Part One

Rock,

Please meet me at the old main bridge tonight. I need to talk to you.

That was the letter he had found early that morning. It must have been slipped under his doorway sometime during the night. Not a clue was left pointing to who it was from, just that simple note with its two concise sentences written out in a strangely familiar and elegant handwriting.

He asked his father if the letter was from him but he simply grew angry with him and sent him away. He asked around the manor as well but no one had a clue. It was especially strange that the letter had found its way under his door without another soul knowing how it had gotten there. The manor was well protected and breaching security was near impossible. The writing on the small slip of paper appeared feminine. His instinct told him it was probably a hoax, or a trap, but his curiosity got the better of him and he decided to investigate. Besides, he wouldn't go unarmed.

He walked down the busy streets through the breezy night. It was growing late but the streets remained packed with people. The streets were always busy in Metropolis. He could look all around him and never see the same face twice. But as he grew closer to the closed down bridge on the outskirts of town, the flow of people tapered and he soon found himself walking alone. He jumped the barricade and found himself standing on the decaying bridge. It had been long since this bridge was open. It was situated in the slums of Metropolis, an area that the city had outgrown. He looked around cautiously. Whoever had invited him here could not have good intentions. The area was dark, which provided ample opportunity to be robbed or murdered by some low-life crook. He knew this was the area that the criminals dwelled in. Still moving warily, he slowly crossed the bridge.

He came to a halt when he reached the middle of the bridge where a single, flickering lamp lit the area. The only other light came from the hazy glow of the city. He walked to the railing and looked out at the distant Metropolis. Even at this distance, he could still hear the faint sounds of the bustling town. For such a large place it sure was easy to become lonely. Other than his father and the other Marduks, he really knew no one. He had always been a rogue, a lone wolf, an outsider. Because of where he'd come from it was hard for his father to accept him. It was hard for anyone to accept him. But he'd become used to that.

He glanced at his watch impatiently. The note had not said what time he was to be at the bridge. Maybe he had missed them altogether. He certainly hoped not; he didn't feel like facing the fact that he'd come all the way out here for nothing. It was at that moment that he heard it. He had heard a rustling in the distance, like someone moving closer. He placed his hand cautiously near the weapon concealed at his side. He strained his eyes, trying to see beyond the perimeter of the flickering street lamp's light. He looked all around but he could not see anything. Perhaps he had imagined the sound. As he began to let down his guard, he felt someone tap his shoulder. With impeccable speed, he drew the gun holstered at his side and spun around, aiming it directly at his assailant's forehead. Shock dumbfounded him as his eyes met the eyes of the woman standing before him.

"Amaya," he muttered.

She stood there blinking, the barrel of his gun pressed tight to her forehead.

"Put that thing away will you? You're going to put someone's eye out," she said coolly.

He slowly lowered the gun. It suddenly occurred to him. That familiar handwriting, the suspicious letter turning up under his door. Only she could have breached security at the manor and only she would have chosen such a place to meet.

"I should have known it was you," he replied dully.

"You didn't know?" she asked in mock surprise. "It thought even you could figure it out."

"How could I have guessed it was you? You've been gone for five years now."

"Do you forget your friend so easily?"

He rolled his eyes and re-holstered his gun. "Well what is it that you dragged me out here to tell me? It better be good because I didn't come all this way for nothing."

"Relax, I haven't seen you in so long," she said, looking him over from head to toe. "Aren't you glad to see me?"

"Not really," he said, crossing his arms and leaning against the railing.

"Oh Rock, why do you treat me so cruelly?" she asked in mock hurt.

"Me treat you cruelly? As I recall, you are the one who vanished without a word said, leaving me here all alone."

"I didn't think you would honestly care," she said, crossing her arms as well.

"You were my friend! Of course I cared!" he shouted. Seeming embarrassed by his display of emotion, he continued, "Though now I sometimes wish we'd never met."

"Why do you say such a thing?" she asked, her voice sounding truly hurt this time.

He said nothing but simply stared at her. She had no idea that the reason he'd treated her so harshly was because he secretly loved her. Ever since they'd met when they were children, he had admired her. They'd both been orphans of the war and they both were loners, a perfect pair. They grew close and went through everything together, thick and thin. Though he'd been fortunate enough to grow up in a wealthy family, Amaya had been rescued by a poorer family. Even this separation of class could not disrupt their friendship. But as he grew older, he became more aware of his love for her. Despite these feelings, he began to push her away. She went on to get mixed in the wrong crowd and he had trained to become his father's guard, but still they saw each other from time to time. But then one day, she was simply gone. Naturally, he was devastated by her disappearance. Not a single soul who had known her knew where she'd gone. He assumed the worse and thought she'd been killed.

So he turned to the only other person he knew in life, his father, Duke Red. He had become his father's right hand man. Even still, his father would not accept him as his own son. No matter how hard he tried or what he accomplished, his father would not see him as a son. He would not accept him as a son but he would keep him as his protector, his trained killer. Still, he loved his father. He was a proud man and after the loss of his only daughter, he was understandably heartbroken. He supposed that was the reason why he resented him so. Having no one else to turn to, he gladly became Duke Red' s lapdog, becoming the most faithful Marduk.

Now she had wandered back into his life again. It was so strange seeing her there, almost like she was a ghost, returning to haunt him. And even after five years of wondering what had become of his love, he could not find the courage to tell her how he really felt. He still had the same fortress built around his fragile heart. His only instinct was to turn her away, to run. He may be the strongest Marduk out there, but he was weak on the inside.

He studied her face carefully. She had changed a lot in the five years she'd been absent. She'd always been tall and thin but her lean figure seemed to have grown painfully frail. Her once vibrant dark-chestnut hair had become limp and dull. Her dark brown eyes, once bright and mysterious, were now tired and somber. More or less, it seemed she'd aged ten years instead of five. This was the look of someone under great stress, he knew. What could have happened to her all these years that had made her seem so tired, so different than she once was.

"Where have you been all this time?" he finally managed to say.

"I've been around. It's not hard to lose yourself in this city."

"That's your only excuse?" he asked, anger in his voice.

"Do you have to know every detail?" she asked.

"No. But I know your capabilities and how easy it is for you to fall into the wrong practices."

She scoffed. "So that's what you're worried about. Well, you'll be happy to know that I didn't get into anything that you wouldn't approve of." She smirked and said, "I assume you're still floundering after Duke Red."

"I'm not floundering," he retorted. "He is my father, you know. It is my duty to protect him."

"He never protected you."

"He saved me!"

"Sure, he saved you alright."

Rock pushed himself away from the bridge railing and shouted, "Do you have something important to tell me or are you just wasting my time?"

She looked at him with her tired, sunken eyes. "You'll never change," she whispered to herself. She looked at the ground, her face sadder than he'd ever seen it. "Actually, I came here to tell you something very important. But now that I see you're the same person you've always been, I don't think it would matter to you if I told you or not." He shrank back, immediately feeling sorry for his outburst. Tears welling in her eyes she finally managed to choke out, "Why can't you just love me?"

Not being able to stand it anymore, she let the hot tears trickle down her face. Embarrassed, she wiped at her wet eyes. "If you can bring yourself to overcome whatever it is that is holding you back, you know where to find me. Mind you, I may not be here for much longer." She then turned and ran away into the darkness.

His heart aching at the sight of her sobbing, retreating figure, he whispered, "Amaya."