It's almost like a drug, fighting. That adrenaline rush that seems to make you invincible, heightening the senses and numbing the pain.
I love to watch my enemies suffer.
And scream.
And cry.
Am I a monster?
Yes.
But then, everyone has their guilty pleasure.
We are demons.
But I digress. Flash foward to now, the present. The only time that matters.
It's a new world, but new doesn't always mean good. Everyone thought that the hero Sora had destroyed the Heartless two years ago. That he had banished the darkness. That he had obliterated evil.
Impossible.
Destroying every Heartless, every shadow, every evil. It's just like trying to kill every ant that exists in every world, or whatever strange insects they have. You would die a million times of old age before you even began to complete your task.
Now, the Heartless are back.
And stronger than ever.
They're also more ruthless.
And of course, in our hour of need, Sora is nowhere to be found. Neither is Riku, the lesser known hero.
No one knows that Sora is back at Kingdom Hearts, searching endlessly for his friend.
Sora doesn't know that Riku has already escaped with King Mickey.
Riku doesn't know that Sora came to find him, that their friendship never ended.
How do I know all of this?
The keyblade.
As I grasp it's hilt, the memories of past Keyblade Masters flow through me, whispering untold of knowledge. Past events, that no one alive today could know, flashed through my mind.
Geez. Almost.
I Jumped back as a Shadow Heartless dove at me, its small claws swiping the air. Before it landed, I slashed at it with the keyblade. It disappeared, leaving behind a cloud of black dust.
I turned to face the other Heartless, but they were no longer there. In their place stood the girl from the bar.
Except she was dressed in a black, leather body suit.
And her hair was white and short.
And she looked dangerous.
"So you're a Keyblade Master?" she asked, sounding disgusted. "Why would it choose you."
"I guess it was attracted by my charming personality and excellent hygiene," I answered, my grips on the keyblade and sword tightening. I noticed her eyes looking, past me, and I chanced a glance backwards.
Another girl.
She was wearing the same thing, black bodysuit. This girl, though, looked a lot deadlier. Her shoulder-length, hair had a light bluish tint and matched the color of her eyes.
"Hello," I supplied, giving a little wave. She didn't return the gesture.
I'm sure she just needed to warm up to me.
And yet, there was another. I don't know how I knew, but I did.
I looked up and there, sitting in the sill of a window, was another girl with long, jet-black hair. Her eyes were green, and they seemed to glow in the moonlight.
She smiled.
"Don't mind Angel," the girl said as she gestured toward the blue-haired girl. "She's not really sociable."
They all looked to be about my age, early twenties.
And they were all pretty beautiful, truth be told.
And they all had deadly katanas strapped to their backs, for easy access I presume.
"Assasins," I guessed aloud, looking at Airya, though I doubted if that was her real name. "If you ladies came to complete a job, then please," I crouched slightly and tensed, "by all means complete it."
The girl, Angel, stepped forward, unhesitant, but was stopped by Airya.
"Wait a minute, Angel," she said, raising a hand to stop her. "I want to take him down myself." She unsheathed the katana and pointed it at me.
Confident are we?
"Do you know why I'm going to kill you?" she asked as she walked toward me, her lips curled slightly.
"Not really," I answered, returning the smile. "But before you do, could you at least tell me your real name?"
The girl on the window sill giggled, covering it behind a hand. "I do believe he's smitten with you, babe," she joked to my new friend.
"He has to wait in a long line," she responded, not taking her eyes from me for a second. She said to me, "You're going to pay, right here and now. For everything..."
"Wait, I thought you said I was a good guy?" I reminded her, already knowing it was complete bull. I may not have had the best memory, but I know I'm no hero.
She smirkedand lowered her sword. "You believed that? I just said it to rile up everyone in the bar. I wanted to see how strong you really were." She put a hand on her hip. "It seems as if the stories were true."
Stories? I don't remember reading about myself.
"And what stories are those?" I asked. "Excuse me for not knowing them but I'm not big on tall tales."
"They say you're rising in the ranks of the Oranization," she replied. "That attaining the title "Seven" is only the beginning for you."
"How the hell do you know about the Organization?" I asked suspiciously. Such knowledge could only mean one thing. That these assassins were hired by someone had knowledge of us. Someone who was in the Organization.
"Enough talk," she snapped, changing the subject. As your executor I'll grant you your last wish. My name is Sonia. Speak it now, because it will be the last sweet thing you ever taste on your tongue."
"Beautiful and self-absorbed," I observed aloud, a grin on my face. "I like it. You remind me of myself."
"I'm not like you," Sonia said, walking toward me. "You're a murdering bastard."
She had me there.
"Okay, so I may not have a father and I may have killed a couple of people, but-"
I wasn't allowed to finish.
She darted toward me quickly and slashed with her sword. I jumped back and responded with a swing to her head with my sword. She ducked and I concluded my attack with a thrust from the keyblade. She blocked it and began slashing furiously at me, her hands and the sword a blur.
She was fast. I had to give it to her.
But I was faster.
I kicked her leg out from under her, and she fell forward. Before she could do anything, I stepped on her back and held her down with my foot. Her friends tried to come to her aid, but pressing the tip of my sword on the back of her neck remedied that situation.
"Take another step, even another breath, and she'll have a spicy new haircut."
The ebony-haired assasin stood there in the alley, having jumped down from the sill, and laughed.
If thats not the sound of insanity, then I'm a Heartless.
"May I ask what the joke is?" I asked as I struggled to keep Sonia down. "Surely it isn't funny at a time like this?"
"It's just...I wish I could play poker with you," she said, smiling.
I raised an eyebrow, perplexed. "And why is that?"
"Because you put forth a terrible bluff," she answered, her laughter subsiding. "You wouldn't kill her."
So she knew that I wouldn't, but she didn't know for sure.
"How do you know I'm bluffing?" I asked, my smile fading. "Are you sure you want to gamble on a bluff?"
Her smile faded as well. And I knew why.
I turned around to see the girl with the blue hair rushing toward me. She jumped into the air, her sword raised and her eyes blazing. I rose the keyblade in defense, and sparks flew as the two weapons clashed.
I was forced to release the girl as I jumped back to avoid a swing from Angel. I ducked, somehow knowing that the ebony-haired assassin would attack from behind. Her sword wooshed as it but above my head and I jumped backwards, driving an elbow into her gut. She collapsed to the ground, coughing.
Two down, at least for now. The last assassin raced toward me, unafraid. Even though both of her allies were down. I ran toward her as well, but never got to her.
There was this piercing sound. It screamed through my mind and I tried to move my hands to my head, but my body was frozen. I collapsed to the ground, my vision swimming before me.
What...the hell...?
I saw Sonia on the ground too, except she was out cold. I looked ahead, with difficulty, to see Angel staggering.
Then I saw something.
A shadow approaching, the outline of a person walking toward me. I squinted, trying to block out the pain and concentrate on seeing who the person was. But the darkness overwhelmed me.
Just darkness.
I looked around, trying to find anything, anything that looked like an exit or escape.
Nothing.
Whatever. I might as well just start walking. Maybe I'll find a way out of here.
At this moment, another person in this situation would probably think they were dreaming. I knew I wasn't. Any fool should be able to seperate reality from reverie.
Why do you deny me?
The voice came from the shadows, as cold and as hollow as the gloom that surrounded me.
I don't even know who you are, pal, I responded to the voice.
You don't?
This is why I was brought to this world of darkness? To be played mind games with?
Games are for fools, Develyn. This is reality.
Then why don't you tell me who you are?
Because you already know.
If I knew, then-, you know what? Forget it. Just tell me how to get outta here.
Out of where?
Out of this dream! This darkness!
Unfortunately, you will always be in darkness. Soon, you will wish it was a dream.
"Hey, wake up!"
At the sound of the voice, my eyes slowly opened. Someone was standing over me, but I couldn't discern their identity. Everything looked soft and blurry, like a bad photograph.
"C'mon, get up. I know you didn't get beat up by a thief, or something."
"Look buddy," I croaked, getting shakily to my feet. "Thanks for your help so far, but you're no longer needed."
"Man, do you even know who I am?" the figure asked. As he said this, his image began to clear. White, shoulder-length hair, dark-blue eyes, and a brown trench-coat was all I needed to see to know with whom I was talking to.
"I thought you went to the hideout," I said as I rubbed my temples. I had a killer headache and the steady patter of rain, whhile beautiful, did nothing to dull it.
"I did, but you didn't come back for a while so..." he trailed off.
"You came back because you were worried about me?" I asked incredulously.
"Well, yeah," he answered, shifting uncomfortably.
I was more than shocked. This type of behavior among assasins was unheard of. Even partners who had been working together for years wouldn't go back into the proximity of a hot spot to help their comrade.
But then again, he is relatively young, I thought to myself. He only looked to be about eighteen or nineteen at the most. A baby really, when average age of assasins is around thirty. I thought I was the youngest at twenty-six, but my spotlight was taken, so to speak.
"You're an idiot," I growled. A jolt of pain raced through my body, but I gritted my teeth. I began limping slowly down the alley, sheathing my sword. The keyblade had already disappeared, and I was grateful. For some reason, I didn't want the kid knowing I wielded the it. At least not yet.
"And why is that?" he demanded, keeping up with me easily. "While you were unconscious, someone could have killed you!"
"One's life is his own," I explained, looking directly into his eyes. "No one else is responsible for it."
"But Sora always relied-"
"On his friends," I finished for him. "And look where it got him."
The kid looked confused. "What do you mean? Know one even knows where he is."
Oh yes, I forgot. I only know where he is because of the keyblade. "Exactly. He's lost, probably on some dark world where only Heartless live. He probably fights everyday for his life without a moment's rest."
"Or he could be on an island somewhere, sipping a drink and getting a tan."
I shook my head. "Nothing's ever that easy."
"Why not?" he asked. "What's so wrong with having a little hope?"
"Hope is like a bubble," I responded. "It looks tangible, like you can grasp it and hold on to it. It even looks beautiful. But as soon as you get close to it, touch it, it explodes, leaving behind only what you started with. Reality."
The kid was silent for a minute, before shaking his head. "Sorry, but I just can't accept that. I think you're just too cynical for your own good."
"Maybe," I admitted, "but I'm alive, and I've been a mercenary for quite a while. Does that tell you anything?"
"Not really," the kid said.
"Well, as long as you understand," I sighed. We emerged from the long alley onto the sidewalk and I cursed.
"What?" the kid asked, an eybrow raised.
"Where the hell's my motorcycle?" I growled. I looked around frantically, already making plans to find the bastard who stole it.
"Did you forget? You left the cloaking device on."
Oh yeah. "Of course I didn't forget," I snapped, hoping he couldn't see through my lie. "I was just seeing if you were on your toes. Assassins have to be ready for anything."
The kid scratched the back of his head. "Um, okay. Did I pass?"
I sighed heavily. "Let's just go." I went to the space where I left my motorcycle and felt around. My hand touched cold metal and I smiled faintly. I pressed the button that disables the cloak and stood back. The motorcycle flashed quickly then disappeared, then reappeared.
If there's one thing I love, in this entire world, it's this. This piece of machnery that has never failed me throughout the years I've owned it. I removed my trenchcoat, only wearing it for the mission, and tossed it behind my shoulder.
"Nice shirt," the kid said, already on his motorcycle.
I smiled and tugged the sleeves. "What this old thing?"
He laughed and reved up his engine. "Yeah, red's not really my color, but it's still pretty cool. Where'd you get it?"
I hopped on my bike, patting the black metal for good luck, as always, and stroking the words written in red on the side. "It's more of a dark-red really, and I got it at that..." I trailed off slowly, having heard something. A whisper.
"From whe-," began the kid, but I interrupted him.
"Sshhh," I cut in, getting off my motorcycle. The kid did the same, looking confused.
"Listen..." We stood there for a minute, maybe two. Stood there in the dark street, the rain hammering down on us relentlessly as we listened to the night.
"I don't hear anything," the kid finally said. "Maybe you just...just..." His eyes trailed up toward the sky, behind me.
What now?
I turned around to find nothing there, and I returned to the kid.
"What the hell were you looking at?" I asked, more than confused. I just hoped that the kid wasn't seeing things now. But I knew he wasn't. Whatever he saw, I knew he wasn't.
"There was this Heartless," he replied, a frown on his face. "It was the biggest thing I had ever seen..."
I looked back to where the Heartless had been. "Well, it's gone now, so-"
"Don't you just hate those dramatic events where you think something's gonna happen, but it doesn't?"
I whirled around, my sword already unsheathed. From the dark alley emerged a man both the kid and I knew. The kid sighed and sheathed his sword, but I didn't. I had never really liked the guy, personally. I felt an aura around him that just didn't put me at ease.
"Geez, you scared the hell out of us," the kid complained, brushing hair from his eyes. "What're you doin out here, anyway? This was supposed to be a two man mission."
The man smirked as his gold-colored eyes looked up toward the heavens. "I just wanted to enjoy the fine weather we're having here tonight," he explained softly. He ran a finger through his ebony hair. "By the way, did you two succeed in your mission?"
"Of course we did," the kid snapped. "What do you think we are? A couple of amateurs?"
"I would never even dream of such a thing," the man said, his face still turned toward the sky. The rain pattered on his face relentlessly, but he seemed not to care. "However, I would like a summary of your mission..."
"Fine," I said, waving a hand at the kid to calm him down. He looked like he was about to burst a blood vessel, and we didn't need that. "I'll tell you exactly how it went."
The man smiled. "Good." He finally stopped looking at the sky and faced us. "Please, begin. You have my undivided attention."
"This should be easy," the kid said as he got up from his motorcycle. He pressed a button and it disappeared, leaving behind no signs that a vehicle rested there. I did the same, giving my motorcycle a final pat before I pressed the button. The invisibility cloak was something that I was grateful for, something that was standard issue for the mercenaries that I worked with.
"One thing I've learned, kid," I said as we began walking toward our destination. "Don't go into a mission thinking you've already won."
"But all we have to do is kill this guy and we're done," he argued, walking next to me. "Just one man. And you know that he's dead, even if one of us was sent."
"You must have forgotten that he's one of the largest crimelords in this city," I replied, my hand on the hilt of my sword. The sword was hanging from my waist but was hidden behind a black overcoat. I didn't want this guy to see the sword until it was kissing his neck.
The kid laughed, his bravado combating his ego for superiority. It seemed to be a tie to me. "So he'll have a couple of bodyguards with him. Who cares?" He unsheathed his sword and swiped at the air a few times before putting it away. "They'll be cut to ribbons before they even know what happens."
I sighed, but couldn't help but crack a smile. The kid's enthusiasm was a little contagious.
"Well, here we are," I said, looking up at the building. "Are you ready?"
The kid smirked. "I'm ready for anything." I rolled my eyes exasperatedly and walked in with the kid close at hand. There was a security guard at the front desk, but he was too busy watching some cheesy soap opera to even pay attention to us. I shrugged and walked toward the elevator while my associate stifled a giggle. I glanced back with a frown.
The elevator arrived only a few seconds after I pushed the button and we walked in. As soon as the doors shut, I turned to the kid.
"Do you mind telling me what's so funny?" I asked softly, my voice belying the irritation I felt.
He grinned in response and said, "I was just thinking how everyone's going to blame him after we kill this guy. While he's watching a soap opera, we'll be performing our own little show."
The elevator stopped at the top floor, number fifteen, and the doors opened. We stepped out, myself in the lead, and headed toward the door with two guards in front of it. They couldnt' be more obvious if they had put a giant neon sigh over the door that said, "Kill this guy, he's here."
"Hey you," one of the guards began, holding out a hand. "What the hell are you doing-"
He never finished his sentence, because I finished his life. My sword was out before he even knew what had happened and with one quick motion, I slashed his neck. He crumpled to the ground and I smiled, satisfied. There was no way he could walk that one off. I turned to the other guard to find he had already been taken care of by the kid, his sword justting from the guard's back. He pulled it out and wiped the blood on the guard's suit.
"You ready?" he teased, grasping the door handle.
"Just open the door," I replied, my sword quivering in anticipation. The kid opened the door and there, behind a desk, sat one of the largest kingpins in Twilight Town. No one knew his real name, or even where he came from. Everyone just called him Styx.
"Hello, gentlemen," he greeted us, standing up. He stood up an unimpressive five feet, and his muscles didn't tell the tale of hard work and training. They whispered of laziness and ineptitude.
And yet.
I felt as if he felt he had our numbers.
"What can I do for you today?" he asked cheerfully.
"Besides your life, there's pretty much nothing on my wish list," the kid wisecracked, walking slowly toward Styx. "I was hoping that since I was a good boy this year, Santa would grant me this one gift."
The kingpin laughed heartily, stopping my associate in his tracks. "I'm sorry, it doesn't seem like you'll be having a very good Christmas this year then," he responded with a grin. "But I'm sure if you work extra hard, you can still get a pony and some chest hair."
With that said, guards began pouring out of every nook and cranny, surrounding us before we even knew what happened. Each of them wielded a firearm and confident grin.
A trap. They thought they had us.
Fools.
Poor, lost fools.
Before any of them could react, I charged the one nearest me. He was surpirsed when I slashed with my sword. He then screamed when he realized he was lacking a hand. I cut his throat, ending his horrible racket. It was a little harsh on my ears.
One of the men tried to point his gun at me, but I threw my sword at him, the blade embedding itself in his chest. He collapsed to the ground, lifeless.
Without even turning around, I kicked backwards, knocking one of them off their feet and into a bookcase. I didn't care. The bookcase looked like it was unused. Before he could get up, I drove my palm into his nose, causing the bones to pierce his brain. He died clinging to my leg. I retrieved my sword and looked to see how the kid was doing. All I saw was bodies strown everywhere and him standing on top, triumphant.
"You thought six men could take us down?" the kid asked, incredulous. "I could've taken them all down myself!" Our query, having lost his "edge" was now cowering in a corner, trying not to piss his pants, I would imagine.
"P-please, don't k-k-kill me," he moaned, his eyes wide with fear. "I'll give you anything you want..."
The kid smiled. "Well thats great. Maybe we can work out an agreement after all." He held out his hand to the Styx, and he took it, a look of relief on his face. However, the kid pulled his arm quickly, jerking the kingpin's body into the sword that lay waiting.
"It's too bad we want your life..." He said as the crimelord sank to the ground.
"Well, now that that's out of the way," I said. "Why don't we hit the bar?"
"And that's why we're here," I finished, rubbing the hilt of my sword softly. "Any other questions?"
The man smiled, shaking his head. "Not at the moment. I'll meet you two back at the hideout. Be safe." With that, he disappeared, leaving behind only the rain that was there to begin with.
"What's his problem?" the kid muttered, sitting back on his motorcycle.
"I don't know," I replied, hopping on my motorcycle as well. "But you'd be best not to cross him."
"Yeah, he gives me the creeps for some reason," the kid said, revving his engine. Suddenly, a look of mischief shone in his eyes. "Last one there as to pay for the drinks next time?"
"I can't say no to that," I answered, pushing the petal to the metal. The kid laughed and followed quickly, going as fast as he could.
I smiled, but I was cold.
Not from the weather. As the wind raced through my hair and the rain pelted my skin, I could only think of one thing.
Those eyes.
Those yellow eyes.