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The stranger huffed, before kicking Tatsumi in the stomach.

"Say something, damnit!" Tatsumi's attacker barked. Tatsumi, despite the assault, didn't feel scared of them, it seemed strange to him. He didn't feel fear, he just felt concern for what would happen to him. There was no fight or flight, just quiet contemplation as he took the beating.

"Enough with the foreplay." The stranger growled, pulling out a pocketknife.

"I'm not here to just make you hurt anyway. I'm here to finish the job you started!" They yelled as they swiftly swung towards Tatsumi's skull. Immediately, flying through the air with a faint whiff, something cut through the hand of the silhouette, causing blood to drip as they dropped their weapon. From above, a familiar voice came.

"I didn't expect to run into you again so soon!" A light poured in from above, revealing Alister standing on a fire exit to the building in front of Tatsumi. He had switched on a small lantern, and stood with a menacing pose. The light shined below, revealing the object that had cut through the aggressor's hand; it appeared to be a playing card, The Ace of Spades specifically. However, this card had an unusual silver glint to its gilding. The light also revealed the face of the stranger-- his face was contorted into an intense mixture of a grimace and a frown. His hair also resembled Tatsumi's, except much more tousled and messy, practically making his eyes invisible behind his bangs.

"Who in the hell are you, you overdressed fop?!" He screeched up to Alister, tightly clutching his right hand as its blood dripped onto the pavement beneath him. Alister simply gave a stare at the pair below him. His eyes faded once more, and a feeling of surprise and shock washed over his face as he stepped back. Alister saw a silver strand; weaseling its way from the chest of the thug to the pinky finger of Tatsumi, ebbing and swaying as either moved. Alister quickly regained his composure, giving his retort.

"That's not important. Besides, I would like to think you have better things to do than attack a stranger, friend." Allister hopped down from the fire exit, quickly kicking away the knife and pulling out another card. A spark of realization hit the shaggy goon.

"So you must be the one that saved him from the train." He grumbled, letting go of his hand as Alister placed the card against his neck. "What's it to you?" Alister responded, softly placing pressure against his neck with the card.

"I'd get out of the way if I were you, I've got business with him, and you ruined it!"

"So you want him to die then? Why's that so important?"

"None of your business, you dandy!" The stranger swiftly kicked Alister in the stomach, backing him up to the other side of the alley, and relieving the pressure of the card on his throat. Alister quickly adopted a different stance as the crook ran to grab his weapon. Another card flew through the alley, slicing his ankle, and leaving him on the floor, writhing in pain.

"Tatsumi, come with me." Alister said, dashing over to the battered blonde and outstretching his hand.

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