Roulette tried to remain calm as the people and cars around her froze.  It was her first job and she wanted to do things right.  Finding out what she was supposed to do had been quite shocking.  She’d been talking with Club when a vision of an elderly woman had flashed in front of her eyes.  She somehow knew where to go and who she was.  The elder judge had been able to explain that the woman was her assignment and that she should concentrate on the place and person as she exited the house to get there.  All in all it had been much easier than she’d expected.

 

            But now that she was standing face to face with a kind looking seventy six year old woman she was getting very nervous.

 

“W-what’s going on?  Who are you?”

 

“Please don’t worry mam.  I’m not here to hurt you.  In fact, I’m here to help.”

 

“I’m going to die, aren’t I?”

 

“Uh, well . . . possibly.  But don’t worry, even if you do I’m sure it won’t be too bad.”

 

            It was the truth.  The woman was going to have a heart attack and, at her age, the probability of her making it though the ordeal was rather slim.  Still, she was a good person and Roulette had faith that the afterlife would be kind to her.  The elderly woman fidgeted with her handbag.  She was scared and Roulette understood why.  After all, she’d been in the same position herself not too long ago and, though the memories were fuzzy, she could still remember how it felt.  Suddenly, something caught her attention. 

 

            It was a young man.  He was not particularly interesting at first glance but she found it hard to look away.  His dark brown hair was unruly and his gray blues eyes were wide in shock.  She was about to look away when she noticed what had made him so interesting . . . he was moving.  She checked around to make sure that the rest of the civilians weren’t moving before turning back to her charge.

 

“Hang on just a second mam, I’ll be right back.”

 

            The woman nodded hesitantly and Roulette made her way through the crowd.  The brunette panicked and quickly backed away.

 

“Hey, it’s okay.  I won’t hurt you.  I bet one of the others is supposed to judge you.  I’m ure they’ll be here soon.”

 

            She smiled brightly but it did nothing to quell the boy’s panic.  A glint of red suddenly caught her eye.  As she looked closer she saw that the boy was wearing a single red earring.  It was identical to the one she had noticed on Diamond.  She was intrigued.

 

“Do you know Diamond?”

 

            The boy froze, pure terror in his stormy eyes.  She reached out to touch him, hoping that contact would help ease his fears.

 

“It’s alright, I know him too.  You see, I’m Roulette.”

 

            She gasped in shock as her fingers came in contact with his face.  His entire appearance changed in an instant.  Blue eyes went to a pure jet black.  Short, slightly spiked brown hair became longer and dark as solid shadows.  His cloths had changed as well.  Once brown pants were now black and his tennis shoes had changed to black boots.  He had on a white, button down shirt with loose sleeves that ended at the elbows and a plain black vest.  From his belt hung a loose pair of black suspenders and solid black arm covers completed the outfit.  There was no doubt in Roulette’s mind that he was like her.

 

“You . . . you’re one of us.”

 

 

            He ran as fast as he could.  The woman might try and fallow him and despite all his efforts he couldn’t put his illusion back up.  For now he had to rely on the shadows to hide him from prying eyes.

 

Finely, when he couldn’t sense her presence any more, he stopped.  The alleyways were dark and silent.  He couldn’t see anyone around and so he let the shadows fall away.  Almost immediately he replaced his illusion, becoming the unassuming brunette once more, but he knew it couldn’t undo what had been done.

 

He’d been discovered.

 

            Roulette quickly searched all the common areas of the house.  She had to talk to someone about the stranger.  She knew that he was somehow important and wanted desperately to find out who he really was.  Finely, she found Spade shuffling cards at a table in a small sitting room. 

 

She approached hesitantly, trying to make as little noise as possible.  Even after all the times the other woman had helped her she still felt a little intimidated by her.  She stood there for a few moments before finding her voice at last.

 

“Spade, I need to ask you something.”

 

            The rhythmic sound of shuffling did not stop or even slow down, nor did her leader’s dark eyes glance up to meet hers.

 

“What is it?”

 

“Is there anyone that you forgot to introduce me to?”

 

“Why?”

 

“Well, I saw another one of us today, when I was out, and I know I’ve never met him before.”

 

            Spade’s thin hands stopped mid movement and she slowly, almost hesitantly, looked up.

 

“What did he look like?”

 

“He had black hair and eyes and he wore all black except for a white shirt.  He had an earring too; a red one, just like Diamond’s.”

 

            The black haired woman slowly placed her deck on the table and folded her hands in her lap.  Her gaze was cold and unyielding but Roulette would not let that stop her.

 

“I’m sure he was one of us.  Who was he?”

 

            Onyx eyes soften a little as Spade at last gave in to her companion’s questioning.

 

“That was Blackjack.  He would have been your teammate, but he left us a while back.”

 

“Left?  How is that possible?”

 

“It’s not really, but he did it anyway.  You see, he couldn’t handle the job and decided to run away.  He’s still one of us, you can never go back from this.  He lives with the humans and pretends to be one.  He moves every now and then just incase someone becomes suspicious or one of us gets close to tracking him down.  He’ll probably leave that place soon since you saw him.  He had to know what you are.  You shouldn’t worry though, he’ll be back eventually.”

 

“Couldn’t we just call him with his symbol?”

 

“It’s a little more difficult than that.  His symbol was quite uncommon.”

 

“What was it?”

 

“A black poker chip with a 21 carved into it.  There were very few of these ever created and most of them remained with us.  In the days before he left he destroyed most of these chips and the few that remain are lost.”

 

            Roulette remained silent for a few moments but the troubled look in her eyes showed that she would not remain so for long.  There was still more that she wanted and needed to know.  She wrung her hands nervously.

 

“Spade?”

 

“Yes.”

 

“Why exactly did he leave?”

 

            The woman sighed softly, dark eyes saddened by memories of her lost friend.

 

“He remembered.”

 

“What did he remember?”

 

“His life.”

 

“I . . . I don’t understand.”

 

“He and Diamond were . . . very close.  Diamond was the one who found him and they got along well from that moment on.  Because of that, Diamond remembered Blackjack’s name even when his memories were erased.  Eventually, Blackjack got curious and asked Diamond what his old name was.  That triggered his memory.  He slowly remembered who he used to be in life.”

 

“Why is that such a problem?”

 

“When he was alive he believed very strongly in destiny.  He believed that there was meaning and purpose behind everything and that there are some things that are simply meant to be.  He also believed that there is a clear difference between good and evil.”

 

“Isn’t there?”

 

“No, there’s not.  Nothing in this world is as clean cut as that.  You can be mostly good or mostly evil while still having some of the other in you.  In fact, there are few things in existence that are purely one or the other.”

 

“Alright, I think I understand.  Go on.”

 

“You know how your powers work, right?”

 

“Yes.  I just focus my energy and it comes out as water.  It’s just like Casino’s light and Slots’ fire.”

 

“That’s right.  Well, Blackjack had powers like you three.  His was shadows.”

 

“Ooh.  So he must have taken that as a sight that . . . “

 

“That he had become some thing evil.  Yes.  He thought we were tampering with destiny, that we were taking the lives of humans into our control.  He didn’t understand the true meaning behind what we do; keeping the balance.  There’s also one other reason he left, but you’re going to find it hard to believe.”

 

“After what I’ve seen, I’d believe anything.”

 

“He was a seer.  He saw the future and sometimes even the past.”

 

“That . . . that just can’t be . . . “

 

“But it is.  He couldn’t understand what the visions meant until they happened, but that only made it worse.  He’d always had visions, even when he was alive.  It’s a part of his soul.”

 

“So even though he’s gone he’s still having these visions.”

 

“Yes.  He can run from us but not from them.  That’s why I know he’ll come back eventually.”

 

 

He looked up as she entered, but did not move from his spot on the couch.  His eyes were filled with a calm fear.  He knew that this would happen, but he was afraid none the less.

 

“Spade.”

 

            He looked back down at the cards on the table.  He always played this game when he was nervous.  It had become a bad habit of his.  The black haired woman sat herself on the edge of the table.

 

“You’re playing blackjack.  How appropriate.”

 

“I guess so.”

 

            He quickly shuffled the deck and dealt a new card.  Ace of spades.

 

“I hear that you had a run-in with our new recruit.”

 

“I did.”

 

            Another card.  Seven of hearts.  He let his eyes meet hers at last.

 

“You found her, right?”

 

“Did she tell you that?”

 

“No.”

 

            His eyes traveled back to the cards on the table and hers fallowed.

 

“Aah, I see.  You’re cards were always like divination.  How does this one read?”

 

“Simple.  The first is Ace of spades, that’s you.  The second is the seven, you’re number, in the suit that once represented water.  She said her name was Roulette and that makes her the last of the games.  I know that Casino’s power is light and Slots’ is fire.  Considering that my power parallels Casino’s, the power of the last game has to be the match for Slots and that means that Roulette can use water.  A significant card of water fallowing after you’re ace.  You found Roulette.  It’s very simple really.”

 

            She smiled brightly.  With a wave of her hand the cards quickly shuffled themselves and settled into a perfectly stacked deck.  He let himself smile just a little.

 

“You always did like to show off.”

 

            She laughed lightly.  The renegade judge stood and turned away.

 

“You know I’m not coming back.”

 

“I’m not trying to make you do anything Blackjack.”

 

“That’s not my name anymore Spade.  My name is Shane.”

 

            He stared at his reflection in the mirror; a reflection with black hair and eyes.

 

“I’m Shane.  I am.”

 

            He placed a hand against the glass and his reflection did the same.  Blue sleeves met black arm guards.  No matter how many times he said those words he still couldn’t believe them.  Not with his reflection staring back at him.  He saw Spade come up behind him.  Her slender hand settled on his shoulder and his illusion shattered once more.  There was no difference now, the man he was and the man in the mirror were the same.  He knew that, somehow, they always would be.