Crystal Spark

Chapter One: The Hands

"Get out of the garbage bin Shizuka, Keomi." She heard her full name being called by an unfamiliar voice outside of the dumpster. Keomi hadn't heard her name spoken since she had found herself in this city stranded.

Keomi cautiously peered her head up, just barely a few inches for a line of sight, looking towards where she believed the man's voice to have come from. He stood nonchalantly, dressed in a black trench coat with a white undershirt.

He wondered while watching the girl what made Shizuka Keomi so special that the boss wanted her. Surely if she had an ability should would be using it to make her life easier. She wouldn't need to dig through bins of garbage everyday just to find food. She was just another Sewer Rat like that Atsushi. Only he had an ability.

His eyes were a light gray which contrasted against his black hair and outfit. His eyes held no emotion in them, his face blank and unfeeling.

"I don't have all day," The man spoke, although he seemed to be getting annoyed with Keomi, what for she had no idea, "We have places to be Shizuka."

He did not understand why the boss gave him this job of all people. No one was after the girl, any normal grunt could have come and fetched her from the streets. He also didn't understand why she was so hesitate to come with him. Surely she did not want to stay on the streets regardless of who saved her.

Keomi looked towards her tool wondering if it would be sufficient in knocking the man out and giving her enough time to run away.

The man noticed that she looked down and rolled his eyes. She was obviously plotting something that would not go the way she expected.

"I wouldn't do that Shizuka, you need to be awake for where we are going." The man walked towards the bin, which only made her scoot farther back to give herself some distance. The man stopped not caring if she came with him or not. He could tell the boss she refused their help and protection.

"Is the streets really where you would rather be?" The man made a 'ch' noise and turned around seeming ready to leave Keomi in the dumpster. She was caught between not wanting to be on the streets any longer and not trusting the man in front of her.

The only thing that made her choose jumping out of the bin was: he knew her name. How would he have known her name?

Keomi placed her hand on the dumpster edge, vaulting over the bin and onto the cold concrete. Her muscles flexed at the exertion, having worn down from lack of use on the streets. She rose to her full height of 5'7" and she almost met the man at eye level. He turned to face her a small smirk lining his face.

"You've made your decision?" Keomi had made her decision. She didn't know where her family was or who that man within the smoke was. But she surely wasn't going to find out if she stayed on the streets struggling to stay alive.

"Led the way Sir." The man flinched at the use of Sir instead of his family name.

"Akutagawa," Keomi's head tilted at the name as they walked out of the alleyway and onto the busy streets of Yokohama, "My name, its Akutagawa.'

Akutagawa thought that it was only fair and he already knew her name. The boss had told him to call her by her full name first though, so that she knew that he was talking to her.

The two remained silent as Akutagawa weaved through the city leading the girl to the Port Mafia. Where, most likely, she would call home from now on. Where they would train her to fight and earn her keep.

Once arriving at the Port Mafia Akutagawa led her to a room with a long table, three places had been sat at the table. At the very end of the table a man dressed in black with a red scarf and white gloves sat regally.