IMPORTANT: This fanfic is connected with RahXephon's fanfic Master of Corruption. To properly enjoy this fanfic, you should read my partner's fic too. Check out my favourites in my profile to access it.

Mistress of Tyranny

A New Start

By Sesshy's Girl 00 and RahXephon

I awoke to the bright morning sun shining in my eyes. I groaned and covered my face with my good arm. I felt miserable and I did not want to be awake right now.

I rolled over and vomited repeatedly in an indent next to me.

Once my stomach had calmed down, I rolled back over. The red orange sky hung ominously over my head, making my queasy stomach feel even worse. My body was sick, very sick. Would I die here without medicine? It was quite possible. Many people had died of simple infections in the past. It would be lucky to be one of them.

It would serve me right for being the horrible person I was. I deserved to be ill. It was my punishment for everything I had said and done. Stupid karma.

I forced my self to crawl over to a piece of concrete that looked sturdy enough to hold me. I carefully propped myself up against it. The world just seemed to spin dangerously for several minutes, but it began to slow down after that. I felt better now that I had my body in an upright position.

Everything passed in a whirl, and before I knew it I was falling, going down, down, down endlessly. It seemed like this would never end.

I felt a light floating sensation. I seemed to be drifting along on some white puffy clouds. There was no pain, no discomfort. It was all so easy. I lay there enjoying the sensation for several long moments.

Then I heard an ear-piercing scream.

My eyes snapped open in an instant. Bright surroundings, enhanced by the light of the sun, flooded my eyes. It was all so vivid and real, I couldn't believe it. This looked nothing like the post Third Impact world I remember falling asleep in. Here there was character and life.

I lay there for several minutes, taking it all in. My surroundings were rich and beautiful, unlike anything I had ever seen before. There was a feeling of natural design about the place, and it was nothing like the pre Third Impact world I had known, where concrete was everywhere, or the post Third Impact where there was only destruction.

I tried to sit up but a strong pair of hands pushed me down. "Lay still, Miss. You will hurt yourself if you move."

I turned my head in search of the sound of the voice. Right next to me a young woman knelt. She had smooth black hair that was tied back in two long braids, a fair complexion, and remarkable grey eyes. She was dressed in a light blue old-fashioned dress, which looked somewhat similar to German clothing.

I blinked as my eyes began to adjust to the light and could begin to take in the room rather then the individual details that had impressed me earlier. What I saw surprised me. The room looked like something out of a history book, a Japanese history book. Like the one I had read in school all those eternities ago.

I looked back at her and it was only then that I noticed she wasn't Japanese. She was clearly European. That wasn't right. Japanese live in this kind of house, not Europeans. I wasn't that dumb. This didn't make sense. Where was I?

"How are you feeling?"

I blinked in recognition. She was speaking German to me. The pure and properly accented one, the way a native speaker would talk. It was my native language, so all the nuances came on easily to me, and I hadn't even noticed the transition. I hadn't even realized I wasn't using Japanese. Weird.

I was beginning feeling seriously crept out. The panic was starting to build in my chest. This was all too confusing for my tastes. I wasn't back in medieval Germany or Japan, was I? That was all in the past and traveling through time was something I was certain that couldn't happen.

"I feel fine. Why?"

A look of shock and confusion crossed her face. I felt her hands come to rest on my arm. "You were badly injured. Don't you remember?"

In a blinding flash it all came back to me. The white M.P. Evas were falling around me; Unit Two was far too strong for them, and then the lance; that stupid Lance of Longinus came out of nowhere. It went right though my head. Then, I . . .I . . .I was furious- no enraged.

The next thing I remember was pain, so much pain and then nothing. Absolutely nothing.

When I woke the next time, I was alone on the beach, in a world ravaged by Third Impact. The details of what happened after were fuzzy. I remember that baka Shinji was there but he ran away after trying to kill me. I also recalled a woman who I promised to help. The rest wasn't very clear.

There was however one other thing that I knew for sure. I had been badly injured and I was in a lot of pain. All of it was gone however. I felt absolutely fine. It seemed like I was never even injured in the first place.

I felt a new sense of release and freedom. I was free. Free.

I tried to sit up, but once again the young woman was there to stop me with her gentle touch. She forced me to lie back down and placed a rag soaked in cool water on my forehead. "I warned you that moving was a bad idea."

I smiled weakly. "Sorry. I'm not used to being told to take it easy."

She nodded and began to organize the items set out beside me.

I lay silently, focusing on my breathing and enjoying the silence. It felt so good; all my problems were behind me. Everything felt fine. There was nothing more for me to do and worry about.

I let a smile cross my face as I enjoyed the sensation of relaxation that had taken over my body. For an instant, even the negative voices in my head were silenced. But later, I knew they would return, and I would never have that feeling of freedom again.

More immediately however my sense peace was about to be broken by something quite different. I heard footsteps outside the door; someone was coming. Beside me the girl tensed, and I wondered if something was wrong. I heard the door begin to open and I figured that I was about to find out.

A man stepped into the room. He was older, probably early to middle thirties, and clearly of Asian descent. He had sleek black hair and dark eyes. His body was clearly strong and well built under his silk green robes. From the way he moved into the room I had the sense that he was in control of wherever I was.

"The angel is awake at last." He said kindly in Japanese.

I recoiled violently at the mention of that blasted word. I was no angel, and the last thing I wanted was to be compared to one. I had seen too many bad angels to desire to be one now. I would rather be an Oni any day. There was nothing to gain from being good; I had learned that lesson the hard way long ago. You had to do what was necessary to get what you wanted.

I shook my head emphatically. I would not let him keep referring to me as an angel. If anything, I wanted to make that clear right from the start. "I am no angel."

A slight hint of unease flashed across his face but he continued to smile. "Yes, you are." He insisted, "A fallen one, cast out of heaven for some misdeed, maybe but you are still an angel. You fell from the sky, so you must be. Only rejected angels do that."

I had fallen from the sky? There was no way that was possible. I should have been splattered to death. How did I survive that? It sounded like something out of a fairytale or horror story. Not real life. Wait… was this even reality? It certainly didn't seem like it. Where I came from, Germans didn't work for the Japanese as servants. This was way too freaky.

I shrugged, trying to keep my face neutral to cover my inner turmoil. "Believe what you want to."

"As you wish, my lady." He said with a bow.

I frowned, not liking his willingness to obey me. This was too easy. Something was definitely off here. I couldn't put my finger on it just yet, but I didn't need to. I could feel it.

He moved towards the other end of the room. I buried myself under the covers of the futon. I was lying in as best as I could. I wanted him far away from me because I had no idea what he wanted. It was unsettling. I just wanted to be alone, to disappear to the pleasant sensation I had when I first woke up.

He stood on the other end of the room as he turned around to face me and spoke. "I've been very rude, haven't I? I apologize miss."

I glared at him wondering where this was going. I had the feeling that I was not going to like what he was going to say. The muscles in my arms tensed in preparation to fight against whatever it was that was about to be said.

"I should introduce myself. I am Prince Kotoya Hakudo of Echigo."

So it would appear that this was a round of introductions. That was easy enough. I nodded to show I understood. "Pleased to meet you. I am Asuka Langley Sohryu."

Kotoya smiled revealing a set of healthy pearly whites. "Asuka, that's such a pretty name."

"Thanks."

"Where do you come from, Miss Sohryu?"

I smiled and shrugged innocently. "There's nothing to tell. I'm here and that's all you need to know."

Kotoya smiled and cocked his head to the side. "You certainly like to be mysterious."

"Yes, I do."

"I'm afraid I must leave now, I will see you later Miss Sohryu."

With that, he walked out the door and left. I sighed in relief, temporality forgetting the other person still in the room. I was just too grateful to be alone. "Are you okay?"

I turned to look over and saw the girl who had been there when I first woke up. She smiled and sat down next to me. Her hand adjusted the rag on my forehead. "You should go back to sleep, if you are able. It would be best for your body."

Reluctantly, I had to admit that she was right. I was probably still in rough shape after everything I had been though. I was physically and emotionally exhausted. Sleep would do me good.

"You. What's your name?"

"Frieda."

Frieda, that was a German name. She must be of German ancestry after all. I hadn't been imagining things. That fact was comforting to know. Still, I had to admit, this was a weird place if I wasn't imagining.

The thought crossed my mind that I might be able to convince Frieda follow me and help me out. It was worth a try. We had similar heritage after all. If nothing else, there was our knowledge of the German tongue to bind us together.

I yawned, as the tiredness I hadn't realized was there began to show itself. Yes, it was time for rest, I decided. I took a deep breath and closed my eyes. Before I knew it I was swept away on the tide of my dreams. It was a place so peaceful that I never wanted to leave.

When I woke up, it was late in the day and the sun had just set beyond the horizon. A quick look around showed me that I was alone. Good. That was how I liked it. I wanted - no needed some space for myself in order to think.

I didn't need to be convinced that I was in another world anymore, since that was stating the obvious. The fact I was somewhere else had been apparent from the moment I had woken up. The real question was what to make of everything. Not just where I was, but also were I had been as well. I had seen a lot in my short years. Much of it not pleasant; all of it permanently ingrained in my memory. That was something I would have to endure.

I flinched as a distant scream echoed though my mind. It hung forever in the air reverberating within the confines of my head. As it was receding I shivered, but it was not from the cold, it was from the chill in my soul.

"Mama! Mama! Look at me! Look at me!"

"No," I whispered out loud.

You're so miserable; your own mother won't look at you.

No!

Yes, your own mother hates you, despises you so much that she'd rather have a doll then her real flesh and blood daughter. Doesn't that make you worthless? Doesn't that make you weak, pathetic and disgusting?

Yes . . . mama hates me . . .

"No."

I quickly cover my ears with my hands in a pathetic attempt to block out the voices ringing in my head. I couldn't stand it. I didn't want to hear it anymore. That was one place I didn't want to go back to. There was nothing but pain buried there. I wished it would just go away. Then I might finally be able to rest in peace at night instead of writhing in my own silent misery.

Third Impact and afterward hadn't been much better. It was filled with so much pain for me, both physical and emotional. I couldn't take it. I simply crumbled under its weight. That was a place I didn't want to go back to either. I didn't want to hurt or be hurt ever again; I had enough of that. What I wanted now was to get away from all of that and start over again.

This world seemed to offer just that. It almost seemed too good to be true. Except it was real. I could see, feel, smell, taste and hear everything around me. There was no way this couldn't be an illusion. Here I had what I truly wanted. A new beginning for me; this could be the answer I wanted all this time.

I carefully worked my arms under me and raised myself to my feet. I stood feeling comfortable, although a little weak after being injured and bedridden for so long. All in all I considered this a good sign. I wasn't going to be held back physically by anything.

My left arm, the one that had been the more seriously injured of the two, was still heavily bandaged and didn't feel right. It was probably because of the extent of the injury. My arm had been split in two up to my elbow by one of those fake lances. I was lucky I had it attached to my body at this point.

Who had bandaged me up? I knew Shinji hadn't and I didn't remember seeing anyone else either. In fact I was already bandaged up when I awoke on the beach. Had mama or Wondergirl done it then? I'd gladly kill both of them if it were. I hated them and everything they represented to me.

By now I had been standing for several minutes. My legs seem steady beneath me. It was a good time to try walking, I decided. I cautiously lifted one foot from the ground, moved it forwards and set it down. I repeated the process with my other leg.

By the time I had made it to the door I could tell that I wasn't going to go far. My legs were already sore and hurting. However, I was still determined to go as far as possible and my legs didn't feel so terrible that I couldn't leave the room. It was time to take my first walk out of this room and see what was out there.

I slid open the door, taking care to be as quiet as possible. I looked both ways to be sure the path was clear before I stepped out into the open. I only saw one thing there, a massive old black dog sitting at the far corner of the hallway. His big yellow-brown eyes starred pitifully up at me. Judging by the shaggy, unkempt condition of his coat, he had not been well cared for in a long time, if ever.

I made my way down the hall in the direction of the dog. I went slowly, testing his reaction to my movements. He barely moved the entire time I was walking towards him. When I reached him he raised his head to look at me, but he seemed so calm otherwise. Feeling brave, I stretched out my hand and scratched him behind the ears. His tail swished happily and I could feel him leaning against me, enjoying being petted.

I must be lucky; I already had a new friend. That was certainly easy enough. If only baka Shinji had been this compliant. Then maybe we would have gotten along. After all, we both knew that all the problems between us were all his fault. If only he had listened and understood me, then maybe then we could have gotten along together.

I shook my head to clear my thoughts and focused my attention on my new companion. He was so soft and fuzzy. I decided then that getting a pet wouldn't be such a bad idea. After all, they could comfort you and were never critical. That sounded perfect to me. Unbeknownst to me I was about to change my opinion of four legged animals.

The dog unexpectedly began to morph into human form and its paws wrapped around my arm, preventing me from moving. At first, I was so surprised I that couldn't think. Then I panicked. What the heck was happening? This couldn't be happening. Dogs didn't randomly change form. Right?

Mein gott! I was seeing things! I was going insane just like my mother! No, no, no! This was some sort of sick nightmare. I had to get out of here. I yanked frantically at my arm trying to free it from the void. Nothing worked; I was trapped.

The block void ceased moving once it had assumed the form of a human woman and then it began to gain colours. With in moments a frowning, hard faced woman was staring down at me. She did not look kind and I had to wonder what she was going to do to me.

"That was easy enough. Some angel you are."

Her voice was high and harsh. It grated heavily on my ears. I felt a sense of foreboding at her words. This was bad, very bad indeed.

Her grip was iron hard. I could feel her fingers digging into my arm. She took a dagger in her other hand and pressed it to my neck. "Let's keep moving if you want to live."

I swallowed hard as I tried to remember to breathe. I could feel the knot in my stomach becoming even more lodged in place. Stay calm Asuka. Everything will be fine. You'll kick her sorry rear end when she least expects it. You are nobody's fool. I told my self. There was part of me that didn't want to believe it; it said I was weak and worthless, unloved by everyone. I am not weak.

I had to talk myself into staying calm. I hated doing what others forced me too. Even more, I hated feeling helpless. I did not want to be someone else's puppet or doll, like Wondergirl was. No one would take advantage of Asuka Langley Sohryu. No way, no how. I was unstoppable.

She placed a rag soaked in an unknown liquid over my face. The world around me began to blur and I could feel my already unstable legs giving out beneath me. I swayed dangerously as my knees gave way. I could tell that I was going to pass out any moment. My conscious was giving way, teetering on the edge of oblivion.

I fought with all my might, but the chemicals were too strong and my body couldn't handle it. The world took one more severe blur and then everything went black.

I awoke to find myself lying on my back. My arms and legs were bound tightly behind me, allowing me very little room for movement. Clearly someone didn't want me going anywhere. That could be a problem.

It looked like everything I been through hadn't been a nightmare after all. I was kidnapped by a thing/person from this world. I found it hard to admit that, even to myself because doing that meant saying that magic was real. Was it? I didn't know sure but after what I had seen, it was becoming much easier to believe.

I rolled carefully until I was able to get my legs under me. Then I used the wall as leverage to stand up. I stood there silently, breathing faintly in the darkness. There wasn't much light in here and there wasn't much I could see.

Secretly, I hated the dark and loathed the silence. It only served to remind me of how disconnected and cut off I was from the others. Sure, I had been social, but I never had any close friends. There was no one to love me or for me to love. So I considered the darkness good for only two things, sleeping and crying. I didn't want to be there otherwise.

My predicament was very infuriating. I did not like being imprisoned and unable to control my own actions. I craved power and control like a bad habit or addiction. I felt lost with out it. I could feel my grip starting to waiver already, and I knew I would have to control myself or I would loose it completely.

Well, I remember someone saying that if you didn't like your current station, change it. It looked like that was what I was going to have to do. There was nothing I could do to cut the ropes that bound me, so I would have to work on that later. That was fine, the most important part was getting myself away from the woman and whoever was helping her. The first part of that would be to get myself out of this room.

I hopped on my legs over to the door. I tried to open it, but the door was securely locked. It would seem that this wouldn't be easy, but then, was it ever?

After a quick search around the room, I found a piece of broken wood on the floor. I hopped over to it and lifted it off the floor. Yes, this would do, I decided with a smile. I gripped it tightly in my hand and made my way back to the door. I pressed my back against it and tried to use the wood as leverage to undo the lock.

I bit my lip as tried to get the piece of wood in the gap between the door and the wall. I was almost there. The longer I stood the weaker my legs and especially my knees became. No I will not collapse, I ordered myself furiously. Suddenly the ground rose up sharply and the next thing I knew; my face was pressed against it. This was pleasant, I thought, I must look so intelligent.

I froze when I heard footsteps approaching. Someone was coming. I quickly slid the wood piece I had found up my sleeve, where I hoped it would remain inconspicuous and closed my eyes. After a moment the door opened and I could hear a pair of voices speaking from the opening.

"See, here she is, just like I promised."

"Very good, Reni. That was fast."

"I do this for a living, remember? I am an expert."

There was a long pause and I heard the absolute disgusting sound of them kissing. I tried not to recoil in revulsion and betray my secret. I found public displays of affection to be very revolting. It was the one of the few things I had learned from my mother. Love was pointless. It would only betray and hurt you. So I had vowed never to fall in love.

Thankfully, they were too engrossed with each other to notice me lying on the floor. I was glad for that. It allowed me to lie in peace if nothing else. It was easier to pretend I was far away from this dark room and all the pain that still lingered inside me that way.

"You are amazing."

"I know. That girl is no angel. She wouldn't have been so easy to capture if she were."

"Then what is she?"

"A pretty unlucky fool."

They laughed loudly at that and I could feel my hands clenching in anger. It was all I could not to jump up and curse the both of them then and there. They were mocking me and I was steaming. I would not be made fun of. I wouldn't- couldn't allow it. I never wanted anyone to make fun of me or see my weakness.

After several long minutes of them practically making out in front of me some more, they closed the door and left. I sighed in relief once I was alone again. I was free to get back to freeing myself undisturbed. Very carefully, I rose to my feet and went back to messing with the lock on the door.

I concentrated all my energy on what I was doing. I needed to be out of here as soon as possible before I went completely crazy. I didn't want that to happen, I couldn't stand to allow myself to become like my mother. I couldn't bear to be like her.

After several minutes I had not been able to open the door. My temper was growing short. I wanted to yell and scream, stamp my feet on the floor like a little child. It took all my remaining self-control to ignore my impulses. Making noise and being heard would do my cause no good.

I heard footsteps coming down the hall again. This time I knew what to do. I dropped to the floor and slid wood piece under my sleeve. Now all I had to do was lay still and remain calm. The door opened and bright light flooded in from a lantern. I could hear two pairs of footsteps entering the room. One of them knelt down next to me and placed their fingers to my neck, apparently checking for a pulse. "Well?" Inquired the hushed voice of the other person in the room.

"Alive." The other hissed in reply.

"Let's move."

They each grabbed me under one arm and lifted me from the floor. I hung limply between them, faking unconsciousness. Something told me I would be no safer with these two than with the people who had kidnapped me to begin with. I would have to be very careful from now on.

They dragged me easily down the hall and to another room. My feet dangled uselessly on the floor the whole way. It wasn't the most comfortable experience but it gave a more convincing effect. I didn't want my captors to know that I was awake.

Once inside the new room, they laid me on an old futon and left, closing the door behind them.

Silence descended once more and I breathed easily, waiting patiently to see if someone would show up. No one appeared so I figured that it was safe to assume that I was alone again. I got slowly to my feet, taking care not to trip on the rope that bound my ankles, and made my way over to the door. I took the wood piece in my hand and tried to slide it between the door and frame as before. This door proved to be more securely locked then the last one, making this task extremely difficult. It took nearly ten minutes before I had the piece of wood where I wanted it. Then it was all a matter of undoing the lock.

I worked on it at a frantic pace. Desperation was coursing through my body. I had to get out of here now. I needed to be free. Being captured was driving me crazy and I hadn't been imprisoned very long yet. I didn't want to be controlled and manipulated. I had vowed long ago to be no body's puppet. I was independent.

I was so busy concentrating on what I was doing that I missed the sound of footsteps coming until it was too late. I tried to get on the ground but the door opened behind me. "Unconscious? I think not." Said a soft female voice be hind me.

I turned around ready to run. I would not let this chick stop me from escaping this time. I didn't care that I was bound on my hands and feet. I would beat her up and get the heck out of here, one way or another.

I swung wildly and my fist connected with flesh. I heard the girl cry out in pain and I started jumping away. I didn't dare slow down or look back. I was free and I wasn't about to let anything change that.

About halfway down the hall I came across a statue of a warrior in full battle armour and carrying a long blade sword. I hurried across the hallway to it and rubbed my bonds against the blade. The ropes on my ankles freed easily but I did not have time to untie my hands because she was coming around the corner.

I sprinted away as fast as my legs could carry me.

Around the next corner I spotted the front door. All I had to do was dodge the two guards in front of it and I was free. For good measure I put on an extra burst of speed and started screaming crazily like a banshee.

I busted through the doors with ease, still screaming and running like mad. There was no chance that I would dare stop. I wanted to be as far away as possible. My legs kept me going until I had made it over several miles of road.

Finally, I forced myself to stop because I was out of breath and couldn't go another step. I collapsed to the ground breathing hard and feeling dizzy. I lay silently for several seconds gasping for breath, letting the waves of sweat and heat roll off my body.

Once I finally regained some control over my body, I sat up and began to look around. I was apparently outside some sort of medieval Japanese city. Clearly, I was not in the world I knew before, but I already knew that. The question was, where was I? I had no idea.

There was one thing I did know. I liked it here. It was exciting and different, plus there was no baka Shinji to bother me. Yes, it didn't matter what this place was. All I needed to know was that it was perfect. It was perfect for me.

I smiled and spread my arms out on the soft undergrowth I was laying in. I didn't want to move. I wanted to lay here and fade away, even if it was for just a minute. I didn't want to be anything. All I wanted to do was be peaceful. That was all I ever asked for.

When I awoke in the morning, I was still laying on the ground, the same as I had been when I fell asleep. I sat up slowly, letting my mind adjust to the sight around me. It was even better then I had realized last night. There was an entire city down below me, filled with people moving around. I was unusually happy to see such a place.

I got to my feet and prepared myself for the walk down the hill. If I were going to be living here, I would need clothes, food and shelter. The city seemed like a good place to find all of those easily.

It was a short walk from where I was to the place where the city began. Despite the early hour, there were already quite a few people out and about already. I watched them as they went about their daily lives. It was oddly fascinating to watch people doing ordinary things after such strangeness for so long.

I wouldn't say it was better this way, but at least things made sense now. That was the important thing in my mind. I hated the madness, the pain and the memories that had haunted me. I had a chance now to lose all that and start again.

"Hey, you!"

I turned around to see a group of five armed men standing behind me. I was apparently the target of their search. Crap. I already knew what they wanted. They were going to take me back there. I refused. I wasn't going to go.

I took off sprinting as fast as I could through the city. I could hear them following me as I wove my way through the crowd. This was insane. I was being hunted. Me. Asuka Langley Sohryu, victim of kidnap and wanted runaway criminal. What an honour.

I turned a corner and barrelled down the next street. Up ahead I spotted a hot spring resort. The fence looked high and I could hide behind it with the other patrons. Yes, this would be perfect. I leapt into the air and vaulted over the fence in a single bound. For one peaceful moment I flying free though the air. Then gravity took over again and I came crashing down.

"Ow!"

I waited until the world stopped shaking before I tried to look around. When I did I discovered that I was sitting in Kotoya's lap, a very awkward position indeed. I tried to scream but my voice refused to work and all. To my surprise, Kotoya started laughing hysterically breaking the stunned stillness.

My cheeks reddened in confusion and the laughter increased. This was odd. Why were they laughing at me? More importantly, why wasn't I in trouble? I must be lucky or something.

Kotoya put his hand on my shoulder and patted it lightly. A broad smile stretched across his face. "Don't worry. I am just glad you're safe. However I never expected you to fall from the sky a second time."

"Shocking, I'm sure."

"Oh, but it was. Since you arrived I'm not sure what to expect."

Okay did that make me his charm of chaos or something? Apparently so. I could do that. I liked causing havoc, so this would be easy.

Author's Notes:

Sesshy's here, back with another instalment of my newest story. I hope you all enjoyed it! I know I had fun writting it. So I'm praying that the effort was worth it.

Unfortunalely I can not divulge what will happen next. That would be company policy. Mwahahahahahahaha!

Please Review, they are highly appriciated. Plz!

I don't own Eva!!! But all OC belong to me! Duh! 'Nuf said.

And last but not least, the teaser:

He handed me a new red and pink kimono. I gently curled my fingers around it, savoring the feel of real silk in them. It was absolutely gorgeous. However, I wasn't interested.

I knew that if I took this I would become a china doll on a glass pedestal. I couldn't accept that life. I did not want to be sheltered and pampered, especially if it was for no reason at all.

In my mind there was only one option for me. I needed to stretch my wings and find my own way. I wanted to test myself and challenge my skills against this new world. I was going to get out of here.