Hello all, my name is John C. Harrison, but now I'm known as Riku or Ki. Well, those are my Japanese names. You see, I'm an American, originally from California where my parents met. It was during the summer of 1979 at a convention for the state. My parents were both secret agents for the president. I know, sounds crazy, but it's true. Hey someone has to protect the president right?
Anyway, during one particular mission, the enemy had gotten some confidential information and found out where they had lived and what kind of lives they were living in the public. So, under the witness-protection program, my family was transferred to Japan, and area so populated, no one would be able to find us. I mostly grew up here in Japan, learning the skills and fighting techniques my parents were famous for, and added my own unique spin, making me conditioned to become an agent myself some day. This is where my story begins...
"Now, BEGIN!" yelled Sensei as Riku ran ahead and twisted in to a scissor kick aimed straight at the dummy. "Good! Again!"
"Hiyah!" Riku shot out another kick and followed it with an elbow blow to the dummy's face. When Riku finished his demonstration for Sensei, he took a bow and sat down on the mat. Riku was a good looking guy, tall and lean with just the right amount of muscles. He had brownish red hair with a strong jawline and piercing blue eyes. Many girls both from America as well as Japan were attracted to his good looks and charm.
"Good job Riku. You're turning out to be one of our most talented students. Now, don't forget- you have weapons training in a few minutes. Go change." Sensei said.
"Yes Master." Riku bowed once again and headed off to the locker rooms to get ready. Riku liked weapons training, in particular, working with the sniper rifle, because it required a keen sense of motion and good eyesight and patience. When Riku approached his locker, he noticed immediately a piece of paper folded in between the lock. Riku unfolded the note and began to read:
"Your presence is requested tonight at precisely 9 o'clock PM in front of the boat docks down on Fisher Lane. Be there... OR ELSE!" The Panthers
It took Riku a few seconds to digest what the note had said. He knew of The Panthers very well. Their leader, Scar, was a man of few words but many actions. The Panthers were like a younger version of a mob group, located in the heart of Tokyo. Scar had a reputation for being a ruthless, twisted, and cruel captain. The Panthers made their money from drug deals, illegal betting, and more recently from staged fights between local Karate and Kendo champs in and around Japan. Riku realized that the letter requesting his presence could not be a good thing. Still, he decided to see just what The Panthers had wanted with his company.
Later that night, Riku was down on Fisher Lane when three dark figures emerged from the shadows. "Well, well, well. If it isn't my good, ol' friend Riku." sneered Scar as his face came into the light from the street lamp above. He was of average height, but extremely built, with a shaved head and bright red scar across his cheek. Scar had a tattoo on his left arm in the shape of a panther with blood dripping from it's mouth. His eyes were a dark, dark brown, so that sometimes, they almost appeared to be totally black without any trace of a pupil. Riku looked into his black eyes and felt all the hatred in his body.
"I don't have much time. Make this quick." was all Riku had said in a very sharp way.
"Testy, huh? Don't worry, I only have a small proposal for you. Today at the gym, I was watching you practice with your Sensei and a thought crossed my mind. 'We could really use talent like that on our team.' And so now I have you here and I am asking, no- wait, telling you- you have to join The Panthers with me and become my assistant. Talent like that is too good to waste, I hope you know." Scar replied.
"Absolutely---" a smile flashed across Scar's face. "---Not!" finished Riku. Scar's smile faded from his face and turned into a nasty scowl. Riku turned and started to walk back to town.
"Where do you think you're going?" asked Scar. Before Riku could even turn around to answer with a smart remark, Scar's two thugs were on each side of Riku, holding him by the arms. Riku knew he had to act fast. Pulling from out of their grip would have been fruitless, so with all his strength Riku jumped up and did a back flip, coming down from behind the thugs, feet at their backs and thrusted all his weight at their backs, kicking them from out under him. The two thugs went face forward onto the dock. Scar shouted: "Get up you two idiots! GET HIM!"
Again they charged at Riku, who anticipated their next action and followed their advance with an upper-cut to the thug on his right, directly in his jaw and then shot out and elbow blow to the thug on his left. He then kicked one guy in the torso and sent him flying in the water. The other thug came forward again, only to have Riku punch him in the face once more and put him out for good. All of this was too much for Scar to stand by and watch. Scar charged forward next and hit Riku right in the stomach. Riku fell back, but put out his right arm to catch his fall. Pushing up from that position on the ground, Riku jumped up and kicked Scar right in the face. While Scar was down on the ground, Riku quickly grabbed a shark-spear from off one of the fishing boats and stood over Scar, foot on chest and aimed the spear right at his throat. "Are we done here or not?" Riku asked.
"I'll never be done with you." sneered Scar.
Riku jabbed the tip of the spear into the skin on Scars neck, just enough to make it bleed a little. "You might as well kill me, cause if you don't, I'll eventually kill you..." Scar said.
"You're not even worth it." Riku said as he threw the spear to the side and walked off. Down the street he heard Scar call after him, "We're not finished Riku!" but he didn't even bother to turn around.
A few weeks later, Riku was out with his friends, including the girl Riku had had feelings for for over three years. They all decided to go for sushi to relieve the stress from a hectic work week. "So how's training going?" asked Riku's crush.
"Um, it's been going well. My Sensei seems to think I could take first place in Japan's nationwide Kendo competition next month." Riku replied, trying to hide the fact that he was blushing a little.
"It hasn't hurt that you've been training your whole life thanks to the way your parents raised you, huh Riku?" joked one of his friends.
"No, I Guess not..." he said. Dinner had gone well and Riku was proud of the fact that he was able to make his crush smile and laugh a few times during the night. When they all decided it was time to go back to their homes and get some rest, Riku walked her to the subway entrance and said goodbye. Little did he know, that would be the last time he would see her alive.
Three days later, Riku got a phone call from an unknown number, saying his crush had been kidnapped. The voice said if he wanted to save her life, Riku would have to do a certain favor for The Panthers. Riku was directed to kill a particular target for them, someone The Panthers wanted desperately to be put away for good. At this he shuttered, telling himself he'd never hurt anyone, yet he had to save his love. "I'll do it!" he replied- but just then he heard her scream,
"Don't do it!" and the phone call ended.
Anxious, Riku waited up all night worried about tomorrow's outcome. The next morning he received a call from one of the gang members instructing him where to go. The gangster told Riku to go to the tallest building on Main Street, where he'd find the rest of The Panthers. When he arrived, Scar held out a sniper rifle and pointed to where Riku should aim.
As Riku scanned the balcony of the building he noticed his crush, and asked "What is she doing here?".
Scar replied with a grin, "If you don't shoot- she dies!"
Riku loaded the rifle and began to aim at his target who he identified as the city's councilwoman who supported cleaning up crime activity on the streets and was working to shut The Panthers down, when he heard a weak voice say- "Please don't do it!"
Riku started to lower the weapon and replied, "You're right- I shouldn't do this" but was caught off guard by the sound of a gun firing and his crush falling dead to the ground. Out of shock- Riku's grip on the rifle tightened and accidentally he fired and shot the councilwoman.
After that, Riku blacked out. When he awoke, he found himself in an alleyway with hands that were stained in blood. It seemed that when he blacked out, Riku was so angered by seeing his crush hurt at the hands of The Panthers, in a rage he destroyed everyone standing around him, including the gang member who had held her. Unfortunately Scar had escaped. At that moment he realized what happened, that she was killed and out of shock, he shot his target.
Riku could not believe the feelings of anger raging through his veins. His blood was on fire and he felt like he no longer had control of his own body. In his place, was a dark, evil presence. A different side of Riku that had never emerged before. Riku knew the only way to regain control of his body, mind, and soul were to revoke all the emotions, the good and the bad from inside, blocking out any and all feelings from entering himself and leaving himself.
Riku decided he would have to change his identity as well, to protect himself in the wake of all the destruction that took place. He changed his name from Riku to Ki, standing for the lost "energy" that he hoped to one day regain. Ki wanted to make things right. He knew it would take time. But for now he had to leave behind the past and focus on finding a future that could put him on the right path to finally changing all the wrong that he had caused…
And now the second part of my story begins...
DISCLAIMER We do not in any way have any affiliation with the creator, author, artist, or publishers of Love Hina. We are just fans who use Love Hina as inspiration when creating our own versions of a manga!
Written by: Everett, age 14
Edited by: Kathleen, age 22