Someone's Watching Chapter 1: The Message Is Out

-Apologizes profusely-

I have been gone... I am sorry about that, everyone. -- I truly am. I have been gone forever, but finally, the first chapter!

I must keep this short, because I have to work on updating the rest of my stories, but... Please enjoy, and feel free to leave any comments/criticisms/flames. Flames make me giggle. 8D

For pairings/warnings/anything else, read the prologue.

Enjoy!

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Wil wiped the sweat out of his eyes. Adjusting his grip on the tennis racquet fixed in his soaking palm, he swung at the bright yellow ball that was spinning in his direction.

Thwack.

The ball was hurled against the red stucco wall, and flew back at Wil. He cursed loudly as he sent it back at the wall once again.

"Wil."

Wil turned-around to face the voice, and blinked against the sun as the tennis ball bounced past him. He grinned widely.

"Hi, Serra!"

Serra looked despairing, an expression seemingly alien to Serra's normally smiling face. Her pink pigtailed hair rippled with the wind's movements. She tossed her head, and announced, "Meeting."

Wil's smile immediately fell. "What?"

Serra's violet eyes filled with sadness. "Meeting," She said, quietly. Her hand moved across her leg and began to clutch her white skirt. "There's a meeting in the auditorium." She turned away from Wil as the tears began to fall from her eyes. "Don't be late," She choked-out.

"Serra, what's-" He took a step toward her.

She immediately bolted, her white skirt and loose blouse billowing in the wind.

Wil's tennis racquet dropped to the ground as he fell onto a wooden bench. He pulled his knees up to his chest and ran a hand through his chocolate-brown hair.

He moaned in confusion and concern as he stared-up at the azure sky. "And today started-out to be such a good day..."

Lyn sighed as her peers and comrades filled the large auditorium. She watched as everyone she knew slowly began to take their seats.

Leaning up against the podium, she was able to identify Hector, looking grumpy as always, chatting with Eliwood, easily identifiable by his shock of red hair. She saw Wil, looking confused and sweaty, wearing shorts and a soaking t-shirt. She saw Serra, eyes glassy, and then she saw Matthew.

Tears weren't streaming down his face. His eyes weren't red and puffy. He wasn't even glassy-eyed like Serra. He looked as if he was in a haze, struggling to identify what was happening around him.

Everyone looked concerned for him, even those who hadn't yet heard the news. Everyone had known about him and Leila. Lyn felt tears prick at her eyes, and she was forced to turn away from the podium.

Florina stood behind her, hands folded against her white skirt. She smiled sadly as she met Lyn's gaze, and as she saw the tears forming in the corner of her eyes, she stepped over to embrace Lyn, her soft leather shoes padding against the ancient marble floor.

"Lyn... it's going to be okay..." She felt her tremble in her arms. She began to stroke Lyn's silky teal hair.

She shook violently. Florina brought her hand up to wipe a stream of gleaming tears off of Lyn's pale cheek.

"She's gone... I just can't believe she's really gone..." Lyn buried her face in the shorter woman's shoulder, and cried until the tears stung her eyes.

Florina gently set her down into one of the auditorium's soft stuffed chairs, and said, "Maybe we had better have Hector direct the assembly?"

Lyn sniffed and nodded, forcing a smile. "That is probably a good idea."

"Do you want me to tell Hector?" Only Lyn would have been able to identify the flicker of fear in her silver eyes.

Lyn laughed, brushing the last of her tears away. "No, Florina, that's quite alright. I will do it."

Florina couldn't hide the relief in her eyes, and she smiled. "Okay."

Lyn stood-up and turned away, leaving Florina to stare after her, hoping that she could keep-up her mask of indifference for at least the length of the meeting.

Hector's deep blue eyes widened with surprise as they traveled across the page. The brief that Lyn had handed him was written in her curly handwriting, and was describing Leila's mission and how she had died.

He looked-up at Lyn, disbelieving. "She... she was one of our best... Are you sure that an ordinary agent was what killed her?"

Lyn shook her head. "No. But, for now, this is what we must tell everyone. For now, they must mourn her death." Hector could have sworn that he saw tears form in her dark eyes, but if they did, she continued nonetheless, her voice ever stronger. "Then, we can rally them. I know that we will only be more united after this."

Hector nodded, accepting it. "I know that you want something good to come from her death."

Lyn nodded, eyes filled with determination, and then her voice caught in her throat. "Oh, Hector... what have we come to? Is it even worth it? Leila... she was a brilliant student and an amazing fighter, but she still died. She was picked-off like an ordinary foot soldier! Oh..." She covered her eyes with her hands and began to cry again. Hector looked panicked, and he quickly embraced her in an awkward half-hug.

"Ahm... It's okay..." He attempted to console her.

Lyn wiped her eyes, pushing her way out of his arms, and giggled. "Hector, you big oaf..." she laughed again. "You don't need to comfort me. Just tell the rest of them, please? I need to head back to my room."

They glanced around at everyone else, chattering quietly in their seats. A few of them glanced expectantly at the podium, waiting for someone to give orders.

"I'll do it. You and Florina should go back to your room and rest." Hector sighed as he gathered the papers in his hands, and nodded to Lyn.

"Thank-you, Hector." Lyn turned away and glanced at Florina, nodding to her. Florina quickly hurried off toward Lyn.

Hector once again glanced around at everyone. They were now quiet, realizing that the meeting was about to begin. They were looking at him expectantly.

Hector sighed. He hated these meetings.

Wil sat in the audience, confused, as Hector stepped-up to the podium. He had watched Lyn and Florina leave, and his curiosity grew. Lyn normally stayed for these meetings.

Hector cleared his throat, and Wil's attention was brought back to the podium.

"Well..." Hector started, awkwardly. "If you haven't already heard, there has been a death, as of last night."

Wil gasped as the crowd around him began to shout questions, and mentally went-through the list of everyone that was on missions last night. He made it a point to know these things. He named-off the people in his head: Heath... Kent... Leila... and Rath. He had seen Heath just an hour before, being followed by Legault... he had seen Kent just a few minutes ago, talking to Lyn... Rath, his roommate, he had seen this morning at breakfast.

Wil shook his head with disbelief.

"Leila." Hector and Wil said, in unison.

Half of the room looked toward Matthew, wondering what his reaction would be. Some of the members of the audience began to cry themselves. But there was one reaction that everyone shared: Silence.

"Leila was killed last night. She was attacked by a group of enemy agents while on her mission. She was found by Kent, who was on a mission in the same area."

Wil looked down at the floor. Leila was one of their best agents. How could they get-on without her? Not to mention the enormous dent that it would put in their morale... nobody would want to go on missions for days after this, if not longer!

Wil slipped out of his seat as Hector began to take questions. He pushed his way past the crowd, and left the auditorium without a glance backwards. His only thought was, I need to find Rath!

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I hope you liked it! I will take suggestions for couples, to an extent. I am already fixed on a few couples (see the prologue), but other than that, I might be willing to take suggestions.

Questions/Comments are appreciated. 8D Thanks!