The Last Warrior

Chapter 5: Slade's story.

By:Neoguy23-Daniel Graffio

2/8/05

Slade spent the next few days attempting to recover from the defeat at the hands of Zenyu. It was shaky for awhile, because Slade was always getting caught doing some kind of exercise by Eve. Eve would then proceed to scold him as though he were her little brother.

"You're gonna hurt yourself even worse!"

"What is possessing you do this?"

"What are you gonna do if you sprain something exerting yourself like that?"

But among all the admonishments and warnings, Slade heard a small request.

"Slade...someday, I'd like it if you told me about you. Why you're after Kane. What happened to your family, and why you're so strong. I...I just would like to know more about you."

Slade had at first dismissed this. He had no real desire to tell anyone, even a new friend, something he had wanted to forget for so long. As time went by however, he decided that maybe if he did tell Eve, she might be content to let him see to his recovery on his own.

"Slade? You wanted to see me?" Eve asked as she poked her head in the door of Slade's small room.

Slade motioned for her to come in.

"Lock the door behind you please." he said.

Eve blushed a bit at this.

"Wh..What for?" she asked.

"Just do it, please." Slade said, looking very serious.

Eve did as she was asked, then walked over to the side of Slade's bed and sat down in a chair. Slade studied her for a moment. She had told him that she was 16. He looked at her long blonde hair tied in a tight braid, her deep-penetrating blue eyes. He also surveyed the reddish brown skirt and vest she wore over a white tank-top. Slade thought she was very well-built.

"In more ways then one." he smiled a little at the thought, "It's hard to believe a beautiful girl like this could have so much anger and desire to kill people."

"What did you want to see me about Slade?" Eve asked.

Slade suddenly jerked back into reality. He sighed deeply and turned his gaze to the ceiling above.

"You've been asking me for some time now to tell you about myself." he said.

"You're finally gonna tell me your story!" said Eve, trying to hide her excitement.

Slade looked at her,

"Yes, but I have to ask you not to interrupt me, Deal?"

"Deal" Eve agreed.

Slade looked back to the ceiling and closed his eyes, reliving all those memories from long ago. (Author's Note: This part of the chapter is told from Slade's point of view.)

I grew up with my family far away from here. We lived on a mountain in a pretty small but cozy house. It was just me, my mom, my dad, and my brother Aaron. My parents, mostly my dad, taught me and my brother how to fight. Aaron was 2 years older than me, and a lot farther along in his training, but he always treated me with great respect. I always looked up to him. My mom and dad taught me everything I know, including how to fly. I remember on my brother's 16th birthday, my father gave him that sword. I was so proud of him. About a week later, my parents sent us both off into the mountains to train. Aaron was off practicing his moves while I was meditating. All of a sudden, we felt something dangerous, and powerful coming. Aaron shook me out of my concentration, his face was stark white.

"Slade, come on, Mom and Dad are in trouble." he said.

I didn't argue, and we rushed back home as quick as we could. When we got there, Aaron hid us both. That's when I saw them both. Zenyu, and Kane. I couldn't hear what him and my parents were saying, but I could tell it wasn't good. Both my parents then ran straight at Kane. Zenyu looked ready to attack but Kane brushed him off and met both my parents head on. He easily dodged all of their moves, and countered them with his own. He threw my father aside and went after my mom first. She never even had a chance. Kane beat her unconscious, and then my dad attacked again. Kane disregarded my mom and started on my dad. He fought bravely, but in the end Kane was just too powerful for him. Dad was beaten bloody and then tossed next to my mom. Then that monster lifted his hand and...he killed them both.

Aaron grabbed hold of me and we ran. We ran as fast as and far as we could, but we couldn't outrun the sound of Kane's laughter, it haunts me even to this day. Aaron finally stopped running and collapsed. He began to cry, but I didn't, or couldn't. I don't know why, even to this day.

After that day, Aaron and I began our quest for revenge. We were gonna set out for Kane's fortress, and kill him. But first we needed to get stronger. Aaron trained me as best he could. He raised me as well. The incident had changed him a great deal though. He was still kind to me, but was had become moody and secretive. Every now and then he would have violent mood swings. I forgave him though; I knew what he was feeling. I felt it too. For 2 years we trained, and traveled. Then one day, Zenyu found us. He attacked my brother and they fought one of the most vicious battles I'd ever seen. I didn't even know my brother had it in him to fight like he did that day. He had the upper hand for a while, but then Zenyu got a seemingly second wind, and utterly destroyed him. I remember seeing him on the ground, looking up at me. He was bleeding so much; I was surprised he wasn't dead. He told me that it was up to me to beat Kane now.

"The task is yours now Slade." he said, "Take the sword, and kill Kane. Avenge our parents, and me."

"No Aaron!" I pleaded with him, "Don't you leave me too."

"Don't be sad Slade. Even in death, I'll always be with you."

Then Zenyu pointed his hand, and Aaron was gone, just like my parents. I ran so fast that I can't believe now I didn't hit anything on the way. When I finally stopped running, I fell to my knees and looked up and the sky. It was grey, and the rain began to fall on my face. I yelled out, screamed at the top of my lungs. I was so angry and racked with grief I could've taken my own life. But I looked at the sword, and decided that I wouldn't die, until Kane was going with me. It strikes me as funny now though. I was sad, my entire family had been killed in front of me, but even then I couldn't find any tears to cry.

Slade then stopped his story. He looked at Eve. Her face was a mixed look of terror and amazement, there was also a touch of sadness in it. Her cheeks were wet with what looked like tears.

"Yo...your story," she said after awhile. "It's so...sad."

"Wow, I didn't think I was that screwed up." Slade said, "You must have heard this type of thing a million times by now."

"No...none like yours." Eve said.

Slade looked as fresh tears poured down her beautiful face. Slade felt a little bad that he had made her cry. He reached out his hand and put it on hers.

"Don't worry about me, I'm a survivor." he said smiling, trying to comfort her.

She smiled back, squeezed his hand, and excused herself from the room. Slade got up, made sure she was gone, and locked the door. He went back to his bed, and began to do sit-ups. Reliving it all had only doubled his resolve, if not more. He counted off his sit-ups one after the other, still hearing Kane's mocking laughter inside his head.