(Notes: I don't own any of the rights to Cyborg 009)
(Authors notes: Hi! Welcome back. Sorry, I hoped to get this chapter out much sooner, but I've been so tired from work. It's been so busy. Writing this fic, I've learned alot about dreams. Did you know that you really can't read things in dreams? Letters come out like hdhdhdioughb and your brain perceives it as what it wants to. Reason, in short. We dream with the right side of our brain and read with the left. Kinda interesting. I know this fic is confusing at times and very surreal with alot of really sub 009 trivia in it, but bear with me :) Hopefully though all the angst will come a shiny romantic end. Also, I apologize to the people who requested 004 to be the next victim...I just couldn't do it. Not yet it's way too soon, but he won't be the last. Enjoy the story!) (Warning: spoilers for quite a few eps. )
Dance with me:
Walking down the forever winding marble stone path, time never seemed to end nor did it hold any relativity. The same places that he had passed hours before seemed to pass again. Senseless as it may seem, he was lost on an almost obvious road. The raging storm in the distance now surrounded the Roman stile pavilion as the wind in the rose covered valley picked up speed. A tormented scream like someone being trapped in the depths of hell rang out from the pavilion's halls, but the scream didn't belong to 003.
"...002..!" 009 screamed out into the gusty rose scented wind only to be answered by silence.
009 paused in his journey looking towards the pavilion off in the distance. His heart began to feel for the sadness of his lost friend "002, no ...you've become a victim too."
Shielding his eyes from the blowing rose petals, 009 dropped to his knees. Her dreamworld was being torn apart before his very eyes and it was beginning to seem hopeless to find a way to her.
The whole world was filled with her sadness like the scenery was beginning to cry with her.
"Crying?" Looking around, 009 realized that he wasn't alone. There was definitely someone else here in this strange world with him.
Though the howling wind 009 could hear someone crying from not far away. Jumping to his feet, he followed the sounds of sobs coming not far from off the marble pathway. Pushing his way though tangles of soft rose vines clinging from monument to monument, tree to tree, down into the rose petal filled valley below.
Finally cutting past the last rose vine, 009 found who he was looking for. Nestled in the blooming rose bushes was a disheveled looking red biplane. It's pilot equally just as defeated and spent sat huddled next to one of the broken wings crying in it's shadows as if all hope was lost.
009 rushed over to see if the pilot wasn't injured however, when the pilot emerged from the shadows of the destroyed plane he was taken aback in seeing who this man could quite possibly be.
He was slightly taller than 003's height dressed in a world war II fly boy jump suit, his golden blond hair covered his sapphire eyes. He shared nearly all the same facial features as 003.
" Jean Paul Arnoul ! " 009 blurted out without even thinking. Could he be 003's long lost brother that she always talked so fondly of?
The plane's pilot rushed over to 009 in disbelief. Hesitantly, reached out to cup 009's chin in his hand almost as if looking him over. " It's you ...It's really you!"
Stepping back from such an awkward moment, all 009 could reply was. " ..Me..?"
Joy and new found hope began to over set the tears and lost hope in Jean Paul." 009, or is it Joe Shimamura? My sister thinks very highly of you."
009 was clueless in expression, was it more suprizing that Jean Paul already knew who he was or that he was starting to find out little by little just how "highly" 003 thought of him.
It was only a split second of joy before sadness once again set in. Taking out his golden pocket watch in seeming to adjust the time on it's face, Jean Paul began to tell his story. " I know my sister is in great danger. I can hear her calling out across the valley, crying in sorrow and worry. Things here aren't normally like this. Francoise is always such a cheerful, loving, and happy woman...but something has happened something that confuses me. Everytime I try to rescue her, the dragon that lives in the storm clouds wrecks my plane."
" Dragon?" 009 questioned. As unbelievable and lame as a dragon would seem, he was beginning to expect the unexpected in this strange and surreal world.
" Yes " Tears began to welt in Jean Paul 's eyes once more in reliving the pain of the seemingly slow death of his sister's dream world. "Please, please, Joe help me save my sister. I know you're powerful and strong enough to do it."
It didn't take any convincing for 009 to be on helping's call. He was already willing. " Yes, I'll help you. Anything to save her..."
As Jean Paul put away his pocket watch, he began to eagerly dig for tools in the plane's compartment. 009 began to ponder. Could this be a trap? Could Jean Paul be who he really says he is? Was he himself, beginning to get drawn into 003's dream world?
The moment's opportunity didn't leave him with much of a choice but to trust in Jean Paul.
In a bolt of cyber information,007 began to awake in another piece of 003's dream mind.
" Where...where am I?" 007 questioned as he stood up from the rocky concrete ground he was laying on.
The world around him soon began to appear into a bustling yet quant street in Paris filled with many apartments and small busy shops. From the looks of wear on some of the more older world buildings, the time line was someplace around World War II. Despite the street's looks, the whole world around him still felt clouded as if in a dream like haze. It felt like he was walking though a memory rather than a dream. People on the street seemed to walk mindlessly around him like drones. No one seemed to notice his presence, like he never existed at all to them. Finding an entrance to break though the sea of wandering people walking down the side walk, 007 made his way over to one of the old shop's windows. Peering though it's glass pain, the light reflecting back wouldn't allow him to see in it's frame. Instead, he could see the world behind him and his own reflection.
However seeing his own reflection , 007 was in aw at the sight. Nothing had really changed. Just his clothing, and not even the role he was destined to play. He was a man in a slightly dusty from wear blue suit, with a beet red tie and crooked blue dress hat, caring a slightly beat up brown violin case. From with what he could make out from the gibberish of letters said "West End Acting Troupe." He was in fact a traveling actor making his way across Europe.
Overjoyed that the Dreamland Matrix seemed to have nothing to take from him nor to give, 007 turned away from the glass window and towards the street in a dramatic pose " I shall play my role worthy of nothing less than a Shakespeare play."
That's when he saw her in the window of the ballet school just across the street. Dancing her heart out as if her life was in every step. She was a small girl possibly no older than the age of 8. Her mid length hair was of soft gold, held back by a small pink headband, the same color of her tutu. Her ballet slippers dawned of ruby red in the window's aloud light.
Noticing she was being watched, the small girl stopped in her dance and ran towards the window. 007 couldn't take his eyes off her as she waved back to him. There was something so unique in her. Awkwardly, 007 waved back, but the moment was short lived when a man, young, but still much older than the small girl walked over to the window. His facial features closely resembled the small girls, his hair was just as blond as hers too slightly hanging just over his eyes. Chasing the small girl away from the window, the young man shot 007 a wayward look of warning before pulling down the tattered shade.
007 couldn't believe his eyes. " Is it really 003?"
She was so young and small and not the 003 he was used to seeing, but this dream seemed more based on a memory rather than a dream from mixed thoughts or emotions. He had to make sure. He had to find out when she came out of the ballet school, but how to waste so much time?
Looking down at the dusty old violin case, 007 propped the case against the nearest lamp post as he opened it. The violin held some wear but it was from frequent use.
" I know how to play one of these?" Picking up the bow 007 placed the violin under his chin as he set to play. "I've never even picked up one of these in my life."
However when he stroked the bow across the strings, nothing but beautiful music came from the old instrument. Music of the arts filled with the heart and soul of an inspiring actor filled the streets as people who seeming ignored him before began to stop and listen.
Finishing a simple song, 007 was astonished to find such playing capabilities existed within him. Bowing to the crowds who stopped to watch him he took his praise as the people applauded him. "Thank you and thank you kind ladies and gentlemen, for my next song I shall sing an old sonnet from England."
As he began to sing, a few spectators tossed coins in his violin case and moved on wile others stayed.
Hours passed into early evening and the crowds of busy people began to dwindle home to dinner. It was about this time that the small lady finished her ballet lessons for the day. 007 continued to play not noticing her running towards him standing at the street lamp.
" Monsieur ?" She began to look him over as if questioning his existence. " I've never seen you around here before."
Stopping in his play, 007 nearly dropped to violin to the ground in suprize of seeing her. "ah, small mademoiselle. I'm but a traveling actor, here one day and gone with the wind the next."
" Wow..." Her eyes seemed to sparkle with the innocence of curiosity. " It must be wonderful to see things all over the place. What's your name?"
Bowing as if he was an actor on stage, 007 greeted the small lady "I'm Great Britain, an inspiring actor on the stage of life."
Skipping into a cute but very lady like greeting, the small girl introduced herself as well. " My name is Francoise, and I wanna be a great ballet dancer someday!"
007 stepped back from her slightly. It was her. It really was her, Francoise, 003. Despite her size it really was her true sprit.
" I heard your music though the window at ballet school today. " Her charm and cuteness seemed to beg though to his very soul as she starred at him with starry eyes." Would you please play a song for me? In return I'll dance for you."
007 smiled light heatedly, how could he refuse such an offer from this little girl. " Ofcorse, I'll play for you."
Picking up the violin to his chin, 007 began to play as he sang one of his sonnets. Francoise's tiny red shoes glided across the cobblestone of the street to the beat of the music. Her dancing was playful and pure, graceful and innocent. The music seemed to be made for her no matter what kind of music she danced ballet to.
There was no mistaking that this had to be the pure hearted soul of 003. She was so innocent and pure as always.
In this moment 007's heart was filled with joy as he played for the small girl. He imagined if he and Sofi had ever gotten married that they too would of had children and grandchildren of the stage much like young 003.
A moment so wonderful should never end.
As 007 finished the song he put down the violin, young Francoise came to congraduate him on his wonderful song. "You're the best traveling actor ever!"
007 chuckled lightly in shying away his pride ."You're quiet a great dancer small miss, your parents must be proud of you."
In a stoke of sadness small Francoise looked down at the ground. "...My parents died in the war. The only person that takes care of me now is my brother."
Seeing her sadness struck sadness though 007's heart as well. "I'm so sorry Miss Francoise. "
As if on cue, Francoise's brother marched across the street. "Francoise! What are you doing talking to strangers? Come here this instant."
" Coming Jean Paul! " Rushing to meet her brother in the middle of the street, Jean Paul swept his sister in his arms but not before shooting 007 a look of warning and death.
"Stay away from my sister. A person like you will only stand in the way of her ballet dreams." Saying his words of warning, Jean Paul and Francoise began to walk home.
However, looking over her brother's shoulder francosie called out to 007 into the night. " Please come see my first ballet performance at the Popular Opera house tomorrow night. I'll be sad if my new friend wasn't there to see me perform."
It was an offer he couldn't refuse, how could he turn away from her now.
Not long after her words seemed to echo though the dark Paris streets in calling to him, the scenery shifted before his very eyes and the time was now the next night.
"How did I..." 007 nervously questioned his new surroundings.
He was now standing in the grand hall of the opera house. Paintings of Renaissance splendor and wonder stretched across the high ceilings hidden behind chandeliers of gold and draping crystal. The tile beneath his feet appeared so glossy that the fixtures from the ceiling reflected back making the whole hall appear as the floor and ceiling met as one. He couldn't help to stare in all at the beauty that surrounded him, this had to be the most beautiful place in the world.
Light symphony music began to filter though the grand hall and 007 soon remembered his propose. "003!"
Frantically, 007 looked around for the theater's entrance but it seemed no place to be found. "I'll miss her performance!"
""Monsieur ?" From out of no place, a scrawny but well dressed usher seemed to be standing by a stage door. " Monsieur, if you're looking for Madame Francoise she's onstage now, but if you'd like to watch her she's asked that you please see her dance from backstage."
Strange, he'd never noticed this door or usher when he first entered the grand hall.
" Certainly. " As he entered though the stage door the music from her performance sounded more and more inviting the closer he got towards the curtain.
Reaching out, 007 pushed back a small portion of the red velvet curtain just enough to peer though. However, he was beside himself with in the first glance of the young girl's performance. Every inch of her angel white costume shimmered with sequence and rhinestones in the stage light even down to her ruby ballet slippers. He couldn't stop watching her. Every leap, every jump, every step held such heart and soul. She only seemed to become more graceful with every step.
One day, one day for certain her dream will come true and he would always cheer for her. Her dancing would bring cheer and light to millions.
" GAH..! "
Feeling a sharp blood curtailing serge of pain from the back of his neck, 007 wished he could turn around to see what it was but he couldn't move. The pain was too strong to even bare to move. struggling to break away, the pain only dug deeper. He wanted to scream but nothing came out, only blood. It was a knife. It was a knife and someone still had ahold of him but there was nothing he could do the knife was in too deep.
" I told you not to get involved with my sister's dancing. I told you she was going to become a great ballet dancer one day and no one would stop her ..." Finally 007 could see who his attacker was as he loomed over him. Jean Paul Arnoul, Francoise's brother.
007 wished he could beg for 003 for help but she wouldn't look in his direction. She never stopped dancing despite the commotion backstage, as if nothing else mattered in the world but her dancing. Finally in finishing her performance, young Francoise took a bow to her adoring audience. Long stemmed roses showered the stage in thanks and congraduataions but a wicket smile graced Francoise's lips
" My brother always looks out for me ..."
001 kept vigilant in watching over his friends. The whole room stayed silent except of the tacking sound of keyboards clicking away in progress.
Suddenly though the silence, 007 cried out a straggled cry of pain before falling silent.
"What's wrong with him !" In a panic DR Gillmore rushed over to 007's side.
Keyboards clicked faster under the fingertips of DR Eekamen's assistance in response.
Rasing his hand, 001 tried to omitt psyic waves of calmness to his freinds but the virus was just to strong. 002 and now... No, their minds where too far gone. " It's no use... DR Gillmore..."
" DR Gillmore, DR Eekamen, sir." A nervous assistant stood up from his post. " Sir, the virus has clamed it's next victim!"
DR Eekamen huddled his head against the desk in shame. " It wasn't supposed to be like this ... The Dreamland Matrix was supposed to be a piece of human wonder ..."
(to be continued)
(Lot of exciting things next chapter! Like..can 009 trust Jean Paul or will he see the same fate as 007? or perhaps worse? or who the next victim is of the dreamland virus. Things only seem to get worse before they get better...)