A/N - A big welcome to all of you who are reading this. I've been lurking on this website for quite some time without posting a word, but I was very moved after completing the Deadman Wonderland series and felt compelled to try to write something about it. Please note that I don't consider myself to be a very adept writer, so useful comments are highly appreciated. However, I won't tolerate flames,as I think it simply promotes a culture of cruel behaviour online. Thank you in advance!

UPDATE 28/09 - I've added some songs at the end of each chapter to act as a 'playlist' of sorts. This is purely for readers who enjoy this sort of thing - you've no obligation to listen to them whatsoever. Also - don't hate on my music taste; I listen to basically everything possible and if you disagree with some of my choices, just roll with it. ~V


The wintry current of air shoved the girl from her slumber.

The metallic tang of blood around her body alerted her to danger.

As she came to, she made out the sounds of male mutterings, a door creaking softly. She realised that she was in an entirely foreign place. Two unsteady fingers assessed the presence of a sticky red substance cloaked around her cheeks, and she gingerly traced it to the apex of her forehead and shoulders. The blood appeared to be hers. Had she been attacked? If so, why?

Her eyes widened as she took in the stark lighting of her surroundings. How clinical! The white fluorescence helped to create ghostly shadows around the tall cabinets and medical instruments. She valiantly attempted to sit up before realising that her chest, waist and legs were strapped down by a thick, hardy material that she could not scrabble undone, regardless of her violent struggling. A sharp sear of pain in her left thigh – she winced - also prevented any further attempts at release.

Then, to her left, a quiet giggle of appreciation: 'Are you done struggling, little Raven?'

He sounded male, and as he slunk into her field of view she saw that he was indeed so. If she could pinpoint him as an animal- which she was quite in the foul mood to do- she would say that he was a fox, or perhaps a weasel. There was simply no other way to put it. His revolting sneer had her reeling even before he said the next sentence.

"Because I think it's time you stopped your charade. Why don't you just cave into your hidden desire… to kill?"

"I don't know who you think you are to say such things, old man, but I'm no killer," she spat, "and if you think you can keep me here so you can do perverted things, then you're dead wrong!"

To many people, her current glare would have had them fleeing long ago- but this Weasel seemed more delighted than ever. In fact, he chuckled louder, as though to savour her irritation.

"I think you're going to fit right in, little Raven. I think you and I both know that you can never return to where you once were. Not many people on the outside really like mass murderers- and let me tell you, the things they've said about your case have not been very complimentary. Ah well. You know, since you're on death row, it's not like you'll ever see the real world again. There are too ma-"

"Did you just say I'm a mass murderer? And why do you keep calling me a raven?"

She frowned underneath her disinterested mask. Okay, so maybe she'd pirated some media files… alright, maybe she even pirated them every day. And maybe, just maybe, she'd sent the local Japanese government into an amusing frenzy last year when she hacked into their security database and published some 'secret' files onto the World Wide Web. But she, a mass murderer? On death row? There was no way that any of this could be true.

The Weasel snickered, clearly delighted by her confusion. He reached to undo her binds with a simple key before stepping back to assess her battered condition. "I heard that there were several children in that theatre- and of course, many parents and students. In fact, I heard that there were about seventy people killed in there. Too bad, so sad. My, my, Raven; are we so forgetful of how precious life is?"

Distracted by her sudden freedom, she shoved past him with an awkward limp towards the lone door in the room. He watched on with mild interest as she drove her shoulder through the exit… and into the waiting grasp of a fully-armoured white guard, who said nothing as it shoved her firmly back into the Weasel's chortling domain. Her attempt at struggle was reprieved by metal arms in an instant, and she knew she was far too weak to fight. She slackened her posture. The door clicked shut.

The man struck up a conversational tone, ignoring the silent guard. "You'll have to forgive my foot soldiers, Raven, they're a bit, ah, excitable when it comes to dealing with Deadmen. And you, of course, have wonderful potential. Yes… I absolutely can't wait to see how you fare with the rest of your species. You see, someone of your abilities deserves special treatment," – here he paused to give her a merry thumbs-up, "and we at Deadman Wonderland are going to give that to you."

She ignored his feeble attempt at distraction.

"What did you do to my friends?" she growled viciously, clenching her fists. "Did you kill them?"

He lifted an eyebrow. "Didn't you?"

His blasé reaction had her seeing red. "I went to see a film with them! Halfway through, some crazy red man slashes all of us to shreds! You had something to do with this, so answer me! Did you kill them?"

"Isn't it true that you were on the run for three days after that incident?" With a laugh, he shook his head. "That sounds suspicious, and everybody knows it, Raven."

"I was not running," she gritted her through her teeth, "I was trying to work out why in hell bloodcame out of my body and started destroying things everywhere. Funnily enough, I was also trying not to bleed out. The next thing I know, I'm here with a certain idiot talking at me."

The Weasel simpered at that. "So you admit to destroying-"

"I told you, I did not kill my friends!"

He sighed languorously. "What if I told you that all of your questions could be answered by the end of your stay with us?"

"…This really isn't a joke, is it," she voiced mutinously. "You're telling me I have some kind of power that you want to play with, is that it?"

The Weasel clapped his hands together in assent. "And I think you already know what that is." He gestured to her shoulders, parts of which were still scabbed and raw. "We encourage your prowess here. You don't have to hide it at all- just survive! Cast points will buy you a piece of candy to keep you going every three days- we only need you to do some playtime for it. Give us a good show and we'll help you to extend yourself like never before."

"You think I want to stay here and play your games?" she shouted, feeling a coil of anger stab through her aching body.

"What else is going to pass the time while you're on death row?" the man replied simply.

She snapped.

A prick of pain lingered across her shoulders as streams of her blood released to form a quivering pair of razor-tipped 'wings'. Unerringly, she directed their tips at his unsurprised face. A low growl ripped through her throat. Perhaps if she could just rip out his tongue, that salacious sneer might disappear…

The foot soldier raised a spiked baton and swept it towards her chest.

"Don't interfere!" she hissed; suddenly, the soldier was on the ground, blood seeping out from underneath the damaged armour, a quiet moan his only noise of surprise.

The Weasel shrugged at the scene and casually pressed a button on his watch, which lead to six more of his soldiers rushing into the room to hold her down. She didn't have the strength or speed to react in time. The pierce of a needle's head registered in her hazy mind as she struggled to stay afloat in the sea of madness.
Just before the blackness swam over her eyelids, she managed to hear one more piece of his insanity.

"You're here because I want you to be, little Raven. You're here to entertain me, and you're here to stay. We'll always be watching…"


Playlist A

Welcome Oblivion - How To Destroy Angels

Blue - The Birthday Massacre

Bury Me - Breathe Carolina