"I don't believe in politics, poverty, greed, fame or power, but i do believe that evil must be used to make good. Stars can only be seen in darkness after all..." - Unknown

p r e l x d e

I was running, faster than I’d ever run before. My boots slapped against the wet pavement as I sprinted into the night. My coat flapped out behind me and my hair whipped around my face.  My breath came in ragged gasp as I tried to asses my surroundings whilst they blurred past me. I pushed myself faster, my hand tightening around the smaller hand. My little sister cried as she tripped over her own feet, trying to keep up. A bullet whirred past my head, clanging into a shop sign.

“Shit,” I cursed, swinging my body around a corner and down an alleyway. However, I miss-stepped and my body was thrown over as I slipped in a ditch of muddy rainwater. The smaller hand slipped out of mine and my sister was thrown roughly against the pavement. Her tiny body rolled over itself several times, before slamming into the wall of a store at the mouth of the alleyway. I placed my hand against the cold ground, pushing myself to my feet.

My sister shook, lifting her head to gaze at the officers with horror. The pursuing feet had slowed and they walked over to my sister slowly. I opened my mouth to cry out to her but my leg collapsed on itself, sending me onto the floor again. A man appeared at the opening of the alleyway, calmly walking towards my sister. A glint of metal shone from his hand and I tried once again to stand. Warmth ran down my leg and I watched helplessly as he raised the gun to aim at my sister’s head. I couldn’t see her face, but I could only imagine how terrified she must’ve looked. 

“Where is she?” The man questioned, his voice calm and composed.

“I-I…” My sister stuttered, looking up at the officer from the ground, “I don’t…”

“You realise how dangerous your sister is, don’t you? Unregistered have no place here.” He said, keeping the gun at a steady angle.

“You- you don’t u-understand…” She cried out, holding herself up with her forearms.

“You have no idea! My whole family was murdered by her kind and yet you have the audactiy to tell me that I don't understand? To see their life drain from them whilst I held them in my arms, staring into the emotionless eyes of those... Those monsters! No…” The man said, his voice laced with disgust, “It's you that doesn't understand.”

The noise rang out into the silent night. Her body collapsed, before her head hit the pavement with a sickening crunch. Red coated the wall behind her and her life was swept down the stormwater drain with the rain, streaks of crimson red swirling across the stone pavement.

“NO!” I screamed out, the man’s face instantly turning towards me. He laughed, stalking calmly in my direction

I am Unknown. And I have been found.

“Pity those who don't feel anything at all.” - Sarah J. Maas, A Court of Thornes and Roses

b l x d e s

I stare at the ceiling above me. The indents, cracks and scratches, all marks of a struggle from another person at another time. The steel bed below me is cold, making me all the more awake. It had been 3 years since I had literally tripped up and gotten my sister killed. Even though the time between then and now seemed to stretch on forever, I could still hear the noise her skull made when it made contact with the stone and the vibrant colour of her blood as it danced across the floor. The smell of rain and death lingered in my mind, refusing to be washed away. I close my eyes, vanishing the thoughts from my mind, if only for the day. I knew that I would dream of it again tonight.

I sat up as my ears picked up on the static that sounded just before the alarm went off. I was accustomed to this. This was my life now. I was a hound for the RPDS. My life consisted of capturing Unregistered’s and dealing with them as the RPDS saw fit. My white cell lit up as the far wall slid back, revealing my attire for the upcoming hunt. My bare feet made no noise as I crossed the cramped room in only a few strides. My fingers brushed against the black fabric that would help me blend into the night. As I removed the shirt from the shelf, I hesitated. It was heavier than normal.

“Bulletproof…” I whispered to myself, turning over the shirt in my hands. This was no ordinary hunt.

I shrugged on the tight full-sleeve shirt, before clambering clumsily into the matching leggings. I worked the fabric around the groves and kinks in my metallic leg. Attaching the belt around my waist and the garners around my upper thighs, I slid the coat off the hook and turned to my cell just as it opened. I walk outside, my steps no longer quiet as the steel of my right leg clicked against the tiles of the hallways.  As I exited my cell, other hounds in black also exited theirs. The cell door to my left opened and a familiar face came into view.

“Hey, Yu. It’s been a while,” A tall boy with gleaming eyes says as he strides up beside me. The boy’s name was Zero. He had been serving with the Registered Police, Defence and Security for a little over 6 years now, yet he still looked as if he hadn’t aged a day since I first met him 3 years ago. Zero was 22 years old, 4 years my senior. Despite the age difference, we both looked 18, which is why we often got placed in the same squads for hunts. I avert my gaze from Zero, looking down the hallway as person after person exited their cell.

“12, 13, 14… There’s a lot of people for this hunt, Zero.” I say, as the chink of bolts signal all the cells closing once more.

“Agreed…” He responds, his unnaturally cyan eyes scanning the crowd, “No doubt this will be interesting. Have you noticed? Even our uniform is bulletproof this time around.”

“Yes, I did notice…” I got an uneasy feeling in my stomach. There would no doubt be a large group of Unregistered’s for us to take care of. And I hated it. If you were unregistered, you were usually exterminated. However, if you showed promise or if the RPDS could make use of you, then you were kept alive. To make sure that you didn’t sway from your service or try to escape, they would strip you of a body part that you needed most, and replace with a mechanical part. That’s how I got my leg, and how Zero got his eyes. My leg was now my greatest weapon, yet it was also the chains that binded me to RPDS. If I was to escape, my leg would cease to function, leaving me with a limp and a hunk of scrap metal. It could be worse though. I could have lost my eyes, like Zero. Zero had an uncanny talent for spotting things that no one else would see. Now, with mechanical pupils and fluorescent irises that shone cyan, he could run through whatever he saw through the computer data base. His eyes also doubled as a torch for dark places, thanks to the whirring lights that all the mechanical parts in RPDS produced. If Zero left, he would be rendered blind.

We started walking down the silent hallway, merging in with the group of other hounds. As we walked, my ears picked up on the silent whirring of mechanical parts as steel rods, cogs and bolts moved into place to help people move. The iridescent white lights danced off the small windows of cells as Zero and I move fluidly past them. We came to the last few cells when Zero clasped down on my arm, halting my step.

“What?” I hiss at him, snatching my arm out of his grasp. His irises seemed to be rotating as he analysed the small rectangular window to cell #04. That’s when I saw it. Right in the bottom left hand corner, there was a smudge of crimson, before it disappeared behind the cell door. I look towards the group of hounds as the disappeared around the corner, heading towards the east gate. I quickly crouch down and pull up the material surrounding my right leg.  The steel begins to move, whirring and clicking, before a compartment the length of my calf pops out from the part. Reaching in, I hook my ring finger around a metallic hoop, before pulling gently. The latch inside releases and I smoothly pull out a 6 inch dagger from the compartment. I close the compartment, pulling down the material over my right leg again, and stand to my feet. Zero glances at me from the corner of his eyes and I look up at the boy who took me under his wing 3 years ago.

Zeros bright cyan eyes were a drastic contrast to his inky black hair. His hair was in need of a trim as it swung in front of his eyes when glancing down at me. Although, everyone had to glance down at me. My feeble 5”3 was no match for Zero’s 6”5. Lean, tall and just the right amount of muscle, Zero was definitely a pleasant sight. However, his harsh and introverted ways tended to repel attention. Under the quiet exterior however, he was kind and humble and was fiercely protective of those who were important enough to earn his trust.

Turning his attention back to the keypad, he furrowed his eyebrows as his eyes shone. However they dulled, and turning his attention back to me, I knew it wasn’t good.

“The passwords for cells #01 to #10 are protected. I can’t access them without hacking into the security database, which would require a laptop.” He says, although I knew he was keeping something from me.

“And what does that mean?” I question, my fingers clasping on tighter to my dagger.

“Someone doesn’t want us entering these cells-“            

A shrill scream cut off Zero and both of our heads whipped towards the corner that the other hounds had turned down. Suddenly a group of black swarmed around the corner. Seven or eight hounds ran towards us, some wounded, others hysterical. Zero tried to focus on them as they swarmed past and down to the other end of the hall.

“Gunshots, open wounds… Somethings attacking them! There’s 6 missing!” Zero said, confusion flashing through his eyes.

“Ah, yes, sorry about all that.” A deep voice says from behind us. Calmly walking around the corner, a tall man strides towards. I raise my dagger as a warning, but the man simply smirks. Black hair was tied back in a ponytail and dark green eyes taunted us, “I usually stay back on errands like this, but my sister heard they had some fancy equipment here, wanted me to bring some back for her.”

“Errand?” I question, sliding my feet into a defensive position, keeping an eye on the blood soaked katana in the man’s hand.

“Yes! Errand. You know, go in, grab some stuff, kill a few people, and leave again. Although, now that I think about it…” He trailed off, wiping the blood of his katana onto the white bodysuit he had on, “I suppose you could call this more of an ambush.”

“You’re Eryx Tomoki,” Zero spoke up, standing calmly with his hands resting on his hips, “Son of a notorious family of warriors from Japan. Your sister, a twin, never developed a strong fighting skill. Instead, Lux Tomoki turned towards computing and research. She’s rather admirable, if I do say so myself.”

The silver man, Eryx, stood smiling calming. Slowly, he sheathed his katana, and began clapping. “Well, I never thought I’d see a human computer! It’s in your eyes, I’m guessing? That’s how you can analyse things so quickly, right?”

Zero looked taken aback.

“What do you want?” I ask, moving my defensive position into one of attack, which didn’t go unnoticed by Eryx.

“Well, I think I’m pretty much done here. It was a lot easier than I thought to find exactly what I need. Although, may I suggest, that next time you’re talking to an ‘enemy’ or suspect, you remain aware of your surroundings. Particularly of what’s behind you.”

He finished his statement with a sadistic smirk. My eyes widen, as do Zeros, but it’s too late to react. A sharp current strikes at my lower spine, before shooting through my body. Everything disappears.

“I don't want to be at the mercy of my emotions. I want to use them, to enjoy them, and to dominate them.” - Oscar Wilde, The Picture of Dorian Gray

p i s t x l s

A sharp sting made me open my eyes. I cried out in pain as my head was thrown to the side from the impact. I glare at the girl crouching in front of me. Her black hair was cut short, but her fringe hung in front of one of her eyes. Numerous face piercings glinted in the low-lit space and heavy eye-makeup surrounded her dark eyes. Everything about this girl made me uneasy.

“What the fuck was that for?” I question her loudly, caressing my stinging cheek. She didn’t answer me, instead chewing on a piece of gum and shrugging her shoulders in response.

“Whatever…” I grumbled, turning my attention to my current surroundings. It was cramped and made of metal. A shipping crate perhaps?

“We’re in a truck.” The girl in front of me said, still staring at my face. I turn to her, suspicious of absolutely everything.

“Did you…” I trail of, not quite sure how to pose my question.

She shrugs.

I continue to stare at her. I’d never met anyone like her in my entire life. As if reading my mind, her lips twitched into the faintest hint of a smirk. The doors to the truck open, however no sunlight streams in. The luminescent glow of the city’s downtown district glow in the night and the air is cold and brisk. Standing outside is a familiar man, katana hanging at his hip. Eryx was talking with an unhappy looking Zero. However Zero was staring blankly at nothing in particular. He turned towards the truck when the doors finished opening, but yet again his eyes didn’t seem to focus. It was then that I noticed how heavy my leg felt. The girl in front of my stood up, before offering her hand to me. It didn’t take me long to figure out why. I try to stand up by myself, but to my despair, my metallic leg had ceased to function. Panic rose in my throat, but Zero’s voice calling out brought me to my senses.

“Yu?”

I grab the scary girl’s hand, and she hauls me to my feet. She supports my weight as I clumsily begin to stumble out of the truck.

“I’m right here Zero.” I say, pushing myself away from the girl and into his arms. His hands catch my shoulders, before sliding down my arms, moving their way down across my lower back. He rests them there, drawing me in closer.

“Your leg… Is it-“

“A useless piece of metal? Yes. But Zero, your eyes-“

“It’s fine. In fact, it’s kind of a relief. I don’t have all these numbers and words running across my vision constantly.” He says, a smile on his lips.

Tremors run through the ground from the music of surrounding clubs. Girls in clothes that leave nothing to the imagination, cat call at groups of men as they pass by. Teenage boys try to chat up girls and bouncers through people out of clubs and bars. The noise is immense and music from different clubs mix together in a swirl of chaos and confusion.

“What are we doing here? What do you want with us,” I demand Eryx, a scorn on my face and in my voice, “If you plan on selling us-“

“My, my, you certainly do have a rather wild imagination. King will most certainly enjoy this…” Eryx says, smiling down at me cheerfully. His hair swung softly in the breeze and fire sparked in my veins. Lurching forward, I grip the ponytail of black resting across his neck and down his chest. I give it a sharp tug and bring his face closer to mine, supporting my weight on his ponytail. However, he doesn’t look effected whatsoever.

“I’m going to ask again,” I growl, glaring into his sparkling eyes, “What are we doing here?”

He smirks and moves his lips closer to mine. I move my head backwards, avoiding his lustful attack. When a cold object is placed against my throat, however, I understand what he was doing. A familiar steel dagger bites into the skin at my throat and I force my face to remain emotionless.

“You have much to learn, little one. First lesson, never touch my hair.” He finishes with a sadistic smirk. My fingers loosen on his hair and he pulls away. Balancing my weight once more, I nearly miss as Eryx tosses me the dagger he held at my throat. I catch my dagger at its hilt, sliding it in between my skin and the band of my leggings for now.

“The Royale is a club, on the outside anyway. It also works as a headquarters for the Kings Movement,” Eryx says, looking at the bright red neon sign above the tall building in front of us. It was at least 10 stories tall and every inch of it shone with rippling colours of gold and crimson, “But, it’s best we head inside. King can explain it all in more detail and also how you two fit into it.”

Zero and I followed silently, with help from the scary girl who had been observing everything, as we walked towards the bustling nightclub. A bouncer cast his gaze our way as we approached. The burly man nodded at Eryx, glancing curiously at myself and Zero, before stepping to the side and letting us through the large black doors.

Inside, everything was loud and overwhelming. It was muggy and hot inside and smoke swirled across the floor, mesmerizingly dancing around my ankles. It was dimly light and colours streaked across the space from lights attached around the massive room. It was crowded and the body heat from the masses of people only added to the warmth of the room compared to the briskness of outside. We only had a second to take everything in before Eryx started moving again, keeping to the outside of the crowd. Bodies grinded into each other and my eyes are drawn towards the crowd. A woman drags her fingers through a taller man’s hair, their bodies moving fluidly against each other. He bites down on her lip and she pulls him in closer. I look away and continue following Eryx, my hand catching onto Zeros sleeve so I don’t lose him in the crowd. 

We halted in front of a roped off area, waiting whilst Eryx chatted with the guard, laughing occasionally. I couldn't hear the conversation, but presuming by the way that the guard was eager to let us in, I assume that Eryx said all the right things. My leg was extremely heavy and I made my way up the few steps to the platform with great struggle. As I raised my head to look at my surroundings, a cold chamber was pressed against my forehead. Smirking eyes and a dangerous smile flashed behind the pistol as a mans finger tapped gently against the trigger.

Eryx stood to the side and smiled as he spoke, "I would like you to meet King."