumiko grew tangible again as she stepped out of the car, looking slightly like she wanted to shrink into her own skin. Protesters of the supernatural, as she understood it, was more common now than it had been in her day. Anyone believing in the supernatural back then would have been kindly asked to put their horror collection away and go outside more. If it had been more publicly accepted like today, Fumiko probably wouldn't have ever moved into a haunted house.

Bygones, though.

They entered the building and was met by Norman Godfrey. She still didn't have him entirely pinned down- though she could understand his reservation against demons, Fumiko had never known Zyler to be anything more than an absolute sweetheart. Sure he had his dark moments, but so did most humans.

"The ghost can hear you, you know," she muttered. If she was going to be any help today, it would certainly help if people didn't talk of her as she wasn't there. Her train of thought was interrupted though, as Alex leaned in and whispered;

"We are being watched. Fumiko, please keep an eye out. Something supernatural is watching".

"Any idea what it is?" she asked. "I'll stay alert."

Saying that, she did a quick look around, though she doubted whatever Alex had sensed was immediately visible. More than ever she wanted to know what they had been called here for- she was starting to wonder if it was bad news.

As the group headed towards the lab, Zyler decided to look up more information about what the lab did. It seemed like they were exploring a variety of areas, experimenting with different things and getting different results. It was all a bit chaotic, but Zyler shrugged it off as that being how their minds worked. However, he did wonder if they even realized their collegues were missing or dead. It was a rather strange fact that it had not been reported yet.

In the mean time, he responded to Rae's questions.

"She was being nosy, and wanted to make sure that I wouldn't bother the neighbors, according to her" he replied, though in truth she had gone to make sure the neighbors didn't bother him...but that was a story she would never admit to. "

So when the group did finally arrive, the lab building looked relatively nice from the outside. The parking lot looked a bit chaotic, but it looked like it worked because it was larger then what was needed. That was why the cars parked on the lines and in a chaotic way worked out.

"Scientists...I wonder if these people are just messy, given the way their research went" Zyler added to Rae as they entered the labs. Now that he thought about it, did they know their building burnt down either. But before he could even say anything else, he was now faced with that had to be total chaos. There was no other way to explain the sheer randomness of the papers and equipment assorted everywhere, and the scientists looked like they barely kept themselves together. The only thing that seemed in order was that they all had cups of coffee, but given that it was a staple for a lot of people to get through the day, he was not sure if that counted.

"Ummm...hello?"

"Attention Scientist People! We are the police!"

Finally, it looked like they came to their senses and noticed them.

"Oh, sorry. We were just working on how to combine magic with the particle accelerator theory to produce a large amount of energy and possibly advance the energy field by leaps and bounds" one of them said that appeared to be in charge, while the other two seemed to go back to work on...whatever they were working on. Chemicals and crystals, it looked like.

"Can we know the reason for this visit?" he asked, as Zyler noticed their phone had an indicator for missed calls and messages blinking in the background. He questioned how strong their tunnel vision was.

Meanwhile...

Alex looked around and tried to sense around, but other then a vague feeling of being watched by something abnormal, he had no clues or hints. It was as if something was all around them watching them. But, Alex could not go all out here, that would be an issue. Besides, he saw the person who called them here approach. "Madam Mayor".

"Alex, its been awhile. And...Ms Fumiko Wright, I believe? I hope you are both doing well. And I do hope you got my invitations to the party in a few days. I believe I made sure to invite everyone".

"Yes. Zyler was especially excited at hearing there was a buffet. Thank you again, for showing such understanding and kindness towards him".

"Indeed. Actually, Zyler is part of the reason I asked you here. You see, late last night I found a note. Someone tried to burn it in the fireplace of my office, but enough of it survived that I could make it out. It looks like there might be a Demon in town...and someone from inside City Hall is working with it. Now, hopefully the Demon is harmless, or even a good person, but...well, if it goes badly, I would like you to handle it. I thought if the organization that hired a Half-Demon was seen fighting an Evil Demon, people might learn that the two are clearly different. It would be nice to show that not all Demons are evil also, but...at the very least, this could help reduce prejudice on the growing Half-Demon population as of late. Did you know that two more were found recently, nearly beaten to death? I have personally taken them in for the time being, but I think you should warn your people to be extra careful. Not just Zyler, they might target you as sympathizers as well".

As she caught the two of them up on the situation, Alex felt as if there was some sort of rage from whatever was watching them now. He looked over to Fumiko, to see if she had discovered anything.

As Rae and the other’s arrived at the facility, Rae recognized it. Yep… Same place. Fuck. She thought to herself. She did not want to be here at all, and she definitely did not want Zyler and Lulella find out that she could be involved in this case. Rae did not kill those people, but she was involved with this laboratory, and that would be enough for the Archangle to try to bring her in as a suspect more than likely.

Before they went in, Rae asked one of the officer’s outside for his coat, saying she was cold. Him being a gentleman, let her wear it for now. She wanted to try to be as unnoticeable as possible by these scientists. She doesn’t know if they know her face but didn’t want to risk it. Rae stayed in the back while Zyler and the Archangle did most of the talking.

During their conversation Rae walked around a bit in the back, looking at papers on the desks, trying to piece some things together. Chemical formulas, random equations. Ugh. Nothing here is giving us answers. She thought to herself, even if she didn’t want to be here, she wasn’t just going to sit in the back and do nothing. “Oh!” Rae gasped, then covering her mouth hoping that the others were still distracted with each other. She looked around and made sure no one was looking at her and then folded up some papers and slid them into her boot, acting like she was relaceing it up. The papers she took were results from the drug test she was part of. Rae mainly took it because it had some of her information on it, not her real name, but address and contact info and such.

Abigail stood back up checked her phone again, hoping that Alex would have texted her back something, but nothing yet. Come on Alex… she said as she sent another messag.e Urgent

Having been made aware of the observer, Fumiko did start to get that creeping feeling that they were being watched. She started searching the corners with her eyes, taking particular note of the shadowy corners and places worth hiding. There weren't many obvious hiding places where they were standing- an old desk repurposed as a hallway shelf, underneath which she couldn't see anything. She was just straightening again as the mayor herself approached.

"That's right," she said as the mayor got her name right on first try. That was rather unusual. "I was just... admiring the furniture," she mumbled.

She let Alex and the mayor what seemed to her more like polite small talk as she looked up at the walls. Quite a few paintings adorned the walls- old mayors and something that looked like classical paintings, although Fumiko wasn't familiar enough with the art to guess at the age. They were portraits, mostly, with people wearing quite modern clothes despite the old look of the frames and style.

I guess people still order oil paintings of themselves, she thought to herself.

Meanwhile, the conversation was getting to the point, although Fumiko was only half listening as she studied the walls. Something about demons and evil, and not evil and half-demons. How many other races had to constantly fight against public opinion? Even ghosts had the advantage of having occasionally been portrayed as good-aligned in fiction before they were revealed.

As the mayor talked, however, Fumiko's gaze fell on a portrait not far off from them- of a white haired man with piercing blue eyes. He'd tried to keep his expression neutral, but you could still see the laughter lines noted in his face. She was just thinking how kind the man looked- when the portrait moved it's head ever so slightly, and blinked.

She gasped, taking a step away from the painting and blinking out of view for a moment as she was too startled to keep herself visible. She soon reappeared, having composed herself and poked Alex's arm.

"Alex! The painting! I think it's watching us," she hissed, trying to keep her voice low.