CrazyRae: Like i promised, i will acknowledge those who R&Red.
Computer Geek Michelle: Thank you, i'm glad that you enjoyed the story so much.
RikoRishodeathangeloflight: You are a very loyal reader and i thank you. I'm pleased with your thoughts on the story. Don't worry, it'll be more evil soon.
French Silk: Thank you for reviewing, i'm glad you enjoyed the plot of my story. I tried to come up with something original.
CR: Thank you for your reviews. I hope you enjoy the chapter. The next few might be short, but i'm sparking romances soon.
Disclaimer: I wouldn't be writing fanfiction if i owned GW now would I?
Chapter Ten
Everyone but Raven sat in the Tenshi Manor. It had been a few days since Heero was released from the hospital and everyone was in the living room. Duo, Missy, Alex and Lia were playing video games and arguing with each other. Lin was watching as Quatre and Trowa played a tense game of chess. Wufei was meditating in a darkened corner of the room as Heero sat in an overstuffed chair, typing on his laptop.
It was about midnight and no one seemed to be tiring. They heard the sound of a car door slamming shut and the squealing of tires as a car sped away. The front door opened and slammed shut as Raven slowly entered the entrance way of the building.
Raven was wearing a pair of black, jeans with a red tank top. Her black, duster was draped over her shoulders. Her hair looked like it was about to fall out of the bun in was in. Blue eyes were filled with fatigue as she slowly headed towards the stairs. The group watched as she slowly walked up them, seemingly not wanting to put too much pressure on her right foot. She reached the top of the stairs and disappeared from the groups vision.
"Why is she limping?" Quatre asked.
"Who cares? She probably mouthed off and finally received the beating she deserved." Alex replied.
Quatre stood and ran up the stairs, heading towards her bedroom. The group shrugged it off until there was a loud slamming sound, a yelp, followed by a thumping sound. They group jumped out of their seats and dashed upstairs.
They arrived to Raven's room to see Quatre leaning against the wall, opposite of the door, and gazing at his blood, soaked hands.
"Q-man you ok?" Duo asked.
Quatre slowly nodded, his eyes never leaving his hands. Heero and Trowa nodded at each other and entered the assassin's room, everyone but Quatre following.
Everyone gasped at all the blood that splattered the walls in hand prints. They noticed her duster was on the ground ans blood soaked the white carpet on the ground. The red tank top soon was seen a few feet from it, lying on the ground. Blood seemed to spill from the crumbled garment. A hand print was seen on a sliding, glass door that led to the balcony. Heero walked over to the balcony, only to see a sight no one would want to see.
Raven sat on the balcony. Her back was leaning against the house, and her legs hung off the edge of the balcony. Blood slowly leaked from a wound on her shoulder, that she didn't seem to acknowledge. He could see the tattoo on her right arm, only to realize they were names. Yoko, Hiko, Rachel, Matilda, Micheal, Andre, and the last was Nikolai.
"What do you want Heero?" she asked darkly.
"We heard a noise and rushed up. Your room was covered with blood." he replied.
"Why should any of you care?" she snapped, her voice never changing.
He noticed her eyes were a dark, blue-violet, meaning she was in soldier mode. He then realized she was wheezing.
"What happened?" he demanded.
"Oh nothing. Just me, an assassin, taking another person's life. Slowly destroying mine in the process." she replied.
He gazed at her with confusion but brushed it off.
"Just leave. I can take care of myself." she urged, seeing the look on his face.
"It's not in my nature to see a person like this and not do anything about it." he countered.
"Yeah, well if I remember, it's not in your nature to go against your mentor Dr. J and I do believe his mission was for you to...capture me and if you can't kill me. You can't catch me, so why let me live?" she snapped back, slowly standing up.
She limped into her bloody room and gazed at the horror-struck group. She ignored it and walked pass them, holding her bare stomach with her tainted, red, right hand. Blushes arose on some of their cheeks noticing she was standing there shirtless. They watched as she slowly opened the door and glared at them.
"Leave." was all she demanded.
They flinched from the icy glare and left the room, Quatre being the most reluctant. She glared again.
"You too Yuy." she growled out.
He left the shadows and exited the room, just to hear the slamming of a door. A soft sigh from Quatre reached his ears as they each went to their own rooms. Heero stood there, gazing at the door before retiring to his room.
Everyone was sleeping, except three people. Quatre, Heero and Raven. Quatre felt guilty, as if he was forgetting something. Heero was trying to remember more. Raven felt absolutely nothing. Her body was numb, as was her mind.
Both Quatre and Heero left their rooms at the same time, nodding to each other when they stopped in front of her door. They opened it, flinching slightly at all the blood which still caked the wall. Lying on the bed, gazing at the white ceiling was Raven. She didn't say or do anything. The only trace of her being alive was the small smile on her lips.
"Finally. After all these years, I've found a way for no pain." she murmured.
The two guys looked confused.
"No more pain. No more lies. No more hate. No more death. All goes away with a flick of the wrist. All disappears with the drop of a dime. All vanishes as the darkness consumes the mind." her voice said in a dead voice.
"I'm going to go get something, she seems to be going into hysteria. You stay here." Quatre said.
"Darkness is always good. Darkness protects against things. Things that shouldn't hurt. Love should never hurt. Like life, every good idea or thing has a catch. In order to love, you must have pain. But pain is all I've ever felt. Love is something I've always wanted, but never received. All but one moment. One moment where I felt soothed. One moment where I felt loved and safe." her voice droned on.
Heero leaned over her body and tapped the side of her face, but she didn't react.
"Forget. Forgetting is always good. To never remember, means you don't remember what you've lost. To not remember what you lost, you never feel pain. Pain is never good."
"Zero you have to snap out of it." Heero tried to shake her awake.
"System. Zero. Never hurt. Help it tried. Wrong components. Mad man he was. Tried to destroy what little innocence. Star is much better. Zero is nothing compared to Star. Star never hurts. Star always helps. Star is correct components. Star has links."
"Zero what are you talking about?" he continued trying to shake her out of it.
"Zero isn't real. Zero isn't machine. Zero is a state. A state of mind where no pain registers, and no irrational things happen. Zero can't be made. Only learned." she continued.
"No. Zero is a person. I remember Zero. I remember little, but I remember her." he argued with the unresponsive girl.
"Never forget. Promise. Always forever. Branded. Comfort. First time." her voice died to a whisper.
"I'm sorry Zero. I...I failed." he responded, gazing at his hands.
A pale hand rested on his and wrapped around, clenching it tightly.
"Cry. Not inferior. Gift. Use it." she said.
Every memory came too fast for Heero, everything he did with Zero. Everything he said. Every person he had killed for Dr. J. He grabbed the sides of his head and left the room. A pounding headache clouded his thoughts as memories continued.
He found his room and bed and immediately fell asleep.
He woke up and slowly walked down to the kitchen, hearing only part of a conversation Quatre was beginning to finish.
"..is dead." the word left Quatre's mouth, causing the girls to burst into tears.
"No! I wont believe it!" Missy shouted as she jumped up and ran out of the room.
"It can't be..."Lia trailed off walking in a different direction.
Alex growled and stood up, walking up the stairs. Lin sat there, her head cradled in her arms as tears flowed down her cheeks.
"Why?" she sobbed.
No, Heero's mind screamed as he ran towards the room.
He broke into the room, being greeted with the same sight as last night. She laid there, her skin paler than normal. Eyes were closed and her lips were set in a pleasant smile. He walked over shakingly, and placed a hand on hers. It was still warm! He moved his hand to take a pulse and found one.
Who was dead, he asked himself.
"The Ring of Death." a voice behind him said.
He turned to see Quatre standing there.
"She's not dead. On her right arm she has names of everyone that she knew, who died because of her." he continued.
"She looks so..." Heero's voice trailed off as his eyes turned towards the sleeping girl.
"peaceful?" Quatre finished.
"She should. She hardly gets any sleep." he finished
"Why?" Quatre heard come from the Perfect Soldier's mouth.
"She remembers everything she's done, and every person she's killed." the blonde replied.
"She said that the Zero System isn't a machine, but a state of mind." Heero informed the blonde, who nodded knowingly.
"That's why we lost control. We never learned how to use the state of Zero. The machine the Doctors made, forced us into the Zero State which made us lose control over our minds and body." Quatre replied.
"She said that there is another system. It's better than the Zero System. Called Star." Heero continued.
"We've heard little of this. She usually talks to Marquis and the guys about that." the Arabian Prince replied.
Quatre stood up and sighed.
"I need to go comfort Lin. Stay here for me. Inform someone when she awakens." he said before leaving the room.
Heero stayed there, deep in thought.
CR: R&R please. Tell me if you want something in the story or tell me what you think. If you want to flame, flame nicely, cause i'm new at this.