Author's Note: Alright, where do I begin? First of all, apologies, I've been dealing with some personal things but we're all good now. I probably should've released this chapter awhile ago but I'm kind of glad I didn't. Also, I've gone back and edited some things in chapter one and two. Some were things people have brought up in reviews that I agreed with and others were slight changes. I may do this every so often but I'm not really sure why I'm saying this. I really don't expect anyone reading this to go reread chapters they've already read just because they were a little polished up. Anyways, I'm releasing three and four now. If I go missing again, I'll be back, I promise.
The Outer District
Nico hated how inconsistent public transportation could be. He strongly preferred to follow a schedule and whenever something went amiss with the aforementioned schedule, he'd mark his whole day ruined. So there he stood, arms crossed and foot tapping, impatient and irritated, leaning against the concrete wall that divided the station platforms. To make matters worse, today was especially chillier and windier than usual. Autumn was coming to a close, and a cold winter was looming close by, eager to take its place.
When the first train of the morning arrived, Nico's face was already numb and his lips chapped. He rushed in when the doors opened and sprawled out on the first few seats he saw; the early commute rarely had any other passengers, which probably explained why it never arrived on time.
While he hadn't seen her at first, Nico noticed a young woman sat across from him, her face buried in a book and headphones plugged into her ears. She most likely hadn't noticed him there at all, and if she did, she wasn't paying his obnoxious seating position any attention. What he could make out about her was that she had long, black hair, styled with a french braid and she wore glasses. She was wearing too many layers for him to make any assertion regarding her body, and he couldn't see her face behind the book. Disappointed, Nico turned his gaze towards the windows and the fleeting scenery of autumn.
Eventually, the train came to its final stop and Nico stood up. While the rest of the car was now empty, the girl who he had noticed earlier was still here. It felt a little odd to Nico, as people rarely ever came to the outer district unless they had some business there. Not to mention she was still reading her book too nor did she seem to have any intention of getting off this stop. He shook his head and brushed her off as someone who simply missed their stop. When the doors opened, a little kid, Nico guessed around the age of 10, was waiting to get on. The kid's face was hidden by a hoodie and the child quickly sidestepped by him to get on. Nico paid it little attention and went off to find the address he was given in the letter.
Nico had never been to this specific district, but he assumed that it was in at least feasible care, seeing as how they kept the Cursed Children here. The vast assortment of collapsed buildings quickly dispelled that notion. Yet, despite all of that, there was a lively attitude within the district. Typically from what Nico had seen, most outer districts were ghost towns or homeless people occupied them, both of which brought with them very somber atmospheres. But here it was different. The Cursed Children were loud, and most of all annoying. They leaped from ruin to ruin as if it were their own personal playground. They played hide and seek, tag, tug of war, it was like a permanent recess. Laughter and screams filled the streets as children ran past Nico, either staring at him curiously or ignoring him completely.
"I gotta take care of a kid like this?" he rubbed his neck. "What a pain in the ass…"
The closer he got to his destination, the quieter it became. Nico couldn't even spot a single kid within his line of sight. "Are they avoiding something?" he pondered.
Finally reaching the government facility, a security guard cautiously approached Nico, shouting for Nico to show him identification.
Nico pulled out his ID and papers from his pockets, and after the guard inspected them, he let Nico through the doors.
Inside, another security guard took Nico down the hall, down two flights of stairs and into a room that closely resembled an interrogation room. Every wall, ceiling, and floor Nico had walked by was painted in a bright, baby blue color and decorated randomly by clouds and stars. Nico was asked to take a seat at the table and then the guard disappeared back into the hallway. Annoyed, Nico put his head down on the table.
A few minutes later, a man wearing casual clothing walked into the room with a folder in hand. He smiled and nodded at Nico and then apologized for the wait.
"Nico Emery, yes? I've heard quite a bit about your accomplishments. I'm Paul Caiman, I'm in charge of facilitating the Cursed Children in this district." Mr. Caiman stuck his hand out and Nico shook it. "I'm sure you're busy so let's skip the rest of the pleasantries and get straight to business. We have a wide assortment of Cursed Children who would make capable Initiators for a Promoter such as yourself, take a look and tell me which ones interest you."
Mr. Caiman took some files out of the folder and spread them out on the table. Nico glanced at the files with indifference. "Who's the strongest one you have?"
Nico noticed Mr. Caiman sigh in response. His smile seemed to shrink. "Why don't you look over the papers and decide for yourself? Different Initiators have different capabilities and work better with different Promoters. You should pick one best suited to your style."
"My style?" Nico grinned. "Then give me the strongest one you got. I need someone who can hold their own in a fight. That's all, I don't wanna be babysitting on the job."
"Mr. Emery, I really do suggest you take a look at the files I've put in front of you and make your decision based on the information." A sign of irritation was showing in his voice.
"Look, I don't give a damn about that stuff. Honestly, whatever this Initiator shit is, I do not care. I'm only here cause if I don't bring back one of these kids with me, I'm going to get my ass chewed out tomorrow."
Trying to maintain a smile, Mr. Caiman reached into the folder. "If you're so dead set on this, take a look at this one, I warn you, though, she has a bad track record of working with Promoters. She's the only one we've ever gotten back, and numerous times to boot." Mr. Caiman pulled out one more file and slid it over to Nico. "Believe me, when I say that is not a good thing."
Nina Diaz / CC #1002 - Model Tiger Initiator
#1002 possesses tremendous physical abilities and above average mental capabilities. She has shown promising potential in the field, although her proficiency as an Initiator does not correlate with her demonstrated skills. Four Promoters have had custody of #1002 over the course of two years, all of whom have been officially confirmed to have died in action. At this time, it is uncertain whether or not these deaths are purely coincidental or if #1002 is responsible. While autopsy reports have not found any indication that #1002 is responsible, it is reckless to dismiss the possibility that she may have had a hand in their deaths. Questioning #1002 does not reveal any further information regarding these cases. She is completely uncooperative and has shown hostility to those who have tried before. It is advised one administrates extreme precaution when handling #1002. Under normal circumstances, #1002 would have been labeled too dangerous and volatile and put down, but the benefits of being able to possibly harvest her potential far outweigh the disadvantages.
Her erosion rate, with the assistance of regular resistance shots, has been maintained at 24% and seems to be able to endure extensive combat at an exceptional level.
Nico looked up from the file at Mr. Caiman. He held the stare, making Mr. Caiman scrunch his face uncomfortably, and then broke into a devilish smile. "She's good."
Caiman just sat with a stunned look on his face, at this point he was wondering if Nico were either medically insane or trying to mess with him.
When Mr. Caiman regained his composure, he nodded to Nico, picked up the files and documents, and left the room.
Minutes later, a security guard emerged from outside the room and guided Nico back to the entrance of the building. Standing there, next to two more guards, was a little girl, no older than ten, with tattered robes and mangled dirty brown hair. Her eyes were a fierce, shimmering red, and she was visibly pissed, glaring into the ground with her arms shaking violently. But despite this, all Nico could think about was how she needed a shower, badly.
As he approached them, Nico was handed a suitcase, which he was informed held two month's supply of resistance shots.
"You're Nina, right? I'm Nico. I'm your Promoter from now on, we'll do some proper introductions later but I wanna get out of this dump so let's go."
His comment caught her attention and her eyes rose to meet Nico's, but it was not in a friendly manner. She scowled and took up a fighting stance, growling at him.
One of the guards behind her was about to strike with a taser but Nico swiftly grabbed his arm and stopped him. "I just got this kid, and you're already trying to hurt her? Come on man, is this how y'all do business? And you," he turned to face Nina, "I don't know what the hell is with your attitude but you better fix that shit if you're gonna start living under the same roof as me." Releasing the man's arm, Nico started out the door. Behind him, the child's red eyes calmed into a muddy brown and hesitantly, she began to follow him.
Nico thought things would brighten up when they were far enough from the facilities but that wasn't the case. Even after leaving the building, Nina had been walking with her head down like she was trying to avoid being seen. Even the Cursed Children seemed a little different than earlier. Whenever Nico would pass by they'd all stop and stare, instead of the majority ignoring him as they had previously. He looked back at Nina and realized that her presence must've been attracting attention, so he continued walking. Out of the corner of his eyes, Nico saw two children behind the rubble of a broken down building, staring much more intently than the others had been. Cautious of the situation, Nico prepped his hand on the holster of his gun, but he let down his guard when their little voices called out, "Nina!"
The kids came running out to her. They waved at but otherwise ignored Nico, and approached Nina, who still had her eyes plastered to the ground. They both looked distinctly younger in comparison to Nina, most likely just starting kindergarten if their fates had been just slightly different. What really caught Nico's attention though was the scar that ran down the length of one of the girl's cheeks. The one with the scar held a smile on her face while the other had a look of curiosity.
"So you're leaving again?" asked the girl with the scar. Nina only nodded in response.
"Bye-bye, Nina!" shouted the other girl, embracing Nina tightly. The act of affection caught Nina by surprise, as her head looked up with wide eyes. She made a gentle, yet somber smile and hugged her back. "When are you coming back?" The young girl who had just hugged her flashed a large smile as she asked that question.
The smile on Nina's face flattened slightly, but she made sure her eyes gave nothing away. "Soon, maybe..." This was the first time Nico had heard her speak, and the softness of her voice surprised him.
When the girls were done exchanging their goodbyes, Nico and Nina made their way back to the train station and hopped on to the next train back to the city. Nico was glad to be headed back home, although he wondered how Nina felt about the whole situation, after all, the only home she ever knew was the Outer District. A part of him couldn't stop thinking about the two girls from before and their talk with Nina. He wondered who exactly they were to her, and the sort of relationship they must've had. Oddly enough, he found these words escaping his mouth, "So, you wanna go back, don't you?" Nina ignored him or pretended she couldn't hear him from the sound of the train, but a scowl was evident on her face. He was slightly irritated.
"What? You act like you won't be able to see your friends again." At those words, Nina's head and eyes perked up. She looked at him skeptically, not quite sure what to make of her new Promoter. She waited for him to say more, but neither of them spoke for the remaining duration of the ride.
