Christopher
Just as I finished combat class, a giant fan group of Ben and I charged in through the gym doors. Easily dodging around them, Ben is swamped with those asking for his autograph and number. However….A younger girl seems to have been trampled though. Ben can wait, he's dealt with this before.
I walk over to the golden haired girl and extend my hand while asking if she was okay. She picks herself up and takes my hand, all while thanking me in a fluster. She seems to be clueless about this crowd though.
"Oh, this happens everyday. Ben over there is the one who gets most of the attention though. Probably because I started to show no interest early on." I explain, and she seems to accept that. Then she asks me a question. About her sister. Um….oops..I forgot about introductions. In a formal tone, I introduce myself as Christopher Yelick, adopted by the Yelick Family, but my real name is unknown. The little girl politely responded with "Sade Silva". Then she asks about her sister, Estrella Silva. I ask for a description, and become inquired when Sade describes her sister.
Silver hair...red eyes...exactly like that girl I helped by that sweets shop. Maybe I'll keep this to myself before I meet Estrella for myself. Sade looks at me curiously as I ponder about it. Quickly breaking the silence, I just let Sade know that Estrella may have seen me outside of school before. She takes that and asks me if I want to meet her. Glancing back at Ben, he seems to be handling the crowd just fine. I'd better get going before any of them notice me. Sade bounds down the stairs while I casually follow her.
While Sade and I make our way towards Estrella's classroom, I glance out the window and sigh. School has just started, and I already have a feeling that it's going to be one heck of a battleground this year. Sade then exclaims that we've arrived at Estrella's homeroom. Entering the classroom, I notice her. Estrella, the same girl from that night. The gang fight outside the sweets shop. Oh dear. She appears to have the same problem that Ben and I have. A giant crowd of boys has surrounded her desk, and she looks incredibly uncomfortable. Sheesh...I remember now. The Silva Family is one of those families which men want to marry into for the money or status. Sade looks like she's panicking, but I remain calm and walk inside. However…
"Is that the Crimson Eagle?"
"Yes it is! He's one of the top fighters in our school!"
Ugh. I've heard those lines way too often. I keep my pace while approaching Estrella's desk. Then I address the crowd. They start by snapping back at me, but they soon realize who I am. Weaving my way past the male crowd that now moves aside obediently, I acknowledge Estrella in a calm manner. She looks up at me hesitantly. The look in her eyes is filled with disgust, but it's soon replaced with relief when Sade comes bounding into the room. Estrella seems to respond in a more friendly tone now. However, she still seems to be...distant. Estrella then changes the subject by asking Sade about her day.
Outside the school, Estrella, Sade, and I have decided to visit a new cafe that opened. Maybe I should invite Ben though. He must be exhausted from dealing with all those girls. After getting agreement from the girls, I text Ben about our plans. I get a quick response. "Sure. I could use some coffee." The girls got ahead of me, so I quickly run to catch up.
Benjamin
Whew. Handling a bunch of popular girls is an enormous hassle. Luckily Chris just invited me to a cafe, and he's got girls with him. He's never been in a relationship before, but Chris is mature enough to handle one. I hate girls. They tend to only care about a guy's muscles, or their looks, or wealth. Chris has a similar view, but unlike me, he still stays on friendly terms with most girls. My cold demeanor towards girls is frigid like winter, breaks hearts like ice, and is relentless as a blizzard. All that gave me the title of "The Tundra Wolf".
After a short walk, I open the door to the cafe Paradise. Chris is there chatting away with the girl he helped earlier along. An older silver haired girl, who I assume is related to the younger goldie.
"Ben! Come sit down! You'll want to meet these two!" cries Chris, drawing the attention of a few patrons. Damn it Chris. You're supposed to be more discreet about this. I walk over to the table while ignoring the staring. Sitting down, Chris hands me a menu. A variety of pastries plaster the plastic menu. Yikes, if I said that out loud, it could become a new tongue twister. Everyone soon places their orders. Chris then introduces me to both the girls. Estrella, the silver haired one, and Sade, the golden haired sister of Estrella. While Sade is being chatted up by Chris, I slide over towards Estrella.
"It's rare that Sade actually opens up to boys." sighs Estrella. "She normally sticks to my morals and avoids them at all costs."
Heh. I respond by agreeing with her. Most males that come from the families around here are interested with girls for extremely trivial reasons. Wealth, titles and such...So utterly pathetic. Personally, I nearly fell into that trap as well. Until Chris shared some wisdom with me. Now Chris and I only look for personality and honesty in a girl. Estrella seems to be happy with this answer, which doesn't surprise me, considering her family name. Wait a minute..was it the Silva Family who owned that train? Hmm...no. I know what their family crest looks like, and it wasn't anywhere on the train. I'm about to question Estrella, but our food arrives. Chris stops talking and dives into a giant piece of strawberry cake, while Sade is enjoying a simple tea. As I sip my espresso, I look over at Estrella's food, and I nearly spew hot coffee everywhere. Estrella has a wide smile on her face and the biggest parfait I've ever seen in front of her. Both Chris and Estrella polish off their desserts fast, while Sade and I just nurse our drinks.
About thirty minutes later, Estrella and Sade thank us for the conversation, and say their goodbyes. I'm left alone with Chris who is currently paying the bill. He soons bounds back over, and I decide to ask him about..a document I so happened to find. Chris twitches as soon as he sits down, reading the document. Good. Chris has gone into serious mode. He no longer has his normal carefree and outgoing manner, and has switched into the stance and speech of a military general.
"Okay Ben, where is this brothel?" states Chris. The document is leaked information on an unauthorized brothel specializing in enslaved prostitutes. A brothel is bad enough, but then it's not even an official business founded by our..questionable government. However, the last line is something that will always sets Chris off. If he meets the "proud" businessmen of this "establishment", Chris is going to murder them. I'd provide backup, but my parents have asked me to run errands tonight. The loner tonight will be Chris.
Christopher
Okay. I need to prepare for tonight. Making my way back to my apartment, I run over the document Ben gave me again. The target is nearby the Leaky Bucket Tavern. Reaching the apartment complex I live in, I dash towards the elevator.
Three floors up, apartment#307 is waiting for me. Pulling out my key, I open the door and blindly stumble around to find the light switch. As light fills the room, my medium sized apartment comes to life. Reading the document again, I see that the building is called The Alluring Siren. Ugh. It's probably no wonder that it would be a brothel or something similar. Anyway, I'd better just have some instant noodles for now. Only two hours before The Alluring Siren opens anyway.
After two cups of instant noodles, I drop by my bedroom. The walls host a variety of weapons. I use these ones for practice, but my pride and joy is sitting on my bedside table. Scarlet Nightmare. Somehow, this helps me remember that I'm not actually part of the Yelick Family (my foster parents are living elsewhere right now). Carefully picking it up, I inspect my gunblade's condition. The crimson blade still glistens in the faint sunlight that leaks in through my window. A full clip of custom explosive cartridges is ready for firing, and it easily transforms into a ring for concealment.
Soon I'm in my usual nightly getup. A ruby cloak, fingerless gauntlets, Scarlet Nightmare, and a medium bag of general supplies. I'm also wearing a pair of dark blue jeans and an ebony colored sweater. Extra ammo and clips layer the insides of my cloak. Now then..time to go.
Once again I'm traversing the streets of Gria City. This is the only place I've gotten used to here in Attaria. If I was feeling more adventurous, I'd travel further than just a few local businesses. Oh well, I have a job to do. Just as a cold breeze settles in, I reach The Alluring Siren. Opening the door, a group of three males come out in a drunken stupor. They were laughing while their clothes were all wrinkled and unbuttoned. Ugh..that means only one thing. They've indulged in the pleasures of the flesh. Disgusting. Well, I have no right to say that, since I'm walking in as well. However, I'm here to bust this place open.
Okaaay. I step inside to witness what seems to be neon lights flashing everywhere, along with a line of females dressed up in very skimpy...mermaid costumes. All of them seem to be dreading their turn, and three giant halls that have multiple private rooms loom in the distance. Crap. This isn't a small operation then.
"Excuse me? The one with the ruby cloak there?" comes a voice. A properly dressed lady is beckoning me to a counter. Reservedly walking up, I look down at a sheet that she's placed on the countertop. Gulp. It's a form to check an individual's "preferences" when it comes to our "companion". I fill it out with false information with my "tastes". Then the lady directs me into a far room at the end of one of the hallways. I'm surprised she didn't ask for my age, but then again, this is an illegal business. They wouldn't ask questions due to risks of the government coming down on them.
Entering the room, a disgusting fragrance stirs my nostrils. It's not lavender, even though I hate it. Something like an aphrodisiac..ugh..I have to maintain sense. Suddenly, there's a knocking from the door. A loud voice booms through the door.
"Excuse me! Mr Yelick? Your companion is here." comes the voice. I stumble over to the door all while trying to resist the intoxicating fragrance of the room. Another one of those skimpy costumed girls is pushed in by a gruff man. He smirks at me before closing the door.
"...Traveller, I hope..you are satisfied by..the siren's..methods.." She steps forward while bringing her hands onto her...pillows. Even though my mind twitches at the thought, I retain my senses.
"I'm not here to receive the sirens, but only to free them." I calmly state. She looks at me in surprise. Soon I explain my plan to her, and she immediately starts tearing up. Wonder what hell she's been through here. Then I unlock the door, and she runs back to the line of other women. I return to the counter, and the lady asks for my payment. Payment huh? Then I flick my ring off while summoning Scarlet Nightmare. Dashing forward, I've got the attendant in a death hold.
"Get..me..your..boss." I snarl. She turns stark white, all while I hear heavy footsteps coming towards me. Turning around, that gruff man from earlier has a giant club-like weapon. He demands as boss of this "business" that I leave. Quickly reacting, I order the line of girls to flee! As I see the doors bursting open, I duck under the manager's weapon. Then I jump backwards while unleashing a storm of crimson rounds. The blasts propel me outside the building while setting a fire to the inside. The gruff man is thrown forward from the explosions, and then I fly towards him with another explosive shot. I'm able to stab him in the chest, but he lands a strong strike to my left leg. We both hit the ground in a heap. Unlike the man however, I'm able to recover. Agh. My leg looks badly bruised, but I need to finish business here first. My quarry seems to be attempting to crawl away. Pathetic. Hobbling over, I pin him down and tilt my sword right up against his throat.
"I'll only say this once sir. Don't create establishments by this format ever again. Otherwise the Crimson Eagle will come swooping down on you." I fiercely demand. His only response is when he nods while passing out. AGH! It also had to be now that the pain of my leg seared through my body. Now I have to get home before the police show up. Letting my scarlet wings spread free, I fly into the moonlit sky, and drift towards my apartment.