Chapter 21
It's been nearly two years now sense I have been home. I never stayed the whole time with Copper. I never had a perniment resisdence. I just didn't feel comfortable staying in one spot all the time. I was staying with Kerry at the moment. She found me rather rude sometimes. She told me to get a job. I kept telling her, I get my check in from the military once a month and I didn't need a job. She told me I needed a hobby.
I had to admit I was rather bored. I tried doing what other 18 year olds did around here but it only bored me more. There was no way I could fit in. Not with the blood stained on my hands.
"Hey, I got mail!" Streaks came running into the kitchen. "It's from the military."
"Hmm," I sat up. "Are you sure that it's not for me?"
"Nope, it says 'Streaks Raptor'."
I held out my hand, and he gave it to me. I opened the letter and read it. "Are the military out there mind again?!" I demanded.
"What is it?" Kerry asked.
"It says here that Streaks is required to train at the Elonigor Camp for an upcoming war," I replied. I shook my head. "Those bastards! Don't they have enough soldiers? If they wanted someone dead, damnit, all they had to do was ring me up!" I slammed my fist on the table. "How dare they keep bringing children into the blood bath they create!"
"Rip," Streaks said. "It's okay, I don't mind going. I mean, I'll become a hero like you right?"
"Uh?"
"I mean, you won the Yeerk War so that makes you a hero right?" he questioned. "I want to be a hero too."
I looked at him. "There is nothing heroic about killing."
"Eh?"
"And there is nothing heroic or honorable about forcing a child into an adult war."
"I'm not a child though!" he yelled. "I am older than what you were when you entered the military and you came back!"
"That was different, Streaks," I said. "I was a…a…"
"You were a Freak," he said. "I know that."
I felt my fists clutched. He didn't mean it to say it as that Cray did. It was just like saying my name when saying "Freak." So, that was our official title now?
"Yes," I replied. "I am a Freak. It didn't change the fact that I was child and that it was wrong."
"But I'm one too, Rip! I'm strong enough! I can fight in a war!"
I turned and glared at my sister. "You knew?!" I demanded. "You knew and you didn't tell me?!"
"I….I thought you would be upset."
"Kerry, you idiot!" I yelled. "If I knew of this in advanced I could've protected him from something like this! I could have prevented this."
"Why would you…"
"Streaks!" I turned back at him. He backed up. I had never yelled at him before. I mean when we were little I used to yell at him like a sister would. However, he never heard me so angry. He stared strait into my eyes. I knew they must've been growing colder. Has he ever seen them like this, when they were cold? I calmed myself down. "Come with me." I took him by the arm.
"Where are you going?" Kerry asked.
"I'm going show him."
We stomped from the house and onto the street. "Rip, what are you doing?"
"I'm going to show you what it's going to be like," I said. "You want to fight in war? You want to become their weapon? You want to become their puppet, then I show you what it's going to be like."
We came to a house. I knocked on the door. An old man answered the door. "R-Rip?"
"Master Tsuno," I bowed my head.
"You're…all grown up."
"There's no time for this, Master. Give me someone to kill."
"What?"
"My idiot little brother wants to be just like me," I said. "He wants to fight in war. I want to show you just what he'll be like. Give me someone to kill."
I could feel my brother's arm shake in my palms. He was becoming afraid. He never expected me to do something like this. It was the only way though. I don't care if I haven't killed in two years. I was going to kill someone today.
"Very well," he said. "The embassador did give me an assain job that I was about to attend. Do you want to take it."
"I'll take it, but you keep the money."
He gave me an address with paper on it and a picture. "Rip…"
"What is it?"
"I've never seen such coldness in your eyes."
"The government is just really pissing me off," I said. "They will not make another monster out of my brother like they made out of me."
I went to that house. I still held onto Streaks. What was wrong with him? He wanted to fight? Did he not expect death? The man looked up at me. "You…you're the one the call the Black Angel…that Freak…Rip Raptor. Why are you here."
"Doing a favor to an old man that was hired to assain you." I let go of my brother's arm and edged toward the man. "I don't care why you are to be killed, but right now I need to kill someone. You, are the one I'm going to kill."
"Oh, no you don't you crazy bitch!" He reached for his weapon. In a flash I had grabbed his wrist.
"What was that you were going for sir?" I reached with my other hand. "A sword." I held it up. "I've seen some of these while on Earth. You've been on Earth haven't you? This is a fine sword. It is stained though. You have killed people with it." I glared at him. "I wander how it feels to be on the other end like you are feeling right now?"
He looked up at me in fear in his eyes. Good, it's easier to kill someone who is a coward than one who is brave. I dropped his wrists and held up the sword. "I think I might take up swordsman ship," I said. "It is a fine way to learn how to kill." That next second blood was spilled.
I let the sword fall from my hands. The man was not dead yet, I made sure of it. He laid there breathing hard. I got on my knees next to him. "On second thought," I said, smiling. "I like doing it myself."
"Rip, stop!"
I turned around and saw Streaks crying in his hands. I turned to him. I couldn't stop not though, I had smelled blood. I looked back at the man I was assigned to kill. I smelled his blood and I smelled his fear. Just like old times I did. Those times where it didn't bother me to kill. The same as it does now. It didn't bother me that I was killing this man. It never went away. It wasn't going to go away. I was not going to let my brother suffer this same fate. This need and desire. "Turn around," I told my brother. The moment he did, I turned back and took that man's head in my hands. With one twist he was dead. "Let's go."
We walked along the side walk. I looked at the blood spots on my shirt. I would have to clean up.
"Why, Rip?" he asked. "Why did you want me to see you kill somebody?"
"I wanted to show you," I said. "I wanted to show you what you were going to see." I stopped and looked at him. "I wanted to show you what you even might become. Streaks Raptor, you do not want to become like me. They'll try and create a monster out of you. You see, being that you're not normal, they have no other use for you. They don't know what to do with people like us." I looked up at the sky. The suns were nearly set and the stars began to shine. "So they turn us into monsters. They did it to me. I was naïve enough to let them. However, I'm not going to let it happen to you. I'm not going to let you have the same fate I'm living now."
"That didn't bother you?" he questioned. "You just killed him."
"No," I replied. "It didn't bother me. However, that fact does bother me."
"But what am I going to do?" he questioned. "I can't just say 'no'. I mean, once you get those letters you have to go."
"I have ties, little brother," I replied. "I'll go speak with them."
* * *
"It's good to see you again, Miss Raptor."
"Cut the crap, Cray," I sneered. I slammed the letter on his desk. "What the hell is this about?!"
He looked over at the letter. "Well you see, we're a bit short on male soldiers," he said. "So we're drafting an available number of boys from each family."
"He's 14 years old Cray!" I yelled. "Why didn't you give me a ring. Who ever you wanted dead I would have gladly done it for you. Well, not gladly, but I would do it! I'd rather that then having my brother turned into another one of your monsters!"
"Another you, you mean?" he mocked, looking at me with is eyes. "Believe me, Rip Raptor, if we would have females in this fight then I would gladly have you get the job done. There's one problem, we can't have females here."
"And why not?" I demanded. "You certainly didn't have problems with that in our last war."
"The last war didn't contain of sex hungry males that would lay any thing they see," he replied. "A race we don't multiplying with their selves let alone mix breeding with another race."
"What race is that?"
"Saiyajins," he said. "But it really doesn't concern you being female now does it?" He turned his chair from me. "I expect Streaks Raptor to be at the camp in 3 days as schedualed."
"There's no way I'm letting you corrupt him!"
"Well if you can find another male related to you that we haven't yet put into office to take his place, then we'll excuse him."
"Then I'll do that." I turned and walked out. There was no way I was going to let them have my brother.
* * *
"Rip?" Zane blinked. "Wow! How have you been?"
He greeted me at his door. Unlike me, he's managed a decent lifestyle sense the war was over.
"Horrible as usual," I replied walking past him. "Any word from the others."
"Well, Rat Trap is avoiding the military as usual with that new war that's happening," he said. "They're not even letting Sabra in it, and all she is a doctor. You just missed Copper, he told me he was going. He should be back later though, he had to stop in town and get some groceries for himself."
"He's fighting?" I questioned. "Why?"
"Boredom I suppose," he replied. "I got a letter saying I didn't have to go. Something about them already having all the brains they needed to win the war. Let me tell you, I didn't complain." He chuckled.
"So where's the rat hiding?"
"The best place where rats hide," he said. "In holes underground."
"Uh?"
"He's been working on it sense the end of the war," he replied. "He's like 8 times smarter than I am. I'm good with computers and just about anything related to that. However, the boy knows how just to do about everything. He's been secretly building a tunnel system that goes around the whole planet."
"An entire tunnel system?"
"Yea, like the one we had on Earth only like…more. Much bigger. He even told me once he's finished here he's going to go finish the one on Earth."
"If he can ever get there."
"That's another thing, he made him a whole space ship!"
"At least he's found uses for his time," I replied crossing my arms.
"So I bet you're all glad they don't want you fighting, huh?" Zane questioned.
"I wish it was that easy," I said. "Sure, they don't want me, but I'm going."
"What? How? Why?"
"I'm going to fight in that war," I repeated. "The reason why is because if I don't then they're going to force Streaks to fight it."
"Hmm, I can see you point," he said rubbing his chin. "Still, how are you going to do this? You're a girl."
"That's where you come in," I said. "You're going to make me a fake ID. You can do that right?"
"Umm…yea…I mean….It'll take a day.."
"I have three," I replied. "Just make sure the ID is related to me."
"Well, that's covered, but you're not, Rip," he pointed out. "You are female. You are very much female."
"You see, I can handle that," I replied. "I used to look like a boy when I was a kid I can do it again."
"Yea, but Rip," he rubbed his head. "You weren't as blessed at 12 as you are now. It's not like you can wear a big t-shirt to cover yourself up or anything."
"Zane, why the heck are you looking at me like that anyway!"
"Ah, no, I didn't mean it like that," he sweatdropped. "Please don't kill me."
"Just messing with you," I chuckled. "I do see your point though. I already mad my order. It's a bra that works like duct tape only better. It well makes a chest look flat. I had to get the largest one of course. I don't blame you for looking either. It's not like you can't notice them." I blushed.
"Well you got the chest covered," he said. "You're gonna cut your hair too?"
"Yes," I replied. "Snipping it right off."
"One more problem," he said. "Your eyes."
"Hmm, I didn't come across that in mind yet," I folded my arms across my chest. "Thanks for reminding me. Raptors don't have blue eyes, that they don't. I'll have to get me some green contact then."
"If we get that all done, then it'll work," he smiled. He then frowned. "But, Rip, if they find you out, that's a death sentence."
"I know," I replied. "Like they could though. If that happening, I won't mention any names, promise." I gave him a wink.
He smiled at me. "Alright then, let's get to work."