Colony X-4363A, L2 Colony Cluster, Outer Space
Olivia "Liv" Longstreet knew she was in trouble. From the minute she set foot into that dark alley, she knew something was bound to go wrong. It was just the way her luck always turned out. Her "family" had sent her to crack the lock to the back of a bank so they could sneak in and steal money. In truth, they weren't her real family with the exception of her father, who ran the whole operation. They were just a street gang trying to make do and survive. Liv had been born without knowing how or who her biological mother was. All she knew and had ever known was her "family". Unlike the rest of them, who were loud, foul-mouthed, avaricious and not very bright, she was soft-spoken, kind wholly unselfish and highly intelligent. She was also pretty attractive, when not covered in dirt and grime as she was now. She had long, waist length blonde hair that would have been downy and soft had it not been covered with filth. Her eyes were unique in that her right one was a soft cerulean blue while her left was a muted forest green. Her appearance and intelligence were very useful to her gang as they exploited her for all she was worth. It was only because of her father's intervention that she wasn't forced to use her body for money. Even so, he wasn't a very caring father as he constantly beat her. Her gang wasn't much better as they picked, needled and sometimes hurt her. But they were the only people she had ever known and she had to trust them with her welfare.
Stepping nimbly into the alley, she spotted the external terminal that regulated the bank's power supply. She had a way with electronics and it came in handy. All she had to do was find a way to disable the alarm, short the security system, then wait for her group to meet up with her. It would have been a piece of cake if they had done it at night, but her father in his infinite wisdom, had decided to stage the raid during the day. Gave them an element of surprise, he said. Liv had her misgivings, but she kept her mouth shut, lest she receive a slap across the face. Now all she could hope was that the raid would go down smooth and that none of the myriad number of people passing by noticed the dirty, grimy girl at the end of the alley picking at a power box.
Liv had jimmied the cover to the terminal open when she sensed that she wasn't alone anymore. Looking over her shoulder, she gulped in fear. There were six or seven big, burly figures standing behind her, watching. She set the cover on the ground and squinted so she could distinguish if it was any of her gang that had followed her. She swallowed again when she realized that they weren't. She knew from the red bandanas they all wore on their right leg. They were the Kriegs, a rival gang to her own. And a bunch of them had managed to find her in the dark alley.
"Well, what do we have here?" one of the large men, probably the leader, addressed to the open air. He looked pointedly at Liv and smiled, showing rotted black stumps where teeth should have been.
"It looks like a little street wench, Billy Jack," another heavyset guy behind the leader said. "Can't we have a little fun now?"
Liv knew exactly where she was going if she didn't act fast. The Kriegs had a really bad reputation. Gripping the cover to the terminal, which was just a long piece of hard metal, she looked frantically for an escape route. Desperate, her mind thought of all her possible options. To stay meant certain torture and death at the hands of the Kriegs. To try to make a run for it meant she had a very minute chance of getting out of there with her life. To do so, however, she would have to run through the seven or so guys to daylight. And they were getting closer, so she made up her mind right then and there. Pulling the cover along, she stepped towards the leader Billy Jack and in one fluid motion swung the cover into his knee. She was strangely satisfied when she heard a resounding crack and Billy Jack scream in pain. He crumpled to the ground, clutching his knee. Liv faced the next six guys. While she was a street urchin and had had her own share of fights, her limited experience certainly did her no good as she was going up against hardened street thugs. She feinted forward towards the next thug and he stepped back as she threw a fake punch to ward him off. She tried the same ploy, feinting forward with her fist, but this time the thug was ready for her. He grabbed her hand and twisted hard to the right, making her twist and cry out in pain. The man then threw her into the hard brick wall, knocking her head against the wall, causing her to see stars. As she tried to get her bearings again, the thugs were upon her. She felt as if she was being pummeled by a set of twelve jackhammers as they pounded away at her frail, worn out form, landing rock hard punches on her head, in her stomach, all over.
Suddenly the pounding stopped as one of the thugs was kicked into an adjacent wall by a lean, dark figure. The figure darted between the thugs, knocking them senseless to the ground. A punch to the gut, a kick to the forehead, a palm to the chin, that was all Liv was able to make out of her swollen eyes. By the time she had slumped to the ground, quivering in pain, the dark figure had floored every single one of the thugs. It then approached Liv. She thought she could see a long, brown ponytail swinging behind the figure's back as it came closer. Then it spoke.
"Are you all right?" it, or rather, he asked in a pleasant masculine voice, although it was laced with concern.
Liv tried to say something, but her split lip hurt too much, so she just shook her head.
Her unknown savior shook his head. "Didn't think so. Let's get you to a hospital."
Liv nodded slowly, as moving her head even slightly hurt like hell. The man bent down and cradled her shattered body in his arms. As he carried her towards the light, she was able to get a better view of his face. Chestnut brown bangs that covered his forehead just above a pair of intense cobalt blue eyes and a handsome face that right now bore and expression of concern and concentration. He looked over at her and noticed her staring. He smiled and spoke. "Hey there. My name's Duo. Don't worry about anything; I'll take care of you. You'll live." He canted his head a bit. "What's your name?"
She shook her head as she tried to remember that particular piece of information. Her battered brain couldn't even come with that. Suddenly a massive wave of pain ran through her head and she moaned. As she was about to black out, she finally remembered who she was. She managed to croak "Liv" before the darkness consumed her world completely.
Olivia "Liv" Longstreet knew she was in trouble. From the minute she set foot into that dark alley, she knew something was bound to go wrong. It was just the way her luck always turned out. Her "family" had sent her to crack the lock to the back of a bank so they could sneak in and steal money. In truth, they weren't her real family with the exception of her father, who ran the whole operation. They were just a street gang trying to make do and survive. Liv had been born without knowing how or who her biological mother was. All she knew and had ever known was her "family". Unlike the rest of them, who were loud, foul-mouthed, avaricious and not very bright, she was soft-spoken, kind wholly unselfish and highly intelligent. She was also pretty attractive, when not covered in dirt and grime as she was now. She had long, waist length blonde hair that would have been downy and soft had it not been covered with filth. Her eyes were unique in that her right one was a soft cerulean blue while her left was a muted forest green. Her appearance and intelligence were very useful to her gang as they exploited her for all she was worth. It was only because of her father's intervention that she wasn't forced to use her body for money. Even so, he wasn't a very caring father as he constantly beat her. Her gang wasn't much better as they picked, needled and sometimes hurt her. But they were the only people she had ever known and she had to trust them with her welfare.
Stepping nimbly into the alley, she spotted the external terminal that regulated the bank's power supply. She had a way with electronics and it came in handy. All she had to do was find a way to disable the alarm, short the security system, then wait for her group to meet up with her. It would have been a piece of cake if they had done it at night, but her father in his infinite wisdom, had decided to stage the raid during the day. Gave them an element of surprise, he said. Liv had her misgivings, but she kept her mouth shut, lest she receive a slap across the face. Now all she could hope was that the raid would go down smooth and that none of the myriad number of people passing by noticed the dirty, grimy girl at the end of the alley picking at a power box.
Liv had jimmied the cover to the terminal open when she sensed that she wasn't alone anymore. Looking over her shoulder, she gulped in fear. There were six or seven big, burly figures standing behind her, watching. She set the cover on the ground and squinted so she could distinguish if it was any of her gang that had followed her. She swallowed again when she realized that they weren't. She knew from the red bandanas they all wore on their right leg. They were the Kriegs, a rival gang to her own. And a bunch of them had managed to find her in the dark alley.
"Well, what do we have here?" one of the large men, probably the leader, addressed to the open air. He looked pointedly at Liv and smiled, showing rotted black stumps where teeth should have been.
"It looks like a little street wench, Billy Jack," another heavyset guy behind the leader said. "Can't we have a little fun now?"
Liv knew exactly where she was going if she didn't act fast. The Kriegs had a really bad reputation. Gripping the cover to the terminal, which was just a long piece of hard metal, she looked frantically for an escape route. Desperate, her mind thought of all her possible options. To stay meant certain torture and death at the hands of the Kriegs. To try to make a run for it meant she had a very minute chance of getting out of there with her life. To do so, however, she would have to run through the seven or so guys to daylight. And they were getting closer, so she made up her mind right then and there. Pulling the cover along, she stepped towards the leader Billy Jack and in one fluid motion swung the cover into his knee. She was strangely satisfied when she heard a resounding crack and Billy Jack scream in pain. He crumpled to the ground, clutching his knee. Liv faced the next six guys. While she was a street urchin and had had her own share of fights, her limited experience certainly did her no good as she was going up against hardened street thugs. She feinted forward towards the next thug and he stepped back as she threw a fake punch to ward him off. She tried the same ploy, feinting forward with her fist, but this time the thug was ready for her. He grabbed her hand and twisted hard to the right, making her twist and cry out in pain. The man then threw her into the hard brick wall, knocking her head against the wall, causing her to see stars. As she tried to get her bearings again, the thugs were upon her. She felt as if she was being pummeled by a set of twelve jackhammers as they pounded away at her frail, worn out form, landing rock hard punches on her head, in her stomach, all over.
Suddenly the pounding stopped as one of the thugs was kicked into an adjacent wall by a lean, dark figure. The figure darted between the thugs, knocking them senseless to the ground. A punch to the gut, a kick to the forehead, a palm to the chin, that was all Liv was able to make out of her swollen eyes. By the time she had slumped to the ground, quivering in pain, the dark figure had floored every single one of the thugs. It then approached Liv. She thought she could see a long, brown ponytail swinging behind the figure's back as it came closer. Then it spoke.
"Are you all right?" it, or rather, he asked in a pleasant masculine voice, although it was laced with concern.
Liv tried to say something, but her split lip hurt too much, so she just shook her head.
Her unknown savior shook his head. "Didn't think so. Let's get you to a hospital."
Liv nodded slowly, as moving her head even slightly hurt like hell. The man bent down and cradled her shattered body in his arms. As he carried her towards the light, she was able to get a better view of his face. Chestnut brown bangs that covered his forehead just above a pair of intense cobalt blue eyes and a handsome face that right now bore and expression of concern and concentration. He looked over at her and noticed her staring. He smiled and spoke. "Hey there. My name's Duo. Don't worry about anything; I'll take care of you. You'll live." He canted his head a bit. "What's your name?"
She shook her head as she tried to remember that particular piece of information. Her battered brain couldn't even come with that. Suddenly a massive wave of pain ran through her head and she moaned. As she was about to black out, she finally remembered who she was. She managed to croak "Liv" before the darkness consumed her world completely.