Another revised chapter…it should be the last one unless I decide to revise the last one. I hope you like it. Another pinch of angst was added. Disclaimer
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Angels Can Bleed
By Sarien (ChibiSarien@netscape.net)
Chapter Two: Loosing You
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The eight-year-old boy looked at the table in front of him. On it was a set of weapons. He shivered with excitement and fear. The time had come.
A cold hand prodded him forward. The hand belonged to none other then Odin Lowe, his harsh master and trainer.
"Come on boy, pick one. We haven't got all day. There's just about enough time left to start armed weapons training," Odin's raspy voice startled the boy in question. He struggled not to let his fear show. Odin tended to give him extra exercises when that happened and Shinosaki barely made it through the day as things stood.
He continued to look at the weapon, unaware of the angel that watched, frozen.
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The only things on Makoto's mind were the gun and Shinosaki. With her small knowledge of the darker aspects of human kind, the only thing she knew of guns were that they caused death and pain. Her Shino could turn into a murderer!
"No," she whispered fiercely. "No!"
Makoto reached out to stop her charge but her hands passed right through his. He picked up the gun slowly, still unaware of the strong emotions flowing through the angel.
The assassin patted his protégé on the back.
Makoto collapsed onto the floor. Emerald tears streamed down her face. "No," she whispered again. But even if he had heard, it would have been to late. Her Shinosaki was one step closer to becoming a killer…
....Days later.....
Shinosaki wiped sweat off of his forehead. He only had two minutes to get in and out of the building, after destroying his target of course. His target was none other then Domni Marson, a prominent Oz leader who was to be eliminated. Only then would Shino get to collect his reward, a rest day.
He rounded the corner, his heart pounding in his throat. This was his first mission. At only eight he was going to become a killer.
The boy avoided all of the security devices and made his way into the central office. This was an easy mission seeing as there were few guards and they were slacking off. That being done, he opened the door to the office. A man was sitting in a big executive seat…as expected. What wasn't expected was the large dog that announced the boy's presence.
The Oz officer spun around and quickly reached for his gun. Shinosaki hated to do it but Odin would punish him if he didn't…he shot the dog and avoided its death throes. Ignoring the man's gun, the eight year old brought out his own custom gun and "eliminated his victim."
His mission done, Shino turned to the door…only to find several armed men waiting for him, their guns drawn.
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The game was over. Shinosaki pulled off the virtual reality helmet and sighed in relief. If that had been real, he would have been caught and even if it was a purposeful kamikaze mission, he'd be dead.
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Makoto looked as the boy got reprimanded from his teacher. Her emerald eyes were impassive and unreadable.
"Why do you continue to watch, even though it's eating at you inside?" a woman asked. It was Setsuna, guardian of time, and one of her oldest friends. She tended to appear when Makoto was in emotional distress. Setsuna could have used her powers to help the situation but didn't because she was sworn not to. Makoto understood but still couldn't help but resent the guardian a little bit for that.
She looked at the scene and willed herself not to cry.
"I can't stop. Shinosaki needs me for this. Since you won't help me, I'm trying to get myself used to this because he's going to need me by his side when he has to go through it in real life."
Setsuna looked saddened. 'This is a truly tragic thing…I'm not even allowed to interfere,' she thought to herself. In a swirl of purple smoke, she disappeared.
'I only wish it was as easy as I said. But for Shinosaki's sake…I must stand by him…'
....Several Days Later....
~~~~+Dream+~~~~
"What's wrong Shino? You seem sad," said Makoto gently. Three years had passed since he was taken away from her and only a scant number of days since Setsuna had met her in the training room.
Her charge, looked at her in pity. There were some things that his 'imaginary friend' just wouldn't understand. At his tender age, he'd already seen lots of death and was working on his skills to become an assassin. Of course he hadn't actually killed anybody yet, Lowe-san was supposed to get to that next week; his first real mission.
He smiled, revealing two missing teeth. "Nothing, Mako," he said innocently…almost too innocently. The angel knew him well and he was hiding something. Well, she'd just have to find out after the dream.
He knew she was an angel in his dream but was unable to think of her as existing outside the dream. That still gnawed at her heart.
"If you don't want to tell me Shino, it's fine. I just wish you'd trust be more," she said quietly and stared at his reflection in the pond. "No, no! I do trust you Mako," he looked down at his hands, "you're the only friend I have."
The angel smiled and hugged him. Rather then press him further she changed the subject. "So, I hear you've been studying some history. Can you teach me some of what you learned? I'm afraid that it hasn't been a part of my education." Shinosaki's eyes brightened at this. It was nice to reverse the roles.
"Of course but only if you sing for me later."
"You know I can't say no to that face. I think Lowe-san has been teaching you to use your charm to persuade people into giving you what you want…fine but please turn those puppy eyes away."
Shinosaki smiled and launched into the history of Mobile Suits, which he knew surprisingly a lot of for a boy of eight.
~~~~+End of Dream+~~~~
"Makoto-chan," a voice repeated for the fifth time. Makoto's mind was obviously elsewhere. Finally, the owner of the voice had enough and shook her slightly. The angel looked up and found herself glancing into the violet eyes of Rei, the fire sprite (who was incidentally bored with the lack of fires).
"I'm sorry Rei. I know I've been a bit preoccupied lately. Serenity-sama has kept me busy with all this paperwork and I haven't been able to visit Shinosaki. I'm not sure if I have the heart to anymore…you know…he's killed his first man. Sure, the man deserved it…who am I to judge this? What are these knew emotions?"
"Nothing good can come of associating with humans, especially men," she said vehemently.
"What do you mean men? Shinosaki is only eight!" the angel protested. Rei gave her a mysterious, knowing smile. "They grow up fast," was all she said.
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"Nothing…don't you think it's time you paid him a visit? Odin has been on vacation for an awful long time."
Rei vanished in a burst of flame, the third person to leave her like that in a week. She really wished that the other deities would stop acting so secretive when it came to her charge.
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"No, it can't be!" the eight year old protested. But you can't lie with the facts, especially since all the major colony news stations were talking about it.
Odin Lowe was dead. He had left Shinosaki alone and went on a mission that was supposed to pay a pretty penny. It was a straightforward job. The political leader, Heero Yuy, was supposed to be at a peace meeting. The security was basic. Odin was to be in and out before any of the authorities arrived. But he was caught in a stand off with the other guards. He was shot several times. Even Odin didn't deserve that kind of death.
Shinosaki ignored those new emotions. Odin was the only father figure he had and he wouldn't shame the man by crying.
"No!" he yelled as realization struck him. The earth federation would be coming to investigate and that left him with relatively no time.
The child was right. Several armed men burst through the door. Shinosaki felt the bitter prick of the tranquilizer only seconds later. "I'll always be here," a whispered memory played in his mind before he completely blacked out.
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He fluttered his Prussian eyes open and found himself staring into the withered face of an old man.
"Good, you're awake," he said, voice accented slightly.
As the man backed up, Shino realized two things. The first was that the old man was in a lab coat and the last was that he was in a laboratory. The steady beep of the heart monitors verified that.
"Wh-who are you?"
"You may call me Dr. J. Now then, shall we begin your training?"
"What? What training?"
The doctor smirked. It was ironic that the 'weapon' of the man that murdered Heero Yuy would be used to avenge his death. And with the new mobile suits being developed, all would be resolved.
An image appeared on one of the screens. It replayed the death of the great political leader, Heero Yuy. "This man died in vain. I am in charge of training you to become the ultimate soldier. Now then, first order of business, you need a new name to complete your new life."
Shinosaki was speechless. His name was the only thing that he retained from his former life.
"Well?" the man prompted. Shino's eyes looked at the clip of one of Heero Yuy's great speeches that played on the screens. He was almost nine and any name would do. In time he would forget he was ever named Shinosaki and with the memory erase the doctor planned to initiate on the boy…
"Yuy, Heero Yuy," the boy said. Dr. J smirked. Things were going as planned. "Good…good…" he answered absently.
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Makoto jerked her emerald eyes open. "What is it?" Ami, the muse of knowledge, whispered in her ear. They were at one of Michiru and Haruka's recitals. It was a very happy event in the crystal palace. But something was very, very wrong with Makoto.
"It's gone!" she yelled. Everybody's attention was now on her, disgust written all over their faces for the angel who became attached to a human. But that didn't matter to the archangel for her link to her charge was gone. She used to be able to feel where he was at least. Now she didn't even get that. It was as if…
Hotaru shot Makoto a look that put her worst fear to rest. Shino was still alive but the question was, where…
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If you're a first time reader, I hope you enjoy this story. Reviews are appreciated and ones that tell me what I'm doing wrong (not should be doing) warm my heart.
