Previously on Gundam Seed : Chapter Eight : Prey

" Miriallia Haww, do not fall in love me. Do not fall in love with a Shinigami. It would be the death of you."

…………………………………

" We need to know, Kira. What if that information could help us? What if that information would save others? Certainly sacrificing one would be better than letting others suffer?

………………………………

None of them noticing the figure that was approaching from the same direction until Kira turned and a pair of bright emerald green eyes locked with his.

The hunter had found his prey.

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Gundam Seed: Chapter Nine

Angels and Demons

" I trust that you will keep me informed, Representative?" Taylor Madison spoke, her eyes glancing sharply at the younger blonde woman seated in front of her as she stood up from where she had been.

" Yes, you have my word." Cagalli Yula Athha promised, her amber eyes staring back, unafraid at the older woman.

" Good. I'm glad that we have an agreement. I shall keep a lookout from my side and I shall tell you whatever that I find. We shall meet again I presume?" Taylor said, silently acknowledging that Cagalli was no pushover and was rather brave for her age. However, that was all Taylor would accept for now for she would judge the Representative through the events that would be occurring soon. She would decide then whether Cagalli Yula Athha was dispensable or otherwise, she would see if the Lion's cub lived up to her expectations.

" Yes. There would be a general meeting to present this later." Cagalli pointed out, her eyes still not leaving Taylor's and it was Taylor who averted her glance at the end. Slightly embarrassed, Taylor pushed absentmindedly at her glasses before nodding to show her understanding of what the Representative's "this" was. She knew that it was the plan that both Hinata and Cagalli had thought of before she had made her presence known. She did not disagree with their plan, in fact she was about to suggest the same thing. She bowed slightly before exiting, a sign of respect towards the both of them as the door whooshed back into place behind her back leaving the other two other occupants in peace.

The silence was broken when Cagalli heaved a relieved sigh after Taylor walked out the door of her office. Her senses were strung tight and she lifted a hand to massage her temples, her eyes relaxing the stern gaze and the wall she had erected to protect herself slowly eroding. The meeting with Taylor had lasted for practically half a day and while the tension slowly ebbed out of the room, her nerves were still stretched taut, making her extremely uncomfortable. Taylor had been supportive, listening silently judging with those intelligent eyes, deciding, making plans, she made a good supporter, asking the right questions, pointing out flaws even slight ones that could have disrupted everything and Cagalli was extremely thankful for that.

But, apart from that, Cagalli was fully aware of what Taylor had been thinking too. She understood very well what Taylor wanted, she was able to read through those sharp glances and those thoughtful silences that Taylor had been using but she would be damned if she backed down, she refused to back down. She would challenge whoever who thought that she was unworthy and she would prove them wrong with time. It was the least that she could do to preserve her seat of power.

" Taylor would help us. She loves Orb the same as us, maybe more, because Orb was the only place to have accepted her. She would never betray Orb." Hinata spoke as if she knew what had been running through Cagalli's head, her eyes still looking at the closed door, thoughtful.

" I know." Cagalli replied to Hinata's observation before closing her eyes as she tried to relax her mind before she tackled the next thing on her agenda. She knew that Taylor would help the next person to overturn her rule if she did not live up to her standards, that much was apparent and she knew without a doubt that she was just another pawn in the game of politics. She would not be so naïve to think that she was invulnerable and she was not as stupid to think that she would not be using others as others were using her. Selfishness was not a problem here. Time was.

Cagalli had lived practically her whole life in the world of politics, she knew what glory and the temptation of power could do to a person and what a person would do to achieve those dreams. It was a vicious world where the strongest lived and the weaker ones got trampled on and eaten alive. She had seen with her own eyes what politics could do, the people that came and went, those who succeeded and glorified and those who were shot down, trampled and left for the dead.

Just like Representative Uzumi Nara Athha. Her father.

It was ironic how different a person's thoughts and wishes could be when they were young. At five, she had a dream, a dream to help the people she had grown up with, to protect them from whatever that haunted them. At ten, she wished that she was just another ordinary girl with no need to play dress ups and to kiss other people's arse. At fifteen, she had hoped that she was dead, not needing to witness the pain and helplessness that she had felt then during the upcoming of the war, the terror of not knowing the future. Of losing the person she loved most, her only dock in the raging seas, her father.

And now, when she was nearing nineteen, she was back to square one or the combination of all the squares that she had went through; the desire to protect the people she loves as strong as ever and the want of being ordinary lurking not far behind. Yet, she was undoubtedly a selfish person, more materialistic and hopefully wiser on how the way the world works. She knew without a doubt that she did not have the ability to protect people she loved if she was powerless, being the Representative meant that she was able to do something, anything. She wanted to help the people of Orb, she did not want to cause a war where more people would die, she wanted a peaceful existence, she did not even need to be somebody extraordinary, just somebody who could protect the ones she loved.

It was that simple.

Yet, in reality it was not.

Amber eyes opened as they stared up at the ceiling, following every swirl and curl that decorated it in gold, she hated that emblem, that extravagance. Hungry mouths could have been fed if that money had been used in other places, houses built, medicine bought, but instead, it was used on her.

Her.

Ignorant people, politicians were, they wanted the best for themselves and yet are not willing to work for it, beauty, money, power. And she was no different. Yes, she was no different, that was why she was never able to give up the seat of power before, no matter what the excuse. She wanted everything.

" Representative?"

" Hmm?"

" Do you trust Taylor Madison?"

" I have no choice, but my instincts tell me that she would be true to us. She will not betray the people who has Orb's best interest in mind. She's powerful but we know her weakness. As you have said earlier, Orb has been the only place to accept her and is willing to forgive her crimes. She owes Orb and therefore she owes me."

" Yes, the cyber net crimes, she was good, she succeeded in nearly launching a nuclear missile at Plants during her stay on Earth. It was at the time of the war wasn't it?"

" Yes. The file we had on her told us that much. It was surprising why the Earth Alliance had not jumped at the chance to own her expertise and it is equally astonishing that they had wanted to persecute her instead."

" I think they had wanted to, but somehow somebody had changed the records, altered the information on her and especially now when people, human beings in general rely so much on computers, it would be hard convincing somebody of a truth when the truth is no longer there."

" But, if she were so dangerous, would it be wise for is to keep her so near?"

" Hinata, we have no choice, we do need more allies on this matter. Frankly, I'm afraid that I would not live up to her standards, that I would be the next one in line for her to shoot down, for her to work with… with people like those on the council who want me gone. It's like sitting on a frying pan and in danger of getting either burnt alive in it or jumping out and getting zinged to crisp. There is no choice of merely sitting tight, crossing our fingers and hope that everything would turn out all right…"

Darkness.

Figures.

A countryside.

Yet, before Cagalli could finish her current sentence, everything around her dimmed and hushed, turning into monochromes of black and white, she could hear Hinata calling out her name frantically, see her frightened eyes, but Cagalli could not move to comfort her companion, she could barely concentrate as the images in front of her changed rapidly, swirled and mixed into one.

A movie on fast forward.

Cagalli, unflappable and stoic normally, was trying hard not to panic as she tried to shake her head, to clear it, to focus but it was as if something was pulling her down, down into a deep abyss of an unknown origin and she was defenceless to do otherwise.

Silence filled her entire being as she sat there immovable, trapped in the essence of time and nothingness, accompanied with those ever changing flow of images. She briefly remembered a time when she was in the same situation and that was during the time she met that brown haired boy and witnessed a murder. Cagalli felt herself floating and weighing nothing, she was just a wisp of spirit that could be easily blown away by a single breath. But, as soon as it happened, the nothingness cleared and the images stopped. Cagalli closed her eyes to steady herself, the whole incident had left her dizzy and when her amber eyes reopened, she was longer in her office, no longer with Hinata but instead was transported to the country side with beautiful scenery. It had been one of the pictures that had flashed past with lightning speed and within it contained two building structures, quaint, ancient but still in good shape.

She turned to observe her surroundings, taking in the greenery, the lush forest and the apple trees that were growing not far from her, smiling as her eyes set on the shy red apples that were peeking from within the green leaves and brown branches. The whole place exuded peace and tranquillity but she sensed something was off somewhere and those emotions were creating ripples, though slight but disturbing the calmness of it all.

Cagalli started to walk, the sense of being there and yet not really existing fascinated and intrigued her. She still retained her actual body shape, her senses, well all her senses except maybe for her sense of touch. She could hear the breeze blowing, the tree branches that danced with it but yet she could not feel anything, it was weird and frightening at the same time.

I didn't know that the sense of touch was so important. It seems as if I'm no longer here, no longer one with this world. Is this how somebody feels when they are dead?

Cagalli frowned when that thought crossed her mind and her pace quickened. Her fear, a small but incessant niggling voice at the back of her head at first but as the time passed, it became louder and louder until Cagalli no longer walked, she ran. The fear born from within crushing her from inside, a dead weight that pushed out all logical thoughts, constricting her throat while a scream fought to push through, threatening to choke her. Cagalli could feel her eyes burning, tears that came unwillingly welling up, blurring her vision and it was too late till she realized that there were people in front of her.

A boy with brown hair, violet eyes staring straight at a pair of emerald ones.

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Athrun Zala spotted the people that were standing on the path that he was currently walking the same time as the brown haired boy whom was facing his direction when he had turned noticed him. His expression did not change when he saw him but Athrun could sense that the boy was alert to any movement that he made while the other two were still oblivious to his presence. Both of their eyes locked with each other and Athrun for the first time in his life believed in the wheel of fate and the mysterious ways it works.

He looked in astonishment at the boy in front of him, his brain becoming blank all of a sudden, the only thought that he went through his mind was that the picture from the file he had on him did no justice to the person that was Kira Yamato. He fought hard to regain his composure, to regain the impassive mask that he had mastered over the years, it would seem extremely weird if he showed that he recognized the other when both of them have never met before and the only way that Athrun was here now was that he had a job to do.

But, it was hard.

It took every ounce of training in the past for Athrun to remain calm, to not succumb to his sudden whim and to not press his lips onto that angelic face, to break that fragile being that was in front of him. He wanted so badly to run his hand through that brown hair, pull it until Kira's neck was exposed and his back arched only for him. He continued to stare, his eyes hooded behind his bangs as he watched like an eagle, taking in every movement Kira made and said person whom was currently looking straight at him, his expression quizzical but his mouth curving up into a gentle smile, a sign of him saying hello before turning back to concentrate on the conversation that was going on in front of him. Athrun continued to look at his side profile, his brain remembering Kira's eyes, a bright violet that sparkled with life but was currently clouded slightly with the emotion that was being caused by the situation that he was in.

I want to break you and make you mine.

A gust of wind blew and Kira's hair, slightly longish and curling softly at his shirt collar danced with it as if having a life of it's own, graceful and soft. Athrun's eyes greedily took in Kira's slender form, the slim hands and his chestnut brown hair that shone in the sun and the strands that danced with the wind. Everything around him seemed to dim around his presence, Kira was the main focus of this whole scenery, nothing around him could fight for Athrun's attention then.

He is perfect.

Athrun's hands itched to touch those chestnut strands, to tame them, to just run through them, his imagination running rampant just by looking at his profile. He wondered what it would be like for him to lay beside him, to make love to him, to hear him call out his name.

Beautiful. He is beautiful.

Licking his lips, his interest piqued, Athrun realised what just went through his mind. It was unusual for him to think this way, but this time he knew that this target was different. Athrun could not deny that he wanted to know more about this boy, about this person who was the genius that everybody wanted to own in the future, he wanted to own him and allow no one else to come close to his play thing.

Be careful, or you'll fall in love.

Who are you kidding? Fall in love? He will die. But before that, I shall enjoy this sweet morsel.

Athrun snorted at the internal conversation that he just had, it did not make sense that he would fall in love with a person whose value had been stated at one million dollars. His life was worth only that and for once, Athrun did not want to think about consequences, he wanted this boy and he shall put it down as lust. Athrun had no emotions, killers cannot afford to have emotions, this was a fact but there was something about this place that forced out buried feelings, that made people like him feel something that generally would never appear.

You'll fall in love.

Never! So shut up.

With that Athrun closed off everything and once again became the robot that he was supposed to be and continued his observation of the play thing that he had just marked.

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Kira Yamato tried to concentrate on the conversation that was currently going on but an uncomfortable sensation was slowly creeping into his senses and it foretold bad news. He tried ignoring it by looking elsewhere, keeping his mind off what his body was trying to tell him by feeding it information from other places. His eyes met up with a pair of foreign ones when he turned around and looked straight. He had just noticed that a new person was where they were earlier since he was facing the direction where he had came but had not been able to look at his features properly, but right now when he was nearer and out of curiousity he switched his attention from the conversation at hand to the teenager.

And, the first conclusion he could come up with was that this teenager with raven hair was able to walk around undetected, which was an incredible feat that even he could not accomplish. The ground was gravelly and many loose stones littered the pathway, traps for the heavy footed and the unsure. Yet, this teenager had the ability to approach them and none of his companions noticed except him. Even Nicol, whose senses were above average since he is a Coordinator was oblivious to the fact that they were no longer alone.

Seconds passed and Kira, with a start realised his staring and smiled sheepishly at the stranger whom was also looking at him before turning his attention back to Nicol. However, no matter how hard he tried to focus on what both Nicol and the woman was talking about, his mind kept wandering back to those emerald green eyes and that cool aristocratic features.

You could drown in those eyes.

Kira wanted very much to continue stare at the teenager, his beauty was apparent, breathtaking and he was undoubtedly a normal person who loved to stare at beautiful things, people. Eye candy was the word. However, that would seem extremely rude and embarrassing for both of them and he had no choice but to turn away, yet, his eyes kept glancing secretly, involuntarily, at the stranger's side profile as the said person continued to gaze into the distance as if admiring the view. But, Kira noticed, as relaxed as the other teenager seemed to be acting, Kira could swear that he was waiting, his pose was as if he was stalking a prey and he had an uncomfortable feeling that he was somehow that unfortunate being that was being stalked.

A rabbit that was hunted by a panther.

But, as Kira continued to make observations of his own, he noticed the sudden change of expression on the raven haired teenager's face, as if a mental wall shutting down, hiding the owner from everything and anything before everything exploded into raw pain. His attention had been so focused on the stranger that he had totally ignored those warning signs that signalled the incoming attack.

And so he was falling.

Emerald green eyes.

Still falling.

Kira Yamato gasped, his violet eyes opening wide as he felt the pain rush through him, the pain as sudden and violent like a tornado sweeping through a city, twisting and turning, destroying everything in it's path. His mouth opened and whimpers came out, small pitiful sounds that he hated. His sudden behaviour had attracted both Nicol and Yvette's attention and he felt more than saw them turning towards him in concern, but everything did not matter now except the pain that threatened to tear him apart with it's intensity.

Not now. Why now? It hurt so bad.

Kira's breaths came out in spurts, hissing through his teeth as he struggled to hold on, staggering on his feet before falling onto his knees when his legs were too weak to hold up his weight, his left hand bracing the sandy ground, his other free hand clutching tightly at his chest where the pain had started. Kira could feel cold sweat forming on his back and forehead, could hear dimly that Yvette's terrified voice asking what was wrong and Nicol's calling his name. Kira wanted to turn his head to answer Nicol but all he could do was to look helplessly in front of him, the pain setting his senses on fire, ravaging everything, rendering him immobile, unable to think about anything else except the pain and those emerald green eyes that stuck like glue in his brain.

I'm burning alive. Somebody help me.

Could you help me?

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Cagalli Yula Athha gasped out loud as she felt herself being sucked back into her actual body as she felt cold water drip down her face onto her formal clothings. She looked around wildly, feeling extremely disconcerted after that experience as she registered her surroundings, noting that she was once again back in her office in the Orb administration building and not at some picturesque countryside.

" Representative!" Hinata called out, her voice frantic, one hand on the telephone, ready to call for medical existence when her stint with the water managed to pull her friend out of the stupor that she suddenly went into.

" Representative! Are you all right? What in the world happened?" She asked, calling attention to herself and not liking the sluggish response that Cagalli was currently giving her. Hinata replaced the phone onto its hook before walking towards the Representative, a frown marring her porcelain features.

Cagalli looked at Hinata, and for that instant, could not recognize who she was and why she was calling her. In fact, all she could see was Hinata's mouth moving and the words that emitted was incomprehensive to her blurred self. But, thankfully that temporary memory lapse soon passed and the memories of what happened flooded through her brain, giving her an instant migraine. Cagalli winced at the sudden uncomfortable feeling and rubbed at her temples, she wanted no more to go to sleep and not think about what had happened but she was too wired up to do so.

" How long was I out?" Cagalli murmured under her breath so that Hinata whom was still hovering nearby like a mother hen could not hear her. Hinata's concern was expected but it was so palpable that it was threatening to drown Cagalli. Right now, she did not need somebody, even if it was Hinata, her close friend, asking her questions that she herself had no answers to. All she needed now was to try to figure out what had happened with a cool and calm not to mention a sane and collected mind. Moreover, she knew that if she mentioned this incident to Hinata, she would be sent immediately to either the nut house, branded unfit to rule or the rest house, tied down in a strait jacket and forced to take unwanted leave. Neither choice was appealing so she kept her silence.

" What did you say?" Hinata asked suspiciously, she wanted badly to ask Cagalli about what had just happened but knowing her blonde haired friend, right now was certainly not the time to do so. She just had to bid her time and wait for her friend to willingly tell her. However, that did not mean that in the meantime she should not worry, that experience just now scared her. Cagalli was just like a comatose person, nothing she did just now could call her out of whatever that she was experiencing. Her vital signs were relatively normal, she had been breathing, her heart beat normal but her eyes and her complexion told her otherwise.

The whole time that Cagalli had been out, her eyes were wide and dilated, her face pale, and there were times that she whimpered and Hinata could swear that Cagalli was somewhere else when she heard bits and pieces of words that came out of Cagalli's mouth. She was not able to piece any of them together as they were all confusing as hell, but she could get the general idea that something that was happening somewhere that was distressing Cagalli and that frightened her.

It was when Hinata noticed that Cagalli was on the verge of crying when she could bear no more and decided to hell with the consequences as she threw the contents of the cup that was sitting on the desk all over Cagalli. She had been praying hard that whole time, hoping that her actions would not further complicate matters when Cagalli blessedly returned back to normal, her eyes were no longer dilated and that hunted expression on her face changed and she finally calmed down. Hinata had not realised that she was holding her breath until an ache in her chest told her that her lungs could no longer bear not breathing anymore. Hinata released her breath and forced herself to breathe normally before she was able to concern herself with the Representative.

" Hinata, I know this is very selfish of me, and I promise that I will tell you everything later, but right now, I would like to be alone." Cagalli said, her voice tired while her amber eyes pleaded with Hinata's. She knew that her request was extremely selfish, that she should not disregard Hinata's concern just because she could not face it, but right now, she was not in the mood to think about anybody else except her. That incident had left her emotionally helpless and she needed some time alone to gather her wits before she faced the world and that general meeting she had scheduled later in the day.

Hinata sighed, knowing that was exactly what the Representative would say before nodding and heading towards the door, but she could not resist turning back once again to look at Cagalli just to calm her anxiety.

" Representative, do you want me to cancel the meeting later?" Hinata asked, remembering Cagalli's schedule.

" No. I will be fine then. Thank you Hinata." Cagalli said gratefully to her friend who just nodded and went out the door. Cagalli leant back into her chair, her eyes looking up to the ceiling as if the answers were written there as she recalled the experience that she had just went through. She forced herself to relax, her muscles aching with the strain that she had put on it so long and if she was true to herself, she would admit that she felt as if she had been just ran over by a two tonne truck. Everything seemed bruised sore.

She remembered those two boys meeting, that brown haired boy's shy smile and the predatory glances the other threw at him. Cagalli knew instinctively that she knew the both of them, that somehow she had dreamt of them before but for the life of her, she could not remember. She closed her eyes, concentrating hard on those images but everything eluded her, taunting at her inability to do something that she wanted successfully, the images flashing through her brain at the speed of a bullet train, changing and changing until she felt herself go dizzy with the effort.

Cagalli opened her eyes, frustrated and extremely irritated at herself before banging her fist on the table to vent some of her anger, ignoring the pain that shot through her hand as she closed her eyes once again, refusing to give up that easily and tried to recall those things that taunted her from the recesses of her mind.

The brown haired boy hugging her, comforting her, saving her from the black cesspool.

The brown haired boy with his hand outstretched, pleading. Lying in a pool of blood.

Another boy plunging the knife down mercilessly.

Cagalli's eyes shot open when she finally remembered where she had met one of those two people. He had been in her dreams, the brown haired boy, the premonitions that Meng had told her that she would have. But, the other she had not recognized, although she knew that those two were interconnected, the brown haired boy who had saved her, hugged her, comforted her when she had felt as if she was drowning. She remembered the vision when he was laying on the floor, hand outstretched, pleading for help when a stranger had stabbed him in cold blood. Cagalli remembered all of that and she could feel her breath quickening, she had to save him, but what could she say? What should she say? There was no way she could leave her post unguarded to save somebody who would think she was nuts.

Cagalli pushed her chair away from her desk and stood up, stretching those muscles that was so stiff after hours sitting in the same position, ignoring their painful protests. She walked towards the sliding doors that led to the balcony, the only place that she loved in this room, and pushed open the doors before stepping outside into the late afternoon sunshine, feeling it's warmth bathing her cold skin and breathing in the fresh air that immediately made her feel better. With her brain clearer, the migraine that was the after effect of that vision retreated back into the box in the recesses of her brain.

She looked out to the horizon, enjoying the small breeze that was blowing and the scenery that was the pride of Orb. She was thankful that she was able to feel again, the way that she had been partially handicapped previously in that vision made her so afraid, it seemed that she did not exist, that she was just a wisp of smoke that could just disappear without a trace, blown away by the wind just like that. She turned her head sideways, eyes looking towards the south instinctively, she wondered what was happening with the brown haired boy, the last thing she saw before she returned to her own reality was him falling down and that raven haired teenager looking so calm and collected.

Uncaring.

Cagalli frowned when she remembered the pain etched on the violet eyes boy's face, the pain was extreme and she wondered what caused it. She felt her heart wrench when she saw him fall, the grief and horror she felt was what she knew she would feel if Hinata was facing the same situation. That boy was somebody close to her, she may not know him now, but for some strange reason, she trusted him and wanted to protect him. He was so fragile, so easily broken that she wanted to just lock him in a room and keep him away from all the dangers of the world.

Especially the raven haired teenager.

Cagalli hated that teenager on sight. He seemed dangerous and she was certain that he was hiding something behind that beauty. The emotions that she felt when she was there was so real. That teenager meant the brown haired boy harm, she did not know what he was about to do and just thinking about that made her frustrated and her anxiety grow. She could not just sit here and twiddle her thumbs, she would send somebody to check up on the both of them, she remembered the place where she had her vision, where she saw the both of them. She would start from there.

But first, she would have to call in some favours and prepare for the meeting she had in about half an hour.

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Meanwhile, back at the Elizabeth's bed and breakfast, Athrun Zala kept his face impassive as he watched the brown haired boy fall face flat unto the ground, his whimpers and ragged breathing harsh in the still air. The file that Athrun had on him did not include any illness, in fact, Kira Yamato had been a perfectly healthy teenager according to the information stated in those small printed words. Unless, the informant had been careless and failed to report this finding, but judging by the way the other green haired teenager was acting, it was evident that what he was currently witnessing was not the first time that it had happened. His curiosity piqued, Athrun wanted to find out more in order for him to use it to eliminate the target that he had been assigned to and on the other hand, he was concerned that his play thing was not up to par with his expectations.

Athrun could not stand imperfection.

" Kira!" Athrun heard the other teenager call out the unconscious boy's name as he hurriedly bent down beside him to check his vital signs. " Kira!"

" What is happening?" The woman with the long hair called out, her emerald green eyes so alike his were wide open with horror. Athrun frowned trying to remember where he had seen her before, but nothing came into mind, it was as if there was a mental block where she was concerned. He shook his head, refusing to focus on that particular topic and returned his attention to the matter at hand.

" Quick, help me to get him into your cottage, he has to get his medication." Nicol said urgently, his eyes catching sight of Athrun and he beckoned him over. " Please, help me get him into her cottage, hurry!"

Athrun barely blinked as he followed Nicol's orders, walking without much protestation towards Kira's fallen body before bending down and picking up the boy with ease, his muscles barely straining as he lifted Kira into his arms. Athrun was a little surprised at just how little Kira weighed, he was as light as a feather and extremely slender, his harsh breathing tickling Athrun's neck as he adjusted the position once, his arms holding the slender boy more tightly against his body and he was slightly disconcerted at the temperature.

Cold as ice.

Athrun frowned at this inhumane temperature and his footsteps unconsciously quickened, he walked through the door of the woman's cottage before laying Kira down on the couch whose breathing was shallow and was so deathly pale that Athrun would have thought that he was dead if not for the small rise and fall of his chest.

Hope's cool body as he hugged it for the last time.

Hope's brown eyes understanding and sad.

Athrun pushed away those images that had not surfaced for so long. Those reminders he did not need, but he was nevertheless remembering what he felt then and it was because Kira's situation that had unearthed those feelings. He was not able to comprehend the pang that he felt as he watched the other's suffering and merely pushed it to the back of his mind, his heart was dead, he did not have feelings, he did not cry and he definitely do not have the time to think about unnecessary things that would affect his performance.

Besides more importantly, nothing would change the outcome of this game. A contract had been made and a price had been paid, a million dollars for Kira Yamato's life, and a deal is a deal. It would not be ethical if money was received and the job left undone, his reputation as the top assassin was at stake here and Patrick Zala would never accept failure. It would take much more to change the end of the story then by looking at his target of elimination's vulnerability. Athrun turned his head away to look outside the window and stepped back into the shadows of the cottage allowing the green haired teenager to do his job.

Those violet eyes. Pleading to him to save him.

Hope's brown eyes sad.

Athrun shook his head slightly to erase the image of those haunting eyes, those two eyes that overlapped that looked accusingly at him, but the image refused to let go of him and he cursed inwardly. His play thing was beginning to irk him even before he started his game and he wondered whether he should just get rid of him now to prevent further complications. But, strangely, he was incredibly reluctant to do so, he did not want to let go of something that he just found interesting. Athrun, hating his own indecision, did not understand why he was so emotionally weak in this current situation and it irritated him to no end.

Kill him and it would be the end of this weakness.

Athrun's hand slipped behind his back, feeling the comfort of the knife that had accompanied him so many years in the past, his sole comfort and companion. He was about to pull it out before teleporting beside Kira's side to finish up the job but he was distracted by the sudden movement right beside him. The green haired teenager brushed beside him before kneeling down by Kira and just after his presence, the woman with the emerald eyes came to stand beside him, rendering him unable to do what he had intended to do. She turned towards him, her eyes narrowing as different emotions fleeted across her face, astonishment, disbelief, before becoming blank again as she turned away from him and started to bite on her nails as she murmured under her breath.

Athrun, puzzled even more by her behaviour tried once again to remember where he had seen her before as abstract images flashed past too quick for him to comprehend. She was someone he knew, maybe from very young, her features reminded him of someone and her presence made him very uncomfortable. Maybe, he could find some answers while he was here, or maybe he would save himself the trouble and just ask Patrcik Zala.

" Thank you." Nicol murmured to Athrun, whose train of thought was broken once again by the events happening. Nicol looked once at the stranger who had helped him in transporting Kira before shutting him out of his mind and concentrating with Kira's treatment. He was grateful that he had one of those vials that contained Kira's medication on hand, he dared not think of the consequences if he had not brought it. His healing powers did not work on Kira at times like this because there was nothing to heal, Kira's body was merely trying to awaken his powers and there was nothing Nicol could do to reverse the effects except follow Meng sensei's instructions on how to concoct the "potion" that would drive away the pain.

Without wasting any more time, Nicol unscrewed the cap before tilting the bottle over Kira's lips, but no matter how hard he tried, Kira refused to open his mouth, his groans and thrashing driving Nicol's sanity out the window. There was a limited time before the pain became too much to bear and by that time, even the potion could do nothing and it was up to Kira's own body to cope with the assault. Nicol did not want to go through that, he had seen what the pain could do and he was not about to allow Kira to damage himself further.

" Kira. Don't fight me." Nicol muttered into the unconscious boy's ears but to no avail, Kira was not responding to anything Nicol said. Exasperated and worried sick, Nicol looked around the small cottage, his eyes searching for something that could be used to force Kira's mouth open to accept the medication, but finding nothing in his panic. He did not notice the raven haired teenager coming up behind him until he spoke.

" Let me try." Athrun said, volunteering his services as he was peculiarly unnerved at the woman's constant murmuring and her sideway glances. He did not realize the impact of her behaviour could affect him that much, and he was thankful that there was something that he was able to do to occupy his mind. He did not know what was wrong with him today, first those extremely vulnerable thoughts in front of a picture no less and now this. He was not supposed to feel anything, but there was something about this place that brought up even the deadest of hearts.

And without waiting for Nicol's consent, Athrun had already taken the small little vial into his hands before tipping the contents into his mouth and leaning down towards Kira and lightly pressing his lips onto the other boy's cold ones. He slowly coaxed Kira's reluctant lips open, and when there was an opening, Athrun daringly deepened the kiss to the collective intake of breaths from the people on hand. Soon enough, when Athrun was sure that none would spill out, he emptied the contents into Kira's mouth before retreating quickly and gently holding Kira's jaw close, forcing Kira to swallow.

The medication worked immediately as Kira's thrashing stopped, his breathing calmed and his complexion was not as pale and pallid as before. Athrun leaned back in satisfaction and allowed himself a small smile of victory. His fingers slipped up to his lips as he remembered the kiss.

Sweet and soft.

" What did you think you were doing?" Nicol hissed in anger at the total stranger who had just kissed Kira and he was a boy no less, his protective instincts positively screaming bloody murder.

" I just saved his life." Athrun said coldly, matter a fact, struck back to reality by Nicol's accusation. He was annoyed and his eyes boring holes into Nicol, who stared back with the same intensity, both of them like tom cats facing off, fur bristling and back arched in order to scare of each other opponents. Nicol barely relaxed his guard even when Kira stirred and groaned, his attention was immediately on the younger boy's but there was no mistaking the animosity towards Athrun who knew exactly what Nicol was thinking and feeling. This attitude amused Athrun to no end, and he had just found his second toy to tinkle with. Kira was going to be a fun project, in order to get to him, Athrun would have to pass through this green haired boy, Kira's bodyguard of some sorts.

A challenge that he would gladly take. A thrill before the kill.

But, most of all, something to focus other than his emotions.

Perfect.

And, Athrun smiled.

Author's Note : There you have it, Athrun and Kira have officially met. Updating, planned beforehand is once a week, however, something has come up and I will have to rein in a little, forgive me and be patient ne? Reviews are greatly appreciated.