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"I am here to serve. I will not disobey or lie to my master. I will be with my partner whether I like it or not. After I accept this life, I cannot return to my old one. I will try to find happiness and love even if it is impossible. I am nor human nor demon. I am a proxy. And I am here to serve my master."

"Master will be proud," Rouge told the young man kneeling before her. "From now on you shall be known as Hoodie. Understand?"

"Yes," Hoodie said, nodding. 

Rouge had an x-ed out nose and a jagged, jack-o-lantern like grin. She pulled down the white mask on her head, but she couldn't hide the dark empty holes she had for eyes. Being given the title of Revenant by Master not long ago, it meant that she was the top ranking soldier in his small army and could carry out initiation ritual.

"Give me your hand." 

Hoodie pulled his sleeve up and held out his right arm. Rouge's forefinger nail elongated and sharpened like a spike, and she drew a circle on Hoodie's wrist, drawing blood. She rubbed it off, then crossed an X over the circle. 

"You're officially a proxy."

Hoodie stood and looked at the symbol with a smile. "Thank you."

"Where's Masky and Ticci?" she asked.

Hoodie got on one knee, facing the ground, and answered, "I do not have the slightest clue. I thought they would be here with you." He looked up, staring into her hollow eyes. "I hope our lord will not be displeased with me for not knowing about their whereabouts."

"He won't." She looked away from him. "You were not assigned to look after them. I was." It was already dark and the two hadn't inform her of where they were heading to when they left. Rouge closed her eyes and searched for them through their psychic connection. Masky, Ticci, I order you to return. Now.

"You called?" Masky said from her back, his hand around Ticci's waist. He took off his effeminate white mask with shadowed eyes and revealed a sharp face with a large beard. "We weren't gone for that long, now were we?"

"Master's plan is still far from being accomplished and you two are roaming around like you're on your honeymoon," Rouge didn't sound pleased. "Where did you two go?"

 "We were at the haunted houses scaring people," replied Masky. "There's nothing wrong with taking time off and having some alone time with my husband. Ticci and I asked you if you wanted to go out after our encounter with the detective, but you waved us off."

"I was busy," said Rouge. 

"You always are," claimed Ticci, adjusting the transparent bronze colored glasses over his eyes. The mask over his mouth muffled his tone. "Ever since you got upped to Revenant, you have been distant. I thought we were in this together, serving Master until our last breath?"

"We are," Rouge answered, looking away. Everything Ticci said was true. She had kept herself away from them. It wasn't because she didn't love them. She was trying to help Master conquer the city. And in doing so, she needed to maintain her focus. Masky and Ticci always made her deviate from their plans. "You know it wasn't my decision to be Revenant. But Master chose me and I couldn't decline."

"He wasn't blaming you being Revenant. Sometimes it sucks knowing that you're hiding things from us even though we all want the same thing," said Masky. Then he turned to Ticci and said, "Let's stop giving her a hard time, OK?"

Ticci nodded.

"Good." Masky kissed him on the lips before doing the same thing to Rouge. "I love you two."

"I love you too," Rouge and Ticci replied in unison. 

"Now that the drama is over, tell us what Master wants to do," said Masky.

Before she replied, Rouge remembered Hoodie and glanced at him. The boy had been silent the whole time, standing under the non working street lamp, staring at them under the hood of his jacket. Is he talking to Master? She was jealous of the newcomer's strong connection with her lord. 

Being the Revenant was supposed to mean Master would be speaking to her first. But ever since Master took a liking to Hoodie, she was thrown down the pecking order and hardly spoke to him. She missed hearing Master's voice in her head, ordering who kidnap and who to kill.

"Hoodie," she called the young man, "come." He went, and the four of them gathered in a circle. "Master showed me the child we are to kidnap next."

"Who?" asked Masky.

"Junipa's son."