Rising Vision
One
"Mm," I murmured, tossing over in the bed. My mother had the bunk under me, and I wondered distantly why we were here, in some tattered apartment in NYC instead of the loft we had been offered. When I slept, it seemed my thoughts were more active than when I was awake, usually a problem for me, but not during summer break.
"Through here," a voice hissed, and I stirred, biting my tongue by accident. That woke me up to an extent, and I dropped silently to the carpet, walking over to my mom's autographed aluminum bat. Twirling it silently, hearing the quick soft whistle of the air, I waited, sure of the footsteps now.
The doorknob turned, and when it opened, I lunged forward, careful not to wake my mother. I could handle a simple robber by myself.
"O!" I heard the man hiss as I lunged forward, swinging as hard as I could, using the bat as a temporary kendo sword. To my surprise, though, the man caught it and twisted me to the side, wrapping his arm around my throat. I wasn't able to move, and long silver hair fell in front of my eyes.
"Nn!" I gasped, tasting the leather of the man's gloves, feeling his face brush against mine.
"Just watch," his voice was deep, and I recognized the Japanese accent. I tensed, watching as the man I had seen at the park came into the room. Moving quickly, I stomped quickly on the man's foot holding me, and using the small distraction, I twisted and kicked out with all my strength, pushing myself onto the carpet, rolling into a standing position.
I faced the two of them, panting. The one I had kicked stood as though unfazed, and both wore fedora hats, similar to Neal Caffery, New York's famed con artist. "What do you want?" I asked, my voice rough as I tried to disguise my huge lack of energy.
"Vodka," the taller silver haired one said, straightening, then suddenly spoke in Japanese. "Kill the mother."
"Hn!" I recoiled, but then I froze. I had just made a major mistake, I realized as they both stared at me. Now they knew I could understand them when they spoke in Japanese. It can't be undone, I thought, tensing, but I will protect her…I have to!
"Hmph. You tire me," the silver haired one growled. "To play these annoying little games with us…do you have a death wish?"
"This is my house!" I hissed back, returning in Japanese, as his question had been. He lowered his head, and I took another step back. The bat was held loosely in his hand, and I could tell he wasn't a bad fighter. He was strong…
No, not strong, I thought with horror. He far surpasses me! I clenched my fists, still determined to fight, when he took a step forward. His movement was quicker than I could believe, and he swung the bat, catching me in the ribs. I fell to the floor, gasping, and he caught me by my neck again, his breath low and normal. Not at all out of breath…?
"Now, watch," he said, tangling one of his legs in between mine, making it impossible for me to go on the offensive like I had earlier. I dug my nails into his jacket, trying to pull his arm away, but my attempts feebly gave way. I was still shaky from getting sick earlier. I felt myself crying as the thickset man took out his gun.
It was over within seconds, and I felt myself sag against the man, and he used his free arm to catch around my waist. I felt the shaky dizziness returning, and my face was flushing. Blood dripped to the carpet, and I was frozen in place.
"This is what happens when you mess with us," the man who gripped me growled. I didn't move, still in shock.
"Boss?" the other asked, and I flicked my gaze to him, feeling the weight of nothingness weigh on my eyes. I felt unable to move, similar to the feeling when I first woke up.
"Oh," he muttered, and he pushed me forward. I tripped, unable to keep up. The weariness was weighing down on me now, and it was sinking in. Everything that had happened…I sank to my knees, shaking uncontrollably now.
"Nn?" I heard the thickset man ask, and he took a few steps closer to me. "She's shivering."
"Who cares?" the other asked, and I gasped in sudden pain. It was sinking in now, too quickly for me to understand. A gun was suddenly brushing the back of my neck, so lightly I could barely tell what it was. "Get up and walk before I decide you're too much trouble."
I staggered to my feet, still shaking, and I walked a few steps before I leaned suddenly against the wall, my sides heaving. Then I started vibrating so hard I fell once again to my knees, my nails digging into the carpet and tearing through it. The gun pressed harder, but then disappeared.
"What is it?" the one asked sharply, and I assumed the other had pushed the gun away. A female voice surprised me, though.
"Hmph, antagonizing a teenager, now?" she snapped. I was still shivering, and a hand appeared on my shoulder. I tried to jerk away, only running into the wall. "Hey, it's okay."
"O-okay?" I hissed, my eyes widening with undeniable fear. "You people…you just…" I was blank-minded, and afraid. This was the first time in a long time I was afraid. Then the front door was kicked down.
"Eeh?" I hissed, turning my attention to that.
"So…you do fear some things," the gang leader of this area hissed, twirling his own bat, then pointing it at the people surrounding me. "Back off. I have unfinished business with this bitch."
"Excuse me?" the woman hissed, but the silver haired man stopped her.
"This is her problem. I don't think we should get involved," he muttered, and then pulled the woman back. I stood, my shoulders tensing.
"You should leave," I murmured, narrowing my eyes. It was difficult to see in the next to no light from the moon, but I could see that he had brought friends. "You're not a very honorable opponent, and I'm preoccupied right now. But if you wish, I will deal with you, and the outcome won't be pleasant."
"You sure talk big, for such a runt," he spat, and the cigarette in his mouth twitched. My eyes narrowed to tighter slits, and my fist clenched. I hated those remarks. Sure I was small, but I made up for that with my fighting, and he was about to find that out.
My mixed emotions were clashing so strongly right now, and I knew that the three from the assassination of my mother wouldn't let me escape. So I would have to fight. Fine, I thought coldly, DIE! I ran forward suddenly, ducking one of his swings and slashing out with my nails. Don't, I hissed to myself. I couldn't get carried away…
"Ooh, I got you mad!" he laughed, taking a step away, blood dripping from the gash on his jaw, but he grinned anyway.
"Mad? She seems…" the woman whispered.
"She seems perfectly calm," the thickset one, Vodka, finished. I ignored them, but Rick didn't. he stared straight at them.
"Didn't you know? She only fights when she's angry or when she's defending herself. She rarely fights for others," he laughed, like it was a joke. I was paying more attention to the growing forces outside the door. I saw a miniature grenade in one person's hand, and I sighed.
"Looks like your forces aren't as loyal as you think," I murmured, turning half way to face him. "Now, what are you going to do?"
"Eh?" he looked, and the grenade was launched. In a split second, I wrenched the bat away from him, smashing the door closed, listening as the bomb hit the ground. That's a good thing about having a stainless steel door, I thought, straightening. Except, my mother had gotten it more for fashion than gang protection. I turned back to Rick.
"Want to finish this? I don't have any more time to waste with you," I said, looking at him though narrowed eyes. He was still in shock though.
"T-that was one of…"
"Yeah, one of your men, idiot," I snapped. "Make up your mind!"
"I need to sort this out," he muttered, running a hand through his dusty brown colored hair. I sighed and let the bat fall loosely to my fingertips, and it brushed the ground. He went out of a window, and I tangled my own fingers in my short black hair, a headache erupting so heavily that I wasn't able to focus on anything.
Ugh, I thought, why a headache now? Too much happening tonight. I was trying to shut out the headache, but it was next to impossible. A hand closed suddenly around my neck, and I dropped my own grasp, suddenly exhausted, realizing I had gotten two hours of sleep. I had no energy to struggle anymore.
"Huh?" the silver-haired man's voice gasped as I fell backwards, my eyes closing. I was out before I knew anything had hit me.
"Nn?" I was on the floor of a car, and could feel the speed rushing beneath my fingertips. I shook my head slowly, the headache gone for the most part. "Where…?"
"If you ever pass out on us again," the silver haired man growled, "I will not hesitate to kill you."
"Eeh?" I asked, blinking in surprise. Smoke was filling the car, and I coughed heavily, feeling dizzy. I curled into a ball, wrapping my arms around my legs with fear pulsing through me once again. Rick had been right; these people did scare me, but I wasn't sure why. Because I couldn't fight them? Or was it their unexpected yet precise attack? They didn't work as a thick group, but in pairs that served one, from what I could guess from my knowledge of gangs.
"We'll be at the airport soon," the other murmured in Japanese, and I sighed. I was going to have to get used to switching languages when I was around them, not that it bothered me, but it would be somewhat of an annoyance.
"Where are you taking me?" I whispered in their language, and I felt one of their stare's burning into me. I raised my gaze to meet the taller one's. "Why do you want me?"
"You saw us on that day," Vodka replied, and I looked at the door opposite of me, with a cynical laugh.
"I saw you, that's it. All I saw of him," I looked at the other, "Was long silver hair. That was it. I thought you were a girl, a couple who snuck away from the crowd. That's why I ran the other way; I didn't want my mom to see you and antagonize you. So I ignored the both of you. Because of such a simplistic misunderstanding…"
"Misunderstanding…?" Vodka asked, and I could sense his discomfort.
"I guess it was my fault, in part," I said softly. Like always, I thought sadly. I heard a scornful snort.
"Well it did already happen," Gin snapped. "Now that you know about us, you aren't able to just leave. You have two choices…"
The car stopped. I shivered.
"Either you say that you'd rather die," he said, getting out. "Because we killed someone you already weren't very close to. Or, you agree to live, work with our organization, and take this," he pulled me roughly out of the car, holding a syringe filled with green liquid a quarter inch from my eyes.
"You've kidnapped me already, so I suppose you're going to force me to take that either way," I murmured. "And what does it matter to me?"
"You don't even care?" he sneered. "Someone like you…with no self preservation skills…you deserve to die."
"You dare insult me…after everything I've been through tonight?" I hissed, narrowing my eyes. His own green eyes flashed, and I knew he was trying to read my emotions. "You think I'm stupid enough to try to fight you again? I have no energy left, as you know!"
"Eh?" he blinked, his green eyes widening.
"Hn! She's smart!" Vodka laughed from inside the car, and he stiffened. I didn't respond, my eyes calmly meeting his.
"What's your choice?"
"Fine," I muttered, "I have no intention of dying, but don't interpret this as me willingly signing myself over to your group."
"Group?" he grinned as he stabbed the needle into my arm. "Welcome to the syndicate," he laughed, and I winced at the fierce pain from the liquid that was injected into me. I doubled over, gasping with pain.
"W-what is this?" I hissed, and I heard the distant sound of the needle landing in the grass further out.
"It's 'vampire' blood," he replied, and I gasped. "It makes you immortal; usually you age a few more years before you stop aging completely, why we nicknamed it that. It doesn't increase your strength, but it will ensure protection against illness and poison. For the most part, anyway."
"Huh?" I withstood the pain to look up in surprise.
"Oh, and it makes the women in our 'group' as you call it, more beautiful," Vodka added with a laugh. The pain was starting to fade already, and I tried to stand.
"Idiot, it hasn't finished spreading yet. When we get to the airport, you should be completely unconscious, and when you wake up, if you cause a scene," the silver haired one hissed, "I will kill you with no hesitation."
"Wait…" I slurred. "What's your name? I know his, but not yours…or that woman's…"
"'That woman's' name is Vermouth. My own is Gin. I know yours, and I don't think you need a codename…"
"Codename…?" I whispered, but as I did, I fell back onto the seat, my eyes closing for the second time that night as I fell into unconsciousness.
A/N: Hey, anyone who's reading! This will hopefully get more interesting…hopefully ;D. Either way, Gin and Vodka will be around her most, and she's about to be thrust into the interworkings of the syndicate, which undoubtedly will involve Akai and the FBI, along with Conan and Ai. It's fun to write so far! :D