"I have to do this. You cant stop me!" J.D. screamed at her older brothers with tears in her eyes as she turned to face the other group of fighters. "They're mine." she said with a slight smile before running into the crowd of people never to be seen again.
But this is not where out story starts. This story starts at a little store owned and run by the Mabuse family. Though the mother and father of this family are dead the eldest daughter, Jui Delu, runs the store.
"Nothing ever happens..." Jui thought to herself as she flicked a gear across the counter top. She watched it roll of the edge, not even flinching to grab at it. A few moments later he blond haired, blue eyed little brother padded his way around the counter, picked up the gear and placed it ever so carefully in front of his older sister.
"You dropped this Jui." he said with the same old smile he always had.
"Thanks Michael..." she replied patting him of the top of the head before rolling around the gear again. Hearing her older brothers' foot steps coming down the stairs she raised her head to find them both standing at the end of the stairs in matching work uniforms like always.
"You look good Justin."
"As do you Dustin!" they giggled to each other. Their own personal joke, seeing as twins they looked unnaturally alike, even their best friends would mix then up at some points.
"Oh funny you two. Now, are you ready for work today?" Jui questioned them like always. Since their parents had died she has taken over all responsibility in watching over her little brother, and making sure Justin and Dustin were taking care of their work.
"Yes, yes, dont blow a gasket J.D." they said at the same time as they typically did.
She rolled her eyes at them, "I told you not to call me that! Did I not?"
"Yea."
"Yea."
"Good, then go on your way. I will have dinner ready when you both get back."
The twins exchanged a glance, laughed and left for work. "What is up with them?" Jui thought to herself.
Making her rounds of the store she restocked shelves, dusted, and washed the windows. The same routine everyday. Her little brother Michael had a hyperactive imagination making him wander off following people that only he could see so she had to keep a close eye on him. Recently he had been talking on about some 'key of wonders' the king had been hiding.
"Key of Wonders, king has it, they told me so." Michael said pointing to a picture of their family. Their whole family, before their parents lives were taken.
"No Michael, they didn't tell you. I am right here telling you to do me a favor and grab my bike helmet of the back shelf. I have to run to the market to get food for dinner. Would you like to come?"
Nodding in silence he left to get her helmet and his own. Quickly after she and Michael left for the market. Jui and Michael had always had a bond like mother and son because he was born only a few months before their mother died. As they sped down the cobble stone street she thought about what he had said when he pointed to the picture of them and their parents. "Key of Wonders, king has it, they told me so." Finally reaching the market she lowered him off the bike and looked around at the empty streets usually filled to the point of explosion with vendors and their carts of exotic goods and local produce.
"Key of Wonders, king has it, they told me so." Michael said again, this time with fear in his eyes. Picking Michael up and placing him back on the bike she heard a click of metal and a small cold circle pressed onto her neck.
"Turn around slowly. Now." said a voice. Nervously, but now showing to the person, Jui turned and faced them. The now was facing a group of three young men, probably around her bothers ages.
"We are the kings humble servants" the one to her right said. Clicking her tongue she looked them over. All in matching uniform. By the lapels they were wearing she could tell they were all low ranked men in the Kings army.
"What do you want?" she said with a type of attitude that would make the man holding the gun pull the trigger.
"Please evacuate the area ma'am."
"Why? Give me a reason and we will leave."
"Our job is not to tell you reasons, its to get you out street rat." the one to the right said spitting at her feet.
"You sure you wanted to say that? See those guns your are all pointing at me? Who do you think makes those?" and with that and grabbed the gun from the boy and slammed her fist on the top of the barrel causing two screws to fall out and the rest of the gun falling to pieces on the ground.
"Wha-" he let out a cry of disbelief before grabbing Jui's arm and twisting it making her wince and fall to the ground in pain. Seeing this Michael stepped in front of her, arms spread out defending.
"Stay away." he stated sticking out his lower lip at the men.
"Stay out of this boy" one of the military men said pushing him to the side.
Something seemed to click in Michael's head because he tugged on one of the mens arms and said "Key of Wonders, king has it, they told me so." The men took strange notice at what he had said. Holding onto her bruised arm she grabbed Michael and put him back onto the bike.
"Please, just let us leave. We will go."
"No, that boy, what did he say?"
"Nothi-"
"Key of Wonders, king has it, they told me so." Michael said again. The men exchanged glances then nodded to each other. Before Jui could move an inch there was a gun shot an sounds of boots running away across the cobble stone road.
It took a few moments for Jui to register what had just happened. She had been shot, then why wasn't she feeling any pain?
"No.." was all she could say till she turned to see he brothers dead body slumped over the bikes back seat. Blood dripping off his shirt and his same old smile on his face. She sat cradling his dead body for what seemed like forever until it started to rain driving her to find shelter.
She walked her bike home with her brothers body spread across the leather seat. After carrying his body into the shop and up the stairs to where they lived she laid his body on his bed an sat holding his hand. It wasn't she heard her brothers' foot steps back on the stairs that she moved.
"Hey, I thought you said dinner would be ready lazy." Dustin said throwing his work bags on the ground and flopping on the ground.
"Dustin..." Justin looked at his brother tears in his eyes and a hand on Jui's shoulder. Dustin raised and eyebrow and did not understand till he looked over his siblings to find the youngest of the family dead.
"What...how...no. Not him too." Was all they managed to say.
5 days later.
The funeral and burial was already over. They chose to have him buried in the back yard with their parents. "So, what can I do now?" Jui asked her brothers once it was over.
"Nothing to do..."
"...its all over. Just do our best"
"to go back to normal."
"Go back to normal? How can we go back to normal when Michael is dead?" She growled back at them. "What, have your hearts turned to ice now? I am not going to stand here while out brother has been murdered!" Turning on her heel she left into the shop to gather supplies. A gun, watch, canteen, bread and butter, map of the city and capitol, and a picture of her family. And she was gone.
First she went back to market where her brother was killed. Streets still empty, besides the three men who were their those few days ago. The ones who killed Michael. But they were now joined by a higher ranking man. She skidded her bike in front of them blocking them into and ally way.
"You.." she hissed.
"You need something?" the higher ranked man asked pleasantly with a smile.
"They, they murdered my brother."
"What, thats impossible. Its against the law for military personnel to pull out their gun unless in self defense."
"Well they shot and killed my brother on this street only a few days ago."
"We would never kill anyone!" said the murderer stepping in front of Jui smirking.
I can prove he is lying! The proof is buried in my back yard! I dare you to try me." She said through gritted teeth at the man.
"Is what this lady says true men?" asked the higher ranked. The lower men fumbled with their words but finally came out and said they did because he held classified information.
"What classified information? "Key of Wonders, king has it, they told me so." My brother is mentally unstable, what he says is just in his imagination. Don't tell me you killed him because the King is really hiding some 'key of wonders'?" Once again they exchanged glances.
"Sorry ma'am, but if you could come with us." but before the man could finish the sentence Jui was on her bike and down the road with no intentions of stopping. She finally found refuge in an ally. By surprise she was not alone. She found two young boys, around her age and a girl who could be her twin. They had also been running from the military men in the market. After exchanging stories of their encounters they agreed they needed to fight back.
"J.D.! What are you doing here?"
"Get home now, we were worried sick about you." familiar voices said.
She turned to find her panicked brothers standing at the ally's entrance. But something else was behind them. At a closer look she saw more military men, this time by the dozen.
"Go, before you get hurt too." said the girl with Jui. The boys nodded and picked up the weapons they had.
"Jui. Please don't say.."
"...your thinking of fighting? Are you."
"Yes, its the only thing I have left to do. I have to do this. You cant stop me!" J.D. screamed at her older brothers with tears in her eyes as she turned to face the other group of fighters. "They're mine." she said with a slight smile before running into the crowd of military men never to be seen again.