Free My Captured Soul

 

Note: I was inspired on this one by watching Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (I was babysitting people!) Anyway, it should be different and unusual, like always. Be prepared.

            *Rated for a reason: strong violence, language, and adult themes

            *I DO NOT BELIEVE IN DISCLAIMERS

 

Chapter One: Their Future…

 

            *Every inch of skin burned, every bone ached, black and swollen eyes and bloody nose and mouth. Looking down, all that could be found were scraps of what had once been clothing, along with scratches, nicks, and heavy dark bruises. But her legs were locked and she held her head up, intent glare gleaming within her azure eyes. Beaten nearly to death and still willing to get up and try again.

The man hid a sinister grin as he watched the tiny girl stand and ready herself for more. This was the kind of spirit his clan needed. This was the kind of fighter they needed to improve their odds. This was their future…

            She felt as if she were under heavy watch. Hell, she was always under heavy watch. This time would be no different. She had been taken to fight the master martial artist of the clan just as she was every Tuesday morning. And every Tuesday morning she was watched by four other masters of the dark art. She would not fail in front of them- no- she could not. To fail would be to resign herself back to her way of life before they had found her. Back to the ways of the streets and of scrounging in the dumpsters for food. Back to sleeping in the frosty evenings, and back to being just another piece of junk that cluttered up the side streets of New York. No, she would never go back to that meaningless existence, even if in trying to make it she killed herself.

            “Good.” The master martial artist grunted to her. She bowed, keeping her head high enough to continue watching her opponent. To take her eyes of the enemy would be a huge mistake.

            “Thank you master Shin.” She responded quietly.

            “Girl.” A new voice commanded her. Looking over, her eyes met with the face of an unfamiliar man. “What is your name girl?” The man asked her.

            “Serena sir.” She responded. Who was this?

            “It does not suit you. Your age?” She inwardly frowned. She liked her name. It was the only thing she had left tying her back to her mother. But if it was not good enough for this place, she would change it instantly.

            “I am almost ten master.” She told him.

            “Ten. The perfect age. Shin! She will remain here. Train her, she has the potential needed.” With that, the strange man nodded briefly to his colleagues and proudly strutted out of the room. Serena sat there, both pleased yet confused. She did not know who the man was. Yet, she decided, it did not truly matter yet. All that mattered was that she was to stay, permanently.

            “Serena!” Shin grunted at her. She looked at the Japanese man with the black beady eyes and baldhead.

            “You will now be called Shade. You are in training to become one of us, one of the Specters. Are you pleased with this?”

            “Yes master.” She answered. Shade. Was it worth giving her name up? It had to be. Which was worse, living in a family and changing her name, or living on the streets and keeping her old one? Definitely living on the streets. She would adjust and adapt to her new name, just as she would to her new lifestyle.

            “Good. Come. This is your new home, we are your new family, and this is your new brother Crook.” Just then she noticed a dingy, tall and muscular boy around sixteen years of age standing in the doorway. Crooks? He looked his name. Gold and silver rings up and down his fingers, heavy chains and gold crosses hung around his neck, and three or four watches up and down each arm.

            “The name’s Crooks. I’m going to show you around.” The boy grabbed her arm and without giving her a second to thank Shin or clean up her bloody appearance, her thrust her into an open room. Her first reaction was to cough hard.

            “You alright there?” Crooks asked the little girl next to him. She was a little young, but when she got older and wasn’t so dirty looking she might be pretty. Might be. Then again, he would sleep with her anyway. He slept with every damned woman in the clan eventually.

            “Fine.” Shade managed to choke lose. The air was thick with cigarette and cigar smoke. Blaring rap music, heavy metal, rock, and various other musics were mixing creating one massive headache of a noise. Arcade games were running for free, and each had two of more teenagers waiting for a turn. Poker tables were set up and groups of kids sat playing for watches, diamond earrings, money, and all other sorts of valuable items. A skateboard ramp was home to six or seven skaters, and next to them was a stand of junk food. There were people milling around everywhere, doing everything and doing nothing at the same time.

There was no dress code in such a place- though it was apparent that dressing nicely was off limits. Each and every person in the room had the same very small tattoo engraved on inside of their wrist: the red symbol of a dragon circling a sun. The symbol of the Specter clan.

            “This is home. We do whatever we want whenever we want. We come and go as we please and have no rules. Except you. You and the others like you need to train for five hours a day. Other than that, you can party all you want. This place is open all day and night, not to mention the time in-between.” Crooks smirked.

            “Bathroom?” Shade asked him.

            “To the left.” Crooks waved her off. “Oh, forgot one thing.” Shade turned around to see what it was that Crooks had forgotten. Crooks whipped around, grabbed her arm, and before she knew what was happening, she felt a sharp sizzle of pain on her wrist. Yanking her arm away from his grasp, she saw that she too, was now branded by the same red dragon and sun. No wonder it had been red. It wasn’t a tattoo; it was a brand from a tiny piece of metal. She cradled her aching wrist gently.

            “Sorry kid. Part of the orientation job. Go clean up, you look like shit.”

            “Thanks.” She mumbled as she slipped past a bunch of laughing girls into the bathroom. Rinsing her face and drying it on her ripped shirt, she prayed that this decision and place would indeed, lead to a better life than what her mother and father had had before they had passed away. But it had to. There were no other options left.

>>>)(<<<

            “Retrain him. I want him to have no emotions!” The words still echoed through his head. Hiiro Yui lay on his back atop his plain bed contemplating what had just occurred. He had completed his mission yes. But he had destroyed innocent civilians as well. Yet there had been no warning. But he should have been more careful. He could argue this all night. The important fact if the matter was the training was not complete. At the age of eleven he had already been training with a man named Doctor J for over four years now. And his training was still not complete.

            “Hiiro. Report to the operations room.” A voice came over the intercom. Standing, He succeeded to his fate and walked out of his room and down the hall. All he had ever wanted was a better life. And here he was, stuck in a cage with an insane Doctor who wanted to train him to be perfect. Hiiro Yui made up his mind to escape from the cage as quickly as possible using any means necessary. Including denying his emotions to complete the training more quickly.

>>>)(<<< Six Years Later>>>)(<<<

            “Hiiro Yui. I thought I would not be seeing you for a while yet. Sit.”

“No.” He grunted.

“Suit yourself.” Doctor J answered knowingly. “By the way: Job well done in stopping Marimeia and the Barton foundation from completing their take over goals.”

“Hnn.” Was Hiiro’s only response. Doctor J frowned. He had done his job; he had taken Hiiro Yui’s humanity away. And yet, now that the war was complete, he felt guilty for taking such a piece of the boy from him.

 “Very well Hiiro. I assume you want a new mission then?”

 “Yes.” Hiiro replied coolly, shooting a dark glare at the old man’s frown. Something was amiss, he could sense it. Yet it had not yet revealed itself. Well, he could wait.

 “Your newest mission is to infiltrate the club Specter on fifth and Elm in New York City. Get in and wait for further details. Mission accepted or denied?” Doctor J finished.

“Mission accepted. I’ll leave now.” Hiiro grunted in affirmation, then stood and gathered his jacket, gun, and laptop.

“Very well. And Hiiro. Watch your back.” The old doctor received no answer, just the simple slam of the door. He shook his head. What would Hiiro Yui do when there were no more missions to be sent on?*