Chapter 1:Change
It was a dark and rainy afternoon in Shibuya. My friends and I were walking together on our way to school. We began talking about our plans for the end of the school year. In a couple of days, final exams will flood our minds and desks, and the only kind of socializing that we'll be able to do is when we don't understand something during study group…Aside from the fact that we'll not be able to do that together, because Eiji and Atsushi (the twins) are a year older than us.
I look to my left, and that's when I see Kai, my best friend since primary school, catch up with us. We've always been in the same class together, except for our third year in middle school. According to him, it was his worst year. I smiled as I called out his name. I couldn't see his face clearly. I tried to focus my vision, but the closer he got, the less I could see…and that's when I began to notice how his face began to fade...
I paused for a moment; and so did Kai. I turn around to see my other friends: Tomomi, Eiji, and Atsushi. They were all lying on the floor. Their eyes were pale white and lifeless. In dismay, I close my eyes hopping to wake up from this nightmare…but failed to.
"Sophie…" someone whispered as I felt a hand grasp on my left shoulder…It was Kai.
He held my chin, and shifted my stare towards him. His eyes glow a bright sapphire, while a silhouette of auroras danced within his iris. His ears peaked, at least five inches, through his black hair. Between his lips, a serpentine-like tongue rolled out. He later shifted my stare towards my friends. They were still lying there, but this time, each was surrounded by a huge black puddle that dripped from in between their eyebrows. Now he shifted my vision back, towards him; greeting me with a horrid smile. His teeth now look like those of a wolf. I try to move, but can't. No matter how hard I try. I just can't.
He runs his hand down to my neck. I can feel his sharp nails against my skin, trying to pierce right through it. I try to move once more, but still no improvement. I look at his eyes once more…they're dripping some black-liquid substance. Now he performed a leg sweep, bringing us both down on the ground with him arched above me. As he pins me down to the ground, he begins to clean the black substance from his cheeks, and began to lick my face. I was scared. But I can't let him know that. He stops, and then he grabs my face and tilts my head to the side.
"I've never told you this, but…..you have such a beautiful neck." he said. His tongue traced down to my neck and began wrapping itself around it. As he began to tighten his tongue, strange marking began to show up on his neck and all the way down to his arms.
Consumed by fear, my first thought was to call out to my father, but I couldn't. He's choking me too hard. His tongue lets go of my neck, but now he rips my school blazer and shirt off. I try to shake him off, but I'm too weak compared to his superhuman strength.
He then lays his head on my chest. "Doki….Doki…." he said, as he stabs my chest with his nails. "What's wrong Sophie?...Sophie? Sofía Lee, are you okay?" he said as he began to fade away, and my father appeared.
March 26, 5:58 JST
Shinjuku, Tokyo, Japan
Nakamura Residence
"Sofía, are you okay?" he said as he touched my forehead. "Sophie?"
I took a deep breath and tried to sit up on my bed, but my hands kept trembling a lot.
"Are you okay?" my father kept asking. "Almost a fever…" he said below his breath.
"Yeah, I guess…" I responded.
"You guess, huh?" he said worriedly. "Well, there's no time to go back to sleep, kiddo. It's time to get ready for school."
He then stood up from my bedside and proceeded to lay out my uniform across my king size bed. "Today's the last day of school, right?" he said as he left my room.
"Yeah, it is…" I said below my breath, as I got up and headed straight to my bathroom.
"Oh, I can't believe that I almost forgot!" I heard my father exclaim as he hurried back into my bedroom. "I'm expecting a very important guest from the states to arrive later this afternoon. So, please don't take too long on your way back from school. Would you like for me to arrange a chauffeur to pick you up?"
"No, it's okay. Once I say goodbye to my friends, I'll head straight home." I tell him.
"Promise?" he stretches his pinky out to me. "He, well, both of them will be glad to see you."
"Hai." I smile and wrap my pinky around his.
"Good to hear. Now, hurry up and get ready! And good luck on your finals today." He kissed the top of my head and messed up my bedhead even more. "See you this afternoon. Oh, and wear a mask to school just in case." He hurried off to work at his company.
March 26, 6:47 JST
Shinjuku, Tokyo, Japan
Dr. Fujioka Saitou Private School
"We have arrived, Ms. Nakamura." my chauffeur said as he stops in front of the school's entrance gate. Once I get out of the car, I pull out my compact mirror and make sure that every strand of my bangs is swept sideways. I place two hairpins at the end of each side of my bangs to secure them well. I close my compact mirror and hide it in one of my school blazer's pockets. Then, using my middle finger, I adjust my fake glasses before stepping out of the car.
"Sophie!" I heard Tomomi's voice from afar as I closed the car's door. She ran towards me and hugged me really, really hard. "Ohayou, Sophie-chan!" she said almost tearful as she squeezes the life out me.
"O…hayou…Tomomi…chan" I replied almost out of breath.
"Woops! Sorry about that. Sometimes I forget that I've got a tight grip. Hehe!" she giggled, as she let go of me.
"Yeah, you always forget." I said sarcastically. "Where're the guys at?"
"Eiji and Kai went ahead to buy more breakfast at the dinning hall." She replied. "You know how they are."
"And where's - - " I was interrupted by Atsushi's hug assault.
"Sophie! I'm going to miss you so much!" he said. "Why can't you convince your dad to let you stay here for the next school year, and so on?"
"He's made his decision final. I can't do much about it now." I replied.
"That's what happens when you're the daughter of Akira Nakamura." I heard Kai say, as he arrived to where we were.
"True that." Eiji agreed with him.
"I don't want my best friend to live and study in America!" said Atsushi.
"Hey, it's not like I'm facing a death sentence!" I laughed.
"But it is to me…" Kai said seriously. "Here, I got you a chocolate crepe. You're going to need the extra brain food for today's final exams." He hands me the crepe.
"Thanks, Kai." I smiled at him as I took the crepe. "My father wants me to experience the American culture firsthand. I'll be staying at my mom's house; and it's not like I won't come to visit you guys." This time I smiled at all of them.
"Aww, isn't that comforting to hear?!" said Atsushi as he placed his hands on his heart. "Right, Kai?"
"It makes my heart feel warm…YOU KNOW I DON'T LIKE THAT TINGLY FEELING!" Kai replied.
"I knew it would." I chuckled. "But in all seriousness, I will come and visit you guys."
"Hey, guys! I think we should head to school now." Tomomi said worriedly.
"Hmm…C'mon you guys let's go." Kai said as he messed up my hair, and we began to walk to the building's entrance.
Here's the thing, my father's not sending me to America to study abroad and live with my mother. First of all, I don't have a mother, nor have I ever met her. My father told me that she died in labor 15 years ago, minutes after she had delivered me. I also don't even know anybody from her side of the family. Instead, I'll be living with my dad's friend, the one who's coming over today. Second, he doesn't want me to go there to experience the American culture. The truth is that I'm actually joining a special team made up of sidekicks. At least I'll get to see my old friends: Speedy, Kid Flash, Aqualad, and Robin, whom I've met various times, long ago. It's been years since I've last seen them. We've all shared good memories together, but I'm really going to miss my friends from here.
March 26, 16:37 JST
The time came to leave school. My friends have planned to spend the rest of the day going through the malls near the Shibuya crossing with me, since it's the last time we'll be hanging together. I know I've promised my dad to arrive home after school, but this is practically my last day with them. Once there, we went through a lot of stores, ate, and played lots of games. As Tomomi forced us to enter a jewelry store, Atsushi came up with the idea for each of us to buy identical necklaces. We all came to an agreement of buying a black necklace, with a metallic plaque that had the kanji for "Unity" engraved on it.
March 26, 19:35 JST
Sadly, it was time to go to our homes. We've all said our long goodbyes. I'm going to miss their unique and crazy personalities. Tomomi was a wreck; she kept balling her eyes out until her chauffeur picked her up at the mall. Eiji and Atsushi both hugged me very tightly and told me to never change who I was, to video chat with them at least once a day. Eiji handed me a box on their behalves, but it had a condition. "Whenever you feel like you're in a deep whole, open it." He added.
"There's a guide inside that we made to help you out depending on the situation that you might be going through." Said Atsushi. "So, even if we're not with you, we can still make you smile."
"Wow…" I looked at the box, while holding back my tears. "Thank you so much to both of you. I'm very grateful for this!"
"You're always grateful, but when it should be me." Eiji chuckled. "You always used to put a smile before we broke up, and yet, you still managed to do so even after we broke up."
My face turned red
"Ahem…not to sound rude, but we should get going, Sophie." Kai interrupted a bit mad.
"Are you still jealous?" Eiji laughed.
"No, of course not!" Kai replied. "Anyways, see you guys later. If we don't get home soon, Sophie's father will get mad at her. Bye!" he said as he pulled on my arm.
"Bye!" I said to the twins as the four of us parted ways.
Kai always accompanies me home after school. He lives in another neighborhood up ahead from where I live. It's a long walk, but it doesn't seem like it since we always talk the whole way home. The reason why he accompanies me home, and I quote, is "just in case perverted men try to make a move on me or something". Little does he know about who I am really am. But he's always been over protective since we've met in primary school, and sometimes in the jealous side. It's both cute and funny.
Nakamura Residence
March 26, 20:02 JST
Finally, we arrived at the entrance of my house. Out of all of the goodbyes I had to give today, this one is going to the hardest. My childhood best friend: Kai, the one with whom I've shared my secrets with. He's been my support during tough times, even when he didn't get the situation. Out of all my friends, he's going to be the one that'll miss the most.
"We're here." Kai said in a low tone before silence comes in between us.
"So, I guess this is goodbye…" I tell him.
"I guess so." He then looks at me as he wipes the tears from his face. "Be good, okay? Help your mother out, and take good care of yourself. You're very good at everything you do, so I doubt that you'll have a problem in whatever school you'll attend. If you ever feel sad or even very happy, just give me a call or write to me. I'll answer it no matter what hour it is, just like I always do. But overall, never change who you are, okay?"
I look at him and chuckle a bit as I try to hold back my tears, "Of course I'll never change, as long as you don't change either." I smiled at him. "I'll also be there for you even if I'm miles away." I leaned forward and hugged him.
"I guess…this is where we officially part ways." He wrapped his arms around me and rested his chin on the top of my head. "You know, I've always wondered how different our relationship would've been if I had asked you to be my girlfriend first than Eiji." He wondered. "I guess now, I will never know."
"Wait…" I look at him, "you mean to say that…" I was interrupted by his kiss.
"Yeah…I never had the courage to say it to you." He said seriously. "But like always, I'm too late…anyways, just be careful and take good care of yourself." He said as he pointed at my nose and bopped it like he would always do. "Go on; head inside before your father gets very mad at you."
Once I arrived home, my father's assistant, Ms. Asami, took my bag and told me that my father is waiting for me in the living room. I remove my school shoes, put them away in a shoe closet by the house's entrance, and take out my house slippers. I walk down the long hallway and make a left turn to another hallway. At the end of this hallway is my father's meeting room. This is where he brings his executive guests from his company's HQ building for a more welcomed and easy going atmosphere.
I knock on the door hear him ask who it is. I reply by saying my name, and then he gives me confirmation to enter the room. There he was sitting across from a close friend of his from Gotham City: Bruce Wayne.
"Finally, you decide to show up." my father said in a serious tone. "I told you that we were going to have guests today."
"Gomenasai; we got caught up by our plans. It lasted longer than what we expected." I replied.
"Just let it slide, Nakamura. It is her last day with her friends, after all." Bruce spoke in my defense. "Wow, you sure have grown a lot since I've last seen you, Sofía." He gave me a gentle smile, like that of a father.
"Fine, I'll let it slide since it is your last day here in Japan." My father sighed. "Sofía, you already know my friend, Bruce Wayne. He'll be the one looking after you while you're overseas."
"Nice to see you again, Mr. Wayne" I said.
"Nice to see you, too" he shook my hand.
"Hey, Bruce, I'm back!" I heard a boy say from behind me as he closed the door to the meeting room.
I turn around to see who it was. A boy, about 13 years old, with black hair combed to the back, and blue eyes had entered the room. He wore an ash-gray suit with a blue tie that fitted his body type. He was somewhere in between slim and fit, but you could tell that he practiced gymnastics by his posture and shoulder width.
"Sofía, this is my son, Richard." Bruce explained to me.
"Well, in adoptive terms, I am his son" Richard smiled. "Nice to meet ya!"
"It's a pleasure to meet Bruce Wayne's son." I said as I bowed slightly. "But with all due respect, I never knew that Bruce had a son."
"Well, you have met him before, but under different circumstances." Bruce said as he drank his cup of tea.
"Huh? I have?" I was surprised by Bruce's statement.
"Though a few years have passed, that boy right there is The Boy Wonder himself, Robin." He replied.
"Really, that's him?" I asked.
"Wow, way to keep the secret life…secret…" Richard said as he leaned on the door. "Now we have someone else to add to our Special Protection List; SPL for short."
"She won't need to be added to the SPL." Said Bruce.
"Wait a second…am I hearing correctly?" Richard asked confused. "Why not, it's protocol after all?"
"She doesn't need it. She can defend herself very well. For a matter of fact, she can also protect you better that you would protect yourself. She's definitely a skilled martial artist in both offense and defense. Weaponry, strategy, infiltration, hand-to-hand combat, and the list goes on and on." Bruce replied. "That girl, right there, is Akane, the Crimson Ninja's protégé. She's truly a talented young lady, Nakamura."
Richard's eyes widened as he stood up straight and walked towards me. He then began to analyze me. "What?! There's no way that she can be the new recruit! She looks so…different…"
"Mr. Wayne, if you don't mind me asking, how do you know all of that?" I asked.
"Your father and I are very good friends. We've fought side-by-side together. Him: as the Crimson Ninja; and me: as the Batman." He said calmly. "In time, you'll get used to it. I mean, you've never met us as who we are, just as our hero portrayals. But with this revelation, I would like to make it easier between all of us once we get to Gotham City and reveal your duties as a new member to the Team. Once we arrive and you've settled down your stuff, we'll then teleport to the Team's base at Mt. Justice so you can familiarize yourself with the rest of them. Richard will personally introduce them to you once there. Although some of them you have already met. Unlike Richard, you'd be able to teleport back and forth from the base and the Wayne Manor."
"Lucky…" Richard said below his breath.
"Unlike you, who just finished school, Richard has to wait until June to be able to do the same." Bruce added. "He can only stay on weekends."
"Sophie, you'll be teleporting to Gotham at 9 p.m. sharp, which is just half an hour away from now. I already took your luggage to the company's HQ and teleported it to Gotham. We'll be heading soon to the HQ so that the three of you can teleport to the US using the Zeta-Beam. Have in mind that once you get to Gotham it will be 8 a.m. So, if you ever feel the need to go to sleep, do so before heading to Mt. Justice." My father said.
"Now that we've got this all settled up, let's get suited up and head to the HQ." Bruce said as he stood up and smiled at me.
Author's Note:
Hi guys! I've decided to re-do this fiction. The reason being that I didn't like how it was going and how it sounded as I read it. So, I hope that old readers will enjoy this new edit to to my Young Justice fanfiction, as well as for the new readers! ^_^
Please leave reviews and let me now if you liked or disliked the first chapter! As well, let me know if I need to do some improvements to my writing, tips, pointers, etc. All kinds of criticism is welcomed! It's the only way to know what I'm doing good and what I'm doing bad.
Hope you guys enjoyed it! Take care! :)