Chapter Four
Night fell. The train rattled and clicked as if traveled across the countryside. The moonlight shown on the ground, reflecting on grass, leaves, tree bark, and a lake that came near the tracks. Hiro stood by the window, gazing out at the scenery. He looked down at Soul who was fast asleep. There was an ominous presence in the air and Hiro watched for moving shadows, but there were none. He kept thinking back on their last stop. He could have sworn he had seen Geicko at the station, and Soul had been watching him. Somehow it made him feel ill. Why would Soul be watching Geicko and not tell him? Was she hiding something?
Hiro shook his head, but then caught his breath as the train passed an open field. The moonlight was behind them and the shadow of the train was cast over the ground. Hiro knew his eyes were not deceiving him.
There was someone sitting on top of the train.
Hiro moved back and slid the curtain shut. He glanced down at Soul. The last thing he wanted to do was leave her alone, but he needed to find out who was on the roof, just to make sure they weren’t in danger. The shadows weren’t dancing, so Hiro knew he had to be safe, but something prickled at the back of his mind like a warning against what he couldn’t see.
Quietly, Hiro moved towards Soul and knelt beside the bench where she slept. He gazed at her face with a gentle expression. “I’ll be back,” he whispered to her. “Sleep tight and don’t follow me.” He got up and left the room, shutting the door before hurrying to the back of the train.
The caboose opened up to a deck with an overhang. Hiro looked around for a way up and saw on the side of the train there was a metal ladder. He went to it and climbed to the top, peeking over the roof cautiously. Smoke and wind blew in his face, but the smoke was thin enough for Hiro to see the person who sat on the center of the caboose. His arms were crossed and the hood of his jacket hid his head. Hiro held his breath and sank down, hiding below the roof with wide eyes. It was Enimito! How could he have been on the train for so long without the shadows giving him away?
Hiro glanced over the roof again. It was definitely Enimito. Hiro wasn’t sure what to do. If they fought now then he would never made it to his homeland. He was already running out of time.
Gritting his teeth, Hiro climbed onto the roof and stood facing Enimito. “Don’t you dare blow anything up,” said Hiro, moving forward.
Enimito glanced back at him. “I won’t,” he replied, standing and sticking his hands in his pockets. “Your little girlfriend tricked Geicko off the train so I’m alone presently. But don’t worry, he’ll catch up.”
Hiro caught his breath. “You two are actually working together?” He asked.
Enimito grinned. “Bad news for paradise,” he said mockingly.
Hiro’s expression sank to annoyance. “Paradise,” he repeated coolly. “You’re one to talk of that, brother.”
Enimito snarled. “When Geicko catches up you’ll be out of luck,” he said. An evil smile crossed his face. “Because you can’t beat us and you won’t dare risk using your power. There’s no way of knowing if your little friend will be caught in the explosion.”
Hiro felt his annoyance crash into pain. “If you promise not to hurt her,” he said carefully. “I won’t put up a fight when Geicko gets here.”
“You won’t fight either way,” said Enimito. “She’s already in danger.”
Hiro didn’t speak. The cold night wind tore at them and for a while they were silent. “Will we be able to return to my homeland safely?” He asked finally.
Enimito nodded once. “The scientists will make sure you arrive there in one piece,” he said. “And they will deal with your little friend however they see fit.”
Hiro didn’t reply. He looked at the sky, heaving a sigh. “How did Soul trick Geicko off the train?” He asked.
“She led him into thinking you had both gotten off,” replied Enimito. “The idiot. He followed her and she knocked him into a locker and chained him to the wall with a bike chain.” Enimito scoffed. “There were too many people watching for him to get on the train without a ticket so he has to chase us down to get on.”
Hiro grinned. He had had no idea that Soul was capable of such a clever scheme. She had taken a huge risk though and Hiro hoped it wouldn’t cause them more trouble.
“You’ve met Soul before, haven’t you,” said Hiro, looking at Enimito. “When you were in the form of Shadow Eater. Why is that?”
Enimito looked away. “Soul is what you call the blond girl, is it?” He asked slowly.
Hiro nodded. “So she won’t die a gruesome death like the others,” he replied. “I gave her a nickname.”
“Her death will be worse than all others, Hiro,” said Enimito, casting him a cool glare. “She’s become your friend, and more. Because of that her punishment for getting close to a weapon will be great.”
Hiro shook his head. “That’s nonsense,” he said, trying to convince himself more than Enimito. “As long as she and I stay together she’ll be fine.”
“And here you are,” said Enimito, motioning to him. “On the roof while she’s asleep in her room.”
“If something goes wrong I’ll save her,” said Hiro in defense.
“Since when have you been able to save any of the people whose names you learned?” Enimito inquired with spite. “You know her name, Hiro. You know who she is. What she is. Why are you fooling yourself?”
Hiro clenched his fists. “She isn’t a monster like me,” he said sharply. “And I can call her Soul, because that’s who she is to me.”
Enimito approached Hiro who stood still, not daring to move. “You could call her Heart or Dove for all I care,” he hissed. “Because of you she’s doomed and I’ll never forgive you.”
Hiro gave a start. “What is she to you?” He demanded darkly. “You were going to kill her.”
“For me to shoot her in the head or break her neck would be a more merciful way for her to die,” shot Enimito. “You’re a weapon, a cataclysmic disaster waiting to happen. You should have continued to live an isolated life instead of taking her in and handing her the life that would lead to the worse death possible!”
Hiro breathed hard. “She’s safe with me,” he said, not knowing what the emotion running through him was. “I won’t let her die!”
“You pathetic robot,” snarled Enimito angrily. “You don’t understand that her death was sealed as soon as you let her into your crystal heart!”
Hiro recoiled, placing his hand over his chest. “I have no heart,” he snapped. “You said so yourself, remember? The crystal holds nothing but energy that keeps me alive.”
Enimito scowled. “You’re an idiot,” he said, stepping back. “You’re a complex machine, but you’ll never understand how complex until it’s too late. And now you’ve doomed Soul, as you call her.” Enimito shook his head. “Have you no shame?” He turned and walked away, leaving Hiro standing in stunned silence. His mind spun, but he had no clue what Enimito was telling him.
“Why does she matter to you?” He called.
Enimito paused, but then glanced back. “Whatever causes you pain,” he said, his voice carrying on the wind to Hiro. “I leave you with your aching thoughts.” He then disappeared into a shadow and Hiro was left alone.
He stood motionless, but then gave a start and hurried off the roof and back into the train. He ran down the hallways and though the doors to his room. He threw open the door, but froze when he found Soul was still asleep.
Hiro stood in the doorway, his eyes filing with tears. He stepped into the room and shut the door, then sat on the bench opposite where Soul was sleeping. He watched her in quiet confusion, a single tear falling to his lap.
“What am I missing?” He whispered in a hoarse voice.
The Beginning - 4
I stood in my room, my arms wrapped around my body and my head down. My black hair hung in jagged strands over my face. I listened to the machinery clicking and wining when I moved or breathed. It was
never silent. The longer I sat there the deeper the feeling of loneliness sank in. It consumed my body and my mind. Every few days I was taken to another mission. Once the war was nothing more than a feud between two cities. I was forced to wipe them out. Though I enjoyed feeling the energy release that came from causing the explosion I was sad for those whose lives I took. The mixture of emotions did bodily harm to me. I was taken to the scientists after every mission to get my body fixed. It would seize up or refuse to work. After the seventh time this happened I came to one simple conclusion for the cause.
I was rebelling. Somewhere inside of me I knew I was doing wrong by being a weapon. I needed to stop it, but the scientists knew I was thinking this. They began taking me out of my room and putting me to sleep. When I awoke my body would function differently. It was small differences, but I was frightened. They were trying to get rid of my emotions. I was a weapon to them, and no weapon should feel remorse for the lives it takes. It was the final straw. After that I hid my emotions, acting as if they had succeeded in changing me. It was weeks before they sent me on another mission, but this one was different.
“Light Ninjas,” said Enimito. He had begun frequenting my missions. I knew it was because the scientists needed him there in case I tried to escape. I wasn’t going to. Not yet. My escape plan wasn’t fully formed. At that time I was just plotting and scheming the best way to escape.
“What is that?” I asked, standing in the tent with the electric boxes around me. I had only one wire in my side, and below it was a blinking red light.
“A Light Ninja is someone who fights for what it thinks is right,” explained Enimito. He stood with his arms crossed, hooded and dressed in black. “I’ve faced them and took out quite a few, but there is one more left who has become a major problem.” As soon as his words left his mouth I swallowed hard, but remained emotionless. My mission was obvious to me now.
Take out the Light Ninja.
“It should be easy to beat him,” I told Enimito, glancing at him.
“The scientists want the village unharmed,” said Enimito, straightening up and looking outside the tent.
I frowned sourly. “I’m a weapon, not a miracle,” I said coolly. “If I have to blow up the village I will.”
“If you blow up the village and miss the ninja then the mission will fail,” explained Enimito. He cast me a dark look. “And many explosions have missed the ninja.”
I had a feeling Enimito was just trying to scare me. How could an explosion like what I created miss any human? Mine reached fifteen miles at least and tore through both ground and sky. I was unbeatable.
“He’s coming,” said Enimito, shutting the tent flap.
I nodded once. In a burst of white light I changed forms and then pushed past Enimito, stepping out into the cool air of dusk. The sun was setting and the fields appeared dark yellow and orange. There was a village in the distance and behind me were tanks and trucks of supplies. I was here to make sure the war they had prepared for wouldn’t happen.
While I walked away the vehicles and Enimito withdrew from the area. I knew they were getting as far as they could to the bomb shelter they had built. I cared not for any of their lives. If I killed them too it wouldn’t make a difference. I would be one step closer to freedom.
A ripple of a white cloak caught me off guard and I stopped in my tracks. I could see the Light Ninja approaching. He walked with confidence in every step, his head held high and his cloak snapping in the cool breeze between us. I saw his copper eyes and brown hair, noting that there was little emotion on his young face. He was a normal human, but something about him made me fearful. The white of his cloak glowed like a beacon and I took a step back. Compared to this human I looked like a real monster. Dark and lethal with no reason for what I did.
“Hiroshima,” called the ninja as he stopped ahead of me. He was grinning, which set my temper off a little. “I’m glad to finally meet you.”
I hadn’t expected him to speak to me. I thought the fight would be quick and painless. “You’ve heard of me?” I asked, walking forward. The ninja didn’t move.
“All on this earth know of you,” replied the ninja. “I am Geicko, of the Light Ninjas. I’m the last of my kind. Your brother, Shadow Eater, killed off my clan and now I alone protect my village.” He motioned behind him, the grin never leaving his face. “I hope you do not mind that I will kill you without mercy.”
“Mercy is not in my nature,” I told him, coming to a stop several paces away. “And so I expect none from you.” The visor over my eyes slid open and I looked the man up and down with my real eyes. He was young. Very young...
“Shall we?” said Geicko, flipping his hood over his head. Without warning three knives flew at me. I lifted my hand and caught them, then spun on the spot and hurtled them back. Geicko leaped into the air and I gasped. I had never seen a human jump so high. My moment of shock was my undoing. The ninja slammed down on top of me, his feet crushing into my chest. I hit the ground, my system screaming as if struggled to make me react faster.
I seized the ninja’s leg and threw him off me, then jumped to my feet. He came at me again, but I was ready.