Chapter 1 

Makoto slowly became aware of leaning into the warmth of 
the body holding her. She was grateful 
to the person who was currently saving her from falling off 
the bridge into the cold waters 
beneath, but had no strength to tell him or her that. 
"Don't speak, you're much too exhausted," the boy said, for 
his voice was far too 
masculine to be female and not deep enough for him to be a 
man, //What happened back there, hmmm? 
It's not often one chooses the park to pass out in.// 

The girl moaned softly and buried her face in the crook of 
the boys' neck as if to ward off the 
voice. She could practically *feel* him frown in worry. 
Working on reserves, she managed to 
force a whispered sentence out of her dry mouth. 
"I ... can ... *Hear* ... I can Hear voices ... onegai ... 
make them stop ... " 

The boy stiffened in shock, and that was the last Makoto 
knew before drifting off to 
unconsciousness again. 
//An ESPer? And her powers developed only now? How peculiar 
... // Nagi thought to 
himself, half excited, //Crawford should have a look at her 
... perhaps we can even help develop 
her powers.// 
//Tsk, tsk, Nagi-chan. Are you thinking of actually 
*helping* a strange girl? Brad will 
not be happy.// 

The brown haired boy rolled his eyes playfully, knowing the 
telepath was just teasing him, but 
was unable to resist his retort. 
//Urusei, Schuldich. If you must know, I am, and I don't 
really care if Brad likes it or 
not. She can't just be left here. She'll die, slowly but 
surely, as more and more people shun 
her. And I will not stand by and watch. Not when I know 
what the feeling is like.// 
//All right, all right, no need to get mellow-dramatic. 
We'll bring her to the house, 
I'll have a peek in her head, and we'll see just how 
powerful an ESPer she is.// 

Nagi grinned to himself and pulled the unconscious girl 
closer to him as he walked away from the 
bridge to the back alleys of Tokyo. Making sure no one 
could see him, though it was night, the 
assassin boy moved swiftly towards his friend's car. And 
sure enough, there was the black 
vehicle with Schuldich behind the wheel, reclining and 
smoking. The brunette boy shook his head 
and grinned to himself. 
//Oi, wake up and start the car, or I'll start it for you. 
And put that clove out. I 
don't know if she's allergic or not, but we are *not* gonna 
find out the hard way.// he Thought 
at the telepath, who grinned and flicked his cigarrette out 
the window. 
//Whatever you say, sergent.// 

Nagi just rolled his eyes and Opened the car door, still 
half a block away. He could hear the 
car start and purr like a kitten, with Schuldich waiting 
for him to get in. Gently lowering 
himself onto the seats, making sure the girl did not bump 
her head or hurt herself, the 
telekinetic Closed the door and the German man drove off. 
"So where'd you find her?" Schuldich asked him, glancing in 
the rear view mirror. 
"On the bridge at the edge of the park." 
"The Quiet one ... " 
"Aa. She's an ESPer, I'm sure. I couldn't hear *her* 
thoughts, but she claimed to be able 
to hear others." 

Schuldich nodded. 
"I'm fairly sure she can. I experianced the same thing she 
is; anxitey, pain, and I 
passed out, when I first learned that I was a telepath." 

Nagi looked at his friend, surprised. He had never really 
thought that Schuldich had ever had 
problems with his telepathy, due to the fact that he was so 
at ease with it now. Looking back on 
it, there were times when he had first met Schuldich that 
he had witnessed moments of weakness 
when the thoughts became too loud, too strong, for his 
friend to handle. 
"So telepathy and ESP are the same, except for the 
projecting thoughts part?" 
"Pretty much. Also, ESP is somewhat like Empathy, so I 
wouldn't be surprised if she can 
tell when someone is hurt or upset." 

The telekinetic nodded and looked down at his female 
charge. 
"Do you think Brad'll be really pissed?" 

Schuldich shrugged, keeping his eyes on the road as he 
turned a corner. 
"I don't know. But ... if I have to ... I'll stick up for 
you." 
"Domo, Schu-niisan." 
"Nichts zu danken." 

The rest of the ride to their large mansion was fairly 
quiet. Schuldich even forwent listening 
to his usual loud music in favor of a soothing, more 
classical station, something Nagi was glad 
for. It was not that he minded the louder music, but with 
the girl in her condition, he did not 
think the loud music would be very good for her. 
Apparently, neither did the telepath, or it 
would be on. 
//What's her name, Schu-niisan?// 
//Makoto. Kino Makoto.// 

Looking down at the girl, Nagi realized that the boys name 
fit her. She was beautiful, but she 
had the right build for a good martial artist. 
//That's 'cause she *is* a martial artist.// 
"Get out of my head, Schu-schu," the telekinetic snapped 
playfully, locking down his 
mental barriers. 
"They're getting better." 
"Huh?" 
"Your barriers. It's about time, too." 

Ignoring the playful bribe, Nagi moved Makoto into a more 
comfortable position against his chest 
so she was lying with her head in the crook of his neck and 
rested his head on the back of the 
seat. Not really knowing, or caring, what the time was, the 
telekinetic soon found himself 
asleep. 
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ 

A bright flash woke Nagi up from his sound sleep. Blinking 
in an attempt to clear the fog from 
his eyes, he immediately became aware of Schuldich standing 
over him with a camera. 
"You know that you can't black mail me. I'll just destroy 
the camera," the telekinetic 
announced with a huge yawn, rubbing his eyes. 
"Ahh, but you can't." 
"Can't what?" 
"Destroy the camera. To do that would be to destroy all the 
images of that meteor shower 
two nights ago," the orange haired man grinned wildly. 
"Damn you ... " Nagi hissed. 

He carefully shifted Makoto around so that Schuldich was 
carrying her as they entered the large 
mansion that was their safehouse. Farfello was watching 
some cartoon about five boys with large 
meccas that blew up large bases, grinning like the insane 
man he played during missions. In 
truth, though the Irishman did have a sadistic side, he was 
not in the least bit insane. Rather, 
he was very smart and did *not* have a thing against God. 
He just carried out orders very well 
and had been an actor at one time. Brad was in the kitchen, 
a cup of coffee on the table and the 
newspaper in hand. 
"What have I told you about helping strangers, Nagi?" he 
asked without looking up. 

Nagi blushed and hid behind Schuldich. 
"Eh ... you haven't?" 
"That is besides the point. The point is: she could be a 
possible liability." 
"Demo Brad! She's an ESPer. She could also be an asset." 

The older man lowered the newspaper so he could look at 
Nagi, who was peeking out from behind 
Schuldich, who carried the unconscious girl. Looking her 
over, he nodded slightly. 
"She has an atheltic build. Are you sure she is an ESPer?" 

The telekinetic nodded vigorously. 
"Hai." 
"And will she mind living with assassins?" 
"How am I supposed to know that?" 

Brad smiled vaguely. 
"All right. We'll ... "keep" her. For now. The minute she 
becomes a problem, we will 
dispose of her, or find something to threaten her with." 
"You know Brad ... you're cruel sometimes," Shuldich 
sighed, "She can't *do* anything to 
us. Who'd believe her? She hears voices, for cryin' out 
loud. They'd sooner throw her in an 
asylum." 
"I say we keep her," Farfello put in softly, "She could be 
used to find the kittens." 

Brad sighed and took off his glasses to wipe at his eyes. 
"I said we would keep her." 
"But you also said we might kill her. I won't let you do 
that," Nagi announced, coming 
out from behind the German. 

The oracle studied the telekinetic for a while. Nagi glared 
right back at him, not backing down. 
Finally Brad nodded. 
"She stays in *your* room, and I do not want to see her in 
my office." 

Nagi smiled and rushed over to briefly hug the older man, 
pulling away before he was pushed away. 
He smiled widely and nodded. 
"Sankyuu." 

~Owari, chapter 1~