Cruel Beginnings

By: FaRaven

'There must be another way!' Angrily thought the great Tamaranean leader, Myand'r, to himself. 'And if it weren't for that despicable Citadel we could all live in peace like before! But alas there is no other way…'

"Awaken my child…," whispered the great ruler with heart wrenching news.

"What is it, father?" asked the innocent child known as Koriand'r the future ruler of the planet.

"Please forgive me daughter, but there is no other way," answered Myand'r, holding back his tears for his planet's sake. "Come to the main palace and it will all be explained."

The pair slowly made their descent down the stairs; little did the young pre-teen know that it would be her last walk with her father for a long time. Finally they reached the main palace and tension was thick in the air. In front of the two stood the queen Luand'r and a massive army of the roughest criminals in the Vegan Worlds more commonly known as The Citadel. Komand'r had joined this group after leaving her home Tamaran in search of revenge on her little sister, she had finally found it.

"Father! What are they doing here!" exclaimed Koriand'r, she was about to retreat to her parents but she was grabbed roughly by the arm by a green thug in gold armor. "Let go of me!" she screamed at the monster.

She looked at her parents for an explanation but the only lowered the heads not even looking the confused child in the eyes, "We love you, daughter with all our heart…but to save Tamaran, I…I must give you to our enemy."

"No father, please don't let them take me! Father—PLEASE! PLEASE!" pleaded the condemned princess with all her heart praying to X'Hal that there was something her mighty father might be able to do to stop this.

"Silence, Girl! The fool has no choice, The Citadel demanded a sacrifice—and you, little one, are it!" yelled the green fiend. "Take one last look, child—since you will never see your family again!"

The young Tamaran sobbed quietly as her hands were bound behind her back and she was led away from her family and home not knowing what was going to happen to her now. She had just been used as payment for her planet's safety and her sister was planning humiliating ways to get back at her sister…

Else where in the galaxy…

Arella had just met the man of her dreams, a hansom man with gold-flecked eyes who went to her church and was crazy about her. Who could ask for more? He wanted to meet her later tonight about something important in a hotel room. 'I can't wait' she thought to herself.

She arrived early and asked the receptionist where his room was and rushed up the stairs to see her lover.

"Hello are you in there?" she asked through the cheap plywood door.

"Always, it's unlocked," said a deep strong voice from the other side.

30 MINUTES LATER…

"NO! What beast are you?" screamed Arella in horror.

"I am Trigon the soon to be ruler of your world!" screamed the menacing horned redden beast with four demonic eyes.

Elsewhere in Gotham City…

"Listen you! You better pay up of it's going to be curtains for the big top. And by that I mean you better watch you're acts!" shouted "Boss" Anthony Zucco at the cheap circus ring leader.

"I won't pay any of you're dirty money, Zucco! Do whatever you want but you're not getting a cent out of me!" back yelled the Ring Leader.

"That's your choice, buddy, I won't be responsible for any 'accidents' that might happen in the future…" and with once last sneer he exited the office seemingly unheard except by a young acrobat by the name of Dick Grayson.

'What should I do?' thought Dick to himself, but he was due on stage soon and with no time to think it over decided to stay quiet and wait to see if the Ring Leader would change his mind.

He was late and his parents had started with out him, 'Shoot, I'm gonna get grounded for this one!' he thought to himself.

Then there was a snap and Dick watched in slow motion his parents hire wire snapped, they seemed to be suspended in midair for a moment before slowly making their descent. Too cheap to by a net there was nothing to cushion their deadly fall except the cold hard dirt.

"Mom! Dad! NO!" cried Dick. 'It's all my fault! I should have warned them! Now I'll never get to see them again!'

Else where in Africa…

"Mommy, Daddy, I don't feel too good," a small boy by the name of Garfield Logan muttered before passing out into his mother's arms.

"Mark! He's burning up! What are we going to do!" screamed the panic stricken mother.

"I don't know, Marie…It must be some rare tropical disease in Lamumba. We don't have many medical choices…" the father said grimly. "It seems that only animals are immune to this disease, if there were some way…no it's too dangerous."

"Mark, what is it? He'll die if we don't do anything. What do you have in mind?" asked the mother still clutching her unconscious son in her arms trying to arouse him.

"We could always use the machine, Marie…" trailed off Mark.

"But, that's never been tested! It might kill…" she was about to protest but took a look her frail son in her arms and instead finished, "We better do it quickly then, Mark…It's the only way."

Young Garfield placed in the life changing machine that would give him a genetic bond between human and animals. It was successful and the parents were overjoyed but there was one side affect…

"Mark! The boy's skin—it's still green!" said the relieved mother in disbelief.

"I don't know why, Marie! Some imperfection in the system! But be glad he's alive!" sighed Mark.

Else where in the USA…

'Wow that was a good practice!' Thought Vic Stone to himself and Marcy really seemed impressed with his new sports skills. 'I think it's time I take her out somewhere special…' He was in such a good mood he decided to stop by his parents and say hello. He was in such a good mood he thought nothing would spoil his day, little did he know, life as he knew it was about to be changed forever.

"Elinore, how are those cybernetic limbs coming?" yelled Professor Silas Stone from the other side of the lab. He was busy working on a long-range inter-dimensional study and observation project and he didn't notice the blob-like creature slither through the dimensional barrier.

"Hey, folks! How's it going? Practice was great and…" but before he could finish he saw his mother being thrown into a wall by a gigantic blob monster. He rushed to her side and realized that she was dead before he reached her. He heard his father trying to scream at him to get out of the way but before he could react he felt a searing pain on his arms and then his legs and then the left side of his face. He felt sick and then passed out but with blood clouding his vision he was able to make out his father sending the beast back into the barrier before losing consciousness. 'Why…?'

"Uh…Am I dead? This is weird…" mumbled Vic.

"Victor I..." his father started.

'No! This can't be right! I'm machine!' realized Vic.

"Just shut up, old man. All my life you've used me, forced me to be what you wanted me to be. And all my life I fought you. But you won didn't you? Curse you, man—I'm exactly what you want now?" Forcing back tears Vic added, "I hate you, old man! I HATE YOU!" Finally letting the tears fall he finished, "Why didn't you let me just die? Why couldn't you let me die?"

All with their problems. How will they ever find a way to come together to save the world that has treated them so cruelly?

Find out next time in Rough Starts!