"Recently, an unknown man called 'Kille' has been murdering people left and right. It seems he only kills by slashing the neck and lower abdomen-" He turned of the TV calmly as he lounged on his couch in the dark, a cigarette between his pale pink lips. The translucent green curtains let the sun shine  through, reflecting dimly off of his sickly pale skin. He puffed out a breath of air, letting the smoke rise boundlessly toward the ceiling. 

    "Pathetic." He clicked his tongue just as the old rotary phone started ringing loudly beside him. Glancing lazily at the telephone, he let it ring until the time ran out. Though seconds later, it started ringing again. He inhaled deeply and let out another breath before picking up the phone and waiting for the unknown somebody to start speaking. 

    A sharp inhale came through the phone, "You're on the case. We would like you to visit the scene of Kille's most recent victim, get here as soon as possible." The caller hung up abruptly and he flinched at the sound of buzzing in his ear. He could hear the electricity running through the phone in an orderly fashion just as he yanked the phone away from his ear. 

    It was a sound he would probably never get used to. With the super hearing he had, he would always flinch away from the telephone as quickly as possible. It was his curse, at least that's what he would call it.

    He finished his cigarette and stood up from his old, hole-filled couch. Notes sat innocently on the coffee table in front of him, they were notes on Kille. No one knows who he is or why he started killing now, but he was sure that he has seen him somewhere before, even if he never goes out. 

    Quickly he walked over to the coat hanger at the door on the other side of the room, getting dizzy from the sudden exercise he exerted to get from A to B. Ignoring the woozy feeling he had in his head and stomach, he grabbed his long black button-up coat and shrugged it on.

    It was too big for him, but that was a good thing. It also hung down to almost his ankles, though he didn't mind it much because the coat just provided more protection from the curious eyes of others looking to see his extensive black wings. He pulled up his sleeveless hood hidden under his large tunic and covered his face as well as the chained horns that lay on his head. A jingling sound came from them as the soft fabric of the hood brushed them. 

    His small hands were covered by his sleeves, only his pasty fingertips poking out when he turned the doorknob and walked out the door. The cordial blue carpet was thin under his bare feet, but it complimented the creamy white of the walls. A vase or two stood attractively by some's doors, multicolored flowers peaking out joyfully from them. 

    On the right, flights of stairs were hidden behind an ugly silver doors, but in front of him stood two sterling elevators. To him, the choice was easy, especially because of how dirty the stairs had gotten over the years from no one using them. He remembered opening the door to the stairwell once a couple months back, it was cold like winter, and trash as well as dust littered the steps, he shuddered just thinking about it. 

    Startlingly, the doors of the elevator on the left opened and a classy woman with black hair walked out. 

    "You've finally come out, Lux. How surprising." He didn't remember meeting her, but he was never one to remember people who had nothing to do with a case. Still, he silently glared at her with his different colored eyes concealed by his hood and ignored her, pushing the button to go down to the lobby. Subconsciously he wondered why she knew his name, but the unanswered question didn't fully reach him as he looked down again and waited impatiently for the silver doors to open. 

    She stood there for a few more seconds before walking away proudly, her black leather clutch held tightly in her hand. The bright lights gave him a headache, forcing him to close his eyes and only rely on his ears to hear the quiet ding of the elevator. He nervously squeezed his hands into tight fists and he clenched his wings close to his back, feathers warming his back lightly.

    It had been a while since he had gone out, and he remembered the reason why. Anxiety bubbled up in him as questions flew through his head, what if they found out? He sharply breathed in a breath of air just as the elevator rang and his eyes snapped open. Glancing up slightly he could see multiple people standing in the elevator, waiting for him to walk in. 

    A man with his arms crossed let out a airy sigh and asked, "You coming in or what?" Lux's face heated up the tiniest bit before he walked in mutely, his feet making no sound as he walked. He could feel other people's gazes on him as he headed to the corner of the elevator.

    Cliche elevator music started playing and Lux rolled his eyes to himself. Everyone shuffled away from him like he had the plague and the atmosphere quickly turned stiff, the only distraction was the annoying music. He sighed quietly and waited for the elevator doors to open at the lobby, though it felt like forever because everyone seemed to have to be somewhere, making the elevator crowded as more people entered through the door.

    Lux was pushed into the corner uncomfortably, his wings were being pushed into the lift's walls. Finally, they were on the second floor though and only one more person squeezed in. The elevator dinged as the doors closed again and it started going down to the lobby. Lux sighed in relief when the doors finally opened and everyone filed out messily, leaving only him in the elevator. Quickly it all turned quiet again and he walked out smoothly, his heels making soft thudding noises on the tiles.

    The large line of people had already disappeared down the sidewalk by the time he walked of the hotel's doors to look around. Soon Lux began walking down the sidewalk just like the others but when he realized that the man on the phone never told him where the scene was he stopped abruptly. His hands found their ways into the pockets of his large coat and he sighed, looking down at the cracks and indents in the sidewalk. 

    He squeezed his hands into tight fists, the blood rushing to his hands, soon releasing his grip on nothing but warm air. His breath came out in long strings of ice particles, making him relax slightly while looking at the white blob. 

    "I'm so close, so very close." A dark voice passed by his ear and he looked up but found no one that looked even the slightest bit suspicious. Lux couldn't help but wonder to himself, who said that?

    Lux continued to look around even after the man on the voice was long gone. He still didn't know where he was supposed to go, but he was sure he could figure it out by the billboards and giant TV's built into the side of large buildings. The news woman was talking on the TV's, the location of the murdered victim posted just beside her head. 

    He couldn't help but shake his head and sigh at the stupidity of others. People would start panicking if they went to see the victim site because he was sure they hadn't cleaned up the body yet to send it to get an autopsy. 

    45 Ave. Gothem Street. It was quite far from the hotel in which he lived, making him groan quietly to himself at the long walk. Lux figured it was good to get some exercise in and he didn't want to take a taxi, the driver always asked to many questions. 

    His hands were cold in his pockets even as he squeezed them into balls, the skin on his knuckles reaching over his weary bones flexibly. He started walking. Step by step, one foot in front of the other, Lux made his way through the noisy city of New York. 

    Forced to stop at every crosswalk there was, the walk took longer than it should have and he was beginning to grow irritated by the shoving individuals on all sides of him. But finally, he reached 45 Avenue on Gothem Street. The place inevitably reeked of death and the crowd of random citizens around the crime scene made him queasy. 

    Still, Lux cleared his throat and took a deep breath before walking to the scene, the bone-chilling cold of the stone cobbles freezing his feet as he went. He quietly shoved through the crowd and ducked under the tempting yellow crime scene tape. 

    A few police officers looked at him wearily as he walked over to the zipped up body, wondering if he was allowed on the scene.

    "Hey! You can't be here!" One yelled out while pointing at him rudely. Lux grit his teeth together as all eyes focused in on him and all turned silent except for the background noises of honking cars and the pitter-pattering of people's shoes as they walked along the stone cobbles. Whispers spread throughout the small alleyway, curious eyes and ears alert for the news ready to crawl upon them. 

    "I'm a detective." Lux whispered almost silently while shaking his head slightly, his hands embraced by a cold sweat despite his warm pockets. By that point, he could no longer feel his feet nor the cold seeping into them and all he could focus on was the staring eyes of others. Anxiousness started to creep into his heart like a long lost friend who he hadn't seen in years. Ah, he remembered the feeling. The feeling of his skin crawling under his clothes, his bones rattling loudly to a tune no one else could hear. 

    "What?" One of the officers asked him, "What did you say? Speak up." Of course he didn't hear. Lux's heart was thumping wildly in his ears and he wondered why it was him who was put on the case. 

    When you're nervous, it's best to own up to your actions, your words... A tiny voice whispered in the back his mind. He remembered someone saying that long ago, when he was forced to speak up so others could hear him. It'll all be alright. Lux squeezed and loosened his hands over and over again before taking them out of his pockets and walking to the officer. 

    "I'm a detective, look up the code name Agent X if you don't believe me." Once again Lux whispered into the man's ear, his voice cracking wildly as he spoke. He looked up at the man to see if he believed him, licking his dry lips and swallowing his saliva. The nervousness still lingered in his lungs and his breath was still caught in his throat, but he acted as if nothing was wrong on the outside.

    Lux wondered if they would believe him. He didn't know whether they knew if he was nervous or not and it made him unintentionally put his guard up while waiting for verification from the cop. The man looked at Lux nervously, the tiniest bead of sweat rolling down his dark brown cheek. 

    "Sure... I know who you are, I need no verification. Go on ahead now." He said, somehow he knew who Lux was and it made him nervous now that people knew him, he wondered who told them who he was.

     Nodding slowly, he swallowed his anxiousness, clasping his hands together nonchalantly. 

    The body bag lay innocently but dangerously as it lay on the ground, next to it was white chalk which was drawn on the concrete in the position the victim had died. 

    "All the victims we have seen so far are male, all killed by the slashing of the neck and lower abdomen. Any clues?" The chief walked up behind Lux, making him jump in surprise. Lux thought for a moment before zipping open the body bag the tiniest bit to reveal the man's pain-struck face. 

    "Well, Kille's very careful about his work, so really it could be anyone." Lux said before clearing his throat and he looked up at the chief in dismay. "Back to square one." He continued to examine the sight and the crowd quickly dispersed as things got boring for them. 

    A dash of red caught Lux's eye, and his was attention was brought back to the corner in which he saw the misplaced color. If you weren't looking for it, it's something you would never see, yet it's so conspicuous.

    He walked over to the crimson stain on the concrete wall and crouched down to get a better look at it. Lux was confused as to why it was there, it seemed new.

    Then, he realized. Kille wanted to be caught.

    Everyone was lead to believe that Kille was a man, evidence even showing that he was. Fake evidence. Kille was one sneaky woman, always careful about her work. Lux didn't understand why she wanted to be caught, maybe it was to get noticed by a loved one, but why was it always males that she killed?

    Lux stood up suddenly and walked quickly over to the chief.

    "Kille isn't a man. She's a woman." Lux breathed out the words in a quiet whisper, only so loud for the chief's ears to catch.

    "What do you mean? Evidence shows that Kille is a man." The chief looked at Lux's hooded figure in confusion and disbelief. Other officers looked their way, trying to listen in on what they were talking about.

    "It's fake evidence. Kille's very careful about her work, always dressing up as a man to hide that she was really a woman. But this whole time she's left little, almost translucent clues that you would only find of you were really looking for it." He muttered, wispy white air coming from his lips.

    "How do you find that figure that Kille's really a woman?" The chief didn't believe Lux yet, and he wouldn't unless there was some evidence to prove it. Lux sighed and motioned the chief to follow him into the corner of the small, desolate alleyway. 

    "There's a lipstick stain mark on the corner of the wall, it's very small. Also, why do you think that Kille would be so reluctant to show that she was a man? It's obvious that she's really a woman." The wheels were turning in Lux's brain as he spoke. 

    The chief looked at him surprised and said, "They told me you were good, but they didn't tell me you were this good." His old black eyes store down at the stain on wall as Lux subtly shifted his wings to fit more comfortably in the huge coat. "Still, you're very mysterious-like and it almost scares me, it makes me wonder if you could secretly be Kille, giving us fake evidence." 

    Lux cleared his throat uncomfortably at the chief's speculation and his hands found each other once again, scratching and nervous, making his skin turn bright red with irritation.

    "I can assure you, I'm not Kille. Besides, you yourself said I was good at this, just as I have been for years." Lux whispered in the chief's ear, his feet hurting from standing on his toes for so long. "I," Lux's voice cracked badly, making him cough a little as the words got caught in his throat, "I better go." 

    A horrible feeling welled up in Lux's stomach and he covered his mouth with his small, bony hand. He knew he needed to let it all out, he needed room to stretch without being seen, he needed to do something. His footsteps echoed loudly through the alleyways in which he raced through, not even worried that his hood would fall off as he was running.

    The wind raced by his ears as he ran faster and faster, as far away from the city as he could go. The clock tower chimed loudly in the distance, his ears aching at the loud cranking of the gigantic wheel as the clock's hand struck twelve. Twelve. 

    It was so soon that he stopped though, just soon enough to feel a certain blood lust coming from another alleyway as he ran onto the sidewalk to see where it was coming from. The air had an intensity that chilled you down to your bones. Stupidly though, he walked down that certain alleyway to find out who would emit such a horrid aura. 

    Slowly, he peeked around the corner to see a woman. It was the woman from the hotel, the one that he had supposedly met before. She turned menacingly to look at him, her eyes red and crazy. Clearly Lux could see that she was not being herself and he couldn't help but wonder if she was Kille.

    It seemed impossible to him, but from years of working as a detective and even before that, he quickly learned to never judge a book by it's cover. 

    "I..." She started out slowly, "I did this all for you." Tears started forming at the corner of her eyes as she spoke. "I killed so many people for you. N-no matter what I did, you would never notice me." Lux's eyes widened under the blindfold he wore, just the slightest bit. He looked at her indifferently though, letting her continue to speak. "So I thought.. I thought that if I did something extreme, you would finally notice me." 

    "Killing is not the answer. You could've tried to talk to me more, or something, because killing is not the answer." Lux was remembering his own line of work before he became a detective. No one knew why he was so good at finding people, killers. It was because of what he did before turning into a private investigator, he had the mind of a criminal. 

    "But- but you wouldn't notice, no matter what I did." She said, dropping to her knees in sorrow. "You don't even know my name, do you?" 

    Lux's eyes widened and his lips quivered, he took a step back from the shock.

    "You don't even know my name, do you?" He remembered someone from the past saying that as well and for the first time in what felt like forever to Lux, he felt guilty. He was trying to tell someone he wouldn't even give the time of day that --- killing was wrong. It was wrong.

    Walking over to the hysteric woman, Kille, he grabbed her hand and started walking out of the alleyway. She didn't know, but he was going to go to the police station to turn her in because he was a detective. No criminal ever escaped when he was put on the case and that wouldn't end anytime soon.

    "Where are you taking me?" She asked wearily and pulled her hand out his grip. Once again, Lux grabbed her hand and started walking again without saying anything. He knew that turning his back was a bad idea, but he did it anyway.

    He suffered dearly for it. 

    The woman pulled out a small silver knife and jammed it in his back, straight through his wings and immediately he dropped in screaming pain. He could not reach the knife in his back to take it out. Quickly his world was turning black and he looked up at the woman who had a grin on her face and mouthed the word "Bingo."