Chapter 4: New Friends
Nikita
As I lay on the grass I stared straight into the sky aimlessly. It was a bright, beautiful day and everyone was enjoying it except me. I sat up and dried my eyes.
"Niki, have you been crying?" asked my best friend Linda who lay next to me, "that bastard father of yours hit you again, didn't he!?" Sure he did, I thought, but hitting me wasn't the worst thing he had ever done to me. "Niki, you're so easygoing," Linda continued, "why do you let him take advantage of you like this?" What!? Did she know!?
"What do you mean 'take advantage of me'?" I asked hurriedly. Linda sat up as well and touched my arm.
"These bruises on your arm, didn't get there by themselves, Niki," she replied. I breathed a sigh of relief.
"Oh! Um...Linda, if it's alright with you, I'd prefer not to talk about my father right now," I said. She nodded and smiled.
"I'm sorry, Niki," she apologized, "hey! I know! Let's go see Aren. Who knows, you might even see that cute guy you were telling me about." Aren was my only cousin and he was a child prodigy in the martial arts world. He was insanely fast and almost as strong. His skill was unsurpassed as far as I knew, and he was just thirteen years old. Ever since he moved in with us, my father didn't even try to 'take advantage of me'.
"I think I'll take a rain check," I said, lying back on the grass, "Aren's mentor isn't that cute." Linda sucked her teeth as she got up.
"You say that about every guy who shows any interest in you," she said, "you shouldn't let what happens with your dad interfere with your life. Not all guys are bad. You'll see, one day your Prince Charming will sweep you off your feet." She jumped on her bicycle and soon my best friend was gone.
"All alone now," I whispered. I could feel the tears fighting to come out. "I just wish I could just go away, start afresh, where no one cares about my...I hope Linda's right. I could really do with a Prince Charming right about now." I gazed at the sky and my vision became blurred when tears formed in my eyes. All of a sudden, I spotted four spherical shaped objects falling out of the sky. There was a slope to their descent and after a while, they crash-landed into the ground, creating a huge cloud of dirt and dust. I rose quickly to my feet and covered my face from the dust cloud. When it dissipated, I dusted off my skirt and hopped onto my bike.
"They couldn't have landed far away from here," I told myself, pedaling like crazy, "Seems that today won't be so boring after all." People on the streets were running around like crazy, as if they believed that we were being invaded by aliens. I cut through some side streets to avoid this panic and was halfway through the city in a matter of minutes. I soon came upon a park, which seemed to be ground zero of the crash. I abandoned my bike and continued on foot. Soon I came across four small craters and in them were the four round shaped objects I had seen earlier, each with an open door. Just then, I heard some voices coming from a clearing, past some trees.
"Well, what now Jin? We've got these people in a panic," came a girl's voice. I hid behind a tree and peered at the four people. They all seemed to be around my age, even the green one. They even wore normal clothes. The girl wore a pink T-shirt and a pair of jeans, with sandals. The dark skinned guy called Jin had on a white sleeveless muscle shirt, a pair of black, three quarter jeans and black sneakers. The guy with the monkey tail wore a black leather jacket over a white T-shirt, a pair of jeans and leather boots. The green guy wore yellow clothes, from top to bottom. They each had a sort of device over their eye.
Jin didn't answer her. He seemed to be in pain as he hugged his abdomen.
"Told you not to eat Jeran's cooking," said the guy with the tail. The girl pouted and seemed offended.
"Who asked you?" she asked roughly, turning to him with a glare. The green guy shook his head and stepped between them.
"Don't worry, Jeran, I like your food," he said, obviously trying to calm her down.
"Why thank you, Furion," answered Jeran, cheering up a bit. Jin seemed to have recovered from his stomachache.
"Need I remind you, Jeran, Furion doesn't eat," he said finally, causing Jeran to sulk even more, "as for the current situation, it can't be helped. We'll split up and search the city for recruits. Furion, you're with me, Jeran...unfortunately you're stuck with Joel. We'll meet back here tomorrow morning." The blonde haired girl groaned and Joel just grinned at her discomfort. Together, they both walked off in the opposite direction. Jin and Furion came in my direction. I ducked to avoid being seen and, not knowing why, I followed them.
"Who are these people?" I asked myself, "and what do they mean by 'searching for recruits'?" The two 'aliens' made their way into the city and they both began gazing as the people gathered in the streets.
"The people on this planet make some...interesting bumper stickers," said Jin eventually, "there's one about love and another about sticking up for yourself."
"You know, you didn't have to burst Jeran's bubble," said Furion, ignoring his friend's observations. Jin looked at his companion.
"You're right, I should've stopped myself," he admitted, "you get any high powerlevels yet?" Furion shook his head.
"If you mean that strong power we felt yesterday from this planet, no," he replied, "Jin, how does it feel? What you wished for, I mean? Do you feel anything yet?"
"Well, other than my hair getting unmanageably spiky and these constant stomachaches...nothing," he replied casually.
"You mean Jeran's cooking wasn't the reason...?" began Furion.
"Nah!!" interrupted Jin, "although it did have me in the bathroom, throwing up all night." The two companions continued walking on the sidewalk and then they abruptly turned into an alley. I followed swiftly, ducking behind a dumpster and I peered out at them. The dark skinned guy and his green friend were now just looking around the place, almost as if they sensed something approaching.
"We've got company," observed Furion. Jin nodded.
"I sensed them a while ago," said Jin, "You can come out now!!" He started to walk my way and I heard his footsteps. He was getting closer to the dumpster and my heart skipped a beat. I was afraid...no terrified and silently cursed myself for following them. Wait a sec...! Didn't Jin just say that he sensed 'them'? Before I could think any further, three men dressed up like ninjas ran vertically down the walls of the buildings on either side of the alley. They landed with a 'thud' and quickly surrounded the two guys. I gasped when I recognized them. These were the Magi, the most ruthless thugs in the city! I sank further behind the dumpster in fear. They were notorious for attacking, and eventually killing, unsuspecting citizens. The Magi ninjas began to chuckle diabolically. Jin and Furion kept their eyes on them.
"Oh, an ambush," said Jin, folding his arms in apparent boredom, "how original."
"Ooh, sarcastic little bastard, aren't you? I'm gonna enjoy making you bleed," said the first Magi, twirling a hooked chain, "the name's Caspar, my associates are Belthesar and Melchior. Now, you're gonna hand over all your money or..." He was rudely silenced when Furion's fist struck his abdomen. His movements were so swift that I could have sworn that the green skinned alien hadn't moved an inch! The other two ninjas were caught equally as off guard as Furion quickly dispersed them with a flurry of punches. I was greatly alarmed at Furion's speed. He was faster than little Aren!
"Furion, you rock," commended Jin, who hadn't moved an inch during the ordeal, "but there's still one more left. I believe she's behind the dumpster." I let out a startled cry when Jin suddenly appeared in front of me.
"Please...please don't hurt me!" I cried as he advanced on me. To my surprise Jin offered me his hand.
"If I wanted to do that you wouldn't be breathing right now, miss," he said with a smile. I gazed at his hand for a while before finally accepting it. "Sorry I frightened you," he apologized.
"How did you get by me so fast?" was all I could think of asking. Jin smiled again, a smile that I would later grow fond of.
"Questions? Alright, I'll play. It's a little trick I like to call zanzokening," he replied, "Now it's my turn. Might I ask a beautiful lady her name?" My face flashed crimson instantly and I quickly turned to avoid being seen.
"N-Nikita," I stuttered, "and you are Jin and your friend is called Furion." I turned to face them again, having recovered from my blushing fit. "Are you aliens? If you are, what is your purpose here? C'mon you can tell me," I pleaded.
Jin told me everything and I marveled at them.
"Wow! So that's what you meant by searching for recruits. Maybe I can help," I suggested, eagerly, "if it's a strong fighter you're looking for then my little cousin Aren is the one. He's usually at one of the dojos in town. C'mon, I'll take you to them." Jin and Furion watched each other for a second and then the dark skinned fighter nodded.
"Lead on, sweet Nikita," he stated. I blushed yet again. He liked me, that much was obvious, and I must admit he was cute, but would he like me, would anyone like me if they knew. I couldn't afford to let any guy get really close to me.
"P-please don't say that," I said, turning away. I gasped when Jin rested his hand on my shoulder and he gave me a quizzical look.
"I can't help it," he simply replied. A strange feeling came over me and I just couldn't say anything.
I took them to four martial arts dojos in our search for Aren. My cousin wasn't there, but on all four occasions Jin said something to insult the masters of each dojo and ended up being challenged to fight. Jim politely declined, cowardice was my only explanation, but Furion the Namekian was more than happy to accept. He was amazing; his skills far exceeded those of the humans he fought. After a few hours I gave up. We couldn't find Aren, so I decided to buy them something to eat...well Jin anyways. The sky was getting dark and I knew that my father was already home from work.
Suddenly, I came out of my thoughts only to find Furion staring at me through the device over his eye. His stare made me feel very uncomfortable and, for some strange reason, vulnerable.
"Please don't," I said, lowering my eyes, "it feels as if you're staring into my soul." Furion smiled.
"Sorry, it's just a bad habit of mine," he said, "but I sense that you are troubled by something. I know that it's none of my business, but it helps to talk about it."
"You're right, it's none of your business," I began, taking a sip of my milkshake, "I don't think anyone can understand what I went through." Jin scratched his head.
"Aww...don't be too hard on him. He's just prone to staring at beautiful things," he said, sizing up an ice cream sundae that lay on the table before him, "Nikita, you're a very kind person. I'll bet that you're kind to everyone you meet. I mean, you were kind to us and you didn't even know us. But I'll bet some people take advantage of your kind and gentle nature. You mustn't let people mistake your kindness for weakness. If anyone does, and you don't stop them it'll be your fault that you're hurt. Stand up, fight, people will take advantage of you only if you let 'em!" Almost immediately after he said this to me he began to gobble the ice cream down. I gazed at Jin. What he said made me feel worse about myself, but I wasn't angry with him for it.
"Smarter than he looks, isn't he?" asked Furion. I nodded.
"He seems so serious all the time," I said, leaning closer to Furion and then whispering, "And he's seems like such a coward."
"Jin may be a bit childish, but if it's one thing he's not, it's a coward," explained Furion, while his friend stuffed his face, "Jin's gone through a lot in the past two years. He's missed out on things that humans his age normally go through, hence his seriousness." I took all of this in and gained a new respect for the dark skinned fighter.
"What were you two talking about?" queried Jin, who had finished his sundae and ordered another.
"We were just admiring the little speech you gave to Nikita," replied the Namekian.
"Huh? Read it on a bumper sticker," stated Jin, immediately devouring his second ice cream sundae.
"Jin you really shouldn't eat something so cold so fast or you could get..." I began. Just then, he grabbed his head with his hands and groaned in pain. "...Brain freeze..." I continued, "You must really like ice cream." Jin soon recovered.
"I haven't had one of these in five years," he explained. I looked at him in shock. "The academy frowns on junk food. They say it isn't good for a fighter's body," he said, patting his stomach.
"Maybe you shouldn't eat any then," I suggested. Jin shook his head and pouted childishly.
"C'mon, it was just one, okay maybe two. What could eating two ice cream sundaes possibly d... d..." he trailed off. His eyes grew wide and he clutched his abdomen in pain. He leaned sideways and fell out of his chair to the floor. Furion and I rose instantly.
"J-Jin, are you okay?" I asked, kneeling beside him. He just held his stomach and moaned in pain. I looked up at Furion in desperation.
"He's been having stomach pains for several days now, ever since he left my planet," stated the green alien. I gazed back at my friend with an over baring feeling of helplessness. I didn't know what to do. Suddenly, I heard Furion gasp and I followed his gaze to the back of Jin's pants, just below the belt. Something was bulging out of it, trying to get out. The more it bulged, the more Jin groaned and grimaced in pain. All of a sudden, to my great surprise, a light brown monkey tail burst out of Jin's pants and he grew silent and his eyes closed.
"What just happened, Furion!?" I demanded, totally freaked out. Everyone in the café was staring at us and the Namekian seemed uneasy.
"I don't like this," he said, lifting his unconscious friend "Let's get out of here." I followed him out the door and he began to walk in the direction of their space pods.
"Furion, is he okay? What happened?" I asked, trying to keep up with him.
"Those stomachaches must have been the pains caused by his body creating a tail," he said, as if trying to reason it out for himself, "then that would mean...of course!! The tail, the spiky hair!! Why didn't I see it before!? The wish he made turned him into a..." He trailed off as he slowly stared up into the sky.
"I heard Jin tell your other friends to meet back in the morning. Where are you guys gonna spend the night?" I asked. The sky was already dark and the only light came from the bright full moon that Furion was looking up at.
"We can't stay in our pods, that's for sure. I can't risk Jin seeing the full moon," he said, halting.
"What, he'll turn into a werewolf or something?" I asked jokingly. He gave me a glare that made me feel foolish.
"Or something!!" he cried, "We've got to get him out of the sight of the moon before he wakes up!" I could sense a sort of panic in him as Jin stirred in his arms.
"Well, I've got a farm on the edge of town," I told him, "you guys can stay in the barn. My dad doesn't take much to strangers, especially green ones."
"Which direction!?" he shouted. I pointed to the south. Furion grabbed me suddenly and began hovering in the air. "Hold on!" he exclaimed as he shot off to the south at very insane speeds. I was too exasperated to say anything, I just held on for dear life.
We arrived at the farm in no time at all and, after settling my friends into the barn, I quietly made my way inside, trying not to wake my father. The first sight I beheld was a bunch of empty beer cans scattered all over the floor. I became frightened. He'd been drinking! And I could see that Aren wasn't home either! I hurried to my room and changed into my nightgown and lay down on my bed. My father was drunk and little Aren wasn't here to stop him, so I knew that he'd come. Tears welled up in my eyes when I heard the door of my room open and the heavy footsteps of my father as he entered. He sat down on my bed beside me as I feigned sleep. He leaned over and I cringed when I felt his lips touch my neck. He passed a hand down the side of my body.
"Daddy, no, please!" I cried, pushing his hand away sharply. That only seemed to spur the drunkard on as he raised my nightgown, exposing my underwear. It was then that I remembered what Jin told me. As he began to pull my panties off I struck him as hard as I possibly could, but that only agitated him. He slapped me across the face and I lay there quietly sobbing. My father had succeeded in taking off my underwear leaving me entirely exposed. I felt so scared and embarrassed as he leaned in closer, so close that I could smell the beer in his breath.
Suddenly thoughts of Jin came flying through my head. We were standing about a metre apart.
"You mustn't let people mistake your kindness for weakness," he was saying, "if anyone does, and you don't stop them, it'll be your fault that you're hurt." I shook my head vigorously.
"I can't!" I sobbed, "I can't stop him. I've tried, and he just hit me!" Jin seemed angry with me.
"Stand up!" he yelled at me, "Fight!!" I kept shaking my head and crying.
"I can't, Jin, I just can't!!" I cried. The fighter's whole attitude changed in an instant. He walked up to me and took me in his arms, surprising me very much. I ceased crying and looked up at him as he embraced me. I felt some strange wave of emotions going through me that I had never felt before. He gave me a smile and wiped a rogue teardrop away from my cheek and spoke gently.
"People will take advantage of you only if you let 'em."
Suddenly, I blasted. I felt a sudden surge of power and anger that I had never felt before. A strange red light surrounded me as I angrily threw my father off of me with ease. I stood up and stared down at him with a look of complete wrath and it was his turn to cringe in fear. I grabbed him by the neck and lifted him, with one hand, off the floor. Inside me, a battle was being waged over what to do with him, but in the end, I found that I couldn't hurt him, no matter how badly I really wanted to. I saw the fear in his eyes and I saw myself in his fear. I didn't want to be like him. I threw him to the floor and sank to my knees, in my nakedness, just crying. My dad instantly dashed out of the room screaming that I was a demon.
"Nikita!?" came a voice. It was Jin, the real one, tail and all. He and Furion both burst into my room. "What happened?" he queried, running up to me. Furion threw my bed blanket to Jin, who covered me. My red aura had disappeared and the dark skinned fighter embraced me, trying to calm me down, as we both sat on our knees. I told Jin everything, about my father molesting me, and about my feelings for him, in the short time we knew each other.
"Why did you keep this a secret? There must have been someone you could have told," said Jin softly.
"No!! If anyone finds out, they'll want to have nothing to do with me," I replied.
"That's not true! You didn't do anything wrong anyways, and besides..." he stated, "I like you, Nikita." I looked at him in surprise. All this time I thought that Jin pitied me and 'forgot' his original advances.
"Really!? Even though you know?" I inquired, eagerly. He nodded.
"Even though," he answered. I felt better immediately. In Jin's arms I felt safe, safer than I had ever felt before.
"Take me with you," I whispered, "I may not be a good fighter, but...I can learn. Please?" Jin nodded again.
"Furion," he called, "you up for a trip?"
"Where to?" replied the Namekian.
"The ship. We need one more spacepod," said Jin. Furion nodded and blurred out of sight.
"Is this feeling I have for you love, Jin?" I asked. Jin passed a hand through my auburn hair.
"It's up to you to figure that out, Nikita, but if there's one thing I know about love it's this, if you truly love someone, that feeling doesn't easily go away." I gazed up at him.
"That was beautiful," I whispered. Jin gave a chuckle.
"You like that, I read it on a bumper sticker," he said. I smiled, remaining silent, and I fell asleep in his arms soon after.
In the morning, I woke up and got dressed. Jin helped me pack my things and soon we left. Furion had returned and was waiting for us outside. We met him and all three of us made our way back to where the spacepods were. Jin's other friends were already there, with one other person, who was being held firmly by monkey boy.
"Aren!?" I cried, looking at my cousin. Joel peered at us curiously.
"Who's this...leader?" he asked, giving me the once over. Jin, who had hidden his tail in his jeans, introduced me to them.
"Nice to meet you, Nikita, do you know this kid?" asked Jeran. I nodded.
"He's my cousin. Why are you holding him?" I queried.
"Get away Niki!! They're aliens!! And they're abducting me!!" cried Aren, struggling. Joel held him tightly.
"We just want to recruit him," Jeran replied.
"I guess so. Well, Aren, I'm going with them," I said.
"You're what!?" cried Joel and Aren simultaneously, looking at me in disbelief. Jin came forward.
"Any objections? ...Not like they'd really matter," he asked. Jeran gave a blithe grin.
"None here," she said, "it'll be good to have another girl around." Now we looked at Joel, who released Aren from his grip.
"I've got only one question," he said, edging away from Jeran, "Can you cook?" He narrowly dodged a punch sent from Jeran. I giggled and gave him a thumbs up.
"Yes!!!!! There is a God!" cried Joel. Jin took this as assent and turned to Aren.
"So, how about it, Aren? You coming with us?" he asked. The kid stared at Jin with a serious expression.
"So, you're the leader of this outfit, eh?" he began, entering his fighting stance, "Fine, if you beat me, I'll join you." Jin raised an eyebrow and to my surprise he assumed his own fighting stance, which was almost exactly like Furion's. I couldn't believe it; I was finally going to see Jin fight. Aren started things off, running into Jin. He sent a kick at the dark skinned fighter's head, but it only sliced air as Jin stood up straight and then cut a 90-degree angle turn, sticking one foot forward. The result was that Aren ran straight past Jin, tripping over his outstretched foot, and Jin grabbed the back of Aren's shirt, holding him before he could fall. Surprised, and feeling a bit foolish, Aren sent a backfist aimed at Jin's face. However the blow struck Jin's open palm and, still clutching the back of Aren's shirt, he shot a kick that connected with the kid's back. He finished him off by finally letting go of Aren's shirt and, with one quick punch, punished my cousin. Aren skidded across the ground and lay there for a while in shock. Jin turned to face him and loosened up.
"You need more practice, Aren, you're too slow," he said nonchalantly, aiding my little Aren, "What's his powerlevel, Jeran?"
"He's 1730," she replied, "Where's your scouter, Jin? You too, Furion?" I gazed at them and noticed that they both lacked the device that had been over their eyes.
"They...uh...they broke," explained Jin, closing his eyes and smiling sheepishly.
"How is that possible? Those scouters can read even into the early tens of thousands before breaking and none of us are that powerf..." Joel trailed off and stared at me, "Jin, Furion, how powerful is she!?" Furion and Jin glanced at each other.
"Let's just say, I would try to check her power while she's powering up again," said Furion, leaving Joel spellbound. Aren had been silent for a while and I turned to him.
"Looks like we're going on a journey, eh Aren?" I told him. A smile crossed his lips.
"Yeah, looks like it," he replied.
"Alright then, let's go. Nikita are you up for sharing your pod?" queried Jin. I gave him a seductive smile and puckered my lips.
"Only if it's with you Jin," I said softly. Even with his dark skin we could all see him blush. Joel tried to stifle a snicker and gently nudged Jin with his elbow.
"Way to go Jin!" he whispered, causing Jeran and me to laugh. Jin pushed him off lightly.
"Cut it out!" he ordered, regaining his composure, "As much as I would like that, Nikita, I mean..."
"I know what you meant, Jin. Come on, Aren!" I called. And so we left, to begin our new life, our training, with our new friends.
CHARACTES RECRUITED INITIAL P/LVL
AREN 1730
NIKITA 27,050
SOUNDTRACK: WASH AWAY THOSE YEARS by Creed
Nikita
As I lay on the grass I stared straight into the sky aimlessly. It was a bright, beautiful day and everyone was enjoying it except me. I sat up and dried my eyes.
"Niki, have you been crying?" asked my best friend Linda who lay next to me, "that bastard father of yours hit you again, didn't he!?" Sure he did, I thought, but hitting me wasn't the worst thing he had ever done to me. "Niki, you're so easygoing," Linda continued, "why do you let him take advantage of you like this?" What!? Did she know!?
"What do you mean 'take advantage of me'?" I asked hurriedly. Linda sat up as well and touched my arm.
"These bruises on your arm, didn't get there by themselves, Niki," she replied. I breathed a sigh of relief.
"Oh! Um...Linda, if it's alright with you, I'd prefer not to talk about my father right now," I said. She nodded and smiled.
"I'm sorry, Niki," she apologized, "hey! I know! Let's go see Aren. Who knows, you might even see that cute guy you were telling me about." Aren was my only cousin and he was a child prodigy in the martial arts world. He was insanely fast and almost as strong. His skill was unsurpassed as far as I knew, and he was just thirteen years old. Ever since he moved in with us, my father didn't even try to 'take advantage of me'.
"I think I'll take a rain check," I said, lying back on the grass, "Aren's mentor isn't that cute." Linda sucked her teeth as she got up.
"You say that about every guy who shows any interest in you," she said, "you shouldn't let what happens with your dad interfere with your life. Not all guys are bad. You'll see, one day your Prince Charming will sweep you off your feet." She jumped on her bicycle and soon my best friend was gone.
"All alone now," I whispered. I could feel the tears fighting to come out. "I just wish I could just go away, start afresh, where no one cares about my...I hope Linda's right. I could really do with a Prince Charming right about now." I gazed at the sky and my vision became blurred when tears formed in my eyes. All of a sudden, I spotted four spherical shaped objects falling out of the sky. There was a slope to their descent and after a while, they crash-landed into the ground, creating a huge cloud of dirt and dust. I rose quickly to my feet and covered my face from the dust cloud. When it dissipated, I dusted off my skirt and hopped onto my bike.
"They couldn't have landed far away from here," I told myself, pedaling like crazy, "Seems that today won't be so boring after all." People on the streets were running around like crazy, as if they believed that we were being invaded by aliens. I cut through some side streets to avoid this panic and was halfway through the city in a matter of minutes. I soon came upon a park, which seemed to be ground zero of the crash. I abandoned my bike and continued on foot. Soon I came across four small craters and in them were the four round shaped objects I had seen earlier, each with an open door. Just then, I heard some voices coming from a clearing, past some trees.
"Well, what now Jin? We've got these people in a panic," came a girl's voice. I hid behind a tree and peered at the four people. They all seemed to be around my age, even the green one. They even wore normal clothes. The girl wore a pink T-shirt and a pair of jeans, with sandals. The dark skinned guy called Jin had on a white sleeveless muscle shirt, a pair of black, three quarter jeans and black sneakers. The guy with the monkey tail wore a black leather jacket over a white T-shirt, a pair of jeans and leather boots. The green guy wore yellow clothes, from top to bottom. They each had a sort of device over their eye.
Jin didn't answer her. He seemed to be in pain as he hugged his abdomen.
"Told you not to eat Jeran's cooking," said the guy with the tail. The girl pouted and seemed offended.
"Who asked you?" she asked roughly, turning to him with a glare. The green guy shook his head and stepped between them.
"Don't worry, Jeran, I like your food," he said, obviously trying to calm her down.
"Why thank you, Furion," answered Jeran, cheering up a bit. Jin seemed to have recovered from his stomachache.
"Need I remind you, Jeran, Furion doesn't eat," he said finally, causing Jeran to sulk even more, "as for the current situation, it can't be helped. We'll split up and search the city for recruits. Furion, you're with me, Jeran...unfortunately you're stuck with Joel. We'll meet back here tomorrow morning." The blonde haired girl groaned and Joel just grinned at her discomfort. Together, they both walked off in the opposite direction. Jin and Furion came in my direction. I ducked to avoid being seen and, not knowing why, I followed them.
"Who are these people?" I asked myself, "and what do they mean by 'searching for recruits'?" The two 'aliens' made their way into the city and they both began gazing as the people gathered in the streets.
"The people on this planet make some...interesting bumper stickers," said Jin eventually, "there's one about love and another about sticking up for yourself."
"You know, you didn't have to burst Jeran's bubble," said Furion, ignoring his friend's observations. Jin looked at his companion.
"You're right, I should've stopped myself," he admitted, "you get any high powerlevels yet?" Furion shook his head.
"If you mean that strong power we felt yesterday from this planet, no," he replied, "Jin, how does it feel? What you wished for, I mean? Do you feel anything yet?"
"Well, other than my hair getting unmanageably spiky and these constant stomachaches...nothing," he replied casually.
"You mean Jeran's cooking wasn't the reason...?" began Furion.
"Nah!!" interrupted Jin, "although it did have me in the bathroom, throwing up all night." The two companions continued walking on the sidewalk and then they abruptly turned into an alley. I followed swiftly, ducking behind a dumpster and I peered out at them. The dark skinned guy and his green friend were now just looking around the place, almost as if they sensed something approaching.
"We've got company," observed Furion. Jin nodded.
"I sensed them a while ago," said Jin, "You can come out now!!" He started to walk my way and I heard his footsteps. He was getting closer to the dumpster and my heart skipped a beat. I was afraid...no terrified and silently cursed myself for following them. Wait a sec...! Didn't Jin just say that he sensed 'them'? Before I could think any further, three men dressed up like ninjas ran vertically down the walls of the buildings on either side of the alley. They landed with a 'thud' and quickly surrounded the two guys. I gasped when I recognized them. These were the Magi, the most ruthless thugs in the city! I sank further behind the dumpster in fear. They were notorious for attacking, and eventually killing, unsuspecting citizens. The Magi ninjas began to chuckle diabolically. Jin and Furion kept their eyes on them.
"Oh, an ambush," said Jin, folding his arms in apparent boredom, "how original."
"Ooh, sarcastic little bastard, aren't you? I'm gonna enjoy making you bleed," said the first Magi, twirling a hooked chain, "the name's Caspar, my associates are Belthesar and Melchior. Now, you're gonna hand over all your money or..." He was rudely silenced when Furion's fist struck his abdomen. His movements were so swift that I could have sworn that the green skinned alien hadn't moved an inch! The other two ninjas were caught equally as off guard as Furion quickly dispersed them with a flurry of punches. I was greatly alarmed at Furion's speed. He was faster than little Aren!
"Furion, you rock," commended Jin, who hadn't moved an inch during the ordeal, "but there's still one more left. I believe she's behind the dumpster." I let out a startled cry when Jin suddenly appeared in front of me.
"Please...please don't hurt me!" I cried as he advanced on me. To my surprise Jin offered me his hand.
"If I wanted to do that you wouldn't be breathing right now, miss," he said with a smile. I gazed at his hand for a while before finally accepting it. "Sorry I frightened you," he apologized.
"How did you get by me so fast?" was all I could think of asking. Jin smiled again, a smile that I would later grow fond of.
"Questions? Alright, I'll play. It's a little trick I like to call zanzokening," he replied, "Now it's my turn. Might I ask a beautiful lady her name?" My face flashed crimson instantly and I quickly turned to avoid being seen.
"N-Nikita," I stuttered, "and you are Jin and your friend is called Furion." I turned to face them again, having recovered from my blushing fit. "Are you aliens? If you are, what is your purpose here? C'mon you can tell me," I pleaded.
Jin told me everything and I marveled at them.
"Wow! So that's what you meant by searching for recruits. Maybe I can help," I suggested, eagerly, "if it's a strong fighter you're looking for then my little cousin Aren is the one. He's usually at one of the dojos in town. C'mon, I'll take you to them." Jin and Furion watched each other for a second and then the dark skinned fighter nodded.
"Lead on, sweet Nikita," he stated. I blushed yet again. He liked me, that much was obvious, and I must admit he was cute, but would he like me, would anyone like me if they knew. I couldn't afford to let any guy get really close to me.
"P-please don't say that," I said, turning away. I gasped when Jin rested his hand on my shoulder and he gave me a quizzical look.
"I can't help it," he simply replied. A strange feeling came over me and I just couldn't say anything.
I took them to four martial arts dojos in our search for Aren. My cousin wasn't there, but on all four occasions Jin said something to insult the masters of each dojo and ended up being challenged to fight. Jim politely declined, cowardice was my only explanation, but Furion the Namekian was more than happy to accept. He was amazing; his skills far exceeded those of the humans he fought. After a few hours I gave up. We couldn't find Aren, so I decided to buy them something to eat...well Jin anyways. The sky was getting dark and I knew that my father was already home from work.
Suddenly, I came out of my thoughts only to find Furion staring at me through the device over his eye. His stare made me feel very uncomfortable and, for some strange reason, vulnerable.
"Please don't," I said, lowering my eyes, "it feels as if you're staring into my soul." Furion smiled.
"Sorry, it's just a bad habit of mine," he said, "but I sense that you are troubled by something. I know that it's none of my business, but it helps to talk about it."
"You're right, it's none of your business," I began, taking a sip of my milkshake, "I don't think anyone can understand what I went through." Jin scratched his head.
"Aww...don't be too hard on him. He's just prone to staring at beautiful things," he said, sizing up an ice cream sundae that lay on the table before him, "Nikita, you're a very kind person. I'll bet that you're kind to everyone you meet. I mean, you were kind to us and you didn't even know us. But I'll bet some people take advantage of your kind and gentle nature. You mustn't let people mistake your kindness for weakness. If anyone does, and you don't stop them it'll be your fault that you're hurt. Stand up, fight, people will take advantage of you only if you let 'em!" Almost immediately after he said this to me he began to gobble the ice cream down. I gazed at Jin. What he said made me feel worse about myself, but I wasn't angry with him for it.
"Smarter than he looks, isn't he?" asked Furion. I nodded.
"He seems so serious all the time," I said, leaning closer to Furion and then whispering, "And he's seems like such a coward."
"Jin may be a bit childish, but if it's one thing he's not, it's a coward," explained Furion, while his friend stuffed his face, "Jin's gone through a lot in the past two years. He's missed out on things that humans his age normally go through, hence his seriousness." I took all of this in and gained a new respect for the dark skinned fighter.
"What were you two talking about?" queried Jin, who had finished his sundae and ordered another.
"We were just admiring the little speech you gave to Nikita," replied the Namekian.
"Huh? Read it on a bumper sticker," stated Jin, immediately devouring his second ice cream sundae.
"Jin you really shouldn't eat something so cold so fast or you could get..." I began. Just then, he grabbed his head with his hands and groaned in pain. "...Brain freeze..." I continued, "You must really like ice cream." Jin soon recovered.
"I haven't had one of these in five years," he explained. I looked at him in shock. "The academy frowns on junk food. They say it isn't good for a fighter's body," he said, patting his stomach.
"Maybe you shouldn't eat any then," I suggested. Jin shook his head and pouted childishly.
"C'mon, it was just one, okay maybe two. What could eating two ice cream sundaes possibly d... d..." he trailed off. His eyes grew wide and he clutched his abdomen in pain. He leaned sideways and fell out of his chair to the floor. Furion and I rose instantly.
"J-Jin, are you okay?" I asked, kneeling beside him. He just held his stomach and moaned in pain. I looked up at Furion in desperation.
"He's been having stomach pains for several days now, ever since he left my planet," stated the green alien. I gazed back at my friend with an over baring feeling of helplessness. I didn't know what to do. Suddenly, I heard Furion gasp and I followed his gaze to the back of Jin's pants, just below the belt. Something was bulging out of it, trying to get out. The more it bulged, the more Jin groaned and grimaced in pain. All of a sudden, to my great surprise, a light brown monkey tail burst out of Jin's pants and he grew silent and his eyes closed.
"What just happened, Furion!?" I demanded, totally freaked out. Everyone in the café was staring at us and the Namekian seemed uneasy.
"I don't like this," he said, lifting his unconscious friend "Let's get out of here." I followed him out the door and he began to walk in the direction of their space pods.
"Furion, is he okay? What happened?" I asked, trying to keep up with him.
"Those stomachaches must have been the pains caused by his body creating a tail," he said, as if trying to reason it out for himself, "then that would mean...of course!! The tail, the spiky hair!! Why didn't I see it before!? The wish he made turned him into a..." He trailed off as he slowly stared up into the sky.
"I heard Jin tell your other friends to meet back in the morning. Where are you guys gonna spend the night?" I asked. The sky was already dark and the only light came from the bright full moon that Furion was looking up at.
"We can't stay in our pods, that's for sure. I can't risk Jin seeing the full moon," he said, halting.
"What, he'll turn into a werewolf or something?" I asked jokingly. He gave me a glare that made me feel foolish.
"Or something!!" he cried, "We've got to get him out of the sight of the moon before he wakes up!" I could sense a sort of panic in him as Jin stirred in his arms.
"Well, I've got a farm on the edge of town," I told him, "you guys can stay in the barn. My dad doesn't take much to strangers, especially green ones."
"Which direction!?" he shouted. I pointed to the south. Furion grabbed me suddenly and began hovering in the air. "Hold on!" he exclaimed as he shot off to the south at very insane speeds. I was too exasperated to say anything, I just held on for dear life.
We arrived at the farm in no time at all and, after settling my friends into the barn, I quietly made my way inside, trying not to wake my father. The first sight I beheld was a bunch of empty beer cans scattered all over the floor. I became frightened. He'd been drinking! And I could see that Aren wasn't home either! I hurried to my room and changed into my nightgown and lay down on my bed. My father was drunk and little Aren wasn't here to stop him, so I knew that he'd come. Tears welled up in my eyes when I heard the door of my room open and the heavy footsteps of my father as he entered. He sat down on my bed beside me as I feigned sleep. He leaned over and I cringed when I felt his lips touch my neck. He passed a hand down the side of my body.
"Daddy, no, please!" I cried, pushing his hand away sharply. That only seemed to spur the drunkard on as he raised my nightgown, exposing my underwear. It was then that I remembered what Jin told me. As he began to pull my panties off I struck him as hard as I possibly could, but that only agitated him. He slapped me across the face and I lay there quietly sobbing. My father had succeeded in taking off my underwear leaving me entirely exposed. I felt so scared and embarrassed as he leaned in closer, so close that I could smell the beer in his breath.
Suddenly thoughts of Jin came flying through my head. We were standing about a metre apart.
"You mustn't let people mistake your kindness for weakness," he was saying, "if anyone does, and you don't stop them, it'll be your fault that you're hurt." I shook my head vigorously.
"I can't!" I sobbed, "I can't stop him. I've tried, and he just hit me!" Jin seemed angry with me.
"Stand up!" he yelled at me, "Fight!!" I kept shaking my head and crying.
"I can't, Jin, I just can't!!" I cried. The fighter's whole attitude changed in an instant. He walked up to me and took me in his arms, surprising me very much. I ceased crying and looked up at him as he embraced me. I felt some strange wave of emotions going through me that I had never felt before. He gave me a smile and wiped a rogue teardrop away from my cheek and spoke gently.
"People will take advantage of you only if you let 'em."
Suddenly, I blasted. I felt a sudden surge of power and anger that I had never felt before. A strange red light surrounded me as I angrily threw my father off of me with ease. I stood up and stared down at him with a look of complete wrath and it was his turn to cringe in fear. I grabbed him by the neck and lifted him, with one hand, off the floor. Inside me, a battle was being waged over what to do with him, but in the end, I found that I couldn't hurt him, no matter how badly I really wanted to. I saw the fear in his eyes and I saw myself in his fear. I didn't want to be like him. I threw him to the floor and sank to my knees, in my nakedness, just crying. My dad instantly dashed out of the room screaming that I was a demon.
"Nikita!?" came a voice. It was Jin, the real one, tail and all. He and Furion both burst into my room. "What happened?" he queried, running up to me. Furion threw my bed blanket to Jin, who covered me. My red aura had disappeared and the dark skinned fighter embraced me, trying to calm me down, as we both sat on our knees. I told Jin everything, about my father molesting me, and about my feelings for him, in the short time we knew each other.
"Why did you keep this a secret? There must have been someone you could have told," said Jin softly.
"No!! If anyone finds out, they'll want to have nothing to do with me," I replied.
"That's not true! You didn't do anything wrong anyways, and besides..." he stated, "I like you, Nikita." I looked at him in surprise. All this time I thought that Jin pitied me and 'forgot' his original advances.
"Really!? Even though you know?" I inquired, eagerly. He nodded.
"Even though," he answered. I felt better immediately. In Jin's arms I felt safe, safer than I had ever felt before.
"Take me with you," I whispered, "I may not be a good fighter, but...I can learn. Please?" Jin nodded again.
"Furion," he called, "you up for a trip?"
"Where to?" replied the Namekian.
"The ship. We need one more spacepod," said Jin. Furion nodded and blurred out of sight.
"Is this feeling I have for you love, Jin?" I asked. Jin passed a hand through my auburn hair.
"It's up to you to figure that out, Nikita, but if there's one thing I know about love it's this, if you truly love someone, that feeling doesn't easily go away." I gazed up at him.
"That was beautiful," I whispered. Jin gave a chuckle.
"You like that, I read it on a bumper sticker," he said. I smiled, remaining silent, and I fell asleep in his arms soon after.
In the morning, I woke up and got dressed. Jin helped me pack my things and soon we left. Furion had returned and was waiting for us outside. We met him and all three of us made our way back to where the spacepods were. Jin's other friends were already there, with one other person, who was being held firmly by monkey boy.
"Aren!?" I cried, looking at my cousin. Joel peered at us curiously.
"Who's this...leader?" he asked, giving me the once over. Jin, who had hidden his tail in his jeans, introduced me to them.
"Nice to meet you, Nikita, do you know this kid?" asked Jeran. I nodded.
"He's my cousin. Why are you holding him?" I queried.
"Get away Niki!! They're aliens!! And they're abducting me!!" cried Aren, struggling. Joel held him tightly.
"We just want to recruit him," Jeran replied.
"I guess so. Well, Aren, I'm going with them," I said.
"You're what!?" cried Joel and Aren simultaneously, looking at me in disbelief. Jin came forward.
"Any objections? ...Not like they'd really matter," he asked. Jeran gave a blithe grin.
"None here," she said, "it'll be good to have another girl around." Now we looked at Joel, who released Aren from his grip.
"I've got only one question," he said, edging away from Jeran, "Can you cook?" He narrowly dodged a punch sent from Jeran. I giggled and gave him a thumbs up.
"Yes!!!!! There is a God!" cried Joel. Jin took this as assent and turned to Aren.
"So, how about it, Aren? You coming with us?" he asked. The kid stared at Jin with a serious expression.
"So, you're the leader of this outfit, eh?" he began, entering his fighting stance, "Fine, if you beat me, I'll join you." Jin raised an eyebrow and to my surprise he assumed his own fighting stance, which was almost exactly like Furion's. I couldn't believe it; I was finally going to see Jin fight. Aren started things off, running into Jin. He sent a kick at the dark skinned fighter's head, but it only sliced air as Jin stood up straight and then cut a 90-degree angle turn, sticking one foot forward. The result was that Aren ran straight past Jin, tripping over his outstretched foot, and Jin grabbed the back of Aren's shirt, holding him before he could fall. Surprised, and feeling a bit foolish, Aren sent a backfist aimed at Jin's face. However the blow struck Jin's open palm and, still clutching the back of Aren's shirt, he shot a kick that connected with the kid's back. He finished him off by finally letting go of Aren's shirt and, with one quick punch, punished my cousin. Aren skidded across the ground and lay there for a while in shock. Jin turned to face him and loosened up.
"You need more practice, Aren, you're too slow," he said nonchalantly, aiding my little Aren, "What's his powerlevel, Jeran?"
"He's 1730," she replied, "Where's your scouter, Jin? You too, Furion?" I gazed at them and noticed that they both lacked the device that had been over their eyes.
"They...uh...they broke," explained Jin, closing his eyes and smiling sheepishly.
"How is that possible? Those scouters can read even into the early tens of thousands before breaking and none of us are that powerf..." Joel trailed off and stared at me, "Jin, Furion, how powerful is she!?" Furion and Jin glanced at each other.
"Let's just say, I would try to check her power while she's powering up again," said Furion, leaving Joel spellbound. Aren had been silent for a while and I turned to him.
"Looks like we're going on a journey, eh Aren?" I told him. A smile crossed his lips.
"Yeah, looks like it," he replied.
"Alright then, let's go. Nikita are you up for sharing your pod?" queried Jin. I gave him a seductive smile and puckered my lips.
"Only if it's with you Jin," I said softly. Even with his dark skin we could all see him blush. Joel tried to stifle a snicker and gently nudged Jin with his elbow.
"Way to go Jin!" he whispered, causing Jeran and me to laugh. Jin pushed him off lightly.
"Cut it out!" he ordered, regaining his composure, "As much as I would like that, Nikita, I mean..."
"I know what you meant, Jin. Come on, Aren!" I called. And so we left, to begin our new life, our training, with our new friends.
CHARACTES RECRUITED INITIAL P/LVL
AREN 1730
NIKITA 27,050
SOUNDTRACK: WASH AWAY THOSE YEARS by Creed