Chapter Six
Rain was pouring from the dark sky when the train clattered into the station. It hadn’t stopped for anything and a lot of gunfire had been heard when other passengers on the train complained. Hiro and Soul missed all of this, but they knew what was happening because a messenger was sent each time someone was killed. This made sitting in the freezing caboose even worse. Hiro was seated cross-legged, a gag in his mouth and his golden eyes locked on the ground. Soul was also gagged, but she was lying down. It was clear she was hungry. Her stomach made noises and she cringed from time to time. Hiro wanted to help her, but along with being gagged, he had been chained to the wall and couldn’t reach Soul. When the soldiers came to get them Soul was so weak she had to be carried. Hiro was not allowed near her while they walked through the train with the guards around them.
As Hiro looked around he found there were numerous burn marks and scratches all over the walls. The whole train had been trashed and in some spots Hiro spotted blood on the floor. He glowered and lifted his eyes to look ahead. Anna would be in big trouble when she was no longer needed.
They were brought to the dining car that had also been ruined. The tables were lying in a pile with the chairs and the counter had been busted to pieces. Anna sat in the middle of the room with her head tilted and a grin on her face. Her eyes were empty of kindness and looked instead to be hollow. She held Hiro’s gaze unwavering until he stood before her. Soul was laid on the ground and she shifted, but didn’t wake up. Their gags were removed and Hiro spat on the floor before Anna as soon as it was gone. Anna merely grinned at him as if his action was amusing.
“I see you really are less human than the rest of us,” said Anna. “Even Enimito would have needed food by now.”
“My stomach was removed, heartless wench,” said Hiro through gritted teeth. “Now take care of Soul before she dies!”
Anna slid her gun from her holster and fired it at Hiro. The bullet cut through his shoulder and he shouted in pain. Since he was bound he could do nothing more than cringe and glare at Anna who chuckled. The pain seared through Hiro’s whole body and he nearly fell to his knees. The sound of the gunfire stirred Soul who opened her eyes and gazed at Anna in a sleepy daze.
“What’s going on?” She muttered, turning her head and looking up at Hiro. He glanced down at her, hoping she wouldn’t see that he had been shot, but it was hopeless. His face was pale, his lips trembled, and through the opening in his jacket Soul saw the blood rushing down his body. She stared at him, but couldn’t speak in her horror.
“Now that we’re all awake,” said Anna. “We’ve arrived at the ocean. Here we will be boarding a ship to sail to Onsolaises.”
“You mean the ruins of Onsolaises,” hissed Hiro venomously. “I destroyed it, remember?”
“I’m sure it was a wonderful light show for your precious villagers,” replied Anna, picking at her hair that lay over her shoulder. “Everything burned up and destroyed. I would have loved to see them all burning.”
Hiro scowled without a reply.
“I’m sure your laptop will tell us everything else we need to know about you,” said Anna, as she got to her feet. “My men are breaking all your passwords as we speak. So we will have the information to fill in the blanks and get to the heart of your creation. We might even find the secret of how to remove your heart safely.”
“The information in my laptop won’t tell you anything more than you already know,” Hiro said angrily. “It would only help someone like Enimito, Geicko, or Soul. The ones who don’t know anything about how I was made.”
“Now,” said Anna, ignoring Hiro’s rant. “I don’t feel like wasting more bullets, but if we don’t get to Onsolaises soon I’m going to start killing.”
Hiro gritted his teeth. Anna wasn’t listening to him. He cursed in his mind.
Soul sat shivering on the floor near him. Everything felt like it was happening too fast to her. The talk with Anna was over before it really begun. Anna led the way off the train; Hiro and Soul were dragged along. Soul was so hungry she could hardly walk, but she managed to maintain strength each time she looked at Hiro. He was pushing himself even though the blood rushing from his shoulder was dripping out of his sleeve and staining the top of his jeans. No one bothered to stop the flow and Soul wished she at least could do that for him. He felt pain and she saw on his face that he was in agony. Yet Soul didn’t dare speak, not with Anna and her pistol at the ready. There was no telling what the woman would do if either Soul or Hiro made a sound, so they were silent.
Anna brought them and her guards to a large barge that was loaded with crates and smelled strongly of fish and salt. Soul wrinkled her nose, but didn’t complain as she was forced aboard. The boat ride was the least miserable part of the journey to Soul because she was shown to a cabin in the hull of the barge and was untied there. The guards also left food and water before leaving.
As soon as the door shut, Soul hurried to the food, which was dry bread with salty butter. She ate it all and downed the glass of water. She let out a hard breath of relief before standing up and throwing her blond hair back from her shoulders. She looked around the cabin. There was a window with bars over it, and the door was locked. In the corner was a cot with a thin blanket and no pillow, and a chest. Soul looked inside and found it was empty. She frowned to herself and shut it before looking around. What was she going to do? Hiro was probably in danger and she could do nothing but sit in the dreary room with the floor swaying beneath her and wait.
She was unaware that in that moment Hiro was on the deck with Anna and several guards.
“We’re on our way,” said Anna to Hiro. He was gazing ahead of them to the horizon where the sky seemed to meet the ocean. The blue water caught the sunlight between the clouds and glittered, but the beauty was wasted by the moment.
“There’s nothing on Onsolaises to find,” said Hiro bluntly.
Anna pointed her gun at Hiro and shot him in the side. The bullet ricocheted off Hiro’s metal sides with a loud Clack! Anna glared bluntly and reloaded, tossing the empty cartridge into the ocean.
“We will find what I’m searching for,” she said, slamming the ammo cartage into the handle of the gun. “The safe way to remove your crystal heart. When we do find the answer you will be dismantled and rebuilt as an actual weapon. Not a failed act of mercy.”
Hiro gave Anna a cold look. “Making me into this was no act of mercy,” he hissed. “Don’t bother feeding me lies. I was bred to destroy and end wars. It had nothing to do with mercy.”
Anna smirked at Hiro. “So you do believe that,” she said, looking him up and down carefully. “You think you’re only a weapon like they wanted.”
Hiro kept an expressionless face, but deep inside he was frightened. What was Anna talking about? “I’m a weapon,” he told her angrily, the ropes around his wrists tightening when he clenched his fists. “The scientists that made me had no mercy in their plans. I read them myself!”
“You read the chalk plan on the wall,” replied Anna cleverly. “Those were incomplete and not fully real. Do you think the scientists would really leave the real plan out in plain sight for all to see?” She laughed.
Hiro scowled. He was scared. Anna’s words brought doubt, another new emotion. He doubted all he thought was truth. “Why do you say this curse is mercy?” He asked.
“Because it is,” replied Anna, turning her back to Hiro. “You were the village idiot in Onsolaises. The scientists found you and pitied you, so that’s why they chose you to become their weapon. They advanced your mind and potential so that it was greater than all those in your village.” She looked back at Hiro with a curled grin. “The village of Onsolaises that you so recklessly destroyed in your moment of escape.”
Hiro grimaced. His mind flashed with memories of screams, fire, and people crying out in terror.
“You do remember then,” said Anna quietly, watching Hiro as he hung his head with gritted teeth and a pained expression. “
You remember how you went there for help. How they turned you away-”
“SHUT UP!” Hiro roared. A force of energy came from him, making everyone slide away from him as if they stood on ice. The force was so great it made the water around the barge shoot out in all directions and also blasted the barge from the surface. It dropped back into the water and everyone wavered on their feet to regain balance. When the energy died down Hiro sank to his knees, gasping and shivering as if he had been submerged under water.
Anna burst into laughter.
“Don’t go exploding now, Hiroshima,” she cackled in amusement. “You’re precious Soul will be lost to you forever if you do that.”
Hiro said nothing. His black hair hid his face in shadows as he caught his breath. He had nearly blown them up...
“We have a few days before we reach Onsolaises,” said Anna to the guards. “We may as well leave him in the cabin with his woman.”
Hiro glared at Anna through his black hair. His golden eyes were cold with loathing. “She’s not my woman,” he growled. “And you’re not her mother.”
“Of course I’m not her mother,” said Anna. “Do I look like I’ve had children?” She snorted and looked at her pistol. “Take him away,” she said, sliding her thumb lovingly over the barrel.
Hiro was grabbed up and dragged into the barge. They took him down a flight of dark stairs and to a small hallway that was metal and smelled like garbage. He was then thrown into a cabin. The door shut and locked behind him and he let out a hard breath. When he lifted his head he found Soul standing across the room from him.
She looked caught and Hiro stared blankly at her. In her hand was a knife of jagged metal. The bars on the window were gone and laying on the floor at Soul’s feet.
“Hiro,” said Soul, dropping the knife quickly.
“Soul?” Hiro gawked at her. “You’re breaking out?”
Soul nodded and hurried to him. “I thought they would be keeping you somewhere else,” she said as she knelt in front of him and moved his jacket to looked at the bullet wound in his shoulder. “I was planning on finding you and getting us out of here, but that doesn’t matter now.”
“Doesn’t matter now?” Hiro asked, watching as she wiped some blood away from the wound. She then got up and went to the cot.
“No, not since you’re here,” replied Soul, taking the blanket and then retrieving from the floor the knife she had used earlier. She sliced the blanket up and then returned to Hiro, kneeling and pulling back his jacket to free his shoulder.
“How does my presence change the fact that we should escape?” Hiro asked. He studied Soul’s delicate care of his shoulder. She dabbed the fresh blood away and then did the same to the back of his shoulder, since the bullet had gone straight through. After that she folded two pieces of cloth and placed one over both openings. She held them there with one hand, then took a long strip of cloth and wound it around.
“It just does,” answered Soul as she began wrapping more cloth strips around his shoulder. When it was bandaged she tied it off and then sat back, looking up at Hiro who held her gaze.
Hiro blinked and tilted his head. “No,” he told her, examining her eyes with an unreadable gaze. “Why does my presence change your desire to escape, Soul?”
Soul shrugged and stood up. She went to the window and looked out at the salt water. “How long until we reach Onsolaises?” She asked.
Hiro narrowed his eyes. Soul looked oddly alone, standing by the window with her long hair tangled at the base and her fragile body leaning on the wall. She was trying to act strong so not to worry him and Hiro shut his eyes. He stood up and walked up behind her. She froze and Hiro saw noticed.
“If we don’t escape then this time is all we have left,” he said quietly, leaning against the wall beside her. He looked out the window over Soul’s head as she glanced up at him.
“Do you want to escape?” She asked. She felt her heart racing from him standing so close to her.
Hiro shook his head. “I’d rather not face the ocean,” he muttered. “Also... that would put you in danger.” His eyes fell to Soul who clenched her jaw.
“You’re acting odd,” she said.
“Sorry.” Hiro shut his eyes. “I have no excuse.”
Soul stared at him sadly. “Why not?” She asked.
Hiro shook his head. “I don’t want to talk about it,” he said, placing a hand to his eyes. “I feel different. Kind of trapped inside myself. I haven’t ever felt like this and I’m scared my system might be screwing up.”
“You’re fine,” said Soul. “Don’t make yourself worry.”
“Worry.” Hiro repeated the word and bowed his head. “Yes, that’s the emotion. I’m worried about you, Soul.” Soul gave Hiro a bewildered look. His golden eyes were on the window again, but his gaze was far from the ocean. “I don’t want Anna to harm you as she has harmed me,” he continued gently. “I am going to keep you safe, even if I have to endure the tortures of hell itself to do it.”
“Don’t go through torment alone to help me,” said Soul grimly. She took Hiro’s hand and smiled up at him. “Let’s go through it together.”
Hiro looked at her. Instantly he felt the blood rush to his face and his stomach twisted into a knot. He took his hand away from Soul and stepped back hastily. She stared at him and Hiro held her gaze with wide eyes. He looked at his hand, then back at Soul. She was puzzled but didn’t dare move closer to Hiro.
She had no idea that Hiro was panicking.
Too many unknown emotions had flown through him when Soul touched his hand. He wasn’t sure what they were and he didn’t want to know. They made him feel too happy, too scared, and too alone. He turned away from Soul and sank to the ground. His shoulders shook and he clenched his hands together, trying to calm himself down. It felt impossible.
“I’m sorry,” whispered Soul’s soft voice, making Hiro flinch.
“Don’t apologize,” he said over his shoulder. “I’m new to these feelings that you and other people have known all your life. I’ll get used to them.” He turned away, tightly shutting his eyes. “If I have time,” he whispered, bowing his head.
The Beginning - 5
The Light Ninja slammed into me. We tumbled across the ground and I threw him off, flinging myself around as he went flying. He wasn’t dazed. As if there was a wall, he spun in mid air and shot back at me like a rocket. I turned, throwing a kick right into the air where I knew he would be. The blade of my foot collided with his head and he was sent head first to the ground. He tumbled head over heels, but then turned it to his will as he sprung hand over hand to his feet. He whipped around, cloak whirling, and several knives flew at me. I reacted at once, hit the dirt, and as the knives flew over my head I rolled forward, jumped to my feet, and whipped my hands out to my sides.
Two black bladed daggers came out of my wrists and I threw them at the Light Ninja as it approached me. He whirled his cloak like a banister and the knives were caught in it and thrown to the ground.
“You’re slow for a weapon!” Light Ninja called. He ran at me and I knew weapons were out this time.
Light Ninja threw punches, hooks, and upper cuts one after the other without pattern. I blocked them all. Then he spun and his back fist hit me across my face. I was dazed and stumbled, but I got up and hammered my shoulder into his stomach.
His elbow crashed into my back, but I felt nothing as he screamed in pain and staggered away from me. I lifted my head and looked at him as his hood fell away and he held his arm, staring at it. The elbow was broken and the white-sleeved shirt he wore beneath was drenched in blood. He stared at me as I straightened up, my visor sliding back from my golden eyes.
“I’m not human,” I said darkly. “I thought you knew that.”
Geicko glowered. “I broke my elbow on you!” He roared.
I looked at the blood leaking from his busted elbow and the crooked angle it hung. His hand was limp and I found I felt sad for him, bu
t I had a mission I had to complete. It was why I was alive. “I have to kill you,” I whispered, my visor snapping shut. “Hold still and I’ll ease your pain.” I approached him, but the Light Ninja turned and ran. I stopped at first, having not expected that, but then I gave chase.
He was fast, which was to be expected. Someone who fought as he did could never be as slow as a normal human. I was unable to catch up to him and we were swiftly approaching the village. Trees rushed past us and I ran on emotionlessly. If he wanted me to lay waste to his village to kill him then I would.
As soon as we reached the village I heard the clicking, but I didn’t access what it was. Before I knew it the drumming of bullets filled the air and I stopped. The bullets hit me, recoiling off my armor. I shook my head, watching as Light Ninja ducked behind the line of sand bags where the shooters were concealed. They would reload and then pop back up, firing at me. I knew there was no hope for it. My target was hiding with the men.
What happened next I would always blame on the Light Ninja.
I spread my hands, the heated white glow filling my body and the air around me. The gunfire slowly stopped as my feet lifted off the ground. I shut my eyes, my visor allowing me to see either way.
As I brought my hands together I heard the men shouting to get away and run for their lives, but they knew as well as I did that it was much too late for that.
The explosion went off. The fiery energy burst forth from my whole body and I screamed, but it went unheard from the thundering of the ground and sky erupting at my bidding. I was in pain and tears flowed down my face. As the village and people were shredded I sank back to the ground, my armored feet touching the ground and my visor sliding back. I opened my eyes. In a golden white glow my armor vanished and I stood facing the burning rubble that was once the village.
The sky was black with smoke and the houses were nothing but black sticks jotting out of the ground. I could see the burned bodies of humans, but before me there was a ripple of white and I swallowed hard.
Geicko stood facing me. His hood was down and his bronze eyes glared at me. His broken arm hung uselessly at his side. The white cloak he wore had bloodstains on it, but he was perfectly unharmed.
“You had to test the rumor, didn’t you?” He growled, his eyes filling with tears. “The rumor about me avoiding explosions.”
“I was on a mission to kill you,” I told him emotionlessly. “You ran to your village and hid. My only option was to destroy everything.”
Geicko shook his head, his face a mixture of anger and grief. “I’ll never forgive you,” he hissed.
“I don’t expect you to,” I said. In that moment I could have finished him off, but the scientists suddenly showed up behind me. Before I knew it I was being taken away and Geicko was captured. I wasn’t sure what was happening, but I was too blind to realize I had been used. The scientists that day had had no intention of killing the Light Ninja. They planned on me destroying everything. They had wanted Geicko because he was able to stand against me. I wouldn’t know that until years later, and by that time it was too late...