"Mom! Dad! No!" I shouted, watching my home burn down with my parents inside. I cried, I couldn't do anything to save them. What could a 5 year old girl do? I was able to save myself, expecting that my parents would be able to save themselves. All I was able to do was watch, watch the building burn, my home, my parents. I stayed by the house as it burned. Firefighters came, and went to put out the fire. But they weren't able to save my parents. They didn't notice me, I slipped past them and walked into a nearby park where I used to have picnics with my parents. It was the middle of the night, the moon was full, and I was a lonely little girl. I sat on a bench and continued to cry.
"Mama...Papa...they're gone," I cried. I felt a hand on my shoulder, making me jump. A man wearing a mask, half black, half orange. On the orange side, was a hole where his eye was. He was wearing a black and silver metal plated outfit.
"...w-who are you?" I asked.
"I'm Slade," He told me.
"...is there something you need?" I asked.
"I just needed to know why were you here alone?" The man asked me.
"...my parents died," I said, turning my head away.
"I see...where do you live?" Slade asked me.
"...I don't live anywhere anymore.." I said quietly.
"I see, why don't you come live with me?" He offered. I looked up at him cautiously.
"But...I don't even know you," I told him.
"I can't let a little girl like you wonder around this big city," Slade said, holding out his hand. I hesitated but then took his hand.
That was almost 10 years ago
I woke up from the annoying, blaring sounds of my alarm clock. I sighed. I got up from my bed and walked into my washroom. I brushed my teeth and then stepped into the shower.
"Remembering the past...now that I think about it," I thought out loud as I rinsed my hair, "I was a stupid kid," I laughed, "Trusting someone I didn't even meet for like 5 minutes." I got out and dried myself.
"But then again, I probably would've died on the streets somewhere, so I guess it was a good move," I said, blow drying my hair. I put on the outfit that Slade got me. I stayed with this guy since I was five, he's basically now my father. Though he never really adopted me. The outfit he made me was similar to Slade's. Black and silver, metal plated. A metal skirt, and the torso part was half orange and half black, resembling Slade's mask. A metal ring around the collar of the outfit. There was a silver S like symbol on the upper corner of the orange part of my outfit. The metal skirt was a bit uncomfortable, but I did like it and I got used to it. What I really like was the boots. Black and silver, like my outfit. I had a belt with some small throwing weapons. Slade suggested me to use daggers and bombs, but I liked using kunais and shurikens. I had a few bombs just in case, also cause Slade told me to have them on hand. Slade has been making me train in martial arts and fight some robots he made.I tied my black hair with light blue streaks up into a pony tail. My bangs covered my right eye. Five am every morning. I get up and train. My home was just a run down apartment. But when I have to train, I have to go to Slade's hideout, undetected. My schedule was five am wake up, train until around seven, change, get food, and be at school by eight. When school is over, at around three, free time, go home at five change, go back to training, finish any homework, eat, sleep. When I got to the hideout, I played with the punching bag while I waited for robots or whatever.
'I wonder what Slade's doing,' I thought, making a hole in the punching bag.
"Whoops," I chuckled. I turned the punching bag so the hole wasn't visible and continued. First hit and my fist went through, again.
"...that's enough with the punching bag for today," I said, walking away from it. I hear Slade come in and turn to him.
"Morning Master," I smiled.
"Morning Akumu," He said.
"Soo what's the plan? Am I gonna fight some of your robots? Or just train like normally?" I asked.
"You already broke the punching bag, so training normally is out of the question," Slade said.
"Pft, wha? When did I break the punching bag?" I asked, the punching bag fell to the ground right after I said that, "...either way I don't just use the punching bag." I laughed awkwardly.
"Yes I know," He told me, "You can take a break today."
"Ah really?" I asked.
"You need to prepare for your mission tonight, so I'm letting you rest,"
"It's been a while since my last one," I said.
"That's because you went to far and killed the person," Slade told me.
"It was an accident," I said rolling my eyes.
"I need you to retrieve and item, I'll tell you the plan later, for now just prepare," He told me.
"As in train my powers, meaning I'm not really taking a break," I said. He nodded and left.
"Hmm mission...," I smiled. I started training using my powers, controlling shadows and darkness. I remembered when Slade once told me, he wanted me to be his opponents' nightmare.
'I wonder if that's why Dad renamed me to Akumu...' I thought as I played around with the punching bag with my powers.
"Akumu, train properly." I jumped when I heard Slade.
"Y-yes, Slade," I said as I began training properly.
I quickly went home, got changed into my school uniform, grabbed my messenger bag and went out the door. My uniform consists of a black pleated skirt that went above my knees, black thigh highs, a white dress shirt, a black ribbon instead of a tie,a black blazer and black flats. I went to a private school, Slade doesn't want me to go to public schools for some reason. He wanted me to go to this school called the HIVE academy, but I turned it down. He said I could probably get a scholarship there but I laughed, and an argument begun. I won. I barley made it on the bus. I sighed in relief when I got on. There weren't any opened seats on the train so I just stood. My dress shirt wasn't tucked in, my hair wasn't tied back, my bangs fell over my eye. This keeps happening everyday, and I get in trouble for it, everyday. I stopped caring and kept going to school, violating the rules of the dress code. Not to mention my colored hair.
After being lectured by the school prez about clothing violations, I went to class. It bothered a lot of my classmates that I keep getting in trouble and violating the rules, but I'm the top student. I'm not a bad person, I just have a tight schedule...and I don't like how uptight the school is. Class, notes, assignments, blah. I regretted not going to advanced classes, I fell asleep through the classes, knowing all this was boring. I was walking towards the staircase that led me to the roof when I saw a boy, same age, being tormented by two other guys. I sighed.
'Not my problem, not my problem, not my problem,' I chanted in my head. I turned into the classroom.
"Seriously? Real mature guys," I sighed at them, "If you have so much free time, do something actually productive instead of picking on this guy." The guys turned to me.
"Look, it's Akumu," One of them said.
"No duh," I said, rolling my eyes.
"So tell us, what's your secret?"
"How do you get perfect scores on the test, but be such a trouble maker?"
"I actually use my brain," I told them, "I guess it's not your fault your guys' grades are low, probably nothing in those heads besides your ego." One of them ran at me. I stepped to the side, making him miss. The other guy ran at me, I grabbed him and flipped him over, making him land on the other kid who was coming back. I walked over to the victim.
"Better go now, before we get in trouble," I told him. He nodded and followed me out of the classroom.
"Thank you again, Akumu," He told me.
"Uh...sure, just stop letting them pick on you," I told him, 'I have no idea who this kid is...'
"Um, Akumu, I needed to talk to you about something," he told me. I stopped, making him stop. I turned to him.
"Shoot," I told him.
"Well...er...I," He stuttered. I crossed my arms. I noticed that this guy was a bit taller than me. He was also well mannered, good guy, proper.
'Haha, goody-too shoes,' I smirked.
"Come on, say something. I still got lunch to eat," I told him, tapping my foot.
"I like you," He blurted out. I wasn't surprised. He was stuttering, making it obvious that this was a confession. I was just hoping that he wouldn't go through with it.
"I've liked you since I could remember, please tell me you'll go out with me," He said. My hand reached to his cheek, giving him hope. I lightly pinched his cheeks.
"Don't ask a girl to go out with you just so they can protect you," I told him, releasing his cheek. I turned and walked away.
"B-but, can we at least be friends? You're always by yourself during lunch," He told me. I looked over my shoulders.
"I don't have friends," I told him, walking away.
Finally school was over, I had free time til I had to train. I didn't have any homework, did it all during lunch. I just went to the arcade in town, playing DDR like I always do. As I walked towards the arcade, I began to think about my next mission.
'It's been a while...I think my blood lust went down,' I assured myself. I looked outside, it was still early. I decided to just go home and sleep. Waking up at 5 am everyday isn't too fun.
I aroused from my sleep from a vibration coming from my pocket. I pulled out my phone, turning off the alarm. I yawned, got up, dressed in the uniform Slade gave me, and went over to the hideout near the cliffs. I walked into the building and saw Slade talking to some dude. He was wearing all black, had a skull mask, a red 'X' on his chest and a really nice black cape.
"We'll soon meet, Red X," I heard Slade say. I heard Red X's reply and my eyes widened at his voice, cool and calm.
"Looking forward to it," Red X said. The transmission ended and Slade called me over.
"Who was that, daddy?" I said in a cute voice.
"What did I tell you to call me?"Slade asked me. I sighed.
"Fine, if you don't want a cute daughter," I pouted, "Who was that?"
"That's the person you're gonna meet on your mission," He told me.
"Is that so?" I smirked.
"Your enemy," He said. My smirk dropped.
"Oh..."
"I need you to retrieve the three disks he has that I need for a...special project," Slade told me.
"Alright then," I sighed.
"I have a feeling the Titans will be there, so be careful," Slade told me, he said it in a way where it sounds like he knows they were gonna be there.
"Yes, Master," I said, "Who are the Titans?"
"They prevent your Master from finishing his projects," Slade said.
"Do they have something against you?" I asked.
"Something like that," Slade said, "Anyways, do you understand what to do?"
"Meet up with Red X in your place, retrieve the disks, and come back," I said.
"Good girl," He said, ruffling my hair, "Remember to disguise yourself." I nodded. I created an illusion, changing my hair style from black with blue streaks to silver hair in curly lolita pigtails. I put on a black masquerade mask.
"Don't kill anyone this time, Neko Ninja," He said, calling me by my other identity.
"Yes, Master," I said. It's been five years since my last mission, I can't kill another person.
I went over to the meeting place, there I saw Red X, who was about to take the last disk from it's place. I walked out.
"Good job, Red X, Slade will be very pleased," I said, walking out from the shadows.
"Who are you?" He asked.
"I'm here for Slade, he says you have something for him?" I said, holding out my hand. He eyed me.
"Should I tell Master Slade that you're being...difficult?" I asked, smirking. He handed me the two disks that he had already. He went for the third one when 3 other people appeared, attacking him, pinning him down. One was a girl, in a dark blue cloak. Another was...a green tiger. The last was part man, part robot...a Cyborg?
"Go, grab the last disk and run to the roof," Slade ordered through my ear piece.
"Of course," I said through my intercom. I grabbed the last one and ran. I heard another girl come in, and Red X say something. I glanced back to see Red X reveal himself, pulling his skull mask off. The teen boy had slick, jet black hair, spiked back, and...another mask that covered his eyes. He looked around my age.
'He's even cuter now,' I blushed. I realized that I had slowed down and quickly ran up to the roof.
"Now what?" I asked.
"Robin will come up and you will fight him," Slade told me.
"...who's Robin?" I asked.
"Robin was disguised as Red X, trying to fool me. He's the leader of the Teen Titans," Slade said.
'Why are my enemies cute?' I pondered. I heard someone hop onto the roof. I saw the boy, in a different outfit. He was wearing a black and yellow cape, a green outfit, the torso being red with a black circle and a yellow are in the middle of the circle, over his heart. Green gloves, a yellow utility belt, and steel toed black boots.
"Ah, Robin, Slade figured that it was you hiding in that Red X costume," I smirked. He glared at me.
"Now, who are you?" He demanded my identity.
"Hehe, I'm your new playmate, Neko Ninja," I smiled. I held the three disks.
"You got these for Slade, right? I'll deliver them to him," I said, putting them away. Robin pulled out a bo staff. I pulled out my katana that was strapped onto my waist.
"How cute, you already wanna play with me?" I grinned. He brought down the staff onto my, I blocked it with my sword.
"Why are you helping Slade?" The boy wonder asked.
"I'm sorry hun," I said, kicking him off of me, "But that's classified information."
'It's not, but I've always wanted to say that,' I smirked. I cut through his staff, making him weaponless. He kicked my sword out of my hands.
"Now we're even," He smirked. We started to do hand to hand combat. He threw a punch at my head, I dodged. He threw another one and I caught it. I flipped him over onto his back.
"Tch, too easy," I said, disappointed. I was about to walk away, but I didn't notice that he had held onto my sleeve. He flipped me over, throwing me across the roof.
"Are you sure about that?" He asked me. I quick got up and motioned him over. He came at me with another punch. I jumped to dodge and I went for a drop kick. He jumped out of the way, I ended up leaving a hole in the roof.
"That all you got?" He said, smirking.
"Oh,you haven't seen anything yet," I assured him. Black cat ears and a tail popped out, making the boy wonder look at me with a confused expression. The cat parts enhanced my speed, strength, dark magic, and magic in general. I ran towards the boy. He readied himself for an attack but I disappeared and appeared behind him.
"Looking for me?" I smirked, kicking his back. He stumbled forward. Robin turned around, only for me to disappear again.
"Show yourself," Robin commanded.
"So serious," I said, kicking him in the side. He ran towards me. I stopped him, using his shadow to wrap around him.
"Hehe, what'd you do to your shadow? I think it hates you," I giggled. I walked up to him.
"You're so cute when you're angry," I mocked, pinching his cheek, "Sorry to leave you like this, but Master Slade needs the disks." I blew him a kiss before leaving.
"I have the thing you needed," I said, handing it to him.
"Good job Neko," Slade said, patting my head like he always does.
"Sooo...what's this project?" I asked curiously.
"I respect your privacy, I expect you to respect mine," He said coldly. I pouted.
"Fine," I said. I headed home with curiosity.
'Hmm tomorrows the weekends, Slade still wants me to train in the morning though. But what'll I do later on?' I wondered, 'Nothing as always.'