Chapter 1

"C'mon Ayane, you're the only one who knows how to do this!"

"There are plenty of people who know how to pick a lock, don't drag me into another one of your schemes"

"Hey, I ain't scheming against you, so what's the problem?"

Mark put his hands up in defence as he spoke. For a guy with a big mouth, he sure was a wimp when it came to confrontations. Ayane on the other hand... she was the one to go to if you wanted something done. From a simple break and enter to stolen cards and a fake i.d, she was your gal.

"I remember what happened last time" she grunted, glaring at Mark as he shrunk away from her apologetically.

"I scoped the place out, I didn't know the owners would be home, I swear! You know I would never set you up like that. We've been pals since 3rd grade"

"And nothing has changed since" Ayane grinned, recalling all the countless times Mark had winded up in detention "You were always getting yourself into trouble"

"What's with the past tense? Still am, just better at not getting caught. So how about it, for old times sake?"

Ayane shook her head, trying her best to resist Mark's attempt at a 'puppy dog' face "At least let me sleep on it" she compromised, giving Mark some level of satisfaction "I have to head on home. Ever since Kath found out I'd been suspended from school she's been making me come home early"

"Do you think the 'Dragon Lady' would let me stay for dinner?"

"Not unless you want to be the main course. Honestly, ever since she found out you've been climbing through my window she's put a bounty on your head" Ayane joked

"At least I'm not snatching her people up" he chuckled, Ayane playfully punching him in the shoulder "Hey! Don't be using your Kung Fu on me like that!" exclaimed Mark, rubbing his shoulder with an expression of mock injury.

"Judo" she corrected, annoyance present in her tone as she often had to remind Mark.

"Whatever it is it still hurts!"

"Don't be such a baby" Ayane berated.

Suddenly looking at the time and realising how late it was, Ayane quickly said her goodbyes as she rushed off down the road in the opposite direction, already wincing at the impending verbal beating she was sure to get for coming home late.

Getting through the front door, she set her bag on the floor and made her way into the kitchen to find Kath already cooking dinner.

She was a big burly woman, most of her size coming from her abdomen as her muffin tops spilled out of the sides of her jeans. Jeans that were obviously two sizes too small. Her mousy brown hair tied up in a messy bun and placed in the centre of her head. If Ayane didn't know any better, she would've thought that Kath was a sumo wrestler training for another bout. Though Ayane never said anything for fear of being belly flopped.

Ayane took out a chopping board and started cutting up the vegetables for tonight's dinner. Though the two of them argued constantly, when it came to cooking, it seemed to be the only time where they could get along.

Going through many foster carers in her short 15 years, Ayane had never seemed to find a place where she considered home. Most families had given up trying to raise her. But not Kath. Kath was the only one who hadn't given up on Ayane. And for that, Ayane had always been thankful.

Speaking of which, Ayane was somewhat confused that Kath wasn't angry with her. As if reading her mind, she placed her hand on Ayane's shoulder, giving it an affectionate rub.

"Not tonight kiddo, we'll start fresh in the morning. Just focus and make sure the stew isn't bubbling over"

Ayane smiled at Kath, planting a small kiss on her cheek before checking on the stew. She lifted the lid, letting the flavourful aromas waft into the air. It smelt good. Just as usual. Placing the vegetables inside, she gave it a quick stir before heading upstairs.

"Don't stay up there too long, it should be ready soon!" Kath shouted over her shoulder, returning to cooking.

Ayane climbed the stairs to her room before shutting the door behind her. She flopped onto her bed, taking out the bong strategically hidden behind a mass of clutter. I really need to clean this room... Before she had a chance to even pack it, a familiar tap could be heard outside her window. As she opened it, she smiled as Mark stood down below, waving a bag of weed.

"You didn't think I'd let you smoke by yourself, did you?" he grinned, starting to climb up the vine and into her room.

As the two of them sat on the bed and started to light up, the room became heavy with smoke, adding to their high as they giggled hopelessly like 3 year olds. Mark put his arm around Ayane, making her slightly uncomfortable. He looked at her, nervously swallowing before confronting her.

"I know you don't like to talk about it, but I would like to know... Where are your real parents?"

Ayane sighed before answering, the subject being a difficult one to talk about "My Father wasn't really there for me growing up, or at least what I remember of him. He died before my 5th birthday, so did my Mother. I can hardly even remember them. Docs said I blocked most of it out"

Mark frowned, pulling Ayane closer as he empathized with her "I'm sorry I asked. But you know I'm always here for you, right? I love you Ayane. I've been in love with you since the 3rd grade"

Before Ayane could even utter a single word in response, she heard an agonising scream coking from the downstairs kitchen. Both Mark and Ayane race down the stairs to find Kath on the floor in a pool of her own blood. Her neck had been recently slashed open, revealing all her veins and arteries as they flailed around in the open, making her corpse jolt and twitch as though it were still alive.

Ayane sunk to her knees as she cradled Kath's lifeless body in her arms. Ayane was sobbing uncontrollably as Mark made an effort to comfort her, trying not to throw up all over her in the process.

He looked at Kath's corpse, noticing something peculiar sticking out from her abdomen. Then he thought to himself for a moment... There's no way she could've screamed if she'd been slashed across the throat. It would've been instant... Had she been grabbed first? No, she was attacked from afar...

Pulling the mysterious object out of the abdomen, only confirmed his theory as he showed it to Ayane.

"What is this?" he asked, handing the bloodsoaked object over to her. She recognized it right away, though from where, she couldn't determine

"It's a shuriken" she muttered, taking a closer look it at "It's a long ranged weapon. What you Americans call a 'ninja star'. No one uses these anymore. Not in the 21st century at least. So who..."

Ayane looked over at Mark, who was conveniently throwing up in the bin beside her. It was no wonder. It was a gory scene that had been displayed before them. What kind of monster could've done such a thing? Kath was a bitch at the best of times, and had ruffled plenty of feathers over the years. But nothing that could've led to this.

A deep pain surged through Ayane as Kath's eyes were still open. Frozen with fear. Giving Ayane a glimpse into the last few moments of her life. She didn't deserve to go like this... Ayane shook her head and covered her face, sobbing into her hands uncontrollably.

Mark coughed up the last bit of bile in his stomach, wiping his mouth with his T-shirt. He crawled back over to Ayane, if only to shield her from another projectile as it was hurled into his back. What would've been a perfect shot, and what was intended for Ayane, was now the cause of Mark's agony as he struggled get her to safety. He gripped her hand for one last time as another shuriken was thrown, landing straight into the back of his head, killing him instantly.

Ayane screamed and scrambled to her feet, running for the front door. Before she could even make it, something swept her from behind, making her fall to the ground. Instinctively rolling on her back, a man dressed in black attempted to mount her hips and pin her to the ground. The man raised his hand, brandishing a blade as he brought it down to her chest. Reacting with the force of someone well beyond her weight class, Ayane caught his hand and pulled it close, twisting his wrist in such a way that made him release his weapon. Pivoting her hips, she managed to get her legs out from under him and around his waist. Hooking her ankles, she extended his arm across her body and raised her hips to the ceiling, successfully putting him in a painful armbar. Hearing his arm snap in two, she then wrapped her legs around his neck. Twisting her hips, another gruesome snap was heard, this time being his neck.

As the man's lifeless body slumped into a heap on the floor, Ayane's eyes widened in horror as she realized what she'd done. Ayane wasn't a violent person. If anything, she was more of a pacifist. She hated violence. Hated it with a passion. She'd only taken up Judo as a form of self defence. Sure, she'd gotten herself into a couple of fights before, hut never anything like this.

Ayane winced as she tried to get up, feeling a sharp pain in her upper left thigh as she attempted to put weight on the same leg. Looking down, her eyes widened as the same dagger the man tried to pierce her heart, was now embedded in her thigh. In her fit of pure rage and determination, she hadn't even felt the dagger go in.

As a young child, Ayane was quite troubled. She often had difficulty in controlling her anger. And at that simple notion, that was what terrified her the most. The fact that all that anger and rage was just bubbling under the surface. If she could this to someone in self defence, imagine what she could do if it was intentional...

Ayane sat on the floor, dismayed at what had just taken place. She crawled over to Mark and wept over his corpse. Her near lifelong friend was dead. He gave his own life so that she could live. She whispered to him, her sobs breaking her sentence as she held him to her chest.

"I love you too"

Hearing the front door burst open, Ayane hoped that it was one of the neighbours, who no doubt had heard the struggle and had come to her aid. Her hopes were quickly diminished as a man turned the corner and entered the kitchen. He stood tall, towering over her as she cowered away from him. He wasn't one of the neighbours, that, Ayane was sure of. He donned an outfit similar to her attacker. All black, face concealed with a cloth and a hood covering the remaining of his face. The only difference was that this man had a mixture of gold and yellow printed across, what Ayane could only describe as a shibobi uniform. Twin swords were secured to his back, and some sort of large arrow head strapped to his side.

What Ayane noticed about this man more than anything, was the fact that he lacked any sort of pigment in his eyes. They were pure white. They weren't clouded over like someone with a vision impairment. It was like he was born with those eyes.

As he went to approach her, she slid away from him on her bum, terrified at what he might do to her. He changed his stance slightly, and knelt down to her level. His eyes scanned the scene that was before him, looking a little shocked.

"Did you kill him?" he asked, gesturing to the mysterious man next to her.

"I... I didn't mean to. He killed everyone... He tried to kill me" she sobbed

"That man was an assassin. He trained his whole life for missions like this. He was here for you. The others just got in the way"

"Why would he want me dead? I don't even know him!"

"I doubt he had a bone to pick with you specifically, he was just following orders" he reached out his hand "Come, I can take you somewhere safe. Once his Masters learn of his failure, more will come"

Ayane shook her head, backing away from him. She didn't trust this man. And she sure wasn't going anywhere with him.

"No" she said, trying her best to stand "I need to call the police" The man scoffed at her, as if he couldn't believe her stupidity.

"Do you really think the cops can help you? Look here girl, I was sent here to bring you to safety. And I'm not leaving here empty handed. You're coming with me whether you consent to it or not. Now... Shall we do this the easy way? Or the hard way?"

Thinking rashly, Ayane grabbed the dagger embedded in her thigh, and in one swift motion she ripped it out. She gripped the dagger and attacked him, swinging it violently in his direction. The man deflected it with little effort and knocked it out of her hand. Blood now gushing from the open wound in her thigh, Ayane fell to the ground, clutching her thigh and putting pressure on the wound.

"You stupid girl, now look what you've done!" he roared, more out of annoyance than anger.

He reached for a leather pocket strapped to his side and pulled out a length of cloth bandages. Ayane allowed him for reasons unknown to dress her wound. He secured the bandage with a simple knot and helped her to her feet. Ayane's vision started to blur, though she forced her eyes to remain open despite wanting to close them. She looked down at her leg, the bandages already starting to become drenched with blood.

""I know a healer who will be able to tend to your wound. Come, we must move before it gets dark"

"Who are you?" she asked, accepting his help as they made their way to the front door. Each step causing Ayane excruciating pain.

"Can you walk by yourself?"

"I... I don't think"...

Ayane's vision suddenly darkened as she fell to the ground, being caught at the last minute as she passed out from the amount of blood she had lost. The man picked her up in his arms, looking over her for a moment. She looked familiar, though from where the man couldn't quite place. He emitted his body in a wall of flame, before disappearing in a cloud of thick smoke.

Thank you all for taking the time to read my work. Please leave a review as to what you'd like to see happen next.