My attempt at resurrecting the mostly dead Monsuno fandom.

OoOoOo

Pain.

That was the only thing that came to mind when the young girl opened her eyes. She felt it surging through her body, so much so that she could hardly stand up. When she did manage to pull herself to her feet, she nearly toppled to the ground, her head spinning. Luckily, she caught herself on the wall just in time. She forced herself to swallow the bit of vile she felt creeping up her throat. It wouldn't do well to get sick, it would just get her in even more trouble


"Jin? Jinja!"

Jinja winced violently, turning to the person calling her and shaking her shoulder with wide, fearful eyes, then relaxed when she saw who it was. "Oh, hey Chase," she muttered, relieved. For one, terrifying second, she thought she was back there. "What's up?" She was startled to see how perceptive he seemed right then. Usually, he was so oblivious, looking over every crucial detail. Now, it looked like he was taking in every aspect of something. Me, she realized, panicked.

"Jin, are you okay?" Chase asked her, concern lacing his voice.

Jinja nodded quickly (maybe a little too quickly). "Of course," she answered, a fake smile plastered on her face. Liar, she hissed at herself. "Why wouldn't I be?"

Chase looked a bit sheepish and she knew she was steering him away from the truth. "Well, you don't usually blank like that," he pointed out. "Something wrong?"

Admittedly, a part of Jinja wanted to give in and tell him everything. She'd been harboring this damn secret for too long and everyday she felt it get heavier and heavier in her chest. She knew she would have to tell someone eventually. But at the same time, her more rational half knew it would be selfish of her. Chase just got his parents back, Dax lost his parents, Beyal was raised by monks, and Bren... Well, Bren dealt with enough pressure from his family already.

So, she did what she always did and hid under her façade. "Nothing's wrong. Everything's perfect."

Chase still looked unsure, but decided to trust her and nodded. "Okay then, if you're sure..." He decided to change the subject. "Well, Ace said we could all go out tonight."

Jinja's eyes lit up. "Really?"

Chase laughed at her excited expression. "Yeah, we're leaving in about an hour," he told her, then grimaced. "Strike' Squad's coming with us too." It was no secret that his distaste for their 'rivals' wasn't completely gone, which was understandable. It was hard to call a group of people who have tried to kill you on multiple occasions friends. "Well, they're going out, not sure if they'll be with us or not."

Jinja giggled, not having a problem with the other team herself. They were just like them, only different. It was hard to explain. "Well, I'll be ready in about forty five minutes." She stood up and turned away. "See you, Chase."

Chase smiled at her retreating form. "Yeah, see you, Jin." Though, as she walked away he couldn't help the nagging feeling in his stomach that she wasn't telling him something.

OoOoOo

Jinja mentally berated herself as she made her way to her room. She nearly spilled everything, to Chase of all people. She could understand if it was Beyal, he just had that affect on people. But Chase? She must be losing her touch. Shaking her head, she punched in the pin code and entered her room. Pulling out Sighing, Jinja began to discard her clothing.

Daring to turn around, she winced at the sight of her bare body. Scars may heal, but they never completely go away. Light, pink lines from cuts and faded, but visible bruises littered her skin, standing out against her pale tone. Jinja clenched her fist before taking a nearby brush and flinging it against the wall as hard as she could, breaking it in half and leaving a small dent in the metal wall.

She collapsed on her bed, tears threatening to fall. It just wasn't fair! She escaped, she had taken her freedom on her own. So why did this still haunt her? Why did she allow them to control her life? Jinja massaged her temples with her fingers, trying to calm herself down. She wasn't there anymore. She was with her friends, she was a STORM elite, she was alright.

There was a knock at her door. "Jinja? Everything alright?"

Jinja froze for half a second before sighing in relief. She knew that accent anywhere. It was Tango, just Tango. Pulling a robe over herself, she answered it. "Tango," she greeted with a nod. "What can I do for you?"

"I heard a bang," Tango told her. "I thought you were being attacked."

Of course she heard. The girls had rooms on the opposite side of the boys, which meant that they were practically neighbors. Jinja forced the corners of her mouth to turn upwards. "I tripped and my brush flew out of my hand and into the wall," she lied. "Sorry I worried you."

Tango, being a lot smarter than Chase, gave her a once over before stating quite bluntly, "You're lying."

Jinja blushed furiously, taken off guard by the statement. "What? No-"

Tango held up a hand, cutting her off. "Stop. You do not have to explain yourself to me." With that, she walked away.

That was weird, thought Jinja before shaking her head. Whatever, not my problem. She retreated back into her room, getting herself ready for her night out with her friends. She'd never been dressed up in front of them before, not even Chase and Bren. Back when they were younger, she hadn't been interested in clothes or makeup and they didn't really have time for that stuff running from STORM, Eklipse, and others.

Based on what Chase had told her, this wasn't anything to fancy. Just a night out on the town with friends. So she opted for black leggings and a loose blue crop top finished off with a black leather and black ankle boots. She had to admit, working for STORM had some perks such as indoor plumbing, and earning enough money to be able to buy something other than what she had been wearing for the last two years.

Jinja looked at herself in the mirror, satisfied with how she looked. She didn't bother putting on much makeup besides a little mascara, just combed her hair (she would have brushed it had the brush been available at the moment) and put it into a high ponytail. She smiled slightly at herself. It was little moments likes these when she could do whatever she wanted with herself that reminded her that she was free.

Jinja checked the clock, noticing that it was almost eight o'clock. "Crag," she muttered. She took one more look at herself before rushing out the door. She saw Chase, Bren, Beyal, and Dax waiting for her, all in casual clothing. Even Beyal was no longer sporting his usual robe.

"Hey, guys," she greeted, walking towards them. She looked around, not noticing the rival team anywhere. "Where's Strike Squad?"

Dax shrugged. "Left 'bout half an hour ago, Princess," he told her. "Don't know where, don't care either."

"Ah, forget about those posers, Jin," said Bren, a dorky grin on his face. "Tonight is all about us!"

Jinja raised an eyebrow, a smirk gracing her lips. "Wow, Bren, you're ready for a night out and not spent on your tablet?" she teased. "Huh, I guess everyone has a different side to them." She knew that more than anyone.

Bren matched her smirk. "And I never thought I'd see you with makeup on, Jin," he commented. "What other secrets are you hiding?"

Jinja tensed, that last comment hitting a little too close to home. What did he know? She forced another smirk on her face as to not arouse any suspicion. "That's for me to know and you to never find out." At least that was close to the truth.

"Pardon me, my friends," spoke Beyal. "but it is getting quite late. Should we not go now?"

Chase nodded in agreement. "Yeah, let's go!" he urged them.

"Where are we going anyway, Chase?" asked Jinja.

Dax smirked. "Miracle, Princess," he answered.

"You mean the club?"

OoOoOo

Whoever said going to clubs was fun, lied.

It was loud. That was the first thing Jinja noticed when she walked in. In fact, it was so blaringly loud that she had to shout just to be heard by her friends who were mere inches away from her. Another thing, it was crowded. People were hot and sweaty and their bodies were way too close to hers. The whole place reeked of alcohol and sweat. Just not the best experience for her.

Dax had obviously been in places like these before and easily shifted into the crowd. Chase, always one for fun, started to dance his way through it, disappearing as well. Beyal and Bren looked as uncomfortable as her, which was honestly a bit of a relief. She was usually one of the more outgoing ones of her group. She was never usually this awkward.

Inhaling deeply, Jinja made her way into the crowd dancing like these doubts in her mind weren't there. She was actually beginning to enjoy herself, even going as far as to sing with the song at the top of her lungs along with everyone else. Beads of sweat formed on her forehead, but she didn't care. She was actually having fun... until she felt a sharp pain in her abdomen.

Her eyes widening, she tried to ignore it. She tried to push it to the back of her mind and just enjoy the time she was having with her friends. Unfortunately, her body had other plans. Before she knew it, she was on the ground. No one seemed to notice her, too occupied with their dancing. She was finding it hard to breathe now, like something was crushing her chest. She could feel herself fading away, the darkness overtaking her.

"JINJA!"

I know that voice... thought Jinja as she felt herself being lifted off the floor, but could not place her finger on who it was. She had no idea where whoever it was was taking her, but she was glad to get away from the noise. She felt the cold, brisk air touch her skin and welcomed it. It was getting hot in there anyway. She was sat down on what she assumed was a bench, held up by strong, comforting arms.

"Jin? Can you hear me?"

Now she was sure she knew that voice. Jinja opened her eyes to meet concern-filled sea green ones and sighed in relief. "Chase..."

Chase looked relieved as well, smiling widely at her. "Crag, Jin, you scared me," he admitted, brushing a few stray hairs behind her ear. "Are you okay? What happened?"

This threw Jinja off guard. Never in her seven years of knowing him had she ever seen him this... tender. She must have really scared him if he was acting like this. "I-I'm okay," she lied yet again. "Just... too many people. Claustrophobic."

Chase gave her the same look he did this morning and she was sure she didn't like it. She didn't like people trying to see through her, it made her uncomfortable. "Jin, how stupid do you think I am?" He didn't seem mad, just worried.

Jinja was visibly thrown back by this. "I-I don't." She knew Chase wasn't stupid. A goofball, sure, but not stupid. "Y-You're not."

"Then why did you think I'd fall for two lies in one day?"

Jinja's eyes widened as she sat up straight. "Y-You knew I was lying this morning?" she stuttered. Chase may not be an idiot, but she was sure he believed her this morning. "H-How-"

"Jin, I always know when you're lying," Chase told her. "You're right eyebrow twitches slightly."

Now Jinja was sure she was blushing. He paid attention to her that much? "I-" She was about to say something, another damn lie no doubt, when she winced in pain, clutching at her abdomen.

Chase's eyes trailed down to her stomach to see blood gushing out. "Oh my god!" he yelled, taking off his jacket and pressing it to her wound, trying to stop the blood from flowing. He took out his earpiece and began to yell something into it. She honestly had no idea what he was saying because her hearing was starting to fade as well as her vision.

She saw Chase look back at her. "Jin, stay with me," he urged her. Never in her life has she heard Chase Suno sound so... terrified. It was enough to scare her. "Jinja, I need you to keep your eyes open."

"Hurts," Jinja uttered softly.

Chase took her limping body and cradled it to her chest. "Shh, I know it does," he murmured into her ear comfortingly. She wanted to keep her eyes open, she really did. But the pain was too much. It felt like the very life was being sucked out of her. Her eyes eventually fluttered shut, Chase's desperate yells for her to stay awake fading away.

The last thing on her mind was that they she would never be free. They still controlled her life.

OoOoOo

Who misses this show? I do. Man, back when Nicktoons used to be original. Monsuno, NFL Rush Zone, and Voltron Force weren't the best shows around, but they were apart of my goddamn childhood and way better than the crap on now. All three shows have room for another season that these damn executives won't give us.

Anyway, I hope you liked it! I felt like Jinja's backstory was never fully explained in the show for some odd reason... Or, at least I can't remember it being elaborated on. So I thought I'd delve into her past. Please tell me what you thought with a review!