Verity sighed as he made his way to his class. As always he had a dreamless night and when he woke up he did not feel refreshed at all. On the way to the training facility he had taken notice of a couple of demon, but he had to hold himself back from attacking. While he had a way to attack it would just end up revealing what he really was. Instead he let them go for now. The front lines would handle it. They were skilled enough to handle the ones he saw.

He scanned his key card as he entered the building. He was living under a false name, but it was the only way that he could avoid those from his past. From what he knew only those at the top and his family knew where he had gone. He had no plans to tell anyone where he was. A smart enough hunter would be able to tell there was something strange about him after some observation. He slowly made his way to class. Today they were going to some practical training.

It was cold this morning as Hideki sat in his Van with a sleeping bag and nothing but some old possessions, and the picture of his old friend Verity.

It had been years and years since the disappearance and police said he died but Hideki never believe it he had been having dreams about his friend many dreams, some might speculate that this is a sign of obsession or insanity but it was cold hard determination that drove him and today Hideki had a feeling that he had a chance and he had to take it.

Hideki got out of the Van, Hideki had been watching a lad that looked exactly like Verity but with some differences and he now saw him enter a building Hideki had been suspecting this man for a while and they had talked a few times Hideki looked like a wreck with his torn jeans and scruffy face he was almost growing a beard but he had to keep his mind on Verity as he stood and saw the man disappear he decided he would wait for him to exit the building later, so Hideki got back into the Van and waited.

He spend his day watching the student's spare with each other. They were still not at the level that they could take on a demon with just their skills. He wondered if his generation was the last good group to come out of this school. He was going to have to drill them harder. Next time he was going to spare with them and show them the level that he would need to be at in order fight the demons. It was that or he would need to capture a low level demon to fight.

He left the building and wondered where he should go. His father wanted him to visit today. He was sure that he was going to try to convince him to go back to the front lines. It was a conversation that he was tired of having. He was considered dead and he wanted to keep it that way. Instead he turned to his left and started to make his way to his favorite restaurant. He was going to treat himself before he went home to plan the next lesson. He looked up at the sky. He wanted nothing more than to go out hunting tonight. It would be a god night to hunt.

As the young man stepped out of the building Hideki immediately exited the car and then approached him.

@calmay

"Excuse me sir..."

He waved a hand at the man.

Verity really had expected to get the the restaurant and spend the evening alone. It was the only way that he would be able to get through days. He smiled at the man with the same smile he gave to his students.

"Is there anything I can help you with? Do you need directions?"

He did not recognize the man that he was talking to.

"No I know my way around I am just wondering if you recognized me?"

Hideous smiled and waited for the man he suspected to be Verity to reply.

Verity looked at the man as he spoke. He had no idea why he would recognize him. He was not one of the other teachers at the school. Still he took a moment to look at the man. Now that he thought about it his face did look a little familiar. The second he realized that he stopped. The only people he knew where hunters and he was considered dead by the majority of them.

"I'm sorry you must have the wrong person." He lied.

If this man really was a hunter then he was going to have to make this guy believe he was another man.

"Alrighty then it's time to get forth right I am Hideki if that rings any bells"

He raised an eyebrow at the man.

Hideki, that was a name that Verity knew. It was one of the people that he had partnered with for some time. He had been one of the hunters that did not choose to change partners after a couple missions. He had regretted changing partners, but he had been needed elsewhere and they only needed one more person for the job that he had taken. This time he could not stop his face from showing that he recognized the name. He looked at the man he once called partner.

"If you were smart you would stop what you are doing. Let the dead stay dead," he said. "There are things that you don't know and are better off leaving alone."

It was the only warning that he could give the man.

He had been right Hideki suppressed the urge to smile because his friend was showing some new characteristics he seemed very distressed and unfeeling.

"But Verity,"

Hideki said quietly.

"I have come all this way searching for you for too long and you want me to leave I thought we once were friends and now this is what I get for searching for you,"

Hideki's face became red and voice raised.

"I have traveled almost everywhere for you I have worried about you because you are my friend,"

Hideki crossed his arms.

"What happened to you Verity?"

Hideki looked over at Verity with a look of uselessness and grief on his face.

"What made you disappear like that I am your friend not your enemy I just want to know what is troubling you and why so what's happened to you Verity?"

Hideki's face turned from uselessness to acceptance and peace all he wanted to know after all was why Verity left.

Verity sighed as he was asked questions. He had hoped that he would be smart enough to walk away. It was not going to be that easy. Well at least if he was going to answer those question he would do it in private.

"Not here," he said. "You never know who is listening. You should know at least that much."

He motioned Hideki to follow him and he led his man to one of the safe houses that he had used when he was younger. He pulled out the key and entered the apartment. It was a simple apartment, but it did not matter to him. It was made for hunters to sleep and recover from a night's work. While he was sure it was empty now, he did not know if someone could show up later.

He took a seat on the sofa.

"It's simple. I died that day. The wound I took from that demon should have killed me."

"But why didn't you die?"

Hideki inquired.

Verity sighed. He shook his head, this was where he was going to lie. No one could ever know the truth, not unless he as ready to die.

"I am unsure. Last thing I remember the fight was that I wounded and the next thing I knew I was awake in a new place. There I recovered and that was where I choose to be considered dead."

He doubted it would be enough for Hideki, but that was all that he was going to tell the man.

Hideki knew that Verity had been wounded and he also suspected that Verity was lieing.

"Why do you live this way Verity there is no point to running away because where else will you go?"

Hideki asked.

Verity knew he was running away, but that did not stop him from leaving. He needed to hide and that was the only fact that he needed to accept. He needed to hide form the demons and the hunters and this was the best way to do it.

"Live this way? The council arranged for a job for me to teach under a different name. No one can force me to do anything I do not wish to do. Plus even if I wanted to I can't return. I would just be a burden."

He looked out the window and sighed.

"That last mission I did was different then the others. I was the demon's target Hideki. As long as they think me dead I won;t be hunted by them. Like I said there are things that are better left alone. This is one of them."

Hideki knew his friend wanted to give up and just forget but you just can't do that, Hideki understood him but he wanted to rekindle his friends old passion.

"Why live in the fear of being hunted when you were once a hunter yourself Verity it doesn't make sense to live in this constant fear and always hide from your problems that doesn't solve a damn thing if you are being hunted confront your fears or someday they might catch up with you and turn you into a metaphorical demon yourself we can fix this together Verity I can help you and we can live our lives without fear of what is to come!"

Hideki looked into his friends eyes and said.

"I will help you I promise!"

Verity looked at Hideki and shook his head. It was fear that kept him from hunting, but not because the demons were after him. It was the fear of being hunted down by the people he loved. He was not a human like them, he knew that had become one with the demon to survive.

"I watched my partner, the person I worked with since I was a child, die that day. While I can go out and fight, I will not."

He got up and walked to the window. It had been hard living without him everyday. That demon was the only person that understood him and helped him in ways that no human ever could.

"It's not that fear that keeps me from hunting. I don't even need to fear being possessed by a demon. A person that can't dream can never be possessed by a demon. No the thing that keeps me fro moving form that day is something I can't explain to you."

He looked down on the streets and at the people. He wanted to go out and hunt so badly.

"Okay but I still can help you with this I have been your friend for countless years Verity remember when we used to hunt we were the best!"

Hideki wanted to help his friend badly and he felt terrible his friend had to deal with this much grief.

Ventus looked at Hideki. He knew exactly what to say to hurt his friend and make him leave him alone, but he could not make those words come out of his mouth. Instead he turned to the window and looked outside again.

"Alright, one time. Tonight. Do you have you equipment?" he asked.

Hideki nodded vigorously and then said.

"Verity thank you very much for not turning your back to me my friend I knew I could count on you"

Hideki smiled and turned around and then said.

"I will meet you at the park close to down town alright see you later then"

Then he turned and headed for his van to prepare his equipment.