Prologue
Riki gazed up at the starry night sky broken up by his smashed helmet. He could see the fiery glow of the burning building as debris smashed down around him.
Raising his hand he looked at it, burnt glove slowly crumbling, remembering the feel of his hand as he tried to save him. Desperately trying to pull him back up. I was your enemy... he smirked at the thought and winced as pain flared through causing him to gasp and shudder.
Another explosion rocked the building and he tried to move, to get out of the way of the glass as it rained down on him, but he couldn't. His legs wouldn't work. Panicked, he stretched his arms out. They worked, but why didn't his legs? Fearing for the worst, he push himself up only to cough up blood.
Wheezing he scrabbled at the ground trying to find purchase, but his strength was slowly leaving him. He collapsed back down.
A truth dawned upon him there, a horrible but undeniable truth. He was of no more use now. Nothing more than a broken body, a piece of rotting meat. A laugh forced its way past bloodied lips as another explosion rocked the building to its foundation. It swayed before him, like a terrible snake about to strike. He watched it mesmerized, his eyes shinning.
A shadow fell over him. Looking up he smiled weakly when he spotted someone he knew very well. It was the doctor from that very night his whole life changed.
"Ri…ki…?"
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I could hear voices above me whispering softly. Shadows slowly moved around but I couldn't make out any shapes. I felt drowsy, lethargic.
"…paralyzed…waist down…"
I was suddenly wide-awake at those words. I shivered, fear gripping my heart. I opened my mouth to speak but it didn't move. I tried to speak but my voice wouldn't work. I tried to move but my body wouldn't obey.
"…anything…can do…"
I was screaming, but no one heard me. Begging for someone anyone to help me, but they couldn't hear. I was alone. So painfully alone in this dark world filled with black and grey.
"Needs surgery….perhaps…fix…but…"
My thoughts became a jumbled mess, I couldn't think, I could see. I was panicking.
"he's…need…"
Whiteness filled my vision and suddenly I was relaxing.
"Shhhh, Riki. Everything will be alright." It was his voice…my owners…I smiled weakly, he would abandon me soon. But I knew that. I knew it then and I know it now. I allowed myself to drift off, my thoughts centered on the start of my pathetic life as a worker for Iason Mink.