Chapter 2: The Experiment
January 1921
When Leni had learned that the gangsters who was going to use the house for their own needs, she knew she couldn't let them touch her family's house.
One day, the mobsters arrived here with their private demolition crew but Leni was prepared to go down with a fight.
"Don't come here. I won't let you destroy my house," Leni warned, standing between the mob and the house.
"You and your what army, girl?" sneered the lead mobster. He ordered to two of his men "Hold her while we demolish the crummy house,"
"Yes, sir." The two large men grabbed each of the little's wrists. She tried to struggle in vain but her small size was of no use against their larger arms.
"Noooo! You can't! Nooooo!" Leni helplessly watched her own house being bulldozed by the mob. She tried to run to the house but her arms were being held by two mobsters' hands.
When the mobsters' job was done, They let go of the sobbing girl. She dropped to her knees and cried while the mob walked away.
For months, Leni had been living alone on the street since her house was demolished by local gangsters who had coveted the location for their own use.
Leni spent months stealing food from bakeries, butcheries and grocery stores to survive.
One day she sneaked into a butchery while the butcher went inside another room behind the store and she looked around the surroundings for a delicious-looking meat. Then she found a roasted chicken and snatched it just as the butcher stepped out of the storage room.
"Hey! You again?" the fat butcher said, recognizing the thief who had stolen one of his sausages once.
Then Leni turned around and ran out of the butcher's shop as fast as possible. The butcher went after her.
"Somebody call the cops. She stole my chicken!" the butcher yelled. But he lost the sight of the little thief.
So Leni managed to get away scot-free until she ran into a group of five young, 11 to 13 year old gruffly looking boys who halted her way by stepping out of the alley.
"Look what our little thief has caught today," laughed the brown-haired boy leader.
Leni clutched to her chicken tightly. "N-n-no. G-go away. Please."
The leader yanked the chicken out of Leni's fingers. She tried to grab the chicken again but was pushed away by the force of his hand against her chest. She fell on the ground with a groan.
The leader examined the chicken. "Darn it. The tramp brought us a small chicken."
"Then she'll bring us a larger chicken next time," one of the boys said as he started to hit the girl. The other three joined him in beating a whimpering Leni. Pleased with beating their victim, the boys left her lying on the street with bruises on her face and ribs.
Afternoon had passed and she sat on the curb of the streetwalk until she spotted a man with short brown hair and a thick beard wearing a brown hat and brown overcoat strolling across the street.
'He must be rich,' she thought, regarding the man. She decided to steal his wallet.
When the man stopped for the red light, the little girl decided to sneak behind him and snatch the wallet out of his pocket. But she was surprised when the man's hand grabbed her wrist as she almost touched the pocket.
"H-hey. I wa-was just a-ad-admiring your pretty coat," she nervously said.
"Your name," the man said, sternly gazing at her.
"Huh?"
"Your name," he repeated.
"Leni. Leni Milchstrasse."
"Leni Milchstrasse? Daughter of Major Heinrich Milchstrasse?" the man said, his eyes being bewildered.
"You know my father?" she asked incredulously
"No wonder you look familiar. I saw your face from the picture your father showed to me a few years ago," he said.
Leni stared at him. "Who are you?"
"My name is Doctor Helmut Zuhlrich. I was a former lieutenant in Imperial German Army. I used to serve under your father's command," he explained. "What happened to your father?"
"He is dead, sir," Leni informed him with a sad look. She began to tell him the whole story from her father's unemployment to her life on the street.
"I see, Leni. You know I owe your father a great debt."
"Debt?"
"Yes. Your father saved my life during World War I," Helmut said. "Why don't you come with me so I will take care of you?"
Leni stared at him for several minutes as she considered his offer. 'Whatever he is offering me, I'm sure it is better than living on the streets,' she thought.
"Yes, Doctor Zuhlrich. I will come with you," the young silver-haired girl declared.
Pleased, Doctor Zuhlrich took her to his apartment where he shwowed her a guest bedroom.
"You can sleep in here," he said.
"Oh, wow! You are rich," Leni exclaimed, being impressed by the fancy interior of the apartment including especially the guest bedroom.
"Not really. It is the best I can afford on a government scientist's salary," Helmut said.
"You work for the government, Doctor?"
"Yes, Leni.'
"I hate the government."
"Why? Because they let your family down?" he inquired.
Leni nodded.
"It's not our government's fault. There was nothing they could do to stop foreign powers from fleecing your family."
Leni nodded again but said nothing.
"Are you hungry? I can prepare some food."
"Yes, sir. I am hungry," she admitted.
"Come with me to the kitchen, Leni," Zuhlrich said.
"Yes, Doctor." She followed him into the kitchen. The doctor pulled a rotisserie chicken on the metal tray from the oven.
"This is your dinner. Eat all you can," he said. He placed the tray on the table while asking Leni to sit down and eat.
Leni started to eat some pieces of the chicken.
"Good, isn't it?" he asked.
Leni nodded as she chomped and gulped one piece of the chicken.
When they were done, Zuhlrich guided Leni into the living room and presented her the violin.
"You're a violinist?" Leni asked.
"Yes, Leni. Aren't you a pianist?"
"Yes, sir. How do you know?" She cast a curious look at Zuhlrich.
"Your father told me," he explained. "I'm sorry I don't have a piano but I'm sure you will love another music instrument."
"Will you teach me how to play the violin, sir?" she asked.
"Of course." Zuhlrich began to teach her how to play the violin. He was very impressed that Leni followed his instructions precisely.
"That's it. Slide the stick across the strings of the violin while you're holding it with the other hand. Yes, That's a good girl."
After hearing enough of melodiously sweet music Leni had produced, he told her to stop playing.
"You're amazing. You're a faster learner than I expected. You have a gift with the violin," he complimented.
"Thank you, sir,"
He looked at Leni for the moment then he realized that she might be useful. He knew he had found the perfect candidate for the secret government project.
"Now you've inspired me to find a perfect subject for my experiment," Zuhlrich said.
"I don't understand."
"I will explain to you tomorrow. Please get some rest for now," he said. "Go to your bedroom."
"Yes sir."
Tomorrow morning
When Doctor Zuhlrich woke Leni up, he told her to wash and bathe, get dressed and eat breakfast. Then they went by car to the Government headquarters.
The girl and the doctor entered a strange chamber. She noticed an odd- looking chair that looked like the one used by dentists for the patients.
"Where are we, sir?" Leni asked.Zuhlrich
"This is the place of your rebirth," he told her.
"Rebirth?" she echoed.
"Yes. Don't be afraid," he said, showing her the syringe filled with green liquid. "This little serum will make you strong and smart."
"Are you sure?"
"Yes, I'm sure. I want you to be special."
"I don't want to be special. I want to be normal," Leni rebuked.
"Trust me. You will like being special. If you agree to accept my serum, you will never get hurt again."
"Really?" She stared at the doctor speechlessly.
"Yes. Do you want the serum or not?"
Leni considered it for the moment. She swore that she would never get hurt again especially after the bullying she received from everyone.
"Yes, I accept it."
"Good, Leni. Now lie on the chair. And don't move," he instructed. She obliged willingly. The doctor smiled and injected the needle into her arm, letting the serum flow into her blood stream.
She flinched at the pain of needle imbedded into her skin. She wanted to scream but remembering her mother's words, she closed her eyes and mouth tightly.
Suddenly,Leni felt groggly. She felt like she was going to sleep. The last thing the 11-year old girl saw was the doctor's sinister smile before she lost consciousness.
Later when Leni woke up, she realized she was still in the chamber. She looked at the doctor who was staring at her with concern on his face.
"How long have I passed out?"
"For three hours."
Leni started to stand up, feeling something whappened to her brain and body.
"Doctor?"
"Yes?"
"I feel different."
"That is because you took the serum."
"What was that serum?"
"We call it Super-soldier serum,"
"Did it really make me smart and strong?"
"Yes. It is time for you to prove your altered intelligence." He showed her the paper and pencil.
"What is this?"
"Thess are a......" the doctor began.
"a few complex math problems. You want me to solve it," she finished.
"Yes, Leni."
Leni nodded, quickly took the pencil and answered each problem carefully on the paper. Then she gave it to him after she was finished two minutes ago.
Reading the paper, the doctor was very impressed with the solutions she wrote on it. "It took you two minutes to answer twelve difficult math problems which required an expert mathematician's genius to solve. It proves that the serum did alter your brain, making you a living computer."
"You have the brain of a computer, thanks to my serum," he continued jubilantly. "Congratulations. You are now a super-soldier serum.
"It is quite obvious."
"Yes. As for your physical abilities, all you need is rigorous training in martial arts. I already selected some karate and judo masters to teach you how to fight tomorrow,"Zuhlrich said.
"I will look forward to my martial arts training tomorrow, doctor,"
"Good. Let us return to the apartment."
Next:
Chapter 3: First Meeting with Orihime Soletta.
January 1921
When Leni had learned that the gangsters who was going to use the house for their own needs, she knew she couldn't let them touch her family's house.
One day, the mobsters arrived here with their private demolition crew but Leni was prepared to go down with a fight.
"Don't come here. I won't let you destroy my house," Leni warned, standing between the mob and the house.
"You and your what army, girl?" sneered the lead mobster. He ordered to two of his men "Hold her while we demolish the crummy house,"
"Yes, sir." The two large men grabbed each of the little's wrists. She tried to struggle in vain but her small size was of no use against their larger arms.
"Noooo! You can't! Nooooo!" Leni helplessly watched her own house being bulldozed by the mob. She tried to run to the house but her arms were being held by two mobsters' hands.
When the mobsters' job was done, They let go of the sobbing girl. She dropped to her knees and cried while the mob walked away.
For months, Leni had been living alone on the street since her house was demolished by local gangsters who had coveted the location for their own use.
Leni spent months stealing food from bakeries, butcheries and grocery stores to survive.
One day she sneaked into a butchery while the butcher went inside another room behind the store and she looked around the surroundings for a delicious-looking meat. Then she found a roasted chicken and snatched it just as the butcher stepped out of the storage room.
"Hey! You again?" the fat butcher said, recognizing the thief who had stolen one of his sausages once.
Then Leni turned around and ran out of the butcher's shop as fast as possible. The butcher went after her.
"Somebody call the cops. She stole my chicken!" the butcher yelled. But he lost the sight of the little thief.
So Leni managed to get away scot-free until she ran into a group of five young, 11 to 13 year old gruffly looking boys who halted her way by stepping out of the alley.
"Look what our little thief has caught today," laughed the brown-haired boy leader.
Leni clutched to her chicken tightly. "N-n-no. G-go away. Please."
The leader yanked the chicken out of Leni's fingers. She tried to grab the chicken again but was pushed away by the force of his hand against her chest. She fell on the ground with a groan.
The leader examined the chicken. "Darn it. The tramp brought us a small chicken."
"Then she'll bring us a larger chicken next time," one of the boys said as he started to hit the girl. The other three joined him in beating a whimpering Leni. Pleased with beating their victim, the boys left her lying on the street with bruises on her face and ribs.
Afternoon had passed and she sat on the curb of the streetwalk until she spotted a man with short brown hair and a thick beard wearing a brown hat and brown overcoat strolling across the street.
'He must be rich,' she thought, regarding the man. She decided to steal his wallet.
When the man stopped for the red light, the little girl decided to sneak behind him and snatch the wallet out of his pocket. But she was surprised when the man's hand grabbed her wrist as she almost touched the pocket.
"H-hey. I wa-was just a-ad-admiring your pretty coat," she nervously said.
"Your name," the man said, sternly gazing at her.
"Huh?"
"Your name," he repeated.
"Leni. Leni Milchstrasse."
"Leni Milchstrasse? Daughter of Major Heinrich Milchstrasse?" the man said, his eyes being bewildered.
"You know my father?" she asked incredulously
"No wonder you look familiar. I saw your face from the picture your father showed to me a few years ago," he said.
Leni stared at him. "Who are you?"
"My name is Doctor Helmut Zuhlrich. I was a former lieutenant in Imperial German Army. I used to serve under your father's command," he explained. "What happened to your father?"
"He is dead, sir," Leni informed him with a sad look. She began to tell him the whole story from her father's unemployment to her life on the street.
"I see, Leni. You know I owe your father a great debt."
"Debt?"
"Yes. Your father saved my life during World War I," Helmut said. "Why don't you come with me so I will take care of you?"
Leni stared at him for several minutes as she considered his offer. 'Whatever he is offering me, I'm sure it is better than living on the streets,' she thought.
"Yes, Doctor Zuhlrich. I will come with you," the young silver-haired girl declared.
Pleased, Doctor Zuhlrich took her to his apartment where he shwowed her a guest bedroom.
"You can sleep in here," he said.
"Oh, wow! You are rich," Leni exclaimed, being impressed by the fancy interior of the apartment including especially the guest bedroom.
"Not really. It is the best I can afford on a government scientist's salary," Helmut said.
"You work for the government, Doctor?"
"Yes, Leni.'
"I hate the government."
"Why? Because they let your family down?" he inquired.
Leni nodded.
"It's not our government's fault. There was nothing they could do to stop foreign powers from fleecing your family."
Leni nodded again but said nothing.
"Are you hungry? I can prepare some food."
"Yes, sir. I am hungry," she admitted.
"Come with me to the kitchen, Leni," Zuhlrich said.
"Yes, Doctor." She followed him into the kitchen. The doctor pulled a rotisserie chicken on the metal tray from the oven.
"This is your dinner. Eat all you can," he said. He placed the tray on the table while asking Leni to sit down and eat.
Leni started to eat some pieces of the chicken.
"Good, isn't it?" he asked.
Leni nodded as she chomped and gulped one piece of the chicken.
When they were done, Zuhlrich guided Leni into the living room and presented her the violin.
"You're a violinist?" Leni asked.
"Yes, Leni. Aren't you a pianist?"
"Yes, sir. How do you know?" She cast a curious look at Zuhlrich.
"Your father told me," he explained. "I'm sorry I don't have a piano but I'm sure you will love another music instrument."
"Will you teach me how to play the violin, sir?" she asked.
"Of course." Zuhlrich began to teach her how to play the violin. He was very impressed that Leni followed his instructions precisely.
"That's it. Slide the stick across the strings of the violin while you're holding it with the other hand. Yes, That's a good girl."
After hearing enough of melodiously sweet music Leni had produced, he told her to stop playing.
"You're amazing. You're a faster learner than I expected. You have a gift with the violin," he complimented.
"Thank you, sir,"
He looked at Leni for the moment then he realized that she might be useful. He knew he had found the perfect candidate for the secret government project.
"Now you've inspired me to find a perfect subject for my experiment," Zuhlrich said.
"I don't understand."
"I will explain to you tomorrow. Please get some rest for now," he said. "Go to your bedroom."
"Yes sir."
Tomorrow morning
When Doctor Zuhlrich woke Leni up, he told her to wash and bathe, get dressed and eat breakfast. Then they went by car to the Government headquarters.
The girl and the doctor entered a strange chamber. She noticed an odd- looking chair that looked like the one used by dentists for the patients.
"Where are we, sir?" Leni asked.Zuhlrich
"This is the place of your rebirth," he told her.
"Rebirth?" she echoed.
"Yes. Don't be afraid," he said, showing her the syringe filled with green liquid. "This little serum will make you strong and smart."
"Are you sure?"
"Yes, I'm sure. I want you to be special."
"I don't want to be special. I want to be normal," Leni rebuked.
"Trust me. You will like being special. If you agree to accept my serum, you will never get hurt again."
"Really?" She stared at the doctor speechlessly.
"Yes. Do you want the serum or not?"
Leni considered it for the moment. She swore that she would never get hurt again especially after the bullying she received from everyone.
"Yes, I accept it."
"Good, Leni. Now lie on the chair. And don't move," he instructed. She obliged willingly. The doctor smiled and injected the needle into her arm, letting the serum flow into her blood stream.
She flinched at the pain of needle imbedded into her skin. She wanted to scream but remembering her mother's words, she closed her eyes and mouth tightly.
Suddenly,Leni felt groggly. She felt like she was going to sleep. The last thing the 11-year old girl saw was the doctor's sinister smile before she lost consciousness.
Later when Leni woke up, she realized she was still in the chamber. She looked at the doctor who was staring at her with concern on his face.
"How long have I passed out?"
"For three hours."
Leni started to stand up, feeling something whappened to her brain and body.
"Doctor?"
"Yes?"
"I feel different."
"That is because you took the serum."
"What was that serum?"
"We call it Super-soldier serum,"
"Did it really make me smart and strong?"
"Yes. It is time for you to prove your altered intelligence." He showed her the paper and pencil.
"What is this?"
"Thess are a......" the doctor began.
"a few complex math problems. You want me to solve it," she finished.
"Yes, Leni."
Leni nodded, quickly took the pencil and answered each problem carefully on the paper. Then she gave it to him after she was finished two minutes ago.
Reading the paper, the doctor was very impressed with the solutions she wrote on it. "It took you two minutes to answer twelve difficult math problems which required an expert mathematician's genius to solve. It proves that the serum did alter your brain, making you a living computer."
"You have the brain of a computer, thanks to my serum," he continued jubilantly. "Congratulations. You are now a super-soldier serum.
"It is quite obvious."
"Yes. As for your physical abilities, all you need is rigorous training in martial arts. I already selected some karate and judo masters to teach you how to fight tomorrow,"Zuhlrich said.
"I will look forward to my martial arts training tomorrow, doctor,"
"Good. Let us return to the apartment."
Next:
Chapter 3: First Meeting with Orihime Soletta.