Revenge of the Crow
Night 5 - Kuroda Jirougorou
By: Yin-Yang
The night seemed to be nearly over and Amalie was getting frustrated fast. According to her crow, whom she had dubbed Black Bird, there was one more man that had helped in destroying her life but so far there was no sign of him. How hard could it be to search for him?
She panted softly as she jumped from rooftop to rooftop, embracing the chilly night air as it caressed her icy flesh, pumping her arms as she stepped off the edge of a rooftop, feeling like she was truly flying for a brief moment before landing hard on her feet in a crouched position, looking around fro the curtain of midnight strands before focusing on the skylight of the current building she had landed on. She could hear some classical music coming from inside, something along the likes of Mozart. She stayed perfectly still though even as she felt the black bird caw before swooping down and gingerly landed on her bare shoulder. The woman blinked as she carefully crawled over on her hands and knees before she was at the edge of the sun roof and peered inside. There was where she had found her fourth victim.
Kuroda 'Rajura' Jirougorou was also known as the Gen Masho for his ability to manipulate one's mind to the point of sanity. He was a magician and saw it as a challenge to control as many minds as he could but grew tired easily of these mind games. Like a spider he would lure his intend victims to his lair, spin them in his webs of deception then, then do with them as he saw fit. Just now he was showing off his skills to some other people she had never met but they seemed just like the others. Men who thought they were hot shots just because they dealt with drugs and illegal firearms. It made her want to retch if she could. They were all sitting comfortable in what appeared to be the living room with the lights turned dim but standing in the middle of the rough circle was a young man who didn't look any older than herself. Curious she peered in closer and watched as Rajura circled the young man, whispering something to him but she couldn't hear. Lifting his hands she caught the sight of something wrapping between his fingers but she wasn't sure. It looked like string but what could he possible do with that?
The boy stood perfectly still, letting the extra fine piece of silk be wrapped around his wrists and ankles as if he were being held in place. He looked like he was in a daze as he was let the white haired man touch him openly, tying the thread very tightly to the point where it was already biting into the flesh. She couldn't help but peer closer and carefully pressed her hands against the glass, wondering what his plans were.
Rajura was a handsome man, she couldn't deny that. His snowy white hair fells in soft curls past his shoulder and his skin was very fair, giving him the look of someone who was ill or just seemed to like to wear that white face powder but he seemed to have expensive tastes. He wore a silk shirt the color of rich wine with leather pants encasing his long legs. From her aerial view he looked to be very tall, slender with unearth grace but he also seemed to know what he was doing. He smirked, tossing his hair over his shoulders once more to reveal his left side of his face covered by an eye patch but the other eye was a very pale, ice blue color. Amalie shivered lightly and it had nothing to do with the cool breeze of the rapidly dying night.
Once the young man was wrapped in the glittering silk, keeping very still but it had to be an act. She frowned when the Gen Masho gestured to one of the men. The man smirked, walking to the bound youth with a gleaming knife in his hand. Words she couldn't hear passed between them but eyes widen as the man reached out and ran the sharp tip along the man's body, cutting the flesh ever so lightly so that a thin line of blood appeared. Rajura's smile grew as he nodded to him continue. He just stood there, watching as the man cut the blood open, pausing time to time to lick the clean away like it was some sort of delicacy but that was just wrong. The victim had no idea what was going on but the meager struggling he did was no good; the more he jerked his wrists the tighter the thread seemed to become, biting deeper into the flesh before blood began to slowly roll down his arms.
"Kami-sama…" the young woman breathed, feeling her empty stomach churn as the sight that she wanted to look away and gag but she couldn't. Another part wanted to barge in and cut those flighty men up, to see how they liked it but again her mind couldn't seem to control her body. She felt like a lifeless puppet, waiting for someone to pick her up and make her dance.
The young man smirked as he slowly made his way to his latest victim, stopping behind him so their bodies were flush and told the men to back away and watch a real master at work. Slowly he ran his hands up the bloodied body, not minding in the least bit as the crimson liquid stained his clothing but dug his long fingers into some of the deeper cuts, making the boy wince in pain and cause even more blood to fall. The men laughed, elbowing the one another with knowing smirks on their faces as they continued to watch. He kept making the boy bleed and whimper, slowly running his hands up the bound arms and traced the blooded thread that threaten to slit his wrists open when he looked up at the sun roof. Blinking his pale blue gaze locked onto that of stunned violet before they quickly pulled back.
'It seems I have an unexpected visitor,' he thought to himself, slowly running his hands back down the body and stepped back. "Gentlemen I grew tired of this game already," he said with a pout, voice smoother than silk and sweeter than honey but carefully gestured to the sky-light above. The men were confused but merely glanced and knew that they must have an unexpected visitor.
"So now what do you want to play?" one of the men asked, busy licking the blood off his short dagger before carefully sliding it into his boot.
"I don' know… but I think I have another game you all may find much more enjoyable. Just follow me and we can begin the game very soon." Leaving the young man boy where he stood the one-eyed man led the men out of the room. The only light came from the large window in the ceiling, bathing ht bound man in the silver light even as his blood slowly fell to the floor in tiny rivers. A minute went by before the very soft creak of the window being opened and a black figure landed in the room soundlessly. Dark amethyst eyes scanned the room carefully, crouched on all fours before slowly straightening and walked over to the figure. The young man was her age and looked average in a cute way, if it wasn't for all the blood that nearly caked hi body. Reaching out she let her fingertips brush against his cheek before she pulled back, the surge of electricity. That mere touch and she felt his pain and his emotions. He was in pain but he was also shamed and wanted release. He wanted to die but Rajura never killed him. He always kept him alive o play this game over and over.
"Release…" she breathed softy, slowly reaching out with hesitant hands as she gently cupped his face and felt even more emotions surge through her mind. More fear, more anguish, more everything.
His life was a good one; he had a loving family and younger sister whom he adored to no end. But then his father was killed in the line of duty, leaving him to be the man of the household at the tender age of seven. His mother worked long hours for meager earnings and he tried to help but then a man came in, saying he could make their troubles go away. They had believed him and for that first few years life was good as new. They had a home, food, clothing, and his mother had remarried but to Rajura. He wasn't aware of what he was doing until one night he stumbled into his parents' bedroom and saw as his step-father was doing the same thing to his mother as he was doing to him now. Rajura threaten if he told anyone he would do the same to his sister so he kept it in. But when his mother was rushed to the hospital one morning because of massive blood loss he told the police everything. That was his big mistake.
His mother die of blood loss a few days later, his home was burned to the ground, and his sister was missing. His life as he knew it was gone and in his deepest pit of depression his step-father found him and since then had been nothing more but a toy for him to amuse himself with. He was about sixteen years old now and had been in this hell with the Gen Masho for the last five years.
With a weak cry Amelia pulled away, stumbling back a few feet before slowly dropping to her knees. She didn't bother to suppress the shivers racing along, mutely staring at he hands that were covered in the boy's blood. "How can someone do that to their family… even if the family wasn't of his blood…" she asked softly, feeling tears prick at her eyes before she stiffened and whirled on her knees. "You!!"
Rajura laughed at he girl's expression, find it amusing as he flipped the lights on. "Well what do we have here?" he asked in an amused tone, "a fallen angel has entered my humble home? Tell me my little darkling, should I be honored or weary?"
"Depends. Do you feel lucky tonight?" She growled angrily as she slowly stood, clenching her hands into tight fists that shook with surpassed anger.
"Oh a feisty one!!" He laughed before waving his hands at the men. Gentlemen I did promise you a new game and here she is. We haven't tried a young woman in such a long time I've almost forgotten how it felt. So I give the first honors to you."
"Why Rajura you are too kind!" one of them said with a mock bow, stepping forward as he pulled out two pocket knives. A sadistic grin was planted on his face as he walked towards the young woman, seeing her tremble in what he thought was fear but that was his big mistake. As soon as he was within striking range Amelia reached out with a vicious high kick that connected with his jaw. She had the satisfaction of hearing his jaw shatter upon impact before sailing through the air and crashed into a small table. The man sputtered as he spit out a mouthful of teeth and blood, unable to speak and just gurgled like a baby after feeding. The others watched with wide eyes at the woman who wordlessly picked up the dropped knives and held them ready.
"You sad that you weren't sure if you should feel honored or weary of my presence, Gen Masho of Arago. If I were in your position I would be pissing my pants in fear right now." She was clearly mocking him, in his own home!
"Get her you bakas!! She can't take you all at once!!" he ordered and watched as they rushed in but soon realize what a grave mistake that was.
The girl fought like a wild cat, slicing the air easily with the small knives but with every hit she seemed to have spurted crimson oil. Throats were slit at first but when she tired to use them in stabbing she quickly lost them and reverted to kicking and hitting the men. For her small frame they easily underestimated her and her attacks. Just a few well placed aims and kneecaps were shattered, wrists broken, and jaws dislocated. Reaching down she picked up a weapon, pausing as the bloodied history of the item came into mind before she found the owner and began to cut him up in a fury of swipes. Screaming in rage she plunged the thing deep in his chest before picking up another one, a short sword this time, and lunged at its owner. She showed no mercy to any of them as she gave the bastards their just desserts with their own tools of destruction. When she was done she had her own fair amount of damage done to herself.
Her clothing barely hung onto her frame in shredded cloth, her dark hair cast a shadow over her eyes and she was covered in blood from the men and her won, panting heavily as she straighten and made her way to the man.
Never had he seen anyone kill like her. She defeated all these men who were easily twice her size and weight in half an hour, with their very own weapons and now their carcasses and blood decorated his apartment. "What are you?" h asked before gasping as she pounced on him, wrapping her hands around his throat as she tried to squeeze it.
"You… You have spent your life destroying lives just for your sick games…" she growled, easily reading his mind as panic washed over the both of them. She tightened her grip so the point where her fingers were starting to ache but she didn't dare stop. "You killed my family… You tortured your own family… and you enjoyed it? Why? Why did do you do these things?!" she screamed as loud as she could, blinking rapidly but it did nothing to stop the flow of tears.
"W-Why? You ask me that?" Despite having his throat being slowly crushed by such a strange and unusual woman he began to laugh, however weak it was. Closing his good open he opened it and almost immediately had her mind trapped within his grasp. Studying all those years of yoga lessons paid off since he couldn't be hurt. He had learned how to block his body from pain and discomfort; after mastering such a powerful technique he then learned how to manipulate others' minds for his benefit. That's why Arago asked him to join his ranks. Pushing the girl back he probed her mind further but suddenly drew back with a shriek of his own. Something had literally attacked his mind, something he had never come across in such a long time he shook his head but watched as the young woman slowly stood. He always in fascination as her wounds were slowly closing up, her blood seeping back into her body but she didn't seem to care.
"You… I could cut you to pieces like I did Oni… or skin you like Yami… or give you a overdose of venom as I did Doku… but you wouldn't feel any of it…" she stated matter-of-factly, his eyes boring into his own as a ebony crow landed on her bare shoulder, cawing angrily at him. "But you can still be killed…"
"You… You're the one that killed ht others?" he asked weakly, crawling backwards on his hands as he tried to reach the door and escape. "What are you?? Some kind of demon?!"
"In a way. I am all those people your master has killed, lives that have been destroyed in your name, souls tormented because they cannot rest in peace until you and everyone in your organization are gone from this world. To you I may be a demon, but to others such as that boy, I'm an angel. I do not agree of disagree but I am one thing." She smiled as her eyes seemed to glow and a mysterious wind picked up around her, sending her hair to fly all around her face as some scraps of her clothing were torn off. "I am the revenge of the crow." She smirked at the man soiled his pants before taking off as fast as he could but she didn't pursue him. Instead she went to the boy and with the bird's help cut him down. Kneeling in the middle of the floor she realized he didn't have long to live and that he would never be the same after this. Cradling him to her chest she softly began to hum a song she had heard before coming from someone's radio.
"Playground school bell rings again
rain clouds come to play again
has no one told you she's not breathing?
hello I'm your mind giving you someone to talk to
hello"
"if I smile and don't believe
soon I know I'll wake from this dream
don't try to fix me I'm not broken
hello I'm the lie living for you so you can hide
don't cry"
"suddenly I know I'm not sleeping
hello I'm still here
all that's left of yesterday"
When the police got a call from an anonymous tipper about suspicious activities at the residents of one Kuroda Jirougorou, aka Rajura the Gen Masho, they were expecting the worse. Rounding up the men with the strongest stomachs they went in with a SWAT team, preparing for anything. Within minutes the apartment complex was surrounded, police went in and escorted people out so none would be sued as hostages or such before going to Rajura's door. They tried knocking but found the door unlocked and even opened. Pushing it inside they saw lights were on and gapped at the number of bodies spewed around the living room. The walls were bathed in the blood with short swords, daggers, and other sharp objects embedded either in their chests, stomachs, backs, or even crotch. Just looking they knew no one was alive but they saw a light coming from the bedroom at the end of the hallway. Two of the SWAT members moved forward, warning the others to be on guard and rammed into the room. What they say made them drop their guns to the floor.
The room was elegant with a giant, four poster bed with the sheets glittering with a spider web pattern but what was on the bed was what they were not expecting. A young boy was lying there, obviously dead but it looked like someone had prepared him for a funeral. He wore black clothing and had pieces of a silken curtain wrapped around his body, as if to stop the blood flow. One of the men walked forward, reaching out to see if the child was alive but he felt no pulse. Looking at his partner he slowly shook his head.
"Who would do this?" he asked in a slightly strained tone, wondering why someone would go through the trouble of doing this.
"I don't know…" he trailed off when he saw that folded neatly in the boy's hand was a note. Carefully he pulled it out and read it. "Kami… you better read this." Handing the note over he wordlessly pulled the satin sheets back and covered the boy completely with it. The other man was puzzled but looked at it even as he softly read it aloud.
" 'By the time you read this I will have been gone I'm sure. The man who called himself Rajura, aka Gen Masho, is still out there somewhere but leave him to me. We have some unfinished business to attend to. The man all deserved what they got and if you want proof look around the living room. Hiding somewhere should be a tape recorder. How do I know this? … Let's just say a littler birdie told me.
The child is Rajura's step-son and I want you to give him a proper burial. I don't want to come back and find out you place him in some plot with no tomb stone saying 'John Doe' or some bullshit like that. Place his full name there and if the child has any living relatives let them know what happened. And should you find his sister… tell her what happened. If she is dead… let her be buried next to her brother. Should you not do this I will find out and I will kill you all like I did those pigs.
No one should have to lose their lives to these bastards… but they will all pay. Shuten, Anubis, Naaza, Rajura and their boss have been a black dagger that has lodged itself in this city's heart, sucking away all the life like a sick leech until nothing has remained. I will not let them get away with this any longer. Revenge of the crow shall be known before the week is over.' " There was no signature but a sketch drawing of a crow in flight on the bottom corner of the paper. The man looked at his partner and saw that whoever wrote this note meant business. Here were going to do as the note said and radioed downstairs that they should send over some body bags and call up the nearest funeral home. And to be on the look out of one Kuroda 'Rajura' Jirougorou.
Maybe it was a mistake to come here but he had no other choice. He had been scared out of his mind and thought that his boss would protect him from that demoness. He should have remembered that his boss didn't approve of failures and had tortured him quite a bit before letting him drop to his knees before him. His entire body ached, he coughed and was surprised to see blood speckle from his lips.
"A-Arago-sama…" he began but was silenced when the man held a hand up.
"I am disappointed Rajura…" the figure said in a deep, booming voice. "I had thought you would have more sense that the others… But her you are. Afraid of a mere child…"
"B-But she's not as she appears to be!! She can magically heal herself and was able to withstand my mental manipulations!!"
"Indeed… I have warned you of your games but you chose not to listen… and now you must pay the price…"
"Arago-sama…"
"Sayonara, my Gen Masho…" A sharp snap was heard and the floor suddenly opened up underneath the young man. He cried out as he fell in a vat of ice cold water and tried to swim to eth surface but it was sealed on all sides. Looking around he found himself in a very large fish tank, large enough to fit a dozen people but he couldn't get out. He pounded on the glass, trying to break his way free but nothing. That girl was right, she could beat him until he was black and blue, skin him alive, do countless torture to him but he wouldn't bat an eye. However, he was still a human being and everyone had fears and weaknesses. His was the water and the fear of drowning.
'Water. Too much damn water. Couldn't get out of it. Pulling me down like… like it was an animal hell bent on killing me as slowly as it could. Dragging me to its lair.'
'Can't breathe. The water's all around me. Pressing on my chest trying to force me to breathe even though it knows it'll kill me. Taunting me. It knows. It knows it's stronger than I am. It knows that while it can keep up with its never changing pace I will eventually break.'
'They lie. They say that the water is just that, water. But they're wrong. It changes too much to be something that isn't… isn't alive. Alive. That's the only way to describe it.'
'It's killing me. All around me. Surrounding me. Can't breathe. It hurts. I can't win this fight. I have to breathe. I know I can't but…'
The man known as Arago watched as the figure of the Masho went still, kind of floating in the tank with his good eye open to reveal pure, unhidden fear. "Take this out of my site and dispose of it…" he sighed, waving his hand as some of his men took the tank away. But now he was curious, who was this girl and what were these abilities of hers? Regardless he knew he had to meet her… and take her powers as his own. Then there would be no one to stop him.
Author's Note: Okay I am finally done!! I want to say thanks to a good friend of mine who gave me the thoughts Rajura was thinking as he was drowning. This was the hardest part to complete in the chapter because I wanted him to die but not like the others. I was talking with my friend and she mention she had a fear of drowning and she helped me write it.
Yes this story is like 'The Crow' but I tried to make it my own story as well. Amelia is my first (and successful) attempt at making an original character that wasn't perfect (Mary-Sue). I forgot what first gave met he idea but I liked it and decided to try it out on the computer.
Sorry for taking so long but man oh man, I have too many stories going on at once and some I took down to revise. But no need to worry this one is almost done. Two more chapters and it will be complete. Review and e-mail me if you like. And thanks for understanding why I was taking so long. Laterz!
Oh yeah!! The song Amelia sings to the boy is by Evanescence called 'Hello' on their album 'Fallen'. I was gong put another song but this one was shorter and seemed to fit in better. And let me tell you I was crying when I typed this!! Really I was!!