I spent the day following the marked mafia around the city.  They blend in nicely, don’t stand out, and are able to walk into the ing police headquarters and no one blinks an eye.  Their weapons are concealed spectacularly and their awareness of those around them is quite amazing.

  They never noticed me and for that I was grateful about.  I was in no mood to deal with them just yet; I don’t know their full purpose for being here and until I know more they need to stay around.

  I spotted Ashiya with her mother at the mall while trailing the two burly men.  She looked like she was going to rip her hair out as she dejectedly followed the older woman that looked nothing like her around the mall. 

  I didn’t get much from the Mafia members in town other than they had a mission and a lengthy time line to complete it.  Gathering information about Black Widow and taking out a few of her men along the way was how they were going about this.  Slowly removing her gang from around her until they can get to her.

  As the afternoon continued I made sure I had time to make it the Henry’s restaurant to work for half the night.  I start two hours before nightfall until three in the morning.

  “Any unusual customers while I was away, Ry?”  I called over the bells.

  Laughing Henry rolled his eyes at me, “You have been the strangest so far.  Run the counter for me, I’ll be in the back.”

  Nodding I went around the counter and took my spot, taking orders and dealing with the customers as they came and went.  I got used to the daily contact with people, and reappearing faces and human interaction.  I’ve gotten used to interacting with people, which I don’t particularly like, I’m not comfortable with this.  I’m used to torturing and killing people, not acting nice around them like I’m one of them.  I’m far from being like them in any way.

  Leaning back against the counter when no one was in the shop I fiddled with one of my knives below the counter where no one would see it.  No matter where I went or whom I was with I was always carrying my weapons.  The knives I had made were perfect, not a flaw in them, better than I’ve ever handled before.  It is a shame I won’t be able to get any more weapons from the maker but that’s just how things went.

  “Hi Youngjae!”  Gripping my knife I snapped my head up to find Ashiya standing in the store with the door shutting behind her.  I was not expecting her to show up, I didn’t even think I was going to see her again.

  Looking past her I saw the last few rays of sunlight fade away.  I thought she wasn’t going to walk around at night and I told her that as she just smiled and denied it.  While I don’t want to get to close to this girl something about her just won’t let me brush her aside, especially when she shows up at night.

  Tucking the knife away where it wouldn’t be seen I gave her one last look before I changed my mind and popped my head into the kitchen.  “Can I have the night off Henry?”

  He looked up at me from the sink. “Girl?”

  I held back my groan, “Same girl from last night going to wander around the area.”

  “You best go then, you have a phone so call the cops if the both of you don’t feel safe.”

  Fat chance there, I can deal with the problem myself.  “Of course.  If something comes up here at the store, call me though alright.”

  “Go Youngaje, she’s waiting.”

  Nodding to Henry I moved around the counter and over to the girl waiting for me.  “What were you planning to do after you came here?”  I asked her, hoping it was that she was on her way home.

  “Walk around, find a park and watch the stars and eventually find my way home.”  She told me like it was the most normal thing to do.  That is not a safe thing to do around here.

  Now leaving her alone to do that is a very dumb idea on my part.  If the boy from last night happened to spot her then I’m pretty sure I won’t be seeing her again.  “Care for a partner on your journeys?”

  “I wouldn’t have come here if I didn’t.”  At least she’s looking for a companion then going around alone.  Some self-preservation is better than none.

  Going outside we started walking down the dark streets.  Since the night had just begun very few people were out, as of yet we haven’t spotted anyone and I was unable to sense anyone within our vicinity.  My eyes scanned the road around us as I slide glanced over at Ashiya who walked beside me.

  Her hair moved in the breeze as we walked, and her eyes glowed with the dim light around us.  She looked so easy to snatch away, so easy to remove from her life and force her into a new one.  Hell, if I were part of those rings I would have taken her after only a quick glance at her.

  Quickening her step she moved just in front of me and walked backwards as she looked up at my face.  “There’s a park a few blocks up that has an amazing clearing that had a breathtaking view of the stars.”

  She has got to be kidding!  Why would she want to go there of all places in the city it has to be that one damn park.  For the length of time I’ve been here I’ve already heard the rumors of the park this girl wanted to go to.  The number of murders, drug trades, overdoses, and kidnappings that have happened there by Black Widow’s gang is innumerable.

  “That’s not the best place to go.”

  “But it has the best view!  It will be fine, I’ve done this before.”  She whined before spinning around and gripping onto my wrist.  I had to restrain myself form lashing out at her, I never like being pulled places and I hated when someone dragged me around.

  I had to remember that this wasn’t someone dragging me to beat or torture me as training to withstand anything.  That this girl couldn’t hurt me and was of no threat to me, she was not them.

  She finally released me when reached the park and took a seat on the ground.  Looking up at me, she ordered me to sit down beside her.  Holding back from snapping, I scanned the park once again before I sat down and looked up at the stars.  I kept myself aware of our surroundings, I didn’t trust this place and I wasn’t going to let my guard down.  I could feel the gun in the small of my back when I leaned back.

  “When was the last time you did this?  Just sit and stare up at the stars?”  She asked.

  I stayed quite as I thought back to when I ever did this.  If I ever actually had for that matter.  Only one time in my memory do I ever remember watching the stars, sitting casually and looking up at the vast sky with thoughts of the future on my mind.

  “You think things will change now that your name is know by half the underground?”  I asked the girl in a black mask running beside me across rooftops.

  Her laugher filled the air around us, “How can they not?  Our instructors are going to get wind of the fact that we were able to get past the Mafia, take their weapons and I was able to snatch Viper’s one of a kind custom gun from his hands.  It doesn’t hurt that we were able to do this without getting hurt or caught at all.”

  I scoffed, “Knowing them, they’ll make our training living hell.”

  “Isn’t it already though?”  Her reply came instantly.  “We already go through hell and back every day, if it get