past destruction, future rebirth chap 3 (edited)

[valkyrie skye]

Past Destruction, Future Rebirth
By Valkyrie Skye

Act 1: El Soldado Eternal: Heero Yuy Story
Chapter 3: The Makings of a Professional.

January 19, AC 184
ES1014 cluster colony of L1

The boy stopped at the crossing, waiting for the walk symbol. He was short and stout, with a mass of unruly chocolate brown hair crowning his head. Dark, stormy blue eyes took in the pedestrians, transport vehicles, and other goings on around him.

Hearing, some yip?s and bark?s, he tore his gaze from the road to the look in the window of the pet shop directly behind him. For a moment, he was lost in the reflection in the glass.

During the course of his four-year life span, the child had known many names. Odin regularly assigned one sort of name or another to suit the occasion - Edward, Remy, Jin ? it was always different. But?when it was just the two of them, ?boy? became his title; and it was just that, a title ? no name, no real identity.

The child first became of aware of this emptiness contained in his infantile consciousness upon the realization that everyone had a name ? a real one that didn?t change. Even Odin?s name never changed during a job. Odin had once told him that his name was his calling card ? the way people would know him and ask for his services. From that point on, he realized that there must be something different between him and everyone else.

He really wasn?t like other people?or other children his age. Most seemed to have a place referred to as home and that home didn?t change as often as his did, if at all. In response to one of his many questions, Odin said that home was where you hung your hat. That didn?t make much sense at the time, but then, how much could you expect of a two and a half year-old boy? Yet, just a year and a half later, all the jumbled, odd things seemed to start to make some sense.

While other children were scribbling with crayons, this one could fluently read and write in two languages. His mind processed things very quickly and he seemed to soak up every piece of information like a sponge. This child read books, watched television, and listened to Odin?s old-fashioned radio when his time was not otherwise occupied.

His intelligence and ability could not have been struck as anything more than odd ? or more genius perhaps. However, this child of four had never asked for a toy. He did not play and run about. Why was there a need for such a thing? That, of course, was before he received a gift of worn downy cloth stuffed with fluff. Odin thought it necessary that he give all appearances of a normal child. And so, the soft, brown teddy bear was delivered into his arms.

There was nothing unusual about that brown bear; it looked like every other bear?yet, this bear was his bear. It went with him wherever he went. It was soft and it felt nice to hold it close at night. A warm feeling spread though his heart; in fact, he couldn?t remember anything quite like it. Except?just once he?d been dubbed
Odin Lowe Jr.

That name?it meant belonging?belonging to Odin ? having his name, the only name that meant something to him. After all, Odin was really the only person he knew. But, he was not Odin?s and he did not belong to him. They had a deal, a contract. The child did what he was told and Odin?provided the essentials. Odin was good at reminding him about the facts of their situation. In time, he began to view such longings and warm feelings associated with names as childish rubbish.

The plain truth of the matter was that he was not like other children and would never be so. Those things?they were not for him. He was exempt. Love, innocence, and simply joy had no meaning or place in his life. There really wasn?t much that mattered to him.

The child shifted and was no longer stuck in the haunted visage of his reflection. Rather, his gaze caught sight of two Doberman puppies in an exercise pen on the other side of the glass.

He had a high tolerance for animals, especially dogs. The two pups tumbled in awkward rolls and jumped at each other, growling and nipping at ears, tails, at bits of fur.
They feigned a canine instinct as old as nature itself, the need to be on top, the need to survive. For now, it was only a game, just harmless play. But one day, one of them would become a leader, win his territory, and his bitches; he would take over and there would be no stopping it. The fights would become real and the fear of his enemies would radiate inside him and make him stronger ? would make him a warrior.

In a way, those instincts also applied to humanity ? the need and desire to be a winner and a leader no matter the cost. And that was the key to survival. And so, the child figured, that was the best way to survive - stay on top.

Survival. That he understood. Perhaps that?s why he liked dogs and other animals in general. As he watched the pups, he realized that they were like him, young and small. But in the future, they will be furious animals, hungering for meat, females, and the basest of needs.
At that thought, one of them pups turned toward him and their eyes met. The two stared at one another, before the child nodded and turned from the glass. The walk symbol had lit. The boy adjusted the backpack on his back and crossed the street.


~*~*~*~


Their current place of residence was in one of the poorer sections of the colony, termed ?The Projects.? People of all sorts lived in this section, foreign and native born alike. Odin preferred places like this since it was much easier to blend in with the crowd.

In the child?s mind, it didn?t look any different than every other place they stayed in during the past few years. The walls were in tact even if they did need a good paint job and the carpet was worn, but in decent condition.

The boy sat, bear in arm, in the middle of the faded green couch in the small living room of their 8th floor apartment. The evening news blared from the television. Odin had been watching the news as well, until he decided to make a phone call. Odin?s voice faded into the background as the news anchor introduced the next headline.

?Newly appointed Foreign Minister Cray McCarther along with his Vice Foreign Minister Richard Patrick Dorlain will be making their first political trip towards L2 to discuss a feared rise of diseases in the poorer parts of the space colony. The Vice Foreign Minister has been in the spotlight for quite sometime now due to his adoption of the young former Princess Relena Peacecraft of the ruined Sanq Kingdom. Several reports inform us that the young four-year-old ex-princess is still traumatized by the tragic death of her family. Her continued seclusion at the Dorlian estate has prompted some to speculate that she is facing severe emotional and mental repercussions. The Dorlain family?s spokesperson, however, denies any such claims. According to Dr. Robert Gray, long time family friend and psychoanalyst, her mental health is in top shape and she is as healthy and happy as any little girl her age should be...?

The camera focused in on a shot of the little princess, taken just a few months ago at a televised summit held by the leaders of the Romafeller Foundation. The Dorlian Family had been cordially invited to attend the evening dinner festivities taking place in the main ballroom. The tiny princess placidly stared at the speaker in the footage. As the broadcast continued, the boy continued to hear the words ?Normal,? ?Healthy,? and ?Sane? repeatedly used to describe her.

Odin?s heavy footsteps sounded across the linoleum of the adjoining kitchen and broke the spell the girl?s image had placed over him. The large man leaned against the door jam between the bedroom and the living room and turned his head towards the TV. He glanced and the boy on the couch out of the corner of his eye, noting the frown across his brow. ?Ya? know, you could?ve changed it to cartoons. I wouldn?t of minded.?

The boy shrugged ?The news is more interesting. And less fake.?

Odin snorted before plopping himself on the far end of the couch. ?When you grow up kid, you?ll find out just how ass backwards you were when it comes to the news.? The program then switched from news of the princess to a report about colonial events, which no longer held any interest for the boy. So, he changed the channel to cartoons.

Odin glanced over at him speculatively. After a moment of silence, he shifted on the couch to face the boy. He motioned with his head toward the television. ?So what do you think about the princess? She?s your age and she?s been through a shit load.?

The boy continued to blankly stare at the screen. An animated dog found a stick of dynamite inside his bone that is just about to explode. The dog let out a high-pitched scream, his eyes bulging out of his sockets as he bursted into flames. Meanwhile, an animated cat (the obvious perpetrator) took out a stick with a marshmallow at the end from behind him and began roasting it over the corpse of the flaming dog before giving a knowing wink to the audience. The child remained unfazed. He sighed and decided to answer Odin?s initial question. ?They say that she?s normal. And healthy. And sane.?

Odin nodded. The boy turned off the television and turned his head to the man, who was obviously waiting for a continuation. The kid certainly had an odd look to him, Odin thought. He seemed eerily placid and the weight of the boy?s stare seemed to bring the cold chill of death upon him so that he almost shivered. Still, Odin?s face remained impassive until an inquisitive arch of his brow at the boy?s next statement.

?She is not what they say she is.?

?Oh. And what?s that??

The child didn?t blink. ?Healthy. Sane. Normal.?

The look of curiosity chewed into his aging features ?And how do you know that??

?Her eyes.? The boy continued, ?Her eyes are just like mine and I?m screwed up.?

Odin let out a hearty laugh, dismissing any disturbing thoughts about the eeriness of the child before him. ?Yeah, I can see that. Well, enough talk about this.? He stood and jerked a thumb towards the phone in the kitchen. ?Do you know who I was on the phone with?? The boy shook his head.

?I was on the phone with a new client. He has a job for me and I gotta meet him at the ?El Santo? diner over at 57th street.?

The child remained where he was, his expression ever the same. So Odin had another ?job.? So what? What exactly did he expect him to say about it? In the end, he just nodded.

Odin shook his head and motioned for the boy to get up. ?The difference between this job and all the other jobs I had before is that this time, you get to come along.?

?Take me with him?? He thought. A look of confusion crossed his face. ?I thought you always assumed that I wasn?t ready.?

?Yeah, I?ve said that before. But now I feel like you are.? Odin headed toward the bedroom talking over his shoulder. ?Hurry up and get dressed. We?ll be leaving to meet this guy soon.?

Odin was just about through the bedroom door before stopping dead in his tracks at the kid?s question. ?Odin. What is it that you do?? Slowly, he turned to face the child, but did not go further then the doorway. The child continued, ?you always take a gun with you and I know you have a lot of them. So what is it that you do??

Odin smiled sardonically. Why spoil the surprise? ?You?ll find that out later today.?

~*~*~*~


Each of the five colonies claimed their roots from the leading world nations of earth. And so, the culture and society of those colonies vastly mirrored that of their ancestral birthplaces. Thus since the nation of Japan funded and built the L1 colony cluster, the vast majority of its citizens and residents were of Japanese Origin. Likewise, it was the same with the other four colony clusters. L2 was unmistakably American, L3 European, L4 Middle Eastern, and L5 Chinese.

However, that didn?t mean that you couldn?t find a good assortment of foreign flavored restaurants, commercial goods and staples. Odin and the boy found themselves sitting in a corner booth at the El Santo diner in the small Mexican district of L1.

The red vinyl let out a protesting noise as the child shifted in his seat. Whoever it was they were waiting to meet sure was taking his time. If this is was what Odin?s job entailed, it certainly was boring. Finally, about a half hour after they?d arrived, a nervous man entered the diner and strode toward their table. The constant wringing of his hands made him look unstable. And there was a good amount of fear radiating from his brown eyes.

The man took a seat across the table from them. He looked first at Odin and then at the boy across the other side of the table, frowning in confusion before casting a skeptical glance back to the other man. ?You Odin??

He nodded. ?I take it you are Sam.? Odin gestured to the space next to him. ?This is my son, Daniel. Please take a seat.?


The child found the situation mildly amusing. Odin was the picture of cool and calm while the man across from him was a pile of nerves. This conversation would be interesting.

Sam sat as requested and couldn?t help but stare at the boy. ?Daniel,? on the other hand, was engrossed in consuming his grilled cheese sandwich. He shifted uncomfortably and quickly looked around at the other tables before turning back to Odin. ?Does the kid have to be here??

Immediately, the child forgot his sandwich to turn cold, piercing blue eyes toward Sam, who nearly shivered at the sight of them.

Odin took a sip from his burning coffee and let a smirk grace his features. ?He?s learning the trade.?

Sam?s face paled against his white skin so it looked more pasty than usual. ?Oh,? He squeaked and then cleared his throat. ?When you said you were bringing someone, I didn?t know it was gonna be like that. Oh?? Once more he dared shift his eyes back toward Daniel to find him still staring at him with those unnerving eyes that seamed to sear into his soul. The kid made him downright uncomfortable. The situation was awkward to begin with. He didn?t need some freak of child looking at him as though he were to be devoured at any moment. It only made the guilt crawling down his spine even worse. He shook his head and turned away. ?God. Don?t look at me, kid.?

Odin frowned and looked at the man in mild annoyance. ?Stop it, Sam. He?s just a kid. Anyways, wanna eat something? You sure as hell look like you need it.?

Sam cast his eyes everywhere but at Odin or the seemingly demon-possessed child. He ran a hand through his dusty brown mop. ?I need a bottle of Jack, cause I?m about to lose my goddamn nerves.? He finally looked Odin the eye. ?Are you sure you aren?t a cop??

Odin chuckled ?No. And no, the kid isn?t possessed so you can relax?

?So much for my next question.? Sam muttered and took a deep breath. ?Ok, I dunno how to start.?

Odin shrugged and gestured with his hand before placing it under his chin. ?Start with what you want.?

Before Sam could begin, a waitress set a tall glass of water before Sam, who immediately gulped it down. The palms of his hands were damp and wiped them on his pants, before twisting and fiddling with the wedding band on his left hand. He stared, entranced with the lights reflecting off the gold metal. ?Jolene and I have been married for 10 years. We have two kids and a nice place in a good neighborhood. I have almost everything I could ever ask for.?

Immediately Odin realized there was a ?but.? ?Almost??

Sam stayed for a moment before stating the purpose for this meeting. ?I want you to get rid of Jolene.?

Odin raised one blonde eyebrow. ?Oh?? He still remained as cool as a cucumber. They could have been discussing the weather for all a casual observer would notice.

Sam let out the breath he had been holding. ?I invested in some shit-hole scam and now I?m broke as fuck!? He whispered harshly. ?Jolene has over 100,000 units in her life insurance account. 100,000 units, Odin!? He paused and then slammed his fist down on the table. ?I just want you to blow her head off or something and don?t let it get connected to me, you hear? If this thing pulls through, you get 10%??

Odin shook his head interrupting him, a frown marring his features. ?No. 10% is bullshit. Who the hell do I look like, your agent? Is this Hollywood? 10% is unacceptable.?

Sam seemed taken aback, before resorting to begging. ?Come on, Odin! I need all the money I could get! I got debts to pay.?

Odin leaned forward, piercing the man across from him with a glare. ?50% Sam. 50 and I?ll make it look clean. Take it or leave it.?


~*~*~*~


Just a half an hour later, the three walked to the parking lot. Sam walked to an old beat up sedan and reached into the glove compartment. He pulled out a picture and turned to place it in Odin?s outstretched hand. ?This is her. Tomorrow, she?s heading to her sister?s in Suzumara Gardens. Keep it. Remember it and then burn it. When it?s all over, meet me at Tenshi Park on Friday to get your money, got it??

Odin nodded and wordlessly turned to leave, the boy following suit. Behind them a car door slammed, and engine roared, and the sounds of a loud muffler filled the air.


~*~*~*~

January 20, AC184
8:47 PM

The boy crouched next to his guardian on the rooftop of the building directly across from the Suzumara Gardens apartment complex. Small puffs of smoke billowed through as Odin smoked a cigarette. It was about halfway burnt before he licked the pads of his fingers and extinguished the burning tip. He let out one last smoke filled breath and flung the butt over the side of the building. The child watched it disappear down the side and onto the road, to be run over by the tires of the running cars. He turned back to his guardian who was watching him with a small smile gracing his thin lips.

Odin then put up his night vision binoculars to watch his 40-something year-old target laughing with her sister and taking coffee three floors down. It must be time. The boy then opened a case to reveal a Tactical-Ops tango-51 Sniper Rifle.

Without removing his eyes from the binoculars, Odin decided to test his knowledge. ?If I were you, and you were me, and you were the one handling this mission here, what would you decide the best course of action would be??

The boy stared across the street at the faint images of the target and her company for a moment before answering. ?The best COA would be when the target?s sister left the room. Using the advantage of our location and the open balcony, the mission would be a quick success.?

Odin nodded. ?My sentiments exactly.?

The boy turned to him, a glint in his eyes. ?Is this what you do?? He asked in a non-committal tone.

?Hm?? Odin really hadn?t heard what he?d said.

?Kill people. Is that what you do?? The child repeated emotionlessly.

Odin thought for a moment then said, ?I kill my targets, yes. I don?t necessarily kill people, per se. I?m not a serial killer. I have control over myself. My mind. We?ve talked about this many times before so you should know by now. I never really lied to you when I said that death was my business. It?s just that tonight, you?ll witness first hand what I mean.? He turned away from the scene before him and handled the binoculars to the boy. He removed the rifle from its case and carefully loaded it. ?Death is as necessary as life. We need it to feed as we kill animals for our food. We need it to make space in the world as a person dies, naturally or otherwise. We need it to realize the value of life when someone dies a pointless death. Death is evil?? he paused, swallowing the Diazepam pills before aiming his gun as the target. Her sister was just about to head into the kitchen. He placed his finger on the trigger. ??But a necessary evil nonetheless.?

The boy held his breath as he watched Odin?s trigger finger begin to slowly pull back. . A few steps into the kitchen by the woman?s sister were all that separated her from certain death. His heart began to pound and he could hear the swish, swish of his blood in his ears. He licked his lips in nervous anticipation and?dread. Then, an erroneous thought entered his brain. He turned to Odin. ?How,? the boy asked, ?could Sam pay you on Friday when he?s leaving tomorrow??

Odin blinked and his eyes left his target to lie upon the boy, his stony face commanding him to explain.

The child blinked. He could still hear the faint swishing. ?Yesterday, when he opened his car door, I saw shuttle tickets to L3 on the right side of the diver seat. The date said ?January 20, AC184? at around 10 PM? Didn?t you spot that??

Odin?s eyes never left the boy as his brain mulled through his thoughts. After a moment, he smiled and put down the gun. He disassembled and disarmed the weapon and carefully put all the pieces and ammunition back in the case. He closed it and carried it on his shoulder. ?How about some pizza, Boy?? He then took the child?s hand and they both left the roof of the building.


~*~*~*~


January 21, AC 184
3:35 AM

He felt someone shaking his arm. Blinking slowly, he child was pulled from a deep sleep. His groggy eyes focused on the shadowed outline of Odin. There was something different in his posture and?the air was thick with tension. The child rubbed the sleep out of his eyes, holding the teddy bear loosely around his left hand. ?What is it?? he asked.

Odin?s voice was tight and as stinging as a whip. ?Get up. I want you to see this.?

The boy slid out of bed, still holding onto his bear, and followed Odin out into the living room, Odin?s man?s heavy footfalls echoing over the boy?s little sock-covered feet. When they emerged into the living room, the boy found Sam in the middle of the room, bound by the ankles and wrist with gray tape and rope fast to a chair. His mouth was also covered by tape and his eyes were puffy and wet with tears. They immediately widened at the sight of the boy. Sam let out a pitiful moan. The child stopped not but two feet from the man, staring at the spectacle before him.

?Now, at times? Odin began, talking to the boy as a teacher would to a learning student, ?we?re gonna get people that will try to outsmart us.? He walked over to the hallway closet, still talking over his shoulder. ?In this case, we see Sam giving us a job but not fulfilling his part of the bargain. The part, which requires him to pay us for our hard working services.? He pulled out an iron box from the top shelf and inserted a small key. ?Luck was on my side tonight as the L3 flight was delayed until 12:10 AM, as I was told when I contacted the shuttle line, and wouldn?t you know it? I found Sam at the gate, his bags all packed, just waiting for the delayed shuttle flight.? Odin removed took a SOCOM gun from the case and as he attached the silencer, the man wailed at the sight and strained against his bonds. Odin shook his head and let out an amused chuckle. ?Boy, you should have seen the look on his face when he saw me.? He grinned, ?It?s times like these when I live for this shit, huh?

Odin walked back toward his victim and began to slowly circle him, as a lion would to its prey. ?Now, in case you are wondering, boy, how the hell I got him out of the Spaceport and back this apartment, it?s really a matter of logic. What?s the easiest way of getting someone to come quietly from a place that has all sorts of screening devices to detect guns and other weapons??

The boy now sat far across from Sam on a four-legged chair, his feet swinging back and forth in the air. ?You poisoned him??

Odin nodded ?People thought he had a bit too much to drink in the spaceport lounge.? Odin waved the gun in front of Sam?s head. The tape muffled his sobs, and his pants grew wet with his urine. Odin turned to the boy, ?My eyes are getting old. Thanks for the tip off. Ever heard the Ballistics Shock Effect??

The boy shook his head.

?Ok, well it goes a little something like this.? Odin aimed the gun at Sam?s head a quickly pulled the trigger. The close range of the bullet caused a large splatter of blood on impact to Sam?s brain. The bullet dug itself directly into the brain. The child raised his arms to guard the splash of blood to no avail. It covered his arms, and stained his hair, face, clothes and teddy bear.

The boy sat in stunned silence for quite a while before slowly lowering his arms, eyes impossibly wide as the blood pooled on the floor around him, falling from his face and hair. Odin?s shirt and boots had some splatters as well, but the boy was had been closer to Sam, who sat lifeless in the chair, his bleeding head limp. A large hole in his temple oozed blood and bit of brain. The echo of Odin?s footfalls pulled the child from his stasis. He turned his shocked, numb gaze to Odin who was returning the weapon back to its box.

Odin could feel the weight of the child?s stare upon his back. Her turned to see the child?s stunned eyes and soiled appearance. He calmly resumed the task at hand and said without a backward glance, ?Go clean yourself and get to bed. You got school tomorrow.?

The boy slowly turned and wandered toward the bathroom. He followed Odin?s instructions and returned to bed. It was a school night after all.

To be continued?