BLACKBIRD'S CRY

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PROLOGUE

"Do you ever feel like you're being watched?"

Duo Maxwell arched a curious brow at his partner, before bursting out into laughter. "If I recall, dude, you're usually the one doing the watching. Besides, no one knows where you are half the time to get the chance to watch you."

Heero Yuy nodded, "Good point." Although that was indeed the truth, Heero still felt a little on edge for some reason. Odd enough as it sounded, he felt as if eyes were burning holes in the back of his head. Yet, every time he surveyed the perimeter, nothing and no one was to be found. Paranoia, he told himself.

Or maybe the Perfect Soldier was onto something.

Secluded within the shadows, hidden by ancient techniques not known to the modern world, stood a lone figure. A satisfied smirk danced wildly upon his features, piercing eyes glimmering with amusement. The one below, the Preventer Organization's most skilled soldier, was his target. The soldier seemed paranoid, perhaps sensing his presence. An inherited trait, he mused, almost laughing at his own thoughts.

Reaching into the depths of his pockets, the shadowed man withdrew a small case. He lifted it's small lid to reveal what appeared to be a sliver of glass with a slight pinkish tint to it lying on a tiny velvet cushion. Gently, he lifted the fragile object and tapped it ever so slightly against the wall behind him.

Down below, something deep within Heero's mind flared. He whirled around, eyes fixed upon the spot in which the shadowed man stood, grinning with satisfaction.

His suspicions had been confirmed.

Finished for time being, the shadowed man turned and vanished into the darkness.

"Heero? Yo, Heero! You in there, man?" Duo waved his hand in front of Heero's eyes for good measure, snapping the Gundam Pilot out of his seemingly hypnotic state.

"Huh?" Heero blinked profusely, trying to rid himself of the odd feeling that had overcome him.

Duo squinted at him, somewhat freaked out. "You alright?"

"I'm...fine. It just... Something was here."

"What do you mean?"

Heero grasped the sides of his head, "If I knew I wouldn't have used the word 'something' in it's place. I...felt...something."

The Shinigami eyed him with curiosity. He was acting outside of his usually manor. Must be something in the water. He dismissed Heero's assumptions with a shrug of his shoulders. "Whatever. Look, we'd best be getting back to headquarters anyway. Une's got that meeting thing she wants all to attend."

"Yeah." With one last glance in the shadowed man's former position, Heero turned and followed Duo back to Preventer HQ.


Deep, chestnut eyes flew open as a sudden intake of air rushed into her lungs. She bolted upright in bed, tossing aside the white sheets as if they were some sort of infectious disease. Feet were placed upon the cold, tile floor and she wobbled on seemingly numb legs to the window. Long, slender fingers parted the curtains as she peered through to the world below.

Her eyes widened and she jumped back, falling to the ground as her legs were not accustom to the sudden movement. A shaky hand raked through her tangled hair, as her breath became faster and faster, panic overtaking her. She clutched the sides of her head, drawing her knees to her chest as she rocked back and fourth on the ground.

Door hinges squeaked and a man clad in a white coat stepped in. "My word..." Quickly, he leaned out the door, yelling for more people. Shouting quite clearly: "She's awake! It's a miracle!"

In an instant, she was on her feet once more. When the man looked at her, she screamed, terror eminent in her voice. She shoved past him and ran, shoving tables, trays, and other objects at anyone else who tried to stop her.

Soon, a pair of white double doors came into view, something she knew to be an exit, a way out of this place and out into a world that was even more alien to her. She shoved them roughly apart, stepping out into the foreign world she had gazed upon from the window. The cold night air tickled her skin, the feeling gave her a odd sense of home.

A choked sob made it's way out of her throat, but she didn't have time to cry, for men where dashing out the double doors towards her. She hid from them and moved in the shadows away from the place she had woken up in, using skills she had learned to use a long time ago...

Finally, she came to rest in a small park a ways away from the building. Hidden among low, leafy branches of a tree, she sat down and cried.

"Where am I?" She whispered into the darkness. "Where are you...?"


Heero sat up straight in his chair, glaring at Duo as he made a paper air plane out of Une's handout and threw it at WuFei, hitting the Chinese pilot square in the forehead. WuFei swore of course, with a cry of "Injustice!" and attempted to leap across the table to throttle the seemingly innocent Shinigami.

Lady Une cleared her throat, eyeing both pilots. "Well then, now that we've settled down, let's begin. As you know, a series off attacks have occurred in various places around the world, each with the same strange reports. We've suspected a terrorist organization - a new branch of OZ or the White Fang, perhaps. However, someone else believes something else entirely is going on."

Quatre Raberba Winner blinked his blue eyes in curiosity, being the first to speak or inquire like always. He was a born leader and it radiated from him, giving him no room to deny it. "Oh really? Just what exactly?"

Une stood from her seat at the head of the table and moved to the door. She opened it to reveal a tall man with spiked hair, clad in a long, black duster. A katana was at his side, one hand resting on it protectively. He peered at everyone through his tinted glasses, removing them after a second or two.

"This is Detective Devlin Talen," Une said. "He believes he knows who is behind the attacks."

Devlin smirked, rolling his eyes at the disbelief evident in the Preventer head's voice. "I don't believe, I know."

"And that would be...?" Trowa Barton spoke this time, his normal stoic features never faltering as he met Devlin's gaze.

The Detective glanced around the room, pausing to look over each individual. His eyes came to rest upon the Preventer seated at the other end of the table, opposite Une's seat.

Heero.

The Perfect Soldier met Devlin's gaze, holding it more steadily than Trowa did.

Something about this particular Preventer intrigued Devlin. An odd feeling of familiarity, even though the two had never met.

"Demons."


TO BE CONTINUED...

Gundam Wing is © Yoshiyuki Tomino.

09.10.2004