Hitomi: Uhhh… Back? *gets mauled* ACK, I'M SO SORRY! I know, I've been gone for too long, and I deeply apologize for that!

The reasons why I've been gone from fanfiction . net for a long time is because A) I have a fictionpress account for original fiction, where I've been at to write my own stuff— *gets mauled again* SORRY! And B) Aside from school and all that crap, writer's block has made me its victim again. It's still pissing me off up to now.

And yet, somehow… I'm about to write the fanfiction I'm typing up here. This time, it is D. Gray-Man, which I've gotten into a while back. The setting will initially take place before the D. Gray-Man plot AKA before Allen entered the picture. As I'll continue to write this, we will get to that part. I was feeling quite daring when creating this OC on a few aspects, so I hope I'll do her justice when it comes to developing her personality.

While it is Lavi x OC, that won't really show until way later AKA when I do settle on developing her personality.

Disclaimer: I do not own D . Gray-Man, Hoshinou Katsura-sensei does. The only thing(s) I do own in here would be my OC(s).

Unravel

I

Rafale

「The consequences when you don't shield yourself from a storm…」

Bright lights were all around in France at this hour; Paris, especially Paris, was quite a sight when you see the view of it from faraway rooftops. The vivid imagery of it all was complemented by the clear, dark blue sky that was exquisitely studded with shining stars. The full moon hung high up, surrounded within its usual but breathtaking silver luster. A dynamic of quiet and commotion collided with a pinch of life from the people, rolling into a flurry of a spontaneous, peaceful atmosphere.

Many people, from those who worked hard to earn their rest to those too young to be up late at night, slumbered fitfully around this time, but that didn't stop those who love the nightlife from going Into their drunken stupors, beyond the point of being able to act properly normal, those in the bars were either making merry folly out of it or were found to be on the tables and sleeping away in intoxicated bliss, aware or uncaring of the Hellish hangover they would suffer upon waking up the following day. Couples who loved going out were in their own worlds as they walked hand-in-hand on a romantic stroll and enjoyed each other's company. Those inside their cozy homes had their own ways to pass the time before going to sleep whether reading a book in a warm bed or stargazing outside the windows.

For some others, despite its serenity, nighttime ruled an iron fist over them. Those suffering from insomnia for their personal reasons knew this was just another evening where sleep was nothing but a foreign concept for who knows how long. However, they consoled themselves with the mere fact that they preferred night over day. Those up and about doing work had pledged their allegiance to the twilight, slaving away to their obligations and reaping the worthwhile rewards of money, good food, and being able to sleep in for long hours, and all snug with the blankets and pillows of their mattresses, when they were done.

For one person in particular, calm as the evening may be, it didn't elicit thoughts of relaxation in their mind. Rather, for this person, the darkness was nothing but a useful cloak to take cover under when needed. In fact, using this time of day in this certain occupation was an absolute necessity. However, there is a difference between one who feels a false sense of security when being unseen by others at this time and one who knows how to blend into the shadows seamlessly. In this business, being able to accomplish such a thing was considered an art form.

Money was the goal here, that much was a given. It couldn't be helped for her, concerning the circumstances. In her frame of mind, she had been taught that you couldn't get what you want unless you earned it. There was no way she was going to let him do everything in order to provide for her needs himself. As if she would let him do such a thing! Never mind the fact they had a close bond, she constantly reminded herself that she belonged to nobody but herself. He already knew she could fend for herself and she had her own way of doing things, but he still did some things for her in spite of her mild protest and confusion.

After all, she had sworn her loyalty and her strength to him. Loyalty to him, the organization and what it stood for, and most especially for the innocent people in this country and the world, was something she put above money by a long shot. She would never let him do everything for her, she didn't need that – she didn't want to feel like a burden to him anymore. She felt the need to prove herself on the fact that she had gotten stronger. Even so, she knew he cared for her more than he would say and she appreciated it, thus letting him do things she couldn't do herself such as cooking.

Most importantly, she couldn't refuse, even if she wanted to, to quit this profession as it was her only purpose in life thus far. This was the life she led for as long as she could remember and there was no way to completely give it up. She could've died back then, even before that, but whatever supernatural being was around decided to spare her the fate and had her live up to this point. Still, for the greater good and to purge the world of its evil, there were sacrifices to be made. In her eyes, this was how she saw the world when corruption was afoot and when war tore its way through the lands like a hurricane.

"Remember to be careful, okay?" His words etched into her mind, a worried look on his usually smiling face when he told her this occasionally. "I know that in this job, it's expected to have casualties. However… I expect you not to die. You've come too far for that."

I know, she mused quietly in response to those words, feeling an odd relaxation from them. Perhaps because she was so used to his attitude, those words just gave her something to be assured about. I know I have to be careful, so no problem. This is my duty, after all, so I won't die easily.

With that, she was on the move. She raced on the rooftop with footsteps as lithe and silent as the wind flapping her dark red cloak, cautious to make sure there no objects on the ground to make her trip or give her location away. Leaping from rooftop to rooftop that luckily had small distances, she finally landed onto an ornate roof of a lavish house – probably a condominium or a vacation house as it wasn't big enough to be a mansion. This was the perfect setting for this job in this area, with little light to guide you and being enveloped in darkness to conceal in. She kept herself hidden, ducking out of sight when she had heard footsteps coming from down below. Sharp eyes looked down carefully to see who the person was, scarcely breathing at this point.

Even in the darkness, she easily assessed that the figure was male. He was tall, about half a foot ahead of her or so, and he was roughly about sixteen to eighteen years old. Dark hair had been pulled back into a low ponytail, falling a little below his shoulders. In the chilly autumn breeze, it was expected to have a jacket on, so it was obvious he was all bundled up too. His social status was already given away for the texture of the long jacket was cashmere and he had a fur collar around his neck. Dark brown leather boots covered his legs while his hands were tucked into the coat's pockets. Despite not being able to get a good look at his face, what with looking at a side angle and all, a gleam caught her eye. Pinned on the left side of his luxurious coat was a small crest. In the shape of a silver shield with indigo edges, outlined on it was a gold and red etching of a griffin standing on its hind legs, ready to crush its opponents.

There was no doubt this person was the target she was hunting for the night. This was James Barrows, son of the noble, Louis Barrows. From what data the Underground gathered about him, James was the kind of noble who bribed the authorities with money when it came to covering up his crimes – mostly of theft, but there had been a murder case or two in which he was possibly involved in but it couldn't be proven. There had been rumors going about that he was also smuggling drugs into the family estate and making his own money out of that from those who could afford it or from those who were desperate enough to get their fix and didn't care what they had to do to get it. Using his wealth to his advantages since he belonged to a family that was one of the richer nobles around in the country, it was a sure sign of power abuse.

This had to be stopped before it worsened. James had been doing this for a few years now, give or take, and who knows what would happen if things continued on as they did.

Nothing to lose now that I found him, she thought seriously as she calculatedly twirled her now unsheathed dagger in her left hand. She grimaced darkly, knowing that this had to be done for the sake of the people suffering because of him. What kind of person would she be if she had waited until it was too late to stop this injustice? What a bunch of scumbags the high society can be sometimes and it was best if this lesser being was eradicated from the face of the Earth. I better end this now.

She jumped down the roof in freefall, using the nearby wall of the house to duck and cover in when she landed solidly on her feet. She tensed against the solid barricade, keeping her dagger out and ready in case there would be a surprise attack. As skillful as she was in stealth, dimly, she wondered if James had heard her descent to the ground. Keeping her breath quiet, she peeked out from the corner just in case, checking on her target's judgment.

"What the…?" She barely heard James's bewildered voice, backing away considerably to stay out of his sight in order not to get caught. Her heart racing and a bead of perspiration falling from one of her temples, she gripped her knife tightly, staying still. Hearing the shuffling of feet approaching her, she braced herself for whatever was to come, aware that this wouldn't be the first time she had to fight off a target until they died. As if reconsidering and thinking nothing of it, the footsteps retreated and she heard his voice again in shades of skepticism, relief, and reassurance, mumbling to himself. "Ahah, wow, James, some noble you are. What kind of person are you, being afraid of every little thing that bumps in the night? It must've been the wind… Or it could've been a cat scurrying in an alley. Don't be a chicken…"

Peering out again, she saw that James had his back turned, watching that his legs were in movement. It meant he was still on his way, wherever his destination was, and nothing was going to stop him. Satisfied with this outcome, she still kept her dagger out, taking out a second one to put in her right hand unhesitatingly. She had nothing to be afraid of for very few people came through here at this time when she made her rounds in certain areas of the country almost every night.

As cautiously as she could, she crept up to him noiselessly, seemingly muting her every breath of inhalation and exhalation. In the blink of an eye, she had latched herself onto his back with her legs fastened tightly around his torso and daggers poised up in the air. As James flailed around once he felt the sudden weight, not quick enough to register what was going on due to fear taking over his senses, a cold, neutral voice struck through him, speaking what would be the last words he heard before his demise:

"It is now that karma has made judgment for the consequences of your selfish choices for I am the messenger of Death, James Barrows."

A chill ran down his spine, realization dawning on him of what his fate would be. Alas, it was too late for him, the knives were too quick to stop. The last things he had detected with his five senses were the clang of metal, the ripping of flesh, and a flash of silver and red. It was then he felt that weight roll off his back, landing lightly on the ground and watching him die. Slowly, James felt himself crumpling to the ground and he watched his blood spraying onto the ground, catching like a million rubies. Black gradually took over his vision and whatever remained of his life in those finals moments escaped in a ragged wisp as his soul took flight to depart from this world.

Immediately, she approached James and bent down to examine his corpse with the eyes of a hunter. Blood pooled under him in sickening quantities, and it stained her clothes as well when she made her kill, but she was unfazed by it. She watched as it blemished his coat, the white fur on his collar dyed red as if stained with wine. Sheathing her bloodstained daggers, she reached out and plucked the brooch from his chest, studying the details of it.

You couldn't even crush your opponent let alone be aware of your surroundings, oh mighty griffin. She mused with a trace of mockery, shaking her head slowly as if disappointed while taking one last glance at the corpse. Let this be a warning to the rest of your family who are in cahoots with corruption.

Pocketing the crest as evidence of her dark deed, she disappeared into the dark, desolate alley, shifting into the shadows and becoming one of them. She slid away, knowing that she wouldn't be found…

She never was.

EDIT: As you noticed, I've edited this chapter. I feel it's a lot more detailed and actually tells the circumstances of Rue and of the current situation she's in, which was something I had failed to do when writing this chapter due to writer's block and being pressured for time. So, from now on, I will keep rewriting the early chapters until I'm satisfied. I'll be editing the grammar and what not, but no worries, the content of the story is mostly the same. However, there will be a few… *ahem* Changes in the fanfic that haven't been seen the first time.

Hitomi: This was all I could think of at the top of my head. Seriously, this was the only thing I could think of as an introduction to my character. The next chapter, as far as I'm concerned, will reveal on the Black Order sensing Innocence in France. The only problem with this is… *grins a little* Well, I'm not sure what kind of weapon to give the OC for Innocence. I already decided it'll be an equipment type… But, I'm not sure if I've any ideas here. So, help me out!

For those who didn't get the chapter title, Rafale means Squall (or storm) in French. There's a reason why I put it there.