Inobservant Sweetheart

Chapter One~ Enrollment

Her parent's had called her Hero. When she asked why they'd smile and gush at her, saying that Hero was a character out of one of their favorite Shakespeare plays. The name seemed to mean a lot to her parents even if she was sure they weren't being completely honest with her she knew better than to complain about it, even if her peers would yell stupid things like 'Superman!' when they passed by.

Hero was a pretty normal girl, she got okay results in school, she wasn't a victim of bullying, and she had close friends and a loving family. There was nothing about her life that she could really complain about.

When it came to attention from boys, she didn't have anything to brag about due to the fact all of her friends were notably prettier than her. She wasn't ugly, far from it, but she seemed to fade into the background, overshadowed by her friends.

Her face was heart shaped, her complexion pale and her cheekbones high. She had wide dark blue almond shaped eyes that were framed by dark eyelashes, her nose was small and slightly stubby and her lips delicate. She was small but slender, the fact she was shorter five foot was a repetitive joke when it came to her peers.

She didn't look as though she'd be the type to take up the art she had. Her frame was too sweet, her features too doll like, her nature too… vulnerable. However, it was a surprise whenever she mentioned going to 'fight practice.'

She had participated in kickboxing since she was six, when she first started her practice her parents were shocked but supported. When her Mother found out she would be having a girl, they had dreams of a sweet little ballet dancer. However, they were pretty happy when they found out she'd be taking up some sort of athletics. Four years later after, she had taken up Mixed Martial Arts and attended it on a nearly daily business.

"See you, Hero!" Kirsty yelled as she left the other girl to make her way home as they reached the fork in the road.

She grinned and waved to her blonde companion before making her way to the terraced house she shared with her parents. She took out her key, knowing fully well that her parents would still be at work and wandered in and dumped her bag lazily in the passage.

A creak came from the living room and she froze, her eyes narrowed and her frame stiffened, she waited for another sign that there was company waiting for her. Sure enough, she heard a light shuffle and she brought her fists close to her face and moved quietly into the room.

Her gentle face was distorted with suspicion as she peaked around the room. She heard a chuckle to her left and immediately did a one-eighty kick until her foot collided with hard muscle. Another laugh as the intruder grabbed her foot and attempted to twist it, she let him but twisted with it and made her other foot collide with their head. The person fell back and she brought her fists back up to her face, ready to block any attempt they tried to take her on. She was surprised by the preciseness of the intruder's hits; it was a struggle to block them due to their speed. From the grunts emanating from the person's lips, she took an educated guess and assumed it was a male.

He had swift, fast jabs and he almost caught her face a few times, however, after she let out a swift roundhouse kick the man fell and a woman with long blonder hair turned on the lights and started clapping.

Hero looked around confusedly, her brow furrowed and her fists still raised in suspicion. The man on the floor started to laugh slightly and stood up.

Their very appearance aroused panic. The woman was tall, sleek and elegant. She dressed in beautiful clothing that looked too fine for the current century and had her insanely long golden hair pulled back into a loose ponytail. Hero almost tugged at her own mahogany locks in hope they would grow. This woman's expression seemed amused and her features seemed almost too catlike.

The man Hero had been fighting was quite small and slender but with unmistakable muscles under his neon clothing, his hair was styled into a green Mohawk and he started to adjust his sunglasses. She wasn't sure why he was wearing them inside but she refrained from sniggering.

The blonde woman took a step closer and grabbed Hero's chin before tilting her head backwards and started to, seemingly, examine her face. She grinned and let go, Hero took several spaces back with suspicion etched in her every feature. The woman extended a hand but Hero's hands stayed firmly in fists; she smirked and held her hands up, trying to show that she meant no harm.

"Hello Hero. My name is Helena Douglas and I help run a small tournament for fighters from all over the world. An anonymous observer has highly recommended you and from the technique you just demonstrated on Zack, I am happy to offer you a place in the competition."

Hero wasn't ready to give up her suspicions, she shook her head and clenched her jaw, "How do you know my name?" she asked in a voice that she hoped feigned fierceness rather than her genuine curiosity. The man, or Zack as Helena had called him, grinned and started rocking on the balls of his feet before murmuring something she didn't hear. Helena waved her hand in the air as if to silence him before smiling back at the smaller girl and saying calmly,

"Your name is Hero Marie Livingston, you're sixteen years of age and are currently undergoing your GCSE mock exams, you have been training in the art of combat for ten years now and you live with your parents due to the fact both of your older brothers are adults and moved away years ago."

It was accurate and Hero was pretty sure that everyone in the room knew it was. She lowered her fists slightly,

"How do you…?"

Helena grinned, "I have my ways," she paused and turned around, observing the house, "This is a nice place… We won't expect you to make any decisions until your parents come home, why don't you make Zack and I some tea whilst we wait? We really have travelled far away."

Hero's eyes narrowed and she backed even farther away from the two, her mind was working at rapid speed as she tried to think of something threatening or witty to say, instead she settled on,

"Make yourselves at home."

It didn't take long for her Mother to return from work, Helena smiled at her and Hero got up as she entered the room.

Her Mother looked like a typical 'Mum', with her ash blonde hair cut into a sleek bob and fine lines on her forehead and around her mouth, she wore stereotypical 'Mum' turtle necks and jumpers and looked a bit frayed around the edges. She was obviously alarmed as her eyes fell on both Helena and Zack but she regained herself and aimed a strained smile at her daughter.

"Friends of yours, Hero?"

Before Hero even opened her mouth to attempt an answer, Helena gave her Mother a sweet smile and stood up, bowing her head respectfully.

"Hello Mrs. Livingston, we're here to offer your daughter a great opportunity when it comes to her position in the world of combat."

Mrs. Livingston tilted her head to the side, concern easily read on her face, "And…What would that be?"

Helena's smile didn't falter, "I'm sure you must have heard of the Dead or Alive fighting tournament? Your daughter has been recommended by a anonymous source and after seeing a demonstration of what she can do in person, we'd like to offer her a position."

Zack grinned and leant back in his seat, "The little girl almost broke my jaw, she's got good technique, could go far…."

There was a silence. Hero wasn't sure if it was good or bad, if her Mother was going to fly off the wall or simply offer them something to eat as they negotiated. However, she took Hero completely by surprise as she pulled her daughter into an embrace and began sobbing on her shoulder. Helena carried on smiling, as if she could read the woman's mind, Zack got up as if alarmed by the sudden emotion but Hero just settled to patting her Mother's shoulder uncertainly.

"How amazing. Our little Hero, being recommended for something so special… Oh, your Father will be thrilled!"

Hero's eyebrows knitted together as she pulled away; "Wait… I haven't said…"

Helena cut her off by grabbing Mrs. Livingston's hands, "I'm so glad you approve, it would be an ultimate waste of talent if she didn't do anything with it…"

Hero's mother smiled and nodded along rapidly with her, "Oh Hero, I'm so proud of you."

Hero paused, her face wiped clear of all emotion. Her Mother was proud of her, she shook her head slightly and ran a hand through her hair.

Like any fighter who wanted to go far, Hero watched the tournament and backed up her favorite fighter. She often switched between Lei-Fang, Jann Lee and Gen Fu when it came to who she was backing and now she kicked herself for not recognizing the two champion fighters stood in her living room.

However, Dead or Alive was prestigious, full of professionals and people older than her. She didn't want to enroll yet, not until she thought she was perfect, not until she knew who had recommended her.

But what else could she do now? Now that her Mother was ready to pick up the phone and ring all their relatives about her 'skilled' daughter? Now that Helena and Zack were both looking at her with expectation obvious in their faces? She could do nothing.

"I better start training," she said, giving a small half-hearted smile.