It was on an ordinary night that Natalya was in her room, sifting through her pile of comics and books, which had slowly compiled into a larger collection than before. If she knew the concept of paid work, then she might assume that this was her payment in exchange for reaping lives and peddling drugs. Other than that, she was granted warmth and security: something she did not understand the value and worth of at her young age.
A knock on the door and it was open, through which that man walked in uninvited. There was another following behind him this time, however, and she had a contemptuous look on her eyes as if this situation was revolting; but there was no profound sense of justice like the heroes Natalya cherished. Instead, those eyes denounced people as pigs rolling around in the mud, and unto her: cattle.
It was true that Natalya had some degree of fortune which made her situation more preferable than others. She had entertainment, work, warmth, security; a lot of these were deprived from others, but she lacked something else: freedom. What did that make her? Although she herself couldn't answer, this woman's eyes painted a picture.
Natalya found her reminiscent of the evil masterminds in her stories. Perhaps those eyes, with their glint of fear dulled, even if it was still there, and the scar running down her cheek, was what made her voice intimidating. "She does indeed have a nice face…" the woman complimented.
"A bit malnutritioned, but we can work on that."
Without a clue on what was happening, her mind moved onto other things. It was her sincere hope that she would never receive such a scar herself. Since the woman also had long blond hair and greyish-green eyes, if they drew closer by that as well, then they really would resemble each other; but that wouldn't work out well for her because Natalya wanted to be a hero. Heroes didn't have scars.
After meeting that woman, and barely locking eyes with that man, who hardly spoke to her in the recent days, Natalya was taken elsewhere. It was a strange feeling that occurred to her when she was ushered into a transport vehicle and taken out of the city. She hadn't even left the neighbourhood, so her worldview was greatly challenged with each passing glance. But where was she being taken?
In the end, a new home was given to her. It was another grey block of an apartment complex, but there were a few changes from before, with more bright yellow lights illuminating the rooms, and strange lumps of sludgy brown warded the snow and ice away from the road. Her new room was larger than before and had coloured walls with more furniture to do new things with.
Natalya was most excited to learn that she had a television all to herself, including a cassette player to watch different shows and movies on; which, of course, meant that her collection, which she thankfully was permitted to bring along, had expanded even further with cassette tapes. Her repertoire had increased to both western and eastern movies. There was even music too, which she had little exposure to, other than what was in the background of the cartoons she was lucky enough to watch beforehand.
When she sufficiently explored the new tapes, she found that the world wasn't limited to superheroes, or the black and white dynamic between good and evil. Natalya's favourite time watching something was during the 'Dollars Trilogy'. She had been growing doubtful of herself on whether she could be a hero; she killed people after all, so didn't that make her bad?
Then she watched those three movies: with Clint Eastwood as 'Blondie', playing the good guy; Lee Van Cleef as 'Angel Eyes', playing the bad guy; and finally, Eli Wallach as 'Tuco', playing what Natalya didn't previously know about: the ugly. They were all different and viewed with their own characteristics. However, in the end, they all had one thing in common—all of them killed people. Even amidst the whole spectrum of good and evil, they were all murderers.
Of course, Natalya was elated. "You can kill for good..." She realised that her gun was in fact a tool of justice. It sought an end that brought about a greater good, even by dubious means. That was her place in the world.
She watched many movies from that day onwards. But there was a caveat to it all, something she was required to do alongside her consumption of various media. There was another genre thrown into the mix that she hadn't seen before.
These videos were strange and unlike anything else. They involved men and women; sometimes men and men, or women and women. On occasion, there was an age disparity—once there was someone her own age. These people were naked and doing weird things, touching strange places she hadn't thought to touch before.
Natalya was unaware of the purpose these videos suited. Merely told to watch them, it was so she could 'get used to it'. This was her new task in exchange for the luxuries. Therefore, although she wasn't particularly comfortable with it, she watched them as much as she was required to.
There was one that scared her in particular, often the cause of nightmares. The woman screamed and begged, swearing, cussing, a strong look of hatred in her eyes, but she was unable to do anything. Every video she had seen before, the people doing it were really happy; moaning and groaning to the point it looked painful even. However, this woman was incredibly scared and fearful. It was the kind of fear that was seen in those about to die.
This… fear in the eyes. Natalya couldn't overlook it from that day onwards. Everyone had it no matter who they were or what situation they were in. Everyone has this glint no matter what. Some are better at hiding it, while some are simply ignorant of it; but everyone has it to some extent. This was what it meant to be 'human'.
After the day they met, interactions with that woman from before were few and far between. She rarely came to Natalya's room, taking on a role that opposed that man, who seemed to have been a chaperone of sorts. However, she did visit occasionally. On one such visit, she asked a question.
"Would you rather hurt people or be hurt?"
As Natalya gave her answer, the woman chuckled and then delved into a laugh. "Atta girl."
She didn't visit again for another week. When that woman returned, she strangely started with an apology: "Apologies, dear. I've withheld from you...
"I bought you under the guise of selling you off but… while you do have a very pretty face, and it's no lie that you would be a good fit for those purposes, that would be a very big waste of your talent. It pains me to see potential wasted. I didn't want those scum to realise that.
"From today onwards, you're going to join my men on a trip overseas. You will be meeting with our contact in a country called 'Tirynn'. Once you're over there, you'll see something that will meet your interests. How about it? Doesn't that sound fun."
Natalya's expression didn't shift too much. Although she was given a vague idea on what was happening now, she was still in the dark. Instead of concerning herself with that, she said, "Can I ask something?"
The woman responded with an amused smile, "Of course, dear. What is it?"
Natalya asked, "What were those videos for?"
She chuckled, "Those? It was to desensitise you. Not quite to rip the bandaid off, but to wet it."
Before Natalya knew it, she was transported again, finding herself on a boat. Her clothing had changed now to something she had seen in her videos, but never in real life. With each step she took, the weight of her laced boots stamped the ground; her cargo trousers were cut from the same material and held the same colours as her jacket, both sporting a dark red, form-fitting with lots of pockets. The belt around her waist and a beret finalised her new attire.
She was surrounded by men in similar uniforms who had hardened looks. That woman escorted her to the boat, walking alongside her on the docks, but had parted ways with her then. Consequently, it was the men in military uniform who watched over her after that. But that watch was lax; in the sea, there was nowhere to flee towards. Not that the idea of escaping ever crossed her mind.
Eventually, the boat docked at another country's port. The sun was clearer now and the land lacked the permanent blanket of snow. In such a place, the unit designated two men to travel with her, and a Tirynn woman acted as their guide. In the end, their destination was a city that was built next to a massive crater. Inside that crater was something spectacular.
There was a black sphere in the centre, sucking in the light and warping space around it; the darkness held an immeasurable depth to it, which gave Natalya a primal sense of yearning, both intrigue and fear prompting her to explore this unknown void. This entire area encompassing it was bordered off and covered in a heavy military patrol watching every corner.
Through the clearance of the Tirynn woman, who also wore military uniform, they passed security and walked down towards it slowly, approaching the black mass. Meanwhile, soldiers saluted and spoke to them in a foreign language. Before long, they were standing metres away from it.
Natalya didn't have time to think; she was already ensnared by its whispers and promises, the adventure of a lifetime, in which her stories became reality. The only requirement for her to go tumbling into it was a measly little push on the back from the man behind her.
In the next moment, the world before her inverted and shifted its bearings into something different. All of it changed and compromised her mind, taking control of her brain functions, making her unable to perceive the passing of time, until she was somewhere else, however many years later or earlier. Her eyes opened and met the new world.
There was a table in front of her, and spread across it were two plates, hers being a salad, while the plate opposite her being large and full of various meats with the occasional vegetable. Looking around herself, Natalya witnessed the scene of a cafe; not that she had been to one before, but she knew the atmosphere, seeing such scenes in a lot of fictional works. It was a good place for dialogue.
The seat opposite her was empty, but not for long as someone slowly walked over and sat there. This man had an unkempt look with mean eyes and medium-length brown hair. His face looked rarely shaven, and the clothes he wore included an unbuttoned shirt, a long jacket, and a pair of faded cargo trousers. He looked like the 'scum' who used to take care of Natalya and her mother. Although, his hip didn't bear a pistol but a sword instead.
"Who are you?" Natalya asked.
She wanted to know what business this man had with her. Was he another of that woman's men, waiting for her on the other side of the black sphere?
He answered, "What the hell are you talking about now, Natalya?"
"Did she send you?"
"She?"
"I don't know her name."
"Then how am I supposed to know who you're talking about?"
"You know my name, so you must've been sent by her. Why was I sent over here?"
"Huh…? Natalya, don't tell me you've been drinking. We're on a job—what are you thinking? Anyway, what the hell are you wearing? Why did you change your clothes?"
Natalya blinked twice. "I didn't?"
The man sighed, "Just eat. We don't have a lot of time."
"Alright," Natalya nodded as she picked up the knife and fork by her plate. She wasn't one to refuse food, so she quickly started to pick it apart.
After paying, the two left the store together and walked among the crowd in the streets, their conversation moving on towards the job, which the man started by saying, "We're investigating this village. It's been corrupted in some way, which we believe is because of an evil god. To begin with, we're simply asking around and seeking out weird behaviour; any signs of strange goings-on."
Natalya didn't listen to much of what was said, but her ear twitched at the mention of an evil god. This immediately sparked her attention and curiosity; she wanted to know about it, to see what this evil god had done. Mostly, she wanted to thwart whatever maligned plans it had. After all, what does a hero do other than stop evil?
After walking for some time, they found themselves in a tavern, entering the room of a resident there and speaking to him, asking about an account. This man had witnessed something strange in the middle of the night and was talking about what he saw. Apparently, there was a bloody murder, creating a huge mess in the middle of the street, but it was like nothing happened in the morning.
"But… But…! When I went looking for her, the girl who was killed, I couldn't find her anywhere! It was like she had moved out of the village suddenly."
The grungy man frowned, asking, "Do you know any relatives or close acquaintances of this person?"
"Uhm, no… I don't know who she was specifically. So, I couldn't ask about her from close relatives—but really! I looked around everywhere and couldn't find her! I swear she's gone missing but no one's kicking up a fuss. It's strange!"
The grungy man looked irritated, trying somewhat to conceal it. The man saw something in the middle of the night, but nothing was there in the morning, and he didn't ask anyone who knew the girl about her, because he didn't know the girl, but swore that she was missing! The most likely conclusion was it being a dream. This lead clearly led to nowhere.
Natalya made no comment. However, she observed something strange during that witness account. Although the civilian man was parading about his fears, showing unease and nervousness in his voice as one would expect, he completely lacked the glint of fear in his eyes. It wasn't simply dull or small, but gone entirely. She had never seen that before; especially when the person in the example was meant to be scared.
When they were about to leave, Natalya hummed in contemplation. An idea then struck her. This must be the reason she was here—her role in this! She turned around, reaching into her jacket and pulling out her pistol. It was a beautiful MP-443 that fired 9mm.
Natalya pulled the trigger before anyone could react. With a loud bang, the man got shot in the head and fell to the floor. The grungy man turned in shock, seeing her with the strange-looking firearm, held where that man's head was a moment before.
As he was about to reprimand her, to demand a reason for her actions, which would be presented immediately and without excuse, he noticed the corpse shift. It twitched slightly before bloating up. Tears of red ran down his cheeks before the blood turned into a black, sludgy substance. The smell was horrendous.
"He was corrupted…" the grungy man muttered in astonishment.
As the man gave his final death throes, Natalya turned towards him and made a suggestion, "Are we able to gather everyone in the village?"
He asked subconsciously, "Why would we do that?"
"I can find the evil god's influence," she answered with a confident smile.
Even with evidence supporting her claim, with the action she took mere moments ago, he still asked, "What makes you say that?"
But Natalya didn't want to give it away so soon. She wanted the triumphant moment where she uncovers the anomaly, presenting her evidence and saving the day, so she exclaimed, "Come on, let's do it. Let me show you!"
The grungy man looked at her in doubt. Natalya was someone under his supervision, a rookie hunter who was still learning the trade; and naturally, many of them had eccentricities, and a lot of pride, wanting to show off and rally achievements. It was likely that this was her trying to not lose credit on making a discovery.
Normally, he wasn't one to entertain this sort of thing. He valued getting the job done. But at the same time, that was why his colleagues said that others, especially rookies, didn't look upon him favourably. And while his role did involve protecting them, allowing them to avoid excessive danger on a job, he was also an enabler. If he did all the work, then the rookie wouldn't gain valuable experience or make progress towards becoming a fully-fledged hunter.
As such, Siegfried decided to resign himself this one time. By night, he had gathered the people in the village, collecting and presenting them before his junior.
Natalya looked over at them. They were confused, but compliant, since the two of them apparently had a lot of authority, with the government and church backing them up. Although she was ignorant of what that influence meant, it allowed her to have everyone gathered here in such a way, on the same day as she asked no less.
A giant crowd was before her so it took time to check all of their eyes. But after a bit, she confirmed her hypothesis. As such, she quickly dismissed the crowd and allowed them to disperse after she was done. Then it was just the grungy man and herself left over.
Siegfried inquired, "What did you find?" Before this, he officially gave her the reins over this investigation. He would take it back as soon as the moment called for it, but as long as she was making sound decisions, she was allowed to direct their next actions; as such, he remained passive and let her do her thing.
"Let's retire for the night," Natalya answered.
"Are you sure?"
"Yep!"
Siegfried nodded, acknowledging her decision. They found somewhere on the outskirts to rest overnight and continue in the morning. When the two had found their sleeping spots, and some time passed while the night grew darker, Natalya opened her eyes and slowly got up.
She walked into the village and visited each house individually, executing the abnormalities. Unfortunately, the pistol in her jacket wouldn't be seeing use as it would bring attention to herself; so she strangled them to death instead.
Her work was only done a long time after she had stopped counting. But with that, everyone had been dealt with. The investigation earlier had been effective, leading to her discovery that out of the few hundred people gathered there, only two or three people had a glint of fear present. The rest were all affected by the evil god.
The two innocents were escorted out of the village when she was done. Funnily enough, both of them were children, younger than herself. Heroes did often save women and children. But as she was returning, to tell the grungy man about her heroic deeds, she then realised:
"Hm… In these kinds of stories, it might be dangerous to think it's over at this point."
She hummed, huffed, and puffed, mulling over what to do before coming to a decision.
"I know… I'll burn the village down."
At some point in the middle of the night, Siegfried felt that something was off. There was a strange smell and his instinct was warning him. As such, he got himself up, only to realise that Natalya had vanished from her spot. His alarm instantly raised as he approached the village. He had been wrong after all—of course he shouldn't have left it to her alone, it had put her in danger!
What met his eyes was a torrent of flame. The village in its entirety, it was burning to the ground. There was a figure walking out of the flames—no, three figures. Siegfried scowled and prepared to meet whatever was walking towards him; until they came into view that was. He looked on with a mix of awe, shock, wariness and fear.
"Hey—! Grungy guy! I purged the evil and saved the innocents…!"
Natalya was hollering at him, walking out of the wreckage hand-in-hand with two children. The fear and terror on their faces was evident.