Starry sky (COMPLETED)

The girl lied there in the snow, battered and beaten as her dress was torn in places, her body was covered in bruises, a soft yet cold breeze swept trough the snow covered ground, causing her frilly skirt to flutter slightly. A lifeless glimpse of the starry sky had caught her attention and something familiar came back to her, she could still hear her bullies walk away from the scene in the distance. The memory that she used to watch the stars returned to her for some reason she could not explain, there where others too two people, a purple haired girl and a gray/white haired boy, though she could not recall their faces, it was as if they where simply blank, scribbled over well the boy was, the girl though she could recall her, she was still around...

~ Flashback ~

Can you do something for me Jean? Hibiki asked, withouth an answer the man continued Im going to add another rule Rule? Yeah... its okay to make friends... He placed his palm on her head and messed up her hair in a gentle playful manner. Im positive you can do it Hibiki said with a gleeful smile. He gave her her hat back I made some modifications to the hat, it should improve your Identification of the students.





~ Flashback ended ~

"Why do these memories flood back to me now?, what is this feeling in my chest?, and why do my eyes bleed with liquid?" it was perhaps the confusion that she had attained but that was just a speculation from her part, she could hardly feel her body as it had grown stiff from the cold, yet she did not move, she could feel the liquid that had poured out of her eyes freeze along her cheek, her breath blew out in shallow gasps causing small puffs of warm air to flutter out from her mouth.

When is it my turn... Hibiki?

Someone approached her she could not hear his footsteps but his presence could hardly be avoided, her gaze fell over the tall man that stood now next to her, she did not know how long she had been lying there, the butler picked her cold body up from the freezing ground. Why... why did you not leave me to expire She asked with what little voice she could muster as he started to walk. Does it matter? Jean`s eyes wandered across the pale man`s sly eyes. It matters to me... They got inside, he placed her next to a fireplace, on bear fur.

Why do you want to throw your life away? He asked as he slumped down on the sofa in the main hall. Do i need a reason to live? The butler sighed akwardly as he. And this is why i don`t make conversation with humans He said as he stood up and left. Jean remained there lying down.

'I love the evening shift,' He thought as the main building came into view. The smoke coming from the chimney promise a roaring fire and good temperature inside. 'nearly no one come in for medical treatment.'

He hurily cross the threshold of the door, closing it as soon as he was in. He pause there for a few minutes, letting the heat from the fire soaked into to him. It was only his training that made him notice the sound of breathing from infront the couch.

Slipping into a stance of caution, Chronus peek over to look at the cause. "Welp, the goes my evening." He mumble to himself, taking in the state of injuries of the maid infront of him. She was cover in bruises, her dress in disrepair. With the way she laid there, he fear that she was gone. Only the soft breath that came from her chase that fear away.

Letting his medical training take over, Chronus slowly pick her up. Thankfully, the nurse station wasn't that far but it was still a distance away. Yet he hurry anyway, he sense of duty and hatred of seeing someone hurt urge him to move.

"These are not marks given by the arena, non is there any human verses today. Plus there are more marking that one being could give. You where ambush weren't you?"

Her arms rested on her chest, she was not asleep but her eyes where closed none the less, she liked to listen to the fireplace crackle. Then she heard another sound at first she thought it was Michael, but that was not it, whoever it was he/she came from outside. Jean was not alarmed though people came and went to places sometimes even at this hour. Either to the nurse or just taking a stroll if they could not sleep.

She slowly heard the person approach her then felt her being picked up, Jean felt confused but nothing more nothing less. Her eye`s jolted open she glanced at the student that was carrying her, she recognized him as chronus shyburn. What are you.... She paused for a moment, feeling the heat from his body, hearing his heart beating. trying to prove... human? Though she did not resist him, she merely asked a question, that a sentient being would ask. She could not explain this feeling of uneasy, she could not stand it, but being unable to determine where it came from she did not know how to input into it. Or how human`s would call it, react or feel about it.

What does your heart tell you to do?, do you have a purpose? a dream? or a fleeting nightmare?

Chronus look down at the girl in question, apparently she was awake the while time. Yet the way she ask her question left some feeling of unrest. He knowns there different type of magical creatures out there so he let the "human" slide.

"I am not trying to prove anything, I am the current Medic on duty. As you are injury, it my job to make sure your alright."

As he spoke, they reach the nursing station where he could work. Seeing that she made no move against him, which is odd, he set he down on one of the beds. With a glance over, Chronus made a small plan of action for the girl.

"Tell me, other than the obvious bursing, is there anywhere else that hurts? Any cuts or the like I should know about."

As he ask her these question, he walk around the room check on the supplies while grabbing bandages and some healing cream. He also found some spear clothes that where use for when fight get a little out of hand.

"Here, wear these." He handed her the clothes, closing the curtain around the bed. "I need to ask a few question for the main Doctor when they get back in the morning. What your name?"

She narrowed her eyes to a close as she heard his answer. I see, yet you still treat me like your own kin She spoke her voice neither hostile nor cold, it was more innocent and soft voice reconciled with her very words. When the man asked if she was hurt, the girl blinked for the first time. You ask strange questions... Before she had finished speaking she placed her hand on her chest, around where the heart would lie, she gripped her clothes tearing them to pieces in front of him leaving her only with her underwear on, she neither blushing or batting an eye. Her body was covered in scars both old and new, adding to that numerous bruises covered nearly every inch of her body.

She spoke in a calm like manner Any normal human would have passed away from these wounds... do you understand now what i am? do you still want to help me? Her voice sounded monotone. She accepted the new clothes with a curtsys, it would have been better if she had had her dress still on then at least she could have done it right. She changed into her new clothes which she fitted into like a glove. When he asked her name she simply said. 579 As she had changed she started to walk away from he nursery as if she was done.

She had numerous chores to be done before the students (or at least the majority of them) woke up.

Nothing could faze him when it concerns medical situations. His two year of treating the men and women of the Scarletto Family made sure of that. Yet once in a great while, there will be something that remind him he haven't seen everything yet.

It wasn't the number of injuries that shock him, he seen way more on veterans of the family, but how close they where on the healing scale. This isn't bullying anymore, but abuse, plain and simple. He was so into his thoughts, that he almost didn't notice her moving. Keyword, almost.

With a slight snap, he was infront of her, guiding her back to the bed. "Listen here, I don't care what your are, I will help you no matter what. Right now all that matter is that your under my care and you can't leave til I deem you healthy Ms. 579."

It took all his will power to keep his voice calm, yet a sliver of anger escape while he say her 'name'. The fact that she want to be call that speak a lot of her mental state. Too many flags had been risen, and he need to get at the bottom of this.

"I need to apply antibiotics to you injuries and badges them up. Which led me to my next question, how did you got you current injuries? The newest ones?"

He didn't need to worry bout the old one, at least not yet.

She stopped in her tracks, as he stood there in front of her, and yet again she did not resist. She looked up to him with indifferent eyes Why? She asked her as she took to the bed, lying down. I do not understand, what do you have to gain from this? She noticed that he was angry, that moment when he called her "name" granted it was naught her name that was given to her by that man who had adopted her so long time ago. But it mattered naught, for she had already forgotten him.

You sound angry Mr.chronus sir, did i do something to upset you? do you want to beat me up like so many others?, i won`t hold it again`s you, the others had valid reasons, i stole their jobs after all She paused for a moment waiting for a beating that did not come. She looked up to the familiar ceiling. By being beaten half to death, by whom i cannot say, or rather im not allowed to say... A tool should not rebel, but obey, if it is broken it should be disposed. Is it not easier to build new one`s rather than fix the old?

"I gain nothing from this, as it is my job to do this." He told her, as he apply the cream. Different thought were fighting a place in his mind. All he known is that this girl was in pain and doesn't even realize it.

"No, no you haven't. I am angry at the ones who hurt you, no one should be treated like so. It doesn't matter if they have loss their jobs. That just mean they weren't good enough for what they need to do."

He told her, explaining himself. He wanted to go and find these people, and show why doctors are the most fear people on the planet. But first he want to her some more, see it he could get her to open.

"One thing, please don't call yourself a tool near my person. Beside, there a difference of being broken and being neglected."

She had dozed off for a moment, he was still trying his best to heal her. She was able to feel on the touch, see colors, smell and taste thanks to her former master. But even he could not give her a heart. Her eyes snapped open. The same unfamiliar boy still around her. She blinked for but a moment, now eyeing the boy with some contempt. Your such a hassle... she said withouth moving.

Michael arrived back at the fireplace with a cup of hot chokolate. Only to find her missing.

The corner of his lips threaten to lift as he heard the annoyance in her voice. "All good doctor are a hustle, especially when they are worry about their patient" He told her, fixing the last of the bandages.

"You will need to come back by the weekend for I can check on your injuries. If you gain any more please come and find me. The medical staff are under staff at the movement so all medical student have their own patients."

"Other then that, you are free to go." He turn his back to her, grabing her chart and heading to the main computers to fill in the info. Yet his eyes, using the reflection of the screen, never left her. While she doesn't know it, she had now been put under the protection of DragonFly.

And he make sure no one could hurt his people, not even themselves.

I have a favor to ask you if you could? She looked down at chronus with a blank face. A silhouette of a man stood in the hallway behind closed doors, he took a sip of the hot chokolate. Before he knocked on the door not waiting for anyone to respond if he could enter or not.

My my so this is where you where... Jean`s eyes slided to look at Michael for a moment then back to chronus. She was waiting for him to respond. I would greet you with a proper greeting but im afraid, that at the state of my vessel, it would not appear to be very graceful

The man gave a shifty smile Well that`s not why im here, i was wondering where you had gone, so i followed your tracks, to think a human of all things attached itself to you, that in itself is quite laughable He said before he took another sip of his hotchokolate. Not laughing in the slightest or smiling before or after he took the second sip of hot chokolate.

'Hm, so she asking for a favor. Don't know if that a good thing or bad?' He thought to himself, pondering on what to do. Yet before he could answer he was interrupted by a new comer at the door. Orange stare into red as he took a look.

The first thing Chronus notice is that he was very pale, the second was that he was wearing a butler uniform. Maybe the girl boss? He wonder as both greet each other, he stance changing to a more respect pose.

He doesn't know why, but this person remember him of The Lion.

"Please take a sit Mister, I will have her out of here in a bit." He ask of him, turning his attention back to the girl. "It depend on the favor, if it is within my power then I would do it to the best of my abilities.'

No not at all, no reason to be so uptight, im not working at the moment, i just wanted to tell Miss Coldstryfe here that i have assigned 562 and 570 to take care of her work, if she wishes she can check out the stars like before, i do so worry about my coworkers He said as he took another sip of the hot chokolate, wiping the cream off his cold lips.

Kill me... Jean said with an indifferent tone, Michaels eyes narrowed to half slits as they focused upon Jean for a moment before falling onto Chronus, he took yet another sip waiting for the young student`s reaction. That is within your power, is it not? If it does`t prick your conscience anyone could make that choice, right? She said with an equal indifferent tone like before.

Shock, angry and sadness cross his face as thoughts fly across his mind. He figure out she was being abuse, that she didn't grow up in a ideal place, but to ask him to kill her? He clam down on his emotion, steel his face to be unreadable. His little breakdown took only 2 seconds.

"I am not gonna lie to you, that is within my power." His voice was strip of all emotion, taking on a dead tone. He turn his back to her and started to take inventory. "But how do I kill someone who doesn't live?"

"May I ask? Why do you want to die?"

The only emotion that escaped her otherwise emotionless face was a raise in her eyebrow. She saw his face as she sat up even though it lasted only for a few seconds she saw it. Regardless she could not understand it in the slightest. so then why? She blinked in a blank stare as he responded that she was not "alive" she did not respond to that. She picked up her hat from her head and placed it on the bed next to her.

He asked yet another strange question before she could answer. Why do i want to die? She said stepping down from the bed Because, at my current strength it could be an inneficient kill, it could take minutes before i bled out, before my vessel would stop to function, that would be a waste of precious time, however the longer this conversation drags on that might be my only option She said continuing with her usual empathetic voice. Michael cut into the conversation. I don`t belive that`s what he meant, when he asked you why do you wish to die, im fairly confident he meant the purpose rather then why you would ask him, am i correct numbskull? Jean nodded. I see... this vessel has served its purpose, you assumed that it would take about three days for me to recover, yes? but that assumption is based on the fact that i would be a human which im not, my body will heal in less than twenty four hours, yet even so that is too long time, i cannot wait longer than six hours at most, my current vessel is only at twenty four percent efficiency, you have had your answer, hurry up then, kill me She finished as she stepped a few steps closer to Chronus, while in the process getting closer to Michael as well. Her piercing green eyes staring at the back of chronus. Please? She said as she reached out to grab chronus by the edge of his coat. She hesitated before she caught a hold of him. Just this once...

Michael saw the hesitation in Jean for a split second, he doubted the boy could see that. He put down the empty mug, as he wiped the contents from his lips. His sly smile widened slightly as she begged, limping slightly with her left leg while she walked.

Blood flew at the wall behind her, there was a small almost unnoticed whimper in her voice before she went quiet, her arm slipped away as her body fell onto the floor limp, her eyes stared into the distance beyond Michael and Chronus, she fell on her knees first then face down against the floor, a puddle of scarlet liquid formed around her body, at this point there was no other sound coming other than when she hit the floor with a loud thud, Michael held out one of his hands, two fingers to be more exact, the pointer and middle. A little smoke rose from his fingers as he remained quiet. Jean`s hair spread itself behind her back as the bangs that where tied together came loose, getting messed up in the puddle of red that was quickly forming around her body. Her hair in turn changed into a scarlet red wherever it came to touch the floor. Her heart had stopped the moment the magical bullet pierced her skull right trough her forehead.

Michael remained motionless save for his arm which he blew the smoke off, observing Jean for a while longer, then his eyes glued themselves to chronus waiting for the man`s reaction, no doubt a recentful one. After all he did not understand subject 579 at all.

His face stay passive even as the blood splatter on the wall. At first he did nothing but stare at the cooling body of the girl. His eyes, dead with experiance, rose to meet the graze of the only other person in the room. Chronus hold his own, judgeing him, the wisp of flames surrounding his hand where the only sign of any emotion.

But even then they died, as he knows that the other wont hurt him, at least right now. A tire sigh left his lips, as he pick up the girl and place the body onto the bed. No need to disrespect. "Did you really need to make so messy? I the one who would need to clean it up." He told the man, sounding like nothing had happen at all.

Not minding the blood, he went for the surplies closet. Not caring that he was showing his back to someone who could kill him any minute. Why would he? He accpeted that he could died any second ever since he join the Scarletto.

"What did she mean by Vessel?"

Michael lighted a cigarette, behind him stood a sign. No smoking He was suprised, most people would try to beat him up for killing someone, but this guy knew his place. He made a cloud with smoke like a circle, a bullet made of smoke flew right trough the center of the circle She is special, that girl...

He said withouth much thought. I don`t know what caused her to act so irrationally, you see normally she would have killed herself withouth a second though, but she hesitated, she asked someone else, an outsider none the less, and outside who she had just met. I don`t know what goes in that girls head but... i can tell that she at the very least finds you intresting, and that`s more than can be said for most people she has ever met during the last 139 years that she has lived, say can you keep a secret?

'139 years? Wish i would age that good.' Chronus slightly complain in his head, the fact that she or the man where that old not crossing him mind. They made it clear they where not human so human concept like a short age should really matter. But it made him slightly thoughtful on what they where.

"I wouldn't mind a other secret to add to my belt." He answer honstey, as it might help him with his end goal. Plus the need to get to the bottom of this girl life was still in the fore front of his mind. "By the way, what shell i call you?"

What shall you call me? ....... Im just one hell of a butler, But you can call me Michael He blew out some smoke from his mouth.  As for what she meant by vessel, well lets just say that she does not feel too attached to her tools. So anyway let`s talk secrets shall we? He mused the thought. Where to begin. Im assuming you want to know more about Jean Archer am i correct? His eyes where dead serious as was his voice. He took a seat on a chair.

He finish cleaning the blood while Michael intrudoce himself. "Jean huh? Somthat her name..." He whisper to himself, looking at the cold body of the girl om the bed. His eyes look back to Michael, "I wouldn't mind anything you could tell me."

Jean`s blood never got him that urge, it was probably because she was different. In order for us to talk about her, im going to be blunt here, im probably breaking a handful of rules but i don`t really care so long as you can keep it a secret, the whole academy will suffer it might even get closed down if this secret got out, so you can understand why no one knows about her, her very existence is morally wrong by human standards so the less people know the better, understood?

Anyway He spoke in his english accent. In order to talk about Jean we have to go back more than 140 years in time, back then things where a bit different, it was okay to work on experiments that would today be concidered unethical, there existed a man with a dream, he was a scientist and a medic just like you he was very accomplished and famous for his work, even though he took the loss of his wife pretty hard he still had his daughter, she was everything to him, its what got him up every morning he had his dreams and so did that girl. He paused for a moment to blow out some of that smoke from his lungs.

But those days didn`t last long, five days before her 16th birthday she got terribly sick, and despite being a wealthy medical scientist and a brilliant man there was nothing he could do to save her, so then the girl perished on the day of her birthday He inhaled more smoke and blew it out from his nose. From that day forward "that man" swore he would bring his daughter back to life no matter what. And he did he cloned his daughter. And even though the clone`s recembled his daughter they where nothing but failed experiments, each and everyone of them that is until Jean was created. He looked at Jean`s corpse As i said that girl is special, unlike her previous sisters she could learn new things, she did not have a set path which was different from everyone else, off course this man belived that this was his daughter who had somehow been reborn, yet even so she could not feel anything despite being able to learn new things, she lacked empathy she lacked everything that makes a human a human. So then he went trough the trouble of improving the girl in every aspect, making her feel pain, making her able to see colors and so forth. But there was something even he could not give her, the girl still lacked a heart... and not in the physical sense. He paused again, dropping his cigarette into the floor he then stepped on it.

Questions numbskull?

Chronus blink once, the only sign that he was shock. The whole academy would be shut down? Why would Michael tell him something like this? It couldn't be because he ask could it? 'Then again, he could just kill me if i told anyone.'

What follow next was something he wasn't expecting. He know something was a lil off about Jean but the most he thought was they trained her to be like she was. Not that she was a cloned human. To think that their other out there like her and she was consider the most human was staggering.

He did fell sorry for the man though, he knowns how it felt like losing your world but Lilith is somewhere out there not gone. The poor man must of been heartbroken when he finally have someone so close to his daughter only to relise she didn't have a heart.

'But,' Chronus relize, his eyes face to the body of jean 'He left her, he give her the ability to feel, introduce her to a whole new world, and he left her. He didnt know if he should feel pity for her or not.

"Numbskull again? Need some better insult their old man." He smirk at micheal, tho noone could mistake the glint of respect in his eyes. "Just a few questions, why is she working here? I take it the man was apart of the academy or had friends here but wouldn't someone notice her if it been that long of a time? Where are the so-called imperfect ones? And considering how you act...

"...how soon until Miss Jean be back?"

According to his expectations there seemed to be no end to his questions in fact giving answers only seemed to fuel more questions, this gave him a smirk, his words only broaded that smile of his exposing a few razor sharp teeth along his jaw. He quickly covered his mouth with his hand. Don`t worry i don`t really mind calling you that He said with a teasing voice.

Now your asking silly things... He said as chronus asked why she was working here Where else would she go? this is her birth place and this is where she will die, she knows naught of the outside world.... But your right someone did notice her, that`s about seven years back though, she has since then deleted those memories... As if to answer where the imperfect ones are two "imperfect" ones stepped in trough the door, they walked past chronus and Michael as if they where not there, picked up Jean`s corpse and tugged it away to god knows where.

Not long now....

Chronus just sit and stare as two of Jean sisters came into the room, not even noticing him and Micheal as they did their job. It was quite odd, he just learn of them but the sight of them still took him back. The diffence of seeing and knowning was large indee. 'But,' He thought, as he let his graze follow them 'this isnt something you can pepare for.'

"Hey old man, do you mine letting me see her awaking? Or mind explaining what is going happen?" He ask Micheal, removing the blooded sheets that the clones forsaken. Hey! Just because he is in a unique setting dosent mean he could nelect hos duties! "Or shell we just wait?"