Third Person

~

Kuro's vision swam in spotty ripples as soon as he opened his eyes. He let out a soft groan, reaching his hands up to his face to rub at them.

The hands in question felt heavier than they should and as soon as he could open his eyes without feeling a headache creep in he discovered they were bound in cold heavy shackles.

He was chained down in the center of a circular blood seal in the middle of the room, and countless bright yellow, paper talismans spun around his prison, thoroughly restricting the usage of his powers.

Closer inspection led to the realization that words scrawled on said charms were his real name. Whoever it was behind this definitely wasn't t taking any chances.

It also meant they knew way too much about him.

"Yep, I'm definitely screwed," he sighed out through gritted teeth.

"Oh, you're awake. Thank goodness, I thought I'd gone overboard," the voice he'd come to hate over the last few hours sang from outside his spell cage. He turned around with flashing eyes.

The only person aside from him in the circular dimly lit room was the person behind all the madness. He was standing over a work desk with several scrolls and elixirs littering its surface.

Bright violet eyes stared back at him with adoration and excitement, they had a manic gleam to them that greatly unsettled him as well as dug up some odd familiarity.

"It's been so long Kuro, I'm sorry our reunion had to be this way but I tend to go overboard when I'm excited...or displeased." He grinned, taking a closer step toward the cage.

Kuro was up on his feet instantly, snarling and making to close the distance but his chains would only let him go as far as three steps before harshly yanking him back.

He was a foot or two from the barrier dividing them.

"Who the hell are you and what do you want with me?" He asked the man.

The infatuated look on the other's face instantly broke down into disbelief, "Kuro-chan...you really don't remember me?"

Kuro gave a noncommittal shrug, he didn't feel bad in the least but he was a bit irritated at himself, "Should I?"

"We literally trained together for four years, how else would I know your name?"

Kuro sat down cross-legged, a thoughtful hand on his chin. Four years and training could only be traced to his time under his master. Which meant this person was most likely an old classmate.

But he'd never told any of them his real name.

Except for one.

He snapped his fingers, grinning as he finally figured it out, "You're that big brother that was always obsessed with me!"

The other's face broke into an embarrassed blush, "You don't have to put it that way!" He exclaimed gesturing wildly.

"What was your name again...Kama, no...Kiku, nah that's not it...Atsu-"

"Kutsuki Akio," the violet-eyed young man groaned running a hand through long dark locks that were tied back with a ribbon.

"Ah yeah, that's it! My answer is still no if that's what you kidnapped me for," Kuro said with a dismissive wave and disgusted shudder to drive home his point.

"No? Are you sure? I mean...kidnap is a strong word-"

Kuro waved his shackled arms for emphasis.

"I guess it does kind of look that way, doesn't it."

"You also crashed an entire train full of hundreds and hospitalized my friend, I'm definitely not forgetting any of that," Kuro's smile left his face once he remembered Ryu, "I'm going to make you pay."

Akio scowled, folding his arms with an unapologetic look, "He clearly wasn't worthy of you."

Kuro's chains rattled once more as he tried to force another step forward, "I'm going to kill you."

Akio waved dismissively, "You're wasting away on some useless revenge quest when your talents could be used for so much more, Kuro," he sighed sadly, turning around to head back to his work desk, "Ever since we graduated from the Lady's care, I've never stopped worrying about the scared little boy that slowly came undone by my side."

Kuro clenched fists came loose at his sides, eyes never leaving Akio who was watching his as well.

"You've really grown, it's obvious, but you're not strong enough to take him on, just accept that and let's move on." The older male said, hurt and frustration creeping into his airy tone.

Memories were flooding back, not like Kuro could ever really forget. Those four hellish years were spent under the woman that only made herself known as Lady West.

A sadistic monster of a woman whose goal was to turn children into the worst versions of themselves for whatever cause. She encouraged them to embrace the darkness, to disregard their lives all for the sake of pleasure and power.

He was only five when she took him in. He had escaped Nightmare's hold but was on the verge of death. She gave him only two options; death or vengeance.

In those brutal four years, he suffered alongside many others just like him. All they'd ever know was suffering and the delight in creating it for those who stood in their path. He was the youngest but his smarts and natural talent got him through a lot, especially after he'd realized that no one was coming to rescue him.

There was no one alive to care.

Except there was one person in that dark world that quietly took his hand at night when he sobbed into his pillow.

A boy seven years older, Kutsuki Akio, who went by the name Kikuo. Back then, Kuro had gone by a name Lady West had given him before he finally settled on 'Kuro' after getting his powers.

The last test they'd had to take before graduating was a one-on-one battle to the death.

Kuro could remember Akio's words even back then.

***

'I'm happy we didn't end up against each other,' the older boy had said as spun a poison needle in his hand.

'Me too,' they were sitting beneath one of the many staircases in a hidden temple. So far from civilization and the world, they'd grown up in.

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'I would have let you kill me though.'

Kuro turned to stare at the other with incredulous eyes. He could tell Akio cared for him, more than one should, especially in conditions like the one they were in. It should have comforted him, but he'd stopped feeling comfort a long time ago. People always wanted something back, but he said nothing and let the other continue.

Akio chuckled, an adoring gleam in his eyes, 'I'd be entirely happy to die by your hands but I'd be far happier to spend the rest of my life by your side. I can't wait for this hell to be over.'

Kuro gave a nervous smile, putting a bit more space between them, he'd become touch averse in recent says. 'Just don't die tomorrow.'

In the end, they'd both been given extra points for the most gruesome kills.

***

"But right after our graduation, you left to pursue your own interests, and I would have no problem with that if it wasn't some suicidal fantasy." Akio slammed a hand on the table.

"I knew to stop you, I'd have to be stronger than you, and find a way to remove all that hate in your heart. So I used my skills to build my own following," he gave Kuro a proud grin, "I'm my own Master now Kuro, those guarding this temple are my own disciples. Not to mention I'm one of the most feared assassins in the underworld, impressive right?"

"Good for you, Akio, good for you, but I don't give a shit," Kuro stated in a deadpan tone, eyes scrutinizing the man before him. He couldn't bring himself to care for their reunion, not after what had happened with the train, with Ryu. He wanted retribution.

If Akio's desire was him, then his was the other's death.

"Kuro, leave Nightmare behind, join me to take over a world that isn't some out-of-reach delusion. If you stop now it'll be easier to bargain with him in the future. It's better than going against him." Akio pleaded, moving back to the cage, reaching a hand through the barrier to stroke the younger's face but Kuro made a biting motion with his teeth.

He chuckled, pulling back.

"Disagreeable as ever. From a scared baby boy to a vicious irresistible viper. You truly never cease to amaze me."

Kuro glared, tugging at his chains again.

"Get comfortable, It'll be not too long from now and we can put this all behind us."

Kuro's brows furrowed in confusion, "What are you planning to do?"

Akio's violet eyes crinkled with sick mirth, "A means to seal your memories and alter them. I was searching for years but I found the right ingredients for the spell. I know it would have been better to complete it first but seeing you give that mere human the smiles you used to save only for me," he set the talisman he'd been holding ablaze from irritation, "Let's just say, I couldn't help myself."

"You're sick in the head Akio," Kuro snarked as he fell to the ground, punching it in frustration. He was completely powerless in this situation, and he had no one to blame but himself. He wondered if Kira and Troy would come to his rescue.

Again.

Just like with the Jorōgumo.

'When did I become so useless...so dependent?' He hissed inwardly.

***

Kira would never be able to describe the relief that washed over her when the feeling came back to her body.

She sat up, stretching the stiffness from her bones and getting the blood moving through her system, "Hey, Angel-boy, you up yet?" She turned to Troy whose response was to sit up by her side.

She got up and reached out a hand to help but he ignored it. So was their dynamic but she was too used to it to bother arguing. Especially not at a time like this.

"Thanks for the attempted rescue but I still lost Kuro," she sighed, frustration gnawing at her.

"It wasn't entirely your fault, I saw the flash of the needle too late and I sort of...I didn't think it through properly."

They stood in awkward silence for a while at a loss for where to begin. She could feel the energy of two others around them, probably waiting to see what they do and report to their master.

'What did we do, Vermillion?' Troy's voice echoed in her mind.

'We have to get Kuro back but if we discuss it, they'll know, then Ares and Kat will be in trouble,' she scowled.

'We can take them on, but just steal their powers so they don't cause a commotion,' he advised.

Her face lit up, that was honestly a good idea. She put her mind to work, focusing deeply as Mammon's chains crawled beneath the earth, she set them on the path for the targets, and a few seconds later, there we loud disgruntled cries from the walls of the builds around them.

The chains pulled two men from the shadows, dangling them upside down, sucking up their magical energies so they were unable to use any spells.

"I'll knock them out," Troy said, sparks lighting up his skin.

"Go ahead!" One of the men scowled.

"Our partners are waiting at your home, Keeper, if we don't report in the next twenty minutes, your family's done." The other snarled.

Kira couldn't keep the cold dread from taking her.

Troy narrowed his eyes thoughtfully before pulling out his phone. It rang for a few seconds before Ren's voice filtered through the speakers.

"Troy! How'd it go? Is everyone alright?"

"Not really," Troy grumbled, like asking for help physically hurt, Kira could relate to an extent, "There's trouble at Kira's house, can you handle it for us?"

"Sounds serious, like a lot of work involved serious."

"You need to get there quickly, stop messing around," the blond seethed.

"Asking nicely won't kill you, I'll be there in fifteen minutes if I hurry. Let me know how you're doing-"

Troy cut the call, tucking his phone away, "Now, tell us where your master took our partner."

"Never," the first man hissed, struggling to pull himself free.

Kira glared at both of them, her patience was growing thin, Kuro could be getting further away by the second and they still had no idea about his location. "Tell us now or I'll..." Her memory flashed back to barely an hour ago, the evil gleam in Kuro's eyes as he tortured the now-dead villain not far from them.

"Whatever you do would never hold a candle to what our Master can do," the second man spat, turning to his colleague, they exchanged a stiff, determined nod before a loud crunch sound filled the air. Almost immediately, their bodies were limp, radiating little to no magic energy.

"They're...dead," Kira stared disbelievingly.

Troy walked up to the bodies as Kira laid them on the ground, he opened their mouths to find cracked empty shells. "Some sort of poison, better to die than betray their master."

"Or be punished by him," Kira sighed, turning away from the bodies before she got sick, "How do we find him now?"

'There's a way,' Mammon's voice popped up in her head.

"About time you two contributed something!" She screamed waving her fist at no one in particular.

Troy gave her a raised eyebrow.

"The demons are talking," she pointed to her head, he instantly ignored her and went back to inspecting the bodies, Kira went back to speaking with Mammon, "So? How do we do this?"

"You can use the chains to track his magic aura to where it's strongest, all you need is something that has his magic in it," Mammon explained.

Kira looked around fretfully until her eyes landed on a small patch of fallen feathers laying by the night's first victim. She gingerly approached and picked up two, just to be safe.

She went back to the entrance of the alley, holding them in both arms.

'Wrap a chain around them and focus on the energy they radiate, once you get a good feel, all you have to do is send out more chains to track it,' Mammon finished.

Kira stared down at the feathers, watching as a single chain crawled from her right sleeve and wrapped itself around the feather. She tried her hardest to focus but with the building frustration and pressure at how much time she was losing, she just couldn't get her mind to concentrate.

What if they were too late? What if Kuro was already out of the city? Or being tortured within an inch of his life.

She couldn't do this, not now, not under this sort of pressure, but she still had to do something.

"Let's do it together, Mammon," she said firmly.

'What?!' both demons in her head and Troy exclaimed.

"We share my body and you'll be able to track Kuro,"

'That's really no fair Kira,' Lucifer scowled.

"Shut up, you," she hissed back at him, "What do you say Mammon?"

She could almost hear the grin in his voice, 'Why in hell's name would I say no? Let's find ourselves a bird.'

Kira felt the almost immediate feeling of being jostled with her own skin as if her soul was being thrown into the backseat. She held on firmly, she had no idea if two souls sharing control would be a good idea but there was no way she was giving Mammon full control of her body.

She didn't trust him that much yet.

Troy watched, powers at the ready in case whatever Kira's plan was went sideways. His eyes didn't leave her convulsing form on the floor until she stopped moving, both eyes fluttering open. Her left eye was black with a lone glowing, dark green pupil, while the right was completely normal.

And when she spoke, it was a combination of two different voices, "Hey pretty boy, it's been a while.... don't antagonize him and get to work...jeez, I was just saying hi."

"Vermillion? Are you-"

"We're fine," They answered, looking down at their fingers and flexing, "Might take some getting used to, but there'll be time for that later."

Troy handed them the feathers Kira had dropped, he was very uncomfortable with this, especially since they didn't know what effects it could have on Kira's body.

The tiny chain emerged, wrapping around the objects once more and barely a few seconds went by before They screamed, "Bingo!"

"You found him?" Troy asked.

"Not yet, but we have a trail to follow," and in reality, they could, translucent tendrils of red smoke weaving through the sky, pulsing with a unique beat.

Troy decided he'd just roll with that, "I also noticed these guys are wearing uniforms, I think we should take them in case we need to sneak in."

They nodded in Kira's body, reaching down, Kira hesitated briefly, drawing Mammon's attention, "What's wrong?...nothing, it's weird... there's no time for that...I know..."

They took a breath, gripped the black and white robe tightly, and in a voice more Kira than someone else, they announced, "Let's go rescue our friend!"