DENIS-- 5 years old
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"Momma, why does Dad hit you and shout?" Denis asked, bandaging his mother's newest injury.
She pet his hair gently. "It's because we don't have money. If we had money, then Dad wouldn't be stressed and he wouldn't hit Momma."
Denis nodded. "So as long as we have money, Dad will be happy and not hit Momma."
"Yes."
Denis hugged his mother tightly. "I love you, Momma."
"I love you, too, Denis."
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"You bought him a toy? Why does that little shit deserve anything? All he is is a waste of space!"
"You're one to talk! You spent all of our saving on booze!"
"That helps me! But a kid like him should be studying and getting a degree so he can support his parents!"
"He's barely even five! He should be enjoying a happy life with both of his parents supporting him!"
"Since when do you get to talk back to me, bitch!"
Denis held his hands over his ears, huddling in his closet, trying to block out his parents shouting, then his mother's screams as his father beat her up. Strangely, though, he felt empty. No emotion whatsoever. The screaming was grating, and the shouting hurt his ears. Years of the same reoccurring shouting and fighting had made Denis turn numb against it. The only emotions he felt were his love for his mother.
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"How dare you! I told you to keep him locked in his room!"
"He's a child, for God's sake! Be a bit more fatherly to him!"
"You bitch! How dare you talk back!"
Denis was watching through the crack in his door, reading the signals of his father and mother's body. He rushed from behind the door, running in front of his mother, shielding him from the blow. He was ten now, giving him a bigger, stronger form, and he just bit his lip as his head snapped to the side, his cheek burning.
"Denis!" his mother cried, turning him around to face her, kneeling. "Are you okay? Oh, why did you do that?"
Denis looked at his mother, who was bruised so badly it looked like she was spotted, with a black eye and even a few chipped teeth. "I'm okay, Momma," he said, reaching up and touching her cheek. He glanced over his shoulder, shooting a glare at his father, full of what could only be seen as killing intent.
"Y-you insolent...!"
Denis was prepared, grabbing his mother's hand, pulling her out of the way as he dodged his father's blow, rushing in, and lifting with the arms and muscles he'd been training for months. He managed to flip his father, grab his mother's hand, and run into his room. He locked the door and started pushing the dresser in place.
His mother watched, shocked, before rushing over and helping, securing the door. She pulled him to her chest and they sat on the bed. "It's good you're not too hurt," she said.
Denis nuzzled up against his mother. "I had some people from school teach me basic martial arts," he said. "Just in case. I spent the time during your fights to watch his movement patterns, which fist he favored, how he walks and runs. Everything that could be used against him."
She smiled, petting Denis' hair. "You're so amazing, Denis. Everything I could ever wish for."
"All I wish is for you to be happy," said Denis. "What's your wish, Momma?"
"It used to be that we could be a happy family, but now I see it's impossible." Denis' mother suddenly looked livid, a cruel smile on her face. "All I can wish for now is for him to just die. Die and free us from the chains of abuse."
Denis looked at his mother before taking her hand. "Good night, Mom."
Three nights later, Denis committed his first ever murder.
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JERRY- 17 years old
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"Keep up, runt!"
"Sir, yes, Sir!" Jerry responded, picking up his pace to match the others.
"You're quite good at this for a newbie," one of the soldiers said.
Jerry smiled shyly. "I don't know if that's a compliment."
"Don't worry; it is. It takes guts to join the military at seventeen, kid," another said. "Let's hope there's some skill in that body of yours, yes?"
Jerry nodded, speeding his pace by five percent. He could keep that pace for a week if he had to, and he soon passed the older soldiers, even as the commanded made them increase their pace. He kept at least fifteen percent faster than the others, steady even when they started to slow.
"That kid's got to have springs wound in his feet," one of the older men said.
"It's good to see someone that able. We're going to need him," agreed another.
"And... halt! Form up!"
The soldiers got into ranks before their captain.
"We have a new soldier joining us. Everyone, play nice."
"Yes, Sir!"
They were prepared for a ten year old, but what they didn't expect was a little girl. Long black hair and bangs covering her eyes.
"Is... this a joke, Sir?"
"Of course not! Down get down and give me twenty!"
"Sir, yes, Sir!"
Jerry glanced at the girl again, who had saluted and gotten on the ground, beginning to push with her arms rapidly. He was shocked at her speed, her twenty completed even before some of the others. Who was this girl?
"Report! Captain, we're needed on the eastern front! Right away!"
"Suit up men. We're leaving within the hour."
"Yes, Sir!"
Jerry inched his way over to the girl. "Excuse me, but do you need help?" he asked.
She looked up, though her eyes were still covered by her bangs. She pointed at herself as if she was asking if he was talking to her. Once he nodded, she looked back down, her head bobbing up and down.
Jerry took that as she did, placing his hand on her shoulder. But he was shocked as she recoiled, slapping away his hand. She flinched for a few seconds before calming down. "This way," Jerry said.
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The journey to the front was uneventful, the girl able to keep up almost with ease. They never got a name, so the troop's title for her was Phantom, named after her silence and seeming ease in silent operation.
"We're here everybody. Report to your tents and get some sleep. Once the sun sets, we begin."
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The darkness was oppressive, so dark the troops had to move by clicks of the tongue like birds would.
Jerry glanced around, though he couldn't see anything, trying in vain to find Phantom. She could have gotten lost... His eyes snapped to the front as torchlight appeared ahead. He looked slightly to the right, where the Captain was. He waited for the order, but instead came six consecutive clicks, three times. That was an unfamiliar signal.
Jerry was about to ask what it meant when he felt something breeze past him. His eyes shot forward. Camo fabric caught the light only a second before the bearer of the torch dropped it. One of Jerry's comrades lit up the scene with his sniper light, shining illumination on the carnage.
Jerry was shocked as he saw the scene of blood and carnage before him, Phantom standing there with her two short swords in hand, blood dripping from her swords and clothes.
"What in the..." muttered Jerry. He wasn't the only one, several others also murmuring.
"I forgot to introduce her skill set," said Captain. "This is Ciel Michaelis. Skill set: silent assassination."
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"Your're dismissed from the ranks, Jerry. What do you plan on doing?"
"I... don't think I'll be able to get rid of my instincts," he replied.
Captain nodded in understanding. "How about you... follow Ciel? Become an assassin?"
Jerry looked at his captain. He smiled. "That's actually not a bad idea."
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Enda- 13 years old
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"I can't believe middle school kids can be that mean," complained Orca on the way home. He had long black hair with what looked like the false eye spot on an orca, therefore his name. His hair was braided and he wore a girls uniform, though it suited his cure face. "I mean, it's not entirely my fault I look and dress this way. I grew up with my five sisters, after all."
"Yeah. People really can be nasty," said Enda, long blond hair pulled up in a ponytail, skirt swishing at his thighs. He looked more mature than Orca, though both looked rather feminine.
"Well, easy for you to say, Enda. At least you can conquer them with your good personality. I'm just an easy target."
Enda flicked his ponytail over his shoulder. "If anyone dares to bully you, they'll have to deal with me after!"
Orca smiled. "I'm glad to hear you say that."
Enda nodded. "Of course. Speaking of, has anyone been bullying you?"
Orca shrugged. "Maybe. I find it easier just to ignore everything. Although... the high school dropout's little brother... today he poured the mop water from the cleaning over my head while I was walking below the window, calling me a sissy."
"Oh no! Really? Do you want me to go and beat the crap out of his ass right now? I can guarentee that anyone who fights with me will get their ass handed to them."
"I know," laughed Orca. "Don't worry about it. It's not like he's actually hurting me, or anything. Just a few words and a bit of dirty water is no problem to handle. I have to be tougher than that to be able to survive this world."
"Orca..."
Orca just smiled again. "Let's go home, Enda. Your mom said dinner was going to be steak and potatoes. We don't want to miss it!"
Enda's eyes were in the reflection of the metallic lamppost, revealing not only himself and Orca, but a few more figures behind them. He smiled at his friend. "You go first. I forgot something at the school. Catch up with you tonight!" Enda ran away from his friend before he could argue, turning the corner before slowing back to a walk. "You can get out now, you pieces of trash," he spit, attitude changing in the blink of an eye. He just crossed his arms as a dozen kids from school appeared out of the alleys
"So, if it isn't Enda. What do you need now, you little sissy-boy?"
Enda reached up, sliding the hairband from his hair, letting his rib-length locks fall around him. "I need you to shut your asses up before I hand them to you," Enda snapped back, letting the bag on his shoulder slide into his hand. Fast as lightning, he tossed it up in the air, already moving.
As the bullies' eyes followed the movement of the bag, Enda seemingly appeared before them, using Jujitsu to throw them into the walls of the buildings. He knew to stay non-lethal, but these guys had pissed him off big time.
"How dare you ruin my walk home with my friend?" he snarled, stepping on one's face for good measure. "How'd you like getting your ass kicked by a lady, you uncultured swine? And you ruined my day."
Enda left the bullies there in the alleyway, figuring they'd wake up soon, and go home, giving him and Orca time to get home safe. Enda was a bit more suited for taking care of troublemakers, since Orca was born with a weaker body, his parents working overseas to be able to get enough money for an operation that would save his life.
"I'm home," Enda called.
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2 years later.
"You'd better watch your back, now that the other freak doesn't have it!"
"So disgusting! You should just die like that friend of yours!"
"Too bad the sissies couldn't be together to the end, isn't it?" asked the dropout's younger brother.
Enda's head snapped up from looking at the desk. He stood, eyes wild, and started running at the boy. As he ran, he grabbed one of the chairs from a desk, raising it over his head.
"He's gone insane!"
"Help!"
Enda smashed the chair over the boy's head, knocking him to the ground, hitting him over the head with it repeatedly. "He wasn't disgusting!" Enda screamed. "He wasn't a sissy! He was a human just like all of you! If you can't shut your mouths, I can SEND YOU TO HIM!" Enda lashed out at the people closest. His rampage didn't stop until the police showed up, dragging him away.
Enda was locked in the prison, where he started thinking. He'd felt nothing except satisfaction when he heard that more than half of the people he'd attacked had died and the rest had been brought to the hospital. He decided that night that he wasn't going back to dealing with people's shit anymore.
That night, he escaped from the prison, a week later becoming a ranker on the Grimm Reaper Board.