Chapter 1: A Bit of Trouble
Surrounded, doomed: encircled by death. Cacophonous cries, bloodthirsty: for my blood and my blood alone. There is no escape. Imminent death. That was my fate the moment these creatures came before me. Their eyes stare through me. Yellow eyes: surrounded by black corneas and the stark white bone of a skull. Voids have replaced where their hearts might have been. For a moment I feel a vague sense of sympathy for these heartless creatures that know only hunger. And, of course, blood lust. Sympathy has no room in me now as terror reigns over. The moment has come. The beasts move in. The sun is eclipsed by night. The agonizing sound of…my alarm clock?
"Beep! Beep! Beep!" trills the alarm from a clock that reads 5:00. Startled by the sound, the still half-asleep teenager shoves away her ensnaring bed sheets to reach over to the source of the obnoxious sound. Finding it with one hand, she slaps the clock until it is submitted into silence while the other tries to rub the sleep from her eyes. With a huge yawn, the adolescent sits up to avoid returning to her frightful slumber.
Just weird ass dreams. That's all they are, Retsu. Get a grip, she thinks irritably. But she still can't shake off the ominous threat of prophecy. Just a dream, she repeats in her head. A shower is all I need. After a quick face rub, the youth rises from the sunken mattress, stretches out her still waking muscles, and then heads to the bathroom down the hall. To her surprise, the water of the shower is already running.
"What the… It's five in the morning, who the hell is taking a shower?" she mutters to herself, perplexed more than annoyed. Without a second thought she dashes silently down the hall to her younger siblings' room. Quietly, she pokes her head into the slightly open doorway. On the left she sees a bunk bed. From her perspective she can see that her younger brother, whom is fast asleep, occupies the top bed. But the bottom bunk, usually filled by her younger sister, is vacant. Now her annoyance quickly overcomes her perplexity. With all haste the teen sprints back down the hallway to the bathroom door.
"Dammit Sera! It's five in the morning, this is when I take a shower!" she shouts, trying the doorknob, which doesn't budge, so she pounds on the door instead. "Open up! You're using up the hot water and you don't have to be at school for another four hours!"
"Too bad!" yells a tiny voice in response. Before screaming back a furious response, the older of the two bites her lip to stop and think. Mom wouldn't be happy that I'm yelling at her like this, she reflects with a twinge of sadness and regret. …I'm going to have to just be a bit smart here.
"Sera, remember, if you're naughty then Santa is going to give you coal instead of presents this Christmas!" No more than a few seconds have to pass before the water turns off.
"I don't want coal!" the teen's sister bawls from inside the bathroom.
"Then get dry, put your P.J's on and go back to bed missy. Understand?"
With a sniff, the child complies with her older sister's commands. A minute later she opens the door, her polka dotted pajamas back on.
"That's better," consoles the older girl, squatting down to lovingly ruffle her sibling's wet, chestnut hair. "Now go on and get to bed." Without removing her thumb from her mouth, or the pout on her face, the child stomps down the small hall to her shared bedroom.
Weirdest seven-year-old ever… Still sucks her thumb, but prefers showers to bubble baths. After a brief shake of the head and a sigh, the teen goes into the steamy bathroom to begin getting ready for the day ahead.
Karakura High School. The dark-haired teen started attending this school almost a month ago, during the middle of first semester, but it had yet to start to feel like a second home. Maybe if I could just make a few friends…the girl thinks sullenly as she takes out the material she'll need for the morning classes from her locker. Students around her mingle easily, some flirt; couples publicly display their affection. With a disgusted look, she glares at a couple much too close to her.
"Excuse me," she growls raucously, but is ignored. Voice nearly raising an octave, she shouts, "Excuse me!" The two teens glance at her nonchalantly, looking bothered even; driving Retsu's fury. "Get the hell away from my locker and get a goddamn room would you!"
"Geez, what a brat," says the girl in the male's arms, as if the steaming adolescent wasn't even there. The boy nods slightly in agreement, looking at neither of them, then takes his time walking away with his girl. Retsu slams her locker shut.
"Bunch of freaking pricks here. No wonder I don't have any friends. I'd rather kill these people than be friends with them," she snarls to herself.
Brrrrring!
The sudden trill of the tardy bell startles the girl.
"Crap!" she exclaims, almost starting to run but instead stops and sighs. "I'm already late, no point rushing," the teen explains to herself, then heads for class at a more reasonable pace. And I should probably stop talking to myself if I want any normal friends, she considers with a touch of worry.
As she approaches her classroom, she can see through the door's window that the teacher is reading the morning announcements. No one really seems to be paying any attention to the aging educator. And hopefully they won't pay attention to me either.
With careful dexterity, she silently slides the door open just enough to fit through, slips inside, and then slides it shut. Just after she finds her seat, the teacher finishes reading and begins taking attendance. Good timing, she thinks, bemused. Everyone turns around in his or her seat to face the front and look at the teacher, whom clears his throat and begins calling out student's names. And no one seems to have noticed… Mission accomplished.
Her name is third on the list, since it's in order of last name. Just as she is about to respond "here" a voice booms from the back of the class, "Akato was late."Without needing a moment to think, she recognizes the voice. Reiichi, she snarls in her mind. The class turns their attention on her, even the teacher glances up from the list. The girl says nothing.
"Ms. Akato? Were you late? I wasn't even paying attention…" Honest to a T, the girl replies with a sigh. "Yes. I was." Just imagining the look of triumph on that bastard Reiichi's face right about now makes her blood boil. That face won't last long, she promises to herself.
"Thank you for your honesty," says the teacher, marking her tardy. Go to hell is her mind's response, but she simply nods at him. Once he finishes all the homeroom activities, he leaves; and Retsu's thoughts immediately switch back over to the incident. It's all because I made fun of his ridiculous bleached hair of his that one time. Then when he tried to get me, he couldn't get me out of that tree… She smirks at the memory. Well if revenge is what he's after… He ain't getting it. Even when the first period teacher arrives and begins the lesson of the day, the clock ticking away is all the girl can focus on. Lunch is when she'll be able to teach the blockhead a lesson. Throughout her contemplating, consequences never even pass through her mind—though it's questionable if she even cares: vengeance has become her top priority.
All through her morning classes the girl keeps her head down and does her work quickly, so she can spend the rest of her time plotting her nemesis' demise. Before long, it's lunch. The dismissal bell rings and the students flood out, including the teacher, eager to enjoy every minute of their thirty-minute break. Heart pounding in anticipation, the vengeful girl sits patiently, waiting for her prey to pass by her desk. When he finally does, she cocks her head slightly his direction but keeps her eyes down on the desk.
"Never thought you were so observant, Blondie. Or that you cared so much for the rules… Teacher's pet," she sneers venomously. The hulking adolescent, having just passed her desk, turns around with a menacing aura.
"What was that, woman?" he asks dangerously. Jaw clenched, vein protruding, the girls stands impudently.
"You heard me," she says, her shoulders back and her spine erect.
"I heard you asking for a beating," he growls, leaning forward slightly. The girl, nearly a head and a half shorter, goes for the kill.
"Really? That's what you asked as soon and you opened your big ass mouth this morning. Is that really your idea of revenge anyway? Getting me marked tardy? Ooh, how scandalous of you," she mocks, voice dripping with sarcasm.
"That's it!" The male cracks his thick knuckles, gargantuan muscles flexing. Before he can even draw his arm back, the girl's fist is slamming into his jaw. Snarling angrily, he swings at her. Being quick on her feet, the girl evades by leaning back. Going for her gut this time, he puts all his weight into a forward thrust. Reacting fast, she side steps in evasion, then grabs his fist. Using his forward momentum, she flings him to the ground and into the desks. Students hear the commotion and being gathering at the door though they are unnoticed by the teens duking it out in the classroom.
With heightened fury, the male gets off the ground and lifts one of the desks he collided with. Using all his might, he hurls it at the girl with a heated snarl of anger. Letting out a yelp of surprise, the girl leaps out of the way just in time; allowing the desk to smash into the wall. She quickly gets to her feet and instantly has to jump back to avoid a chair. Wielding the seat as a weapon, the male swings it at the girl again with hard determination to break her. At the very last moment, she grabs a nearby chair and holds it up to her defense. The blow she endures brings her to her knees, arms shaking from the effort.
"Die!" bellows the man, striking the chairs together again and again. Hardly able to withstand the crushing blows, the girl thrusts her chair at the man in a last ditch effort. It's just enough to catch him off guard and lose his balance. Not hesitating a second, the girl launches herself at the male. By some luck she manages to knock him to ground, and again not wasting any time, she throws punches at his face in quick succession.
Only a few hit before a fast swing of his arm connects with her cheek and sends her flying off him. She tries to roll and land on her feet, but the blow leaves her dizzy and unable to balance. While she lay on the floor, the man gets up from the ground: nose and lip bleeding. The girl's only injury is her torn cheek: just opened by the man's heavy hands. Both wipe the blood from their faces and prepare to go at each other again.
They square up and the boxing match begins. Punches, kicks and jabs are thrown; the male takes each hit without so much as flinching and the girl manages to dodge most of the man's strikes. That is until she slips up; earning a gut-busting jab to the stomach that sends her to the floor with a groan. A bark of laughter escapes the bloody lips of the man.
"Hah! Now say your prayers…" He pulls brass knuckles out of his pocket and fits them onto his muscular hands. With a sadistic smile he raises a hand, intended for her spine, when suddenly police sirens sound. Freezing, except for his widening eyes, the male aborts on his finishing blow and flees the scene: along with all of the spectators. Well, almost all of them. But the bystander goes unnoticed by the wounded warrior.
Crap, thinks the girl, still clutching her stomach and gasping breathlessly as a fish out of water would. Air… Her request goes unheard for a few more agonizing seconds. Finally, moments before she loses consciousness, she's able to intake a sharp breath. But only a few are taken in before police burst into the room.
"Freeze!" they yell at her. One goes to her side, weapon at the ready, while the others inspect the room. Great. Just great, she broods, choking back her tears and the blood seeping into her mouth. "Don't move," warns the officer by her side.
Wasn't planning on it.
"The other suspect seems to have taken off. You three go search the building, I'll call for backup then follow you," one says. Three of them nod and take off while the other pulls out his walkie-talkie. All run right passed the last remaining bystander without notice. His glasses reflect enough light to obscure his eyes, which shift over to look inside the room. Retsu immediately glances up without moving her head. The obscuring glint fades long enough for the two to make eye contact for a moment, her hazel eyes locking onto his dark blue ones; then the student leaves.
What…what the hell was that? She ponders, still staring at where the student had stood. Suddenly the officer beside her grabs her underarm and pulls her off the ground. "You're coming with me. Remember that you have the right to remain silent, and anything you say can be used against you in the court of law." Court of law my ass, I'm only 16. Idiot. With shaking legs and teeth clenched in pain, she silently follows the official outside.
"What is going on here?" asks Karakura High School's principal: AKA the man who gave Retsu the scholarship that allowed her to come to this school.
And things just got better.
"Retsu? Retsu Akato?" The student addressed tries to respond, but only manages to spit up the blood in her mouth and cough. Both adults look surprised.
"Officer! What is going on?" shouts the principal, his tone escalating.
"Well, we had a call about two students beating the living daylights out of each other—one large blonde haired male and a brown haired female. When we arrived on the scene, only she was here, so we're taking her into custody while we search for the other suspect."
"Sir, disciplinary action of students at this school during school hours is my responsibility, so you won't be taking her anywhere. I appreciate your help in looking for the other student in this fight but if you don't mind, let me do my job in punishing these juveniles." The police officer pauses.
"Well… alright. I guess that does make sense."
"Thank you for understanding." The officer nods and hands the student over to the principal then departs. Looking upon his face she sees not anger, only disappointment. Guilt makes her sick to her stomach. That's it. My life is over.
"Let's get you to the nurse first. We might have to call the hospital," the man says calmly. They begin the walk there, but a few steps later the trauma done to the teen's body finally catches up with her and she loses consciousness.
