Years.

[You are not allowed to leave the building.]

Riki looked up at the monitor and glared furiously, throwing his cape on the floor.
"I'm done listening to you," He declared, stripping out of his posh elite robes that he loathed parading his luxurious room in nothing but his underwear, his tanned skin highlighting his well trained figure.

[Put something on.]

"You are merely a computer; do not tell me what to do!" He jeered, pointing at the screen and putting both his hand on his hip, sulking. Daryl entered the room, a small boy of petite figure and ash blonde hair that Jupiter had arranged to take care of Riki.
Riki frowned, hating even the sight of the servant boy to which Jupiter referred as the 'furniture'. He hated how Daryl would calmly heed to every order from the computer without any qualms, even if Riki strongly objects to it.

"How did the meeting go?" The boy asked, taking note of the clothes that now scattered the marble floor and Riki's almost naked appearance.

"Boring, as usual." Riki snapped, seemingly in a bad mood "I'm going out, so where the hell did you stash my jacket?"
"Master, you do know that those clothes do not fit you," Daryl reminded him, to which was greeted by Riki's casual flick of his palm.

"I don't care what Jupiter says," He crossed his arm and glared at the boy, challenging his authority, get me my jacket AND my bike!"

Daryl looked up at the screen that Jupiter would use to communicate but found nothing. He bowed and left the room, returning with his master's favorite attire that consists of a black simple shirt and leather jacket, an outfit unsuited for someone of such high status like Riki.

Riki slipped into the clothes without a moment of hesitation and was quickly out of the door without even a word of thanks or regard to the screen of his lord and ruler.
Daryl sighed. No matter how many years he stood alongside his master, he would never find himself use to his outgoing and spontaneous personality. Oh how he wished that the energy Riki had could be put into use on the elite's actual responsibilities instead.

It wasn't long before he heard Riki's angered screech from below when he discovered his exit barred by Jupiter and his bike locked by the system. Daryl looked up at the screen, knowing full well how much control Jupiter actually had over Riki.

"That's a rather unusual screech," A redhead entered the room, looking around the penthouse. Daryl turned to bow at his senior, Katze, a furniture who had served Riki before him. Unlike Daryl, Katze was a man of ruthless nature who would not take no for an answer. This attitude of his however had led to Jupiter putting him to work under Riki instead, acknowledging the fact that his talents were wasted if he were to remain a furniture.
Katze is now regarded as a man of supreme power in the undergrounds and a broker of information that should be feared.

"I expect master Riki did not perform well in today's meeting," Darryl answered.
"When did he ever behave well in a meeting or anywhere at all, Daryl?" Katze's cold demeanor faltered when the broker gave a slight chuckle "He is a wild beast that cannot be tamed,"

"I heard that." The man himself slouched into the corridor with a rather sullen face. He kicked the wall under Jupiter's screen and sink into an armchair, groaning in annoyance of having his freedom withheld again.

Of course, none of this would have happened if Kirie did not decided to step over Riki's line during the meeting with his smug need to challenge the elite's authority. Normally, Riki would ignore him and regard the boy as a mere brat, but this time, the cheeky little bastard dared to even involve Guy in his squabble. Of course, the proud elite will not tolerate his pairing partner nor any of his friends be criticized and thus lead to the beginning of a brawl between him and Kirie.

"I heard what happened in the meeting," Katze raised an eyebrow. Riki mumbled something that sounded very much like he was going to murder someone, but Katze ignored him, moving to more important details. Daryl knew all too well that this is the cue for him to leave the room and does so, returning to his daily chores.

"I have gathered the information that you requested during the meeting," He said, handing over a file. Riki skimmed through the papers and nodded his thanks, probably an answer that Katze will ever get from Riki in his current agitated mood. He decided to take his leave and return to his office in the underground, politely excusing himself from the bored elite.


Once he exited the house and stood over the street of Ceres, the broker calmly walk through the sea of bustling crowd consisting of those who worked under Jupiter and those who preferred to go on their own private sectors. Things had been rather calm around here, compared to the times when the blondies ruled the planet.

During that period, humans were said to be reduced to nothing but mere mongrels, stripped of their rights and given only the basic needs to survive, clustered in a small district and ruled by androids controlled by a supercomputer, LAMBDA 3000, otherwise known as Jupiter. They controlled the world and introduced all kinds of corruption that polluted the beliefs of humankind. That was not until Riki cracked through the computer and overturned its system, stripping the data bare and imputing brand new information.

INPUT_
HUMANS_ARE_ABSOLUTE

Katze gulped, remembering what he had been told of, knowing full well the circumstances of their action. Until now, he was rather unsure that the ending the humans had achieved was a good one or not. He, like all the others could only proceed on what had been lain out for him.

He however understood how upset Riki felt. Like him and all the others, the elite had pretty much grown up in Guardian, a facility built for the sole purpose of caring for young Ceresians. However, Riki had a rather different childhood. Stripped of his 'fun' from a young age when he was burdened with the name 'Riki', the boy had a rather odd way of showing his opposition to inherit the name, even when it was decided from the time he first sprout black hair and reveal his dark eyes.

He would always escape the special room with his own means, sneaking his way to the other children's room where he will play through the night, only to be dragged away by a nurse in the morning and given a harsh lecture. None of this affected him in the least though and it was not long when people regarded him as an untamable creature, even when he was transferred into the penthouse where 'Riki' would live, assuming his job to maintain Ceres under Jupiter's care.

This was the tradition that had remained ever since Ceresians took over. At the young age of 13, the raven haired male with equally dark eyes will assume the responsibility of being 'Riki' until the age of 35 where his credibility of being 'young' would expire and thus lead to the next generation of 'Riki'. What happens to the previous 'Riki's however, remained a mystery that none dared to question.

And thus was the fate of Riki. Katze sighed and retreated into the building that served as a front for his basement office. He still had a pile of work to do and one of them was to review the submitted list of qualified newborns who would probably inherit Riki's name. It wasn't everyday that they would get someone naturally born with dark hair and equally dark eyes.


"How long do you expect us to sit and idle around, Iason!" Raoul Am pranced into Iason's workspace. Iason Mink, the once proud head of the syndicate that sat with pride in the highest seat of Amoi turned to his friend with a glare, now reduced to nothing but a mere slum mongrel. His long blonde hair has been tied back and the lights of the terminal were reflected in his azure eyes.

"Patience, Raoul," The blondy replied almost calmly. Iason Mink was known for his impassive mask that he donned on, one that would never crack, not even during the days when he reigned as absolute. The only time Raoul remembered ever seeing it falter was the day the blondies were chased out of Jupiter's protection, neglected and abandoned. The contorted and angered face of his friend forever burned into his memories.

How long had that been? As efficient as they were, Tanagura did not falter into ruins even after Jupiter's control shifted over to Ceres. With the help of the blondies, the people here had thrived and still lived in a way much better than what the past Ceres could offer.
They had robots doing their chores, well made machine that safeguarded the citizens of Tanagura and they had managed to secure the best way of living that they could manage. At least no one was starving nor were they without a home.
Even the pet system remained, however not many would be able to lay their hands on one, as the facilities were all burned to the ground by the Ceresians, turning it illegal and vowing to put a stop in the pedigree program.

Still, it was comfortable here, but they weren't the least satisfied with this way of living.
Stripped of their original place in Amoi, the blondies had vowed to take back Jupiter and what was rightfully theirs. The war may have ended when Riki overturned the system but it was far from over. For years, the conflict between Ceres and Tanagura sparked as strong as ever.

"And I beg you to defer, Raoul," Iason retorted, turning away from the screen. "Things in Tanagura will not be this pretty if we were to 'idle' around," He muttered. Raoul sank into the cushion beside him. "Where are the others?" Iason asked, it was past noon and the blondies would normally be back in the tower already.

"Gideon and Aisha went for a little cruising in Ceres, Orphe is working shifts at the station and the others…well, the usual." Raoul reported casually. Cruising in Ceres was quite an easy task for the blondies, who have the ability to don on a disguise with a flick of their finger, hiding their blonde locks that would be dead giveaway quite easily. "Orphe is still sulking, I would assume," Iason mumbled, turning back to his terminal while Raoul nodded.
"He had been rather harsh on himself ever since the fall after all," The curly haired blonde reply, leaning backwards "He reckon he was the one who let Riki pass,"

At that name, Raoul suddenly noticed the other blondy's eyes narrowing, knowing full well the hatred that his friend bore for the raven-haired male who took over the system.
"What is past, is past. There is hardly any need to focus on it when we have the present to worry about," Iason's reply was a baritone, a cold and hardened voice that would leave one trembling with the chill. He hit a button and Raoul's wrist terminal chimed in respond.

"What's this?" The blondy frowned, checking the data that Iason had sent them. "What you previously demanded," Iason replied, throwing back a stray strand of golden hair
"We have manage to secure the best way of living for the citizens of Tanagura and acquired the best defense we could achieve, at least without Jupiter's help," He lifted himself from his chair and walked over to a chessboard that was left on the table, fixed into a certain stance as if a game was on pause.
The blondy took a piece from the game board, the King piece of the enemy field. "It's high time we go for 'Riki',"


Kirie pouted, crossing his arms as the others jeered and cheered at each other. Down at the local bar, 'Bison' was known as the group of people that reigned Ceres alongside 'Riki'. They were well known among the people, namely Riki's right hand man, Guy, who sat at the edge of his seat indulging in high quality booze. He was rumored to be Riki's pairing partner, the lover of Jupiter's precious pet. The others sat in a cheerful circle, talking about really random things that Kirie had no interest in.

Kirie's attitude however, did not go unnoticed. It wasn't long before Cid slapped the teen's back, making him splutter and cough out his drink. "Fuck you, Cid!" He cursed, jumping out of his seat.
"Look, he's demanding to be laid," They laughed at the youngest recruit. At a tender age of thirteen, Kirie had been recruited into Bison, making him the youngest of them all. However, his sulky, obsessed personality was never once favored by Riki.

"You still crying over the punch Riki gave you?" Louise chuckled "You were practically seeking for it when you decided to go against him, y'know,"
Kirie wiped his face; the bruise on his cheek was becoming more visible. What's with them anyway? Riki is nothing but a mere pet of a fucking supercomputer, sucking up to Jupiter the whole day, yet they looked up to him like some god.
He glared at Guy who said nothing, shrugging when he saw the teen looking. Kirie was pissed at Riki and could not help picking a fight every time he came across the raven haired male. The others however had enjoyed his attempts in picking fights with their leader, even though most had been ignored by Riki, who deemed the boy as a mere brat. However today was different, as Riki wasted no time in slamming his fist into Kirie's crying face.

"Talking about Riki, he's a no show today it seems," Norris looked into his wrist terminal. It was getting rather late and they had promised to meet up at the bar after the meeting…which had ended hours ago. Guy shook his head, checking his own terminal "Got a message from him that Jupiter had barred all exits," He announced
Cid shrugged "Seems like the computer ain't happy about its pet getting into a brawl."

Kirie shifted and struck his arm on his hip, never once was he the bright one, hearing the others yammering about Riki this and Jupiter that, the boy had grown rather tired of the conversation.
"Why can't we build our own turf, why are we bowing to some damn system and its pet?!" He challenged. The other stared at him for a moment, before bursting with laughter. "What, you guys think it's better to be controlled? I heard that our forefathers reigned Ceres with their fist and power, not in some damned meeting room!"
It took the others awhile to stop chuckling, which only made the boy's mood worse.

"You don't know nothing, boy," Norris mused
"Well I know enough to-" Kirie started, getting cut off when someone tossed him to a side.

"Yo," Riki muttered, removing the shades the he wore as he sank into the seat beside Guy.
"Thought you couldn't make it?" Guy cocked an eyebrow as he regarded their leader, handing over a bottle of drink. "Sneaked out through the drain," The elite merely replied, ignoring the boy that rose to his feet and started yammering something about respect.

"And Daryl?" Guy asked, to which Riki merely shrugged "He can go ahead and kiss Jupiter's ass for all I care,"

There was a sudden commotion outside when someone invaded their private booth, reserved only for them. Riki looked out, noticing a man of tall stature walking towards them, pushing the owner aside. The man had short brunette hair of the strangest mixed colour, as if someone was trying to copy the murky hair colour owned by Ceresians. It was a rather common colour but something about the man stands out way too much, just like how Riki's black hair would stand out in a crowd.

"This is a private booth," Norris stood up, his bulky stature was quite a match to the stranger's appearance but the brunette instead, did not falter. From where Riki sat, he could see that the stranger was wearing an overall of pale colour with the edges dyed in blue. Behind him were three other males, equally dressed and tall in appearance. They look almost alike in a strange unexplainable way.

"Apologies, then," The first one gave a slight nod of his head his shades covering most of his eyes. Come to think of it, all of the strangers were wearing shades too. His face however tilted towards Riki and for a moment, Riki could feel himself seized by a cold stare, as if the stranger was studying him intently.
For a moment, Riki felt as if he was frozen to his seat, all his previous pride and front melting away. Only when the strangers finally turned away that Riki finally felt himself again.

"Riki?" Guy called, softly shaking his shoulders. Riki regained himself with a start. Surprised.
"Who are they?" He muttered, frowning as he watch their retreating figure.

Norris returned back to his seat, giving a rather menace look. "I'd vote that they are blondies," He muttered in a solemn tone.
"Blondies, here in the heart of Ceres?!" Kirie brightened up, like a child told of a magnificent story. "Strange…they don't look blonde to me," At that, Cid slapped the back of the boy's head, causing him to launch forward and pull out another string of colourful curses.

"Idiot!" Cid started "Learn your facts right, idiot, aren't you in Bison?! The blondies have the ability to put on a guise," He muttered, raising a glass of whisky to his lips "Why do you think they are able to prowl around Ceres that easily?"

"Come to think about it, those loathsome creatures are living rather well off in Tanagura," Louise cupped his fingers to his chin "Why are they even in here?"
Norris chuckled "Much like the cruising our forefathers did, I'm not surprise if they came here for a little, y'know, stress relieve?" He reminded them "After all, during the times when Ceres was nothing more than a neglected district, the people would often sneak into Tanagura and steal stuff, just for the fun of it, eh? They'll be caught soon perhaps, by the Ceres police,"

"Things had changed quite alot, isn't it?" Guy had a serious look on his face, when he suddenly noticed his partner missing. "Where's Riki?!"


Riki walked through town as he silently tailed the four strangers. They weren't doing anything in particular but something about them had piqued his interest. He was rather curious about their identity as someone with such a stature was rarely ever seen in Ceres.

Suddenly, he felt someone jerking him backwards and noticed himself pulled to a corner. It was one of those street gangs who had decided that they did not want change, keeping their fighting spirit even from the times the first 'Riki' took over.
"Hey check it out!" One mumbled, grabbing Riki's fist "Why I do believe it's Riki!"

Shit.

"What's Jupiter's pet doing all the way out here?" Another jeered, a laser blade appearing in his arm.
"You sure it's Riki?" The third whispered "He doesn't seem as posh as how an elite should appear…"

Riki counted four of them, the last was an immensely huge guy almost as equally built as Norris.

"Hey, pet!" The bulky one called "Shouldn't you be back in the center, pampered by Jupiter?"
"Shouldn't you be back home with someone's dick in your ass?" Riki retorted, almost too quickly. At that, the one with the blade slashed and Riki, unable to evade in time is now spotted with a trail of blood on his cheek.

"Now you've done it," He growled and sent his elbow in to the man behind him. The stranger yowled and bent backwards, allowing Riki more room to move as he sent a kick into the second man, hammering his fist into the third. He dodged the last one, retreating into a corner and cursing when he finds himself in a dead end.

The others were regaining back their composure from the slamming that Riki had done, one lean guy was looking rather hatefully at Riki.

"Pet, you know who we are?!" He started, flicking a laser blade in his fingers "We are Jeeks, yo and we do not like what you've done to our city and we care not that you're Riki!" He snapped "You are better of dead!"
Riki shrugged, pocketing his hands. "Never heard of it," He muttered "If you don't like it then get out of it, no one's stopping you,"

That seemed to hit a nerve as the second guy with the blade ran forward. Riki evaded quickly, pulling himself backwards and sending his knee into the man's stomach. He readied himself for the others when suddenly he heard a howl and the one running towards him fell forward, face down on the murky path.

Riki looked up, noting all the others are now scattered around the floor, unconscious.
"What the…" A sole figure stood in the entrance of the alleyway, and Riki quickly recognized him as the man who had appeared in the bar earlier on.
"I got things under control!" He huffed, angered that his battle was interrupted. He was doing rather well even without the stranger's help.

The brunette instead remained calm where he stood, removing his shades. At that moment, Riki saw the bright sapphire eyes looking back at him with immense hate before he felt a sudden pressure on his neck and his world turned dark.

The brunette looked up at the other who had managed to get behind Riki and knocked the elite out cold. "Seems like his guard isn't so tight after all," Another mused, appearing in the alleyway with the last other stranger. Four of them stood in a circle, surrounding the unconscious man.

"I'll make you regret that you were ever born, Riki." The brunette muttered, wiping away the blood on the elite's cheek with a gloved finger.


Well guys, it's been awhile when I decided to sit down and write something. I actually had this planned for quite sometime, while still halfway through Rebirth. Anyway, I hope you all enjoyed my new story. Reviews and comments are very much appreciated! Thank you!