Leiko: Tales of a Bounty Hunter
As Told to Laura McDaniel

Leiko Speaks


Greetings, traveler. The name's Leiko Mouko. I couldn't help but notice you were looking at my wounds. Well, I'll tell you how I acquired them as long as you promise not to criticize me or what I do. See, I'm a bounty hunter and I serve mostly the All Powerful Aku, but I will also serve as a mercenary to just about anybody else if the price is right. And don't even ask what a pretty little lady like me is doing with a messy job like this. I've heard it all before! If I'm such a pretty little lady, why on earth did my parents abandon me the first chance they had? They never paid much attention to me, but they weren't able to actually ditch me until I was sixteen. They ran away when Aku destroyed my city. Yep. He burned it to a crisp with his laser vision.

You heard me right. I serve the very being that destroyed my city. Why? Well, that's a bit hard to explain. I caught my first real glimpse of The Great Aku while I was standing there amidst the smoldering rubble of my city.  Unlike all the terrified mortals who were bawling and running away, Lord Aku was towering over the scene and laughing at us. Once he was certain he had everyone's attention, he shouted, "Fools! While you were making your city great, you thought not of me! Despite the warnings I gave you, you failed to sing my praises or create images in my likeness. You have shunned me, so now I will take some of you to pay the price." Then, he opened his eyes wide, and two beams of light came out of them. The light swallowed up a small group of people standing near one of the flaming buildings. The people then disappeared in to thin air. Lord Aku went on to explain that he was taking those people to The Pit of Hate to learn proper respect for him and that he'd return them once those of us who were left somehow came up with a way to pay tribute to him. Damn, what I wouldn't give have been one of those people! Of course, I guess I really didn't need to be sent to The Pit of Hate because his destroying my city was enough to make me understand his power, but none of those people realized just how lucky they were!

Everybody else watching screamed when they saw those people disappear, but it didn't matter to me because I knew Aku was right. All the leaders of the other large cities subjected themselves to Lord Aku's rule and made their respect for him quite clear by lining the streets with animated billboards of his likeness. Even the commoners of the other large cities showed their support for Aku by letting him in their homes in the form of such useful products as Aku Soda. My city never made such efforts even though Lord Aku had repeatedly asked us to do so.

When I realized this, I became angry and ashamed. The way he destroyed my city made it perfectly clear that he possessed power far greater than that of any mere mortal. He deserved our respect and admiration! I realized that I had to serve him somehow, but I didn't know how. I thought I could help those left in my city to figure out how to pay tribute to Lord Aku, but I just couldn't bring myself to remain with people that had already ignored him for so long. I had to leave there. After all, my parents had already gone who the hell knows where.

I idly kicked at the ground while I tried to figure out what to do. If Lord Aku hadn't have disappeared a few minutes before, I would've asked him what I was supposed to do. I felt something near one of my feet, and, thinking it was a rock, I kicked it. But it wouldn't budge. I looked down and noticed it was a slightly cracked digital wanted poster of somebody The All Powerful Aku wanted terminated. My eyes widened with realization as I picked up the poster. It was too cracked for me to recognize the face, but it didn't matter because I knew it was a sign from Lord Aku. I hugged it to my chest and thanked him for showing me the way. It was clear that he wanted me to be a bounty hunter and to help him eradicate all the pests that troubled him. I tossed the poster behind me and ran away from there. I stole a gun from a town I passed on the way and I've been on the road ever since.

So, that's how it started. And no, I don't have any regrets, nor do I consider myself heartless. If anything, I do my victims a service. It's a lot less painful if they die by my bullets or by a few quick stabs of my dagger than under one of Aku's torturous methods. I think I'm pretty good at what I do, too, but Lord Aku doesn't seem to have faith in me. He's always giving me difficult missions just so he can laugh at my failure. He keeps on sending me after that Jack guy, and nobody, not even the most experienced hunters, has been able to get him, dead or alive. Well, I'm gonna get him some day. Maybe Aku will give me a little respect then!

Look, I don't really want to sit here and chat, but if you're really interested, I guess I could tell you about my previous missions. Better yet, how about I start off by you about the first time I spoke to Lord Aku himself?