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.
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