Ark 22 Episode 32: Halt and Catch Fire









A Stolen Prisoner
(( http://listenonrepeat.com/?v=WXRjg_QWN-Q#Two_Steps_From_Hell_-_Fire_Nation ))

Azulon Island...home of the estranged, biogenetically enhanced men and women known as the monks of the Odoru Ryu Order. In a large, eloquent temple that'd been built deep within the heart of the island, it's Emperor and leader of the order stood across from his reflection that'd been staring right back at him for the past hour and a half. During which, the cold-hearted ruler had been in deep thought...planning, calculating, and brooding but for a moment. Though the sight of himself was indeed a distraction, the way his image seemed to fit perfectly in the center of the enormous mirror held upright by the eight arms of the god-like statue built of solid gold behind it, reminding him that he himself was a god. And a damn good looking one at that. The thought made him chuckle, a deep sound that most interpreted as something evil. A sound a man makes when he has formulated some sick, twisted plot for domination and destruction. It seemed that this was one of those days when the fearless Emperor was at peace rather than storming about angrily and taking out that anger on anyone present, or was he simply in a much better mood because he knew that soon, everything that he had been planning for several months would come into play.

“My Lord Kasan.” A familiar, elderly voice filled the room along with shuffling footsteps, causing the Emperor's head to turn toward the large doorway of the temple. “It's been many, many years since I've seen a smile on your face. Another fine damsel on the island must have thrown themselves into your bed last night.” Master Kabal, the old man who had been a mentor to him since he was a young boy had come in with a large bowl of ramen, slurping away as he smiled at his Emperor.

“Your humor never ceases to entertain me, Kabal.” The Emperor replied. In one fluid motion, the Lord of Fire, Fuzen Kasan, made an about face and was in front of his mentor faster than the old man could blink, his arms which were hidden within the dragging sleeves of his robe clasping behind his back as he looked down at him with his devious eyes. “It will not be long before I have everything that I've been plotting for and everyone on this island will soon witness the divinity of their ruler.” He stated in that narcissistic tone of his. “With that much being said, Come with me and I will show you why this smile is on my face.”

The two men made their way through several hallways and corridors inside the Firelord's temple until they reached a room built of stone walls and hard flooring. It was rather chilly inside the room with hardly any furniture in sight except for a small cot placed in a corner and a wooden table across from it. Only one window allowed the sunlight to stream into the room through thick, iron bars, which helped Master Kabal realize that this was the room where Fuzen typically kept his 'special' prisoners. The sunlight illuminated a small figure sitting in an empty corner of the room, curled into a tight ball and facing away from both men standing at the door so they couldn't see its identity. They could hear very faint whispering coming from the figure, but couldn't understand what was being said. Master Kabal gave Fuzen a look before saying, “Don't tell me you're breaking in a new slave for this temple.”

“If this woman was a common slave, she'd be in the dungeons far away from my presence.” Fuzen replied. There were several torches lining the walls of the room which had been unlit to keep it dark on the inside. Stepping through the doorway, Fuzen kept his eyes on the figure curled up in the corner as every torch suddenly burst with flames, now bathing the room in a golden glow. “And as entertaining as it would be to watch her slaughter every slave and delinquent I keep locked in those dank cells, that is not the reason why she is here. I had not shared this information with you, Kabal, but a few days ago, I sent a few of my men to Kasaihana City to complete a special task for me. To retrieve something that has belonged to me for quite some time now. And here she is. Do you remember the name...” He paused to move sideways, allowing Master Kabal to look at the woman once more. “Shira Hanako.”

The woman's head snapped around the second she heard her name, disheveled scarlet red hair whipping across her face which looked pale and somewhat sickly. Her eyes were wide and frantic, staring at Master Kabal like some kind of wild animal spotting food. Without warning, she sprang to her feet and lunged at him full speed and he could hear her growling and gnashing her teeth at him angrily. But just a split second before she could reach the old man, something snatched her back suddenly. A heavy shackle fastened around her neck attached to a chain on the wall. Her hands were shackled as well, which Master Kabal didn't see until they flew up into the air when the chain yanked back on her neck, sending her sprawling backwards to the floor.

Fuzen simply stood over her, his demeanor calm as his hands remained clasped behind his back. “I'm sure you do.” He said to Kabal who looked mortified for a second.

“What's happened to her? She wasn't like this when we first brought her to the island and trained her.” Said the old man.

“That is because, before she came here, she hadn't been introduced to my nanotechnology. This is the result of my experiments altering her normal brain functions. They've turned her into a completely different person than who we took from that ship years ago. And am I ashamed of what I've done to her? Absolutely not. You see, Kabal, now that she is like this, she has almost no control of herself, which leaves me in full control of her. She has become exactly what I wanted her to be: a weapon of my own artistic talent. And a mindless one, at that.” As he said the last statement, he reached down to grab a handful of Shira's hair, forcefully pulling her up onto her feet. She staggered about with her head lolling back, not even daring to put up a fight against him. “She no longer feels remorse or care or compassion.” Fuzen continued. “And that is why I will continue to mold her until she becomes the perfect creation I desire her to be. Now you see...why I have this smile...on my face.” The smile he'd been referring to grew even wider as his brows furrowed above his devious eyes to form an expression of pure evil. “I have told her long ago and I will tell her once again...her destiny has only just begun.” His eerie chuckling echoed throughout the walls of the room as Master Kabal simply stared in absolute shock at the scarlet-haired woman known as Shira Hanako.

Rude Awakening
“Goooooood morning waking citizens of Kasaihana City! This is Mark Macklemore on the City News Network and you've tuned in just in time for the latest scoop on your community. Police investigation teams are still looking into the unexpected scene that took place inside the Tasanagi Asylum several days ago, where nearly fifty bodies of employee personnel were found littered across many rooms and hallways within the asylum. Sources say that the bodies were covered in awful burns and deep wounds that left rivers of blood flowing through the halls. Many of them were missing body parts such as their eyes, teeth, and even their limbs. No one is sure who broke into the asylum and killed these men and women who were simply doing their duties, but according to investigation teams, there was more than one culprit at the scene of the crime. The most peculiar part about this is that right after the murders took place, one of the most dangerous inmates kept at the asylum somehow managed to escape!”

(( http://listenonrepeat.com/?v=Q05fdsdAtes#Adult_Swim_Bump_-_I_Should_Be_Dreaming ))

Eyelids fluttered open to reveal golden brown hues which seemed to glitter in the daylight streaming through open windows. Rima Lannister groaned groggily as the sound of her television hit her eardrums, drawing her half-lidded eyes to the screen which displayed several gruesome images of the story the reporter had been covering. Though what she saw would have frightened half of anyone else watching – the disemboweled bodies flooding the halls of the Tasanagi Asylum along with the destruction that had been left throughout the facility, she was much too disoriented to care at the moment. Right now, the massive headache pounding through her skull was telling her that the only thing she needed to be concerned with was fetching an aspirin and a glass of water. Maybe call up someone to massage her aching feet. Oh...her poor feet.

She reached down to massage them herself and felt that she was still wearing the same killer heels from last night, pushing them off of her feet before hearing them thump to the floor. Rolling over onto her side, she swung her legs out of bed, her toes sinking into the carpet as her shoulders slumped forward heavily. She felt both hungry and nauseous at the same time, which was a sickening combination. Her hair was a disheveled mess all over her head and she could still feel her makeup caked all over her face, mascara and eyeliner smeared every which way, giving her a rather monstrous appearance to say the least. She could hardly remember what had happened the previous night. All she knew was that she'd gone to the club to interview a celebrity, lost track of her assignment and...Ginji. That's right. She remembered seeing him at the club, which had been quite a surprise to her, but he'd definitely made her night worth while. A small hint of a smile raised the corner of her lips as she thought about the way they danced together, and when he'd bought that giant bottle of Patron that knocked her on her ass. What she couldn't exactly remember was how she'd gotten home, in the comfort of her own bedroom at that, but she was relieved to finally see the familiar space. Though part of her felt like her mind was blocking out something else that had happened the previous night. Something that she just couldn't pull out of her memory despite her efforts to do. “Man if I didn't know any better, I'd say some crazy stuff went down last night.” She said before yawning and stretching her arms up into the air. “Hmm...I wonder if Kichiro got home, too.” She glanced at her nightstand where she'd placed her clutch purse, digging inside the small bag to retrieve her cell phone. There was hardly any battery power left due to it not being charged for all of the day before, but there was enough left for her to check her messages and see if he'd replied to the text she'd sent him. Her brows knitted into a frown when she saw that there wasn't a single notification showing on the touch screen. “That's weird.” She said quietly to herself. “He usually replies to me pretty quickly. Maybe he just got stupid drunk and never checked his inbox. In that case, he should be at home sleeping in. Guess I'll just swing by and check on him.”



(( http://listenonrepeat.com/?v=oXIv70GVfss#Adult_Swim_Bump_Piano_(FULL_SONG) ))

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<p align="CENTER" style="margin-bottom:0in">A few minutes later, Rima had showered and gotten herself dressed for the day, now headed outside of her parents' luxury apartment complex in a solid white halter top which tied around the back of her neck, a pair of denim shorts that stopped at about mid-thigh level, and black sandals to show off her French pedicure. Her light auburn hair had been pulled up into a loose ponytail, from which a few curly strands hung around her face and down the back of her neck. Carrying one of her favorite tote bags, she moved toward the sidewalk where she waved down a taxi and asked the driver to take her to Kichiro's apartment a few blocks away. When the cab arrived at the given destination moments later, she stepped out and climbed the flight of steps leading to his apartment, knocking on the door three times before standing back to wait. As she waited, she checked her phone again to see if he'd responded to her at all and saw that he hadn't. “Hm.” She hummed in thought before knocking on the door again. No answer. “Hey! Kichiro! Are you in there?” She yelled through the door. “Kichiro, get up! It's almost noon!” A few seconds passed and still no answer came. Growing impatient now, Rima dialed Kichiro's number on her cell and put it to her ear, her free hand resting on her hip while her right foot began to tap against the hallway floor. The call rang a few times, then went to his voicemail. “Damnit.” She muttered, hanging up the call, then dialing again. When the same thing happened, her eyes moved back toward the door, concern now flashing in them as she hung up the call and dialed again for the third time. Again, no answer. “Damnit, Kichiro, what kinda game are you playing with me!” She banged hard on the door with a balled fist this time, pounding away with more force than what she had used before. She knew that he was the only one living in the apartment so if he wasn't answering, that meant it was completely empty in there. “Kichiro! Open the damn door!” She stood back for a second to catch her breath after damn near beating the door right off the hinges, an expression of worry now written on her features. Now things were beginning to feel strange. Like something just wasn't right here. Knowing Kichiro, he wouldn't have gotten himself so drunk that he couldn't at least call a cab to take him home. That just wasn't him. There had to be something else going on here.

<p align="CENTER" style="margin-bottom:0in">Rima grabbed the door knob for leverage as she took a breath and rammed her shoulder hard into the door. A loud thud echoed through the hall, but the door just barely shook under her weight. Gripping the knob tighter, she slammed her weight into the door again and again and again until she felt anger rising inside her. She didn't realize that by doing this, she'd triggered a reaction from her nanomachines which had awakened with just enough energy to increase her bodily strength. “Come on, you stupid door!” Her voice came out in a growl she barely recognized, but she continued to bang her shoulder against the door. Again and again until – SNAP! The entire thing caved right off of its hinges, flying into the apartment with a loud bang. Rima stumbled inside and nearly fell to the floor, having to grab hold of a nearby counter in order to steady herself. The apartment was completely silent except for the sound of a television playing the same news she'd heard that morning. She made her way to the room where it was playing from, looking at the screen just in time as the asylum story turned into a completely different one.

<p align="CENTER" style="margin-bottom:0in">“Ladies and gentlemen, if you are faint at heart, we suggest you turn the channel.” Mark Macklemore's reporting voice filled the room with his tone of urgency. “We are about to show you all live footage of an event that just recently took place and shocked us all here in Kasaihana. Just last night, an explosion destroyed all of Club Lahana and left it in shambles that a very fortunate few were barely able to escape from.” It was at that moment, that the screen showed a live recording of the club completely engulfed in flames, surrounded by squad cars, ambulances, and firemen who were still working to clean up the awful mess that had become of the famous party spot. And that was when it all hit her. That memory that she was somehow unable to recollect. Her eyes widened in terror as images of last night that had somehow escaped her mind came flashing back to her in a rush. Like someone was flicking through the pictures on a camera, only she could hear sounds with them. Screaming, explosions, the crackling of fire, furniture being broken and overturned, and then she saw herself, standing in the midst of the flames hunched over like some sort of creature. A mere silhouette at first, but then her head snapped around, as if to look at herself, and she saw blood red eyes staring from the darkness and the fire, glowing like that of a vicious demon. Along with dangerously sharp objects extending from her arms like....like....

<p align="CENTER" style="margin-bottom:0in">Rima suddenly snapped out of the flashback, grabbing the sides of her head as she staggered backwards a bit. She released a gasp as her tailbone bumped against something hard and she whirled around violently only to see that she'd run into a dresser. Her eyes widened and she froze nearly solid when she saw the small, rectangular shaped object sitting on the dresser. It was...Kichiro's cell phone. (( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f8fUFmjqXZo )) She could see notifications of her missed calls on the top of the screen, but that was not what drew her attention. What drew her attention was the video waiting to be played on the screen. The picture was all black, yet she could just barely make out what looked like the shape of a man's head taking up almost the entire picture. Slowly grabbing the phone, her thumb moved over to hit the play button, though on the inside, she was afraid to see what was going to happen. A split second later, laughter so maniacal and loud it damn near gave her a heart attack exploded from the speaker, causing her to suck in a gasp as she jumped back almost involuntarily. Her foot hit something hard and the next thing she knew, she was on the floor staring at the phone that she'd accidentally flung onto the carpet. The video was still playing and her wide eyes filled with absolute fear as she saw an unfamiliar face dominate the screen. One with devious, blue eyes and unruly red hair that shook about with the male's movements. “It's PARTY TIME, KIDDOS!” A maniacal voice filled the room from the video on the phone, followed by that same evil laughter. “Oh, how I love the little meddling brats! Always sticking their noses into places they don't belong, such meddling little pricks! Hahaha! We're going to have so much fun together. My new friend and I, that is! And I just LOVE making new friends! HAHAHAHAHA!” The video moved away from the man's face momentarily, the image shaking around and flashing random colors as if whoever was holding the phone was having a muscle spasm in the arm. “Oh, but I get bored with new friends so easily. So bored, so very...very...bored.” The male's voice had completely changed, sounding much deeper and more gravelly now. “And if someone does not get this insignificant little BITCH away from me, I might...I might...HAHAHAHAHA!” He exploded into maniacal laughter again. “I might carve his fucking eyes out and force feed them down his throat! HAHAHAHAHA! Now who wants to play pin the tail on the donkey's ass hole!? How about you, little bitch!” The camera moved again at that moment, showing a distorted flash of a boy sitting in a chair in what appeared to be a completely empty room. To Rima's surprise he was...he was taped to the chair, bound by thick ropes wrapped a dozen times around his torso, arms, and legs. There was a huge piece of duck tape slapped over his mouth, blood tricking down the side of his face from a nasty gash above his brow. And when he slowly lifted his head and looked into the camera, Rima's hand rose up to cover her mouth as shock and horror hit her like a ton of brick. Her heart dropped once she instantly recognized the boy in the chair. “No....No...” She shook her head side to side as tears began to well in her eyes and a few seconds later, her voice seemed to explode throughout the entire apartment complex, “KICHIROOOOOO!!!!”

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Q & A
<p align="CENTER" style="margin-bottom:0in">“Mmnmnnmggff! Mmmmmnnngggfff!!” Kichiro Yori's muffled voice had begun to annoy the red-haired male seated in his own chair across from the boy, though watching him struggle was something that he'd found entertaining for the past few hours. Ken'Ichi Shu, Aniki of the Kuroyama Clan, pulled his lips into a sickening grin as he watched his captive squirm about, bound to a chair with his mouth taped shut. Just the way he liked them. The room was mostly cleared out of all furniture, save for the two chairs inhabited by both males. Dimly lit by a single ceiling light which swung back and forth from the ceiling in the center of the room. There were no windows, no way for anyone on the outside of the warehouse to hear the little twerp scream. Luckily for him, the boss had ordered that they keep him out of the 'interrogation' room they typically used, the one that was filled with torture contraptions and devices used to force information out of people. “If I were you, I'd be nice and relaxed right about now.” Ken'Ichi chuckled as he spun his chair around beneath him, sitting in it backwards now as his legs spread out on either side of him. One arm laid across the back of the chair while he propped his chin up on his free hand. “I've been ordered not to beat the living shit out of you until you can barely breathe. Which sucks...cause I'd love nothing more than to make you scream. And paint these walls in your blood.”

<p align="CENTER" style="margin-bottom:0in">At that, Kichiro's right eye twitched and he felt as if he would faint at any second now.

<p align="CENTER" style="margin-bottom:0in">“But I have been asked to make sure you don't leave this place, not unless I've been told otherwise. So, you might as well forget about escaping. Well...that is unless you WANT to feel what pain really is. I can give that to you if you want. It'll be fun! Whaddaya say!” Ken'Ichi rocked back in his chair as Kichiro began to scream and squirm about in his own chair again, tears now pouring down the boy's dirt-encrusted face. The redhead tilted his head sideways before rising to his feet, strolling casually toward his captive to stand quietly before him.

<p align="CENTER" style="margin-bottom:0in">“Hm?” Kichiro's eyes lifted to look at him. The redhead was frowning at him without saying a word. Then suddenly – THWACK! A hand crackled harshly across Kichiro's jaw, sending his head whipping sideways as the stinging pain made him cry out behind the duck tape over his mouth. He hung his head low as he fought back the urge to sob, his messy black hair collapsing down over his eyes as he breathed heavily through his nose.

<p align="CENTER" style="margin-bottom:0in">Ken'Ichi grabbed a handful of his hair, yanking his head back so hard the boy thought he'd scalped him. “You think I'm lying or something, little cunt!?” The redhead shouted angrily in his face. “You think I won't pull out this pretty little pistol I got here and splatter your goddamn brains all over the room! Huh?!”

<p align="CENTER" style="margin-bottom:0in">Continuing to scream and shout, Kichiro tried to shake his head, but it was hard to move it with the harsh grip Ken'Ichi had on his hair.

<p align="CENTER" style="margin-bottom:0in">“You disgusting little shit, I oughta --”

<p align="CENTER" style="margin-bottom:0in">“Ken'Ichi.” Another male voice sounded from seemingly nowhere. One that was calm in comparison to the angry tone Ken'Ichi had been using with Kichiro. Surprisingly smooth and milky, yet dripping with venom. Ken'Ichi looked over his shoulder in time to see that another male had entered through the large bolted door of the room. He was only a silhouette before he began to walk toward the pair and after a few steps, the light swinging from the ceiling at last illuminated his form. (( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bVY1e22LH2k )) He stood well over six feet tall – about 6'3 to be exact – and wore his silky black hair past his sturdy shoulders. His gloved hands were rolling up the sleeves of his white button-up as he walked toward the tied up boy, the expression on his young, striking features appearing stern, yet emotionless at the same time as if he was completely empty of a soul on the inside. What frightened Kichiro the most was the deep set silver eyes the man suddenly turned on him, like looking into the very last pair of eyes he would ever see. They were so cold. So sinister, yet the way he carried himself with a calm disposition only mean that he would not think twice about doing the absolute worst to his captive.

<p align="CENTER" style="margin-bottom:0in">“So you're the little punk I've been hearing so much about from my Aniki here.” The man spoke, gesturing for said Aniki to move away from his captive. Snickering quietly, Ken'Ichi straightened himself to obey the command he'd been given, as if he knew that something exciting and diabolical was about to happen.

<p align="CENTER" style="margin-bottom:0in">“Kichiro Yori is your name, correct?”

<p align="CENTER" style="margin-bottom:0in">Hearing his name, Kichiro's eyes widened in absolute horror as the man stood before him. If his mouth had not been taped shut, he would have asked the man how he even knew his name, but something was telling him that the redhead had found that out. Now lowering himself in front of the boy so that they were eye level with each other, the cold, silver hues of the black-haired male met Kichiro's in a rather unsettling manner. Like he was looking into his very soul. “That's right, child. I have eyes all over this city and every day, my vision only gets better and better.” He said in a low voice. “I suppose this is the part where I introduce myself. My name is Talon. And if I hear you call me anything other than that, you'll lose your tongue. Understood? Good. Now with that being said, I'm going to remove that tape from your mouth and you will not even THINK about screaming because if you do, my means to shut you up won't be as nice as slapping a piece of tape back over your mouth. After which, you will answer a few questions for me. Oh, and do not bother lying. I can always tell when someone is lying to me.” The last statement had slipped from thin lips in a low hiss that made Kichiro's bones chill down to the marrow. The boy swallowed hard as his trembling eyes never left Talon's stone cold gaze, his entire body practically shaking in absolute fear. Talon's head tilted when he saw just how terrified the boy was and the sight inwardly thrilled him, though his stoney facial expression didn't show it. “Now with all of that out of the way,” He began, pinching the edge of the tape over Kichiro's mouth before harshly ripping it sideways. The sound of the strong adhesive painfully peeling off of Kichiro's skin echoed loudly across the entire room, along with a loud scream. The boy's head hung low for a moment as he breathed heavily, then lifted it slowly to glare fire and daggers at Talon.

<p align="CENTER" style="margin-bottom:0in">“What....the FUCK...do you want from me?!” He asked in an angry tone, sweat and tears mixed with his own blood staining his vicious expression.

<p align="CENTER" style="margin-bottom:0in">“I want you to tell me everything you know about this girl.” Talon lifted a cell phone in front of him for Kichiro to see and the boy's eyes instantly widened when he saw a picture of Rima. It looked as if someone had taken it while in hiding. She was just walking down the street, looking over her shoulder as if someone had called her name, but not in the direction of the camera obviously. “What...how the hell do you know her!?” Kichiro shouted. “Who the fuck are you!? I'm not telling you a damn thing! Do you fucking hear me!? Not a damn thing!!!”

<p align="CENTER" style="margin-bottom:0in">At that, Talon only rolled his eyes and sighed, tucking the phone back into the pocket of his slacks as he rose back to his full height. “I expected you to give me that answer.” He stated calmly, though on the inside he had grown frustrated with the boy. “But nonetheless, I have multiple ways of getting the information I want. And, of course, you are going to have a front row seat. Ken'Ichi.” Talon called to the redhead watching from nearby. “Take the boy to the location we discussed. Whether or not he wants to talk means nothing to me. We will move on to the next phase of action.”

<p align="CENTER" style="margin-bottom:0in">“You mean we're not gonna string this fucking prick by his nutsack and play pinata with spiked baseball bats!?” Ken'Ichi said disappointedly.

<p align="CENTER" style="margin-bottom:0in">“I already said I don't want him too beat up.” Talon answered, turning to leave the room. “In any other case, he would have been in six different body bags by now, but that would only ruin our mission. So for now, just let him be. In the end, he'll be taken care of.”

<p align="CENTER" style="margin-bottom:0in">“Aye aye, captain.” Ken'Ichi chuckled as he walked behind Kichiro's chair, grabbing it before turning to drag it backwards across the room.

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The Search Begins
<p align="CENTER" style="margin-bottom:0in">(( http://listenonrepeat.com/?v=H1I4onWcgVo#Ikari_Long_Edit_(K_Project) )) “KICHIRO! KICHIRO!” Rima shouted almost at the top of her lungs as her legs pumped back and forth down a lengthy city block. She'd become so desperate to find her best friend that she was willing to run up and down the entire District 2 area to find him. Clutching his cell phone in hand, she raced as fast as she could through the crowds of pedestrians hogging the sidewalks, earning several rude comments and nasty looks as she bumped and shoved her way through them. She was panting heavily, her light auburn ponytail billowing in the wind behind her, her skin already moist with sweat though she had not even a single thought of stopping to rest. For all she knew, Kichiro could have been getting brutally tortured in whatever room he was in and the longer it took for her to find him, the more brutality he would perhaps have to face.

<p align="CENTER" style="margin-bottom:0in">Reaching the end of the city block, her feet came skidding to an abrupt halt when Kichiro's cell phone began to ring in her right hand. She was so focused on running that she'd almost forgotten that she was even holding it. Glancing down at the phone, her thumb immediately hit the button to answer the call, having seen that it was an unknown number, but it still could've been something to get her closer to him. “Hello there, duchess.” That same maniacal voice blared loudly from the phone. “I see you have already begun to look for your friend. How adorable!”

<p align="CENTER" style="margin-bottom:0in">Rima's teeth clenched together in anger as she gripped the phone so tightly it nearly shattered in her hand. “Where the hell have you taken Kichiro?” She demanded, sounding both afraid and angry at the same time. “And what have you done to him? You...you sick freak!”

<p align="CENTER" style="margin-bottom:0in">“Relax, will ya?” The male replied with a chuckle. “He's not as beat up as I'd like for him to be. Such a shame, I thought I would've at least gotten the chance to show him my favorite pair of spiked knuckles. But oh well, maybe next time.”

<p align="CENTER" style="margin-bottom:0in">“WHERE IS HE?!” Rima shouted, drawing a few eyes from surrounding pedestrians in her direction.

<p align="CENTER" style="margin-bottom:0in">“You're getting warmer, doll face.” The male laughed. “I was even nice enough to send you coordinates. We'll meet soon enough, along with your friend. Oh and by the way, if you even THINK about bringing the cops, the both of you will die. Ya got that, kid?” The male exploded into laughter after saying that, causing Rima's hand to shake hard as her entire body trembled in absolute rage.

<p align="CENTER" style="margin-bottom:0in">“I get it. Just...just don't hurt him.” The call ended before anything else was said, leaving Rima to stand there staring down at the phone in her hand. Tears had begun to gather in her eyes again, but she quickly wiped them away with the back of her hand. This was perhaps the most horrifying situation she had ever been in, but she knew she needed to be strong. For Kichiro at least. And there was no time for tears and no time for fear. If Kichiro was going to make it, she needed to do everything in her power to make sure he did.

<p align="CENTER" style="margin-bottom:0in">Her eyes lit up as something flashed on the cell phone screen. It appeared to be a notification for a new message. Opening the message, Rima's eyes narrowed when she saw only two words: Delfino Plaza. She gasped. “The shopping district!” She exclaimed quietly to herself. “Of course. He'd choose someplace that's been shut down and abandoned for years.” She pulled the phone to her chest as her free hand balled into a tight fist. “Don't worry, Kichiro...” She whispered as her eyes looked off into the distance. “I'll find you. And I'll make sure whoever did this to you will pay for his crime.”

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Waking Up The Monster
<p align="CENTER" style="margin-bottom:0in">(( http://listenonrepeat.com/?v=z0zdqeivGaU#Two_Steps_from_Hell%3A_United_We_Stand_-_Divided_We_Fall )) Rima had been running up and down city block after city block, which was much father than she thought she could, hoping that she could still remember how to get to Delfino Plaza. She'd turned several corners, made short cuts through dangerous alleys though somehow managing to come out without being gang-raped by a bunch of thugs, before at last emerging into the abandoned plaza. It looked just as grotesque and uninviting as she expected it to, after it had been shut down for nearly ten years now due to the lack of good business there. Emptied shops with shattered and boarded up windows, torn down doors from squatters looking for left over loot breaking inside, lined both sides of the plaza. The pavement was cracked and disheveled, weeds and crab grass almost dominating the entire walkway. The overall atmosphere of the place was haunted, unnerving, like something out of a horror film or post apocalyptic setting.

<p align="CENTER" style="margin-bottom:0in">Rima made her way slowly into the eerie place, her cautious brown hues looking about carefully, taking in her surroundings which were surprisingly empty of all life forms except for the crows that were perched up on dead power lines and bent street lamps. “Kichiro!” She called out, her voice echoing throughout the abandoned landscape. Almost eerily. “KICHIRO!”

<p align="CENTER" style="margin-bottom:0in">“Well, well, well, isn't that just the most touching thing you've ever damn seen.”

<p align="CENTER" style="margin-bottom:0in">Rima spun around the moment she heard the masculine voice echo throughout the area, frowning when she didn't see who was speaking. But she knew full well who it was. It wasn't long before a lone figure emerged from its hiding place behind a large fountain that was filled with disgusting, murky water instead of crystal clear like the fountains built throughout the rest of D2. When Rima saw the figure's long red hair swinging down in a ponytail to its waist and that sickening grin on his features, she immediately knew that she had come to the right place. (( http://listenonrepeat.com/?v=_PF4e-CAqCs#Two_Steps_From_Hell_%2F_Starvation ))

<p align="CENTER" style="margin-bottom:0in">“What...have you done with my friend?” She demanded in a quiet shaky voice, her fists clenched tightly at her sides. “Why don't I see him? Didn't you tell me I'd find him here?”

<p align="CENTER" style="margin-bottom:0in">“Did you honestly think it would be that easy for you?” Ken'Ichi Shu tilted his head to the side as he crossed his arms over his chest. The wind caused his loose red tresses to sway against his face, along with the fabric of his black suit. “Did you honestly think that it would be as simple as showing up at a specified location, grabbing your friend, and leaving without a single obstacle in your way? HA!” He threw his head back with haughty laughter. And when he lowered it, his lips were no longer twisted into a smile, but instead had hardened into a rather eerie, straight line as his glacier blue eyes now flashed with something dangerous. “If that was what you had in mind, then you were sadly mistaken. I will NEVER be a fan of anything easy. Because that is for the weak, those who want to just get by and not put in any effort. Sadly for you and your friend, that is not what I'm about. That's not what ANY of us...are about.”

<p align="CENTER" style="margin-bottom:0in">Hearing the word “us”, Rima's brows furrowed deeply, her eyes darting about.

<p align="CENTER" style="margin-bottom:0in">“Relax, little girl. It's only you and I here.” Ken'Ichi stated casually, knowing exactly what she was thinking. “And I'm sure by now, you remember exactly who I am.”

<p align="CENTER" style="margin-bottom:0in">Looking back at him, Rima could vividly remember the night a red-haired man had pulled a gun out on her and Kichiro on a rooftop somewhere in the city, threatening to splatter their brains because they had been meddling in business they didn't belong in. She remained silent instead of answering him, her lips pursing together tightly.

<p align="CENTER" style="margin-bottom:0in">“I'll take that as a yes.” Ken'Ichi continued, his lips once again spreading into a cruel smirk. “And it's because of that night that I've been watching you closely. Since you've taken it upon yourself to hunt us down and bring us into the light, here I am!” He extended his arms outward on either side of him, as if trying to make a godly appeal. “I AM Kuroyama!” His voice rose, echoing throughout the abandoned shopping district, followed by a sinister laugh. “And now...you are MINE!” (( http://listenonrepeat.com/?v=yRox9G2kRf0#Two_steps_from_hell_-_Am_I_not_human )) The instant the final word left Ken'Ichi's lips, he rushed forward and all Rima saw was a blur of movement before a hard fist suddenly slammed hard into her chest. For a moment, everything had frozen around her and she felt her breath leave her body as her arms floated up in front of her along with her legs. She screamed as her body went rocketing backwards suddenly, rolling and tumbling so harshly across the pavement that if anyone had been there to witness, they would have immediately sworn that every single bone in her body was broken. Dust loomed in the air where Rima's body had gone scraping across the ground, momentarily blocking Ken'Ichi's sight of her as he chuckled darkly. He was now standing in the spot where Rima once stood, the hand which he had used to knock her damn near into next week, still extended out in front of him as he simply waited.

<p align="CENTER" style="margin-bottom:0in">Approximately fifty feet away, Rima lay on her back in a pile of debris which her own fall had created. She was motionless, so still that others would have thought her dead. Her eyes were shut, mouth hanging slightly agape, and there were plenty of scratches all over her exposed skin, yet none of them had been deep enough to draw blood surprisingly. Though she might have looked like roadkill, her mind was still fully functioning behind her closed eyes and in the darkness that had engulfed her, she could hear voices speaking. Strange whispers and gravelly tones that sounded oddly familiar, yet frightening all at once. ''What are you doing laying on your back like some common whore, you weak piece of filth! ''It was Mariko's voice. The alter personality that had been created by the nanomachines in her body. ''Do you not feel the anger inside you? That lingering thirst for vengeance? The overwhelming hunger for blood? Let it seep into your mind and consume you. Every living part of you. It's the only way. The darkness, the anger, the blood lust...is the only way! ''

<p align="CENTER" style="margin-bottom:0in;">Rima's eyes suddenly snapped open as a sound like a loud heart beat pounded once in her ears, staring up into the sky above blankly at first before they soon became glazed over with something more...dangerous. Her body felt new, strong, rippling with anger that she needed to release. Her mind was no longer her own, nor were her actions. Instead...they were Mariko's. (( http://listenonrepeat.com/?v=hRmdl-3CrEs#In_This_Moment%3A_Sick_Like_Me_(Lyrics) )) The nanomachines in the 17-year-old's body had become active the moment Ken'Ichi had charged at her, and now the effects had fully taken over. Awakening what was called...The Jekyll & Hyde factor. Rima no longer had control of herself, the girl that was once sweet and innocent and never wanted to harm a soul now locked away somewhere in the back of her mind where she would be trapped for lord knows how long. She had become the other half of her that was hell bent on reeking havoc, hellbent on shedding as much blood as she could with her bare hands. The part of her that was vicious, cruel, and couldn't care for a single rational thought when it came to destroying any and everything in her path. And right now, the glowing red eyes of that part of her – Mariko – was looking right at her target like an animal spotting a meal. Prey. A sickening grin slowly spread across the girl's features, giving her an expression of pure evil as her head eerily tilted sideways. “Is that all.....you fucking got...you punk bitch!?” It was no longer Rima's voice speaking, but the vicious voice of the girl who had taken over her body.

<p align="CENTER" style="margin-bottom:0in;">Ken'Ichi chuckled as he flipped the hand that had been extended out in front of him, making a “come here” like gesture with his fingers that were now pointed skyward. And in that instant, Mariko broke forward. Her body had taken off so fast that the air seemed to burst from the very movement, sending chunks of the debris she'd torn from the ground flying on either side of her. Within a few seconds, she had cleared the distance between her and Ken'Ichi and was upon him faster than even he expected. With her fist drawn back and her glowing red eyes boring right through him, she slammed her rock hard knuckles straight into the redhead's face, sending him flying back through the air like he'd been launched out of a canon. He crashed with a grunt through the dirty fountain, sending chunks of the stone it had been built from flying in all directions. Now lying in a pile of its remains, he lifted himself with an arrogant grin. “Now we're fucking talking, baby!”

<p align="CENTER" style="margin-bottom:0in;">Hardly a second after he said those words, he glanced up in time to see that Mariko was back, descending down toward him from the air with her fist pulled back again. He reacted quickly, rolling himself out of the way just in time before a heavy fist pounded into the ground where he once lay, causing it to cave in from the impact. Ken'Ichi flipped back onto his feet beside her as he felt the wind from the impact slam hard into him, but it hadn't been enough to knock him off balance. What Mariko didn't know was that he possessed nanomachine enhancements of his own, which were now activating, turning his eyes from their usual glacier blue color to the same glowing red Mariko now possessed. “This is where the fun begins!” He exclaimed as he ran right back at her.

<p align="CENTER" style="margin-bottom:0in;">Mariko turned to face him just as a right hook came at her jaw, throwing her body back only a split second before Ken'Ichi's fist just barely skimmed over her face. He swung another from the left when she straightened back up, but the attempt was avoided by a downward duck. While in a low stance, she swept her right leg in a semi-circular motion beneath his feet, knocking him onto his back before pouncing right on top of him. He was much faster than she thought as his feet were already tucked under her midsection, propelling her straight up into the air above him before he flipped himself backwards onto his feet. Mariko plummeted out of the air with an earth-shattering leg drop that would have completely slit his skull in half and perhaps fracturing the remaining bones in his body from the impact, but by crossing his arms up above him, Ken'Ichi was able to avoid such damage. He threw his arms forward and out to blast Mariko back, which she allowed, flipping gracefully through the air before landing in a crouched position several feet away. Her head hung low at first, then lifted slowly, revealing that her twisted grin had never left her face. “Has anyone ever told you that you hit like a BITCH!” She hissed.

<p align="CENTER" style="margin-bottom:0in;">At that, Ken'Ichi chuckled, his skin beginning to burn red from the amount of heat his nanomachines were creating within his body. Mariko could soon see steam rising from his form, which made her eyes narrow at him. “Oh, sweet heart,” He growled menacingly. “You really can't tell? I'm just getting started! (( http://listenonrepeat.com/?v=6gcEyO-XqAw#RED_-_Breathe_Into_Me )) In that instant, he channeled a great portion of nanoenergy into his hands which burst into flames in response. The wind began to swelter around him, causing his red hair to billow about violently beside his head. With a quick spin, he flung his right hand forward and to Mariko's surprise, an enormous ball of fire was headed right for her. She jumped back just before the flames struck the ground where she was crouched, exploding like an active grenade. The force of the explosion pushed her back, which Ken'Ichi used as opportunity to spin again, launching a second flaming missile at her current location.

<p align="CENTER" style="margin-bottom:0in;">Mariko shrieked as the second attempt struck her hard, blowing her several feet through the air before she shattered through the doors of a nearby abandoned shop. She was pulling herself back to her feet when she saw Ken'Ichi coming toward her with threatening strides. “You think I'm impressed with your little magic trick?” She growled.

<p align="CENTER" style="margin-bottom:0in;">“I don't expect you to be.” Ken'Ichi chuckled. “And that's because...you have a few of your own.”

<p align="CENTER" style="margin-bottom:0in;">At that, Mariko's smile faded as she felt a harsh pain shoot up from her hands all the way up her arms. She grunted loudly as her body lurched forward, wrapping her arms around herself as the awful aching caused her eyes to widen. “Yes...” She hissed the word through gritted teeth. “That...I do!” Without warning, she began to laugh. It started out as a simple chuckle at first, but then escalated into full blown maniacal noise. Soon, that laugh became screaming and she was stumbling about as if the struggle against her pain was overwhelming her. Black and red veins began to bulge from her arms, beginning a transformation that even Ken'Ichi had never seen before. In fact, he was somewhat caught off guard as her hands began to stretch into sharpened objects that damn near touched the ground beneath her feet and a strange, biomatter-like substance began to coat her arms all the way up to her shoulders.

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<p align="CENTER" style="margin-bottom:0in;">The moment the transformation had completed itself, Mariko had come rushing out of the darkness within the abandoned shop with both biomass claws stretched out on either side of her. The strength and endurance of the claws became evident when they broke right through the doorway like two bulldozers, closing in on Ken'Ichi from either side.

<p align="CENTER" style="margin-bottom:0in;">Ken'Ichi made a noise of surprise before he leaped into the air out of the way of the attack, just barely avoiding being sliced into several pieces like a loaf of bread. Flipping through the air, he landed a distance away on his two feet, staring at the newly formed weapons Mariko now possessed as if he hadn't been expecting them at all. Which he didn't. She charged at him again, swinging her right arm so fast that he barely had a second to jump back away from the dangerously sharp objects slicing through the air in front of his midsection. As she continued to run forward, Ken'Ichi continued to flip backwards away from her, managing to dodge slash after slash until he at last dropped into a crouch in front of her, sending a harsh upper cut right into her chin. She hadn't been prepared for the move, and was quite caught off guard as her vision blurred for a moment. Without warning, she saw Ken'Ichi jump into the air with a vicious spin kick, soon feeling the heel of his shoe colliding with the side of her head. She slammed hard into the ground, her body being dragged several feet away by the force of the kick before she stabbed her claws into the ground to stop herself.

<p align="CENTER" style="margin-bottom:0in;">(( http://listenonrepeat.com/?v=vdIczddHZoU#Nonpoint_-_Breaking_Skin_(Audio) ))

<p align="CENTER" style="margin-bottom:0in;">Rolling up into a crouch, Mariko took off forward, her feet hardly touching the ground as she began an onslaught of attacks in Ken'Ichi's direction. He was much quicker than he thought, his body ducking, bobbing and weaving right out of the way of her claws even though the motions were so swift they appeared to be nothing but a blur. Now becoming angry, Mariko jumped about seven feet off of the ground, spinning her body diagonally downward before slamming her claw directly into the ground between her and Ken'Ichi. The resulting blast struck Ken'Ichi so hard it looked as if he'd been slapped by the hand of a god. Surprise took him as he landed thirty feet away facedown in the ground. And the next thing he knew, Mariko was running toward him as fast as a wild animal chasing her prey. He jumped to his feet just in time to catch her arm right when she swung her claws straight for him, turning so that she was behind him before pulling that arm over his shoulder. She gasped as she flipped clean over his body, her back slamming hard into the ground. Ken'Ichi was just about to crush her head beneath his heel like a snake, when she rolled out of the way, hearing a loud boom where his foot had impacted hard into the ground and send rocks and debris shooting into the air. Dust floated about from the impact and for a moment, Ken'Ichi found himself blinded by it. He lowered his fists to his sides as his head snapped left and right, looking about only to see that Mariko was nowhere to be found.

<p align="CENTER" style="margin-bottom:0in;">'Where the fuck did she go?' He thought to himself with a growl.

<p align="CENTER" style="margin-bottom:0in;">“Over here, dipshit!” Her voice echoed from somewhere nearby, as if to answer his question.

<p align="CENTER" style="margin-bottom:0in;">When Ken'Ichi's head turned, he saw her crouched atop a burned out lamp post. The surface was awfully small and a normal human being would have easily fallen off and plummeted to the ground, but it had become obvious long ago that...this girl was no normal human being. He saw that twisted grin on her face and frowned. “Catch me if you can!” She said before jumping off of the light post, landing gracefully atop the roof of a nearby shop.

<p align="CENTER" style="margin-bottom:0in;">Ken'Ichi growled angrily as his entire body suddenly became engulfed in flames, which crackled and roared as the winds began to stir even more furiously throughout the area. “You little shit! Don't you run from me!” Thrusting both fists into the air, he sent a blast of flames hurtling toward Mariko, gritting his teeth in anger when she jumped clean over it and took off across the roof of the building. He followed her as she bolted like a gazelle, firing blast after blast of fire after her that just barely missed her each time. When she reached the edge of the roof, she jumped right over the gap, landing on the next roof before continuing to run.

<p align="CENTER" style="margin-bottom:0in;">(( http://listenonrepeat.com/?v=tvriqdS3vsc#Two_steps_from_hell_-_Norwegian_Pirate ))

<p align="CENTER" style="margin-bottom:0in;">“GET BACK HERE!!!” Ken'Ichi shouted at the top of his lungs as the flames engulfing his body suddenly expanded, and he jumped into the air with another spin kick, this time the kick sent a massive orb of fire spinning toward Mariko like a soccer ball. Seeing it coming toward her, she turned sideways and flipped onto her hands, splitting her legs open just in time before it passed right through them. Ken'Ichi arched a brow at her flexibility, frowning when she raised one hand up while the other still held her in a handstanding position, shooting a peace sign at him before she cartwheeled back on her feet and continued to run.

<p align="CENTER" style="margin-bottom:0in;">“Bitch!” The redhead hissed. Then looked in the direction that the girl was running in. Something flashed in his eyes as if an idea had suddenly dawned on him. And as his lips once again curled into a smirk, he began to run in the direction Mariko was headed.

<p align="CENTER" style="margin-bottom:0in;">Reaching the edge of the second roof, Mariko launched herself into the air with the enhanced strength the nanomachines had given her legs and feet. Performing a graceful front flip before rolling onto the following rooftop a bit roughly. Dust flew up into the air as she skidded across, but was soon back on her feet, her legs pumping back and forth as she darted across the full length of the roof. It didn't take her long to realize that Ken'Ichi had stopped blasting fire at her and her head turned sideways, looking down at the ground below where she had expected to see him. Strangely, however, the redhead was nowhere in sight. “Hm?” She frowned in confusion. And just when she turned her head back around to focus forward, something exploded right out of the roof directly in front of her with a loud, startling noise. She heard a male voice shout as her feet came skidding to a halt in front of the sudden eruption of fire and debris, almost instantly spotting Ken'Ichi's form emerge with blazing rage.

<p align="CENTER" style="margin-bottom:0in;">A flaming fist shot toward her face before she knew what was happening, but with her own enhanced reflexes, she was able to cross her claws in front of her to block. Throbbing pain shot through Ken'Ichi's knuckles as they collided with the nearly indestructible metal that made up her claws, causing his hand to rear back as he yelped in pain. The punch had been enough to send Mariko skidding back on her feet, however, but she charged back with a powerful horizontal slash toward his midsection. The redhead jumped back, returning with a sidekick to her head, which she ducked right under, sweeping her leg under his to knock him onto his back again. Seeing the motion, Ken'Ichi knew better than to fall for the same trick twice, though even he had to admit that he almost didn't see it coming. He jumped over her leg before cannon-balling back to the ground, his fists crashing into the roof as the flames engulfing his body suddenly erupted outward with a powerful blast. Like a bomb explosion had gone off, Mariko felt the harsh impact slam right into her and the next thing she knew, she was airborne.

<p align="CENTER" style="margin-bottom:0in;">Ken'Ichi jumped right after her, measuring in his mind that they would both be approximately forty feet off of the ground. Luckily, heights was never something that bothered him at any point in his life. In a matter of seconds, he was hovering directly in front of Mariko, sending a straight lead punch right for her skull. With her body facing his despite flying backwards through the air, she was able to see the attack coming and raised her right arm up in front of her. Punching the biomatter armor coating her arms felt like jabbing his fist into a brick wall, but Ken'Ichi ignored the pain as he continued to swing his fists at her. They were coming much faster than what Mariko could register now, even with her enhanced reflexes and sensory, she was hardly able to predict Ken'Ichi's next move once he performed them. She felt his burning fists crash hard into her stomach, her face, her chest, and her sides over and over and over again, causing her body to be rocked with each hit.

<p align="CENTER" style="margin-bottom:0in;">“It's over, little girl!” He shouted almost with pride as he then flipped forward with his left leg extended upward in front of him. With a leg-drop strong enough to cut through a tanker, Mariko was sent plummeting straight down through the roof of another abandoned facility, one that was exactly three stories high. She winced in pain as her body broke clean through all three stories of the complex before slamming so hard into the floor of the last story that the impact sent nearly all surrounding objects blasting away from where she'd landed.

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Unveiling the Truth
<p align="CENTER" style="margin-bottom:0in;">(( http://listenonrepeat.com/?v=aVxiUNnDPJ4#Two_Steps_from_Hell_-_You_will_count_your_Dead ))

<p align="CENTER" style="margin-bottom:0in;">For a moment, she was completely still as her body lay facedown in the large crater she'd caved into the hard floor. Her body felt battered and beaten, her clothing burnt and torn where the flames of Ken'Ichi's nanoenergy had destroyed the delicate fabric. The room where she had landed was exceptionally dark except for the small bits of sunlight streaming in through broken windows and holes in the walls. It looked as if it might have been some sort of diner or bar before it was closed down years ago, now nothing but an abandoned waste bin littered with broken furniture, dust, cobwebs, and an overwhelming amount of left over garbage.

<p align="CENTER" style="margin-bottom:0in;">A soft groan escaped parted lips before the girl's body twitched slightly, her eyes fluttering open slowly to reveal hues that were a golden brown instead of a glowing blood red. Rima had returned, now looking around at her unfamiliar surroundings as she struggled to push herself to her feet. The impact of Ken'Ichi's last kick had been so brutal that it knocked Mariko right back into the deep recesses of Rima's mind, bringing out the confused girl that was now beginning to pant in fear. Before she could even ask herself where she was or what had happened, she heard a faint voice call her name from somewhere in the darkness. A male voice that instantly drew her attention in its direction. Her eyes nearly swelled with tears again when she saw who had called her.

<p align="CENTER" style="margin-bottom:0in;">“K-Kichiro...?” She whispered breathlessly.

<p align="CENTER" style="margin-bottom:0in;">The frightened boy was looking at her from across the dark room, still tightly bound to a chair, though now he had no tape covering his mouth. “Rima, is that you? What...” He paused, noticing the scratches on her skin, her disheveled hair and torn clothing. Now that her nanomachines had powered down, her hands and arms had returned to their normal appearance. “What the hell has that sick fucking bastard done to you!?” He yelled angrily.

<p align="CENTER" style="margin-bottom:0in;">“I...” Rima looked down at herself, continuing to feel the aching in her arms. “I don't...remember.” She looked back at Kichiro. “But that doesn't fucking matter.” Sucking up the pain throbbing throughout her entire body from the fall, she ran toward Kichiro. Seeing that no one else was in the room with her, she knew this was her chance to finally free him. “We have to get you out of he--” Before she could even finish the sentence, she felt a gust of wind brush against her back, instantly causing her to halt in her tracks.

<p align="CENTER" style="margin-bottom:0in;">“Rima, look out!” Kichiro shouted at the top of his lungs.

<p align="CENTER" style="margin-bottom:0in;">Rima whirled around to face what or whoever had appeared behind her, instinctively swinging at it in self defense having been expecting a sudden attack. To her surprise, the figure simply ducked back out of the way of the swing and two hands shot out of the darkness before her, jabbing several fingers straight up the inner side of her arm which had still been in the air. Rima gasped as she suddenly lost all feeling in the arm, her eyes growing wide in terror as it fell simply by her side. Before she could even fully grasp what had happened, the figure swiveled around behind her in a mere blink, jabbing hard fingers up her fine in rapid succession before bringing a palm straight down on the spot where her neck met her shoulder.

<p align="CENTER" style="margin-bottom:0in;">Almost instantly, Rima felt her body become so numb that she couldn't move a single muscle. She collapsed straight down onto her knees, her shoulders slumping forward as her arms hung limply on either side of her. She winced as she tried to move her body, but found that she couldn't even lift a finger. The only part of her that she still had motor control over was her head, which she lifted slowly as soon as she heard the unknown figure walk around to stand in front of her. She soon met a pair of stone cold silver eyes which seemed to burn holes right through her own as she discovered that it was a man standing in front of her. He looked to be much older than her, perhaps in his late twenties, an emotionless expression plastered on his hairless features as one of his gloved hands flung a black jacket over his left shoulder. “I...I can't move!” Rima panted heavily. “What did you do to my body!”

<p align="CENTER" style="margin-bottom:0in;">“They are called pressure points.” The male stated. “Helpful against any opponent, no matter how big or strong.”

<p align="CENTER" style="margin-bottom:0in;">“Leave her alone, Talon!” Kichiro shouted. “Get the fuck away from her!”

<p align="CENTER" style="margin-bottom:0in;">Rima figured that must have been the male's name, her frightened eyes never leaving his as he towered above her.

<p align="CENTER" style="margin-bottom:0in;">Talon simply ignored the boy as he continued to speak. “I have to admit...even I was not expecting that display a moment ago, but I'd be lying if I said I wasn't impressed.”

<p align="CENTER" style="margin-bottom:0in;">“What...the hell...are you talking about?” Rima said.

<p align="CENTER" style="margin-bottom:0in;">Talon arched a brow. “So its true.” He nodded. “A lot of people who have undergone a nanomachine procedure end up with a psychological dysfunction that awakens – should I say – a dual personality within them. Sort of like...Jekyll and Hyde. You may not remember anything that just happened...but the person who fought my Aniki does.”

<p align="CENTER" style="margin-bottom:0in;">“Aniki...?” Rima said quietly, frowning as she recognized the term. “Who...who are you?”

<p align="CENTER" style="margin-bottom:0in;">“I am the leader of the men you've been hunting down for the past few weeks.” Talon answered calmly. And at that, Rima's eyes widened in astonishment.

<p align="CENTER" style="margin-bottom:0in;">“Listen to me, I didn't mean any harm to you or your men!” She said in a pleading voice. “Your Aniki was right...I was just being a meddling brat, sticking my nose where it didn't belong. And I'm sorry! I promise, I won't say a word to anyone. Just please let Kichiro go! He hasn't done anything wrong! Looking for the Kuroyama was all my idea! Please, get him out of here!”

<p align="CENTER" style="margin-bottom:0in;">Talon simply raised a hand to silence her, appearing to be completely unfazed by her words. “Had it been anyone else here, they would have died a very slow, agonizing death by my hands.” He stated in a collective tone. “However, I now know for a fact that you are not just anyone. In fact, while you were looking for me...I was looking for YOU.”

<p align="CENTER" style="margin-bottom:0in;">Rima stared at him in surprise. “What...what do you mean?”

<p align="CENTER" style="margin-bottom:0in;">Talon slowly lowered himself into a crouch before the girl, his silvery gaze never breaking away from her soft brown. His eyes were frighteningly empty, but something in them was searching her. She could almost feel it. Like he was picking apart her brain just from looking directly at her. “I always had the feeling that you were here. Somewhere. Running around this city with a false identity; and no knowledge of who you really are. At first I did not believe that you even existed, but then more and more clues led to the proof that you do. My words may be frightening to you because you have absolutely no idea who I am...but I know exactly who you really are, which is something I'm sure you've been wondering for almost your entire life. You can tell me if I'm wrong.”

<p align="CENTER" style="margin-bottom:0in;">Talon paused to allow Rima to respond, but she couldn't. Surprise was evident on her features as she simply stared back at the black-haired male in absolute silence. When Talon realized that she was perhaps in too much of a dumbfounded state to speak, he gave a nod and then continued. “By now you should have realized that those people who call themselves your family...are NOT your family.”

<p align="CENTER" style="margin-bottom:0in;">“How can you say that?” Rima at last spoke. “You have no idea who they are! How do you even know me?!”

<p align="CENTER" style="margin-bottom:0in;">“I gave you the opportunity to speak and you didn't take it. Therefore, you won't do so until I finish and give you another opportunity.” Talon stated in an authoritative tone. The room fell deathly silent after that. “You and I are both here right now because you need to know who you really are. Because you need answers for the questions you've been asking yourself since you were a child. Questions, perhaps...about the sudden black outs you get when you are furiously angry. Why you feel so out of place. Like you belong somewhere else. Or that a part of you has been hidden from your own eyes. A past history that you didn't even know was yours.” He paused, allowing his words to sink in. “The reason why I had to find you and tell you this is because I'm the one who can answer those questions. I'm the one who can help you understand the things you never could about yourself in the past. And the deal I plan on making with you is simple: in order for your friend to be free, you need to swear to me that you'll let me show you. Teach you. Prove to you and everyone else that you are more than what meets the eye.”

<p align="CENTER" style="margin-bottom:0in;">Rima blinked multiple times as her gaze lowered to the floor. Then, taking a breath, she looked over her shoulder at Kichiro who had been watching in silence the entire time. The look of pure horror in his eyes – like he knew something about this man that she didn't – made it hard for her to even begin making a decision. A brief moment of silence passed as she forced her mind to work, despite being so afraid she thought she wouldn't be able to muster a single rational thought. Everything that had recently happened was all just for this? For some guy to tell her that she wasn't who thought she was, and that she was something more? The entire situation was enough to screw with her head, yet at the same time, the male had begun to intrigue her. It wasn't everyday that a complete stranger walked up to someone and tell them that they knew things about them that the person never knew about themselves. Maybe he was telling the truth. After all the trouble that she'd just gone through, it had to be for something, right? A reason that she could only find out by accepting this man's offer. Aside from that, she wanted nothing more than for Kichiro to get home safe and sound. And if that meant putting her trust in a clan leader, then she felt she was willing to do so.

<p align="CENTER" style="margin-bottom:0in;">“I just...I just want to know one thing...” Rima finally broke her silence. “How is it that you know so much about me that I don't? And why you're so confident that you can prove this to me?”

<p align="CENTER" style="margin-bottom:0in;">Talon had gone silent himself and though Rima couldn't tell just from looking at him, the slightest hint of emotion that he hadn't felt for years had begun to pluck at his insides. Like for a moment, humanity had returned to momentarily soften his stone cold heart. “It's because,” He paused, allowing his words to drift for a second or two, as if he didn't want to finish his answer. “It's because I'm your brother.”

<p align="CENTER" style="margin-bottom:0in;">Rima was left in stunned silence as Talon rose to his full height, turning to walk away from her as he called, “Ken'Ichi. Get them both out of here.”

<p align="CENTER" style="margin-bottom:0in;">The red-haired male emerged from the shadows of the room in response, as if he had been tucked away the entire time watching the whole situation unfold. Kichiro was just as shocked as Rima, unable to speak a word, so lost in his own alarm that he didn't see Ken'Ichi walking right up to him. That was until he lowered himself in front of him to raise a strange, cylindrical object up to the boy's face. “Hey, kid. Watch the birdie!” FLASH! A blindingly bright light burst from the strange device with a high-pitched keening noise, like someone had suddenly snapped a picture of him with the flash on in complete darkness. A second after Kichiro cried out, his head fell forward like he had fainted, but his eyes were open. Staring at absolutely nothing like his brain had gone completely dead.

<p align="CENTER" style="margin-bottom:0in;">“What have you done to him!?” Rima gasped.

<p align="CENTER" style="margin-bottom:0in;">Talon was standing a short distance away with his back to all three figures in the room with him, now tucking a cigarette between his lips before the butt end seemed to light itself. “His memory of this event has been erased. All he's going to remember now is being piss drunk at a club somewhere. Nothing you need to get frantic about. You on the other hand...”

<p align="CENTER" style="margin-bottom:0in;">His words trailed off as Ken'Ichi suddenly appeared behind Rima, his knuckles colliding with the back of her head after he'd swung his hand backwards in its direction. Sucking in a sharp breath, Rima fell out instantly, collapsing onto her side like a limp ragdoll.

<p align="CENTER" style="margin-bottom:0in;">“Get them both home.” Talon instructed, his frowned gaze staring out at the sunshine as he took a puff of his cigarette. “Our work here is done. We have found her....Mariko Kasan.”

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Somewhere Out There
<p align="CENTER" style="margin-bottom:0in;">(( http://listenonrepeat.com/?v=YyOnSy8HYJ8#Adult_Swim_Bump_Color_Tokyo_(FULL_SONG) )) Rima woke up the following morning the same way she did the previous day. Lying in her own bed with the sunlight streaming in through her windows. As her half-lidded eyes looked around her room, it didn't take long for everything that had recently happened to catch up to her, causing her to snap upward out of bed. Though when she looked at her, she didn't have any scratches on her, just a few bruises that – lucky for her – would be easy to cover up. She immediately rushed to her dresser where her cell phone was set, grabbing it and dialing a series of numbers as quickly as her fingers could move. After ringing a few times, a groggy voice at last answered the phone. “What's up, Rima? Hope you know you just woke me up from my sleep.” Rima released a sigh of relief after hearing Kichiro's voice, though it was hoarse with sleep. “I was just calling to see if you were alright. Jerk.” She replied. “Yeah, I'm fine. I have a massive headache that I can feel in my fucking eyeballs, but other than that, I'm fantastic.” Rima sighed. So he'd forgotten...Thought that he was just waking up after a night at the club. Just like Talon had said he would. “A little medicine will help with that, but...” She paused to take a breath. “I'm just glad you're okay.” She knew she couldn't say much, or it would probably alert him of something, so she only sighed to get off her chest what she was really thinking. About him being kidnapped and everything that followed. “Why do you sound all gushy and shit?” Kichiro asked. “You had a nightmare about me getting kidnapped or some shit?” At that, Rima forced herself to laugh as she walked over to the balcony outside of her bedroom. Pushing open the doors, she stepped out into the golden sunlight beaming down upon the city, looking around at the towers and skyscrapers glistening beneath its rays. “No, silly. Just being a good friend, is all.” She replied. Looking out into the distance, she knew that the man who had claimed to be her brother was out there somewhere. And as dangerous as she thought he and his “men” were, she was still curious to know what he knew about her. Curious to know if what he had said was true.

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<p align="CENTER" style="margin-bottom:0in;">The End Bitches!

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