Thunder rumbled along the sky, and the dark clouds rolled over the last of the sunlight, making it appear as if it was night already. The trees here looked a lot more welcoming, and even the grass underfoot felt softer.

Monsters wouldn't spawn for a bit, Ciara reflected after a glance at her stolen clock, they wouldn't take the chance of dying early.

Martyn sped up the pace, nervously looking around him, but she kept at the same speed, completely unconcerned and staring boredly ahead. Toby appeared less afraid, but he could clearly sense his friend's anxiety, but then cast a confused glance at the girl who was acting as if this was a casual stroll in broad daylight. She didn't even look where to put her feet, yet didn't trip once.

"How come you're so confident?" He asked, skipping a few steps to catch up to the blond while she didn't so much as look his way.

"I'm used to the night. Besides, I'm well-armed and well-trained." She answered nonchalantly, finally looking to him with a smirk.

He didn't like the odd look in her eyes. In the darkness they appeared different, they almost seemed to shine with a white glow, and they had a dead look in them. He shook his head, trying to dislodge the uneasy feeling that had settled upon him, telling himself that he was being ridiculous. She was just a girl with a troubled past, she seems nice enough otherwise. Martyn drew his emerald sword, stopping the others in their tracks, having seen monsters roaming about without any purpose ahead of them. Ciara took out her diamond sword, flipping it in the air before catching it by the hilt again, a twisted grin spreading across her features.

"Stay back. I can handle this," She said, not fully understanding why she half-wanted to protect them.

"Are you sure?" The blond questioned worriedly, and it seemed that only Toby could see how much she'd changed for the worse as she whistled to attract their attention.

She didn't respond, instead zig-zagged towards them to avoid the arrows, doing an unnecessary twirl which made her cloak billow out before slashing through two mobs. A zombie reached out for her arm, and just as both guys were about to warn her she stopped stabbing a spider and sliced the hand clean off, the head thudding to the ground soon after. It began to pour with rain again, and as lightning shot across the sky it lit up her features just as she stabbed another zombie and twisted the sword. Toby froze in terror, now knowing that it wasn't just him being scared. She appeared totally insane. With a final kick, she had killed around ten mobs in about ten seconds.

"Watch your six." She called over to them, making Martyn turn around and kill a creeper just as it started to hiss.

The brunette couldn't tear his eyes away from the girl. Her expression had changed completely from when she was fighting, and she seemed genuinely concerned for their safety. But which was the real her?

She didn't understand why she didn't let the mobs kill them both. That would save her a job in the future, and she would then leave her mark and head off to her original quarry. Yes, Martyn was the only person who showed her kindness in her hometown, but surely that meant nothing? She shrugged, sheathing her sword and following the blond again, unsettled by Toby's knowing gaze burning into her. In the little wood, they were sheltered from the majority of the bad weather, but the wind still howled through the leafy branches. Soon they came to a clearing with branches arching high over their heads, fences with torches were scattered about, and a soaking fire sat in the middle with a tent off to one side. Straight ahead there appeared to be a couple of toilets, but she knew better, seeing as she had done some research before she came.

"We'd better sleep inside, it'll be drier and quieter!" Martyn shouted over the noise, guiding her inside first, before forcing the door shut and locking it once they were all inside.

Water dripped off them as they trudged down the stairs, and when their backs were turned she couldn't help but glance at her left hand, the hand she used to leave the print. She could easily sneak up behind them and slit their throats, yet her arm stayed where it was, relaxed by her side, not even inching a bit closer towards her sword. As much as she hated to admit it, she really liked them, they were being welcoming and friendly.

No, she thought hopelessly as she shook her head, I can't warm up to anyone. The last time I did...

"Ciara, are you hungry?" Martyn called, and she forced a smile as he walked back in the room with a loaf of bread, mushroom stew and an apple.

"Yeah, thanks." She said, taking it gratefully and beginning to eat.

"You eat like the Queen!" He joked, earning a genuine smirk from her.

"Sorry for being a peasant who's more sophisticated than a King." She retorted, even getting a laugh from Toby who still felt suspicious.

During the meal they joked and teased each other, none of them taking offence, although the brunette pretended to sulk at one point. Finally, Martyn stood up and stretched, announcing that that should get some sleep, showing her to the beds which they all quickly settled down in.

"Hope you don't mind sleeping in the same room as us. I'm pretty sure Toby snores!" He chuckled until the mentioned brunette threw a pillow at him, which he returned with a grin.

"It's fine." She couldn't help but giggle at the way both of them acted so immaturely, but quickly stopped and told herself to stop being so friendly.

Gradually, the boys' breathing slowed, and she got up and crept out of her bed, sneaking outside without a sound. She drew out her map, noting with sick satisfaction that Ridgedog was in his castle, before angling herself in the right direction and sprinting off. The castle finally came into view, towering above her when she got close, and by the dot on the map she worked out he was somewhere around the front, so, with the help of the convenient architecture, she began to climb up. So far all the rooms were uninhabited, but by a stroke of luck, a window around the middle floor lit up, she she clambered towards it, silent as an owl. Not that she would've been heard anyway with the storm raging on, but she always kept stealthy in all situations. She waited outside, her cloak rippling about her as if it too was anticipating the imminent death, until the light went out again. Now was her chance. She slipped the window open a crack, sliding in without a sound and shutting it behind her, before pressing herself against the darkened wall and peeking at the bed. A body was huddled under the covers, and she took a calming breath before creeping over and standing at the side, katar raised above their chest. He shifted in his sleep, rolling onto his back with a sigh, making her freeze. A blush heated up her cheeks as she realised he was shirtless, but she shook her head, readying herself to deal the killing blow. It was a shame really, he was rather handsome. Wait, what was she thinking?! She frowned, rebuilding her hard mental walls that had been shattered, before swinging the katar down and plunging it into his chest. He struggled awake, hands instinctively making their way to the wound, before his eyes reached the weapon. His golden gaze trailed up it, lingering on her face. She knew her features were hidden in the shadows of her hood, yet the simple look still unnerved her. Drawing the blade out, she couldn't help but notice that he appeared unafraid, and wasn't begging for his life like the others had done. She faltered as she held it up again, knowing she needed to kill him, yet strangely not wanting to. An odd feeling warmed her heart, but she pushed it away, instead stabbing him again. This time he winced, but still said nothing, his eyes still gazing intently at her. Blood was staining the white sheets underneath him, and it further reddened the blanket atop him.

"Go on, kill me then. Finish me off. I knew my time was coming anyway," He spoke for the first time, and his voice made her shiver, the unwanted feeling returning with force.

She pressed her hand to his injury, coating her hand in blood, and hesitated once more before placing the palm firmly on his cheek. All the while he stayed silent, watching her as she moved, curious as to why she wasn't murdering him ruthlessly. Ciara reluctantly took her hand away, twirling the katar in her hand to stall longer, new thoughts and feelings surfacing and distracting her for a moment.

"You do know that if you let me live I can report your appearance to the police so they can hunt you down?" He persisted, already healing in the time she was taking to deal the final blow.

She growled to herself, sheathing her katar and stepping away from him with a small nod. For some reason, she couldn't bring herself to kill him.

"You're sparing me?" He exclaimed, so astounded that he sat up with a wince, the covers dropping down to reveal the rest of his muscular torso.

"If you think of it that way..." She muttered, still regretting her choice with almost every ounce of her being, yet she couldn't tear her eyes away from him.

"I guess I should consider myself lucky. I met the infamous Red Hand Murderer, wasn't killed, and instead heard her speak all in one night." He said, flashing a charming grin that made her heart flutter.

"Guess you should." She replied, keeping her speech short, watching as the skin began to spread over his wounds.

"Say, is everything they spread about you true? All the history?" He inquired, leaning back in a carefree way.

"Unfortunately, yes." She answered, backing away towards the window with his persistent gaze still on her.

"I take it you're leaving? Off to another town to kill someone else?" He asked, lighting a torch next to his bed in an attempt to see her face.

"...I honestly don't know anymore." She let out a sigh, opening the window and was surprised to see that the bad weather had cleared, the moon now shining down on the landscape.

Just before she jumped out, he spoke up. "I won't give you away." Although he wasn't sure why he wouldn't.

She gave him an even look, now well aware that he could make out her features, yet she didn't feel afraid. "Thank you. I appreciate it."

"No problem. After all, you didn't kill me. Just returning the favor." He explained cheekily, a twinkle in his eye.

Ciara nodded, feeling a little dazed, before leaping out the window and landing in a convenient pool of water. The blood washed from her clothes, removing any trace of her unfinished deed, and she ran back towards Inthelittlecorp. By the time she returned, she was completely dry, and thankfully settled back into her bed, letting exhaustion drag her down to sleep. Just as her mind faded into a dull blankness, she heard a voice in the dark, one bed across from her.

"You're a murderer!" It whispered, making her heart plummet as she made out Toby's voice, but he obviously thought her asleep so she didn't push it.

Besides, she was far too tired to bother about that now. She promised herself that if it was brought up in the morning, she would deal with it then.

Toby lay awake in his bed, listening to the almost innocent breaths of the girl sleeping near to him. How could he sleep next to a killer? Yet, at the same time, she didn't appear to be threatening towards them, in fact she acted completely the opposite. But he saw her face change when she was in her element, and she had been gone for far too long to have been for a stroll. Besides, who would want to go for a stroll in the middle of the night when it was pouring with rain? It only just occurred to him that the unending din of the weather had been silenced, which usually happened once the RHM had done her dark deed. So who would they find dead in the morning? What if he was dead in the morning?! He forced his shallow breaths to slow, and gradually he relaxed. If she was the RHM, she would've easily killed us by now. She's had plenty of chances. Toby settled back down into his bed, pulling the covers over half his face as he closed his eyes.

He had no idea how right he was.

Watery dawn light seeped through the doors, pooling on the floor and brightening the room. Ciara stirred, turning over onto her side as she opened her eyes. She had a bad dream, in it she failed to kill Ridge. Her heart sank, realising it wasn't a dream, and she had let him live, with just the trust that he wouldn't say a word about her true self. She swung her legs off the side of the bed, yawning, before grabbing her hairbrush and smoothing out her hair so it no longer looked as if seagulls had been fighting in it. The boys were still fast asleep, and despite what he said, Martyn was the one who snored, not Toby. A smile made her way onto her face at how peaceful they were. In fact, the whole scene was pleasantly serene, which was a nice change from her usual lifestyle. Perhaps she should do this more often... maybe she should be like this all the time? But what would Herobrine say? No, this wasn't her life. Not anymore. She was the Red Hand Murderer, and she had to keep up to that title. Her life had changed when she killed all those people in Tomanitem, that was her choice, so she had to suffer the consequences. But right now, she was just working undercover until the perfect opportunity arises. Yeah, that's what she was doing, not making friends. She prodded the brunette's cheek, and when he didn't wake she shook his shoulders. He flinched, seeing her standing above him and instantly assuming the worst, so lashed out and slapped her around the face.

"Remind me not to wake you again..." She muttered, rubbing her red cheek, yet she was still smiling.

"Oh Notch, I'm sorry!" He exclaimed, sitting up instantly.

"It's fine. But look..." She pointed to the somehow still asleep blond, who was continuing to snore. "...a perfect opportunity, don't you think?"

A grin spread across his face, and he crept across to a chest, slowly opening it and wincing when it creaked. He lifted a bucket full of water from it, tip-toeing back over as they exchanged glances, all his previous fears forgotten. She gave a thumbs up, and he tipped the bucket over on Martyn's face. He spluttered awake as soon as the freezing liquid splashed against his skin, and she pulled Toby back in case a repeat of the morning happened to him. His blond hair stuck to his forehead, and as he swept it out the way his gaze caught us, and he let out a playful growl.

Ciara gave an innocent half-smile. "It was Toby."

"Hey-wai-wuh?! It wasn't me!" He stuttered, acting as if she had betrayed him.

"Toby, what have I told you about waking me up like that? You should know better at your age!" Martyn scolded jokingly, while the brunette slowly turned his furious eyes to her.

"What are you- oh no!" She squealed as he started to tickle her, and she backed away until she hit a wall, then she slid down it and tried to get away.

"Payback!" He yelled determinedly, not stopping even when her laughter became silent and she was quite red in the face from lack of oxygen.

"Whoa, who's getting murdered?" Honeydew shouted, barging in without asking with his two companions behind, all three stopping upon seeing a soaked Martyn, a suffocating Ciara and a pleased-looking Toby standing over her.

"...should we even ask what happened?" Xephos questioned, raising an eyebrow as the brunette finally stopped tickling the girl, who choked for breath.

"Some things are best left unspoken." He said wisely, stepping away from the shuddering body as casually as he could.

"And some things cannot be unseen." Lalna replied, holding back laughter as he trudged over to her, sitting her up while all she managed was a dead-sounding groan.

"How come you guys paid a visit?" Martyn asked, water dripping off his chin and landing in the puddle already at his feet.

The raven-haired man shrugged, glancing over to where she was regaining enough life to mutter rude things that described the brunette, while the scientist grinned and patted her shoulder proudly. "We wanted to check on Ciara... mainly to make sure that a, she hadn't scared you out of your wits with rumors, or b, you weren't making her uncomfortable. It looks like a hybrid of both occurred."

"Dear Lord, what did we create?!" Honeydew exclaimed dramatically, striking a pose as he looked to where the sky would be if there wasn't a roof.

"You created a slap in the face and a death for me, a rude awakening for Martyn and another person to tease Toby. So, overall, a pretty average morning." She listed nonchalantly, knowing full well that she felt perfectly comfortable around them, yet she didn't push the happiness away again.

"Sooo... you were murdered, you got soaked and you were insulted? Sounds perfectly ordinary." Lalna pointed out skeptically, making both youngsters tense.

"Murdered... that's right... Ciara is a-" He was muffled as she put a hand over his mouth from behind, having to stretch up to reach him successfully.

"I think Toby and I need to have a little talk." She said with a fake smile, dragging him outside where everything was still damp and covered in sparkling droplets.

As soon as she removed her hand, he burst into frantic speech. "You're a murderer! You killed someone! You're going to kill me... kill everyone!"

"Yo, slow down. Take a deep breath. Count to three... make a wish- no. Calm down then fire one question at a time and I'll say the truth and nothing but." She persuaded, and he sighed, still uneasy.

"Did you kill someone last night?" He began, eyes wide as he fearfully awaited the answer.

"No."

"Right. Then why did you go out?" His voice was laced with confusion.

"I went out to kill, but changed my mind." She answered shortly, baffled as to why she was being truthful.

"Who were you meant to kill and why didn't you?"

"I was supposed to kill Ridge and I didn't because..." She squirmed awkwardly, wringing her hands in front of her nervously. "...well, I'm really not sure."

He noticed the faint blush on her cheeks, and guessed what was up, but didn't point it out. "Are you going to kill me or anyone else apart from Ridge if you try again?"

"If you tickle me again I will..." She muttered darkly, but stopped upon seeing the look of terror on his face. "No, that was a joke. I won't."

"Uh... could you give your weapons to me or put them down? I'd certainly feel more at ease if you didn't have murder weapons at your disposal." He inquired doubtfully, and to his surprise she did so, holding both the katar and the diamond sword over, the hilt facing him.

"Are you done with your questioning? 'cause I smell good food." She stated, eyes bright and hopeful as they shimmered in the sunlight.

He couldn't help but chuckle, yet he shook his head. "Just one more. Are you the Red Hand Murderer?"

"What do you want me to reply with that would put you at ease and not make you go around screaming that I'm the RHM?" She retorted, avoiding the question and suddenly feeling very vulnerable without the comforting weights at her hips.

"We could uh... make a blood pact? You do no more murders and I'll tell no-one who you are, because now I know that's the truth." He offered, being completely genuine.

"I can't guarantee it, I have to please my boss... how about no murders in Tekkitopia?" She countered, crossing her arms.

"No-one in Tekkitopia and none of their relatives anywhere outside."

She considered, before nodding. "Very well. That's fair. Oh, I'd advise you to use your own weapon. Those two are deadly and have a chance of being one-hit-kills."

He looked spooked, before drawing his own sapphire sword and making a shallow cut across the palm of his hand, passing the weapon to her so she could do the same. "I swear to keep your secret no matter what."

"I swear not to kill anyone in Tekkitopia and none of their outside relatives." They shook hands, the blood mingling as they held each other's gaze to try and work out any hint of lies.

She grinned, pulling her hand away and taking out some bandages with the other. For once, Ciara felt at home. She felt wanted, she felt loved and she felt protected. She should've come to Tekkitopia sooner.