Why do caged birds sing?

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Why do caged birds sing? Jul 9, 2019 23:32:22 GMT -5

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Post by Phantasma on Jul 9, 2019 23:32:22 GMT -5

Nearly 9 Months Ago, Middle of the night, Serine City - Amino Island

Moon peaking out from oppressive clouds and starlight hidden thanks to the artificial lighting in the city; All this and more gave Serine city an interesting dichotomy. What wasn't gilded in fresh paint or surrounded by art and the occasional palm tree was able to flourish and fester in the cold and menacing nights within a city infested by sin. This concrete jungle wasn't all that bad however considering it still possessed a police force and for all its short comings at the least work was put into insuring even the more derelict of sites weren't a public health hazard. Everything from the ground to the buildings were made of a solid, firm material that was as unforgiving as it was permanent this was an especially potent ally if you were in the game of tracking. Stains, cracks and evidence tended to imprint themselves onto this artificial world and was how a far from home Kite Kalisto had managed to corner his current prey.

Weaving between shadowed towers of concrete, steel and glass Kite made sure to walk heel to toe. Perfectly aware from the lack of frenzied breathe and pitter of quick shoes this criminal was used to evading capture. The chase after all had started within a controlled environment of a fancy restaurant but once trouble reared its head in the form of Kite deftly going for his concealed blades while sitting at the bar. In a flash the oddly meek looking woman fled, her speed and ability to shove her way past waiters twice her size was why Kite didn't just dash for an interception and it was why he just calmly walked along the network of grimy, smelly alleyways she was leading him through. Crimson eyes flicking over and taking note of landmarks, broken fence posts or scattered garbage it was all in an effort to back track if he needed to. Plenty of times she had dipped out of sight and blended to the shadows forcing the hunter to reconsider his approach but equally the same amount of times she had appeared in the pale moonlight shocked eyes glancing at the persistent man before taking back to her silent jogging.

'She's trying to trick me into doubting myself? Is that all this really is?' Kite mused to himself having to jump over yet another massive green garbage containment unit.

"Stop following me already!" A voice that reminded him of some kind of nightclub singer rang out in the dark, certain of its source Kite hopped down from the trash can and answered, cupping his hands around his mouth to raise his volume.

"I can't! I need to collect this bounty!"

"You seriously expect to catch me?! You're not even running after me-- besides couldn'tve you gone for stealth?"

"I AM going to catch you!"

"God you're a weirdo. Whatever. Cya slowpoke!"

Clenching his gloved hands into fists and barring his teeth Kite let out a snarled sigh. Face contorting into a mask of irritation he kicked his legs off the ground into a run and started dashing in the direction of the voice. Previous fear of losing control, the odd feeling he got when reading over this particular bounty were abandoned all under the building emotional torrent this smartaleck girl had flushed out. Face flush with as much pumping blood as it was embarrassment, she had seen through the weakness of this newbie hunter and called out every single mistake he did! New missions jitters had bogged him down and much like an event horizon this fear of even more failure dragged him into running head long into darkness with reckless abandon. Clarity coming far too late once he realized he no longer saw a shadow ahead of him or could see much aside from the moon hanging ahead even the buildings had closed around him in a wall of darkness.

The shrill cry of taunt wires got him to flinch and reach for his weapons, eyes growing wide when in a solid second Kites entire world was inverted and his limbs both forced against him and to cease movement all together. Gravity pooled his vital essence downward and began building to the point that in no time a headache was to follow. For now, slowly spinning, Kalisto could make out the noise of heels clacking on stone and brick-- concrete. The limelight of the moon illuminating the suddenly clear alley, shining blue paleness on the dark fabric that cocooned him all the way to his neck and no more. Realization got him to frown but the appearance of that sly runner got him to glower and struggle on his wired hovering.

"I wouldn't move. You're just going to spin around and get even more dizzy," She smirked, moving toward the hunter and looking up at him.

Yoko, Yoko Morio, age somewhere around twenty with an average body that often allowed her to cross dress during various cons and schemes. Slender arms, delicate hands and similar legs with a flat chest and long midsection, her skin was a faint pink while her lips were currently a shade of deep blue. Big, oval brown eyes with thin lips, sharply groomed dark purple hair spiraled around her scalp and was tied into a bouncing pony tail that drifted just below her neck. Soft, androgynous features marked her face with a pointed nose, small ears and high set cheekbones. Her choice of clothing was a glittering, sparkling waterfall of a blue dress combined with dark brown heels and silver wrist bangles. The smell of some kind of tropical perfume wafted off her and forced Kite to flinch and cough a bit forcing the now cocky smirk plastered on the girls face to grow wider.

"If I had to make a guess... You're some kind of newbie that wanted to take down someone big? Make a name for yourself? Rule one kid, never... ever...ever... blow your cover. If you do, make sure that you have some kind of back up plan," She stretched out her arm, hand to interlace fingers into Kites snow white hair forcing him to look at her and those judgemental eyes.

Still testy, fiery, the young man didn't lower his glare and instead stared bullets right back at her. Whether it was the force of that alone or some kind of intense emotion blooming on his face Yoko had to look away masking whatever thoughts played into her head. Releasing her grip from Kite she silently faded into the night once again much like she had before at the start of the chase. Spinning like he was, slowly, thanks to the lack of an anchor all the hunter could do was grunt and wiggle around in the midnight black sack that gripped his body.

A crisp whistling of a blade called out in the night and found itself lodged in the system of knots and wire that kept the hunter afloat. Spiraling towards the ground there was precious little time for Kite to lurch up as hard as he could to avoid an injury to his head. The result being an arguably pitiable plop to his right side as he took in sharp breaths and tried to dull the electric pain dancing throughout that side of his body. Suddenly hands were able to guide themselves through the reinforced fabric and pry off the blanket burrito laying it bare on dirtied ground. Still very much aware of the noise that had proceeded this fall Kite kept his guard up looking on both the fence divider, the walls of the building and any other perch this trap could've been rooted to. Finding an opened window, ground level, from a building not more than a few meters from where Kite was suspended he saw the work of a criminal genius. Something that looked like a multistage trap you'd find in a kids game, a mixture of string pulley's, metal wire spools and weights that culminated in a timed snare. The source of the premature release being a separate event apart of an even larger machine. A knife, silver and glimmering dug into the carpet of the darkened room and allowed no further questions as to why Kite had escaped.

Not a fault in the trap, but a purposeful release engineered by none other than Yoko.

Brows lowered and lips thinned Kite crawled back out of the window bracing himself against the wall as he crossed his arms. The need to pursue this young woman fled his mind and instead a combination of concern and intrigue strangled his train of thought. Cool brick pressing into his tailor suite whilst his waking mind tried to consider all the reasons as to why someone like Yoko would spare him?

'She's known for her eccentric attitude... which often interferes with otherwise flawless crimes. Leaving a calling card, warning people of the heist before hand... a particular kind of obsession with stealing artifacts and then handing them back. Her targets share no other correlation other than their perceived value.'

'Is she just... just f-cking with me?' He went rigid against the wall and gripped his elbows tightly while his arms pressed harder against his chest.

'More importantly why do I care? She let me go so that means I have another chance!' He mentally slapped himself and rose off the wall dropping his hands to his sides while thumbing his pockets.

Unlike reckless abandon a new kind of motivating force cooled the frazzled hunter and allowed him to continue operating in the eerie night of Serine city. Sharpening his attention and bottling all the hang ups that had flubbed up what was thought to be his only chance at a clean capture. Jitters became jump-ers as Kite began to comb over the surroundings that he now found himself in citing the lack of landmarks from before as evidence of Yoko leading him to an entirely different part of the city all together. Apartment towers of stacked housing replaced the gambling business they had skulked around earlier, storage facilities with those odd metallic rising and lowering doors in place of fountains and overhanging tropical trees. General stores in place of department stores-- but most importantly the steady narrowing and elimination of the blood vessel like backalley's the pair had used to navigate forcing Kite out onto the sidewalk and scrambling what little sense of direction he had tied onto his now very interesting target. Rapid flickering of his eyes drank in the subtle difference in architecture and adapted to the slightly more low-lit environment. No longer bathed in neon lights or dancing, animated figures but instead wandering on roads briefly kept alight by the interiors of apartments or the glow of storefronts.

Somewhere around the fifth or sixth store Kite took to sitting on a bench and looked into his lap. Silence closed in around him but the roar of his emotions kept him from going entirely deaf in a quiet world. Exhausting the slim glimmer of hope he had in escaping he now was left to run the numbers again and analyze just where Yoko could have gone to or why he hadn't ran into her yet if she was so interested in him. As one is want to do any answers he fielded at himself were laced with a touch of venom and served to only further make him doubt his skills.

"Am I really just going to self pity myself... I decided to do this job because I knew I needed an outlet for my emotions. I had to leave my home because of them. And now... now I can't even let them run wild on someone who sincerely deserves... NEEDS to be detained. Everything about the trip here, everything about trying to catch her has just felt like a mistake. Is everything I do going to turn out like this? Like garbage?" He muttered, hitting his right hand against the bench hard enough to cause it to creak under pressure and apparently hard enough to cause a kiss of pain to plant itself onto the back of his hand.

"You see, that's why I didn't just leave you there for the alleycats and pocket pickers. You're a man that has two hearts. Apparently, either one or both knew you were going after an innocent person and you held back... that or you really do just suck." Smiling from ear to ear Yoko leaned back on the bench evolving that smile to open and shoot out a laugh as Kite jumped up to his feet and pointed both his blades at the source.

"Innocent?! No... you have a bounty! If you have a bounty that means you've done something-- a verifiable kind of crime beyond morality!"

"Oh come on... you know for a fact this world comes in shades of grey. Besides, bias has to come into the equation especially if you're hearing from a second hand account. Details and circumstance can't be put onto a bounty poster... just whatever broken rule the criminal has committed under the eyes of the 'just' and 'good'."

"Don't feed me that crap..."

"Okay so if you sincerely believe there is a universal system of good, bad, right and wrong then why didn't you take me out when you had the chance? Why let me lead you around for the better half of an hour? Why not strike me down now?" Yoko frowned, brows pressing lower as she rose up with a huff and stuck her neck out to meet Kites blades.

"What--"

"Never draw weapons unless you plan to use them and don't you dare try to self rationalize when I can plainly see-- Or believe I see conflict in those eyes. I don't have the time to be followed around by some aimless wanderer... Lost dogs were never something I liked. So, bounty hunter what'll it be?"

"... I"

"Speak up!"

"Okay! Fine!" Kite shouted, clenching his eyes shut before suddenly lurching forward, pulling away his blades at the last second and sheathing them while his whole form all but trembled.

"Huh. You know I honestly thought you were going for it," Yoko blinked, rubbing at her neck and going on to pat the small of her chest with a flat hand to calm down what would've been a racing heart.

"... That was all a ruse then?" Kite popped one of his eyes open halting the trembling as he marched forward and loomed over the woman of not more than five feet in height.

"Sure was!" She beamed, flashing her tongue in a playful manner before skipping away in a run.

Dumbfounded and slack jawed Kite just starred at her back before dashing forward, eyes an especially irked shade of red.

"SO THEN YOU'RE NOT INNOCENT?! YOU WERE JUST MESSING WITH ME!" Kite howled out the obvious and went to jump into the air.

"Oh... no... I am innocent. I just really wanted to see if you were a bad person. Honestly you don't seem like you are but you also strike me as someone who underestimates how dangerous it is to repress emotions. My guess is you hurt someone or are scared of hurting people which is why bounty hunting is going to be difficult... you have to make split second decisions and decide your intent the moment your target appears otherwise you run the risk of putting yourself in danger and losing income. It's not a job for people who hesitate," Yoko in a dead stop turned around and addressed the now lightly flying Kite who in his flight path of a few centimeters above the ground fell back to the pavement and quickly rose back up in the same awed expression as before.

"Am I... that readable?"

"I'm really good at guessing stuff aren't I? You're kinda like a book character I used to have a crush on as a kid-- that or a dog!"

"And if you're this comfortable to give me advice, to talk and to let me go you're also positive I wont try to capture you?"

"No. I'm also gambling on the fact you'll want to go after the person really responsible for the crimes who just happens to pin them on others. Kind of a smart deal really, enough to apparently fool the government."

"Person... responsible? So what was it just coincidence that they happened to have your picture? Name? So on?"

"He, or she... maybe even it-- well the Phantom Thief copies a target right down to their appearance. Uses that identity to perform crimes and successfully pins it all on the victim of the switcheroo."

"And... what's the point of it? Your crimes were theft that eventually had the stolen items returned," Kite pointed out, taking to putting a hand on his hip while he tilted his head to the right in question.

"Fakes? Some larger scheme? From what I've learned before I had to live on the lamb this has been going on for some time. It's only logical to avoid a discernible pattern he gives each persona some sort of odd tick to set them apart. Think of it like that machine before... if everything was so obviously connected even something like the World Government would become aware."

"I... you're telling the truth?" Kite walked forward looking down and squinting his eyes as he did so.

"Still can't cut me right?" Yoko looked up rolling her shoulders frowning a bit as she waited for a reply.

"You're pinning this on my inability to hurt you... because you psyched me out?"

"Not at all! I just don't believe in using logic against something illogical," She spun around letting her hands fly out evolving into a little spin dance before finally stilling herself and looking up at Kite.

With the moon still high above the sky, the city still sleeping and whatever crimes contained to their own fields the world around Kalisto was much like a placid lake reflecting up an inverted image. Clouded as his mind was he soon resigned to accepting whatever nonsense Yoko had spouted at him and instead of immediately detaining her relaxed and accepted accompanying her to wherever she currently called home to verify the authenticity of her story through what evidence her speech had implied. Information on this mysterious Phantom Thief and perhaps a reason as to why the more livelier islands resting in the North Blue had become so eerily calm on what should've been a busy night.

8 or 9 hours later, Middle of the Day, Ana Nine - Amino Island

"Stars and Gods... my back feels like it was trampled," Witty even when sore Kite rolled over onto his side feeling plush fabric threaten to suck him in from all angles.

Pleasantly groaning as the material gave way around him in an avalanche of softness he couldn't help but keep his eyes open hiding the little smile that threatened to peek out. Currently sitting across from him, cross legged and changed into a combination of rolled up jeans, red flat sneakers, a dark blue leather jacket and hair fully allowed to flow down the back of her clothes was Yoko. Eyes possessing that antagonistic prodding nature her humor was steeped in, brows raised and mouth put to the side in an amused manner. Rising up from the winter-white bed and walking over to Kites beside she landed a solid kick or two to the black frame causing a miniature earthquake to wobble the hunter into slumping over the side tangled up in limbs and his own clothes. Far too relaxed and sleepy to argue all he could really do was move his legs and arms around until he finally leaned off the bed with a little more grace, head fully positioned on the floor with a pouty expression and squinted eyes looking up at the girl.

"It was trampled. By you. When you decided to try and pick a fight you couldn't finish. Now stop... doing whatever that is and get up, get dressed, steel yourself, whatever. We've got some investigation to do so I can clear my name and you can make a name for yourself!" Clearly pumped the unimposing form of Yoko finished with her right fist pumping into the air.

Fighting the urge to get back into the king sized, plushy white embrace of the sheets and matching mattress Kite rose to his feet and collected his coat and his shoes straightening his ensemble in front of the wardrobes mirror. The room they had picked was spartan but not barren. Two beds, a wardrobe situated against the wall directly across from the beds complete with a stool. A currently closed bathroom door and two nightstands that possessed at least four drawers in total and two lamps atop them. Adorned on the walls behind the bed was one massive long painting that depicted some kind of ship voyage and a tropical island. The decor of the room, the stylized engravings on the walls outlines frames was some kind of effigy of palm trees. Tan orange walls mingled with a nearly white yellow and dark oaken floor. The doors were of a similar nature to the walls and when opened revealed an upstairs hallway that was trying its best to mimic the landscape it had defiled to build itself. Resisting the urge to poke fake potted plants that were strewn about the room Kite and Yoko collected their things heading back out the way they came going through the hallway passing a few people and muttering out a greeting in the process. Checking out of the hotel involved Kite forking over the cash while Yoko lowered a hood from her dark brown undershirt over her head meandering before plopping down in the establishments complimentary lounge. Bidding the worker, owner or not, a farewell Kite deposited his pay on the counter and without waiting for the portly gentleman with a curly mustache sporting a Hawaiian shirt to count it he left.

Exiting out a curtain of beads with his somewhat playful, hopefully temporary ally the Ivory haired male couldn't help but look her way. Jutting his chin forward as if to put her on the spot as they walked alongside the curb of the street avoiding couples as they giggled and walked towards the hotel or the occasional bleary eyed mobster clearly playing lookout. It was tough not to pick fights with the later or put them under arrest, but it was the greater threat of the Phantom Thief that kept Kite focused and curious.

"Okay so, Phantom Thief right? Or uh... did you want to know something else?" Yoko peeled back her hood smoothing that mess of purple hair out of the way of those eyes staring dead at Kite.

Such an intensity got the ordinarily collected hunter to take a step to the side and flinch.

"What? What else could I possibly... whatever! Yes. Go. What do you know about this thing? How did they take your identity... did you have any relation, so on and so forth," He listed off the depth of the question, the various tangents therein by counting it off on his right hands fingers.

"Geeeeeeeez you're more fixated than me puppy-man."

"It's Kite. Kalisto. K-I-T-E K-A-L-I-S-T-O," Practically mouthing each letter as he went.

"Okay okay okay okay okay okay okay. Well... the curious thing is I didn't see them but I for sure heard them and its kind of hard to explain. They have this habit of talking in both a high and low pitched voice-- Okay stop glaring I know I'm getting off track. I think I was singled out because I saw them during a heist but like it wasn't that I was near them. I saw it all from the ledge of a building I was on doing perfectly legal stuff like always. Scouts honor I have zero leads on how he would've known about me being a witness," Stopping to perform a miniature salute as if to show the validity of her proof.

"So... They saw you from ground level atop what was likely several meters away on a building? Either they have an accomplice helping them or the guy has some next level senses. This is of course believing this story is true... got to admit I'm still skeptical. I'm willing to at least see what you've got considering what happened last night and how thoroughly trusting you were that I'd have no choice to follow," He shrugged trying not to look at what was now a huffy arms-crossed girl walking ahead of him trying her best to stomp on his shoes.

"Ow! Okay sorry!" He yelped in response to a jab at his knees, having hopped back into line with her at her side grumbling out a list of words far too inappropriate to narrate.

"A N Y W A Y. The point of moving all the way over here and getting some shut eye in at least a city from where we were was to prove my point. I know of a place that this thief will be unable to resist heisting. Like one hundred percent I know this is where things are going to go down. Why? Because I'm very, very, very very--"

"Good at guessing? Likewise..."

"...Hurumph! But seriously though this will be dangerous... and I kind of need you to go all stabby-stabby if things go south. If even half of what was put on my bounty poster is true this person will be highly dangerous and very slippery. You can't hesitate and you can't falter even if they hand you some kind of sob story."

"That was just jitters!"

"Okay Kite. Yes. You got cold feet. But make sure that's a one time thing okay? Because this is going to be a big thing for both of us. You get your bounty, I get my freedom."

"Yea... freedom."

"Huh?" Yoko turned to the right and looked at a suddenly distant Kite, who had his head trained on the horizon looking across the city-scape and off to wear the ocean was presumably.

"Where was it exactly?" Kite spoke slowly swiveling his head back and raising a brow at the sudden motion of Yoko looking ahead obviously unaware of the stare that had just been given his way.

"Well you'll just have to follow me alright? Try not to hold my hand though because I really don't need more rumors springing up. One of us lives here and will have to be surrounded by the gossip!" Yoko started jogging ahead not looking over her shoulder at the slightly colored Kite who charged after her biting his lower lip and shaking his head as he overcame whatever adverse effect the words had on him.

The path that they had taken away from the hotel, an establishment built primarily for the honeymoon sweets led through the club district. It meant every building was of either an absurd height rising high into a touching the sky or it was a squat, barren box that held within it bright lights and people dancing to obnoxious noise produced by some odd technology Kite still wasn't used to. Grey concrete and road gave way to the occasional exposed earth and wiggly palm tree that waved in the hot, airy heat of the midday. The roads, streets, were crowded with foot traffic and it forced the duo to often bump elbows or very carefully squeeze there way past folks having to say 'sorry' or 'excuse me' to avoid withering stares. On one successful ramming Kite had nearly gotten sucked into one off the clubs by advancing patrons and only just escaped as one of the workers winked his way. The way he seemed afterwards kind of implied he was either scarred or at a loss for words much to Yoko's enjoyment who continually prodded and pelted him with questions all along their walk throughout the city.

Aside from the occasional stop to eat and to rest the entire trip lasted up until the point the sun started going down below buildings. Where lights came out, where clubs illuminated otherwise pale material with a myriad of electric lights and explosive rainbows of textures and designs. Granted by the time this happened Kite and Yoko were no longer in the small entertainment section of the city and were going towards what districts that were zoned for apartments and homes. Some of them were gated, some of them were set in rows of houses next to houses. Much like a maze the pair hopped fencers and squeezed past gaps in the structure of this lived in part of the city. Yoko was almost guided on radar and no matter where they were continued to walk stopping only to let worry-wart Kite play lookout before finally overcoming his nervousness and jumping over property.

A few dog chases later and they were standing before one of the more impressive households. Stylized as one of the more traditional Japanese homes it was massive and came complete with a reflection pond, or river, that snaked across the property with bamboo aplenty and koi fish circulating around in the water. Paper walls, wooden polls, colorful an decorative flags flapped in the wind and got Kite to just appreciate the whole sight. Yoko was the one that jabbed him in the side to get him to come hurdling back into reality and though he took the opportunity to flick her on the forehead he did murmur out an apology. Dodging what was going to be another jab to his side the pair snuck around the perimeter until they were behind the house overlooking a sort of railed wooden pathway that connected the otherwise isolated sections of the tropical Japanese mansions rooms.

"So why are we out here?"

"Yoko?"

Whirling around, suddenly frantic from the sudden disappearance of Yoko the male couldn't help but have his voice crack. The noise of him shuffling around on the grass or perhaps finally responding to all the racket caused by the intrusion the owner of the house stepped out. Garbed in a purple kimono with floral print orange flowers twining up around her tall sandals all the way to her shoulders. A river of black hair pooled at her ankles and a rather scornful expression rolled across her face, a circular, rounded one that had skin even whiter than Kites and eyes of a violet color marked by red dots at either outermost edges of the eyes.

"Phantom Thief-in... I've been expecting you. You'll not have my priceless blades... in fact, I think I'll be able to add to my collection," She smirked, placing a hand to her lips as she let out a small whisper of a laugh.

"But--" Kite stammered, thrusting out his palms forward as if to deflect the absurdity of the claims at his identity.

"Shields-in! Is this not what I pay you for?! Apprehend the thief!" She cried, pointing her talon like right hand at the man standing before her before rushing behind the door she came from, sliding it shut in the process.

As if coming out of the land itself three figures emerged in the fading daylight. The land, water even parts of the wall melting around their ankles as they pulled themselves free. More ink-blots than human these figures charged forward arms extended and fingers splayed in an attempt to dog pile on the dumbfounded but quickly lucid Kite. Feinting to the left Kite bent into a sprint not daring to look over his shoulder as he tried to make a get away from this horrible scenario. Confusion evolving into rage as he dashed along the walls, palms scrapping themselves as the tall man vaulted himself over their surface and forcing him to go yet quicker by pushing off. The wind howled in his ears and his mind howled inside of his body. A torrent of emotions crashed down on him as he ran through yards, charged past gates and climbed them. For those watching up close or from afar the tar-like creatures were keeping pace folding past obstacles or leaking over them like mud and snapping against their liquid forms slingshotting themselves to fly further. Defying all manner of sense and logic these creatures ruthlessly pursued the one branded the Phantom Thief.

It was by wasting precious seconds that Kite managed to duck inside of an open doorway surprising the smallest boor who had answered the door. A kid likely no older than ten who was currently wearing a blanket like some kind of ghost, shocked brown haired oval of a head peaking out with wide blue eyes looking straight at Kite. For his part the bounty hunter was pressed against the door fingers spread against and gripping corners while legs were planted firmly on the ground. His heart beating in his chest, shaky breaths entering through his mouth he tried to explain himself before stopping in his tracks and going dead silent. Harsh thumps, slurping noises pelted the door and rhythmically rocked the structure before finally giving up. All too freaked out by the guy standing in the doorway and the monsters banging on the door outside the kid ran away releasing a high pitched screeched that forced the hunter to cover his ears and sent the door slamming open crushing Kite against the wall as the rectangle of wood allowed the suddenly humanoid forms to inspect.

Shakily walking into the house leaving muddy footprints on wood and an elaborate elongated carpet that fed deeper into the pitch-black residence. Necks stretching out as expressionless, black head like regions scanned the interior often bumping into one another and having to adjust themselves as they went. Coming dangerously close to the black of the door the creatures halted and very suddenly retracted themselves from the house carefully shutting the door behind them. Seizing the opportunity Kite peaked through the door and watched the shapes disappear up the road Kite had just dashed from, none the wiser of where he now was. Besieged by a million questions and an especial curiosity of just what those things were the bounty hunter slinked out of the house after he had declared it safe to do so. Leaving behind a very unsettled and scared kid huddled in the dark of his room under like five layers of blankets shivering out of as much fear as he was sugar that he had previously consumed thanks to a lack of a baby sitter and parents. The house from what Kite had seen was fairly impressive, modern, contemporary, but those observations were muted in favor of dwelling upon one solid fact.

Yoko had abandoned him. She wasn't caught, but she had left him.

Reminded of that weird ability for her to come and go as she pleased it wasn't hard for the hunter to assume the worst and realize he was just a scapegoat. This is what got him to go from a sprint into a running pace fleeing the residential neighborhood and going the path that the duo had first walked the night prior. Driven by some emotion that put an ugly glare on his face and got his fists into tightly bunched, pale white vises. Throwing any number of insults at Yoko as he had himself and beating up whatever confidence he had gained during the whole operation.

'She had really just wanted to gain yet another victim.'

'She got her freedom.'

'It'll be short lived... but she got it...'

Swearing to himself and threatening to cut the circulation off to his hands by virtue of his grip strength the swordsman relented and decided to put his attentions elsewhere. Noting landmarks of the pubs, the high rising towers as well as the parks that all fed towards Serine city. People turned, starred and pointed in the dimming light that came with night but the furious avenger ignored them. He was only concerned with both avoiding the shields and running straight towards Yoko to throw her right into jail for as much the hurt she caused as well as the knowledge she could do much worse to even dumber folks. She had successfully manipulated doubt into Kite, used it to throw the law enforcement off her tale... it didn't take a genius to figure she had a heist in mind.

Feet slamming off pavement and coat flapping vigorously in the wind his battle march concluded with needing to duck behind the doorway of some club and bumping into a non-distinct crowd of people in the process. Apologizing profusely the breathless lad watched out of windowed doors as various mud creatures slithered around the sides of buildings and navigated around jovial tourists.

Several years ago, Likely sundown, Serine City - Amino Island

"You have nowhere to go Yoko... you've burned all your bridges and stuck your nose up at every opportunity I've given you. If you want to roll with your own people that's fine but to defy me this long, to hold out when you're clearly capable... it cannot go unpunished. I won't have it."

"Boss listen to me! I have these skills just by chance! I didn't choose to know how to make things and I'm sick of hurting people! I just want... I just want to live a normal life and to tell my mom I'm doing good without having to lie! Don't you have it in your heart to... to..."

"Unbelievable! You're trying to sell me that sob story again when we both know you never had a mother?! All it boils down to is that you make lies to cover up whatever void you've got in that chest of yers. I'm not interested in your lies... seen through 'em... what I want is in your head. So you're going to work for me or I'm going to ruin your life. Capeesh? Nod if you agree, dollface."

"Fine..."

"And since you made me come all the way down to this rat infested basement I expect proper compensation. Overtime. A lot of overtime. You're going to work very hard to show just how much you love your new family got it! That means when I tell you what to do I don't want any hesitation. I want you to just carry out the orders no questions asked. That means no calling cards, that means no warnings and it certainly means you cannot under any circumstance allow the targets the satisfaction of an escape. Our income DEPENDS on building up this legend and profiting off of it."

"But can I stop... when we reach your goal? You do have a goal right like some kind of stopping point?"

"Oh that's the beauty of it... We'll never stop Yoko. We can't. We'll be so deep in money that to fuel our luxurious life style we'll need to just keep ramping up the spectacle... Entrance the whole world with our Phantom Thief! Have newspapers, reporters, even the government thinking that this guy could strike anywhere and selling out leads or providing protection hehe... ahhhh... The machine practically runs itself at that stage and it means less work on our part past establishing the infamy!"

"What if we get caught--"

"Caught? No... nono..."

"We'll never get caught because if we do it'll be you that takes the fall. Ever hear of that fancy prison that the Marines lock away the worst of the worst? You'll be heading there and spending the rest of your life locked away behind walls that were meant for true monsters. I'll find a new fall girl, plan a new scheme and you'll just be languishing away. I've only survived this long by being careful and the list of things you've done... if even considered minor are still enough to imprison you somewhere else."

"Hah! Are you crying? Seriously?"

Despair bloomed in the heart of Yoko that day and even though she acted cheerful and playful to many other victims later on in life it was an act. She felt hollow, food tasted bland and colors were always just a pinch more pale when viewed through her eyes. Soon even dreams stopped for her and even warmth started to fade. When in the presence of Big Boss Lozori this was offset some, though feeling had long since fled her heart she despised the old man well into his senile years and could never forgive him for past and current crimes he forced he to commit for mistakes in her youth. Bound by a chain of fate wrapped tightly around her neck the girl languished in the darkness of man becoming almost like a walking corpse kept preserved by the appearance she was forced to uphold to lead people into a false sense of security.

At first her crimes started with simple stealing, maybe arson and a few other basic crimes that hardly caught the attention of the marines let alone a majority of the islands law enforcement agencies. It was when famous works of art, historical artifacts and more vanished from within the grasp of the wealthy that things began to get tricky to navigate and warrants were issued. In the heyday of the Phantom Thief raids the police busts happened daily and had made news well outside the island. Proving to be a potent way to get tourism at an all time high as instead of being wary the dimwitted and rich flocked to see the notorious thief in action or pay for paraphernalia that the locals had started to sell. A common theme was dressing up the daring devil in something like a billowing black cloak with a smiling, big smile, comedic mask you'd find on the stage of a play with the cloak drawn right over the figures head. This simple design was easy to replicate and even easier to syndicate, Lozori was soon filthy rich in every manner of the word while his accomplice hardly spent a dime of her share.

1 hour later, Sundown, Amino Island, Somewhere between Serine City and Ana Nine

"Wasn't ever going to be so easy huh?" Yoko deflated a bit, hanging her head in honest defeat before finally turning towards Kite.

Against every fiber in his body demanding revenge the Silent Knight just stood there. Glaring, frowning and menacingly walking ever closer to his target lips pressed tight in an effort to prevent every harsh thing he was bound to say. This same energy had motivated him to cross an entire city evading monsters just to end up here, in the brief grassy wilds between the two cities outskirts but now it was working towards his detriment.

"Well... I guess we didn't have to talk so much anyway. We're past the point of talking," Yoko looked up nodding at the practically trembling Kite.

He nodded back, unsheathing his twin daggers Cross Charmers. The song of the metal coming clean from the sheath was crisp in the night air and met to it was the clicking of a pommel from Yoko's back pocket. The little black handle wobbled for a bit before a cutlass like blade popped out of it in a fashion similar to a balloon inflating only instead of keeping that bulbous appearance it hardened and adopted the same luster affixed onto the young mans own weapons. Unknown to Kite and later found out it was a highly compressed form of wapo metal, one of the sparse things Yoko had collected in her spare time.

A second passed while the two sized each other up. In that single moment it was as if an hour had passed, between two sword fighters this entanglement of wills had slowed down their perception of time going so far as to make the rustling of the trees still itself and the chirp of hidden insects dull to a quiet stillness. Every detail on Yoko's face burned into Kites eyes showing him the dull expression of someone who had stopped feeling long ago, a sharp contrast to the giddy smiles, smirks and grins of the girl he had known previously. The sparkle in her eyes was replaced with a dull flatness, the dark of her eyes like threatening pits one could fall into and likely never return from. Now if Kite could see what Yoko saw he would surely be shocked. His own face in contrast to the war drum like beat of his heart was devoid of emotion and looked more like the expression of a card whizz. The only thing that hinted at his own intent was the sharpness of his eyes, the intensity of that sea of red that seemed to only grow bright and brighter like a forest fire.

They both charged at the same time flinging their swords downward only to send them in upward arcs to meet in the middle. The force of each fighter pushing against the opposing blade forced them to grunt, to bare teeth and lean forward trying to hit eachother of their path or push aside the blades. Though the wapo metal bent and distorted the fact it bounced back and began releasing glittering sparks to dance between the two all but showed Yoko hadn't lost her fighting spirit. In a moment of quick thinking she lashed her leg out to try and kick Kite hard in his shin forcing the later to jump back and charge towards the less protected left flank. Perhaps predicting as much the girl quickly allowed her sword to jump from her hand and land in the free left meeting both blades head on with the flat of the blades shape. Cutlass and daggers singing of the impacts it left the metal pang to echo off into the distance silencing the animals and loud noises of the city to either of their backs.

No longer a battle of pushing, shoving and kicking Kite started swinging his arms bringing the reverse grip of his knife forward while the properly gripped hand pointed to the sky jabbed and jabbed. Forcing Yoko on the offense at many times she was force to retreat or to disengage and redeploy her blade in an attempt to curve around the meek area the daggers provided and strike true to the person wielding the blades. Kite being the slightly more experienced of the two always found time to adjust his style and reverse which grip was proper and inverted allowing him to cut into the one sided assault and send the very same blade threatening to strike at his chest hurtling back into a defense stance. Counters, thrusts, Fleches, each attack pursued by either side was so quick and intense it often caused lines to be drawn in the dirt and grass, leaves to be scattered like debris in the wind.

Yoko, not used to a direct assault of this particular intensity was breathing harshly and her movements were becoming sloppy. Kite mercilessly pressed on hooking both daggers to pincer around the cutlass and rip it free from the woman's grip hurtling it skyward to spin off at an arc that soon placed it behind Kite. Balling up her fists and acting as if she was about to try for a punch Yoko very suddenly dropped to her knees and hung her head, those dark purple bangs falling down and obscuring the entirety of whatever expression played across her face. Walking closer Kite put his blades against one another right over the girls scalp forming a scissor like X which insured a kill if needed and yet the sound of something hitting the dirt attracted his attention. A wet kind of impact which was easily observed on the ruins of the battlefield, grass blown away and dirt visible even in low vision it was clear some kind of water had hit the ground.

Sensing hesitation the now fully covered, purple haired face looked up with quivering lips becoming visible. Make up running, and voice shaking she spoke.

"Well? Do it..."

"..." Unable to speak Kite simply loomed over like a shadow, hands gripping the blades as tightly as he had curled his fingers earlier showing the slightest shake to his outstretched arms.

"Do it d-mn you! Kill me!"

Dropping his blades and sheathing them Kite looked away, his eyes downward cast and brow heavily set. Hardly flinching when he felt the impact of fists onto his knees.

"Finish what you started! I ruined your life! I'm a monster Kite! I'm the Phantom Thief! You wanted your bounty so... So take it!" She yelled, voice cracking and hitching in her throat as she repeatedly hit her fists against the legs of the hunter.

Stooping low after a momentary pause in the hits Kite grabbed either wrist with his hands. Lowing them to her side the resistance eventually stopped and he found he could let go, slowly extending his hand to smooth back the bangs of the fighter before him. The hair was soft on his hand and stained, it for the most part stayed behind the ear once he moved it allowing him to drink in the woman before him. Whatever make up had been on her was smeared and ran down her cheeks as tears now in all their freedom rained from her reddened and irritated eyes. Moving her hair back like that and perhaps the look of genuine sympathy on Kites face caused the young lady to lunge forward and hug onto Kite crying onto his right shoulder. He spared no words and dared not move just allowing the criminal to use his body as an anchor to this world. Closing his eyes and taking in a deep breath he tried to slow the rapid beating of his heat and it was only when he did so that he began to notice that Yoko had stopped crying. Opening his eyes slowly he felt the absence of her grip and cool air on his soaked suites shoulder. The girl who had been wailing a minute or less prior was now sitting cross legged before him, eyes on the ground and hands hugging atop opposing shoulders.

"Why were you crying?" Kite calmly asked, taking it upon himself to sit as well folding his legs under one another ending up in a cross-legged position.

"Why didn't you finish the fight? I set the Shields on you and probably ruined your career," She spat back, looking up with that dead expression she had on before wiping clean smeared makeup with a lowered sleeve, not concern with the possibility of damage to the fabric.

"... A part of me still wants to beat the h-ll out of you but I... that look and when we fought proved something I didn't know before. You're not fighting something you choose. You're doing this because someone made you... you're a prisoner like a caged bird," He idly pointed with his right hand dropping the limb right back into his lap.

Flinching as if shot in the left shoulder the girls mouth quivered and she took a sharp breath evacuating her stare to the ground for only a moment to collect herself. Soon enough it was back on Kite.

"Lozori."

"Lozori?"

"He's... a mob boss... someone who has never had a proper bounty because he uses henchmen. He has dirt on me and I'm helpless to conspire or turn against him because everything I try has failed. Everyone I love is gone and I have no outs. I'm a caged bird FORCED to sing."