Gray Heart

THE MYSTERIOUS RAIDERS
A chain of robberies spanning Deteroit is furthering in numbers,
leading all to wonder about their neighbor.
Most prominent of all of these robberies are the raids of a
mysterious person calling themselves 'Yas'. The crimes orchestrated
by this criminal mastermind make up almost one-fourth of the city's
crime rate.
"Yas is leader of what seems to to be a group of prostitutes who are
constantly making their precence known." says chief of the Deteroit
police, Charles Mira, "and they've been going since '89. We haven't
been able to catch them, but we're on their tail."
The most recent of Yas's schemes included the robbery of several
banks, a jewelry store heist, and they are also charged with several
cases of breaking and entering.
This group has called themselves-

The shadowy figure laughed.
"I can't believe that they haven't caught us yet." they chuckled,
crinkling up the paper.
Another shadow smacked them on the arm. The second shadow was much,
much smaller and leaner than the huge, burly figure beside them.
"Dont get cocky like Durlo did. You'll end up where he did." they said.
"There ain't no way I'd ever get caught." the first shadow sniffed.
"Theres always a time for firsts." the second shadow said tersely,
irritation coloring their tone.
"Whatever. I could probably go solo, but you'd probably kill me before
I left, eh?"
"Your first correct assumption." the shadow said, tying the scarf
tighter around the bottom portion of their face.
"Why'd'ya always have to be so cold?" the first shadow complained.
The second shadow stayed quiet. A white mist circled the only light in
the dark alley.
"Fine. Let's just this done now." the first shadow muttered.
"Dont get caught, Dan."
"Same to you, Gray."

"Another hunt scucessful!" Dan whispered excitedly as he and Gray
walked into the red-light district. This was their safe haven.
The wind lightly picked up the end of Gray's scarf, lifting it gently.
Gray untied it, and wrapped it loosely around his neck.
"We better go." Gray said quietly, slowly blinking light violet eyes.
Those eyes scared the crap out of Dan. The long, thick black eyelashed
shadowed over the lavender irises They looked so shallow... but.
Stare too long into them, try to decipher their depths, and you'd go
insane.
As the duo headed towards the old, rundown buildings of the northern
district, a cold, wistling wind blew through the broken structures.
This part of the red-light district was avoided by all of the members
of the district.
Except the members of the Snake's Eyes. That group was filled with
prostitues, and fugitives. A group for the outcasts in the cruel world.
Gray raised a fingerless-glove clad hand to a door, and knocked.
The door banged open, and the barrel of a gun was forced against
Gray's forehead.
"Surely you don't intend to kill me, Suki." he said, slight amusement
coloring his tone.
"I will if I have to someday!" Suki snapped, not lowering the gun.
"HK PSG1 sniper rifle, hm?" Gray said, brushing the barrel away from
his face, "You must've made Yas happy."
"Yeah!" Suki said, instantly brightening.
"You can't fool me with that brutal cover." Gray smiled, a chilling
sight.

The emotion-depraved eyes, combined with the slight teasing
smile...the underlying threat that delicately laced his gaze. It was
enough to make the strongest person wary.
Because people who irritated Gray tended to...disappear.
His harmless appearance and polite demeanor belied his lethal nature.
"Well, Yas has been waiting for your report." Suki motioned inside the
building.
Dan and Gray walked through the desolate building, which housed eighty.
All of the members of Snake's Eyes were required to have the group's
symbol somewhere on their person.
Suki had it as a charm on all of her bracelets and necklaces, the
black and red eyes stared back. Dan's was on the back of his jacket.
Most people kept their symbol on something removable, just in case the
occasion arose that a non-symbol area was targeted. Yas, the leader,
had it on the bandana that he wore daily.
They approached a doorway, which had several scars, and Gray knocked.
A grunt was heard from inside, and Gray pushed open the door.
"oh. It's Gray!" Yas said.
Everyone in Snake's Eyes was under 18. It was a rule enforced heavily,
and anyone could be cast out, regardless of their rank. If the leader
happened to turn 18, then they were either executed on the spot, or
given potassium cyanide.
"I'll just go ahead and say that you completed your raid." Yas eyed
the two.
"Yes. Here's the stuff you wanted." Gray tossed a bag at Yas, who
caught it.
"Good. You can leave now." Yas said, sinking further into his chair,
his usual slouch becoming pronnounced, "I'll give you a break for a
while, then you can go back on duty. I already have a few more
assignments lined up for you."
As the two walked out the door, Dan relaxed his built-for-football
body, breathing out a huge breath of air he'd been holding.
"I don't know how you can stare Yas in the eye like that!" he said,
"Its not humane."
"Its perfectly humane." Gray said, turning to pierce Dan through with
the eyes he was so terrified of.
"Gray." someone said.
Zephyr sat on the ground, leaning against a half-destroyed support
beam. Of course, his katana was close at hand.
"Sparring." he said, fire burning in his eyes. The snake eye earrings
seemed to glare at Gray, daring him to try their master.
"Fine." Gray said quietly. He and Zephyr had a kind of unspoken rivalry.
Zephyr was ranked second, second only to Yas, the master of chaos.
Gray was considered to have passed Yas a long time ago, but he tended
to overdo his mission every now and again.
Zephyr and Gray took their stances on the battlefield. Gray pulled his
weapon onto his left hand.
Gray's weapon consisted of five steel claws with three inch nails,
which slid over his fingers to the bases, ending in points. The joints
that bent at the knuckles overlapped like a dragon's scales. A thin
chain draped from the base of the index finger to a metal band around
his wrist.

The chain rattled omniously, and Zephyr sprang forward. Gray reached
up and grabbed the blade, thrusting it to the side, and then used the
opening to aim a fist at Zephyr's stomach. They went on like that for
a bit, and then Gray thrust his splayed right hand up in front of
Zephyr's face.
"Why'd you stop?" he asked, a smirk forming on his face.
"This." Gray said, pushing the tip of Zephyr's sword harder against
his neck.
"Cool." a new voice said.
Zephyr turned and glared at someone hiding behind Dan.
"Who the-?" he started.
"Pardon his crude behavior." Gray said, focusing his lavdender eyes on
the newcomer. His eyes turned icy, and a clawed finger twitched.
"T-Tristan." the boy said.
Though Gray himself was just about to turn thirteen, Tristan appeared
ten or younger.
"Well, I hope you survive." Zephyr snarled, and stalked off, sheathing
his katana.
"Imprudent idiot." Gray stared after him, an unreadable look in his
half-lidded eyes.
Tristan shuffled back behind Dan a bit, and mumbled something.
"Pardon?" Gray turned his gaze on Tristan.
"He says he's kinda afraid." Dan said.
"Don't be," Gray said, sticking the non-clawed hand in his pocket.
"That's all you're gonna say?" Dan growled. When Gray didn't respond,
he ground out, "You're cold, empathetic, and a ton of other stuff."
Gray made a small 'tch' noise, and left.
"who was he?" Tristan asked.
Contrasting to his usual attitude, Dan could easily sympathize. Gray
scared the crap out of most people, except Zephyr and Yas.
"Gray Ore." Dan said, "well known in the theivery and assassination
business."
"Assassination?" Tristan's green eyes streched wide.
"Being afraid won't help. He's always on his guard. Never really
trusts anyone. Just try to understand him a bit, and he'll open up a
bit."
"R-really?"
"Really. Come on. We gotta go find you a room."