Chapter 2-Cruelty

"Korea?" Mia questioned, "but I thought the Nine Armors were created in Japan."

"We were," Cruelty corrected, "but our sire wasn't an idiot. One of the many things our sire, the Ancient One, did to prevent the Demon Lord Talpa from reuniting all the armors was to send two of the nine armors overseas. As you already know, Hardrock was taken to China and was left in the care of the Rei Fuan family. I was taken to Korea and placed in the care of the Koma family."

"The Koma family!" Mia replied, "You mean Anubis was Korean?"

"Well, partially," Cruelty clarified, "his family came over to Japan from Korea in the 1200's. By the time Anubis was born, his family had been living in Japan for so long that he was technically considered by blood, fully Japanese."

"Koreans," Venom scrunched "his" face, "they smell funny."

Cruelty glared at Venom, but countered by asking, "So, do Westerners smell funny?"

Venom tried hard not to throttle the Armor of Spring, "I refuse to answer that question."

"What was that all about?" Mia asked.

"Sekhmet's grandmother was from England," Halo replied, "I believe her name was Agnes."

"Pretty name," Mia muttered.

"Okay," Corruption replied, cutting the two armors off, "Cruelty needs to tell "his" story."

"Fine," Cruelty smiled, grinning at a pissed off Venom. "After the Koma family moved to Japan, I went with them. In Japan, I began to look for an armor bearer, but I couldn't find anyone I liked. At least, until Anubis came of age."

'So he had to wait until Anubis was fifteen before he could even begin to communicate with future Warlord of Cruelty,' Mia thought, 'I wonder if Anubis was a willing bearer.'

Cruelty must have caught that thought because "he" smiled and said, "Yes, Anubis was a willing bearer. Unlike a certain Autumn Armor who made his current bearer an armor bearer against his will."

"Shut up," Venom hissed.

"So what do you look for in a bearer?" Mia asked, cutting the two armors off.

"Several things," Cruelty responded, "Bravery, a willingness to learn, honesty, and a loyal person."

"Sounds simple," Hardrock responded.

"It's not." Cruelty replied as he shook "his" head, "To me, if a person wants to be my master, the he or she must not only say they are loyal, but show it in action and deed. That's why I picked Anubis. I picked him because he would stay true to his word and act upon it as well. I guess I chose the right person, even at the final battle where…" There Cruelty stopped talking.

Mia walked over to Cruelty and put a comforting hand on the armor's "shoulder." "If you want to stop, I won't push you to keep talking. I know Anubis' death is still hard on you."

"He wasn't the only one," Cruelty replied, trying to fight the tears.

"What do you mean?" Illusion asked.

"There was an American who was just as loyal to his brothers as Master Anubis was loyal to all our bearers."

"Who was that?" Torrent inquired.

"His name was George Thomas Sullivan," Cruelty sighed, "he was in the American Navy during what you mortals call World War II. George and his four brothers always stuck together; after one of them almost drowned when all five were little, the other brothers came together to save him. After that experience, all five brothers believed that if they stuck together, they could always be there for each other and keep each other safe. They enlisted in the Navy together and went to fight in what you mortals call the "Pacific Theatre." During a naval battle, something hit what you mortals call a "battleship" and George's four brothers were killed instantly. George escaped onto a small life raft, but for three days and nights he called out his brothers' names in hopes of finding them. On the fourth day, his mind snapped and he tried to swim to the nearest island, hoping to find his brothers. He never made it to the nearest island because as soon as he hit the water, he was eaten by a shark."

Mia felt sorry for the poor American soldier. Like Anubis, he too had given up his life for those he was loyal to.

"If I had been a free armor," Cruelty sighed, "then maybe I could've saved his life. Of course, I wouldn't have given him much of a choice, but there weren't many choice he had at the present moment."

"So you would have taken him against his will?" Venom smiled in triumph.

"No," Cruelty replied, shaking his head, "I would have merely brought him to the nearest island. If he wanted to go any further, it would have been his choice to accept me or not. I just never got the chance to save him or make my offer."

"So he had everything you were looking for in a bearer?" Mia asked.

"Yes," Cruelty replied, "He not only said he was loyal, but he proved he was loyal."

"Wars can sometimes bring out the best in people," Strata sighed, " but they can also bring out the worst in people."

"I suppose you want to tell your story as well?" Mia replied.

"You bet," Strata smiled.

NOTES:

1. In Japan, people look down on native people of Korean blood. One of the most common snubs is "they don't smell like us."

2. The Five Sullivan Brothers are now known as the "Fighting Sullivans."

3. After the Sullivan Incident, two battleships were named after the five brothers. George Sullivan's spirit is said to be haunting one of the ships. The story goes like this: his spirit is haunting a ship he was never on in his lifetime, trying to look for his four brothers who have already "crossed over" to the Spirit World.

4. World War II was fought on two fronts. The "European Theatre," which handled Adolf Hitler, and the "Pacific Theatre," which handled Imperial Japan.