Judges
By
wolfissac
Chapter 1:
Chance Encounter
Summary: Sora was enjoying an ordinary day after work and to celebrate his two weeks paid vacation he decides to go to his favorite market before heading home. Who he sees and how they are sends chills to his core.
Pairings: Sora x Kairi, more pairings will be listed as they become relevant.
Warnings: Blood, Abuse, Recounting Rape, Angst, Emotional Trauma, Torture, Drug Use, and Dark Themes.
Rating: M for Messed Up.
Disclaimers: I do not own any Kingdom Hearts or Final Fantasy Characters they are the exclusive property of their respective owners. Will is my character and belongs to me.
A/N: This is the start of a story that is centered around abuse. If this offends you then I would like to convey my apologies in advance. I'm going to try and keep things as realistic as I can but I may take some artistic liberties here and there. Please tell me what you think. This is First person by the way.
Sora Pov
It was an ordinary day for me. I got off work at 3:30 and headed home for a nice two week paid vacation. I had been working like a slave for the last six months and my boss decided I had earned a nice long break. I was grateful for some alone time with Kairi. As I walked to my car through the parking lot I was hit by a bout of nostalgia. I started thinking of old friends and events from years ago. I remembered with a little shock that it's already been five years since me and Kairi married that day in April. The Eighteenth, never forget that.
Anyway, I climbed inside my year old Escalade with a smirk plastered on my face. I was in a painfully good mood and my face hurt from how hard I was smiling. I decided as I left the parking lot to revive some of the nostalgia and I headed for Leon's shop downtown. Twilight Town hadn't changed much in the last few years and still remained a chiefly industrial city but there were places where the old was giving way to the new and small businesses were popping up offering different specialty items. That's what Leon did. He specialized in vintage and relatively rare alcohols. It was in a good enough part of town to be considered an upper class establishment but still held on firmly to its industrial lineage.
The only thing that was on my mind at the time was a bottle of Captain Cid's Absinth. I had taken a fancy to the green drink in my college days and from time to time I found myself craving it. I remember drinking it with a number of friends during that time and it made my heart hurt a little to know I only kept in touch with a few of them now. My biggest regret was Riku. He was one of my two closest friends in college and he was easily one of the most interesting people I've ever met in my life. He was even my first pick as my best man. Unfortunately, he couldn't make it. He was hospitalized just a few days ahead of time that left me with Will who was more than happy to step in. It wasn't out of animosity but rather duty he did so. Anyway, I felt like such a prick and I still do because I never went to see him in the hospital. I knew I should have but I was just too stressed with my new job, the wedding and honeymoon. It was all just so much for me at the time. After I got back from our honeymoon I tried to see Riku but the hospital said he'd checked out three days before that. The last time I heard from him was that phone call, he sounded so pained and scared. I'll never forgive myself for not seeing him.
Despite my mood being thoroughly soured by my own musings I continued with my plan. Pulling into the alleyway next to the brick and mortar market I shut off the engine. I sat for a minute in a daze as I recalled the laughs and cries of my life. I could feel a smirk on my face and I shook my head and stepped out of the vehicle. Making sure it was locked as there are a number of car thieves in this part of town I made my way the few feet down the alley and around the corner to my left. The bright neon sign that said "LEON'S," glowed a soft purple color in the daylight. The storefront was a fusion of traditional industrial and steam punk. I enjoyed the cogs on the wall and the different steam powered contraptions that littered the shop. It was part of the stores appeal for me. Stepping through the wooden door I smiled broadly as I saw that the store now included a full service restaurant.
"Hey, Sora. How've you been?" Leon immediately called to me from where he was next to the counter. He was sipping at a small glass of wine, tasting it carefully. It was one of the perks of the job. Most people see the nasty scar that covers Leon's face and immediately see some badass that has a real short temper, but I know the truth. Leon got the scar from his abusive father when he came out to his parents. The truth is Leon while severely bitchy is not that much of a tough guy or anything like that. As a matter of fact only dresses in jeans and button up shirts and his signature leather jacket when he's at work. At home or on dates, he actually cross-dresses. He's really good at it when he has all his makeup on I might add. Smirking brightly I threw my arms around my friend.
"I've been great actually. I just got another raise and a vacation. We just finished this major project. Fuck I'm tired. I see you guys made some changes." I felt my previously bitter mood melt away. Leon or Squall as he preferred at work and Laura when he was dressed up, had that affect on his friends. He was stoic and uncaring when it came to most people, that was because of the way his father was, but once you get through that he's really a very caring person.
"That's good to hear. And yeah, we added a restaurant section. There were a lot of people who wanted us to and I finally said, 'why the fuck not?' I'm really glad I did too. There are so many new people coming in these days. A lot of hot guys too!" Leon nearly squealed at that. I laughed at him and waved him off letting him get back to work. I slowly worked my way down the numerous aisles searching for my beloved absinth. Searching carefully I finally found it sitting on a corner display. The smirking blond haired, blue eyed man had a cigarette in his mouth and a bottle in his right hand. He was dressed in full pilot apparel, circa World War Two, he pointed dramatically toward me with his left index finger. There was a German plane in the background, which I learned from Will was an ME-109, trailing fire as it was shot by an American plane, which Will also informed me was a P-51D Mustang, he's weird like that. The caption below the pilot read, "For the Ace in you!" The bottle never failed to make me smile. Snatching it up I decided to look around for some wine for Kairi. I knew she would want a romantic dinner with me.
I soon found myself in the wine section. Glancing around I quickly found Kairi's, favorite a French white wine that I cannot pronounce properly so I don't even try. With my treasures in hand I swaggered up to the counter. Leon raised an amused eyebrow at my antics and smirked at me. Placing my bottles on the counter I dug out my wallet and pulled out my Visa card. I didn't even pay attention to the cash register.
"Sora! I said that's $317.21." Leon's voice broke through to me. And then it hit me. Did he just say three hundred dollars? I turned my head to the left to see the digital display on the cash register read just that, plus seventeen dollars and twenty one cents extra. Oh, Shit. I'd be lying if my head didn't get about sixty pounds lighter when I saw that but I just smiled at him and handed him my card. Sure Kairi would be pissed once she found out that I spent over three hundred dollars on two bottles of booze, but once she gets a couple glasses of this wine in her, the sex is just…magical.
"Sora, you're drooling all over my counter!" Leon yelled. I nearly jumped. He laughed at me and offered me my credit card back. Returning it to its rightful place and stuffing the receipt in my pocket I grabbed the bottles as Leon started wiping down his counter top. I bid him a good day and made my way to the door. I practically skipped out the door. My mood was instantly shattered by someone running into me. I dropped the wine but my Captain Cid's remained firmly in my grasp. I was momentarily stunned as I looked down at the small figure in blue jeans and a black hoodie with the hood pulled all the way up to hide their face. They fell to the ground. I looked at the shattered bottle and I went crazy.
"Are you blind you dumb fuck?! Jesus Christ you retarded cocksucker! I should kick your ass from here to-! Riku?" My angry haze had cleared enough to see the figure beneath the hood which had flopped back as the figure moved away from me. I knew it was him. My god he looked awful. His left arm shielded his face though he was missing his ring finger, it was just gone leaving a nub that was mangled in appearance as if it had been taken off by a hacksaw. He shuddered violently on the sidewalk. He didn't move or speak. So I crouched down.
"Riku? It's me, Sora. Hey, I'm sorry. You just surprised me." I tried to keep my voice gentle. I held my hand out and moved his from his face. My heart nearly stopped. The entire right side of his face was swollen and a dark purple, nearly black color. His right eye was swollen shut and there was blood leaking from his mouth. His lips had several tears in them. His left eye was dull and glazed over; his once vibrant platinum colored hair was now dull, dingy and gray. Through his one good eye I could see pure pain and terror.
My thoughts immediately gravitated to a conversation from about three years ago. It was a dark and stormy night. Will was over staying with us for a couple days as he visited. Neither of us ever minded having Will around, unless he was drinking. When he drinks Will becomes erratic to say the least by this point in the evening he was finishing off his eighth double shot of his favorite: Kalashnikov Vodka. He had gone from giggly to angry to sobbing in a matter of twenty minutes. Then I made the mistake of asking him what was wrong. He grabbed a file and tossed it on the coffee table. He grabbed a photo and pointed at it. It was taken from a security camera and showed a beautiful young woman who was buying ice, and a few other essentials but her face was horribly mangled. She was beaten and possibly burned. Then he said to me, "If you see someone like this at any time in your life. Where their abuser no longer cares if they are seen in public like this…" He grabbed another photo from the folder and showed it to me. It was the same woman, lying on a metal table, lifeless. "Then the next time you see them, will be to identify their corpse in the morgue." Will passed out not long after that. His voice haunted me for months afterward. I decided I needed to be able to help these people and Will was more than happy to teach me some things.
"Come on. We're getting you outta here." My voice was firm as I grabbed Riku's arm gently. His right arm dangled limply next to his body and he limped along with pained whimpers. I could feel him struggle against me. I could here his voice whimper out how he was going to be in trouble and be punished for this. I didn't pay any attention to it. I could feel that he was too weak to break free from me. I pulled him closer to me so his right leg, which appeared to be the problem with his walking, was off the ground. It was a bit uncomfortable and strange going but it was working. He felt so light, like he was anorexic. He mumbled out pitiful excuses that I really couldn't hear as we rounded the corner and made for my Escalade. I opened the passenger door and went to put Riku in.
"Hey! What the fuck are you doing?! That's my bitch!" There was an angry yell behind me. I knew it was whoever did this to my friend. Riku started shaking and breathing hard. Whimpering he started to go back toward the man. But I shoved him inside screaming, "Get your ass in there and stay there!" I watched the blood drain from Riku's face, even his bruises lightened in color by several shades. He looked as if he was going to pass out. I made sure he was clear and I slammed the door shut, locking it.
"Who the fuck are you?!" I challenged angrily. My whole body was on fire. I felt like murdering someone and if this was the sick son of a bitch that did this to my friend then I was more than happy to. He started walking toward me smirking devilishly. His Red hair was partly tied back into a pony tail and his suit was disheveled. His bright blue eyes shone in the light and he looked more like a demon than a man.
"Don't matter who I am. That's my bitch! An' he's got a blowjob to finish up! Now get out of my way or else we're gonna have problems." The redhead pulled a switchblade from his pocket and clicked it open. He walked toward me without hesitation. He thought he could menace me into compliance like he no doubt did to Riku. My vision went black for just a second. When it cleared again the redhead was staggering backward clutching his chest. Blood streamed freely from a wound and he dropped his knife. Then I realized that I had my revolver out and then the ringing came. I shot him. I don't know how the gun came out so fast but I know I shot him. My initial confusion was replaced by a combination of relief and panic. I had to get out of there. I nearly dropped my revolver as I dashed for the driver's side, but I got it back in it's holster and I leapt behind the wheel.
Within seconds we were at the opposite end of the alleyway and I was navigating traffic. I was speeding but it wasn't enough to get pulled over. Riku's body flopped limply with each turn and bump. He looked like he was going to be sick at any moment. I still didn't know what I was going to do. Not like I could go to the police now, I just shot a man. That left only one option: Will. But first I needed to call Kairi. Digging my phone from my jacket I put it in the hands free set up and called home. It rang for a few seconds before I heard her bright voice call to me.
"Baby what's taking you so long?" She sounded like she was in the middle of cooking.
"Hon, something happened." My voice was much more serious than I though I could ever managed and any trace of joy evaporated from hers.
"What's wrong Sora? Was there an accident?"
"It's Riku. I ran into him today and he's in bad shape. I don't think it's accidental."
"Oh, my god! What happened?"
"I think he's been…" I trailed off not sure how I should explain this with him right next to me. But when I looked over to him, his left eye was closed and he was breathing rhythmically albeit laboriously. He wheezed slightly and hiccupped every once in a while. He looked broken. I surmised he was asleep.
"Well?" Kairi asked impatiently.
"I think he's been raped. I don't know he might have been abused. I have no idea what's going on." I sighed. The full impact of what had just happened was only just now starting to weigh on me. I had never hurt anyone like that and to see so much blood…it curdled my stomach. I forced the thoughts to the back of my mind and focused on my friend.
"Oh my god. How is he?"
"Not good at all."
"I'll call Cherry Blossom. She can be here in two hours. How long are you going to be?"
"Hopefully no more than another hour. Hey babe could you get that lock box underneath my bed out and grab the nickel that's in there?"
"I already am hon. Do you think Riku will want something to eat?"
"S-S-Some F-F-Fren-n-nch T-T-Toast w-w-would b-be nice." Riku's voice was almost child like. I couldn't believe he was stuttering. He never used to stutter. He was a literature major in college for God's sake. Riku was not a person I ever thought I'd see in this state. His one good eye shone with a slight light of hope. Though judging from his body language he was expecting a denial.
"Of course, sweetie. I'll get that started for you just the way you like it. I remember. Just get some rest for now. We're here for you." Kairi's voice was like a cloud, she was so tender with Riku I was almost jealous. I could see tears forming around his eye and his lips quivered. He trembled as if he was freezing to death.
"Th-Th-Th-Thank y-y-y-y-you." Riku breathed softly. I noticed that there was something on his face. It was white and looked sticky. Oh, my god. It had to be semen. Someone had came on my friend's face and I'm sure it was not invited by him. Whatever Riku had gone through I was sure in that moment it would make me throw up more than once. I knew there were sick people out there, but this was just inhuman. I frowned as I drove and I knew I was speeding again as I headed out of town. My house was in the countryside a ways, in Radiant Gardens.
"Sora?" Riku's voice called to me softly. I couldn't take my eyes from the road.
"Yes?" Was all I managed to say.
"I j-just w-wanted to know h-how the w-wedding w-w-was." Riku looked at the floorboard ashamedly.
"It was nice. We all missed you so much though." I replied reassuring. I knew that the only thing I could do right now was assure Riku that he had value as a person.
"R-really?" He seemed to not believe me. It was as if he was six and he'd been told that Santa Claus wasn't real. I found my right hand touching and then gently gripping his left hand. It trembled under my touch but I felt the tension in his body ease just a bit. He stopped trembling and I smiled at him reassuringly.
"I'm sorry I missed it." His apology was confusing to me. He was in the hospital. From a bicycle accident from what he told me at the time.
"No it's not." I told him.
"Yes, it was. If only I'd let them! If I just took it they wouldn't' have…" I wanted to know now, what had 'they' done.
"What did they do to you?" I felt my body become hot once again. I braced for the worst.
Riku Pov
I don't know why Sora's doing this for me. I'm just a toy, a slave to be used and traded. I have no life of my own. My body is not mine. My mind isn't even mine. I am a slave. There is nothing that can change that. Sora's kind words can't take back what they did to me for forgetting my place. I accept the punishments now, they are much kinder to me if I just accept what they do without question. I am a slave, if my masters tell me to get fucked by a horse then I do so, without question. If I am ordered to give head to a hundred men then I do so, and I swallow every time, lest I anger my masters. I am a slave.
So why does Sora seem so concerned for me? He shot one of my masters for demanding me back. He's taking me to his home. His wife is cooking for me. He doesn't blame me for missing his wedding. This has to be a dream. Surely I'm going to wake and be returned to the dungeon where they are planning their next punishment. They already told me I was going to be locked in the box again. Though they warned me this time I would have my ass stretched to take a bowling ball. I hope they are joking but I know they aren't. This is my purpose. Still I will enjoy this happy dream for now, while I can.
Sora Pov
It had become eerily quite. Riku had gone silent after I asked him what they had done. He seemed to be searching for the words to say. I knew I had to know what they had done to him, no matter how horrific it was. I had to know. Maybe it was because of my guilt for not seeing him in the hospital. Whatever it was, it made me grip the steering wheel so hard the knuckles on my left hand started splitting open. It hurt but I couldn't let my menial pain be compared to Riku's soul shatter torment, I could see in his eye that's how bad things were.
"They wanted me to take three at once." Riku began finally. His voice was far off as if he was talking to me from another world. He cringed only slightly before he continued.
"I had never taken that many cocks before. I had never taken two before. I told them I couldn't. They held me down…I fought them. Then they used 'it.'" Riku's voice dropped again.
"What is 'it'?" I asked with my voice as gentle as I could managed despite my anger.
"The Ram. It's a wood bat that they keep around. They…shoved it in me and it tore me open. That's why I was in the hospital. I was punished." I couldn't believe this. But what scared me more was that he was so mater of fact about it. They had raped him with a fucking baseball bat for God's sake and here he was acting like that was his usual Monday morning. Maybe it was though, I didn't know. There were gonna be some dead mother fuckers in the near future, that's what I did know.
"My God that's terrible. Why didn't you tell me?"
"I couldn't Saix was there. He was watching me. When I got out of surgery he told me to call you to cancel. Then he told me I could take five dicks with how reamed out they made me." Riku seemed to fall into a trance. His face when completely emotionless and his entire body simply moved with the motion of the vehicle. My stomach churned as if to protest.
"I'm so sorry Riku."
"It doesn't matter."
"Yes it does. They fucking raped you."
"This is just a dream. I'm going to wake up in that hell and be used again and again until there's nothing left. They've already broken me. I am a slave that won't change." I gasped at this. He thought this was a dream? What did these people do to him? What hadn't they done to him? He was nothing more than a shell. Sure his breathed and bled but he was no longer a human. He had no dignity, no self-respect, no self-value. They had broken him and he knew it. I don't know what was sadder for me: the fact that one of my best friends had this happen to him or the fact that the same friend though I was just a dream, an illusion. Well, I'm no illusion and I'm sure as hell not a dream. I'm flesh and blood. I can help and I'll do whatever it takes to help him. Heads were gonna roll, I knew it. I decided that once I got home and could get Riku some food and rest and help from Cherry Blossom that I was going to call Will. If anyone could help he could. I just hoped we could salvage what ever tattered remains of his humanity remained. I owed it to him for not going to see him then. I could have stopped this. It's my fault. Goddamn it.
A/N: So this is chapter 1. Hope you can follow things alright. I wanted to keep this chapter fairly short so that I didn't get too far in the story and end up writing events from chapter 2. There is a certain amount of suspense I'm working at as well. Tell me what you think.
