Sidney leaned down and smiled at Katie, her smile revealing her sharp teeth. She gently traced Katie's left cheek with her finger, causing Katie to shudder a little. All around them, the building burned. In the middle of the room some spots on the floor crumbled and gave away, revealing holes leading to a burning hell underneath. 

In the distance, Katie could hear the sound of police sirens coming closer. She had no doubt that Sidney heard them too but, if she was worried, she didn't show it. Not even as the sirens got closer and closer.

Sidney leaned closer to Katie until all that Katie saw were her odd pink eyes, sucking her in like a black hole. After a couple of seconds of doing nothing, Sidney put a finger over her mouth.

"Quiet now. Help was given, but now it is your turn to shine."

Sidney backed away from Katie and jumped backwards and landed, perched on the rim of the open window behind her.

"Loose lips can cause a lot of trouble...and not from me," Sidney told Katie. 

Just as she said that, the roof of the building started to fall apart, causing rumble to fall from the ceiling and land right in front of the window where Sidney was. However, when the rumble landed, Sidney wasn't there anymore. She was gone, leaving Katie and her friend in the top floor of the burning building alone.

 

 

....

 

 

Rachel Amber woke up only after her little sister came into her room and jumped on her stomach, waking her wide awake. That is why, when Amber saw the pancake breakfast ready to be eaten at the kitchen table, she wasn't really feeling like eating. Still, knowing that today is her first day of school after school being closed after yet another incident, as well as the fact that she knows that she is hungry, Amber sat down and started eating.

"Next time you don't awake to your alarm clock, I'm dumping a bucket of water on you."

Amber paused, her fork right next to her open mouth with a piece of pancake on it, and turned to look at her little sister, Jewel Amber.

"I'm sorry, sis," Amber apologized, putting down her fork and doing an awkward bow from her seated position. Jewel looked at her sister, her arms crossed. 

Amber was suppose to be the responsible and mature one and yet, it somehow always ended up with Jewel being the most mature one in the house. Still, seeing her cute older sister's worried face always made Jewel forgive her. Today was no exception.

"Hmph! Well, just make sure you wake up next time," Jewel said, turning to look away from her sister. 

"Thank you!" Amber said, leaning across the table to pat her sister on the head. Her sister let out a cute little pouting noise in protest but didn't move away.

As normal, their mother was away at work. Her sister, despite being twelve, makes breakfast for her and her older sister, despite her sister being freshly seventeen. Still, that didn't bother neither of the sisters. For them, this was just life. 

When the sisters were done, they packed their backpack and left the apartment building and walked together. If a stranger were to see them, they wouldn't think they were sisters. Amber was on the short side of things so she was only about six inches taller than her little sister. That isn't the major difference between them. 

Jewel had long black hair with a ponytail and pigtails. Her eyes were also black. Amber on the other hand, had short light brown and white hair that was, in fact, natural. Her eyes, unlike her sister's, was light yellow. The only similarity the sisters shared was there pale skin color which almost made them look like vampires. 

As the sisters made their way to school, they passed by many familiar buildings. Quite a lot of them had one room with police tap over the windows. Amber and Jewel didn't get the full details but, apparently, in over two days the entire Bonyars Gang was killed. Well over a hundred people. It happened at night. All of them, no matter how old they are, were shot in the head while they slept.

Though, apparently a few weren't shot. They were butchered up. Police think that the ones who were butchered were making a deal with another gang and, obviously, the deal turned south real fast. As punishment, the rival gang killed everyone in the Bonyars Gang.

When Amber heard the news, she couldn't help but shiver. It was bad enough knowing that the part of New York City she lives in was ruled by a gang with well over one hundred members, but now the city might be ruled by a gang that killed that gang within two days. 

Jewel, when she saw the news, had just sighed in disgust. To say she was surprised that something like this happened wasn't really accurate. With the state of the police, there is no one to stop things like this from happening. There is no one that can help the people that need it. 

'Well, there is one person that helps us.'

Jewel reached into her pocket. Whatever was in there, it seemed to calm her down. She looked up and noticed that Amber had stopped in her tracks, watching someone across the street. After a while, the person noticed Amber as well and quickly took off running across the street, not even checking to look if any cars were coming.

Jewel frowned and then covered her mouth when a car turned the corner at an unreasonably fast speed. It was clear that there was going to be an accident but, to Jewel's surprise, the girl running across the street jumped up into the air and kicked off the hood of the car. She landed close to the sidewalk and promptly turned around and gave the car and its driver the middle finger. 

The driver stopped their car a couple of feet away but, upon seeing that the girl was fine and was flipping them off, honked their car's horn and drove off. Jewel briefly wondered if she should take a photo of the license plate but decided it wasn't worth the effort. 

"Hey, Rachel!" The newcomer greeted, bounding over and flashing Amber a wide smile, showing sharp teeth. 

"Hello, Trisy! I didn't know you were in town," Amber said, hugging the girl who was only three inches smaller than her. 

'Well, she looks to be better than Amber's other friends at least.' Jewel thought while watching the two friends hug each other, recalling Becca and Tracy. They might not be but, to Jewel, they seemed like somewhat rich stuckups.

'Trisy...The name sounds familiar.' Jewel thought. While she knows for a fact that she hasn't met Trisy before, she does remember the name coming out of Amber's mouth every now and then. 

"Ah! You must be Rachel's sister, right?" Trisy asked once the hug ended, which was a while.

Trisy bounded her way over to Jewel and grasped both of her hands, leaning forward and causing Jewel to wonder if Amber's lack of understanding personal space came from her or if Trisy learned it from Amber.

"Um...hi there," Jewel got out, a little flustered about the situation.

"Hi! My name is Trisy. What's yours?" Trisy asked, stepping back and doing a Japanese styled bow.

"Trisy, I told you her name already," Amber pouted from the side.

"I know but won't it be impolite to not ask for her name after introducing myself?" Trisy asked, spinning on her heels to face Amber.

"Well, you didn't do that to me when we met for the first time," Amber pointed out.

This topic quickly broke out into a little friendly argument that Jewel was too tired to even try to understand. If there was one thing she learned about Trisy, besides the fact that she is more weird than just her sharp teeth, its that she and Amber have the same hyper energy.

'Hopefully they'll wear each other down soon so we can get to school in time.' Jewel though, letting out a sigh. It was then that she recalled something back when Trisy first crossed the street.

"Trisy called Amber 'Rachel' instead of her nickname. That's a first," Jewel muttered to herself.

 Jewel doesn't know when it caught on but, at some point, Amber was being called by her last name even by their own mother. Even Jewel started calling her sister by that name.

'Does Amber like being called by her last name or did Trisy just refuse to call her by her last name?'

Before Jewel could think on the matter more, Amber tapped her shoulder.

"Come on, Jewel! We gotta get going to school or we'll be late!" Amber told Jewel, grabbing her hand.

"As if I don't know that, you dummy!" Jewel retorted with a hiss. 

Instead of responding to her angry little sister, Amber started walking to school, Trisy following right beside them.

"Trisy, do you go to the same school as Amber?" Jewel asked, realizing that Trisy was following them.

"Nope! I live in an entirely different city," Trisy informed Jewel without missing a beat in her steps.

"So is your school out today?" 

This time Trisy did turn around to face Jewel, though she didn't stop walking.

"Nope again! I don't go to school," Trisy responded.

"So are you ho-" Jewel began to ask but was interrupted by Trisy.

"I run a business illegally! Trisy announced without a bit of hesitation.

Jewel stopped in her tracks, causing her sister to stop with her, and gave Trisy a dumbstruck look. 

That look soon went to her older sister, who was giving Jewel a guilty look. 

"Care to explain?" Jewel asked the two, raising an eyebrow.

"I sell candy with a friend and currently have over six million dollars in my name!" Trisy said, her voice making it seem like she expects to be praised.

"Don't worry about it, sis. Nothing bad's going to happen if I hang out with her. I mean, I have been doing that for two years," Amber assured Jewel, knowing how Jewel gets about sticking to the law.

Surprisingly, Jewel just let out a sigh instead of blowing up like Amber thought she would do.

"Fine. Let's just get to school before we become late," Jewel said, taking the lead. 

 

 

!@#$

 

 

Sidney let out a sigh of content, watching the cars drive by outside. She never knew why someone would build an apartment building right by a highway, especially if that highway is the busiest highway in the world, extending through the four countries. Though, the only three pluses she could think of is that it can make for a quick get away, makes for a great vantage point, and the last and most important point, it is great for hiding...

....especially if you're rich.

At the same time, that is also a downside. Those who are smart and know the area can easily find those who want to hide in this apartment. That is why she went here after checking the sewers for her targets. 

Sidney turned to look back at the couple she has butchered, one strung up from their own flesh on a hook on the roof. Sidney knows those are used for hanging clothes but she can't quite remember if there was another reason for them. She never bothered to look into it. It was a friend of hers that told her of their purpose.

Sidney closed her eyes, recalling how she killed her targets with a small blush on her face. 

Kicking down the door was the first part of it. Sidney didn't kick them off its hinges, though. Instead, she broke the door and slid under a small gas disk. The gas wouldn't work that well with the open space of the apartment but that wasn't its purpose. Sidney used it to scare her targets into trying to escape out the window...

....where she was waiting for them.

Sidney's smile grew, showing her sharp teeth. The rest had all been easy. Screams and blood. Then, when it was done, Sidney decided to do some art, hence the hanging body. As a nice bonus, Sidney even discovered a hidden hatch underneath the bed when she kicked it so she could hang the body better. Inside was a nice bunch of cash and jewels.

Seeing as her client didn't ask for anything like that, just wanted them dead, Sidney took it all. After she placed it in one of her many safe locations, Sidney went back to the scene to chill out. She doesn't particularly care if she gets spotted. The police here already know what she looks like. 

They also know better than to mess with her.

Sidney opened her eyes and let out another sigh of content, feeling the wind gently blow her hair and her large bowtie...though Sidney had just recently learned that what she had in her hair was also called a hair bow or bow tie with a space. Honestly, she thought the entire thing stupid, especially how no one told her until this morning.

Despite being a little annoyed, a smile was still on Sidney's face. 

As she stared off into space, clearing her mind from her annoyance, Sidney spotted something.

"Hmm?" Sidney hummed, interested in a strange sight. Coming down the highway in a backed up lane was a old tan car. The man driving it looked like one of those old timey detectives, though more on the rougher side. His hair was black and greased up, yet at the same time it wasn't well-kept.

"Ahh! Something interesting," Sidney mused to herself, her eyes narrowing slightly not out of annoyance but out of anticipation. 

Things might be getting more interesting in this little part of New York City. Though, for better or for worse has yet to be decided, but Sidney doesn't mind waiting to find out. She has a feeling about him, a feeling that tells her that she'll see more of him in the future.

 

 

%^&*

 

 

Katie Yun did a stretch and prepared herself. The moment she heard the sound of running, she braced herself, ready for action.

"KATIE!" A voice called as a girl shorter than her ran towards her, jumping forward to hug Katie.

Katie, however, was prepared. She quickly darted backwards and to the left, avoiding the flying hug and letting the person crash onto the ground. The person didn't move right away and, upon realizing that, Katie felt instant regret. She reached down to see if the person was okay. That was when the person on the ground grinned.

She struck quickly, grabbing Katie's arm and using her strength to pull Katie down to the ground on top of her where she promptly hugged her. Katie struggled to get up but her efforts were fruitless to the surprisingly strong girl giving her a hug. 

"Let g-go of me y-you small brute!" Katie cried out, struggling even harder. Finally, after struggling for a while longer, she gave up and plopped down, defeated. 

The victor hugged the loser for a little bit longer before she released her quarry, allowing Katie to roll off, panting a little.

"Why d-do you do this to me, Gabrielle?" Katie asked, watching her childhood friend get up and do a quick stretch.

"Because you're cute!" Gabrielle answered honestly, causing Katie to blush a little. Luckily her cheeks were red from her previous efforts of trying to escape the death trap that is Gabrielle's hugs. 

"Are you two done yet?"

Gabrielle and Katie turned to look at the woman wearing a purple t-shirt and light grey sweatpants. That was their gym teacher, and this happened right in the beginning of gym class in front of twenty other students.

"Yes ma'am!" Katie said, getting up.

"Yes," Gabrielle simply said, her voice carefree, the opposite of Katie's. Mrs. Ellfin let out a sigh and shook her head but did not push the matter. Instead, she turned to address the rest of the class. 

"Alright, everyone. As you are aware of the recent incidents occurring around the school, the principle has asked me to go over some things."

Some of the students moaned at her words, having been through this with their other classes.

"I know. You've all heard this before. That is why I am going to make it short so we can all relax and play some volleyball. Now, does anyone have any questions before we start?"

 

....

 

Katie let out a sigh and shook her head, watching Gabrielle and Becca trying to play volleyball, failing to last two passes to each other. Katie's other two friends, Amber and Tracy, were doing fine, though they had stopped playing and were watching the two with Katie. 

"This is kinda amusing as it is sad," Tracy noted, watching the sight of two athletic girls failing to play volleyball.

"This really makes me wonder how I got caught all the time by Gabrielle's hugs," Katie agreed.

"Though, you have to admit, this is most definitely entertaining," Amber pointed out, crossing her arms together.

"Hey! That's what I said," Tracy said with a pout.

"Come on, Tracy. I think you said what everyone was thinking," Amber told her friend with a nudge. Tracy grumbled but didn't say anything else on the matter, seemingly satisfied.

"So, what is the news about the so-called new elite police force?" Tracy asked.

"I have no idea. If what I think is true, the new batch of troops is in Ezra City," Katie said.

"Ezra City? That's a new one. Where is that located?" Tracy asked. Amber leaned closer, interested as well. She too hasn't heard of Ezra City.

"It apparently is a new city that is struggling with making its presence known. That is why there is a lot of crime going on there and why the new unit was moved there first," Katie explained.

"Ugh. Politics, right?" Amber asked, saying something her sister has said many times before.

"Hmm. Just be happy it hasn't gone over here yet. Our city is safe from all those politic stuff since the governor knows how to avoid any of it," Katie replied with a shrug.

"If you guys keep talking about politics, my head's gonna explode!" Becca cried out, having heard the conversation the three were having. 

"Well how about you give us something else to talk about then?" Katie shot back, giving Becca a teasing smile.

"W-well, how about Candy Pop?" Becca said, blurting out the name without thinking about it.

Katie and Amber both froze, though both for two different reasons. Amber froze because she remembers she heard the name before, having forgot that she and her sister had heard about the hitman on the news a couple of days ago. Katie, on the other hand, frowned, her expression becoming dark for a bit before she caught herself. 

"What about her?" Tracy asked, not seeing Rachel and Katie's reaction. 

Gabrielle walked up, interested in the conversation. She has only heard the bare minimal about Candy Pop, really that they are a local rumor, but knows nothing about the rumor itself.

...Honestly, that within itself is amazing. Then again, Gabrielle is the daughter of a rich family. A sheltered girl who doesn't have a strict family. She isn't as dumb as she may appear, however. She is a good judge of character and has some street smart. However, for Katie, she never saw her as a perfect judge. Gabrielle has one glaring weakness.

Her fascination for a prince charming.

When Katie first met Dawnsen, back when she was seven, she instantly disliked him without knowing why. The way he talked just seemed so...wrong. Not wrong like he was snobby or some kind of dangerous person, but just wrong. The way he acted made her heart twinge in a way that was definitely not love. And, most importantly, she hated the way he looked at Gabrielle, and hated how she looked at him even more.

To this day, Katie has never understood why she felt this way. She does, however, know that Dawnsen is definitely not a good person. He is a terrible person that is using Gabrielle for his own gain. There is no doubt about it in Katie's mind. Even though Gabrielle is smart, she still cannot see past Dawnsen's disguise. All because he just so happened to save her one time years ago. Even despite the fact that Katie was with her for four more years than Dawnsen has, and has seen her multiple times more than he has too. 

"Well, Candy Pop was actually rumored to be behind the Bonyar Gang massacre," Becca said after gathering herself, not prepared to be asked a question.

Katie's eyes widened at that, though it didn't seem to be out of total surprise or anything. She had a feeling that Candy Pop was behind the slaughter but, to hear someone say it, even if they aren't sure, was still shocking. 

"...Do you know why?" Amber asked, an odd tone in her voice. Tracy heard it and she frowned but didn't say anything on the matter. She'll ask about it later.

"I don't know. I would say that she probably didn't kill them because of a grudge," Becca explained, wiping some sweat from her forehead with her sleeve, "She's a contract killer so someone probably paid her to do so."

Amber's eyes narrowed in thought while Katie wisely decided to move the conversation along.

"Anyway, what do you think the assembly that is coming up is about?" Katie asked, her voice betraying that she was a little nervous.

"I don't think one person can kill over one hundred people in two nights," Gabrielle said, ignoring Katie's attempt to change the topic, "She's just one person."

"Correction. She is Candy Pop. Since the six months she has been around in our city, she has already killed eight hundred people, not including the gang from today," Becca countered, though it wasn't much of a counter.

Amber opened her mouth to ask another question about Candy Pop when she noticed the look on Katie's face.

"Why don't we all play volleyball? Losers have to get the winners slushies!" Amber asked, clapping her hands to get everyone's attention.

"You know what? You're on!" Tracy said, putting her hands on her hips.

"I'll make teams!" Gabrielle yelled, spinning around and walking back towards the court she and Becca had used previously.

Katie met Amber's eyes and gave her a little nod, showing her appreciation, before walking away.

However, Amber didn't join her friends right away. Instead she was too focused on what she heard about Candy Pop.

'Why would someone kill all those people...better yet, why do it for money?'

Amber shook her head and started walking towards her friends. Right now, she just wants to have fun. This entire ordeal with Candy Pop can wait. After all, it's not like Candy Pop will have anything to do with her, right?

 

 

%^&*

 

 

Katie and Gabrielle walked outside of school together instead of with the others. They had plans today to walk to a park before waling home together. For some reason, the thought of walking with Gabrielle made Katie's heart flutter far more than it has any right too. However, the conversation from back in gym class was causing Katie to become distracted.

Katie has, in fact, come into contact with Candy Pop three times now. The first time was by complete accident. She was just walking down an alleyway, taking a shortcut, when she walked up on someone not looking much older than her checking a strange light-pink colored mailbox with the words 'Candy Pop' on the sides. Back then Katie didn't really know anything about Candy Pop. Still, Katie definitely recognized the stranger as a dangerous person.

It was really the sniper rifle strapped on her back and the blood on her clawed hands that gave it away. 

Katie remembers backing up from her when she bumped into a loose trash can lid, making a noise Candy Pop would most definitely hear. However, Candy Pop didn't pay her any attention. It wasn't until Katie stuck around, trying to see what she was doing, did Candy Pop speak.

"You interested?"

Katie remembers being surprised by Candy Pop's voice. It wasn't gruff or unhinged. No. Instead, it sounded polite and friendly, and she doesn't think it was an act either. 

Despite the odd situation, the two struck up a conversation. Katie learned that Candy Pop was checking the mailbox for any potential jobs and, even more surprisingly, the blood on her claws wasn't from any human but was from a pig she helped someone butcher. She even showed Katie a photo of it. 

To this day Katie never got over the fact that Uncle Giuseppe, the friendly butcher of the deli Author, had hired Candy Pop, and to help him get ready for a party of all things. Sure the party was for the mayor's daughter but it still seemed unreasonable to hire a hitman for help with something as silly as that.

But seeing that picture was helpful. Now Katie knows that Candy Pop handles all sorts of jobs. So, the second time Katie met Candy Pop was when she hired her for a job. Before she put her job request in the mailbox, she first put in a letter asking what they do. Twelve seconds after Katie returned home, an hour overall, the doorbell rung. Katie turned around just in time to see a figure jump away from her front porch. After opening the door, Katie found a light pink card with the same logo on the mailbox on the front. On the backside of the card were the words:

 

"We Do Anything Within Reason. It All Depends On Circumstances!"

 

After reading the card, Katie decided to take the risk and sent in her request. Her request was simple; Give her any information on Dawnsen. Even at age seven, Katie was aware that Dawnsen was no good. 

'Ah, that's right. Candy Pop was around in the old city I lived in before it got destroyed during a war.' Katie recalled, stopping in her tracks. Gabrielle turned back, giving her friend a worried look. Seeing this, Katie gave a bright smile before she continued walking, hoping Gabrielle wouldn't look too much into her actions.

While it is true that it was six months ago that Candy Pop arrived, last year to be precise, she has been around in three different locations. One was in India, the next in Japan, and the final location was in good old America, where they are still located. 

Even though Katie knew that she wouldn't get a visit from Candy Pop since she is a little girl, she still waited by the front door. Candy Pop never came though. So, with a sigh, Katie went off to bed. However, the moment she got comfortable, listening to the storm outside, her window opened up and a figure flew in, landing on the window in a perched position. Katie instantly recognized the familiar odd pink eyes, the white, light pink, and black outfit, and the polite smile. It was Candy Pop.

Candy Pop gave a little wink before entering Katie's room, closing the window behind her before turning around and giving a little bow. Since Katie was sleeping in the top bunk of a bunk bed, Candy Pop had to look up to see her. At this moment, Katie was glad that her brother wasn't here. Who knew how he would react to seeing a strange barge into their room.

Candy Pop wasted no time and reached into a hot pink belt that resembled a superheroes belt, full of pouches or pockets. After opening up one of the pouches in the back of her belt, she took out a familiar letter, though now the letter was wrapped in a light pink cloth tied into a bow with a golden center in the middle of the bow.

"Candy Pop has gotten your request," Candy Pop spoke, her voice still as polite and formal as it was the first time she met her, "I am now here to speak about the contract."

"Contract?" Katie asked, not quite getting what Candy Pop was getting at.

"Yes,  Katie. The contract between Candy Pop and you," Candy Pop explained, giving Katie a cheery smile, "For you see, with this contract your request is guarateened to be fulfilled unless something unforeseen and worrying happens. We either get the payment now or get a downpayment, then complete your request."

Katie had almost forgot that Candy Pop would require money for her services. Luckily, she had already been prepared for this. She had been saving up the money she got from her birthday and the recent holiday, Christmas. Not for this reason but just for the sake of saving the money she had received as a gift. Now, the money seems to now have a use. 

With a nod, Katie reached under her pillows and took out two one hundred dollar checks. At the time, Katie did not know anything about checks, so she did not know that the checks were almost useless to Candy Pop.

"I'll give you two hundred now and two hundred after the job is done," Katie told, trying to make her voice sound tough. 

Candy Pop put the letter on Katie's bed and took the checks. After studying the checks, Candy Pop's smile seemed to change. It was a slight change but Katie recognized that her smile was now an amused one.

"Alrighty then, Katie," Candy Pop said, doing another little bow, "I shall take this as payment. You don't need to pay me the extra two hundred. This is exactly enough."

Katie remembered feeling baffled at her words.

"A-are you swure?" Katie asked, her surprise causing the slight lisps she has to come back.

"Positive," Candy Pop responded, giving Katie a warm look, "It is our job in Candy Pop to help everyone we can. After all, no one else will."

With that, Candy Pop turned towards the window she came from and opened it up. Before she left, she turned back to look at Katie.

"If you ever need something or have a problem with our work, please call the number on your letter. Don't worry, it is guarded pretty well."

As Candy Pop climbed through the window Katie opened her mouth to ask a question. A brief sound escaped her lips but that was it. She didn't feel like bothering Candy Pop any longer.

Yet, Candy Pop did not leave. Instead, she maneuvered her body so she was perching on the windowsill, facing Katie. The entire thing made Katie think Candy Pop is like a cat, able to twist and turn at all angles.

"You can ask your question. I don't mind. After all, it is my job to help you out."

Katie couldn't speak for a while, too stunned by the kind and gentle tone of her voice. When she finally did, she didn't try to act tough.

"Where will you put the information?" Katie asked, leaning forward a little.

"Why, I will deliver it right here. What you do and where you'll keep the information is up to you," Candy Pop replied.

Silence set in and, after a minute or a bit longer than one, Candy Pop came to the realization that Katie has no more questions for her. With a closed-eyed warm and gentle smile, even if her sharp teeth were showing in this smile, Candy Pop turned and jumped out the window. Before she got too far, she turned around and closed the window. Katie thought it may have been her imagination but she could have sworn she saw Candy Pop's eyes glow in the darkness of the storm before she jumped away, no longer in Katie's line of sight.

And that led to the final time she met Candy Pop. It was four years after Katie paid her. For some reason, the entire deal she made with Candy Pop came off as a dream. It was, after all, absurd to think about. Katie, a seven year-old child, hired Candy Pop, an infamous hitman. Plus, the city she was living in was destroyed by a missile four days after she made the deal. Even if Candy Pop was doing their mission, they would obviously be more preoccupied with other things.

So Katie was completely surprised when she heard a thump behind her while she was out on a balcony. When she turned around, she saw the one and only, Candy Pop. Only, unlike the other times she has seen her, Candy Pop had clearly killed someone. How could she tell? Well, she had a sword in one of her hands, an chinese sword by the looks of it, covered in blood that was still dripping off. The biggest giveaway would be the decapitated bald head tied to her waist. 

The glass of water Katie had in her hands dropped down, breaking on the ground below. Candy Pop didn't bat an eye on that. Instead she walked toward Katie, stopping two feet away from her. Being this close to her, Katie realized there was a small blush on Candy Pop's face, and her smile showed her sharp teeth, giving her the appearance of a predator.

"Greetings once again, Katie," She greeted, her voice still sounding as polite as it did all those years before, though Katie could now see that there was a little more pep in her voice.

"M-me?" Katie asked, not quite understanding what is happening.

Candy Pop cocked her head and, once again, Katie recognized an amused smile on her face.

"Why yes! You, Katie Greensberg. You hired us four years ago but, unfortunately, by the time we got the information, Oak City was destroyed by a missile. As a result, we had figure out what was going on and, once I did that, I had to complete a bunch of jobs before they expired. Then, I had to get new information on your target. Yet, the target had changed since then so, after a discussion, Candy Pop decided to sabotage your target until they were how they were before then add some new data to the data collected. Because of this, it took four years to get the information you wanted."

Katie blinked, not understanding what the mercenary was saying. Seeing this, Candy Pop let out a sigh before she put her sword away, putting it through a sheath on her belt, then reached into a pouch from her belt and took out a USB drive, light pink in color.

"This isn't a virus and is safe from outside view. If you ever lose it, call us and we'll get you another one," Candy Pop explained, handing  Katie the drive. Katie took it, studied it for a bit, then looked up at Candy Pop. To her surprise, Candy Pop was standing on the edge of the balcony, looking down at the streets below.

"Wait!" Katie called out, "How can I get your number?"

Upon asking that, Katie instantly regretted it. Why would she be interested in even remotely calling her!? Plus, how would Candy Pop react upon learning that Katie had lost the contract or letter when she moved.

Candy Pop jumped up in the air, doing a backflip, before she landed a couple of feet in front of Katie, facing her. Katie flinched and felt her heart start to race when she saw Candy Pop reached into another pouch. However, instead of taking out a gun or a knife, there was a small light pink card in her hand with a familiar logo. Unlike the card from her dreams, this card had some hot pink and silver edges to it, making the card more detailed.

"Here is my personal card. If you ever have a problem, give Candy Pop a card and I'll hopefully be there for you," Candy Pop explained.

Katie took the card and studied it. While she did, she spotted a name.

"Sidney Cotton?" Katie whispered, not getting why there was a name on the card. It was then that her mind made the connection and she looked up, meeting the pink and black eyes of Candy Pop, or Sidney.

"Yep," Sidney confirmed, giving Katie a friendly wink, "That's me!"

A silence set in that only lasted a minute when Sidney broke it, doing a little bow.

"Remember, Katie. There's always someone who'll help you," Sidney told Katie before turning around and, with a small sprint, jumped off the balcony. 

Katie resisted the urge to look over the ledge. She somehow knew she wouldn't be able to spot Sidney. Instead she looked back to the card Sidney gave her, recalling the words she had said.

 

....

 

Katie frowned, having finished recalling all her memories of Candy Pop. She knew Sidney was capable of some crazy things since the second and last time she saw her, she had shown her agility. Yet, killing over one hundred people in two days, or over two hundred in one day going off what some news channels say, is something Katie just never tried to think someone was capable of. 

'How much did someone pay in order for her to kill that many people?' 

Gabrielle at this point noticed that Katie wasn't quite herself. So, with a sigh, she stopped and turned around, ready to grill her friend. However, just as she opened her mouth a black sleek limo pulled up besides the two girls. One of the windows rolled down and, upon seeing who it was, Katie nearly threw up. She had to try really hard not to make the disgust she was feeling show on her face.

Gabrielle, on the other hand, immediately blushed. In the car was Dawnsen, the rich son of the Tranquilla Family. He had short light brown hair, sharp light blue eyes, and a few freckles on his cheeks that only seemed to enhance his face. However, there was a cockyness in his looks, one a rich son would have. Though, there is no denying the fact that he is handsome.

"Hey, Gabrielle, Katie," Dawnsen greeted, his tone warm and gentle, "Can I offer you a drive?"

Katie scowled and was about to tell him off when Gabrielle spoke.

"Yes! Um, I m-mean, that w-would be greatly appreciated," Gabrielle stuttered before doing a little bow, not seeing the look of shock Katie was giving her.

Seeing as there was no way out of this, Katie let out a silent sigh and got a control of her nerves.

"Alright," Katie answered, not bothering to bow like Gabrielle did. 

Even if she was agreeing with Dawnsen, she did not intent to hand over Gabrielle so easily. Sooner or later, she will make him slip up. Once he does, Gabrielle will see exactly what kind of person Dawnsen is. After all, the apple doesn't fall far from the tree. The information she got from Candy Pop said that all too well.