TPW: Okay! I'm back, everyone! Sorry it took me a while! I didn't have access to a computer back then. But now, I'm back and I've got my old laptop fixed and I'm ready to write again! But rest assured, everyone, I haven't stopped writing stories. I'm currently working on putting up my Cyborg 009 story to kick off my comeback! I hope you all enjoy this as much as you have enjoyed my other ones! I ask for no flames, and if you must give me flames, I will be more than happy to use them roast marshmellows!

002: It's about time, Wolf! Everyone was wondering what happened to you.

004: It's good to have you back, Wolf!

TPW: It's good to be back, 004! Now, as all of you may already know this, but I DO NOT own Cyborg 009 or anything else that might have to do with the anime/manga. I just own the OC and this story. That's all for now! Happy readings and remember, everyone: Smile until you stop.

Chapter One: Another Chance

I'm just a shadow,

of who I used to be...

I can't tell if I'm falling,

or standing still!

Do you know why you're scared,

when you're alone?

I do...

... It had been a little over fifteen years since anyone ever saw Noa alive again. Not that anyone ever missed her. Or even cared about what might have happened to her for that matter. Her own mother hated her and had even come dangerously close to ending her very life. And all her grandfather ever really cared about was their family image. He didn't even tell the doctors the truth about the night he brought her to the hospital... Not even the police knew what happened...

Right now, a young woman lay sleeping inside a cryogentic chamber; completely unaware of what was going on outside. She was dressed in a red uniform with 4 large buttons on the front, a pair of knee-high black boots and a long yellow scarf wrapped around her neck.

'Wake up!' A voice called out faintly; echoing in the girl's mind.

The girl stirred for a moment. Her head fell to the side, but she didn't respond after that.

'Wake up now!' The voice was louder this time-more urgent.

The girl's hand twitched, but she still didn't awaken. She wanted to, but no matter how hard she tried, she just couldn't seem to find the strength to open her eyes. It was almost as if her eyes had been sealed shut. And a tiny part of her told her that she really didn't want to wake up, either.

'You have to open your eyes!' The voice now shouted; startling the poor girl awake.

The girl forced her eyes open and took in her surroundings. Everything was so dark and out of focus that she didn't really see anything at first. She felt dizzy and couldn't move her body. Where was she? How did she get there? Who put her there in the first place? And why?

'Can you hear me, 0020?' The voice asked in a concerned tone.

"Wh-wh?" The girl gasped at the sound of her own voice. It sounded so harsh and it hurt to speak.

'... The blackout's over! ...'

'You haven't used your vocal cords in a very long time, 0020. So, it's gonna hurt for a while.' The voice said in a logical tone; trying to keep the girl as calm as possible. 'I'm talking to you directly through telepathy. So, for now, just use your thoughts to speak to me.'

'Who are you? Where am I? How did I get here?' She thought with panic; looking around. 'What happened to me? Am I dead?'

'I can tell you now, but it will only confuse you. But I can assure you that you are very much alive. I promise that I'll explain everything once we get you out of there and some place safe.' The voice answered in an understanding tone.

'We? Telepathy? Are there more people like you?' She thought to the voice; hoping to get some answers.

'Yes, there are more people like us. Nine of us to be exact. Ten if you count yourself. And right now, three of them are on their way to your location to help you escape as we speak.' The voice called back gently.

The girl slowly-painfully reached out and touched the glass in front of her. She saw that she was up right and the glass had been frosted over to the point where she couldn't see what was outside of her chamber. It was then that she realized how cold it was inside the chamber. She tested the glass, and thought about breaking through it in hopes of getting warm.

'Don't break the glass, 0020! It's set to trigger an alarm that will shock you!' The voice called out seriously; causing the girl to stop.

'B-but I-I'm s-so c-c-cold... I can hardly move...' The girl thought back weakly; trying to fight out the sudden drowziness.

'I know it's cold in there, but you stand a better chance at getting out of there if you can endure the cold for a little while longer. Help is just around the corner.'

The girl forced her body to relax and looked around inside. 'Can you at least tell me where I am?' She thought in a weakened tone; still trying to stay awake.

'Right now, you're inside an observation room at a top-secret military base. But that's all I can tell you for now. Help is just about to walk through the door.' The voice replied.

And just as the mysterious voice left her mind, she opened her eyes to see three figures rushing into the room. She couldn't see them clearly due to the frost on the glass in front of her, and soon became slightly scared.

The first figure to approach her chamber cleared off some of the frost. He had orange hair and honey-brown eyes and an over-sized nose. He looked to be about her age and was shocked to discover that she was wide awake. He signalled the other two figures to come see.

The second figure to enter her line of vision was an older man with light blue hair and pale blue eyes. He looked inside for a second and moved off to the side panel while the thrid figure could see.

The last figure to look inside was a boy around 19 or so with muddy-brown hair and redish-brown eyes. He looked up at her for a moment and looked back at the other guys with him. He then moved away to stand guard in case someone else came into the room.

The orange-haired boy came back into her view. He noticed that she was shaking violently, as she stared back at them. From either the cold inside her cantainment unit or fear-he didn't know. but the look of sheer terror in her eyes told him that it could be a mixture of both. It nearly broke his heart to see her so scared of them. He just knew that he had to help the poor girl.

'... Turn it up! ...'

"Don't be afraid... We're here to help you. We're gonna get you outta there, okay?" He said with a slight smile; placing his hand on the glass.

The older man cleared the panel without any problems. "That should do it!" He said victoriously; watching the glass door slide open.

The silver-eyed girl fell out of the unit, and onto the floor. The boy who saw her first reached down and try to touch her shoulder, but she quickly withdrew herself from him and began to shake once again.

"What's wrong?" He asked in a worried tone; looking to the others for help.

'Don't be scared of them, 0020,' The voice came back, 'they are just trying to help you. You must let them help you if you ever hope to make it to freedom.'

"Are you okay? Can you stand up for me?" The orange-haired boy asked in a concerned tone; holding his hand out to her.

He smiled happily when she reached up and took his hand. "That a girl." He said proudly as he pulled her to her feet.

"Alright. No one knows we're here and for all they know, 0020 is still asleep. So, we might actually stand a chance of getting out of here without trouble if we keep it that way." The pale blue-haired man said seriously; turning to look at the girl with a lazy smile.

The orange-haired boy nodded to him in mild annoyance. "In other words, we have to be quet."

The older man frowned back at the boy. "Let's not scare the poor girl anymore than she already is, shall we? She's been through enough as it is." He said in a flat tone; turning to walk away from the group.

And with that, he and the burnette walked away. The orange-haired boy huffed and followed them. The girl took a step forward, but her knees buckled under her weight and she fell flat on her face.

The orange-haired boy looked over his shoulder, and gasped. "What's wrong? What happened?" He asked in a frantic tone; placing a hand on her back.

The girl looked up at him and tried to speak again, but she could only manage a high-pitched squeak. She coughed and wheezed; grabbing her throat in pain. She tried to get up, but her body wouldn't respond to her commands.

"Oh, I know what's wrong." The boy said with realization in his voice. "You're still weakened from your cryogenic sleep, aren't you?"

The girl tilted her head to the side in confusion. She tried to stand up again, but she fell back to her knees.

The boy sighed and took a hold of her arm, and drapped it across his neck. He pulled her up with him and helped her walk towards the others.

"Don't worry, 0020," he said in a friendly tone; giving her a crooked smile, "I'll help you walk until you get your strength back, okay?"

The blunette nodded and opened the door. "Alright. Let's shake a leg before we all get caught." He said in a determined tone; walking out of the room.

And just like that, the foursome made their way out of the room and into the hall. They moved as quickly and quietly as they could down the hall. The boy helped the girl walk just like he promised. He kept whispering encouraging words; saying that she was going to be okay and promising that they would help her as much as they could. Too bad he couldn't keep his word...