-this-is-a-line-NOTE TO ALL YOU READERS OF THE OTHER CHAPTER!-this-is-also-a-line-

So (EXCUSES ALERT!) I was getting really annoyed with my other chappie since I redid it, but for some apparent reason fanfiction DID NOT want to replace chapters (kept calling the story invalid and not showing up and blah blah all that crapola.) So here you are again, the lovely prologue, remastered with a brand spanking new opening scene and all in 3rd person! ENJOY!

P R O L O G U E

The Zen Club…

The man…

Dark…

Dark…

Dark…

Jenny jerked awake, head and heart pounding. She cautiously opened an eye, but didn't dare move. There was a man in the corner, completely masked, methodically laying out tools. A bucket, a plaster knife, a scalpel…

Oh god…

She slowly pulled herself up, and grasped for the wall to keep her steady. Carefully…quietly…silently…she creeped up the stairs.

One…safe…

Two…safe…

Three…CREEEAKK!

Jenny broke into a dash up the stairway, but only to find herself thrown down by the rocking of waves. She was on a boat, and there was no escape. The man was now at the top of the stairs, and Jenny had a feeling that behind the mask, somebody was getting very angry…

Then he pounced on her. The world began to spin around her, and she looked down at her arm to see a long syringe sticking out of her arm. She pulled it out, but it was too late…she fell right into the masked man's open arms, still awake but unable to move. He carried her limp body back down the steps and laid her out on a table. He grabbed the back of her head and stroked a bit of her reddish purple hair.

"You look just like her…JUST LIKE HER…" He grasped her hair tighter and tighter, then let go, letting her head hit back down on the wood. He looked into her terrified eyes and whispered… "But that's not all bad. You're beautiful, and I'm not going to hurt you. I'm just going to show the world your true face…"

With that, he dipped the plaster knife into the bucked and began making a smooth, careful layer over her perfect features. Jenny's wide eyes were going even wider (A/N: If that's even possible…) as he covered her mouth and nose, but she couldn't move. She couldn't do anything. She laid still, dead eyes pointing skyward.

"NO!" He threw the knife in frustration, and it landed with a clatter across the room. The masked man gripped his head in his hands. It still wasn't right.

Why was the mask never right?

. . . . . . . . . . . . . .

"So? Are you going to do it?" Chan gently pushed, trying to hide the impatience in her voice, trying not to lose the professional tone she was told to use…and failing. On the other end of the line, Alice could almost see Chan's eyes narrowing with irritation. As if that was helping her make the decision!

"…I'm not so sure if that would be a good idea…" Alice looked down at her feet automatically. It was an old habit, and she had self-consciously tried to avoid eye contact with Chan…over the phone.

"You'll get to see Shu-un~" Chan taunted, hoping (and knowing) that would seal the deal. "Look, Alice, we really want you here. You'd be a great addition to the team!"

Alice dug the toe of her shoe into the ground, not wanting to admit that it would be heaven to work with and see Shun every...second…of the day. "But…" she dropped her voice down to a low whisper, even though nobody was around. "The name…Protectors of Other's Rights and Natures? Do you realize what that could be abbreviated to…? P-O-R-"

Chan shrugged and quickly cut Alice off. "Just a coincidence. I didn't come up with the name, anyway. Ask Dan." She looked down at the gold nail polish on her thumbnail, and picked at it for a second. The other line remained silent, but Chan knew Alice was still there. She was obviously not pleased with the answer, but too nice to admit it. "Personally, I don't care much for the name either. You can just be 'Protector' if you'd like, it sounds better to me."

Alice sighed, her voice containing its usual nervous and uncertain edge. "Okay…I'll do it. For you all."

"Welcome to the team, Alice," Chan said, trying to keep the enthusiasm out of her voice. But right after Alice out the receiver down, Chan jumped up, letting all the excitement out in one huge burst of energy.

"YES!" she shouted, fist pumping the air. "DAN! Get over here! I finally got Alice!"

"Hey Dan, could you fax this to…" Runo trailed off and sweatdropped as she watched Chan and Dan (rhyme alert!) doing a happy dance around head quarters . "What are you guys even doi—you know, I'm not even going to ask."

Dan and Chan (another rhyme alert!) weren't listening, though, and had somehow even gotten Fabia to join in, who along with Chan added in some ninja moves and kicks. "DANIEL KUSO!" Runo screamed, dragging Dan by the ear out of his happy dance. "Sometimes I can't even remember why I EVEN MADE YOU my boyfriend!" She hit repeatedly him with a huge package of computer paper until he sulked his way into his office.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Alice pointed the gun, hands shaking, but aim careful. She began to look away and shut her eyes, but heard Runo's sharp voice and thought better.

"No no no, Alice! Remember, you're supposed to watch where you shoot." Runo impatiently but gently turned Alice's head straight ahead. "Now try one more time."

Alice struggled to keep her eyes open. "You can do it, Alice!" Dan and Julie shouted, breaking her concentration. She took a deep breath and began to aim again, painstakingly slow…

"She's totally into it!" Julie drawled in bubbly awe. "That's so cool, I don't think I'd ever be able to do that!"

Dan wandered over, eyes watching Alice, who was absorbed in her work. He frowned and knitted his eyebrows. "You sure this is a good idea?" he whispered in Runo's ear. "I mean…"

Runo giggled softly. "I know! Alice with a…gun…!" She exploded in silent laughter. "Like Julie said, she's so focused though. It's great that she doesn't go all trigger happy like SOMEONE I KNOW!"

Dan laughed and put his hands behind his head. "I wanna see how this goes." He watched as Alice took the shot and cringed as it pierced the target perfectly, going making a clean circle through the head. Alice fell to her knees. "Agh! I'm so so sorry! Oh no, what have I done? ! I'm not cut out for this kind of work!" Alice ranted on and on, and Runo and Dan walked over to her with amused expressions, their laughter not as silent as before.

"Uh, Alice?" Runo managed between laughs. "You do realize you're apologizing to a CARDBOARD CUTOUT, right?"

"Yes! I mean…wait…" Alice stood up and cautiously approached the figure. She shyly prodded it, and as Runo said, it was obviously cardboard. Alice let out a breath. "Ah…I see…that is reassuring…But still! What if that was a real person? Would I actually…oh, I don't want to think about it!"

"Relax, Alice," Runo put a hand on Alice's shoulder, and glared at Dan. "DAN HERE will GLADLY take care of things if you don't want to!"

. . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Shun was hiding in the shadows.

He watched Alice pull the trigger, looking so nervous, so cute, yet so hyper focused. So perfect.

He smirked.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . .

AUTHOR'S NOTE~ I can totally see Alice poking a cardboard cutout, looking all cutely shy and confused…hehe. Yay, it's a cliffy! But for now it's acknowledgment time! I suppose I'd like to thank my brothers, because I got inspiration for this story while listening to them try and kill each other. It wasn't especially delightful. But…thanks for hating each other's guts? Also thanks to all you ShunXAlice fans, who write awesome fics that get you obsessed with the pairing! Anyway, before this gets too long, I don't own any of these characters or Cause of Death. Interrobangs, signing out!