[ Watashi ]

[ Tomodachi ]

[ Saint Seiya ]

[ Clamp ]

[ Fanfiction ]

I closed the door behind me and fought the need to grimace. The atmosphere of the room was saturated with the smell of antiseptics which could only partially cover a faint remaining odor of rot. The result was assaulting my senses and stank horribly. Feeling vaguely nauseous, I decided it would be wiser to breathe through the mouth during my stay here. I only hoped it would be brief.

I smiled inwardly. I was beginning to regret my obstination. Not that I wasn't used to such rooms, but... Oh well, hell if I would back down now.

"Good morning to you Ange-san..."

I looked at the man in white coverall and bowed slightly, repressing a sigh. His smile had the smallest trace of mockery and irony in it, but it was enough for me to notice it, and he knew it full well. Damn, if there was one thing those people acknowledged, I possessed it was my almost uncanny way of accurately knowing which emotions people tried to keep hidden. I walked beside the table of metal and said softly :

"Thank you Nakajima-sensei, a good day to you as well. Now, shall we begin ? I do not have much time."

The line of his lips slightly thinned and I shrugged. Perhaps I was wrong to play into their game and satisfy myself with petty vengeances like this one... Well, at least for this particular man. Being a forensic pathologist was bound to be a hard craft, and certainly one I had no wish to contemplate. It was a miracle this guy still managed to see human beings other than as walking corpses.

He quickly uncovered the body, and the stench of death hit my nostrils so hard that it was all I could do not to recoil. The physician's gloved hands swiftly indicated me what was left of the upper portion of the face as he was saying.

"As you can see, this corspe has sojourned a certain time underwater. It is a good way to clear all traces of the murderer..."

His thumb and index finger touched an horrible cut on the left flank of the dead and stretched it slightly. A dark liquid began to ooze from the wound, and I gritted my teeth.

"However, the cause of the death is quite clear : a cut between a pair of ribs right below the heart and severing two of the lesser arteries while sparing the aorta..."

He smiled at me in a confiding way :

"This guy died from the internal bleeding, and it took some time..."

I felt cold all over. From the sight of the wound I had thought that the man had died instantly... The physician nodded.

"The work of a true artist..."

I looked up at him.

"You mean that this was intentional, that the murderer wanted his victim to die in this horrible fashion ?"

His smile became condescending.

"Ange-san, this just cannot be the result of chance. Yes, the murderer is a very knowledgeable person where anatomy is concerned..."

Without thinking, I let the fingertips of my right hand brush the corpse.

Cold.

Wet.

Soft, almost gelatinous.

Spongy...

So cold...

I closed my eyes and stepped back, trying to control the nausea rising inside me. I asked in a whisper :

"Is the dead's identity known yet ?"

The physician shook his head.

"No, the body spent a time too long in the water, the reconstitution of his finger prints will take a while..."

I sighed, and suddenly he said worriedly :

"But perhaps we should stop here, after all there isn't much left to be said about this corpse. You don't look so well, this room lacks of air and..."

I looked at him sharply and cut him gently :

"Indeed Nakajima-sensei, I think I have seen everything of interest. I thank you for going through this tedious procedure a second time."

I turned my back on him and quickly walked out of the room. As I reached the ground level I looked through a window and wondered why the hell such rooms were always located in basements. It only served to stress the morbid atmosphere of the whole thing. The window was slightly opened and I breathed deeply, focusing on keeping my breakfast down where it belonged.

Shit, this dead had been one of the worst I had seen, and Nakajima hadn't done anything to make it easier for me either. I chuckled bitterly. Hell I had had to pull rank on him to force him to agree to demonstrating a second time the result of the autopsy he had done. I shook my head. It was not my fault if one of my so-called colleagues had unfortunately completely forgotten to warn me to assist to the first showing...

Damn stupid chauvinists.

I had been here for the better part of three months, and still they wouldn't trust me. Still they would doubt my abilities, because I was a bloody gaijin and a woman. I had expected reserve at the start, but I had thought any prejudice they might have had would have weakened with time once I had had the opportunity to work in team with them...

Bullshit.

They were much too godsrotted stubborn about customs and all the rest. I was only given unimportant, menial work. Almost as if I had been a secretary. Almost. I had to fight for every little thing I learnt here, and it was beginning to wear me down.

As I was walking through the alley separating all the inspectors' small desks, someone called out to me :

"Hey Kas'-chan, you okay ? You look a bit pale..."

I repressed the urge of strangling the man where he was sitting and instead smiled sweetly :

"Yes I'm okay. If I were you Toshiro-kun, I would be more concerned over a report that's already two days late..."

I didn't wait to see the expression on his face and went to sit down at my own desk. The computer was still on, I had forgotten to switch it off yesterday night... Oh, that would simply give my boss a valid reason for berating me, nothing more. I opened a new file and began quickly typing the result of my visit to the labs.

In my back, I could feel the furious scowl of Tanaka, wondering how in hell I could have known about the report.

I chuckled soflty, whispering :

"Know thy enemy, Tanaka-san, know thy enemy..."

I leaned back against my chair, stretching my legs and yawning. Gods, I was feeling tired. My fingers were aching with too much typing, and it was not over yet. I just didn't want to think about the number of reports I still had to review and synthetize... Ugh, no I didn't want to contemplate that. The one good thing about this work was that it was giving me more than surface knowledge of the criminal landscape of Tokyo city. Given a bit of time to reflect on all the files, I knew I would be able to make connections and gain better understanding of how things worked here... But it was the only good thing about this work.

Of course I couldn't complain for fear they would give me completely uninteresting things to do. Damn, I needed the knowledge, I needed to be able to feel the situation. I needed to know...

If what I had glimpsed might be true.

If...

A hand gently settled on my left shoulder and I looked up at the smiling face of Sato Akemi, one of the very few women working in the criminal brigade. She said :

"It's lunch time Kassandra-san, do you want to spend it with us ?"

I nodded, smiling back. She was one of the few persons who didn't pronounce my name with mockery in her voice. I was used to being the butt of jokes about it, but still it helped to find once in a while someone who didn't play at expecting me to begin making predictions.

I got up from my chair, and the the same time I saw one of the senior inspectors running towards me holding a stack of papers in his left hand.

"Ange-san..."

I shook my head.

"Forgive me sir, but it is lunch time. I am sure that the reports you are holding can wait forty-five minutes, ne ? So if you will please put them down on my desk I will take care of them as soon as I get back..."

He bit his lower lip.

"No, it's not about reports Ange-san..."

Embarrassment.

Urgency.

I took in the lines of worry creasing his face and nodded for him to continue.

"There is a suicide attempt in progress. The men on the location have tried every trick they knew without success. They dare not intervene for fear of the man carrying it to the end. They are out of alternatives, and we wondered if your experience in this field couldn't be of help..."

Oh... So I might be more than a dead weight now ? I might be useful for something ? How extraordinary. If a man's life hadn't been at stake, I would have laughed in his face. As it was, I simply asked him :

"Where ?"

He had a relieved sigh.

"Tokyo Tower."

I took the papers from his hand, expecting them to be a file on what was known about the man and ran out of the hall.

I looked up at the looming shape of the Tower and sighed inwardly. Why did people always have to choose symbolic places like this one for the site of their deaths ? I shook my head, knowing the answer full well. I cut through the crowd and showed my badge to the official who let me through after shooting me a surprised look.

As the lift was going up, I mentally reviewed the file I had been given on the man threatening to end his life up there.

Takashi Shiro, head of one of the most important societies of Japan in electronic equipements. Married, two children, a girl and a boy both in highschool. No particular relationship problems within his family, a society which was successful where exportations towards Europe were concerned, and in the interior market as well.

In short, he should have been a happy wealthy and powerful man.

The lift stopped and I went out, directing myself towards the open terrace.

"Ange-san..."

I turned my head towards one of the officers.

"Don't you want to talk with the people who have tried to reason with him ?

I shook my head, absentmindedly noting that the sunlight's reflection on the chessboard-like floor was dizzying.

"I have all the facts I need, thanks."

I turned my back on him and thought :

Wish me luck.

A strong wind was blowing on the outside.

Cold.

I staggered and caught myself on the rail, inadvertantly looking down.

Shit.

It was a long way to the ground.

I breathed deeply.

I wasn't accustomed to being so high. I was not exactly afraid of heights, but in a standard way, the void held an strong attraction over me, as if it was calling me, daring me to come ever closer...

What sensation did one have when one jumped ?

What did one feel before hitting the ground ?

Fear ?

Immortality ?

Power ?

Release ?

Freedom...

Yes. My hands closed on the rail and I looked at the man on my left. He was aware of my presence, but his face was bent down. His eyes unseeing. Slowly, I went over the rail and rested my back on it, looking up and trying to exude a confidence I was lightyears away from feeling. Pointedly ignoring him. There was a long silence, and finally I heard a slight whisper :

"You have come to prevent me, haven't you ?"

I didn't answer the obvious. The silence stretched again, and then he said :

"You think I'm mad, don't you ?"

I shrugged. Eventually, he looked up at me and I felt relief washing over me.

Curiosity.

So, there might be hope yet... Surprise showed in his voice as he whispered :

"A gaijin ? They sent a gaijin ?"

I nodded, and for the first time turned my head towards him :

"My name is Ange Kassandra. Nice to meet you..."

His eyes widened.

"Then you know ? You understand, you can see them, can't you ?"

There was a desperate hope in his voice. His eyes were haunted.

Freedom...

The word repeated itself over and over in my mind.

What this man wanted so desperately was release, he wanted to be free, even if it meant dying.

Terror...

A fox the hounds were about to catch.

The time for the mort was almost there.

Hallali...

I slowly shook my head.

"I am not the cursed princess of Troy, Takashi-san..."

I stared at him steadily.

"But I know you are afraid. Terribly afraid..."

The wind howled in the Tower's metallic structures and I silently cursed it. I held out my left hand to him.

"Will you let me help you ?"

His hands clutched the rail and he cried bitterly :

"How could you ? No one can help me ! If you can't see them then you're of no use to me ! Go away ! Send them away ! Let me go !"

Hell...

I looked at the man's eyes.

Wild.

Despaired.

Not bloodshot... Strange...

I shook my head inwardly. No time for that now. Later...

He was delirious. Whatever the reason was, he was completely delirious.

I fixed my eyes to his, saying gently :

"How do you know ? Maybe I am simply not close enough to see them. I know you are afraid, and I know you are no more mad than I am. Perhaps my presence might make them go away, let me try, you have nothing to lose, have you ? You already have tried everything else, ne ?..."

He shook his head.

"I can't take it anymore, I have to win free, I have to..."

I nodded.

"I know, believe me I know. Let me help you, let me come to you, let me protect you from them, please, let me fight them for you. Together we will defeat them... Trust me..."

I kept on talking with the same gentle, droning tone, trying to win through the terror gnawing at him.

There was not much time left.

Soon, he would be despaired enough to jump, and if I misjudged the moment, he would jump the moment I made my move.

I felt a drop of cold sweat running down my left temple and refrained the urge to close my eyes.

The wind began to blow in furious blasts, as if to throw us down, as if some god was angry at human presence in the heavens.

I blinked.

Hooves...

Gallop...

One horse...

One pitiful fleeing fox, at the end of his strength.

The rider unsheathed his sword.

The hunt was over.

No !

My vision cleared and I jumped on the left.

My body hit his as he was throwing himself forward, and my impetus gave me the upper hand. I pushed him back against the rail with all my weight and closed my eyes.

I hugged him desperately, wishing myself to be a shield against whatever fear haunted him, and whispered urgently :

"It's okay, I'm here, no one will harm you, nothing can touch you, you are safe, hear me ? Safe..."

Suddenly, I felt him relaxing against me, and in the same time I vaguely heard steps.

Hands seized the man and gently took him safely away from the void.

"Ange-san, daijoubu desu ka ?"

I nodded absentmindedly at the voice.

"Hai..."

I shrugged off unwanted help and stepped over the rail by myself. The team took the man away from the roof terrace and I found myself alone at the top of Tokyo Tower.

I fell down on the floor, my arms spread.

Watching the infinite blue of the sky.

The wind had dropped.

I could have taken a nap there... Well, almost...

Suddenly, the man's face appeared in front of me.

That man hadn't tried to take his life because he was depressed.

He had been terrified of something only he could see.

So terrified death had seemed a welcome end to his fear...

Delirious...

Yes...

But why ?

It had looked as if the man had had a bad trip, but...

No, I was certain blood analysis would confirm the absence of drug in his bloodstream. No alcohol either. The man had been very conscious of what he was doing. And he was not mad either.

He had seemed the prisoner of a nightmare...

I closed my eyes.

I had never seen or felt such a fear.

Hounded...

Yes, I would have sworn this man had been hounded.

If I hadn't known better, I'd have said he had been cursed or haunted.

As it was, I would never know what had caused this crisis, and I could only pray it would not happen again...

Something brushed against my right cheek and I opened my eyes.

My fingers closed on something as soft as silk, fragile...

I brought it in front of my eyes.

A lonely sakura petal.

Carried to me by the wind...

But...

A cloud passed above me.

The season had been over for months...

"Ange-san !"

I got up and nodded at the inspector calling me.

It was time to go back to the routine and to my pile of reports...

I smiled at the stray petal and opened my hand, letting the wind take it away. I watched it disappear during a long time.

Another mystery that would not be solved.

I turned my back on the city and went away, dismissing the petal from my mind.

End of Part1.

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