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Present time

Flashback

"How dare you?" she practically blew up the moment they entered their expensive apartment. "How dare you laugh and not punish that little whore right after she insulted me, your wife?" her voice became stronger than ever before as she turned around to glare at the man who was supposingly her husband.

The blonde man simply took off his coat, passed her and entered their living room without a word. However, that small smirk was still present on his lips. Not believing her eyes, Rei fisted her hand as strong as she could, trying not to create yet another scene for his men to witness.

"How dare you?" her last words came out as a forced whisper. The blonde man turned to her and, while untying his black necktie, spoke up.

"But, honey… Don't you know that everyone believes you're just that?" his eyes stared merciless at her, a small hint of amusement inside of them. Indeed, she was well aware of the others' opinions about her, but the truth had never fallen upon her with so much strength. It was so hard that it actually hurt her… and not just her tremendous ego. And she knew the reason for that inner pain she would never allow to be seen: it had been none other than him to speak out those words… those blasted words. "When I brought you home with me, the others started asking me how I managed to end up with you of all people. You were so closed in your own mind and always hated having people around you that none of the others could believe I had actually chosen you over so many others." His bitter words seemed to hit Rei harder and harder each time. "So they drew the simplest conclusion: you must've been so damn good in bed that I just couldn't let you go." His tone passed so uncaring that it made the beautiful brunette feel a set of shivers down her back.

However, when she did not react in any way, surprisingly enough for her temper and usual bursts, Jadeite turned around… and met her figure less than half a meter away. The fluffy carpet below their feet had managed to hide her forceful steps from his hearing.

'Slap!' the sound seemed three times louder inside the completely silent room.

"How dare you?" her tone let out as much anger as possible. Her amethyst eyes glared up, meeting the surprised and red face of her husband. His felt cheek held a bright print and his blue eyes were widened, a blank expression held inside of them. Never before had she reacted this way.

"Rei…" he could only whisper.

"Forget it… Why don't you run to one of your mistresses." Her tone now matched his earlier voice, in spite of the fact that she felt as powerless as a hummingbird in front of a storm. "I'm sure you've long ago got bored with your wife… your first whore." She ended, this time her eyes hidden behind a dark layer of black strands.

In complete silence, he watched as she hurriedly returned towards the massive door, opened it and exited the apartment, this time without anything to cover her body and the stunning dress she wore. Jadeite remained still, not even breathing for several long moments. Part of him demanded to go get her, HIS woman, but the rest forced him to leave her alone until her inner volcano settled to, at least, a stable temperature.

And then he began breathing again in the empty room and fell down, on a very elegant black-leather couch. He looked around him, on the walls, on the large table fit for a family of ten, on the discreet coffee table, to the door on his right which led to a small hallway and, eventually, their bedroom. Wherever he looked, he could only see proof of her existence in that place. He could see that in the flowers settled on the book-shelves, from the colours present everywhere… from the sole picture they had in the entire house: a picture with both of them, a fifteen-year-old Rei and an already adult Jadeite, sitting in front of a large building that had once existed on top of the highest hill near this damned city they were forced to call "home". However, no one, besides the two, knew of that picture, for it was always hidden somewhere inside Jed's nightstand, among a sum of papers.

And it was because of that specific picture that Jadeite knew Rei could have never been his "whore".

She felt incredibly cold as she climbed down the stairs of the expensive block of flats, one of the last ones remained without structural damage in that filthy city. The frozen wind moved her long strands, but she did not care anymore and did her best not to feel the effect it had at the contact with her still warm skin.

"Where to, Ma'am?" a harsh voice broke her from her thoughts. Staring in front of her, she met the curious and extremely surprise stare of a man dressed in a simple black suit: her driver. She instantly recognized him: a former fighter that had been kept close due to his loyalty towards the boss and the fact that he knew several other things, apart from hitting and killing. He stood right next to a black car, not the limousine she had arrived in earlier, but a smaller vehicle. Her eyes turned to the car rather hardly.

'Even if I break up with him… I am still who I am.' Her thoughts decided and she looked up at the driver.

"Take me outside the city." The beautiful woman entered the car and ordered as soon as the driver took his seat as well.

"Yes Ma'am! Where would you like me to go?" his voice inquired with respect. Even if most of their employees hated her, at least they knew how to mask their feelings when in her presence. Her eyes seemed to drift off to an unknown place once again.

"Tell me, do you know where the last temple was?" she asked, hint of sadness in her tone.

"On the northern hill? Yes, I do." He nodded his head and, one moment later, he turned his head towards her. "Would you like me to go there?" the man's voice turned somewhat surprised. "It's not the safest of places."

"Drive there. You can just pass by the hill and drop me off somewhere." She shrugged.

"Ma'am, are you alright?"

"Just drive!" she finally snapped and the man turned back to the wheel with scared gestures.

"Yes, Ma'am. Just let me announce the others of our route." His hand leaned towards a com-system, placed right inside the board.

"Don't! I don't want him to find out where I am." She commanded again and let out a sigh of relief one moment later, when the expensive vehicle finally drove away from the place she had called "home" for several years.

"May I ask you why are we going there?"

"No."

She leaned as much as she could in her seat and stared out the window, lost in her thoughts again, not even feeling the seconds passing her. Destroyed buildings, burnt trees, beggars and master less dogs passed through her visual field, but none of them had actually managed to grab her attention. However, when the scenery outside the moving car changed drastically from the sight of iron madness to an empty field, her heart skipped a beat. Rising a bit in her spot, her eyes looked further away and finally caught a glimpse of her destination.

It hurt her to remember it… but it killed her to actually see it. The entire hill was completely burnt down, up to the last bug crawling in the once healthy soil. The stairs leading above were a challenge for anyone, but her mind brought her body no other choice than to accept the mental orders and climb up to the top.

As hypnotized, completely forgetting the fact that she was wearing high-heeled shoes and a long dress fit for a ball, she made her way through the fallen stones, getting closer to her destination which each step.

"Ma'am? Ma'am, going up there is suicide! "Ma'am, if my boss finds you like that he'll kill both of us! Ma'am? Ma'am!" the driver went through a real crisis when he noticed what she was doing.

But Rei did not even hear his desperate calls anymore. Her mind was set back to those times… The times when life was a bit better… when she still had a family… when she was truly happy.

"One's happiness is always brought by one's words and actions. We each make our fate. Never forget that, Rei! If you treat people right, they will return your fairness and that will bring you happiness… even if it comes in the smallest quantity, you will still be happy." Her grandfather's words entered her mind and brought a wave of tears to her eyes.

The brunette stopped for a moment and looked up, at the top of the stairs. A part of her was waiting for that short old man to appear out of nowhere and wave happily at her, welcoming her back home. However, the other part was fully aware of what had happened so many years ago. But today… now… It was as if she was coming back from school… only her classes lasted five years instead of five hours.

She began walking again, without the smallest trace of pain in her feet. Having climbed the hill so often during her childhood could be seen even now, when she was walking among ruins in heels and managed not to break her legs.

They were gone. Phobos and Deimos, her loyal guardians were gone. Probably killed once with her grandfather or sent away by the noise and sudden destruction of their home. And so was the beautiful, yet small garden that she had always helped her caretaker with. The only things that had survived the merciless time were an empty and dead sakura tree and the ruins of what had once been one of the most beautiful shrines in all their country.

More and more bits of salty water invaded her eyes, but she was decided not to allow them to fall freely on her cheeks. She started moving towards the main temple… where the entire madness had begun.

'Are you alright?' the voice of a young and worried man broke through her mind. She suddenly stopped, meeting the sight of several destroyed steps… the steps where he had found her…

"Are you alright?"

The teenage girl who stood on her knees and cried her heart out, raised her head and met, between pouring tears, the sight of an older man. He was wearing a dark cap to hide his blonde locks, a pair of baggy and dirty jeans, along with something that resembled a ripped t-shirt. Although he obviously carried no weapon, she could tell that he was a fighter. His height and entire constitution shouted the word "fighter". Had he come for her? Had he finally come to take her life away, just like others had just done to her grandfather?

The girl, a fifteen-year-old who resembled a child rather than a future woman, was wearing a traditional priestess outfit, with the slight difference that the white part of the costume was black in her case… and currently very dirty. Her face was twisted in pain and sorrow, while her eyes were red from the quantity of tears she was shedding… Her breathing came out strangely, her heart definitely not beating normally anymore. She stood there, among the ruins of what had once been the last place closest to Heaven in an era of destruction and desperation.

"Are you alright?" he asked again, this time lowering himself closer to her face. Judging by the lost look in her amethyst eyes, he could tell that she was in shock and was probably unable to react in any way, but move and run. Not receiving any reaction from her, the blonde man's next move was to grab the girl in his arms and run with her for his life.

However, when she suddenly found herself coated in his warmth, she seemed to return to reality. She struggled to get free, shouting for her life. However, when her kidnapper's force proved to be much higher and more stubborn than hers, she twisted in his arms.

"Grandpa! Grandpa!" her shouts were lost over his shoulder, towards the place she had known since birth… the place that was now nothing more than a death trap. She raised her arms, as if trying to go back to the temple. But her excess of force had only brought her a deep slumber, in the arms of her kidnapper… her saviour…

Movement… noise… warmth…

Rei looked over her right shoulder, which was now covered with a much larger jacket for her frame, and met almost the same sight as five years ago. Then, she had only been a fifteen-year-old girl that was trained by her grandfather, her sole relative left alive, to become priestess. Today, she was a twenty-year-old woman who feared nothing, but the pain trapped in her dark past.

"You know… You really shouldn't disappear like that… You'll make the others think I've actually started cheating on you…" the man, once teenager himself, with blonde hair and blue eyes spoke as one his hands gently pushed one of her black strands behind her ear, in order to see her better.

"I hate you." She answered, but her voice came out as a faint whisper, without the usual force she carried inside.

"No, you don't." he turned serious and took her in his arms, once again enveloping her in the same warmth he had been offering her for five years now. "No matter how much you say you hate… you will never feel that way…"

This was what the others couldn't understand. His reasons for marrying Rei had been purely sentimental. But he, of all people, could not appear as a man who guides himself after his emotions. And so the rumours were spread. All the other women were jealous on her "qualities" as a perfect lover, but they couldn't actually say anything, because none of them had managed to set him up as a cheater. All the other men hated him for his "trophy" and admired her… but none could get too close. The only persons who could harm them were themselves. And apparently, they had the times of their lives while doing so. But, underneath all the fights, shouts and glares… stood something stronger than anything else…

"Let me take you home." He asked her, with her body still trapped between his arms. She did not answer, but her amethyst eyes that were drowned in tears spoke of a million things. Without another word, the man took her in his arms entirely and, carrying her bridal style, left the destroyed gardens and the entire hill… taking her back home… next to him… where she belonged to…

Ami shook her dark locks as she finally began waking up from the deep slumber she had fallen into, soon after nearly being raped by whom she had once considered to be her true love. Wasn't fate a bitch by the way it stabbed you in the back at the worst time possible? Yes, it was!

Cold shivers crawled up her skin as she finally became aware of the cold air surrounding her. Instinctively, she tried to draw her arms around her body, thus hopefully gaining a bit of warmth and managing to move around normally. However, her plans were shattered the moment when she discovered that she was literally tied down to a large metal chair. Around both of her wrists were clung tightly two pieces of very hard leather, not only making it impossible for her to escape, but also turning her slender fingers into a state of numbness.

Trying to exit her stagnant state completely and understand what the hell had happened to her after escaping Ryo's punches, running out in the rain and collapsing into the dark alley, she actually considered, for a moment, a terrible option: she had been caught by her ex and was now going to receive the worst punishment he could think of. Examining herself carefully, as much as she could from that position, she noticed that the clothes she wore were still the ones from the previous night, but she could feel and partly see that the occasional wounds had been cleaned, leaving behind only big bruises to be seen.

When she looked up around, she found herself sitting in the middle of a strange, but very well stocked laboratory. Everywhere, inside the bizarre room, she could only see high-tech equipment, medical products and even a shelf filled with large medical books. For a moment, she let out a breath of relief. Ryo didn't have the money for such a place… but then again, who did?

Turning to her sides, Ami noticed several other similar chairs to her own, but all empty, with sets of wires entering each chair, including her own. Another draft of cold air hit her and made her breathing turn faster. Even if she wasn't in Ryo's hands, she was definitely in danger…otherwise she wouldn't have been tied down and left alone in such a place.

Suddenly, a deep sound made her jump and turn to the other side of the laboratory, where she spotted a door. It probably led to a pretty long hallway, judging by the sound's loud echo. Her heart threatened to leave her chest as a set of footsteps were heard closer and closer to the room she was stuck in. Had her executioners come for her?

Understanding the immense danger, she did her best at calming down her pulse, returning to her previous position and keeping her eyes tightly shut, just as if she was still asleep. In the following moments, she hoped with her entire heart, or what was left of it, that nothing would uncover her true state and that she would at least manage to buy herself some time.

The steps seemed to stop right in the doorway and she felt every second of time draining her blood from her veins. Another step was heard, this time inside the chamber. All of her instincts shouted at her to open her eyes and meet her fate, but she couldn't… at least not for now. It was true that her life sucked, but she still had the right to hope for a better future.

Other long moments passed, until her visitor seemed to change his or her mind and, turning away, stepped away from the entrance, back into the hallway. It wasn't for another half of minute until the dark-haired girl opened her blue eyes and met the same empty sight. She had managed to hold her body calm and she was now once again alone.

Staring longingly at the exit, she started thinking of an escape route. However, when she felt a painful and long prick in the left arm, she understood that the wires weren't going inside the chairs, but into the skin of whoever stood on them. Twisting her wrist, she noticed the needle going straight into her vein. Something wasn't right and, for a second, she felt that even Ryo's club was now safer than her current whereabouts.

Without thinking, she pressed her fingers as much as she could and tried the impossible: actually escaping the binds. Why not? After all, she had previously done it at least several times, whenever her stepmother caught her and wanted to give her a lesson. So, only counting on her forced ability, she began pulling her hands out from the thick leather ties.

Several minutes later, she was finally free. Her skin was bleeding in two or three places due to the harsh impact against the rough material, but her wounds were not that dangerous. Still, she was scared of what had entered her system from the strange wire. Hopefully, nothing deadly. Not noticing the small bloody marks she left behind, she jumped from the seat and went directly for the exit. Before entering the long and dark hallway, she carefully looked both ways, making sure that this time she was all alone inside the strange facility.

She turned towards the place where she had heard the step at first, considering that to be the route towards freedom. Stepping silently and clinging to the walls, she couldn't help but notice that her breathing was turning deeper and deeper… as if she was in the middle of a making-out session. She only blamed it on her strong emotions and decided to forget for the time being her body's strange reactions.

As she crossed what she thought to be a large building, she realised that her breath was turning faster and faster, instead of calming down. Hearing once again the same set of steps, she desperately searched for a hideaway and when she found a sudden turn to another part of the labyrinth, completely drowned in darkness, she immediately took her chance.

Ami stuck her body to the cold walls and covered her already gasping mouth with a hand, her eyes remaining the last sensors still working properly. While waiting for the executioner to pass with the same fear as the first time, she understood what the strange liquid inside the wire had been: a sex drug. She had only once tried the Ecstasy and that had been more than enough for her share, considering that while she was high, Ryo had tried to introduce her to his bed for the first time. Ever since that moment, she had declined every similar drug and had preferred the alcohol and other stimulants instead. But from the previous experiment, she drew the conclusion that this drug was much stronger than any other one from its category.

In spite of the fever taking over her body and the fact that nearly all of her senses passed every touch, noise, scent, taste and even sight as an extremely erotic one, she manage to keep herself conscious as a silhouette passed right before her eyes.

It was a man taller than her, with a pretty slim silhouette hidden behind a long white robe. That, along with his pale and very clean fingers and the glasses hung on his nose, led her to the conclusion that he was probably the evil mind that created that drug. As he passed further, she couldn't help but notice the long dirty-blonde hair spread on his back, forming slight curls here and there. He looked rather strange for those times, as if he belonged to another era and had ended up in there by mistake.

As soon as he left her visual field, she allowed her body a second of relaxation, but regretted that as soon as she felt the climax approaching with fast steps and quaking her entire system mercilessly. Only when she was sure that she could walk once again, the dark-haired girl got up from her hiding spot.

Unfortunately for her, just as she left the shadows, a set of hands grabbed her from behind. One palm was stuck to her mouth, not allowing her to let out any noise, while the other held painfully onto her arms and entire body.

"What's the matter, little girl?" the man who held her, whispered harshly in her left ear. She tried to struggle, but found her actions soon enough to be just a waste of time. Pushing her onto the floor and holding her down forcefully, he made sure that she couldn't move at all and tied a piece of cloth around her mouth. "I see the effect is already gone." He muttered while obviously doing something else with his hands.

Ami twisted her neck, trying to see what he was doing, and was quite surprised when she met the sight of the same blonde locks above her. However, when her blue orbs saw a syringe in his hands, she once again began fighting for her freedom… or life… Which was it by now?

Still, the unknown man pushed the needle in her neck merciless after finishing the load. Pressing in the small device, he waited in the same position for her to calm down and once again fall into the deep slumber.

"What? Don't tell me you didn't like it…" he mused over her reactions and finally got up, as the girl's attention started fading away. Her eyes drifted shut as the same pair of arms grabbed her and carried her back to the execution chair, as if she was no heavier than a ragged doll.

"The drug works." Nephrite spoke with a hollow tone as he placed the phone back on the wide black table and remained with his back at the leader of the entire hidden empire. An empire built on bloody corpses and strong words, with a strength that very few in the entire world could reach.

"I see Zoicite kept his word. Make sure to reward him." A deep voice forced the auburn-haired man to turn around and meet the sight of his old friend, but most important, his boss.

The killer's blue eyes stared at a man sitting on a large black leather chair, clad in a flawless dark suit, which brought out his light features. Strands of silver hair barely reached his shoulders, while strong hands squeezed an iron ball and lavender eyes stared at a small screen settled on his desk. On a wall to his right, Nephrite could see exactly what the other one was watching: a record of the championship's preliminaries. More specific, he had shown a lot of interest in one of the two women that had disturbed the flow of action, by reminding the entire crowd a very important rule in their world: no backstabbing.

The screen currently showed the two females, a blonde and a brown-haired, both of them obviously trained for street fighting. Although they did not seem that strong, the two of them apparently ruled over one of the outer neighbourhoods. None of the "elders" knew much about them, except for the fact that they were living inside the house of a dead martial arts professor. In the street, that was enough… but when a higher level was reached, many tended to dig up every little detail concerning one's life.

"They seem interesting…" Nephrite spoke calmly, his eyes settled on the taller girl's picture, almost not even minding the other one.

"I'd be disappointed if they were to lose fast… at least, after their entrance, I'm expecting something of better quality." The silver-haired man's words came as cold as a sharp pale of wind in the winter. "Apparently they are sisters… which will make it hard for the others to win…"

"Step sisters, from what I've heard." The assassin completed his theory.

"Considering they appear to be closer than twins, it makes no difference." The man shook his head in a clear denial.

"Why are they so important?" Nephrite turned completely to him and stared right into his eyes. Different shades of blue hit the walls they had both created around them. Nephrite might not have been the strongest in the top, but he was definitely no fool. In the worst case, he would definitely be the first to follow the current leader.

"They?" he asked almost in mockery and shut down all the screens in the same time.

"I'm talking about the fights, Kunzite."

"I thought Jade took care of that." His stern voice turned even harsher. If it was one thing he hated, that was having his actions questioned. "Are you having doubts over your life?" bright eyes narrowed as the ears waited impatiently for an answer.

"Even if I were, it would be too late…" Nephrite let out a deep breath. He hated himself when he fell down the well of memories and actually allowed others to see a small opening for attack.

"You should ask Zoicite for something. I don't want one of my best… men to be harmed." His eyes turned away. Kunzite was aware of the fatal mistake he had nearly made: calling a subordinate a "friend". It could turn into something unforgivable in less than a second, even though that was exactly what they all were: old friends.

"Maybe later. I've had it with piranha-filled aquariums for now." The blue-eyed man muttered under his breath, forcing an almost invisible smile from the other one. "When shall I tell him to start the mass production?" he glanced at the small untouched container sitting on the other side of Kunzite's desk.

"After he settles all the experiments. Have you provided with the subjects he required?"

"More or less. I already got him one and I'm expecting several others brought in tonight or tomorrow." He answered with a strange voice, as if he was speaking from another world, without the intervention of attention anymore. Glancing up at him, Kunzite noticed that he was staring out the tinted windows of his office, probably at the multitude of cold drops falling down from the filthy sky, on the filthy ground… on everything in that damned filthy world.

"Go get some rest." The master's words sounded a bit too loud in the silent chamber. His voice was soon enough followed by the noise of steps and closing doors.

Left once again alone in his own tower, his own world, Kunzite extended one arm and, with the push of a button, started once again the clear picture of the two strange women that had interrupted the championship.

Although there was something that troubled him about the tall Amazonian-like girl, the blonde was the one bringing out most of the answerless questions. Leaving out the rather skimpy clothes she wore, there was a feature that puzzled him and made him want to smash something with his bare hands: the earring she wore. It was a long and thin chain, ending with a large drop, shaped as a perfect tear. Although the material seemed to be either silver or gold, the small object had proved itself to be much resistant and bright than any other similar item made from those simple metals. No, that earring represented the greatest mystery about those two… especially since Kunzite clearly remembered seeing it somewhere else… worn by someone else…

Clenching his jaws, he suddenly stood up from his desk and kicked the chair several metres away, turning to stare at the same sight Nephrite had watched earlier. Through the black windows, the world outside seemed even worse than it was. The buildings seemed even smaller, the broken pieces of metal and glass, which covered the streets, appeared even darker. The pain of those walking clueless in front of the tall construction seemed to reach him and pull him back down, back into the streets, where he found himself in the need of conquering for survival, years before his present day.

Sometimes he hated himself for his entire life. Just like Nephrite was probably feeling. Sometimes he wanted to be someone else; sometimes he wanted to shout out all his frustrations and desires. But he had never done that, always keeping his inner emotion in check. No! He was the cold and ruthless leader of an empire, which dealt with drugs, street fights and murders. He was the pole an entire society was based on… he was the survivor in a time of death.

Kunzite's eyes fell down to his hands… particularly, on the strange large ring he wore on the middle finger from his right hand… a ring that brought the proof of his strength. The material, one probably unknown to the world yet, shone brightly and brought a bit of life to his entire dead appearance.

Staring back at the screen for a moment, he understood that the woman's earring was made in the same way, from the same metal… that meant that they had those objects from the same person.

But why would he? Why would he take an unknown pair of sisters and leave then everything? His home, his knowledge, his legacy? Why? Had he indeed seen a true hope for his dream to come true inside those two girls? Were they strong enough to change a world? But, most importantly… why did she wear his utmost treasure? He had refused to offer him the earring, but he had left it to some unknown stranger just like that? The thought made Kunzite's stomach turn upside down. How could he do such a thing? How could his teacher offer the greatest honour to a commoner?!

Without hesitation and with his old professor's memory in mind, Kunzite flew his fist in the closest surface, which happened to be the expensive screen attached to his desk. But he did not care about the broken piece of high-level technology. Nor he did about the opened wounds, flowing blood and fragments of glass stuck in his flesh. The only thing he cared about was the memory of a great man… and the enigma that the blonde young woman represented to him… and to his entire world.

"Who are you?" he glared at the screen on his wall, still left untouched, and at the picture of a blue-eyed blonde, which had landed next to her prime warrior, reminding the fighters what their war was all about.

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