[???]

The still wet ink on the paper smudged slightly when the edge of my hand brushed it. I wiped it off, the metallic scent of the liquid still clinging to my skin. I clicked the end of the pen, retracting the point, and set it aside in a cylindrical tin can with a few other writing utensils. I looked back at the paper, picking it up and reading it top to bottom. Information about someone, the one my target has been telling me about. I would just take them and get my payment, no questions asked, but something about this new friend of theirs is a bit suspicious. If they're like them, they could be a danger to me, and to the organization. Or maybe there could be a way I could harness this... creature, for lack of a better word, for myself.

I picked up the knife on the table in front of me, spinning the blade with my fingers as I read through the writing. Once my gaze reached the bottom of the page, I set it aside, and looked back at another paper below it. A bio of the original target. It even showed their real name, which I found pointless, seeing that they never used it. Honestly better than the name they've adopted for themselves, though. This paper, unlike the other one, was neatly typed out, giving me information about the target. Everything I needed to know to make up a time and place to take them down. I've had it for months now, had it sitting on my desk under the infinite mess of other papers.

But something's keeping me from killing them now. Not liking, I certainly don't like them much.

Soon, I thought to myself, Soon they will die. And no one will be able to stop me from achieving my goal.

-x-

[Tonix]

I wanted to curl up in bed and cry.

But I couldn't. Then I would be in pain, and as much as I wished for death, I didn't want that pain.

Could it be worth it, though? Could I let it come, let myself pay for the things I've done through the pain that comes? I wanted to rest, wanted to leave and never look back. Yet chains kept me bound to this earth, bound to this world of suffering and agony, watching everyone I've ever known die by my hands.

I looked at them now, my bloody claws still unsheathed, shaking and trembling with... with what? Fear? Nervousness? Simply from the chills that seemed to wrack my spine? The clawing feeling in my stomach, the one that truly told me that it all was hopeless?

I felt dizzy. I leaned against the wall, shaking my head to steady myself. Cold and heat seemed to pulse through me all at the same time, the frigid fever weighing me down like being buried alive.

And still those voices, these thoughts that are barely mine, they still ricochet in my mind, hammering in my head and trying to burst out. Rabid creatures tearing at my mind, spreading their disease and ravaging anything that was left of my past self.

Telling me to kill. To "live up to my potential" and slaughter everyone in my path. Like the mindless beast I was.

The voices were the reason I was even still alive. They held me back, imprisoned me here. Forever held me from moving on.

I didn't realize I was crying. Hot tears spilled down my face, and I slid my back down the wall, burying my head in my arms and barely wincing as the still fresh wounds stung.

-x-

[Anatox]

I decided to leave Tonix alone for a while. I mean, what would I say? "I understand?" Of course not. He'd see right through my lies. He was obviously suffering somehow worse than I was.

There's nothing else to do here, and Tonix most likely needs some space. So I decided to go out for a walk, and pay a visit to someone.

On the rhythmic thrumming of my feet hitting the ground I focused as I pulled on my hood and mask and quickened my pace to a slow jog. No one paid me any attention, to them I was just some kid out for a run.

Damn, I wish.

My eyes darted around, taking in the city streets as I slowly ran. Bright sunlight glistened in the windows of tall buildings, forcing me to squint as I looked at them. Vehicles passed by on the road, cars and trucks and the occasional semi growling and roaring as they passed. A few puffy clouds sailed by, high above the city, contrasting to the cornflower sky. A slight chill blew in the air, barely cutting through my moderate-thickness hoodie. A few birds fluttered in the air, either playing or fighting over some food by the looks of it.

I stopped after jogging a few blocks, looking around before turning into a wide alleyway next to an apartment. Black metal platforms with ladders stretched upward, fire escapes. Running my hand along the dirty, pale red brick wall, I continued down the alley until I reached the bottom ladder. Wrapping my fingers around one bar, I pushed myself from the ground and pulled upwards at the same time, gripping the next rung with my other hand before continuing the process up the ladder.

Once I reached the right floor, I hopped onto the metal platform with a clank of the metal and stood up. There was a door, a fire exit. That's why there was a ladder in the first place. Looking around to make sure no one was watching from the streets or the alley (as if anyone would find climbing a ladder suspicious. But you never know), I knocked on the door.

After a few seconds, the door's lock clicked, and the knob turned. As the door slowly swung open, it revealed a man I recognized standing there. His dirty-blonde hair was disheveled, as if he had just woken up. He took his cigarette out of his mouth as he saw me.

"What are you doing here?" David grumbled, giving me a tired glare. Must have had trouble sleeping last night. That I can relate to.

"I don't know, honestly," I shrugged, subconsciously looking around the alleyway out of habit. "Just... needed someone to talk to that wasn't my new apparent roommate. Or my boss. Y'know."

David raised an eyebrow. "You have a roommate? I thought you lived in an apartment."

"I do," I said calmly, "Didn't say anything about him moving in. I helped him and he has nowhere else to go, and he doesn't seem particularly... stable enough to be out in public, so he's living with me now. Apparently."

I avoided mentioning the visions I had from his perspective. As I've mentioned, I'd rather have only one person with knowledge of that, if at all. And that one person is Dagger.

David sighed. "Okay. What have you gotten yourself into now?"

"What do you mean?"

"Well, most people are 'stable' enough, as you put it, to take care of themselves. You know that, despite your obviously degrading mental state."

I huffed. "I came for a friendly chat and you're already concerned about me."

"Hey, I'm just making sure you're not getting yourself into trouble like you tend to do," David said, holding up his hands innocently, "I can be concerned about your well-being if I feel like I need to."

Scoffing, I replied, "Says the guy who sells me drugs illegally."

I earned myself an eye roll from David as he huffed acrid smoke that stung my nose when I smelled it. "Okay. Fair. But to be even here, even if the meds don't do a whole lot, it does something, at least, according to you-" he added the last bit with a narrow glare, "-while actual prescriptions you've tried have ceased to do anything. Plus, buying from me does lessen your chances of being uncovered."

He had a point. I crossed my arms, but remained silent.

Sensing his victory, David's mouth curled into a small smile. "That's what I thought. Now what's the trouble?"

"Who said there was trouble?"

"Your very presence here."

Could he really read me that well? I rolled my eyes. "Fine. It's the 'roommate' I mentioned earlier."

"What about him?"

"Well..." I hesitated for a second before continuing, "He's... like me. And judging from the information I've gotten out of him, it was the same accident."

David stuck the cigarette in his mouth, then removed it as he exhaled. "Like you as in blood and no sleep or like you as in declining mental state and no care for murder?"

"Both," I replied blatantly, "Though the last one, I'm not so sure. Seems to be the kind to kill, but at the same time, he gets nervous and anxious about the most random things that make me think otherwise."

"What's his name?"

"He calls himself Tonix."

"Maybe he's another assassin," David shrugged, "I know some weird people, but even someone as messed up as some of them wouldn't name a kid something like that."

"Believe me, I know an assassin when I see one," I retorted, "We tend to be wary enough to not be found down in an alley alone like I found him. Even injured, though he's not externally hurt besides what he did to himself not too long ago."

I'm glad David didn't push the last remark, I really didn't want to explain Tonix's apparent hallucinations. He blew more smoke from his mouth and coughed. "I really don't know why you came to me for this."

"I don't either. So I guess we're even."

David visibly bit his lip as he thought. Another sigh. "Okay. So there's basically a crazy man in your apartment?"

"Basically." Funny how well that sums up the situation.

"Question, though," David continued, "Why can't you just, like, not allow him to stay with you? It's your house, you can make him leave whenever you want."

"Like I said earlier, he's in no state to be in public by himself right now."

"I thought you didn't care if people got hurt."

"Well, I can care if there may be an insane homicidal lunatic running around. And for all I know Tonix could be one. The insane part is for sure, though."

"You're impossible, you know that?" David retorted, taking another huff of his cigarette.

"Yes, I do, actually. And you're not in a great mood today."

"You're right, I'm not," David shrugged nonchalantly, "Because I was hoping that I could have a day of leave me the hell alone."

"Alright, alright," I rolled my eyes and smiled, "I'll get out of your hair."

He didn't give me a farewell as he closed the door and locked it.

-x-

of course theres a mystery pov thats hunting someone down how fun

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