Chapter 5: Scanning

*Two Hours Ago, somewhere in Shanghai's Business District*

The young Chinese woman, barely eighteen, looked out the window with her hands clasped behind her. She was dressed in a simple, traditional dark blue and purple Chinese dress, bearing a contrasting presence of innocent charm and mature, timeless elegance. The Shanghai night sky wasn't much to look at anymore, the skyline filled the view, which she despised. Her hair, reaching to her small waist and white as snow, was a sign of her power. Once it had all been black as ebony but years of training and the increase of her telepathic powers slowly turned each and every last strand white. She turned her head, looking at the file on Psi-Corp's subject# 10152644, Otohime Mutsumi. She turned to greet another person entering the room.

"Commander Yin." Ms. Smith bowed in the presence of Psi-Corp's leader, founder and the most powerful telepath alive. "It is an honor to have a private audience with you."

[There is no need to be so formal. Physically speaking, you are older than I am.] Ling smiled. Even the alien regeneration technology that gave the most powerful of Psi-Corp's members' immortality was unable to undo what the KGB had done to her. The KGB officer that raped her had her tongue cut out first, so as not to hear her screams. [It is I who should bow to you.]

"No, I insist." Ms. Smith smiled at the show of respect. "If I may direct to us to the business at hand, Naomi Winters has reported that the rogues are there, as well as the KGB. The rogues seem to think that there are three important personages there: subjects# 10152644 and 666 as well as a third person which we have, apparently, failed to detect."

[So, the rogues are after the child from fifteen years ago.] Ling sat down and poured herself a cup of wine as she drew near the window. [That girl should be around what age now? Twenty to twenty five should be her age range now, correct?]

"I think that is an accurate estimate."

[I could sense her power, even back then.] Lin looked up at the night sky from the window. There was a glimmer of power in her obsidian black eyes. [She is a child with so much potential but that potential is coupled with twice the same amount of risk. Do the rogues hope to control her? And what does the KGB know of this?]

"Naomi believes that it is Gustave Griever who has been sent to investigate. It is plausible that he knows of the presence of Subject# 666 in the area as well but we do not believe that they know of the third that the rogues speak of."

[Gustave…] Ling's mind trailed for a moment. [Prepare a private flight for me. I intend to go to Japan myself. Tell Naomi and the others to back off for a while. At least, until I can ascertain what the KGB and the rogues know of what we want there.]

"I will make the arrangements." Ms. Smith said as she left. "You should arrive in Japan in half an hour."

……….

*Present Day, Hinata Sou*

Kanako had just come back from her classes at Todai, which might as well have been free time as far as she was concerned. She already knew everything that she was being lectured on and could probably run circles around her professor's heads if given the chance. Closing the windows and setting up a rudimentary lock on her doors, she sighed and proceeded to unbutton her dress. The room was dark and she was certain that she was alone, with even Kuro and Tama-chan no where in sight. She looked at herself in the mirror and her face turned from a scowl to a look of disappointment. Somehow, words an angry Naru said to her in the past seemed so fitting no matter how much they hurt: 'You'll never amount to anything.'

"I'll prove you wrong Narusegawa…" Kanako said with scorn. "I'll prove everyone wrong."

[I can just imagine that happening, you beautiful girl, you.] Naomi said to her telepathically. [You don't have to ask aloud, I can read your thoughts, my beautiful young lady. Open your window.]

"Why should I…" Kanako was about to ask as she quickly put her dress back on.

[Open the window? Well, let's just say I can help you get rid of your two biggest problems. I just need a bit of your cooperation.] Naomi smiled as Kanako opened the window. "Let's do business."

Naomi used her rudimentary telekinesis, concentrating her full power on her body, which she proceeded to levitate through Kanako's window. She scanned Kanako's mind and squirmed. It was a dark, bleak place, completely devoid of any thoughts one would often find in the mind of a person her age. It was dark, grim, pessimistic and insurmountably empty of any form of happiness. Kanako opened the door, giving Naomi the benefit of the doubt. The telepath smiled, she could see that Kanako was in doubt of anything and everything she had seen and 'heard' but she was willing to keep an open mind. Naomi took a look around the small room, forcing Kanako's body to open the room lights. Naomi smiled, she liked this girl.

"Let me ask you something, how badly do you want what you want?" Naomi asked, leaning her back on the wall. Kanako stood defiantly though Naomi knew she was shaking with fear inside. "You want it bad enough to stab your friends in the back and twist the knife just for fun?"

"They're not my friends." Kanako scowled.

[I know that, you lovely creature.] Naomi took off her smile but her eyes kept their lock on Kanako's body. There was something utterly disappointing about Kanako's figure for Naomi and it made her sigh. Still, the girl was cute, in a dark, conniving way. "So it wouldn't really be backstabbing, would it?"

"I'm not above stabbing anyone in the back, if that's what you're asking me." Kanako answered as she sat herself down on the tatami. "So, just what do you want me to do? You certainly seem capable of handling yourself, whoever you are."

"Call me Naomi." The telepath smiled happily. "Now then, tell me your name."

"You can read my mind, can't you? Figure it out on your own."

[I would not be so disrespectful, dear.] Naomi said. [That is, if you want to live, anyway.]

Kanako began to slowly feel as if she was being choked, with Naomi standing there, twisting her hand. There were no physical signs of choking however and she wasn't being choked at all. In reality, Naomi war using her telepathic powers to make the lungs stop pumping, essentially cutting off the oxygen to Kanako's body. Slowly, Kanako tried to stand up, mustering as much strength as she could to launch a futile attack on the telepath. It was clear however, that Naomi's mind was buckling under the strain. She had already taxed her mind heavily by taking temporary control of Kanako's body in opening the windows and lights, even more so with levitation. Eventually, as Kanako collapsed on the floor, Naomi released her lock.

"What…do…you…want from…me?" Kanako managed to stammer as Naomi knelt beside her.

"I'm sorry about this, my lovely little creature." Naomi said apologetically. "I promise we'll try our best not to hurt you."

[Excellent work, Naomi, quick, precise and clean, just the way I like it.] A white haired Chinese girl levitated herself into the room. As soon as she arrived inside, Naomi dropped to one knee. [Now then, we'll have to bring her with us. I can levitate her to the car, you write the note.]

"Yes, Commander Yin." Naomi answered. "May I ask, why take this girl? I find her quite attractive, in a dark, gothic sort of way but…I fail to see her purpose in this."

[She is bait. I can sense it; our target has some degree of affection towards this person.] Ling answered as she levitated Kanako's sleeping body towards the car waiting below. She was barely even concentrating; she had enough power to do this and several other tasks as well. [If we take her, they will come. Do not worry; I have no intention of harming this girl. You can have her afterwards, if you like.]

"I'd like that." Naomi smiled as she finished writing the note. "I admit, even though this is the second time I saw her, I've developed a bit of a crush on her. I feel like I've known her all her life."

[With your powers, you might as well have.]

……….

*Present Day, somewhere just outside Hina City*

"Hello Sven."

"Gustave Griever." Sven said the name with a complete lack of respect. "I suppose the gun at the back of my head is supposed to threaten me?"

"And to think, you didn't even have to read my mind to know that."

"You mean you actually have a mind?"

"I know that Psi-Corp is here looking for a new telepath and that you're working with Naomi Winters."

"My, my, so the famous Gustave Griever can interpret report data."

"Do not mock me, you instrument of evil."

"You norms fail to realize that we, Homo Psychosis, are next stage in human evolution." Sven declared proudly. "We will wipe you and your kind out, leaving only telepaths on this planet."

"I'm afraid I can't allow that."

Gustave cocked his gun, it was a point blank shot and it would be a clean kill. Slowly, KGB operatives surrounded Sven and all readied their guns, trained on him. Gustave placed his silencer into the barrel of his pistol as the other operatives kept the low level telepath in his place. They were all susceptible to mental suggestion but Sven didn't have that kind of power. He could read all their minds though and could pick up nothing but absolute hatred and fear concerning telepaths. He sighed; he knew he was going to die soon. Gustave clicked his gun and fired the trigger, scattering Sven's brains all over the side of the road. Taking the silencer out and placing it in his pockets, he walked away and left the body for the clean up crew.

"Clean that body up." Gustave ordered as he walked away.

"Yes, Comrade Gustave."

"They're mocking us, I can see that." Gustave said as he spat on the corpse. "Their kind, these freaks, should be wiped out or enslaved as soon as possible."

"You are just as bad as they are." Eric muttered. "You Nazi…"

To Be Continued…

Kanako: To all the curious, Kana has changed our account name on Fictionpress.net, our new "home" if you will, to "Chocolate Fudge". Don't ask how he conned me into letting him do that. I don't want to know either. That does it. I'm throwing away every last hallucinogenic chemical in the basement...and yes, I never denied that Babylon 5 gave me the Psi-Corp idea. Anyone idiot who has bothered to read the disclaimer can get that one.