UNDER KINGSGLAIVE TRAINING
CHAPTER 3
The truth behind the injuries
Warning: This story contains scenes of improper language, bullying and genre violence. Thread with caution.
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Nyx had to do something. He just had to, or he would´ve never been able to live with himself again. Because Nyx Ulric was a protector. He was raised to be a protector, and the one single time he failed, his family was the one who paid the price.
Never again.
While in training, and after that, while in battle, he always stroke the hardest, jumped the highest, ran the fastest, so that he would become the guardian he was meant to be. So that he wouldn´t fail to save anyone ever again. That being the reason why he had earned the 'hero' moniker. He despised the name, actually, felt it was just a bad joke, mocking his true intentions, but he had corrected his friends all too many times already, so he didn´t care anymore.
But he had never felt a hero whatsoever.
Especially not now.
He had Lightning suffering through child abuse under his nose for almost a month now, and he had refused to see the evidence. Hell! He even thought she was street fighting to gain extra money! If something were to happen to her… something more serious, he meant, he would never be able to live in peace ever again. He kept on berating himself as he approached Lightning´s address (according to a friend who managed to sneak the information out of the recruitment office… the things that could be done with a little bit of money and the right connections). As he got nearer, he could see the building was a very old one, right in the middle of a very dangerous and poor neighborhood. He saw the streets littered with garbage, stray people, and beggars, as well as some groups of youngsters with highly doubtful reputation. The walls on the buildings were painted with intricate and most times rich language and drawings, one on top of the other, and he started to get worried.
This was definitely not a place for a girl to grow up properly and healthily.
A group of strays looked his way, and he began to wonder how smart he had been by coming all the way down here, and all by himself. Maybe he should´ve brought Libertus?
Too late for that.
The inside of the building was even worse. The smell was almost unbearable, the walls had lost all sense of painting; but at least, inside the building, the drunken and felons seemed to be left out. With the state of decay all around the neighborhood, Nyx wondered who would be strong, wild, or important enough to achieve such act.
He finally reached apartment thirteen and noticed the door was quite old, the hinges worn and rusted, the wood on the door seeming like a century old, but in spite of all that, it was at least clean. He knocked at the door, and, after a minute, he was met with a rounded face he had seen quite a lot lately.
Only, there seemed to be something odd about it.
The girl in front of him had bigger eyes and darker hue of irises than the ones he related to Lightning, as well as a darker hue of pink hair, which was shorter, but at least still fixed in a sideways ponytail. She had a smaller, thinner frame, cheeks still keeping the rounded form of childhood. But still, he knew he wasn´t mistaken: the face, the long eyelashes, the pink lips, they all were still the same.
"Yes?"
The voice had changed too, as one sweeter and gentler.
But…
But his brain must be deceiving him! Because what he was witnessing was definitely a very shorter version of his pupil.
"What can I do for you, Sir?"
The girl insisted and he hesitated.
"L… Lightning?"
The girl giggled at his confusion, covering her mouth with the back of a hand, and Nyx was stroke by a cold shiver. Since when Lightning was capable of making such a feminine gesture?
"Who is it, Serah?"
A thunderous male voice was heard behind her, on the far end of the apartment it would seem, and it was like a bulb had just turned on inside his head.
The sister! That´s right!
He had never felt dumber before in his life.
The little girl was still giggling at his expense, (apparently going through his last train of thought as well) when she turned around and in front of him appeared a man as tall as Nyx, but almost four times broader, armed with a gentle smile on his rounded face (almost as round as Serah´s, he noticed too).
"What can I do for you, fine gentleman?" The man boomed at him.
"Are you Lightning´s father?"
The man´s rounded face became grim.
"No, my good sir, I´d love to be, but I´m not. My name is Amodar. The girl´s father passed away a year ago. I´m Lightning´s Godfather, so I´m in charge of them. What can I do for you?"
Oh! The Lieutenant they mentioned before!
Nyx stood on attention and saluted his superior, suddenly all business.
"First Sergeant Nyx Ulric of Insomnia´s Army, Kingsglaive Division, commissioned as coach of the 13rd generation of Kingsglaive trainees. At your service, Sir!"
"Oh! You´re Lightning´s superior. It´s good to finally meet you, my good Sir. Please, come in."
"Thank you, Sir."
Amodar stepped aside to let him in, all the while the smile returning to his face, but at hearing his words, Serah´s own suddenly faltered. She chose to disappear at that moment, hiding in the kitchen.
Nyx entered the apartment, and even though it was a very small one, he could sense warmth and comfort all over. With very little (and very worn out) pieces of furniture, the place still felt cozy.
"Please take a seat, Sergeant, and make yourself comfortable." The big man offered, while he walked towards the kitchen.
"Thank you very much, Sir, but I´d rather stand."
Amodar eyed him at his refusal, but then just shrugged. "Suit yourself, my boy. Serah! Please bring us some coffee!" He yelled towards the kitchen and sat on the closest sofa in front of the younger man.
"So, what can we do for you, Sergeant Ulric? Is Lightning alright? I hope my goddaughter hasn´t been a nuisance to you." Amodar pressed on.
"Actually, she´s the reason I´m here today, Sir, you´ll see…"
"Cut the 'sir' thing, son." Amodar interrupted him, diminishing his words with a wave of his hand. "I´m already retired. But tell me, what has my little brat done this time?" He chuckled at his own joke, but the happiness in his face only made Ulric warier of him. How could he seem so friendly, and the next moment attack Lightning and injure her like that?
"Thank you, Sir, but we never stop being on the military, even after we retire. So please, don´t put me on that spot."
Amodar winked at him and got comfy on the sofa. "You´re right, m'boy. Fine then, tell me, what has my little rainbows and sunshine done this time?"
"It´s not what she has done, but what has been done to her."
At hearing the words, spoken with such gravity, Amodar´s face became suddenly serious, and he leaned forward, eager to listen.
"What do you mean?"
Nyx cleared his throat, forcing his emotions to be contained.
"You see, every day she shows up at training brandishing a new injury, almost without fail, but refuses to address it. Today, the injury got even more severe. She showed up with a dislocated shoulder." Amodar´s face became tomato red but remained expressionless, his body still yet to move, while Nyx was almost ready to jump against him, do to him what he had done to her. "I´m just her coach, I don´t mean to pry. But now she´s a Kingsglaive, and it´s my duty to help her and protect her, just as I would do any other of my Kingsglaive brothers." The last words were said with an edge on them, flaring grey eyes piercing through brown ones, though the last were a mixture of disbelief and rage, Amodar´s posture so rigid the Kingsglaive could sense the heating violence emanating from every pore.
For his part, Ulric was ready to pounce, ready to punish this man on behalf of Lightning, so he sent the last threat. "I won´t let anyone molest her or abuse her the way they had. I personally will see for them to be punished under…"
But he couldn´t finish his threat, since a sudden sound took both men´s attention towards the kitchen, and they both found Serah standing at the doorframe, hands shaking, while debris of what used to be two cups of coffee lied scattered at her feet.
"M-molested…? But… but she told me…" The girl couldn´t believe her ears, and though Amodar immediately rose from his spot to help her, her deep blue eyes remained fixed on Ulric´s astonished ones.
"You know something about this, don´t you?" Once he put the broken fragments on the closest furniture, Amodar kneeled in front of the girl and took her by the shoulders, very gently, but firm enough to let her know he wouldn´t allow her any respite if she weren´t to respond to his questioning. "What has she been telling you? Where did she get those injuries?"
Serah looked at Nyx, and a mixture of fear and anger passed through her eyes. "She always said, whenever I caught her coming home bleeding or complaining, that she got them on her training."
Now it was Nyx the one with a feeling of outrage peaking.
"That´s a lie!" Amodar stood up and glared at him, his eyes evidently mirroring the ones the Kingsglaive had been sending his way a few moments ago, but Nyx only glared back at him, especially now that they, man and girl, were pointing the finger at him. "We are not that far off on the training, we´re doing exercises and that´s all. No close combat whatsoever. There´s no way those injuries could come from the activities on the training ground."
At that very moment, the door of the entrance opened, and Lightning stepped in, her left arm covered and sheltered with a recently acquired cast. At the look of Amodar, she immediately paled, becoming paperwhite when she found Nyx Ulric standing in the middle of the small living room. Amodar stood in front of her, straightening his posture and crossing his arms over his chest, his frame even more imposing than ever.
"I think we need to talk, young lady."
"Whatever he has told you it´s totally a lie!" She immediately retaliated, pointing an accusing finger at Nyx.
Amodar´s eyebrow rose in disbelief. "You don´t even know what he´s told me."
"I think I can take a guess, and it´s still a lie."
Before Nyx could say anything to his defense, it was Serah the one jumping on the fry, blue eyes filled with unshed tears
"It´s you the one who was lying, Claire!" At the mention of her true name Lightning flinched. "You said you were training! Never mentioned you were being molested!"
Oooh, the dirty word. Lightning paled even more at this, at the implications. At the possible truth behind them, one she hadn´t considered before.
"Who… who told you this?"
"Does it matter? You lied! You said you were ok! But you weren´t!" At the girl´s tears flooding freely, Lightning´s eyes searched for the floor, not finding the strength to hold her sister´s accusatory stare any longer. "Look at me, Claire! Please tell me it´s a lie! That you´re injured because you train a lot!" Lightning didn´t move, and Serah ran at her, hitting the taller girl´s shoulders, and even though it hurt her, the older sibling didn´t even try to stop her, and instead, put her healthy arm around the tiny and shaking shoulders, and Serah allowed her sister to collect her into her arms.
"I´m sorry, Serah… I didn´t want you to worry…"
"You´re so silly…" But Serah couldn´t say anything more, and instead, she allowed the elder sibling to try and comfort her, but also to hide from the future of a very serious talk with his godfather. After a moment of silence but for Serah´s sobs, Amodar walked around the two, taking Nyx by the arm.
"I think you should leave."
"B-but… But I wanna do something."
"You´ve done enough."
As they walked towards the door, Nyx turned around and searched for the man´s eyes. "So… you´re not the one doing this to her?"
"Of course not! I promised his dad I´d take care of them both. I watched them grow, loved them like the daughters I never had. I would never lie a finger on them, but gladly will rip apart the soon-to-be dead man who did."
He smirked at his words, remembering their previous conversations. "I thought you were going to hit me."
Amodar shook his head, a smirk in his own face, but the fire returning to his eyes.
"No, as you were telling me, I was picturing in my head what I was going to do… still going to do, to the one responsible for Light´s injuries."
"That´s the same thing I want to do to them. I know is not the same as you, but what I said before is true. She´s a Kingsglaive now, she´s part of the ones I swore to protect."
"I know."
But the broad man still hadn´t relinquished even for a bit the tight grip he had on the young man´s arm. As they trespassed the door, Nyx finally forced himself out of the grip and saw face to face the seriousness of the Lieutenant´s countenance, not knowing it was because the bigger man really meant to throw him out, or related to the talk he needed to have with the stubborn teenager.
"Listen, I know you don´t like me. Heck. Lightning herself doesn´t like me. But I know I can help her. The only thing I want is for her to be alright."
The Lieutenant sighed, the weight of his age finally getting on his shoulders. "Look, boy, I thank you for your concern about her well being, for you to come all this way for her, even when it meant you were accusing me of child abuse. I really appreciate your effort. But this fight is not yours to fight. It´s a family business."
"You´re not family either."
He smiled sadly at this. "I know." With that, he closed the door on his face.
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Early next morning Libertus was running as fast as his round legs would carry him. He didn´t notice how exhausted he had ended up as a result of his latest mission, until he passed out on his bed and missed the alarm clock on his nightstand. He was cursing and berating himself as he ran corner after corner, still struggling with the buttons of his uniform when he almost collided against Crowe, both of them very close from hitting each other, but thanks to their respective reflexes, the worst was avoided.
"Crowe! What are you doing here?" He looked at his watch. "And at this hour! Aren´t you a little late?"
She dismissed him with a hand. "Don´t fret, big boy, I have the evening shift, so I´m a free spirit as of now."
"So then, do you mind explaining why are you in full uniform?" he started walking, prompting her to follow.
She smirked at his questioning. "Well, I heard Nyx asked you again to help him with training the newbies, so I thought you might need some help on the 'evil midget', as Nyx calls Lightning."
The man raised an eyebrow. "'Evil midget'? Just how many names has he given her?"
"I think half of the names she has given him if I count correctly."
"Oh yeah? I asked and she denied everything. Where did you get your info?"
She rolled her eyes. "As if you didn´t know Nyx. But if the girl says she didn't give him that many names, I believe her instead."
"She does look like a devil, mind you."
Crowe giggled at that.
"Yeah, I´ve just got a glimpse of that. But that means one of them is lying. Or maybe both?"
Libertus chuckled in response. He could perfectly well picture both of them accusing one another. "Well, just how many names, according to Nyx, did she give him? Care to share?"
"There are oh so many!" She snickered at his friend. "But I think the one Sparks likes the most is a simple 'idiot'. According to him, it´s the one she uses more frequently."
"Well, you can´t deny it suits him." They laughed a little more while they were approaching the back entrance of the Kingsglaive Forte, which got them nearest to the training grounds, instead of walking through the Forte´s bigger facilities, since the imposing shadow of Insomnia Castle, the building next to them and house of their Lucii King, always got on Crowe´s nerves, even though they were their closest neighbor… so to speak.
"By the way, Libertus, you never told me how your first day with the trainees had gone. Specifically, with Lightning." Crowe asked, interest obvious in her brown eyes.
Libertus laughed at her words. He couldn´t guess her true intentions but perfectly understood her curiosity. "Well, you could say I liked it so much, that I eagerly accepted a second time."
"Yeah, about that, why won´t Nyx be teaching again? Does he still hate her?" Crowe felt worried that Lightning´s outburst had injured the super inflated ego of her dear friend. It was bad since she knew now she would need Nyx´s help to try to find out what was happening to his pupil.
"No, no; this time it was something that came out for him." Crowe raised a delicate eyebrow. "He got called by the King himself."
"Oh? The King? How come?"
The man just shrugged. "Beats me, must be some kind of mission. But at least it gave me the opportunity to teach once again."
As they approached the gates, Libertus was about to ask his friend about her knowledge of Lightning, when Crowe suddenly grew all serious.
"Libertus? Isn´t that…?"
He turned around and saw a flash of pink hair running fast on the other side of the street, avoiding (sometimes) the collision against people. And right behind her, a group of five teenagers, running as fast and desperate as her. Evidently after her.
"That´s… that´s Lightning alright! She should be on the training grounds already! Why isn´t she?" But his words were met with silence, so he turned around, and his friend´s countenance made him worry. "Crowe?"
Her eyes were fixed on the runaway group of teens, and at the sight, something evidently clicked inside her head, because her eyes suddenly opened up in astonishment, as dread and understanding found their way on her brain.
"Crowe? I know that look on your face. What are you thinking?"
"I think you won´t like it, my friend."
"Uh?"
The woman took a sprint towards the fleeing teenagers, while at the same time she pulled at the man´s sleeve, prompting him to follow. "There´s something you should know, but for now, just trust me." She took out her cell phone, and dialed one number, her heart making summersaults.
I hope I´m wrong.
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Nyx was rather nervous at the moment, thinking he should be looking after Lightning, finding the reason for her injuries, instead of waiting for the King to summon him. The idea of her street fighting was now at the top of possibilities inside his head, and catching her in the act, in the lie, had almost become an obsession to him.
At least she was not a molested child.
Having found out she was safe, and instead, being more of a crazy little brat, brought a lot of ease into his heart… but still, there was this nagging feeling inside his belly that wouldn´t leave him alone. He had wanted to wake up very early in the morning, and stay waiting at Lightning´s neighborhood only to find out what exactly her extracurricular activities were. Nyx knew she had to be fighting at the break of dawn because the bruises and the blood were always fresh when he had caught her injured.
But today he had been summoned for something he had asked before. And he had wanted to be appointed to this Advanced Training Program for so long… damn! What timing! He had asked for the audience with the King to expose the reasons why he was the best man they could send to the Program, so he had been waiting to be summoned at His presence for two months now, and they decided to call him now? Why now! Why today?
"You´re gonna make a hole on the floor if you keep walking in circles, and it´s quite expensive, mind you. Besides, you´re making me nervous." Titus Drautos was standing in front of him. As his superior officer, it was his responsibility to deliver him to the higher ranks. A responsibility he despised almost every day.
"I need to go out, Drautos. I can´t wait."
"It was you who requested this. Now you don´t want it?" The man scoffed at him, shaking his head. "You´re free to leave anytime you want, though. It´s your call."
Nyx was ready to take his leave, but the aloof attitude of his superior officer made him weary.
"It will only mean you´ll sign Pelna into the Program, and that´s not fair. I´m the one who´s worked more than him. The one who deserves it."
Drautos only shrugged, a smirk on his countenance, one that Nyx wished could wipe out with a kick.
"As I said, your call."
He was about to spat a few words to the man when a call entered his cellphone.
"Nyx here."
"You know you´re forbidden to bring one of those into these chambers." Drautos scolded him, but Nyx gave him the finger.
'You´ve got to be here now, Nyx.'
Crowe´s voice on the other side of the line sounded desperate. But taking a look at Drauto´s finger pointing ominously at his neck made him sigh. "I´m in a rather tight situation here, Crowe. Can´t you handle it? Or ask Libertus to help you out?"
'It´s about Lightning.' Her voice became a bit more agitated, but for some reason, not as agitated as he suddenly felt after her words. 'I think I know what´s been going on with her. But we need you here.'
"Where are you?"
"You should hang up that cell phone, Ulric." Drautos gave a step forward, intent on taking the device off of Nyx´s hands. "You´re gonna get us both punished."
"I´m sorry, Sir. But I must take my leave."
Drautos raised an eyebrow. "You know the consequences of leaving this place, right?"
At that moment, Clarus Almicitia, the King´s Shield, came out of the Throne Chamber.
"Okay, Drautos, where´s this young Kingsglaive who wanted an audience with our Majesty?"
Both men turned their eyes towards Nyx´s form, and he bowed at the look of the Legendary Shield, but not relenting for a second his hold on the cell phone.
"I´m sorry, Sir. My greatest apologies, but I´m urgently needed somewhere else." Without taking one single glance back, Nyx took a sprint towards the exit, his heart running even faster than him.
"I´m so sorry, Sir." Drautos bowed too, ashamed of his Kingsglaive´s actions. "The retreating man is Nyx Ulric. My biggest headache."
"Was that… was that a cell phone? In here?" Clarus was still astonished by the man´s sudden departure, but a burst of thunderous laughter behind him took him out of his shock.
"You must remember him, my dear friend Clarus." It was King Regis coming out of the Throne Chamber, and who still managed to witness the fleeing form of the young man. "He was the one who saved Lunafreya a few months ago. And yes, like Commander Drautos here perfectly described, he is one big headache."
"Oh." Is all the Shield managed to say, and the King clapped his back, while he passed by him, slow, heavy steps accompanied by the echo of his metallic cane.
"You´re getting old, my dear friend."
Clarus smirked. "You know I´m younger than you, my King. So, let´s not dwell on that."
As the King got at the level of Drautos, the man kneeled in front of him. Still with a voice full of mirth, King Regis addressed the Commander.
"As soon as your Kingsglaive is done with the thing that has him so worked up, sent him back to the gardens to meet me. I´d love to hear what he´s up to."
"Yes, your Majesty."
Drautos stood up and took his leave after bowing to both men, not noticing the swift, but significant glance the King and his Shield had shared. Before the Commander traversed the intricate doors leading to the lounge of the Throne Room, the Shield took a glance at his King, whose nod, imperceptible to the rest of the world, would never pass unnoticed by the closest man he had. Without wasting any more time, Clarus Almicitia walked purposefully out of the chambers too.
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Lightning was running as fast as she could, considering her injured ankle and shoulder. She wished she could rip off the cast on her arm, as she couldn´t run as fast as she usually was able to. As fast as she needed to. She shouldn´t be running, should be facing them with pride. But for the love of Etro, if she couldn´t stop them, four stupid kids, from beating her up, with her body and abilities at their top, how in the world would she be able to stop five dudes, with an injured ankle and an immobilized shoulder?
"Come here! Stop her! Stop her!"
She could hear them running behind her, and terror made her feel their hands brushing her back, searching for something to grab onto, to stop her desperate sprint. But no matter how hard the pull of the need of looking back was grabbing at her fear, she forced herself with all her will not to turn around and take a glance, knowing it would diminish her speed.
"Catch her!"
She got even more desperate because her left arm felt like dead weight for her frantic sprint, and thus decided to rip off the bandages that kept it entrapped. As she had feared, the action made her slow her speed, and with absolute horror felt one of the hands grabbing her by the arm.
"Got her!"
She spun on her own axis and sent a direct kick on the boy´s groin, the immediate response of her arm being freed, and Lightning took the sprint with renewed strength, as the rest of the teen's peers extend their hands to grab her. Only, this time, with both arms free, even if one of them was hurting, she was faster. Way faster than them.
Unbeknownst to her, though, they would get help from a third party.
As she quickly passed by a store, a man extended his foot her way, forcing her to trip over, and she fell hard onto the ground, the inertia of her sprint making her body roll over the pavement, breaking a few signs and signboards along her trail.
"What did she do? What did you do, little brat?"
The man who had stopped her loomed over her, as she was trying to get her bearings; as fast as her namesake, she stood up and pushed herself forwards. But it was already too late: with the aid of the man the teens had finally reached her.
"Thank you so kindly, good Sir!" One of the teens, a blond, the tallest of them, bowed at the man, while the others entrapped her by her arms and feet.
"What did she do? Did she steal something?"
"Yeah, this little bitch stole my grandma´s purse," the blonde explained. "So, my brothers and I promised her we would take her purse and the wrench back for some revenge- err, punishment. And thanks to you, justice will be served."
The man smiled at the praise. "Well, good. This city is filling with thugs and bandits all around. It's good to know young people like you and your brothers are willing to do something against it." The man nodded again and took his leave, not noticing the devilish smirk from the teen, while Lightning trashed and kicked, trying to take a bite, to land a kick, to free herself, but to no avail.
"Hurry up Mossberg!" one of the teens holding Lightning called for the blond one, "this bitch moves like a cat turned upside down! She´s too strong!"
"Stop whining. We´ve got her. That´s all that matters."
"What are we going to do now?"
"Oh. I´ve got a few ideas. But first, let´s take her someplace more private."
The private place turned out to be quite around the corner, a very small, dark and dirty alleyway. All the way Lightning tried to hurt any of them, but five male teenagers were just too much, even for her.
"Let me go!"
But for all the cursing and kicking the only response she got was laughter and snickering from the boys, who, at the count of three, slammed her back hard against the brick wall. Fortunately for her, her head was spared, but not her back, with the result of her expelling forcefully all the air in her lungs. She tried to kneel, to gain some air, but the taller teen took her by the hair and forced her to look up, to look straight into his eyes.
"So, hey brat! Here we are again. Why didn´t you want to talk with us? You offended me with your cold behavior. You know that I care for you."
"I think this is hardly related to the times where you thought you could beat me, Mossberg." In spite of her plight, Lightning still spat at him, contempt in her countenance. "Five against one. Tch, you´re really upping our game." She was afraid, terrified because the guy had become more violent with every event. But there was no way she´ll ever let him know of her fear. So, she transformed her fear into rage, into a hatred she hoped she could convey through her glare.
"Psh, you think I can´t beat you with four of my guys? You can barely stand on your feet."
"I meant it should be just you and I in a fair fight, dick-head. I´ve started to notice you´re getting more afraid of me since I see more of your 'guys' every time you want to compare strengths against me. Tell me, are you so coward that you´re so sure you won´t win in a one-on-one battle?"
At her insult, one of the teens holding her in place slapped her on the face, opening a cut on her cheek. Mossberg pushed him hard on the shoulder.
"Don´t be stupid! I´ve told you many times already: do not hit her on the face or we´ll be screwed!" But in spite of his words, he took a good look at her blood and licked his lips.
She looked up defiantly at him. "Why? Do you have a boner every time you see me like this, asshole?"
They opened up their eyes at her words, expecting him to slap her, to do something, but instead, the blonde laughed out loud, so loud even Lightning thought he had lost his mind.
"Stupid girl, do you even know what that word means?"
Lightning hesitated for a moment. "Emh… of course I know, moron!"
He laughed a bit more, realizing he had caught her in a lie, and then doubled over himself, bringing his face inches from hers, while with his hand over her jaw he forced her to look straight at him. He didn´t need to, Lightning´s eyes were fixed on her enemy, but the tight grip on her skin showed her his ill intention to hurt her.
"I don´t want Sensei Ulric to suspect anything. That´s the reason why." He released her and straightened his pose, still interrogating her. "What happened there, bitch? I mean at the infirmary. Did you spill the beans with the Sensei about us? Are you a crying little girl as I thought you were?"
"The only crying little coward in here is you, Mossberg, I´m not the one sending four thugs to fight against a little girl, because you´re too afraid to do so yourself."
He hit her on the stomach as retaliation, and she doubled over herself, coughing.
"You should show more respect to the one who has your life in his hands."
With the girl still panting, he took her by her hair and forced her to look up, but once she did, she spat at him, leaving a crimson and goo stain now on his cheek. Angered, he hit her harder on the stomach, leaving her breathless again, and this time Lightning did double over herself almost completely, coughing and gasping. Watching her like that, almost kneeled in front of him, made Mossberg´s blood boil in an emotion he couldn´t contain, so he ordered his friends to let her go, but before she got to the floor, he kicked her again, forcing her to roll on the ground, clutching her abdomen.
"Hahaha, this is so much fun!"
Once she was lying on the ground, one of the teens tried to kick her, but she stopped the offending foot with both hands, and retaliated by sending a powerful kick directed to his tender parts. The boy doubled over, almost landing beside her, an explosion of pain embedded in his brain, while his friends laughed heartily at him. Lightning tried to crawl away from them, but two of the teens took her by the legs and dragged her backward, her fingernails scratching the pavement, as they forced her to turn around and then grabbed her arms, holding her in a supine position.
"It´s time for me to show you who really is the boss, bitch."
There, that was the look that had Lightning so terrified of someone lacking so much skill. The Mossberg boy leered at her form, his eyes full of a shine that, for a reason she couldn´t comprehend, made her feel chills on her spine.
"You wanted to know what a boner is?" Mossberg´s eyes were wide, his pupils dilated, his countenance that of an insane man, while his hands went straight to his belt, fingers pulling clumsily at it, anticipation making his heartbeat quickening and his breathing ragged. "Well, I´ll show you first hand what a really good boner is."
The moment the teen unbuttoned his pants, understanding snapped Lightning out of her incredulity, and she finally comprehended his true intentions.
Sheer terror traversed throughout her body.
Lightning again kicked and trashed, trying her hardest to free herself, managed to hit one of the teens, to bite another one until she drew blood, but every time she felt she was released, they all contained her again, limiting her movements, exposing her body, and her eyes opened wide at seeing Mossberg so close to her, on top of her, so she took the plunge, shoved herself forwards with all the strength she had, to take a bite of the teen´s nose, making him wail in pain, as she felt warm liquid dampening her neck and a metallic taste filled her mouth. But as the guy forced her backward, one of the teens took her by the forehead and slammed her head on the floor, making her vision blurry.
"That… that…! Aaarggh!" Mossberg was out of his mind, pain and anger clouding his thoughts. "I´ll make her pay for this! Take her pants off! Now!"
"N… No…" But Lightning was too dizzy to defend herself, her hands clumsily trying to shove off the ones pulling at her clothes. She couldn´t even scream this time, her brain felt like embedded in a dense cloud.
But Lightning couldn´t know she wasn´t on her own anymore.
Nyx Ulric arrived at that moment, and held the Mossberg kid in a choking hold, while he whispered in his ears, his tone dangerous.
"And why the hell are all of you here, instead of being at class?"
The teen´s eyes opened wide in horror at hearing his voice. Nyx used all his strength to throw the boy against the wall and then ran fast to kick and punch the teens holding Lightning captive, his blood boiling in sheer rage, wanting nothing more but to punish these thugs into oblivion. He recognized a couple of them from his own class, but the other three were faces he had never seen before. And that gave him reason enough to be as ruthless as he could. The guys had little opportunity to retaliate, so they chose to do the smartest thing they could´ve done: they remained on the ground, defeated, not wanting to face the wrath of someone so powerful. But Nyx was not done yet.
He turned around and noticed Mossberg was trying to take a run, so Nyx threw his beloved kukris towards the boy, which embedded itself on the floor in front of him, the teen stopping in dread, and immediately after, in a blaze of purple fire, Nyx appeared in front of him, rage still flaring inside gray eyes.
"What have you done, Moss? What were you trying to do?" As if to reinforce his words, Nyx pointed his blade towards the kid, who peed in his pants at the magnificently monstrous eyes of his mentor.
"N-nothing Sensei! We were… we were just having fun!"
It would seem the words only made Nyx even angrier, and the kid almost cried at feeling the choking grab of the man, who slammed him hard against the wall.
"You will never, ever again hurt a woman like that. You can fight them, defeat them, but never rape them. Understood?"
"Y-yes… yes, sir!"
"No…" Nyx´s eyes flared again. "I think you didn´t understand." He raised his blade up above him and the teen closed his eyes, yelling in a not-so-masculine fashion.
"Nyx! Stop!"
Crowe and Libertus had finally arrived, and at the look of them, Nyx threw the boy to the ground. "Take this trash to the police. He deserves nothing more but jail. As well as the others…" As he turned to address the rest of the teens, he noticed they were running away, heading towards the other exit. Nyx smirked at their futile attempt, and, with two warping jumps, he stood in front of them, blocking their path.
"Going somewhere?"
He kicked them on the stomach, incapacitating them, and stood there until Libertus arrived with him.
"These too were participating in their little orgy. Please make sure they get to be at the Police Station. I want to know they pay for what they did."
"Lightning is injured, Nyx, what will we do?" Crowe yelled at him from the other end, while she managed to contain a terrified Mossberg.
"I´ll take care of her. Please, Libertus. I want them punished."
"And they will be, my friend."
Nyx smiled sadly at his friend and returned to Lightning´s side, who was lying sideways on the floor, moaning and yet to recover, her hands clenching painfully her head.
"It´s okay, Sparks, I´m here."
"N-Nyx…?"
"Yeah, kiddo. You´re safe now. I won´t leave your side."
She felt still dizzy, wanting to vomit, her head feeling like about to explode, but in spite of that, she still scoffed at him. "I don´t… I don´t need your help. I have it… all under control."
He smirked at her but still collected her petite body in his arms, ready to take her to the closest hospital.
"Sure you do, Sparks. It really looked like it."
"Tch… I think I told you to… leave me alone."
"No, you didn´t."
She pushed him by the shoulders, trying to free herself, but evidently still her brain not completely gathering her strength.
"Well… I´m telling you now."
"Are you saying you want to walk by yourself all the way to the hospital? Because you´ve got a concussion, therefore that´s the only place you´re gonna go the next couple of hours. And the walk is rather long."
She remained silent for a moment, pondering his words, and then, grunting in anger, just adjusted herself in his arms.
"Tch… I´m only letting you carry me because I´m going to throw up… and I hope with all my heart I puke on top of you…"
"That´s my girl."
"I´m not your girl."
He still laughed at her words, but walked as fast as he could, his heart feeling heavy for the recent events… and at the feeling of tiny fingers gripping hard, almost with desperation, the leather of his jacket.
As they passed by him, paying no heed to his presence, Libertus scratched the back of his head watching Nyx´s retreat, thousands of questions forming in his head, but not knowing which one to ask first. So, he turned to look at his other partner.
"I get the feeling you both are hiding something from me…"
Crowe, forcing the Moss kid to accompany her to the level of her friend, chuckled at his words.
"No pal, not hiding, though you´re right that there´s information you don´t have; in our defense, everything happened so fast, we hadn´t had the opportunity to tell you. Don´t worry, though. Let´s deliver these thugs to the authorities and I promise you I´ll tell you everything there is to know."
"With a beer in between?"
She rolled her eyes. "Yeah dude, whatever you need."
oooooooOOOOOOOOOOOOOoooooooooo
A/N: I´m sorry for this chapter being rather… dark… and aggressive, but I´ve been reading about women´s rights and the types of violence and… Well. I honestly believe we should be grateful for living in the countries we live in, and the ages we were born into, where female rights are protected mostly, while there were times (and even nowadays places) that women suffered for the way they were treated. But the truth is, there´s still a lot to be done.
There are still women suffering from intrafamily violence.
There are still women being subjected to sexual abuse.
There are still women being killed because of both.
And I know men suffer the same too, but the difference in numbers is quite overwhelming.
I read something a few months ago that I love, and it goes like this: "feminism is the revolutionary idea that women´s safety is more important than men´s needs" or something like that. Well, this is my contribution to ask for all that violence to be stopped. To really begin to think that men and women can perfectly coexist with each other, respecting one another. Because that´s the only way synergism can exist, which is the most powerful force on earth.
A shout out to a fantastic friend! Thank you, Andy Farron! If it weren´t for you, this baby wouldn´t be half as good as it came out! (well, I don´t know what you think of it, but I actually liked it, hehehe, and it´s all thanks to your help!).
A response to Guest: I´m so happy you liked it! Though I´m sorry to say Lightning´s suffering is far from ending, so I´ll have you both (you and her) in pain for at least the next chapter. Don´t worry though! I promise there will be better times. Thank you for reviewing!