Chapter 1

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The night was cold and dark. An odd-looking aircraft, just outside the city, having crashed long ago, seemed to be deserted. It sat at the edge of a field, hidden behind the many skyscrapers nearby. However, sitting on the sorry-looking plane was a young man, breathing in the cold night air.

He wore all black. Black boots, jeans, long-sleeved shirt, and a leather jacket to give him at least some sort of insolation. Along with his jet-black hair and gloves, he could almost blend in with the night, if it weren't for his ghostly pale face.

The man leaned his elbows on his knees as he watched his breath swirl into the night sky. Quiet winter nights like this was his favorite time of year. A storm was coming, he knew, by how dark the night was. Clouds covered the moon and stars.

He sighed, getting up reluctantly, and retreated into the plane. Slowly, he pulled the plane door closed. Inside, it was pitch black, but the man could still see fairly well. At least enough to turn on the cheap light bulb that hung from the ceiling.

Its dim glow illuminated the inside of the old plane, which had been made slightly homier, at least enough to live in. A tattered old blanket that smelled faintly of rubber and dust lay spread out in the corner of the cockpit. Two seats, where the pilot and co-pilot would sit, still mostly intact, sat in front of the smashed controls. A small cardboard box sat next to the blanket, but the rest of the plane was completely empty. There was only room for one person in this plane, and he liked it that way.

He looked around at his sad-looking home for a moment before plopping down on the blanket, glancing into the cardboard box, as he did every night. Atop the heap of the leather uniform he never wanted to wear again, but couldn't bear to get rid of, lay a five-by-seven photo, face down. Biting his bottom lip, he reached into the box and pulled out the photo, his gloved hand shaking ever so slightly. December 23rd, 1995. The day Calvin came home was written on the back in pretty, cursive handwriting. With shaking hands, the man turned over the photo.

A tall man smiled ever so slightly up at him, looking completely exhausted, but it was clear he was still genuinely happy. In the man's arms lay a small, swaddled baby, who had somehow gotten his arm free and was reaching toward his father's nose. A young girl, about six years old, stood right next to the man, holding his leg tightly. She grinned toothily, her dark hair in two pigtails, and she stood on her tiptoes in excitement. A foot or two away from the man, a very beautiful woman stood with her hands on her hips, smiling, though it didn't quite reach her eyes, which were cold and dark. Black hair spilled over her shoulders in waves and she wore all black and green.

Calvin, no longer a baby, touched the photo lightly, a million memories shooting through his mind. He took a deep breath, shutting his eyes for a moment, before placing the photo back into the box. He didn't bother to look through the rest of the box. He didn't want to. He lay down on the blanket, staring up at the ceiling of the plane. A fading red symbol that he had mixed feelings about had been painted onto the ceiling many years before. He pressed his lips together and rolled onto his side, not bothering to turn off the light before he drifted off.

"Nightshade, darling." There was a sweet, sing-song voice in the darkness, though there was a touch of annoyance in the woman's tone. "Have you done as I asked?"
The darkness cleared, and the same woman from the photo stood there, looking impossibly gorgeous, even with age. She spoke the words to a man wearing an all-black suit. A mask covered his mouth and nose, so only his dark eyes could be seen.

"No, Madame." The man's voice was quiet and husky, hoarse as if he had been sick and muffled lightly through the mask.

"And why might that be?" She was losing patience, fast. Her eyes were narrow and icy. The man was silent for a few moments, trying to figure out how to word his thoughts.

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