Not for a long time had such a look of absolute depression crossed Gunther's face. He sat with his back against the thick trunk of a tree, his hat tilted slightly and his hands absently wringing over the objects dangling from his fingers.

His shoulders were slouched and his elbows lay rested on his knees, his eyes invisible beneath the shadow of his hat brim, so much so that he didn't even register the figure moving up beside him.

"Gunther? What in the blazes are you doing sitting here? Shouldn't you be off conning someone out of their life savings?"

Gunther glanced up momentarily at the furry eared man standing before him.

"Not now Nekko - I am in no mood." Gunther responded blandly, his eyes turned back to the ground.

"Wow - I don't think I've ever seen you show actual... well - emotion. What's the deal?"

"I didn't think it'd actually happen." Gunther said slowly, his head rising slightly as he gazed out over in the direction of Anko's lake, the moonlight reflecting off the glassy surface.

"Ok, seriously, start making sense please." Professor Nekko folded his arms impatiently and tilted his head. "Didn't think what would happen."

It was at that point that the professor noticed what was dangling limply from Gunther's hands.

"Gunther..."

The con-man didn't reply.

"Gunther - is that what I think it is?"

"Anko said rubber doesn't taste very good, so she spat it back out... the umbrella too." He jerked his finger over his shoulder at the slime-covered umbrella lying partially broken on the ground beside Gunther's bag.

"You are kidding." The professor's jaw was open as he stared at the limp gas mask, covered in some sickly glistening substance.

"I'm in no mood to kid... might seem weird, but the world seems a lot brighter when you look through that thing." Gunther stared at the empty eye sockets of the gas mask before he stood, shaking himself down.

"Here." The con-man said, tossing the mask at Professor Nekko, who caught it in surprise. "Take a look through there... I've had enough." He shouldered the bag and picked up the broken umbrella. He stared at it for a second longer before he let out a grunt of disappointment and hurled it into Anko's lake, the ripples surging out over the water.

The professor watched in amazement as Gunther walked off, his head hung and his gait oozing sorrow.

There was a moment more of pause, and then Nekko looked at the mask. He lifted it slowly up to his face and pulled it over his head, strapping it on tight and peering out through the goggles.

"Ah HA!"

Nekko felt the massive fingers wrap around his body and he was lifted into the air, his limbs pinned by his sides.

"Dropped your umbrella did you?" Anko said, delight and triumph etched on her face and wavering in her voice.

"What?!" Nekko said - shocked beyond belief.

"Who fails Now huh?" She grinned broadly as her long tongue flicked out.

"Oh hell..."

**************************************************

As the sound of Anko belching lightly and vanishing underwater faded, Gunther shook hands with the masked man a short distance away.

"Pleasure doing business with you again Mr. Umbrella. Cheers for the battery packs - those things are really difficult to find around here." Gunther said in appreciation.

"No problem. Thank you for helping me in my games." Umbrella Man said, a note of satisfaction in his voice as he turned and vanished into the darkness between the trees.