Skye made her way down the dark dorm hallways, ignoring several girls who had poked their heads out into the hall to see what the commotion was about. She stopped for a moment at the stairs and looked back down the hallway. Laxus and Makarov watched as she took a step back towards her room. But she lowered her eyes and went downstairs to the lobby. The staff desk was still lit up and Shiva was still working behind the desk. She looked up as Skye walked past.
"You should be in bed. Where are you going?" Shiva asked.
"I need some air..."Skye replied.
"You can't leave in the middle of the night, you don't have any more orders tonight."
"I'm just going out to the courtyard for a bit....I won't leave the property..."
"Fine, but I'm going to have to sign you up for detention hall tomorrow for the school records." Shiva started writing something down behind the desk, and handed Skye a blue slip of paper. Skye nodded and headed out the door. Her cheeks and nose turned pink the moment she stepped outside. The green, well kept grounds had been covered with a foot of snow for months, and icicles hung from the buildings like stalactites. She shoved her hands in her pockets as she walked down the path lowering her eyes once more.
"Shit...the hell's wrong with me? Why'd I do that?" Skye muttered to herself. Her breath hung in the air like a soft mist. It was cold and quiet. The only sound was the snow crunching under Skye's boots. The courtyard was dark and the fountain was shut off, leaving the angel and cherubs covered in snow. She sat down on the edge of the fountain and looked up at the cloudy night sky.
"What are you doing now, Dad....Laxus? I miss you, but I can't come home," Her voice quivered and a tear ran down her rosy cheek, "Would you hate me if you knew what I've done? I know this isn't me, but what else can I do...I can't run." She looked over in the direction of the girl's dorms, "I should go apologize. Crap...how do I apologize for that?" Skye stood back up and brushed the snow off her pants, and set off back towards the dorm building.
Shiva was gone when Skye re-entered the building. She went directly up the stairs to the third floor. The hallway was silent once more, and every door was closed. When she reached her room, she paused for a moment, then went inside.
"Hey, Heath-", She started to say, but Heather was not in the room. Skye sat down on her bed, and unlaced her boots. The room was silent except for the ticking of the over large pink alarm clock on Heather's desk. She fell back and stared up at the underside of Heather's bunk, then the memory faded to black.
"And don't be walking on the grounds at night again. Do you understand Miss Sionis?" Mr. Kinsley scolded Skye as she exited the detention hall. The sun reflected on the snowy ground and she held her hand up over her eyes. She shivered slightly as a cold gust of wind crept down the collar of her dark blue Augustine coat. Many students stared at her as she passed through the courtyard, but she didn't seem to notice. The only thing that caught her attention was Heather. She was on the far side of the courtyard and was starting to walk down the driveway of the school. Skye followed her at a distance to the end of the driveway where it met up with a busy street.
"What's she doing?" Skye mumbled. She narrowed her eyes as Heather stopped at the end of the driveway, and stared into the traffic. Skye's eyes widened as Heather stepped forward.
"No...NO! Heather, stop," Skye charged forward. Heather stepped into the street as a bus sped toward her, "Heather!!!!" Skye screamed as she grabbed the back of Heather's jacket and yanked her back with all her strength, barely avoiding the bus as it rushed past.The force that Skye used to pull Heather back was so great, that it threw them both off balance and they fell on the ground together. Skye immediately got to her knees and pulled Heather into a sitting position, and then proceeded to slap her across the face.
"S-Skye?" Heather looked bewildered, but it was obvious that she had been crying moments before.
"What were you thinking? Why would you try to walk into traffic?" Skye scolded.
"You're right...nobody likes me. I don't have any friends here. No matter how hard I try, wherever I go people don't like me. I tried to fit in with the students here, but they don't think my family is rich enough for me to even be here. I tried to make friends with you, but you wouldn't even look at me...and last night...Why did you save me?" Heather's eyes filled with tears, and she looked away from Skye, as she helped her up.
"I'm sorry...about last night. I didn't really mean to be that mean to you. I just....We should talk. Lets go back to the dorm..." Skye's eyes softened as she spoke. They walked side by side in silence through the courtyard and down the path to the girls dorms. Shiva cast Skye a suspicious look as they entered the lobby. Skye ignored her and led Heather up the stairs.
Only when they got inside their dorm room, did Skye speak.
"I'm sorry...I know rooming with me hasn't been the most enjoyable experience in the world. I didn't mean what I said last night, I just had a hard night. I do like you...I just haven't had someone I can call a friend in a while. I guess I kind of forgot how to be nice." Skye sat down on her bed, while Heather sat down beside her.
"You like me? Really? Why didn't you even try to tell me?" Heather asked.
"Because you put me on edge....I'm not used to people being nice to me. You're the first one the be genuinely nice to me in over two years, and I didn't trust you to stay that way. But I never thought of ending it, no matter how hard things got for me. And you shouldn't either. You have too much to live for, even if the world around you grows dark, and you lose your way. You've just got to keep going." Skye replied.
"If you don't mind my asking, what did you go through?" Heather tentatively asked. Skye stared at her for a few moments before answering.
"I was taken away from my family over two years ago. Roman Sionis is not my father, he's my employer, and captor. And, as crazy as this is going to sound, I'm not even from this world." Heather looked shocked.
"Ah....what?" Heather lifted an eyebrow.
"I'm serious. I'm from a country called Fiore, in my world that's called Earthland. It's quite different from this one. Magic is pretty much the source of everything in Earthland. But I don't know any magic...I'm a Bender." Skye started to ramble on and on about Fiore, and Fairy Tail. Heather sat and listened intently to every word Skye said.
"You do realize how crazy you sound?" Heather interrupted Skye in the middle of explaining how guilds work. " Yeah, I guess I probably do sound a bit crazy. But, I can show you some bending. Watch this." Skye snapped her fingers and a small flame appeared just over her thumb. Heather clapped a hand to her mouth and stared at the small flickering flame in awe. Skye then made a circular, waving motion with her other hand and a small gust of wind blew in Heather's face.
"I can bend the four elements to my will. I've had this ability for as long as I can remember. Sionis doesn't know about it though. And he won't ever know about it." Skye smiled slightly.
"That's...holy crap! That's amazing! But wait...You said that Roman Sionis is your captor AND your employer? What do you mean by that?" Heather cocked her head. Skye looked down and shifted uncomfortably.
"You can't tell anyone."Skye said seriously. Heather frowned and nodded, and Skye continued.
"You know all the killings that have been in the papers for the past couple years? The ones where the murderer is still on the loose?" Skye asked. Heather looked confused, but then the light bulb clicked on. She stared at Skye in disbelief and pointed at her.
"It's you?"
"Yeah...it's me. It's not like I want to do it. I don't have a choice. If I defy Black Mask, he'll kill me. He's punishing me for accidentally killing his right hand man when another person and myself stumbled upon this world. I didn't mean to do it. But it was like I was controlling him....it was scary. But the way it works, is he gives me a call, tells me a name and address and I go and do the job. Then I come back here and assume the normal school girl charade. I want more than anything else in the world to go home, but I don't think that's going to happen." Skye leaned forward and looked down at her feet. She jumped at feeling Heather's hand on her shoulder.
"Don't say that. There may be a time where you can go home. You can't give up hope. And even though I could easily go call the police with all that you just told me, I'm not going to. You won't have to go through this alone anymore. You can lean on me when you need to. That's what friends are for right? Heather smiled kindly at Skye, "You're not a bad person. If you were, I would be dead, and we wouldn't be having this conversation." Skye smiled back.
"Thank you, Heather. That sounds like something Laxus would have said." Skye blushed slightly.
"Who's Laxus?" Heather looked confused.
"He's my best friend. He's always there for me. Even if he acts like he doesn't care, he's one of the most caring people I know. When we were little, we'd get into so much trouble together, but he'd try to take the blame every time. It didn't work, but it was sweet of him. I could always count on him for anything." Skye smiled sadly, "I miss him so much, it hurts like crazy." Her eyes softened and grew moist. Laxus walked over to Skye and knelt down so he was face to face with her.
"I missed you too...more than you know." He whispered. Heather looked at Skye with empathy, and hugged her from the side.
"You will see him again. I'm sure of it," Skye wiped her eyes and smiled at Heather. A large growl coming from Heather's stomach interrupted their hug. Before she could stop herself, Skye let out a laugh.
"Sorry!" Skye said quickly, but Heather laughed back.
"It's okay, lets head down to dinner. I think it's chicken tonight." Heather stood up and held her hand out to Skye, who took it. The two girls left the dorm room together as Skye's memory faded out once more.
Monday, July 28, 2014
Tuesday, July 22, 2014
Ch 5: Augustine Academy
"Why the hell do I have to do this again?" Skye gazed lazily out the window of the black Cadillac as it made it's way up the street. It was a sunny day, and the streets were crowded with cars, bicycles, and people. Makarov and Laxus were sitting in the back seat of the car. Laxus took a look outside, and closed his eyes. "Always moving..." he muttered.
"Because Black Mask wants you educated. He can't have you be as dumb as the rest of his boys. And don't talk like that. You're supposed to be a well brought up young lady at this school." replied the driver. He was one of the men who were assigned to watch Skye. She turned and glared at him, "Che'....That's not gonna happen. I'll be surrounded by spoiled, rich kids..... I'm going to go insane."
The driver didn't respond as the car entered a tunnel. Skye went back to staring out the window. She watched a boy and a girl fighting each other over a video game. They were yelling and hitting each other until the girl started to cry. The boy watched her crying for a few seconds before handing the girl the video game. She stopped crying and smiled at him.
"Laxus..." She mumbled. Laxus opened one eye.
"What?" asked the driver.
"Nothing...none of your business." Skye snapped.
"Can the attitude, we're here." he replied.
They pulled up into the driveway of a large, old looking stone school building. Skye turned her attention to the sign in front of the school that read: 'Augustine Academy for Gifted Young People', and wrinkled her nose.The car stopped, and Skye got out and opened the trunk. She grabbed a very full duffel bag, and swung it over her shoulder. The driver had gotten out of the car too and handed Skye a phone.
"You'll receive your orders on this. Your registration is all set up, and all you need to do is go inside. Your name is Skye Sionis while you are here, got it?"
Skye nodded, and he got back into the car. Skye turned to go inside when the driver called her back. He beckoned with his finger for her to come closer.
"Don't you even think of running. We know where you are, wherever you go." He warned, then drove off, leaving Skye in a cloud of exhaust fumes. She frowned and looked up at the building. It looked like a huge historic mansion, with a heavily gardened courtyard. There was a large, fountain in the center, with what looked like an angel surrounded by cherubs that were shooting water from their wings. On her way through the courtyard, Skye passed several students already in uniform and happily talking with their peers. The girls wore a dark blue coat over white shirts and the skirts were also dark blue and ended just above the knees. The boys wore a similar uniform, only they wore dark blue pants instead of skirts. Many of them glanced at her as she passed by, but she ignored them. She was wearing black pants, and a black tank top, and wore a cold expression; very different from everyone around her, but she didn't care. She went up the steps, opened the door and was blasted with cold air escaping the entrance hall. The entrance hall was filled with new students and their families being shown around by older students and staff. One of the students, a boy wielding a clipboard, walked up to her.
"Welcome to Augustine! My name is Evan. Are you one of our new students? Can I have your name?" He smiled at her with a mouth full of brilliantly white teeth. His uniform didn't have a wrinkle, and his orange hair was neatly parted straight down the middle of his head. Skye nodded and told him her name.
"Sionis.....lets see. Sanchez....Shalot....Here we go! Sionis, Skye" Evan ran his finger down the list on his clip board. He then began to thumb through a folder that was also on the clip board, and took out a plastic card, "Here's your student I.D card, Skye. The girl's dorms are in the building down the right path through the courtyard. You can check in there, and get settled. The welcoming ceremonies are tomorrow at 7am in the theater. See you there!" He turned and hustled up to another family and started reciting his greeting to them. Skye rolled her eyes and went back out to the courtyard. She looked to her right and saw a large, brick building at the end of a path. Frowning, she started down the steps. Makarov frowned as she passed between him and Laxus. Her eyes were dull, and her skin was pale. It looked like she hadn't smiled in a very long time, and they couldn't blame her.
Once she reached the girl's dorm building, Skye opened the door and headed to the desk where a staff member was organizing a filing cabinet. She cleared her throat, and the lady turned around.
"You....of course." Skye narrowed her eyes as Shiva smiled at her.
"Hello! My name is Ms.Chen, and I'll be helping out in the dorms this year. Your name and I.D card please." Shiva pleasantly chirruped. Skye raised an eyebrow and mouthed, "Wow", as she handed Shiva her I.D.
"Very good! Please come with me." Shiva walked out from behind the desk and led Skye up the stairs, weaving through families and students,"Your room is number 314, and your roommate's name is Heather Mitchell. She's already checked in and getting settled."
"Sionis put you up to this?"Skye muttered. Shiva glanced back at her.
"I'm here to keep an eye on you, and resume your training. Copperhead will be involved as well." She replied. Skye said nothing as they came to a stop in front of room 314. Shiva handed Skye the room key and left her to go back downstairs.
Skye turned the handle and entered her dorm room. It was a medium sized room with bunk beds against the left wall, and two desks and dressers against the right wall. One of the desks had a calender which was turned to September. On the top bunk, a black haired girl sat stuffing her pillow into a bright green pillowcase. Skye shut the door and tossed her duffel bag onto the bottom bunk. The girl looked down and saw Skye standing there. She put on a huge grin and leaped down right beside Skye.
"Hi! My name is Heather! You're Skye right? It's so great to meet you! I hope we get to be great friends!" She said all this very fast as Skye took out her uniforms that were bought two weeks before and packed them away in her dresser. She looked at Heather coldly, and lay down on the bottom bunk. Heather didn't seem to notice or care. Instead, she continued to question Skye.
"So what do your parents do? Your last name is Sionis right? Does that mean your parents run Sionis Steelworks? That's a huge company! You're so lucky! My parents own a software company called MitchellWare! It's decently big! A lot of kids here have parents that are lawyers, or surgeons and things like that!"
Skye gave Heather another cold look and turned to face the wall away from her. "I guess you must be tired, sorry. I'll wake you up later and we can go to dinner together!" Heather chirped. Skye grunted in reply, and she lay there while Heather went back to making her bed on the top bunk.
Later, Heather hopped down from her bed and shook Skye's shoulder, "Hey! Come on Miss Sleepy, lets go get some food!" Skye turned over, and sat up.
"Hey," Skye said. Heather looked down at her and grinned, "Yeeees?" She replied.
"Stop talking. I don't care what you have to say. Just leave me alone." Skye said icily. She got up and walked to the door. Heather looked taken aback. Laxus frowned at Skye.
"That's not how you should talk to your friends." Heather recovered.
"I don't have friends, and I don't need friends...or anyone for that matter." And with that, Skye left the dorm room, and the memory faded.
Laxus and Makarov stood in silent blackness for a few seconds before they were back in the dorm room. It was night, and the calendar read March. Skye had entered the room in her assassin clothes. She had on a different expression than the one they had seen previously. Instead of a bored, icy look in her eyes, they saw despair. She was starting to take off her wristblades, when Heather's voice startled her, and her eyes went cold once more.
"Where were you?" She clicked on a flashlight in her hands. She wasn't smiling, and her eyes were hard. Skye didn't answer as she took off the braces and stuffed them in her duffel bag.
"What are those?" Heather's voice took an accusatory tone and she climbed down from the top bunk. Skye didn't look at her as she sat down on the bed and began to take her light boots off. Heather scowled at her and grabbed the boot out of her hand,"Hey! You will get in serious trouble if you keep doing this. Where do you go every couple of weeks?"
Before Heather could react, Skye jumped up and slammed her against the wall. Her eyes flashed angrily as she aimed her fist at Heather's face.
"Drop it..." Skye snarled. Heather dropped the boot and stared at Skye, shocked. Skye narrowed her eyes and withdrew from Heather, who rubbed her neck. She sat back down on the bed and put her boot back on.
"What the hell is your problem!? Why do you hate me? What did I ever do to you?" Heather gasped. Skye ignored her, and started for the door, but Heather stepped in her way.
"I have nothing to say to you. Get out of my way." Skye's voice turned into a soft growl. But Heather stood her ground.
"No, I want to know just what I did to make you hate me. You avoid everyone, and you are always alone. Aren't you lonely? I'm not exactly the most popular girl in the school either, but at least I don't go around like a-"
"SHUT UP," Skye shouted, her eyes wild with anger, "WHAT THE HELL DO YOU KNOW ABOUT ME??!!" Heather jumped, but said nothing as Skye continued shouting in her face, "You don't know anything about me, and you think that if everything is rainbows and puppies, I'll come around and be your friend? Nobody likes you and nobody wants to be your friend! You're an annoying, fake little bitch who can't deal with not being the center of attention!"
Tears were running down Heathers cheeks. She covered her mouth with her hands, and moved away from the door. Without a word, Skye left the room, and slammed the door.
"Because Black Mask wants you educated. He can't have you be as dumb as the rest of his boys. And don't talk like that. You're supposed to be a well brought up young lady at this school." replied the driver. He was one of the men who were assigned to watch Skye. She turned and glared at him, "Che'....That's not gonna happen. I'll be surrounded by spoiled, rich kids..... I'm going to go insane."
The driver didn't respond as the car entered a tunnel. Skye went back to staring out the window. She watched a boy and a girl fighting each other over a video game. They were yelling and hitting each other until the girl started to cry. The boy watched her crying for a few seconds before handing the girl the video game. She stopped crying and smiled at him.
"Laxus..." She mumbled. Laxus opened one eye.
"What?" asked the driver.
"Nothing...none of your business." Skye snapped.
"Can the attitude, we're here." he replied.
They pulled up into the driveway of a large, old looking stone school building. Skye turned her attention to the sign in front of the school that read: 'Augustine Academy for Gifted Young People', and wrinkled her nose.The car stopped, and Skye got out and opened the trunk. She grabbed a very full duffel bag, and swung it over her shoulder. The driver had gotten out of the car too and handed Skye a phone.
"You'll receive your orders on this. Your registration is all set up, and all you need to do is go inside. Your name is Skye Sionis while you are here, got it?"
Skye nodded, and he got back into the car. Skye turned to go inside when the driver called her back. He beckoned with his finger for her to come closer.
"Don't you even think of running. We know where you are, wherever you go." He warned, then drove off, leaving Skye in a cloud of exhaust fumes. She frowned and looked up at the building. It looked like a huge historic mansion, with a heavily gardened courtyard. There was a large, fountain in the center, with what looked like an angel surrounded by cherubs that were shooting water from their wings. On her way through the courtyard, Skye passed several students already in uniform and happily talking with their peers. The girls wore a dark blue coat over white shirts and the skirts were also dark blue and ended just above the knees. The boys wore a similar uniform, only they wore dark blue pants instead of skirts. Many of them glanced at her as she passed by, but she ignored them. She was wearing black pants, and a black tank top, and wore a cold expression; very different from everyone around her, but she didn't care. She went up the steps, opened the door and was blasted with cold air escaping the entrance hall. The entrance hall was filled with new students and their families being shown around by older students and staff. One of the students, a boy wielding a clipboard, walked up to her.
"Welcome to Augustine! My name is Evan. Are you one of our new students? Can I have your name?" He smiled at her with a mouth full of brilliantly white teeth. His uniform didn't have a wrinkle, and his orange hair was neatly parted straight down the middle of his head. Skye nodded and told him her name.
"Sionis.....lets see. Sanchez....Shalot....Here we go! Sionis, Skye" Evan ran his finger down the list on his clip board. He then began to thumb through a folder that was also on the clip board, and took out a plastic card, "Here's your student I.D card, Skye. The girl's dorms are in the building down the right path through the courtyard. You can check in there, and get settled. The welcoming ceremonies are tomorrow at 7am in the theater. See you there!" He turned and hustled up to another family and started reciting his greeting to them. Skye rolled her eyes and went back out to the courtyard. She looked to her right and saw a large, brick building at the end of a path. Frowning, she started down the steps. Makarov frowned as she passed between him and Laxus. Her eyes were dull, and her skin was pale. It looked like she hadn't smiled in a very long time, and they couldn't blame her.
Once she reached the girl's dorm building, Skye opened the door and headed to the desk where a staff member was organizing a filing cabinet. She cleared her throat, and the lady turned around.
"You....of course." Skye narrowed her eyes as Shiva smiled at her.
"Hello! My name is Ms.Chen, and I'll be helping out in the dorms this year. Your name and I.D card please." Shiva pleasantly chirruped. Skye raised an eyebrow and mouthed, "Wow", as she handed Shiva her I.D.
"Very good! Please come with me." Shiva walked out from behind the desk and led Skye up the stairs, weaving through families and students,"Your room is number 314, and your roommate's name is Heather Mitchell. She's already checked in and getting settled."
"Sionis put you up to this?"Skye muttered. Shiva glanced back at her.
"I'm here to keep an eye on you, and resume your training. Copperhead will be involved as well." She replied. Skye said nothing as they came to a stop in front of room 314. Shiva handed Skye the room key and left her to go back downstairs.
Skye turned the handle and entered her dorm room. It was a medium sized room with bunk beds against the left wall, and two desks and dressers against the right wall. One of the desks had a calender which was turned to September. On the top bunk, a black haired girl sat stuffing her pillow into a bright green pillowcase. Skye shut the door and tossed her duffel bag onto the bottom bunk. The girl looked down and saw Skye standing there. She put on a huge grin and leaped down right beside Skye.
"Hi! My name is Heather! You're Skye right? It's so great to meet you! I hope we get to be great friends!" She said all this very fast as Skye took out her uniforms that were bought two weeks before and packed them away in her dresser. She looked at Heather coldly, and lay down on the bottom bunk. Heather didn't seem to notice or care. Instead, she continued to question Skye.
"So what do your parents do? Your last name is Sionis right? Does that mean your parents run Sionis Steelworks? That's a huge company! You're so lucky! My parents own a software company called MitchellWare! It's decently big! A lot of kids here have parents that are lawyers, or surgeons and things like that!"
Skye gave Heather another cold look and turned to face the wall away from her. "I guess you must be tired, sorry. I'll wake you up later and we can go to dinner together!" Heather chirped. Skye grunted in reply, and she lay there while Heather went back to making her bed on the top bunk.
Later, Heather hopped down from her bed and shook Skye's shoulder, "Hey! Come on Miss Sleepy, lets go get some food!" Skye turned over, and sat up.
"Hey," Skye said. Heather looked down at her and grinned, "Yeeees?" She replied.
"Stop talking. I don't care what you have to say. Just leave me alone." Skye said icily. She got up and walked to the door. Heather looked taken aback. Laxus frowned at Skye.
"That's not how you should talk to your friends." Heather recovered.
"I don't have friends, and I don't need friends...or anyone for that matter." And with that, Skye left the dorm room, and the memory faded.
Laxus and Makarov stood in silent blackness for a few seconds before they were back in the dorm room. It was night, and the calendar read March. Skye had entered the room in her assassin clothes. She had on a different expression than the one they had seen previously. Instead of a bored, icy look in her eyes, they saw despair. She was starting to take off her wristblades, when Heather's voice startled her, and her eyes went cold once more.
"Where were you?" She clicked on a flashlight in her hands. She wasn't smiling, and her eyes were hard. Skye didn't answer as she took off the braces and stuffed them in her duffel bag.
"What are those?" Heather's voice took an accusatory tone and she climbed down from the top bunk. Skye didn't look at her as she sat down on the bed and began to take her light boots off. Heather scowled at her and grabbed the boot out of her hand,"Hey! You will get in serious trouble if you keep doing this. Where do you go every couple of weeks?"
Before Heather could react, Skye jumped up and slammed her against the wall. Her eyes flashed angrily as she aimed her fist at Heather's face.
"Drop it..." Skye snarled. Heather dropped the boot and stared at Skye, shocked. Skye narrowed her eyes and withdrew from Heather, who rubbed her neck. She sat back down on the bed and put her boot back on.
"What the hell is your problem!? Why do you hate me? What did I ever do to you?" Heather gasped. Skye ignored her, and started for the door, but Heather stepped in her way.
"I have nothing to say to you. Get out of my way." Skye's voice turned into a soft growl. But Heather stood her ground.
"No, I want to know just what I did to make you hate me. You avoid everyone, and you are always alone. Aren't you lonely? I'm not exactly the most popular girl in the school either, but at least I don't go around like a-"
"SHUT UP," Skye shouted, her eyes wild with anger, "WHAT THE HELL DO YOU KNOW ABOUT ME??!!" Heather jumped, but said nothing as Skye continued shouting in her face, "You don't know anything about me, and you think that if everything is rainbows and puppies, I'll come around and be your friend? Nobody likes you and nobody wants to be your friend! You're an annoying, fake little bitch who can't deal with not being the center of attention!"
Tears were running down Heathers cheeks. She covered her mouth with her hands, and moved away from the door. Without a word, Skye left the room, and slammed the door.
Sunday, July 13, 2014
Chapter 4: Crossroads
Darkness surrounded Makarov and Laxus for a few minutes. Then the area around them started to blur, and then came into focus, and they found themselves in a small, windowless room that smelled like old cleansers. The paint on the walls was peeling, and it was so tainted by chemicals, that it was hard to tell the exact color. Shelves that were once firmly attached to the wall were now loose, and hanging by bent, rusty nails. The only light was coming from a single hanging bulb above a table in the middle of the room. Sitting at the table softly whimpering, was Skye. Laxus stepped forward to get a better look at her, and found that she was bound to a chair with thick grey tape. Her face was swollen and there was a dried streak of blood coming from her nose and ending at her chin. The tape had stuck to her skin, and he could see irritation marks on her arms. Laxus reached out to touch her shoulder, but his hand passed through her body as if she was made of smoke.
"We are nothing but ghosts," Makarov appeared at the other side of Skye's chair, looking up at her sadly, "She has gone through so much in one day, with no one to turn to."
They watched the tears rolling down the battered girl's cheeks as the door to the room swung open behind them, and in came two large men in black suits wearing black skull masks. One of them stood next to the door, and the other sat on the corner of the table, looking down at Skye.
"Our boss wants to have a word with you." His voice was thick and gruff, with no sign of sympathy or compassion. Laxus glared at the doorway as the masked man in the white suit entered the room and closed the door.
"Well, well, well....this is quite the unexpected turn of events," His voice was just as smooth as before as he sat down on the opposite side of the table," It was just a normal deal with Two Face's crew, and it ended with my best man lying dead in the dirt. And his killer is nothing but a little girl. How did a kid like you manage to kill my best man!?" He leaned forward so that his face was inches from Skye's.
"Please....I don't know! I didn't mean to. I didn't... I'm sorry!" Skye whimpered. She could hear him breathing from inside his mask, and his breath smelled of strong tobacco.
"You. Didn't. Mean. To," The man repeated slowly, "Well! That makes everything better, doesn't it?" His voice was dangerously flat, and Skye looked down at her hands.
"Look at me when I'm talking to you!" He grabbed Skye by the hair, yanked her head up and smacked her, "I asked you a question...Do you think everything is all right because you're sorry?"
Skye shook her head, "No" her voice shook.
"No....that's right....Do you even know who I am, kid? You're dealing with Black Mask....Roman Sionis!" The masked man released her hair and fumbled with the back of his mask. Skye stared as the man removed his mask; His black eyes were angry and cold, with a curved scar around his right eye. "Now..." Sionis got up, and began to circle the table, "We need to figure out how you are going to repay me for taking my right hand man from me. There's a saying kid: 'An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth......a life for a life'."
Skye's eyes widened with fear, "No! Please! I don't want to die! I don't want to die!!!!" She cried in panic. Sionis stared at Skye for a few seconds before he burst into laughter and turned around, "Hahahaha!!! You think I'm going to kill you? Oh, no girly. I'm not going to take your life by killing you! You are going to work for me and 'take care' of people who get in my way."
"You mean...kill people??" Skye trembled in her seat, "No! I don't want to kill again! I never want to kill again!" Sionis whipped around and thrust a large knife down into the table in front of Skye, "You will kill for me if you don't want to die," He roared, "Bring them in!" He turned to the thug standing by the door. The thug nodded and left the room. A few seconds later, he returned with a large duffel bag and unloaded it's contents on the table: A black bladed Katana, a time bomb, a sniper rifle, a pair of braces with blades inside, and a set of vials and small bottles with different colored liquids inside.
"Choose..." Sionis ordered. Skye closed her eyes and shook her head. Sionis scowled, and sat back down at the table across from Skye. "If you do not choose," He pulled out the gun from his suit, cocked it, and pointed it at her head," I will shoot you in your face." His voice was alarmingly calm. Skye stared down the barrel of the gun, shivering. She then turned her attention to the weapons in front of her. Shaking, she nodded at the braces to her right.
"Take her away, and tell Shiva that she has a student," Sionis holstered his gun, got up and walked to the door,"I look forward to working together." He sneered as he left Skye alone with his two men. The man in the corner approached her. "Lets go kid."
Skye screamed in pain, as the thug took hold of the edge of the tape and ripped it off her arms. She feebly struggled, as the masked thug grabbed her arm and pulled her to her feet. Laxus and Makarov followed them as they left the room. Skye was led down a dark hallway, passing several doors that stank of alcohol. Eventually they came to a steel door at the end of the hallway, and the thug leading Skye opened the door, threw her inside, and slammed the door.
"No! Let me out! I want to go home!" Skye screamed through the door. There was no reply from the other side. She banged her fists on the door, but again, there was no reply. Giving up, she turned around and looked around her new surroundings.
The room was small, and very much like a cell. A dirty mattress with a thin, moth-eaten blanket was in the corner across from a dirty toilet and a sink that was dripping water of a questionable color. Skye threw herself onto the mattress and began to cry.
"It wasn't my fault...please someone help.." she sobbed into the dirty fabric. Makarov walked over to her and sat down on the mattress beside her.
"Gramps, do you know what she did to that guy? It was like she was controlling him, but I've never seen her do anything like that before. And she's not a magic user." Laxus asked. His chest tightened and anger surged inside him as he watched Skye cry.
"No, I'm afraid I have no idea. I know next to nothing about bending, but it seems that it just happened by accident." Makarov sadly gazed down at Skye, "An accident that killed a man. I can't imagine the turmoil going on inside her head." They watched her until she cried herself to sleep, and the memory faded once again.
Skye's memory came back into focus and they were still in the small room. Skye had been woken up by a woman entering the room. She was a young woman, looking to be in her mid to late 20's with short jet black hair and a stern expression on her face. Skye looked up at the woman apprehensively as they stared at each other. Then finally, the woman spoke.
"What is your name and your age, child?" Her voice was laced with a strange accent that Skye had never heard before.
"S-Skye Clive... I'm 12." Her voice trembled as she quietly answered. The woman stared at her for a few moments again. Her stern expression had changed into one of curiosity, and pity.
"So young...you should be home with your family. But it seems life has chosen a different path for you," She extended her hand to Skye," I am Shiva, and I will be your mentor. Come with me."
Skye reluctantly took Shiva's hand, and Skye's memory changed to a large empty room that resembled a dance studio. The floors were hard, and the far wall was covered with a huge mirror, which was cracked in some places. Shiva led Skye to the middle of the room.
"In this room, you will learn the art of death. You have chosen your tools," She opened her coat to reveal small braces attached to her belt," but you don't know how to use them. I will teach you to be a shadow, killing your victims without a trace. I will also teach you to fight, and read body language to turn your enemy's energy against them." Shiva explained.
Skye looked down,"I can't do it...I won't..." She balled her hands into fists, "I want to go home!!" She yelled at Shiva. Shiva's face remained calm as Skye began to cry once more.
"Black Mask will kill you if you refuse. Do you want to die?" She asked. Skye rubbed her eyes and shook her head.
"You are at a crossroads in your life, Skye. You have only two choices and going home isn't one of them. You can either cower and die, or you can fight and live. I have no love of Roman Sionis myself, but while he pays me I shall do as he says. Now...what will it be? Death, or life?"
Skye stared at Shiva for a few moments before looking down,"Okay...", She quietly answered.
"Then let's begin, come at me with all you've got. I need to assess your current skill in combat." The memory faded once more as Laxus and Makarov watched Skye charge at Shiva.
Skye's memory came back into focus, and they were now back in Skye's room. She was sitting quietly against the wall on the floor, looking up at the ceiling. Her hair was longer, and pulled up into a high ponytail. Her clothes were similar to that which she was wearing outside her memories, and she had the wristblades on her arms. She turned her head and Laxus and Makarov saw her face. Her eyes looked dull and bored, and she had small scars on her jawline. There was no trace of the smile she had had when she was with Laxus or her father.
The silence was broken by Shiva entering the room. Skye gazed up at her without changing her expression of boredom.
"It's time. I have the name and address of your first job." She handed Skye a manilla folder. Skye got to her feet and looked inside, "Howard Upton...He's not far away."
"I'm going with you, to watch and make sure the job gets done." Shiva said. Skye got up as Shiva turned to leave the room. As they made their way through the corridors, Skye sheathed and unsheathed her blades repeatedly.
"Nervous?" Shiva asked.
"A little." Skye answered. It was very dark outside when they left the building. They made their way in silence up the street for a few blocks before they turned off into an alleyway. Skye stopped at a fire escape and looked up, "Second from the top, third window on the left?" She looked at Shiva, who nodded. She pulled the flap of cloth on her shirt over her face, so that her mouth and nose were covered, and jumped up to hang on the bar of the fire escape. With relative ease, she pulled herself up and quietly crept up the stairs with Shiva close behind her. The stairs were sturdy and didn't creak as they made their way to the second floor from the top. Once up at the correct floor, Skye jumped to a ledge, and quietly prowled to the window of Howard Upton's apartment. All was dark, and quiet inside as Skye peered in the window. She tried to open the window and found that it was unlocked. Sliding it up, Skye and Shiva sneaked into the apartment.
"You have good fortune tonight." Shiva whispered in Skye's ear. The window they had come in through, was of the target's bedroom. Skye looked down into the bed and found her target lying asleep beneath the blankets.
"Go ahead, it's best that you don't hesitate." Shiva nodded to the sleeping man. Skye walked forward, unsheathed a blade, and held it close to her victims throat; But she did not act. She stared at him for a few minutes, before sheathing her blade and stepping back.
"I don't know if I can do this..." She muttered.
"You must. Close your eyes if you have to, but you must kill this man. This is what you have been training the past year for." Shiva replied.
Skye nodded and returned to the man's bedside. She hesitated once more, but not for long. Unsheathing her blade, she stuck it through the man's throat. The spray of blood startled her almost as much as the sick gurgling noise her victim made when he opened his eyes. She had cut through his trachea so he couldn't call for help, but still he tried. Wheezing, and drowning in his own blood, the man had fallen out of his bed and was staring wide-eyed at Skye. At last, he made one last gurgle, and died in a pool of blood. Skye stared at the body, in shock, then looked down at her blade, which was crimson. Tears started to well up in her eyes and run down her face. Shiva smiled slightly and went to her side.
"You did well. It only gets easier after the first one." Then the memory faded to black.
"We are nothing but ghosts," Makarov appeared at the other side of Skye's chair, looking up at her sadly, "She has gone through so much in one day, with no one to turn to."
They watched the tears rolling down the battered girl's cheeks as the door to the room swung open behind them, and in came two large men in black suits wearing black skull masks. One of them stood next to the door, and the other sat on the corner of the table, looking down at Skye.
"Our boss wants to have a word with you." His voice was thick and gruff, with no sign of sympathy or compassion. Laxus glared at the doorway as the masked man in the white suit entered the room and closed the door.
"Well, well, well....this is quite the unexpected turn of events," His voice was just as smooth as before as he sat down on the opposite side of the table," It was just a normal deal with Two Face's crew, and it ended with my best man lying dead in the dirt. And his killer is nothing but a little girl. How did a kid like you manage to kill my best man!?" He leaned forward so that his face was inches from Skye's.
"Please....I don't know! I didn't mean to. I didn't... I'm sorry!" Skye whimpered. She could hear him breathing from inside his mask, and his breath smelled of strong tobacco.
"You. Didn't. Mean. To," The man repeated slowly, "Well! That makes everything better, doesn't it?" His voice was dangerously flat, and Skye looked down at her hands.
"Look at me when I'm talking to you!" He grabbed Skye by the hair, yanked her head up and smacked her, "I asked you a question...Do you think everything is all right because you're sorry?"
Skye shook her head, "No" her voice shook.
"No....that's right....Do you even know who I am, kid? You're dealing with Black Mask....Roman Sionis!" The masked man released her hair and fumbled with the back of his mask. Skye stared as the man removed his mask; His black eyes were angry and cold, with a curved scar around his right eye. "Now..." Sionis got up, and began to circle the table, "We need to figure out how you are going to repay me for taking my right hand man from me. There's a saying kid: 'An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth......a life for a life'."
Skye's eyes widened with fear, "No! Please! I don't want to die! I don't want to die!!!!" She cried in panic. Sionis stared at Skye for a few seconds before he burst into laughter and turned around, "Hahahaha!!! You think I'm going to kill you? Oh, no girly. I'm not going to take your life by killing you! You are going to work for me and 'take care' of people who get in my way."
"You mean...kill people??" Skye trembled in her seat, "No! I don't want to kill again! I never want to kill again!" Sionis whipped around and thrust a large knife down into the table in front of Skye, "You will kill for me if you don't want to die," He roared, "Bring them in!" He turned to the thug standing by the door. The thug nodded and left the room. A few seconds later, he returned with a large duffel bag and unloaded it's contents on the table: A black bladed Katana, a time bomb, a sniper rifle, a pair of braces with blades inside, and a set of vials and small bottles with different colored liquids inside.
"Choose..." Sionis ordered. Skye closed her eyes and shook her head. Sionis scowled, and sat back down at the table across from Skye. "If you do not choose," He pulled out the gun from his suit, cocked it, and pointed it at her head," I will shoot you in your face." His voice was alarmingly calm. Skye stared down the barrel of the gun, shivering. She then turned her attention to the weapons in front of her. Shaking, she nodded at the braces to her right.
"Take her away, and tell Shiva that she has a student," Sionis holstered his gun, got up and walked to the door,"I look forward to working together." He sneered as he left Skye alone with his two men. The man in the corner approached her. "Lets go kid."
Skye screamed in pain, as the thug took hold of the edge of the tape and ripped it off her arms. She feebly struggled, as the masked thug grabbed her arm and pulled her to her feet. Laxus and Makarov followed them as they left the room. Skye was led down a dark hallway, passing several doors that stank of alcohol. Eventually they came to a steel door at the end of the hallway, and the thug leading Skye opened the door, threw her inside, and slammed the door.
"No! Let me out! I want to go home!" Skye screamed through the door. There was no reply from the other side. She banged her fists on the door, but again, there was no reply. Giving up, she turned around and looked around her new surroundings.
The room was small, and very much like a cell. A dirty mattress with a thin, moth-eaten blanket was in the corner across from a dirty toilet and a sink that was dripping water of a questionable color. Skye threw herself onto the mattress and began to cry.
"It wasn't my fault...please someone help.." she sobbed into the dirty fabric. Makarov walked over to her and sat down on the mattress beside her.
"Gramps, do you know what she did to that guy? It was like she was controlling him, but I've never seen her do anything like that before. And she's not a magic user." Laxus asked. His chest tightened and anger surged inside him as he watched Skye cry.
"No, I'm afraid I have no idea. I know next to nothing about bending, but it seems that it just happened by accident." Makarov sadly gazed down at Skye, "An accident that killed a man. I can't imagine the turmoil going on inside her head." They watched her until she cried herself to sleep, and the memory faded once again.
Skye's memory came back into focus and they were still in the small room. Skye had been woken up by a woman entering the room. She was a young woman, looking to be in her mid to late 20's with short jet black hair and a stern expression on her face. Skye looked up at the woman apprehensively as they stared at each other. Then finally, the woman spoke.
"What is your name and your age, child?" Her voice was laced with a strange accent that Skye had never heard before.
"S-Skye Clive... I'm 12." Her voice trembled as she quietly answered. The woman stared at her for a few moments again. Her stern expression had changed into one of curiosity, and pity.
"So young...you should be home with your family. But it seems life has chosen a different path for you," She extended her hand to Skye," I am Shiva, and I will be your mentor. Come with me."
Skye reluctantly took Shiva's hand, and Skye's memory changed to a large empty room that resembled a dance studio. The floors were hard, and the far wall was covered with a huge mirror, which was cracked in some places. Shiva led Skye to the middle of the room.
"In this room, you will learn the art of death. You have chosen your tools," She opened her coat to reveal small braces attached to her belt," but you don't know how to use them. I will teach you to be a shadow, killing your victims without a trace. I will also teach you to fight, and read body language to turn your enemy's energy against them." Shiva explained.
Skye looked down,"I can't do it...I won't..." She balled her hands into fists, "I want to go home!!" She yelled at Shiva. Shiva's face remained calm as Skye began to cry once more.
"Black Mask will kill you if you refuse. Do you want to die?" She asked. Skye rubbed her eyes and shook her head.
"You are at a crossroads in your life, Skye. You have only two choices and going home isn't one of them. You can either cower and die, or you can fight and live. I have no love of Roman Sionis myself, but while he pays me I shall do as he says. Now...what will it be? Death, or life?"
Skye stared at Shiva for a few moments before looking down,"Okay...", She quietly answered.
"Then let's begin, come at me with all you've got. I need to assess your current skill in combat." The memory faded once more as Laxus and Makarov watched Skye charge at Shiva.
Skye's memory came back into focus, and they were now back in Skye's room. She was sitting quietly against the wall on the floor, looking up at the ceiling. Her hair was longer, and pulled up into a high ponytail. Her clothes were similar to that which she was wearing outside her memories, and she had the wristblades on her arms. She turned her head and Laxus and Makarov saw her face. Her eyes looked dull and bored, and she had small scars on her jawline. There was no trace of the smile she had had when she was with Laxus or her father.
The silence was broken by Shiva entering the room. Skye gazed up at her without changing her expression of boredom.
"It's time. I have the name and address of your first job." She handed Skye a manilla folder. Skye got to her feet and looked inside, "Howard Upton...He's not far away."
"I'm going with you, to watch and make sure the job gets done." Shiva said. Skye got up as Shiva turned to leave the room. As they made their way through the corridors, Skye sheathed and unsheathed her blades repeatedly.
"Nervous?" Shiva asked.
"A little." Skye answered. It was very dark outside when they left the building. They made their way in silence up the street for a few blocks before they turned off into an alleyway. Skye stopped at a fire escape and looked up, "Second from the top, third window on the left?" She looked at Shiva, who nodded. She pulled the flap of cloth on her shirt over her face, so that her mouth and nose were covered, and jumped up to hang on the bar of the fire escape. With relative ease, she pulled herself up and quietly crept up the stairs with Shiva close behind her. The stairs were sturdy and didn't creak as they made their way to the second floor from the top. Once up at the correct floor, Skye jumped to a ledge, and quietly prowled to the window of Howard Upton's apartment. All was dark, and quiet inside as Skye peered in the window. She tried to open the window and found that it was unlocked. Sliding it up, Skye and Shiva sneaked into the apartment.
"You have good fortune tonight." Shiva whispered in Skye's ear. The window they had come in through, was of the target's bedroom. Skye looked down into the bed and found her target lying asleep beneath the blankets.
"Go ahead, it's best that you don't hesitate." Shiva nodded to the sleeping man. Skye walked forward, unsheathed a blade, and held it close to her victims throat; But she did not act. She stared at him for a few minutes, before sheathing her blade and stepping back.
"I don't know if I can do this..." She muttered.
"You must. Close your eyes if you have to, but you must kill this man. This is what you have been training the past year for." Shiva replied.
Skye nodded and returned to the man's bedside. She hesitated once more, but not for long. Unsheathing her blade, she stuck it through the man's throat. The spray of blood startled her almost as much as the sick gurgling noise her victim made when he opened his eyes. She had cut through his trachea so he couldn't call for help, but still he tried. Wheezing, and drowning in his own blood, the man had fallen out of his bed and was staring wide-eyed at Skye. At last, he made one last gurgle, and died in a pool of blood. Skye stared at the body, in shock, then looked down at her blade, which was crimson. Tears started to well up in her eyes and run down her face. Shiva smiled slightly and went to her side.
"You did well. It only gets easier after the first one." Then the memory faded to black.
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