Hello, and welcome. If you like Samurai Jack, you've come to the right part of ! It's an honor that you would like to read a story of mine, and I can't thank you enough for the support.

Also, Jack is back in 2016, so further chapters could have aspects of the old or new Samurai Jack!

Have a good read.

God, her wrists hurt.

It was a dull yet nagging pain that pooled in the joints, shooting electric shocks up her arms. Though there was a throbbing heat in her hands, cold air made her skin tingle. She took a breath, and tried to move; both consumed her with pain. Her body was so stiff. How long had she been like this?

Through the pain and confusion, she managed to crack an eye open. Everything swirled around her in jumbled blacks and grays, and, even though her body was still, her stomach churned like she had been thrown from a cliff. Pathetically croaking, she tried to speak. Feeling her throat spasm, she promptly vomited.

"…Ack…guh…Hrk…Au…g-goddamn…" groaning, she swallowed down any further urge to heave. At least she was face down so she hadn't choked. Sluggishly, she hefted her arm up to her face to wipe away her cold sweat. Remaining half asleep the darkness of her hand over her eyes was pleasant, even if her hand was strangely large and weighty. She may have stayed a bit longer to rest if her face wasn't now just inches from vomit. Taking a breath and mentally preparing for pain, she slowly wedged her hands just under her sides and pushed off the cold floor.

So much pain, so much regret…and yet the drive to get out of this chilly, gloomy room superseded both. Through her struggling she found the strength to lift herself up onto her feet. Blinded by the darkness of the place, she haphazardly groped at the walls to feel her way out as she shambled.

She hadn't taken a couple of steps before her hand slid onto something round and smooth. Woozily gazing up, a laser-red light practically punched her in the eyes. Adjusting, she made it out to be a small button. She clicked it in a daze.

Harsh light flooded the area, blinding her for a moment. Great, just what she wanted… Scanning the room she saw a small space which included possibly the barest minimum of assets to allow survival ever. It was 3 by 3 feet, with a mini fridge in one corner and some strange and long capsule chamber – it looked like it was furnished with a comfy bedspread inside. Two doors led out of the room, an armored one across from the bed and a normal one across from the button.

She made a shaky transition without support to the other wall, and turned the ice cold knob. Weakly leaning her head against the wall, she reached around and felt around in the dark new room. Something had to have happened to her; if this numb drowsiness had just been residual sleep it would've faded. After several clumsy brushes of her fingers on the wall she bonked a switch, lights flickering on behind the door. She peeked in, shivering. It was a tiny bathroom.

A dual shower-bath, a toilet, and a cabinet-mirror above a blue sink; everything else was ghostly white, icicles hanging from the showerhead and the toilet cracked from the water freezing inside. Dragging her bare feet against the floor, she entered the room and reached out to the cabinet.

It was only now that she noticed her hands.

"YAH! W-WHAT ARE-!" Mortified, she slumped against the door wide-eyed. She held up her shaking…hands, and only found it in her to stare.

Her arms were gray and made of metal and…were oversized everywhere. Her fingers were nearly the size of…bananas, and armored with sharp gold tips. More gold trim created a shining, twisting mosaic on the heavily plated back of either arm, from her shoulders to each fingertip; on either arm the cloud of tiny gold squares began in a thin line from her upper bicep and widened down to the back of her hand, where a diamond shaped clearing in the design held a small gold spike. One prismatic flat-top spike rose from each joint; two big golden ones governed her shoulders instead. The hard thing to wrap her head around was that these arms must've been…four feet each? Her fingertips could touch her ankles from a stand…but she was too rattled to notice.

"Th-this…I need to…get this stuff off!" she stuttered in her high tones, clawing at the elbow in a panic. As hard as she tried, she couldn't get the huge fingers under the groove. However, in her struggling she felt something. Every time she scraped at it her thumb scratched the underside of her arm…and she could feel through the metal.

She felt nothing on the metal clad outside, but her inner arm was still as sensitive as skin. Turning it over she gently stroked the shiny gray surface, feeling the tickle of her touch through the soft material. At this realization she shuddered. On a whim, she managed to bring one shivering hand over to the other; her skin…uh, the "stuff" felt just as soft and smooth as skin would, but lacked the texture a real palm would have in addition to having a soft rubbery give to it.

Warily flexing her giant hands, she felt another wave of nausea overtake her. Wrestling with the urge to vomit again, she reached for the cabinet mirror hoping to find some kind of meds to get rid of this dizziness. A good ten of the tiny bottles, droppers, and balms could easily fit in her fists, so she took a few in each trembling hand to check.

Though her vision was swimming, she was able to make out something on one of the bottles: 'Headache…Nausea.'

Hoping that she wasn't reading side effects, she twisted the cap off and popped two of them. Her breath shaking, she slumped against the door and waited. One minute. Two minutes. Three. Five. Ten. It was torturous, but eventually she felt her stomach settle. Giving a sigh of relief, she pulled herself back off the floor. She stared into the sink as she braced her hands on its sides, if only to steady herself more.

"Auu…Thank Goodness…" she mumbled to herself, fixing her eyes back onto the cluttered pill cabinet. Curious as to what else had been in there, she shuffled through what she had taken.

'Polybius' – relieves headache, nausea, and vomiting. 'Nexus' – adrenaline. 'Manus' – cure moderate to severe eye pain/blindness. 'Petrikov' – pain relief. 'Turbo' – apply to wounds to promote healing.

There were several other… "interesting" ones, most of which she couldn't see a use for, but these looked pretty helpful. Reaching out to close the cabinet, she stopped; she wasn't sure if she wanted to see what she looked like. Instead she scanned the room, hoping to find something to put the medicines in. A pocketed black belt and sash were slung over the shower head.

She went to tie them, but now realized she should wait. Against her bare skin they would be uncomfortable. Come to think of it, why wasn't she dressed? Gazing down, she studied herself.

She had one hell of a time trying to see past her breasts, but eventually realized that these strange new limbs were still arms and just pressed them down. Her skin was a powdery pale, fair peach, and she wore a lacey white brazier and panties. A thin grapevine tattoo snaked up her body, from just above her right knee to her ribs.

Similar to her arms, from her knees down she was metal, two of those flat-top prismatic spikes reaching from her knees and one from her other joints. Over the fronts were more gold trimmed armor, even down to the tips of her foot coverings. She could see waves of gently curling black hair licking at her calves. Folding up, she brought one of her legs up to check the sole of her foot. It was also the strange, pseudo-metal skin, the dark surface moving as she wiggled her toes. The main difference between her arms and legs was that her arms were huge.

Hugging herself awkwardly, she shivered. 'Why is it SO cold in here? All the pipes even froze!' she wondered, feeling the cold air on her skin. Clutching the belt and sash, she went to leave. However, the thought of the mirror nagged at her…what did her face look like? She…couldn't, she was too worried about how she'd been disfigured.

Huffing out a cold mist, she went to the mini fridge at the other room's corner to see how much she could walk away with; she should try to take all she could, as she didn't know where she would be once outside.

Carefully tugging open the fridge with only her pointer and thumb, she peeped inside. There was…nothing inside. Just an old wrapper for something. She kicked it closed and strode over to the bed thing.

It was a steel chamber with a pane of glass over the top, a hinge on one edge. The unhinged side was smashed on the ground, the pegs underneath the bed broken away. Wedging her fingers under the side of the capsule nearest her, she found it fall out with little effort. "Was I…In here? Then tumbled out when it broke…?"

Not being a detective, she wasn't too sure. However, she wasn't going to spend all day here finding out. Turning to the main door, she reached for the knob. Cold against her fingers, she shivered. Gripping the knob, she tried to turn it open. Yet, she couldn't find the strength. She wasn't sure it was a rusted hinge, either.

The mirror…

She had to. If she didn't see herself she'd go insane in no time. Whatever she looked like, she would have to deal with it. Practically running to the bathroom, she collected herself, got in close, and slowly closed the cabinet.

She was…ok. What stuck out to her first were two pairs of half foot golden drills jutting from her forehead and temples. Her long jet black hair was tucked behind her small ears and gently waving down and off the mirror, save for her fanning bangs. Her cheek bones were soft and her cheeks round to the jaw, and she had a small, upturned nose. She found the three flipped blue triangles tattooed along the bottom of her right eye pretty stylish. Around the edge of her left eye was a trimming of gold, which traced down her cheek, neck, and stopped just after her collarbone. She looked just around nineteen years old. With her bow-shaped lips and rich crimson eyes, she had to admit that she was cuter than what her arms had her expecting.

Aside from that, her body was a different story now that she saw stepped back and saw it in the mirror. "…Wow…Gosh, I look good…" Though not wiry, her frame was light and toned quite nicely. Even with these huge spikes her shoulders weren't too wide, her collarbone just the right amount of fleshed out. Frocks of full bodied black hair cascaded down her shoulders, loosely curling down behind her and around her ample bosom. Her sides gracefully curved down leading to a trim abdomen and nice hips, followed by soft and curvy legs. All of this on a long backdrop of wavy midnight hair made her look like some elegant, if slightly naughty, actress or model…or cosplayer with how the whole of her dollish five-foot form looked with these arms attached.

The sight of this beautiful body in the mirror almost made her embarrassed; she didn't want people staring…although her odd arms would probably attract more attention. Still, her confusion grew and left her speechless, her mind beginning to wander. 'I…really don't remember having this…body. It looks great, I just don't remember. And these, um, arms on me. I mean, maybe? This isn't just something I'd forget, though…'

Still, a certain detail gave her pause. An inverted black pentagon lay nestled just above her bust. Glowing red lights sluggishly crawled along it, from the edges to five ruby bulbs on its face. Tapping on it was awkward with her big fingers considering it was almost protected by the womanly flesh around it. Curious, she tried wedging a finger under it. To her surprise it opened a bit, despite her massive effort. However, she hurriedly pushed it back; she'd heard her heartbeat clearly, through the small opening. Mortified, she whimpered "Is there a...hole in me? What even..." She was so lost for words. Maybe it was just her tired mind playing tricks on her...she hoped.

Finding the freezing air was starting to burn her nose, she set aside her confusion and left the room. Pitch blackness reigned outside, but the whirring of gears coming from the room sounded like it was around a corner…was it a hallway?

Suddenly, a faint buzzing began ringing in. Following it was a red light growing from around some corner. A hallway indeed, and something was coming down it. Eyes remaining trained on the corridor, she knelt low to the ground. Brilliant red light was thrown from a towering height. Shifting gears screeched down at her as it gazed around, the lights bouncing off the walls and back onto the figure.

It had shining armor like some kind of knight, with a visor in its round helm and gears flooding out from its joints. Giant enough so as to have to hunch within the dozen foot high hall, its fingers nearly scraping the ground as it waddled through. Though it had such odd posture, the sparking gears and pistons rattling around in its chest gave off an air of power.

She shrunk back in the doorway, shivering. This guy was bad news; whoever was in charge of this factory had patrols – they don't want people in here. Slouching against the wall, she began to freak. Heart racing, she crawled into the corner of the room and waited. Heavy metal footsteps pounded against the floor as he advanced on her room.

Her breath hitched in her throat as she shuddered and curled her arms around herself. Closer…closer…the light grew…more…closer. 'W-what do I do…?' Her hands were shaking; they were practically chattering. Wait a moment…something really was making noise!

Frantically searching around, it took her a moment to realize the sets of conical drills from her head were vigorously spinning. They were only about as loud as a honeybee, but even that was not what she wanted right now. She went to grab them, but hesitated. Metal on metal would only make more noise. She just had to hope it wouldn't hear…

"WHO GOES THERE?!"

Bellowing, the sentinel mashed his face through the door and began scanning the room.

~Scan Protocol No.1

~~~~~Heat Signature Detection

Scanning…Scanning…Scanning…

~No heat signature detected

~Scan Protocol No.2

~~~~~~~~~~Electro-sensory Detection

Scanning…Scanning…Scanning…

~No electromagnetic waves detected

~Scan Protocol No.3

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Olfactory-Mimicry

Sniffing…Sniffing…Sniffing…

~Mildew Detected

~~~~~Schedule a full room cleanse at 05:00

~Scans rule conclusive for – No Intruder

Breath caught in her throat, she dared not move. Having leaped to above the doorframe, the behemoth's head was just beneath her. She was close enough that the whirring gears blew a small amount of air at her. She didn't know if she could hold up….

Yet, almost as soon as it entered the room it left, stomping down the hall once more. Frozen, she chose to stay there for a few more moments…she was still kind of scared…. She slowly descended from her perch. Having collected herself she peeked outside once again. The footfalls of the robot were very distant, setting her at ease. Nearly numb from the cold, she started sneaking down the hall.

Though her feet had metal over them her soles were still soft, so she was able to sneak pretty silently. Feeling her way through the darkness by the wall, she would duck into open doors whenever some other sentry passed through. The sheer number of droids she encountered made her wonder….

"Why are there so many? There must be something really valuable in this place…"

Eventually she arrived at another room, but as opposed to the darkness she had seen in every other room, this one was brightly lit. Peeping in, she found that it was a dressing room.

Several rows and even heaps of clothes and armor were crammed into the small space. Door closed behind her, she set to shoveling through the hills of garments, looking for something warm as well as sturdy enough that if those things got her that she wouldn't die that quickly.

"…Stripped shirt…green hat…s-space helmet? Ugh, none of this works…" she mumbled, shoving clothes aside. Come to think of it, would any of the clothes even fit? These arms…. She decided she'd focus on pants for now. Piles of pants and other lower garments were huddled in a corner, some properly folded, some not. Hopeful, she delved her hand into the pile. It just…felt like clothes.

Wait…something else was in here, something round and smooth. As her claws pinched it, it chimed; some glass ball? Curiosity welled in her as she dug it out. It was…underwhelming to say the least. Clear as she expected, she let the grape sized orb rest in her palm. Though it wasn't what she expected, it still dictated her attention…there was some strange glow to it…

Some instinct tugged at her, urging her to bring it closer to her. Soon she found it at her lips, cold and smooth against them. 'W-what am I…this…t-taste…' Sliding over her tongue, it tasted some kind of syrupy sweet. She felt her eyelids drop in ecstasy as a warm feeling spread through her throat and chest.

"…Ah…Mm, that tastes g-good…Augh…" she mumbled in her soft, high voice, paralyzed in bliss. However, it began to be permeated by disgust. "D-Did I…oh…j-just eat a marble I…hah…f-found in a pile of c-clothes…?" came muffled through the fingers over her parted lips, ecstasy still warping her words. And yet the feeling still intensified, blowing her concern away and bringing a floaty high to her. The warmth felt so good reaching through her body that her vision began to go white...and then pain. A lot of it.

Unbelievably intense, she found the pain completely overtake any good feelings of before. It was all over her. So sudden, and strong, she nearly collapsed. Her sternum particularly burned. A final shock punched her in the head, making her fall to her knees. Taken way off guard, she sat there and shivered.

Still shivering, she hugged herself as she rested. She felt…cloth. Curious, she stared down at herself. A fitted metal breastplate gleamed at her in shining black, shaped to keep her assets in one space. There were five small triangular marks on a different pentagonal crest on her chest, the leftmost symbol dyed red. Midnight furs fluffed over the openings at her shoulders and neck. Being that it was hard to see over the charcoal mountains on her chest, she sat up. The metal covered just the front of her torso, ending at a thick, gold-buckle black belt around her midriff; she could feel cottony cloth hugging her back. From above her hips down was a flowing gray skirt made of thick cotton, more black fur floating the bottom seam above the spikes on her knees. Deep black stockings hugged her legs where there wasn't armor, with fleecy white frills bunched under the skirt.

Legs wobbling as she pushed herself up, she hobbled to a mirror. "…My face is so flush…. Wow, those feelings…" she breathed at her reflection. Her head changed, too, with a cotton bandana set just behind her drills. Her shiny black hair flowed out of the back, curling around the end of the skirt.

"Why…did that glass marble give me this…?"

Pondering made her peek inside her shirt to test something. Though she couldn't take the armor off, she now saw only four lights in the darkness. Breathing out, she reflexively smoothed the fanning skirt. Finally, the two sashes had a place, one crossing over her breasts to the hip and one looped around her waist. All the potions were nestled safely inside. Remaining confused as to her new gear, she crept out of the room and down the hall once more.

Her footfalls were mere whispers as she tiptoed up the gloomy stairwell. Those sentries didn't seem to patrol here, but the fogged over windows drenched the walls in an oppressive grey wash which was worse than any towering guard. She shivered. 'Jeez, when can I get out of here? It's cold, it's creepy, and I just wanna curl up in a comfy blanket by the fire….'

Atop the staircase she came upon a large steel door, frozen shut around its edges. The handle was also frosted over, and undoubtedly immobile. Her body already burnt out for the day, and with only more to come, she could only stand there, cold haze puffing from her lips. Reaching for the knob anyway, she turned it with hope rising in her body.

…And…the handle snapped clean off.

Her expression went dead as she stared at her undoing, slumping against the icy door. If all day was going to be similar…. "…Oh…why me…why ME?!" she whimpered, then fiercely bellowed as she slammed her fist into the door.

On her fingers she felt the flow of fresh air.

Frozen in surprise, she managed to wrench her fist from the hubcap-sized hole she'd made. Eyes wandering from the hole to her hand, she found questions blazing through her mind…but for now, she'd just forget them…. Curious as to what she could do with these new arms, she pressed her palms against the door and shoved hard. With a shriek and crack of brittle metal, the whole slab was cleared away as if it were thin ice. These hands…they were a bit scary, but also pretty useful.

Climbing through the icicled doorframe, she found herself in a brighter, warmer hallway. White carpets and beige walls, though bland, were so reassuring after today's oddities. Though it extended for a good dozen yards, the sunlight bleeding into the room by the distant doorway marked her final goal. A hardwood receptionist's desk was off in the right corner nearest her, several rows of beat-up lockers following. Foraging through the desk's contents, she found nothing but a sea of patient records in every drawer. Vaguely curious, she delved her hand into the female records.

"…Paula…no, Daisy…no…Odette? …This file…" she drawled subconsciously, scanning over the file.

Pa_i_nt-042_ – Odette Grim_ey. Dire_tiv_ – Driller _a_t Sl_er. S_atu_ – TERMINA_ED.

~~~~~P.S. – Fix fa_lty leg on _asis c_hamb_r.

"…"Driller" is me…and that "faulty chamber"…my room…." Everything seemed to match up…she was Odette G. And she was…terminated from something.

"…Who am…was I?"

Sticking the file back into the drawer, she strode to the locker looking for her number. "015…022…038…042." She reached for the rusted handle, hoping it wouldn't snap like the last. To her chagrin, the handle didn't snap but the door itself came off its hinges. Held by her pointer and thumb the door crumbled into rusted shards.

Dust fell from her hands as she shuffled through the papers inside, browned with age. Little could be gleaned from the contents, but she did find a small gold locket hung from a top hook. In her palms it looked almost microscopic, but the charm itself could actually be considered pretty large. Odette G was etched into the back in stylized cursive.

Using two fingers she gently popped it open. Inside was a sepia-tone photograph of a young, coal-haired lass, gold spikes jutting from her shoulders and large metal arms trailing off the photo. Beside her was a tall, fair, buxom woman with bangs from a bob haircut shadowing a pair of mischievous yet warm eyes. Metal rods rose from her temples, each one dangling a crosshair. Her eyelashes were long, her lips full and showing a snaky but kind smile, and a martini glass was held aloft in one hand with the other around the girl. Though her arms were lithe, two double barreled rifles poked up from behind her shoulders along with a windmill-styled propeller lying flat on her back.

And the memories, though fuzzy, came flooding back.

As a toddler, being held by a giggling blonde.

As a preteen, hesitantly having her nails painted by some "trendy" friends.

As a high schooler, playing violin atop a stage as the blonde smiled.

As a college freshman, wrapping her arms around the man she shared her first kiss with.

As a…college freshman, fearing for her life, strapped to a cold, hard, slab of steel. This was when her life changed forever, when she lost her limbs.

Her hands shook as they caged the locket. She could only wonder why…. Carefully wiping her tears, she checked the other side of the locket. "Congrats, dearie! I know college was hard, but it's over! Go have fun as a full-on adult! Toodles! - K."

"She…who…did this to me? W-Why…am I here…I…" she stuttered as she collapsed to her knees. Tears glistened back at her as she stared down at the picture. Wiping her eyes, she clasped the locket shut as resolve filled her. "I…need to find them…" Eyeing the door, determination welled in her. "Here I come."

Her shoes clacked on the tiles with every step toward the light at the end of the hall. She could hear birds and blowing winds…and metal on metal.

Peeking from the frame, she found herself freeze in awe. Snow dusted the tall, twisting oaks lining the cliffs, gleaming icicles lazing about amongst the leaves. Regal Snow Doves zipped from tree to tree, and the path down featured icy Blue Bells shining with ice. Beautiful…and yet, she was fixated on a struggle in the distance. An urge grew…to fight. Her feet seemed to carry her quick as the wind as she rushed down the snowy crags and into the valley. A white-robed swordsman was in a deep samurai stance faced toward a huge ivory sentry. They seemed to be talking, but it was still too distant to tell even with the trees whizzing past her. Well, she'd find out soon.

Skidding to a stop at a peak just over where the two stood off, she eavesdropped. "HUMAN, YOU ARE IN A RESTRICTED AREA. AKU'S LAW NUMBER 0752 SUBSECTION D FORBIDS ANY VISITOR, GUEST OR OTHERWISE, FROM POSSESSING A WEAPON OF A MAGICAL NATURE IN SUCH AN AREA. LEAVE NOW OR FACE CONSEQUENCES."

Fully not heeding the warning, the swordsman rushed forward and thrusted his curved blade at the opponent's knee. Crushing into the metal, he swung in a horizontal arc to slice both legs clean off. The guard toppling to the ground was made less imposing a sight by how collected the samurai seemed as he slipped the blade back into its black sheath.

Done fighting, he continued past the path to the facility up the mountain. Words caught in her throat, she could only whisper "He…brought it down so…simply. Wow, he's strong…." Wooden Geta sandals crunched the snow, a straw wok hung over his eyes. Such…purpose was in his step.

She wanted to get down there, if only to get closer. This guy was quite intriguing, after all. Searching for a proper foothold down was quickly deemed pointless, as she had just seen her own ability to leap and soar over boulders and brush. Fingers hooking onto the edge of the ridge, she lowered herself down; she could feel how weightless she was to these massive mitts as she descended.

Snow croaked as she touched down. Instantaneously, she felt something sharp poking into her back through the fabric. "Do not move and no harm will come to you." The subtly Japanese baritone wouldn't have normally frightened her, but there was a good chance it belonged to the samurai who had one-hit-killed that huge robot not long ago. Hands, paralyzed in fear, sluggishly made the journey from near her ankles to behind her head. Breathing as quietly as a church mouse, she just stared into the stony wall and hoped. "…Explain yourself."

'How?! W-what do I say?! I just woke up and came outside!' she mentally shouted, vision being snuffed out as she clenched her eyes shut. Swallowing hard, she tried to gather her thoughts. Her voice squeaked out "I-I just c-came down from the m-mountain…I…don't really know…who I am, or where I am. I swear I…just don't know what's going on right now…."

Several tense seconds went by where wind was the only whisper for miles around, the sword at her back not moving. Just when she thought that this was the end, the sharp poking at her back stopped. "…I am sorry to hear that. Good luck in your quest, traveler."

A blade shrieked as it entered its scabbard, crunching footsteps following as the swordsman resumed his westward travels. Stuck with her hands on her head, she drew in several ragged breaths. At least she was safe…alone…in the middle of the woods….

"W-wait!"

Before she registered it she was hurrying after the samurai. Falling into stride with him, she gazed up at him and under the wok to finally see his face. It was a long but well-defined face, with high cheek bones, his ocean eyes drenched with experience. A black widow's peak winked at her with every shift in the wok as he stepped.

"S-so…" she mumbled, fixated on her giant twiddling thumbs, "what are you traveling for?" Though he didn't outright stop, his gait slowed as he passed her a strange glance. "…You really are not familiar with the world, are you not?" She couldn't argue, he was right. "No, not at all. Is there something I should know…?" she responded, expectant of an answer.

He refocused on the winter path ahead. "I am on a very important mission, one in which success or failure could change the world forever. Many people know me…some show fondness, others a mad obsession to claim a bounty. Either way, I will not yield until I succeed or I perish."

Taking it in, she deemed it a noble enough goal; not necessarily a just one without context, but noble to want to change the world. Now, this other guy…

"Who is "Aku?"

The samurai was legitimately confused, staring her down with a bewildered expression. "…At this rate, you may be from a different era entirely. Aku is…"

As the two sat by a small fire, the samurai finished his tale. "In summation, Aku is an ancient, black-hearted snake with little regard for anything but power. He ripped me from my timeline to circumvent his own death, and in the absence of my victory plunged the world into corruption. Honest people still exist, but…" he paused, "it's getting more difficult to find them."

What a turn of events… "Wow, I'm…sorry. Maybe I do know Aku…when you say his name a feel my chest grow tight…some sense of dread…." "Rightly so. And thank you for listening. It often gets lonely on my travels, and someone to talk with is…uplifting. Tell me, young maiden, what is your name?" Turning the locket that was around her neck over she dismissed his remark as formality. "I…found this locket in the facility I left. The locker I found matches the number they assigned me, and the girl inside has my rather unique appearance…I guess my name is Odette. Yours?"

"They call me "Jack."

Flames cracked and hissed, lost souls of misers, fools, and fallen heroes futilely reaching for a thorny throne made of inferno-colored thorns. A towering mass of darkness lounged in the cathedra, his chin in his hand. Fiery eyebrows cast their flames up to his fanning array of horns, a currently bored green visage lazily watching visions flip on a screen.

Some boy and his magic dog adventuring, a dark lord of great power facing off against a courageous swordsman, Jack…

"Ah! My favorite channel! What is the foolish samurai up to now?" scratchily bellowed from his fangs in a very thick Japanese accent. He crouched at a campfire, surrounded by night and snow. Laughing, he appeared to be having a conversation. "Oh!" An eager anticipation permeated his voice. "Some companion that I may have more fun with? Who may…Guh! What?!" he shrieked, anger bleeding into his once giddy voice. A young, midnight haired girl was giggling across from him, dressed in red and with colossal arms that could crush a car.

"Impossible! I thought they were all…oh, wait, I remember now. Her family was troubling…hopefully she proves differently." He rose from his throne, his body of darkness reaching forever into the pit below.

"I shall send out a formation tomorrow to deal with her. They will not escape the wrath of Aku! Gyah-ha-ha-haaaah!"