Prologue.
A green-eyed girl called Monika sighed as she walked through the streets of her hometown, looking at her sides every so often to both take in the view before her and to make sure she wasn't followed.
As Monika remembered her childhood, she frowned at how drastically her city had changed throughout the years. When she was a child, she could have as much fun as she wanted at the any park anywhere without worrying that something could happen to her. That simply wasn't the case anymore. It seemed like the streets were getting busier and busier as time progressed, and not in a good way.
The government had made some... questionable decisions when it came to the well-being of the people, focusing more on keeping their rich benefactors happy rather than balancing the market and keeping the economy flowing in a truly just way. In turn, most people began to look for ways to survive.
The situation was so bad the people were even willing to do unethical and morally ambiguous actions most of the time.
The streets were getting filled with homeless people.
Gunshots could be heard every so often around town.
The city was starting to reek of drugs.
Public violence was becoming ever so more common.
Wannabe criminal gangs were appearing everywhere.
Monika had seen her hometown fall from grace, and it has been a pitiful sight, to say the least.
What was worse is the fact that there are rumors circulating, which suggest that society is becoming more volatile because some people are developing special abilities the likes of which have never been seen before. Though, some of those rumors seem too ridiculous to believe...
Super strength? Wings? Super speed? Who would be dumb enough to believe such absurd claims?
Though, the criminal gangs seem to be getting stronger as time passes despite them being relatively short in number of members. If the claims of these abilities being real turned out to be true then things would make more sense.
Still, no one but the criminals knows for sure.
Monika looks down at the floor as she keeps walking home after her first day at school.
Today was her first day of her last year at school, and things didn't seem much different from last semester.
If only she could say the same about her walk home...
Her route home was also affected by the ongoing crisis. More and more homeless people were appearing on the streets she needed to walk through to get home. At least nothing had happened to her.
Until now.
Monika lifted her gaze upon sensing the air around her stagnating, and she was met by the sight of a man in tathered clothes approaching her with his gaze fixed on the ground. He wasn't looking at her, yet his aura said otherwise.
Also... Is that a small smirk on his lips?
Monika swallows some spit as she keeps walking closer and closer to the man, praying that she didn't have to get involved in some kind of scandal.
"Oi, girl."
Perhaps that was just wishful thinking.
Monika looks up at the man with a small glare, trying to sound unamused. "Yes?"
The man lifts his hand up as a beggar would do. "You look like a good person. Got some money to spare?"
Monika looks away from the man while trying to walk past him. "No... I don't, sorry."
As Monika walks beside the man, she feels his hand on her forearm stop her on her tracks.
The man chuckles. "Don't lie to me, cutie. Judging by your look I can tell your pop's rich. Give me all you have on you and that'll be the end of it."
Monika trembles, trying to not appear intimidated by the man gripping her arm tightly. "I said... I don't have money right now, sir. Please let me go."
The man smirks before pulling out a knife with his other hand. "Guess we're doing things the hard way. Such a shame... You were a cute one."
Monika's pupils shrink at the sight of the knife being aimed at her throat.
Then, Monika grabs the man by the arm and proceeds to throw him over her shoulder in a swift move!
The man grunts once his back hits the hard concrete, dropping the knife and a small box falls off his coat in the process.
Monika keeps glaring at the man, though she feels a slight rush of dopamine inside her.
It was good to be THIS trained in martial arts in case something like this happened.
The man slowly gets to his feet while looking at Monika with a scowl. "Damn it..."
Monika takes a step back from the man while keeping her guard up. "I don't want any trouble. Please leave me alone."
The man sighs before walking away from the girl, not wanting to get hurt again. "Damn brat..."
Once the man is out of sight, Monika sighs to herself, allowing herself to relax now that she wasn't in danger anymore.
That man was certainly a criminal, and he had threatened to mug her.
HER.
He was planning to mug a schoolgirl of all people!
Speaking of which...
Monika turned her head slightly and realized where she was.
She was right next to an elementary school!
The man couldn't take her belongings because she had been trained in martial arts since she was little, but what if she didn't pass through here the moment she did?
Could that man have mugged a family who didn't know how to defend themselves? Could the innocent kids from this school have been his victims instead?
Was the situation THIS bad?
That was it.
Enough was enough.
These parts of town needed to be protected, and if the government wasn't going to do anything, then she'd do something about the situation herself. She'd have to bring together a group of people to protect the area and each other.
Something like...
A gang?
No...
A fighting club!
Monika smiles softly to herself, already thinking of the three individuals she'd ask to form the club with.