Fan Fiction ❯ Perchance of Fate ❯ Preface ( Prologue )

Hiya everyone! I actually hope that this story will be the first one that I'll actually finish. All characters are mine so no stealing! Anyway, everything her are just little spurts of inspiration that my brain receives every once in a while from people I talk to everyday combined into a chunk of text.

Warnings: PG13 rated for swearing

Perchance of Fate

::Preface::

"That one." A man stood by a window with a clear view of the large room. To the ones in the inside, it was a large mirror and the many cameras that were hidden carefully in almost every corner gave a view from every angle. Children of almost every race and age from six to eighteen played with old and badly abused toys.

He pointed to the girl in the far corner, the only one by herself clutching a ragged piece of cloth. Dressed plainly in a white shirt and black pants with her hair hanging down to her waist, she appeared to be more of a dressed beggar than a highly brought up person in a prestigious orphanage.

"Are you sure sir? There are many others that you could choose…" a shadowed sales manager suggested trying to point to the orphans that were chasing each other in the middle of the room.

"No. How much is she?" He reached inside the pocket of his black coat and pulled out a thickly stuffed wallet.

"Well um, she's about half the price of everyone else. About 250 reams and we'll call it a deal."

He nodded and pulled out a wad of bills and tossed it to the eager hands of the sales person. "Bring her to me."

As she was gingerly counting the money, she muttered a code to the speaker attached to her ear. Moments later, two heavily built guards appeared through a sliding door and glided over to the selected child. As if on cue, everyone stopped and began whispering while huddling into groups for a false sense of security.

The girl stood as if she understood what was happening and glanced right at the man who had purchased her through the mirror disguise. Outside, he mused while the lady was explaining the details to her every day care. Actually the man couldn't have cared less about her endless rambling, his gaze focused on her as she was guided to the exit. A few phrases passed through his ears from the rambling that the woman next to him.

"She was a bit of a problem to us in the beginning"…"don't worry though, we've straightened out most of the difficulties that occurred"…"There are no refunds of course"…"she's fifteen with a decent education"…"Quiet disposition but really quite a…"

"Mrs. Murry?" a harsh rapt on the door was made soon after the group closed the door behind them.

"Come in." She quickly stuffed the payment away and went to make last minute rearrangements on the girl to make her more presentable when the guards passed though. "Sir, I'd like to formally introduce you to Erica. Erica, this is your new master Mr…"

"Reed."

Erica's eyes met his and they showed no sign of fear or hatred in them. "Pleased to meet you," she whispered and bowed slightly with Mrs. Murry nodding her head in approval.

"Erica, you will be accompanying him to wherever and doing his requests. Since you are now no longer in our care, your actions will decide your fate from now on. Be a proud example of Metropolis Academy."

*******

"Alright, now where's that damn cab?" Mr. Reed took Erica to a street corner a few blocks down and tapped his boot frustratedly against the concrete. Surprised, she looked at her new master and found him rummaging in his jacket pocket for something while raking his dark green, slightly spiked hair absentmindedly with his other hand.

"Mr. Reed…"

"There's no need for formalities now, just call me Ed, Eddie, whatever you like. Damn this jacket is hot." He slipped it off and loosened his tie so that it was more dangling around his neck. "Hold this, thanks." Without looking, he tossed it in her direction and went back to searching his many pockets. "Ah here we go!" Gingerly, a pair of glasses emerged by the inner pocket, she supposed was used to hold cigars.

"Hmm, you seem surprised, darling. What's the matter?" Slipping on the pink glasses, and ruffling his hair out more, he looked completely like a drunken college dropout instead of the formal businessman she first saw him as.

"Eddie, where are we going?"

"Home of course, you have to meet the others if you ever want to get anywhere." His accent changed to that of a high pitched girly voice. Erica giggled despite all the strict rules that she was trained to obey for standard behavior. "Hmm, but I think we really should get you some other name. That name, Erica, it's what that drab institution gave you right?"

She nodded in compliance and he pushed up his glasses that began sliding down his nose thoughtfully. "I know! Kendra, that's what Mark told me to call you, heaven only knows why. But it suits you, unique yet very distinctive."

"Kendra," she whispered, liking how the word tingled across her lips.

"Ah our ride has finally arrived. Late as usual. Come hither Kendra, your new life awaits."

******

In front of her was the largest building she had ever seen was the sight for her to behold after the first step out of the car. She stared in open awe at the marvelous creations of the 50th century that she had been so deprived of in the prison-like orphanage. Towers upon terraces grasping at the sky…all she could do was to keep her jaw from dropping to the ground.

"Pretty isn't it?" Eddie stood next to her and glanced up as well. "But we have other better things to do than stare at a inanimate object all day. This way please." He placed his hands on both of her shoulders and steered her 180 complete degrees around to face murky looking streets and shabby two story buildings that seemed to be only held by a few boards and rotting original framework. The magnificent building seemed to overshadow the dreariness of the surrounding structures.

"If I'm not mistaken, we have to take a right here and two lefts. Or maybe it's two rights and a left. Anyway we can always get back to our starting point because of that building." He stopped to examine a faded and peeling street sign. "I think we're halfway there. Don't worry, nothing's gonna happen dear." Noticing her edginess grow, he smiled and took his tie of and draped it around her neck. "Not much of a fashion statement but I'll do for now."

Kendra couldn't help but worry wither he knew where they were. Just after every block they passed, he paused to look at the signs and abandoned buildings before starting off again. Out of the corner of her eye, she could spot something moving in the back alley and she instinctively moved closer to Eddie.

"Hey, woah there." Trying not to flinch at having his personal bubble violated a bit, he ruffled her short black hair and tied the arm sleeves of his jacket around his neck, buying time to hide the slow blush that was rising. "We're here finally."

She looked back and found that the tower was just a faint shimmering object in the distance. "We've walked far."

"Yeah but I didn't want the driver to know where we're gonna be. He might be a spy."

"Of what?"

Guiltily he entered a long code into the side panel before making it glow for a moment then unlock the door. "It would be best if Sirus explained it to you first hand. I'm not…uh, good at that kind of thing." He gave a sheepish smile before opening the door.

"Edward, you're late." The voice came from the other side of the room from a blue-haired man lounging on a couch with his legs dangling over the side.

"Sirus!" Eddie skipped over to the man and hugged him tightly. "We couldn't help it, the car was late."

"Bullshit." Kendra heard him mutter as he pushed Eddie off. "Is that her?"

"Yep. Where's the others?"

Just then the door opened and they all looked up to see a man dressed in black and long black hair duck down from the door opening and enter. "Already two-timing Eddie?" he gave a slow grin.

Eddie pouted and sat on the ground next to Sirus who was adjusting the pillows. "I don't know what you're talking about, I haven't done anything to you."

The man ignored his comment and turned to face Kendra. "This is the girl right Sirus?" She shudder as she felt his stare linger on her body. "So what are you going to do now?"

"Tell the rest of them. Then set the plan out." Sirus brushed his shirt out then opened the back door. "You can call them in Edward, they're in the back."

"Alright, by the way Death, I haven't give you your hug of the day yet!" Eddie ran and collided into the black haired one. "Did I ever tell you you're my favorite?"

"Get the hell off me." He growled but was left helpless to Eddie's powerful grip. Kendra was left speechless as she witnessed the two odd, actually, very odd people. Eddie winked to her before letting go and jumping back right as Death fumed and took a wild swing at the air.

"I'm off then." Eddie had a satisfied smirk on his face as he skipped toward the open door. "Farewell all!"

"Damn him and his stupid everyone-loving personality." Death rearranged his hair and headed towards a room.

"Don't worry." Sirus walked up to her, "he isn't like that, really. Just a little too friendly to everyone."

Still at a loss for words, she nodded and was a little grateful that that was cleared up.

"What's your name?" Death appeared again drinking from a carton of milk and a chunk of cheese from a separate room she guessed was the kitchen.

"Erica, I mean Kendra, sir." She stood straight and bowed like the first time she met Eddie.

He waved her formalities off and offered her some of the cheese. "Want some Kendra? It's Swiss, and not that bad."

Observing her puzzled look, Sirus explained, "Death has a liking for dairy products. You'll find that we're all a bit different from the people you're normally accustomed to. But we all adjust ourselves to cooperating in one way or another…"

***

I know, all you guys are thinking, `what the heck kind of ending is that?' Well my brain died and I'm lacking inspiration. It's my first original fic that I have a plot to in my head…somewhere in the dark, dank black abyss. All comments are much appreciated…and yes I do have friends that have unusual obsessions…I have to admit to naming a couple guys Eddie and I in turn was nicknamed Grace (my real name sounds nothing like that) ^_^ Yes I am queer and I proudly support my queerness and strangeness.