[b]Mathew[/b]

Mathew remanifested in the apartment, forming into a medium height humanoid thing with no face and long, spindly arms and fingers.

"This place could use some tidying up, Alex," he scolded, before looking at the money Alex set aside.

"I may not quite approve of how you got a hold of it, but I do want you to know I'm proud of you for helping the church. Now, I'm going to make dinner. How does rhubarb pie sound for desert?"

The shambling, faceless horror that was Mathew tied on an apron and washed its hands in the sink, before it began cooking. More arms sprouted out of his body, before washing their respective hands and handling multiple jobs at once.

[b]Eren[/b]

Eren hesitated, before sighing.

"No, they weren't clear, at all. I thought you were talking about the Hunter," Eren whispered, before setting off for the basement. 

It irked her how terrible she was at working with her doll. She wished she'd not been forced into such a partnership. But then, if she hadn't met Nuul, she would have been killed by those dollhunters when she was a marionette.

What especially irritated her was that neither of them truly trusted the other. From what Eren knew, doll and master were supposed to be friends, at least. But Nuul, Eren just saw the doll as an asset, and an irritation. Eren's feelings about Nuul were a mixed up conviction of resentment, fear, irritation, fondness and bitterness.

Well, however she felt about the doll, she had to work with her.

Eren stepped into the basement, and saw Viper. The thug was on the ground, arms around his knees, breathing heavily.

"Viper," Eren said, "Are you ready to talk?"

Viper looked at him, blinking, as if surprised.

"I..."

Eren waited for him to continue, before shrugging.

"It doesn't matter, for now, come with me."

Eren went back upstairs, Viper in tow. Eren stepped quietly along the wall to her room, then opened the window. For some reason, without explanation, Viper was complying. He followed her out of the window.

Eren thought for a moment. She could take Viper to her father's, but that would put Dad at risk. She could use one of the abandoned warehouses nearby, but then how would she properly secure her prisoner in so short a time. Maybe she cou-

She felt hands wrapping around her throat before slamming her face first into a wall. Eren winced in pain, before biting down on her enemy's hand as hard as she could. He cried out in pain, and Eren followed it up with a flurry of punches to the face. Viper responded with one intense punch to the stomach, knocking the wind out of Eren's stomach, before lifting the detective and tossing her into the wall. 

Eren fell to the ground, gasping for air, and Viper grabbed her by the throat amd lifted her. 

[i]he is yet to awaken...[/i]

Eren cursed her own thoughtlessness. Nuul had said he was ready to talk, and yet he'd been close lipped. Nuul had said he was unconscious, and Eren had disregarded that when she saw him awake. Eren had made stupid mistakes by ignoring her partner and not trusting her. Perhaps...

No.

Eren kicked Viper in the face hard, once, twice, three times. Viper became more and more dazed each time.

Finally, Eren slammed her foot into his temple and he dropped. Eren drew her pistol and aimed it at Viper.

Eren had always done best on her own. She wasn't going to reduce herself to bring some demonic lawyer's pet human. She would not rely on Nuul. 

The man returned to consciousness quickly, eyes glowing yellow a moment.

"Tell me all that you know if you want to live," Eren said.

"O-okay, fine. Just please let the nightmares end," Viper said.

Eren knew she had limited time. If Nuul could defeat the dollhunter, that would be great. But if the dollhunter managed to escape, he could come across Eren. As she was, there was no way she could face a dollhunter. Hell, Viper could have killed her had he any skill to match his supernatural strength.

"Where can I find him?" Eren said.

"At this pub, the Alabastor Python. The bartender keeps an extra room for us. That's where I report my goings about,and where Mr. White, where he...where he..."

Viper looked at his hands.

"Where he made me a god," Viper said, suddenly grinning.

"Speaking of which, what are you?" Eren said.

"The future," Viper said, before standing up.

"Don't move or I will blow your fucking brains out," Eren said, cold and calm.

Viper began laughing, then stepped toward Eren. Eren fired into the man's skull, and he collapsed.

"...well, I have a location," Eren sighed, climbing back through her window. 

"The trail's not cold yet..."