-Middle of Japan, Midnight-

Professor Kremlin sighed as he set his notebook and pencil down on the table. It was almost midnight, and it had begun to rain nearly two hours ago, pelting the roof with astounding voice. There was only one other person in lab that night- not counting the half dead body in the middle of the room.

The girl… how he wished he could help her.

Standing up, he walked toward the middle of the room and stared down at his boss’s victim. The girl was lying on her back with metal straps around her arms, legs, and stomach. Her hair- a strange, dark blue that seemed to be almost black- flowed out around her head. Her eyes were closed, and her lips remained in a tight, unemotional line. She was a pair of jeans, a white t-shirt, and a sky blue jacket. Leaning over, her carefully traced the mark just below her right eye. I looked like a thickly drawn “V” lying on its side, pointing in toward her nose. The shape itself was colored just slightly darker than the rest of her skin, matching the one on the other side of her face. In fact, if it wouldn’t have been for the black outline, someone would have had to have been inches away from her to actually notice anything.

The mark of a project. He couldn’t even remember when she had gotten it.

Professor?” he looked up, backing away as his boss walked into the room.

“You’re back early.” He said.

“I wanted to check on my project.” His boss’s fascination with the girl was almost sickening. He didn’t even consider her to be human, much less a living thing.

“She’s doing fine.” Kremlin muttered.

“Good.” Moving toward the girl, his boss stopped by a control panel. “Then she won’t mind this.” He flicked a switch, and her body immediately became engulfed in electricity.

“Sir!” Kremlin cried. “What are you doing! You’ll kill her.”

“No.” He said simply as she started to shake. “He won’t allow that. He needs her.”

“Are you mad?” Kremlin exclaimed as she screamed in pain. The red shifted to purple as she fought against the cuffs.

“Maybe so. But I’ve finally brought him out.” With one last cry, she broke the chains, opened her dark purple wings, and shot off, through the roof, and straight into the sky.

“Welcome back.” The boss murmured shutting off the system. “Legendary Phantom Thief.”

Chapter One

The Return of the Phantom

“Daisuke…” The red haired man didn’t look back as his wife walked out onto the porch. “What’s wrong? Are you still thinking about what happened last week?” Her voice was quiet, barely loud enough for him to notice. A slight breeze blew in from the east dancing through his hair for a moment before it disappeared in the opposite direction. After a few moments of silence, he glanced back at her, sighing heavily.

“It’s come up in my mind a couple of times.” He replied brushing through her own red hair. “Those wings… they looked just like Dark’s…”

“I know.” She rubbed his shoulders tenderly, trying to comfort her husband. “But you know they weren’t. He’s gone Daisuke.. trapped in the Black Wings with Krad.”

“I know.” He whispered. “But there’s always that wish.”

“Come inside for dinner.” His wife said. “Hurry before it gets cold.”

“Of course.” Her turned around just in time to miss the pair of black wings approaching from a distance.

OOOOOOOO

He panted heavily as he landed in an alleyway. “I’ve never been so worn out before.” He muttered, wincing as his wings retracted into his back. “The more I use my wings, the more painful it is to pull them back.” He sighed heavily. “I can’t do this for much longer.” He gripped his chest almost as if that would help slow his racing heart. “I need shelter.”

Checking to make sure that there wasn’t anyone watch, he stood up, brushing his dark purple hair away from his eyes, even though it fell right back a moment later. He wore all black but his arms were bare, making it hard to stay warm in the chilly weather. His dark, purple eyes scanned the area are him, searching for anything that could help him. “My host still hasn’t woken up.” He muttered to himself. “I know I’ve been using my power a lot, but you would think that he would be strong enough to at least show me he existed.” He still felt his new wing host’s presence- a small flicker in the back of his mind- but it was weak, and he wasn’t even sure it would be there much longer.

“Maybe the question isn’t what is my host doing.” He muttered backing into the shadows as a person walked by. “It’s how did I get back into this world. Just moments ago I was still trapped in the Black Wings with…” He paused glancing suddenly at the sky. “Krad.”

He felt his host stir, shuddering slightly before returning to their comatose state. “Well Dark.” He said to himself standing back into the open. “Looks like I’ll have to figure out what to do on my own.” Glancing both ways he stepped out onto the street, walking down it with his hands in his pockets. It was a lot quieter than he remembered it, but maybe that was because it was almost midnight now- the same time it was when he had first been awakened.

He winced at the memory. Pain- an astoundingly large amount. Maybe that’s why his host hadn’t awakened yet. Their soul was still recovering from the blast of electricity.

He stopped, glancing back up at the sky. His body felt as heavy as lead, and it didn’t help that he had been forced to use his own wings to escape from certain encounters he didn’t want- mostly with people who recognized him for who he really was. Ever time he used it thought, it brought out more pain for his host- and if he continued it might just kill them.

“I don’t even know what he looks like yet.” Dark said with a small smile. “Yet I’m already worried over whether or not he survives.”

Continuing on his trek down the street, he turned his head from side to side every once and while, trying to figure out what had changed since he was here last time. The buildings looked the same, the streets looked a little more beat up, but still easy to drive one, and all of the houses still had the same colored roof- bright red.

“Daisuke.” He thought. “Are you still here?” Climbing up a familiar street, he tried hard not to get his hopes up. His former wing host still alive… there was a chance. But Dark had no idea how long he had been gone. Hundreds of years could have passed and he never would have known.

“There he is!” Spinning around, Dark took a couple steps back as a gang of policemen ran toward him, funs in hand. “I told you he was still here!”

“Takeshi?” The man before him had a hat on to cover his hair, but the voice- although slightly deeper and a little more mature- was recognizable. He was Daisuke’s friend when Dark had been here the first time.”

Did that mean Daisuke was still alive as well?

“Hey guys.” He said gripping one of his arms with his hand. “I haven’t done anything so just leave me alone.” He started to turn to walk away, but a couple of policemen had already gone that way, trapping him in a circle.

“You’ve done a lot phantom thief.” Takeshi said stubbornly.

“Why would you think I was the Phantom Thief?” Dark said innocently. “I haven’t stolen anything. Besides, the Phantom Thief went missing a long time ago, didn’t he.”

“Twenty years.” Takeshi said quietly. “But we still have proof! You look exactly like him! And a man called earlier to tell us that Phantom Dark has escaped from their prison, so it has to be you!”

“Prison?” Dark thought. “That building I escaped from wasn’t a prison… was it?”

No. His host’s voice surprised him, as it was much stronger than her could have imagined due to the state their mind was in just a moment before. It was the Kremlin Science Lab. A prison is it’s cover up since only the most extreme criminals end up there.

/Then why were you there? / Dark asked trying to figure out what his host looked like.

I said the prison was a cover up. The voice said flatly.

“Come with us Dark.” Takeshi said pointing his finger accusingly. “It’s our job to take you back to where you belong.”

Why would Carter work so hard to release you, yet send the police to bring you straight back? The voice thought absentmindedly.

/You’ll have to fill me in later. / Dark tried to make a fist, but pain shot through his body. /I’m still weak from this last week. / He thought angrily. /This is a really bad time to be caught by the police! /

Use the bracelet.

/The what? /

The thing on your arm smart one! Dark couldn’t help but smile slightly. It wasn’t often that he met someone as sarcastic as he was. Obeying the voice in his head’s orders, he glanced at his wrist. A bright blue bracelet rested on his arm, glittering in the moonlight.

/How did I not notice that this past week? /

I’ve been asleep.

/What does that have to do with anything? /

I’ll explain later. But you need to use that to get out of this mess. His host produced a soft cry of pain, still weak from whatever had knocked them out the first time. Throw it into the air and repeat after me.

He obeyed. “Moon and the Sun, Darkness and Light, Combine and take flight, Crystal Wings of might!” The bracelet glowed as a pair of wings appeared, connecting with his back. Both him and his host cried out in slight pain as it dug it’s way into the skin on his back. A fierce wind blew around them, causing the officers to back up in an attempt to avoid being blown away. /What now? / He thought, gritting his teeth.

Take flight. The voice whispered, their voice fading away. You don’t have much time.

/Who are you? / He asked, spreading his new, bright blue wings.

I don’t know The voice said. I can’t… remember…

Looking up toward the stars, Dark shot into the sky, flapping his new wings harder than he ever had before. “Dark!” Takeshi shouted.

“See ya later police chief!” Dark saluted him trying to hide the fatigue in his voice. “I’ll send you an invitation!” Turning the corner, he quickly darted into another alleyway, not hearing the constant screams of the enraged policeman behind him.

Unfortunately, as soon as his feet touched the ground, he fell onto his stomach, his body fading into the body of his host before everything around him went black.

OOOOOOOO

Daisuke awoke with a start, yelping in terror. Rubbing his head in annoyance, he quickly checked to see if his wife had awakened yet. Thankfully, she was a heavy sleeper. Standing up, he moved onto the balcony staring out at the city once again. “Dark.” He thought. “I know your back… but where?”

Glancing down at the street, his eyes widened in surprise. Running inside, he quickly grabbed his jacket and rushed to help the unconscious girl on the street.