2- Reunion
In this operation, the subjects were simply referred to as numbers from 01 to 05. Many times however, they would be referred to as the nth child. As the project resurfaces, the operations original creators have only a vague idea of which of these children would side with them. There was one, who if they had on their side, could have every child joining them. However, though the loyalties for some appear to be set in stone, they may always be wild-cards. There was, however, one subject they could count on, no matter what…
-scene begin-
"DA-AD!"
The familiar wail echoed through the house as the ageing man got up from the comfortable armchair to see what matter he had to attend to this time. 'I'm getting too old for this' was his first thought, was always his first thought, as he went to see what matter his two children were squabbling about.
This time, it was a hairbrush.
Oh no, not any hairbrush, but Helen's hairbrush. Helen was blond. She could tell straight away her younger brother had been using by the long chestnut strands entwined around the bristles. This was a common argument. Duo liked to use Helen's hairbrush because of his unusually long hair. Helen didn't like this, but refused to buy a new brush, or at least get Duo a brush with his own money. Real nice lady. But it was no matter. Duo was a charmer – he could talk his way out of any argument, so it was usually left to him. Why he didn't sweet-talk the brush off Helen was a mystery entirely, perhaps he liked the challenge of calming her down every time? But every argument they had would end the same way. Helen would be calmed by Duo, they would both smile and laugh at the pettiness of it all, Helen would comment that Duo loved her anyway, and he would flash that devil-may-care smile at them all. Then Helen would tell Duo he was the Devil himself – an ongoing joke between the two of them. The only thing wrong with this statement was that after every real argument, every major dispute that was calmed down, that mischievous glint in Duo's eye would change to something much more sinister, reminding all that Duo Maxwell was not a force to be reckoned with. That maniac gleam, the one that proclaimed he was telling the truth when he said he never lied, so he was telling the truth when he pronounced he was Shinigami himself. Now at fifteen, the odd look came and went without real reason. It was just there. Today, looking at Duo finish up the conversation with his sister, she proclaimed he was the Devil himself, as to be expected, that maniac gleam was all the more dark, all the more sinister, all the more honest. He smiled, the smile barely meeting his livid gaze.
He shook his head slightly, indicating her wrongness. "No, no Helen, I'm no devil," that look was completely crazy, the normally cobalt orbs of the young teen a deep azure, frightening in their intensity. He looked at his wristwatch with an air of boredom. "Well look at the time," he said casually, "It's that time already." He leant against the wall, still smiling madly at them, his voice dropping to a mere whisper. "It's that time already," he repeated. "Shinigami is ba-ack…" he called in his sing-song voice, gaze fixated on their motionless forms.
-scene change-
The news broadcast was interesting enough for me. I had nothing else to do – I didn't feel like training, and almost everyone else was at school. Not that I'm actually a social person. I don't really remember any of their names, I remember those of the ones who are too old to go to school. I could go to school if I wanted, but I never have, will never have the need, and thus, probably never will.
"…the police currently have no leads as to who the suspect of the murders may be. If you're just tuning in, we're here live at the scene where an entire family has been murdered. Police are currently searching for the missing family member for questioning as to their knowledge of the incident. As of yet, the police are disclosing no names…" I switched the box off. The death of that family seemed far too familiar for me, and far too close to home. It happened in Bayville, after all. What sort of crazies could be out there? Would the come anywhere near my family? If they did, I'd kill them myself… nobody hurts Cathy, reason or no. I just hoped all the facts came to light, all the people into play, before it was too late. When would my time come? I'd have to tell the people here of my involvement in the project soon enough. What would they do if they knew they were housing the Third Child? Would they look after me, or turn me away out of fear? Realizing that I truly had nothing better to do, I took off to see the Professor. I'd rather make my confession now than later…
-scene change-
The next few days flew by for Jean, as she tried to learn more about the boy she had met in the hallways. She had spoken to him on more than on occasion, and still did not know his name. She had asked around, and that had been no help. The release of her sanity, however, came at the end of the week, with a new task to focus on.
After getting the feeling of being followed for a while, Jean turned to face a slightly older girl holding a folded piece of paper. She looked a little… nervous.
"Excuse me… but are you Jean Gray?"
Jean nodded, not really knowing what else to do. The girl unfolded the piece of paper.
"I know this sounds like a stupid question, but… do you recognize this place?"
Held in front of her, in beautiful watercolors, was a picture of the Institute. Something was different though – there was a garden, full of… blue? roses, and other flowers. She hadn't noticed she'd mentioned the name aloud.
"The-The Institute?"
The girl seemed to looked happier by her answer. "You know it then?"
Jean dumbly nodded her head.
"Then you can help me – or rather, you can help my brother. He told me quite a long time ago that someone called Jean Gray would mark the beginning of the story – he told me later he meant that someone called Jean would be able to help him. He did this picture from his dreams, and then when we moved here, I heard your name a couple times, and wanted to see if you'd be able to help him. You see, he has… gifts, so to speak. He goes to the school here… you might have seen him around…" she rifled through her bag for something, which she apparently found. "His name's Quatre…" she added as she held out a photo, which Jean took.
The photo was of a garden, one she recognized from the odd vision-like experience she had earlier in the week. The sole occupant of the picture seemed not to notice it was being taken. It was a cloudless night, and though it was not in the picture, the moonlight was streaming down pure, white light. The boy in the picture had blue eyes, deeper than deep, even in the picture, and silvery white bangs. He looked so bizarrely angelic, and the strange wispy lines could almost be shaped like wings. This was who she'd been trying to track down for a week.
The garden itself was beautiful, being full of roses and only roses, of many, many colors. However, the most noticeable seemed to be the ones which filled most the garden.
They were blue.
Not your off white pale azure, but a deep sapphire, almost as deep as the boys own eyes.
"Quatre…"
-scene end-
Ooo… what's up with Duo then? *grins* you'll see…