Demon_Child
02-26-2004, 5:40 AM
The first three chapters of my story will be released February 27, 2004. :) But until then, Enjoy Carnage's unfinished story, The Lost Angels.
Prologue
The young man who could be no more than 14 arose, not entirely of his own free will, from the bubbling, teal slime. Drops of sweat poured from his forehead and tears streamed from his eyes. Scientists scrambled to pull the dozens of suction cups from his chest and back. An oxygen tube was yanked from his throat and tight clips that kept his eyelids open were removed. He wasn't clothed when he came in and they didn't bother to cloth him as he was pulled from the tank and strapped to a steel table. He continued to cry. It was only a silent, gasping noise because of an implant that silenced his voice for safety reasons. The scientists injected the same chemicals and took the same recordings on his blood pressure, heart rate, and pulse.
However, unlike the many procedures before today, something unexpected happened...
The young man began to convulse and shake in such a way that the scientists looked across the table to each other in bewilderment. Suddenly, his right arm ripped free of the strap holding it to the table. With lightning speed, it broke through the rib cage of the closest man. Before he even hit the floor, the young man was free from the table and forcing another scientist to the ground. He slammed the full-grown man's skull to the floor over and over, actually cracking it. As all this was going on, the remaining scientists scrambled from the windowless, sterile room and slammed the titanium door behind them. The child threw his current victim like a rag doll against the closest wall and made for the door. He pounded it with his fists until they bled. Then, he touched the lump in his throat and gasped. He sobbed in silence, covering his pale face as the tears came again.
Not much time passed before security entered the room. Covered in full armor and armed with high voltage "cattle" prods, they subdued the boy and injected him with enough sedatives to put down a dozen men. As they carried his limp body from the room, one of the scientists approached a computer panel still caked with blood from one of his colleagues. He entered new data in the log.
Log Entry #349302
Date: 3940 A.T.P.
Experiment #120 has had some unexpected results. Subject #21[Codename: Satsurikutenshi] has reached a new stage. The injections of adrenaline have helped to speed the development of the test DNA. Of all the 30 subjects, only subject #21 and subject #14 have survived the experiments. They are dramatically different in "talent", but nearly identical in appearance. The Organization will not be pleased to know only 2 of 30 Homo Sapien Plurimi specimens will be joining their midst in 3 months, but results are results.
Studying his entry with five eyes, he took a handkerchief from his right shirt pocket and wiped blood from the [Enter] key with one of his seven hands.
Genetics Specialist
X. Velrinox
I.D. #48390584e
Satsurikutenshi awoke in his cell. The padded walls were strong enough to contain him, but also designed to keep him from committing suicide. The entire room was monitored from every point with security cameras smaller than the fleas of Earth. He slumped in the corner and cried. The sedatives gave him an unimaginable headache, but he was still strong enough to hear the one thing that kept him sane. From the air vent in the ceiling so high above came the voice of the only other person he had grown to love; his brother Shinitenshi.
Shinitenshi- They treat you well, brother?
Being unable to "talk" for so long, the two had developed a system not unlike Morse code. The steady rapping came in reply.
Satsurikutenshi- Is the tire kind to road kill?
The resulting sound warmed Satsurikutenshi's heart. His brother's laugh always cheered him up when he was depressed. He wished he could laugh more than anything else at that point, but it wasn't possible. Instead, he smiled his toothy smile. Behind the young man's smile was the mind of a genius unlike any human being. His I.Q. was once found to be 780. It was like an ancient being in the body of a boy. He appeared to be no more than 14, but was actually 2 years old. Some of the crueler scientists like to make fun of his brother and him for that, comparing them to dogs. Satsurikutenshi despised them for that.
The two brothers continued to talk of their day. They only needed to sleep about 4 hours a day, so the scientists made sure to take advantage of that by testing them as much as possible. Anyway, it seemed Shinitenshi had an accident that day as well. As the scientists put him through the usual routine of experiments, he grabbed his temples and wailed. The steel walls of the testing room cracked and the carbon tables splintered. Three of the scientists fell into coma-like states. Unlike his brother, Shinitenshi stayed in his chair after the ordeal, weeping silently to himself, knowing that severe punishment was coming. So it did. With great sadness, he felt the bruises around his neck and the needle hole in his arm.
As the lights went out and the scheduled 4 hours of sleep began, Shinitenshi moved his cot quickly and put his hand in the air duct joining in the two cells. It took several seconds for the cameras to switch to night vision, so his brother and him did this every time it happened. Satsurikutenshi leapt from the floor of his cell and managed two hands through the duct. Then, he held on easily with one hand while the other hand took his brother's. Their fingers and thumbs grasped to become an oddly shaped ball.
Shinitenshi- *saying what he had said so many times before* Goodnight... brother.
Satsurikutenshi squeezed tightly in reply and dropped to the floor of his cell. He sprawled on the floor and was soon asleep. Shinitenshi, on the other hand, slept in his cot in the blank room he had come to call his sanctuary, but not his home. While Satsurikutenshi slept, Shinitenshi stayed awake longer. He saw images in his head of what life would be once his brother and him found a way to escape that horrible place. He saw liquid like the kind the scientists pumped into their veins, but different. It was clear and sort of reflecting like the computer monitors of the testing rooms. He had never seen water or a beach, but there it was in his mind. It stretched on forever. An endless beach with the great sea beyond. Then, he saw something that only appeared in his mind occasionally. Fields of green plants he would later know as grass and moving collections of water he would later know as rivers. With eyes closed tightly, he held up his hands as if to grab the scenery. Finally, he said the word he said every night just before sleep but was never taught by his cruel masters. It was the one word he knew and guarded in his heart.
"Home."
Chapter 1
Shinitenshi stirred his coffee with a straw, watching the ripples. He wore a black cassock style coat down to his ankles with a hood that covered his eyes and ears. He wasn't really aware of his surroundings at the time, but right then another patron of the bar was tapping him on his shoulder. Shinitenshi slowly turned with half interest.
"-said did you hear me, buddy?" asked an unfamiliar species of alien. It was times like these that made Shinitenshi regret keeping that universal translator that was implanted in his eardrum. The alien was six foot, easily, with a rough, emerald carapace. Four crab-like arms emerged from the right side of his body while one massive wing from his left rested lazily on the counter. Two giant bug-like eyes simultaneously looked Shinitenshi over, scoped the room, and saw down the other end of the bar. Shinitenshi realized why this creature was pestering him.
Alien- "I said I'm out of money. Can you buy me a drink, friend?"
Shinitenshi knew how to deal with the situation. With a slight thought, a bottle lifted from a shelf and floated to the other side of the counter. It set down right in front of the alien. Shinitenshi motioned with his head and the alien turned.
Alien- "What the-?"
Although suspicious, the alien was certainly grateful for the drink, wherever it may have come from. He drank straight from the bottle with content. Shinitenshi went back to his coffee, which was now cold. He stood up from his stool and headed for the exit, having already paid for his drink.
Shinitenshi gazed up at the blue sky as he walked through the urban city.
Shinitenshi- “Mars is so beautiful this time of year…” He thought to himself.
All around him, hundreds of different aliens bartered and traded goods to one another. He saw produce stands, jewelry, and a watch salesman, but he wasn’t there to visit the marketplace. He had business to take care of. Not before long, he arrived at the rendezvous point a few miles outside of town.
Three beings greeted him. Each of them were slightly humanoid in appearance, but with three eyes and razor sharp teeth. Their arms and legs were out of proportion to their bodies like grasshoppers. They all wore clothing similar to business suits. The only real difference between them was one carried a suitcase. Shinitenshi nodded to him, then held a device shaped like a guitar pick to his throat.
Shinitenshi- *in the alien’s language* “Do you have my pay, Slim?” Shinitenshi knew it was a code name, but used it anyway.
Slim- “These were not easy to come by…” He opened the suitcase and displayed Shinitenshi’s payment. “Do you have what we want?”
Shinitenshi nodded and pulled a small, black jar from his coat. He tossed it to one of the beings, which caught it. He glared at Shinitenshi who had on a poker face, but laughed on the inside.
Slim- “We’ll have to verify it of course.”
Shinitenshi- “Can’t say that doesn’t hurt my feelings.” He smirked.
The alien to Slim’s right pulled a small instrument like an ice cream scoop from his suit pocket while the other pulled the lid off the jar. He dumped the contents of the jar into his hand; two eyeballs. Each one was checked with the ice cream scoop device.
Slim- “Confirmation?”
The one to his left nodded in disbelief.
Slim- “Unbelievable. How did you manage to kill that bastard Tansarix?”
Shinitenshi- “I have my ways.” He picked up his suitcase. “Good day, gentleman.”
A second later, Shinitenshi drew a sword from the sheath on his right and sliced the air. Green blood splattered the ground and a thud was heard. He bent down and covered the invisible assassin with red dirt.
Shinitenshi- “Why try to kill a bounty hunter?” He turned and glared at the three creatures who only drew pistols in reply. In an instant, they were all crushed to scrap metal in their hands.
Slim- “What are you?!”
As he walked towards them Slim’s friends ran far and fast but their leader found his legs were like concrete. Shinitenshi grabbed the collar of his suit with one hand and lifted him off his feet.
Shinitenshi- “Who wants me dead?”
Slim- “I won’t tell you anything. They’d kill me.”
Shinitenshi- “And what makes you think I won’t?” He drew his sword.
Slim- “You don’t have the nerve…”
Shinitenshi- “You’re right.” He turned his blade to the flat side and smacked Slim hard in the forehead, knocking him out. “We’re going for a little trip, friend.” He slung him over his shoulder and headed back for the city.
Far away…
“Is everything ready?” Asked a voice in the darkness.
“Yes.” Came the reply. “We will give him the assignment. His friend is delivering it as we speak.”
“Excellent. Does the Organization know of our activities?”
“No.”
“What about the Ur-Quan?”
“…no.”
“You hesitated… What are you not telling me, son?”
“Father. It’s just that. I’m afraid. Will this work?”
“Of course it will. Don’t worry at all about that. Make sure the others are well compensated. They mustn’t say anything to the outsiders.”
“I will, Father. May I go?”
“Yes. Depart from my midst, but know that I am watching you.”
The smaller being ascended from the darkness while his creator turned back to the rotating sphere of screens.
“Come, bounty hunters. Catch that beast for me and I will make your dreams come true…”
Back in Maxinucia, the capital city of Mars.
“Slim” sat strapped in the chair of a cheap hotel. Only one light fell on his face as he awoke. The dank room stank of space insect dung and liquor. Shinitenshi didn’t seem bothered by it in the least as he approached him again and poured boiling water on his face. Slim screamed into his mouth gag.
Shinitenshi- “Are you ready to talk?”
Slim finally nodded painfully. Shinitenshi ripped the gag from his mouth.
Slim- “N-n-n…” A knock at the door made Shinitenshi gag him again and turn towards the door with his hand on his sword.
Shinitenshi- “Who’s there?”
Dark Roy- “It’s me, man. Open up.”
Shinitenshi opened the door and greeted his old friend Dark Roy. His real name was Roy, but he liked the nickname. He wore a black t-shirt under an armor vest. Two laser pistols were in the holsters attached to his blue jeans. Roy was from Earth, which had been repopulated by cloned humans almost 1000 years after its destruction from unknown reasons. Roy and Shinitenshi were possibly the only humans on Mars at the time. Roy wasn’t a very neat partner, but his accuracy and interesting conversation topics kept Shinitenshi amused. He set some fast food on the dirty table of the room and opened the bag. He was halfway through his sandwich before he noticed their guest.
Dark Roy- “Who’s that?”
Shinitenshi- “Ha. Not really quick today, are you Roy? This guy’s going to tell me who’s after my head.”
Dark Roy- “Headhunters? That sucks.” He took a long sip from his drink, then pulled a dagger from a holder on his ankle and whipped it at Slim’s forehead.
Shinitenshi- “What the hell did you do that for?!”
Dark Roy- “You were honestly going to believe that asshole? He would’ve just led us into a death trap or told us enough bullshit just to get free. I say we just get off this red dirt ball and head for our next pay off. Look, I got this print out from the local law and… oh, what is it now?”
Shinitenshi stood over the body of Slim. He felt around his neck and finally pulled a small pin from under his suit collar. Shinitenshi held it up for Roy to see. The door began to crack as a battering ram slammed against it.
Dark Roy- “Shit!” He jumped from his seat and drew his pistols. The sides filled with electrical blue fluid as they charged.
A second later, the door came down.
Chapter 2
In a small town 10 miles from Maxinucia, Mars...
In a local pub, five men gathered around a table covered with playing cards. Each had his share of liquor, but one in particular, Samson, had become a little too friendly with the waitress, Diane, who bought the drinks.
Diane- "Will that be all?"
Samson- "Nope."
He pulled her from her feet and into his arms, forcing a kiss on her. She struggled while the other men at the table laughed. Everyone in the bar was disgusted, save for one man. He sat in a dark corner, chewing on a toothpick. He had been silent for nearly two days now. He bothered no one and requested no service until this point. Rising from the table, the dark haired man wore a faded grey coat. Underneath he wore a silver breastplate along with a pair of old jeans in a strange match. In a quiet, yet reasonable voice, he spoke.
"Let her go…”
Although the man meant well, the five men at the table were scoundrels and would even shoot children who annoyed them. Their leader, still holding the terrified and crying waitress, walked over to the man in the grey coat. Throwing down the waitress and pulling a knife from his vest, he provoked the man in grey.
"Would you rather take her place?!"
The calm man didn't reply, but only turned and headed back towards his corner. Infuriated by this disrespectful act, Samson prepared to drive the knife into his back. Just as he was about to do it, the man in grey turned around and spoke. No. He didn't speak. He sang and the man dropped his knife.
Those in the bar who would survive what was to come would call it the most beautiful sound they had ever heard. It brought people to tears, even the scoundrels from the card table. It was in a divine tongue that no one knew, but only envied. The words themselves seemed to have been conceived only to pass from the lips of the man before them.
As soon as everyone was lost in the tranquil sound... it changed. Like the shrieks of a thousand bats, the buzzing of a million flies, and the wails that could've echoed off the walls of Hell itself, the following ode of misery moved throughout the bar. It consumed Samson like a twister of dark energy and its true nature revealed itself. The space around the poor fool seemed to become a speeding movie. Dust covered him from head to toe as he aged rapidly. Wrinkles covered his face and body. As he opened his mouth to scream, the skin peeled back from the bone until he was a skeleton and then his entire body disintegrated into dust. The song over, the man in the grey coat smiled at the horrified waitress and bent down next to her.
“May I be so bold as to inquire your name, miss?”
“D-d-diane...”
“Diane… pleased to meet your acquaintance.” He kissed her hand. “Sorry about the mess.” He smiled a toothy smile and made his way for the exit unhindered.
Crawling slowly towards the spot where the Samson stood, Diane saw the perfect circle of dust covering the floor, the remains of the man, and his clothing, which feel to pieces in her hands.
Outside, the man in grey picked a cactus-like flower from the red soil and smelled it, and then he headed towards Maxinucia. He sang softly, but not in his lethal voice.
“Angel of mind, matter, and fate. Making reality bend until it splits. Will your pure heart be consumed by hate? Blowing every single mind into bits.”
Back in Maxinucia…
As the hotel door hit the floor, it bounced back up and sent the officer with the battering ram through the wall outside. Shinitenshi willed it to happen. Dark Roy grabbed his bag of food and headed for the window by running backwards.
“Time to go, Shini!”
He smashed through he window and went into a free fall from the ninety-seventh floor. Shinitenshi soon followed, but picked up his suitcase and the print out Dark Roy left just as the back-up officers opened fire and destroyed most of the room. Shinitenshi fell straight down headfirst. He caught a glimpse of Dark Roy activating his jetpack and stopping just in time to land safely on the ground. He used his own telekinesis to lift himself in midair and set himself down on the ground. The two proceeded to run like mad men through the streets.
“Where the hell are we going?!” Dark Roy asked.
Shinitenshi pulled the print out from his pocket and stopped dead in his tracks. Dark Roy nearly tripped when he stopped almost with him.
“Shini? What’s wrong, dude?” He asked.
Shinitenshi glanced at the print out and as he did, he felt faint and stumbled backwards until he fell onto a table of an outside diner. He blacked out just as Dark Roy yelled.
Shinitenshi woke up in his bed. A very angry officer grabbed his throat and pulled him from the bunk.
“You shit faced fucker!” He yelled and struck Shinitenshi across the mouth. “Do you know how deep the shit you are in is!?” Before he could answer, he was being handcuffed and dragged through a dark hall. A door opened and he saw only darkness. Suddenly, lights came on the ground and revealed the landing pad for terrestrial aircrafts. It went out in a semi-circle from the main building. It was raining sheets outside as he was dragged to the middle of the pad where about a dozen other officers were gathered around… something. They all kicked and beat whatever it was until it was almost completely black and blue. Then, Shinitenshi saw what it was.
Satsurikutenshi was whimpering as the men around him laughed hysterically. He was also handcuffed; his hands behind his back. He shook his head as all the men but one walked away from his tortured and bruised body and headed for where Shinitenshi stared with eyes already filling with tears.
“Didn’t you get the message, boy?” Asked the officer that brought him to this horrible place. “Only humans allowed. Not freaks of nature!”
They began to beat him mercilessly. He couldn’t even defend himself as their feet stomped his nose and kicked his ribs. Though all around him were screams of hate, he heard a faint sound almost a million miles away.
CRACK
Followed by a scream. The men stopped momentarily as they turned away from Shinitenshi. The next thing he knew, they were all screaming shouts of surprise and fear. Mostly fear. They fell around him. He saw one hit the ground with a smaller figure on top of him. He could only make out the distinct shape of fists hitting an oval and making wet noises as blood splattered all over the pad. As he was blacking out, he felt gentle, but strong hands lifting him up. The smell of blood was everywhere. He heard one last thing before he completely passed out. It was a soft voice filled with so much sadness.
“It’s okay, Shini. It’s okay. They won’t hurt you anymore. I promise I…”
Shinitenshi woke up to see Dark Roy shaking his shoulders. He raised a hand in protest.
“Stop it.” He said.
“Okay. Are you alright? You took a pretty bad spill outside.”
“Outside?”
“Yeah. I brought you to the ship.”
“I’ll be okay… just thirsty.”
“I’ll get you some H20. Hold tight.”
Shinitenshi recognized the ship Dark Roy and him went in on together. It was mainly a cargo area, a two-seat cockpit, a resting area, and a toilet. Shinitenshi was currently lying in his cot beneath Dark Roy’s in the resting area. He saw his coat hanging from a hook on the wall. He also noticed the print out lying on his thin, white blanket. He picked up the sheet and read the first part; a news article. A picture of a planet, which caused Shinitenshi to pass out unexpectedly, was above a paragraph. He still didn’t know why he slipped into his memories like that.
“Special Delivery
At 2pm on Krelgi (August) 9th, the space shuttle Goliath was reported crashed on the junkyard planet of Earth. The crew was en route to the space station Atlantis 12 to deliver top secret cargo. Ur Quan investigators have no leads as to the location of the crash site and…”
The rest had been cut off. In cursive writing beneath it, someone wrote…
“Find the cargo and bring it to us at these coordinates. You’ll be awarded handsomely and much, much more.”
There were the coordinates, but no signature. Dark Roy stood in the doorway with a glass of water.
“What do you think?”
“About what?” Shinitenshi asked.
“The job. Should we take it?”
“Who gave you this?”
“Well, that’s kind of a good question. I actually stole it from this asshole mercenary who cheated me out of poker money. I took it from his coat pocket after I knocked his ass out with a bottle.”
Shinitenshi just shook smirked and shook his head as Roy started laughing.
“I say we have a plan.”
He rose from the cot in his plain, white shirt and headed for the cockpit. He swiped the glass of water and chugged it.
“You fill up the gas?” Shini asked almost accusingly.
“Fuck you. Do you even have to ask? You don’t have much confidence in me, do you?” Dark Roy laughed.
“Sit your ass down and buckle up.” Shinitenshi started the ship’s engine and it accelerated, sped along the ground, lifted its nose up, and exploded into the atmosphere.
“Wooooooooooooo-fucking-hoooooooooooo!!! Yee-haw! Damn! I never get tired of that! This baby’s engine rocks!” Dark Roy carried on, but Shinitenshi just smirked and continued piloting. He set the coordinates for Earth and they were on their way.
“Want your burger?” Roy asked as he held up the fast food bag.
Chapter 3
Shinitenshi awoke just as the autopilot was signaling the approach of Earth. He unbuckled his harness and shook Roy who sat snoring in the seat next to his.
“Wake up. We’re almost there.” He said.
When that didn’t work, Shinitenshi took the water he was drinking and splashed it on Roy’s face.
“Pffft!” Dark Roy spat as he awoke. “What the hell!?”
“We’re almost there.” Shinitenshi replied.
“Nice.” Dark Roy grudgingly said. “I was just getting used to having water splashed on me.”
“Get your ass in the back and ready the weapons. We might encounter hostile life forms or natives.” Shinitenshi ordered.
“Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.” Dark Roy set out into the back of the ship and opened the way to the cargo area. He stumbled and nearly fell flat on his face when the ship made a quick jerk.
“Sorry.” Shinitenshi said while trying to keep from laughing.
“The hell you are…” Dark Roy said as he opened the compartment containing his laser weaponry and ammunition. He also picked up some flashlights and body armor, putting them all in a black bag. He heard something strange and began to look farther into the cargo area, but Shinitenshi called him back. He wrote it off as the creaks and moans of an old ship.
A few minutes later, they were entering the atmosphere of Earth at 160 mph.
“Slow it down or we’ll crash just like that other ship!” Roy yelled as he held onto his harness.
Shinitenshi pulled back on the thrust and the ship began to slow. So far, they saw only clouds through the cockpit window, but now something else came into view.
“Oh…” Roy started.
The ship hit an ocean of black, putrid water.
“Shiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiit!!!” Dark Roy screamed as they descended through the darkness. Shinitenshi had a panicked look on his face as he desperately tried to slow the ship down before they found themselves dead. He flicked on the headlights.
“Pull up!!!” Roy yelled as they almost hit a rock formation. He reached over and took control of the ship. It banked upwards at a ninety-degree incline. Soon, it burst from the murky depths and flew into a forest of trash. Thousands of destroyed ships and machinery littered the ground as they skidded along hauls and smashed off the review mirrors of some older models. Finally, they exited the junkyard and crashed into the ground. Screeching noises filled the cockpit as the two screamed simultaneously. They looked at each other, then back out the cockpit window, moments before slamming headfirst into a small tree and blowing it to pieces. Somehow it stopped them. Strange, scaled birds flew away from the crash site while inside the cockpit Shinitenshi and Roy lifted their heads. Still gasping from all the screaming, they were speechless, but a moment later Roy smiled his trademark jackass smile and yelled, “That was fucking sweet!”
“You are such a child sometimes…” Shinitenshi said as he pulled himself out of his harness and accessed the ship’s computer.
“You have to admit that was fun.” Dark Roy had to struggle out of his harness and pick up the bag of supplies off the floor behind his seat.
“Over 43% of the haul is damaged…” Shinitenshi replied grimly.
“Best ride of my life, I swear.” Dark Roy slipped into his battle armor. It fitted like a police vest around his chest. He slid an energy rifle into a holster on his back and two energy pistols into holsters on his belt.
“We blew out one of the engines…” Shinitenshi continued before shutting off the engine and pressing more buttons on the computer panel. The small retractable monitor was lit up with warnings and alerts.
“Think there’s a concession stand around here?” Roy joked. “Damn. I could go for some fried chicken or maybe a gyro. (He pronounced it jy-row)” He said as he loaded cartridges into his weapons and clipped grenades onto his belt.
“Are you even listening?” Shinitenshi turned very annoyed. He already shut off the computer to conserve power.
“Yeah. We’re hopelessly stranded and if we don’t find a local colony or some other form of civilization, we’re basically doomed to starvation or death by dehydration. Have you seen that water? Shi-it. You couldn’t drink that if it went through a million filters of…” Dark Roy stopped when he saw Shinitenshi raise his finger to signal “Silence.” He already had his cassock style coat on and his sword was already drawn. Dark Roy walked up to him and saw what he was looking at. Outside the window was a lone figure in a grey coat. He must have seen the accident and now was staring directly into the cockpit of the ship. Dark Roy raised his right hand and wiggled his fingers.
“Hi.” He said.
The figure darted towards the ship, running at great speed. He leaped into the air and a second later there was a loud clang on the ship’s roof. Shinitenshi nodded to Dark Roy, who nodded back in agreement. The two ran out the ship’s side door as Shinitenshi unlocked it and pushed it open. They both turned towards the roof in time to see the figure leap again and come flying towards Dark Roy.
“Who or what the fuck is that!?” Roy exclaimed.
Shinitenshi recognized him.
“Get down!!!” Shinitenshi pushed Roy with his mind and sent him into a bush. He then readied his sword and steadied his mind. The figure collided with him and the two went tumbling along the ground. Shinitenshi was the first to get up and swing his sword, only to have it connect with the enemy’s identical, save for the markings, sword.
They stared into each other’s eyes, studying each other’s movements and breathing. After what seemed an eternity, the figure in grey spoke.
“Hello, Shini. Long time. No see. How’s it been?” Satsurikutenshi asked.
“How did you know we were coming here, Sat?” Shinitenshi asked.
“You know… you and your friend should look your ship over more carefully before leaving a planet. You never know if a stowaway is on board…” Satsurikutenshi replied.
“Bullshit.” Came Shinitenshi’s reply.
“I see your vocabulary hasn’t improved much.” Satsurikutenshi snickered. “Let’s see if your skill with that sword has!”
The two began to fight ferociously and with incredible speed. Each countering each other’s swings and stabs over and over again. Sat did a backwards leap over Shini and swung his sword at his neck, only to have it blocked.
“You were always a good student, weren’t you?” Sat asked with a grin.
“I had a good teacher.” Shini replied with a stone face.
“Too bad it wasn’t me…” Sat replied.
“I could teach you a thing or two.” Shini smiled.
Satsurikutenshi’s face began red with rage as he screamed in reply. His attacks came with more power and speed. In a few seconds, Shinitenshi knocked his sword from his hands and had the tip to his neck.
“You may have been a good student.” Satsurikutenshi said, then he kicked the sword from Shini’s hand and grabbed him by the neck. Lifting him up with one hand, he wore a huge smile. “But school’s out.”
Before Shinitenshi’s eyes, his brother’s other hand vanished into his coat sleeve. A gurgle of noise came from the dark hole seconds before a very different appendage emerged. Metallic silver with pulsating veins of black, the spiked stump contorted and shaped itself before Shini’s very eyes until it became a spiked club of flesh and metal bone. Satsurikutenshi smiled as he pulled it back, preparing to swing it and crush Shini’s skull into pulp.
“Drop him!” Dark Roy yelled, aiming his rifle at Sat’s back.
“Or what?!” Sat growled.
Dark Roy fired the rifle and the resulting explosion of energy sent him stumbling back. The green fire hit Satsurikutenshi, burned through his coat, and ignited his flesh, causing him to drop Shinitenshi and howl in pain. Shini used all his power to send Sat flying into the air like a boy would flick a bug. His brother landed in the mud more than twenty meters away with a loud and wet thud.
“Who was that?” Roy asked. “And more important, why the hell did you send me into a bush!?”
Shinitenshi stared at him with great concern.
“We have to get away from of here.” He said slowly.
“Why? You saw. He’s toast. I wasted him.” Roy said.
“No. You don’t understand. He’s regenerating right now and will be coming back this way in no time. Come on. If we hurry, we can power the ship just enough to get to the coordinates.” Shinitenshi said as he picked up both swords and headed into the ship.
Dark Roy soon followed. As the ship took off with great effort on Shinitenshi’s part, it blasted across the barren wasteland and was on its way to the coordinates. In a short time though, Shinitenshi spotted the remains of the Goliath and they set down to investigate.
Prologue
The young man who could be no more than 14 arose, not entirely of his own free will, from the bubbling, teal slime. Drops of sweat poured from his forehead and tears streamed from his eyes. Scientists scrambled to pull the dozens of suction cups from his chest and back. An oxygen tube was yanked from his throat and tight clips that kept his eyelids open were removed. He wasn't clothed when he came in and they didn't bother to cloth him as he was pulled from the tank and strapped to a steel table. He continued to cry. It was only a silent, gasping noise because of an implant that silenced his voice for safety reasons. The scientists injected the same chemicals and took the same recordings on his blood pressure, heart rate, and pulse.
However, unlike the many procedures before today, something unexpected happened...
The young man began to convulse and shake in such a way that the scientists looked across the table to each other in bewilderment. Suddenly, his right arm ripped free of the strap holding it to the table. With lightning speed, it broke through the rib cage of the closest man. Before he even hit the floor, the young man was free from the table and forcing another scientist to the ground. He slammed the full-grown man's skull to the floor over and over, actually cracking it. As all this was going on, the remaining scientists scrambled from the windowless, sterile room and slammed the titanium door behind them. The child threw his current victim like a rag doll against the closest wall and made for the door. He pounded it with his fists until they bled. Then, he touched the lump in his throat and gasped. He sobbed in silence, covering his pale face as the tears came again.
Not much time passed before security entered the room. Covered in full armor and armed with high voltage "cattle" prods, they subdued the boy and injected him with enough sedatives to put down a dozen men. As they carried his limp body from the room, one of the scientists approached a computer panel still caked with blood from one of his colleagues. He entered new data in the log.
Log Entry #349302
Date: 3940 A.T.P.
Experiment #120 has had some unexpected results. Subject #21[Codename: Satsurikutenshi] has reached a new stage. The injections of adrenaline have helped to speed the development of the test DNA. Of all the 30 subjects, only subject #21 and subject #14 have survived the experiments. They are dramatically different in "talent", but nearly identical in appearance. The Organization will not be pleased to know only 2 of 30 Homo Sapien Plurimi specimens will be joining their midst in 3 months, but results are results.
Studying his entry with five eyes, he took a handkerchief from his right shirt pocket and wiped blood from the [Enter] key with one of his seven hands.
Genetics Specialist
X. Velrinox
I.D. #48390584e
Satsurikutenshi awoke in his cell. The padded walls were strong enough to contain him, but also designed to keep him from committing suicide. The entire room was monitored from every point with security cameras smaller than the fleas of Earth. He slumped in the corner and cried. The sedatives gave him an unimaginable headache, but he was still strong enough to hear the one thing that kept him sane. From the air vent in the ceiling so high above came the voice of the only other person he had grown to love; his brother Shinitenshi.
Shinitenshi- They treat you well, brother?
Being unable to "talk" for so long, the two had developed a system not unlike Morse code. The steady rapping came in reply.
Satsurikutenshi- Is the tire kind to road kill?
The resulting sound warmed Satsurikutenshi's heart. His brother's laugh always cheered him up when he was depressed. He wished he could laugh more than anything else at that point, but it wasn't possible. Instead, he smiled his toothy smile. Behind the young man's smile was the mind of a genius unlike any human being. His I.Q. was once found to be 780. It was like an ancient being in the body of a boy. He appeared to be no more than 14, but was actually 2 years old. Some of the crueler scientists like to make fun of his brother and him for that, comparing them to dogs. Satsurikutenshi despised them for that.
The two brothers continued to talk of their day. They only needed to sleep about 4 hours a day, so the scientists made sure to take advantage of that by testing them as much as possible. Anyway, it seemed Shinitenshi had an accident that day as well. As the scientists put him through the usual routine of experiments, he grabbed his temples and wailed. The steel walls of the testing room cracked and the carbon tables splintered. Three of the scientists fell into coma-like states. Unlike his brother, Shinitenshi stayed in his chair after the ordeal, weeping silently to himself, knowing that severe punishment was coming. So it did. With great sadness, he felt the bruises around his neck and the needle hole in his arm.
As the lights went out and the scheduled 4 hours of sleep began, Shinitenshi moved his cot quickly and put his hand in the air duct joining in the two cells. It took several seconds for the cameras to switch to night vision, so his brother and him did this every time it happened. Satsurikutenshi leapt from the floor of his cell and managed two hands through the duct. Then, he held on easily with one hand while the other hand took his brother's. Their fingers and thumbs grasped to become an oddly shaped ball.
Shinitenshi- *saying what he had said so many times before* Goodnight... brother.
Satsurikutenshi squeezed tightly in reply and dropped to the floor of his cell. He sprawled on the floor and was soon asleep. Shinitenshi, on the other hand, slept in his cot in the blank room he had come to call his sanctuary, but not his home. While Satsurikutenshi slept, Shinitenshi stayed awake longer. He saw images in his head of what life would be once his brother and him found a way to escape that horrible place. He saw liquid like the kind the scientists pumped into their veins, but different. It was clear and sort of reflecting like the computer monitors of the testing rooms. He had never seen water or a beach, but there it was in his mind. It stretched on forever. An endless beach with the great sea beyond. Then, he saw something that only appeared in his mind occasionally. Fields of green plants he would later know as grass and moving collections of water he would later know as rivers. With eyes closed tightly, he held up his hands as if to grab the scenery. Finally, he said the word he said every night just before sleep but was never taught by his cruel masters. It was the one word he knew and guarded in his heart.
"Home."
Chapter 1
Shinitenshi stirred his coffee with a straw, watching the ripples. He wore a black cassock style coat down to his ankles with a hood that covered his eyes and ears. He wasn't really aware of his surroundings at the time, but right then another patron of the bar was tapping him on his shoulder. Shinitenshi slowly turned with half interest.
"-said did you hear me, buddy?" asked an unfamiliar species of alien. It was times like these that made Shinitenshi regret keeping that universal translator that was implanted in his eardrum. The alien was six foot, easily, with a rough, emerald carapace. Four crab-like arms emerged from the right side of his body while one massive wing from his left rested lazily on the counter. Two giant bug-like eyes simultaneously looked Shinitenshi over, scoped the room, and saw down the other end of the bar. Shinitenshi realized why this creature was pestering him.
Alien- "I said I'm out of money. Can you buy me a drink, friend?"
Shinitenshi knew how to deal with the situation. With a slight thought, a bottle lifted from a shelf and floated to the other side of the counter. It set down right in front of the alien. Shinitenshi motioned with his head and the alien turned.
Alien- "What the-?"
Although suspicious, the alien was certainly grateful for the drink, wherever it may have come from. He drank straight from the bottle with content. Shinitenshi went back to his coffee, which was now cold. He stood up from his stool and headed for the exit, having already paid for his drink.
Shinitenshi gazed up at the blue sky as he walked through the urban city.
Shinitenshi- “Mars is so beautiful this time of year…” He thought to himself.
All around him, hundreds of different aliens bartered and traded goods to one another. He saw produce stands, jewelry, and a watch salesman, but he wasn’t there to visit the marketplace. He had business to take care of. Not before long, he arrived at the rendezvous point a few miles outside of town.
Three beings greeted him. Each of them were slightly humanoid in appearance, but with three eyes and razor sharp teeth. Their arms and legs were out of proportion to their bodies like grasshoppers. They all wore clothing similar to business suits. The only real difference between them was one carried a suitcase. Shinitenshi nodded to him, then held a device shaped like a guitar pick to his throat.
Shinitenshi- *in the alien’s language* “Do you have my pay, Slim?” Shinitenshi knew it was a code name, but used it anyway.
Slim- “These were not easy to come by…” He opened the suitcase and displayed Shinitenshi’s payment. “Do you have what we want?”
Shinitenshi nodded and pulled a small, black jar from his coat. He tossed it to one of the beings, which caught it. He glared at Shinitenshi who had on a poker face, but laughed on the inside.
Slim- “We’ll have to verify it of course.”
Shinitenshi- “Can’t say that doesn’t hurt my feelings.” He smirked.
The alien to Slim’s right pulled a small instrument like an ice cream scoop from his suit pocket while the other pulled the lid off the jar. He dumped the contents of the jar into his hand; two eyeballs. Each one was checked with the ice cream scoop device.
Slim- “Confirmation?”
The one to his left nodded in disbelief.
Slim- “Unbelievable. How did you manage to kill that bastard Tansarix?”
Shinitenshi- “I have my ways.” He picked up his suitcase. “Good day, gentleman.”
A second later, Shinitenshi drew a sword from the sheath on his right and sliced the air. Green blood splattered the ground and a thud was heard. He bent down and covered the invisible assassin with red dirt.
Shinitenshi- “Why try to kill a bounty hunter?” He turned and glared at the three creatures who only drew pistols in reply. In an instant, they were all crushed to scrap metal in their hands.
Slim- “What are you?!”
As he walked towards them Slim’s friends ran far and fast but their leader found his legs were like concrete. Shinitenshi grabbed the collar of his suit with one hand and lifted him off his feet.
Shinitenshi- “Who wants me dead?”
Slim- “I won’t tell you anything. They’d kill me.”
Shinitenshi- “And what makes you think I won’t?” He drew his sword.
Slim- “You don’t have the nerve…”
Shinitenshi- “You’re right.” He turned his blade to the flat side and smacked Slim hard in the forehead, knocking him out. “We’re going for a little trip, friend.” He slung him over his shoulder and headed back for the city.
Far away…
“Is everything ready?” Asked a voice in the darkness.
“Yes.” Came the reply. “We will give him the assignment. His friend is delivering it as we speak.”
“Excellent. Does the Organization know of our activities?”
“No.”
“What about the Ur-Quan?”
“…no.”
“You hesitated… What are you not telling me, son?”
“Father. It’s just that. I’m afraid. Will this work?”
“Of course it will. Don’t worry at all about that. Make sure the others are well compensated. They mustn’t say anything to the outsiders.”
“I will, Father. May I go?”
“Yes. Depart from my midst, but know that I am watching you.”
The smaller being ascended from the darkness while his creator turned back to the rotating sphere of screens.
“Come, bounty hunters. Catch that beast for me and I will make your dreams come true…”
Back in Maxinucia, the capital city of Mars.
“Slim” sat strapped in the chair of a cheap hotel. Only one light fell on his face as he awoke. The dank room stank of space insect dung and liquor. Shinitenshi didn’t seem bothered by it in the least as he approached him again and poured boiling water on his face. Slim screamed into his mouth gag.
Shinitenshi- “Are you ready to talk?”
Slim finally nodded painfully. Shinitenshi ripped the gag from his mouth.
Slim- “N-n-n…” A knock at the door made Shinitenshi gag him again and turn towards the door with his hand on his sword.
Shinitenshi- “Who’s there?”
Dark Roy- “It’s me, man. Open up.”
Shinitenshi opened the door and greeted his old friend Dark Roy. His real name was Roy, but he liked the nickname. He wore a black t-shirt under an armor vest. Two laser pistols were in the holsters attached to his blue jeans. Roy was from Earth, which had been repopulated by cloned humans almost 1000 years after its destruction from unknown reasons. Roy and Shinitenshi were possibly the only humans on Mars at the time. Roy wasn’t a very neat partner, but his accuracy and interesting conversation topics kept Shinitenshi amused. He set some fast food on the dirty table of the room and opened the bag. He was halfway through his sandwich before he noticed their guest.
Dark Roy- “Who’s that?”
Shinitenshi- “Ha. Not really quick today, are you Roy? This guy’s going to tell me who’s after my head.”
Dark Roy- “Headhunters? That sucks.” He took a long sip from his drink, then pulled a dagger from a holder on his ankle and whipped it at Slim’s forehead.
Shinitenshi- “What the hell did you do that for?!”
Dark Roy- “You were honestly going to believe that asshole? He would’ve just led us into a death trap or told us enough bullshit just to get free. I say we just get off this red dirt ball and head for our next pay off. Look, I got this print out from the local law and… oh, what is it now?”
Shinitenshi stood over the body of Slim. He felt around his neck and finally pulled a small pin from under his suit collar. Shinitenshi held it up for Roy to see. The door began to crack as a battering ram slammed against it.
Dark Roy- “Shit!” He jumped from his seat and drew his pistols. The sides filled with electrical blue fluid as they charged.
A second later, the door came down.
Chapter 2
In a small town 10 miles from Maxinucia, Mars...
In a local pub, five men gathered around a table covered with playing cards. Each had his share of liquor, but one in particular, Samson, had become a little too friendly with the waitress, Diane, who bought the drinks.
Diane- "Will that be all?"
Samson- "Nope."
He pulled her from her feet and into his arms, forcing a kiss on her. She struggled while the other men at the table laughed. Everyone in the bar was disgusted, save for one man. He sat in a dark corner, chewing on a toothpick. He had been silent for nearly two days now. He bothered no one and requested no service until this point. Rising from the table, the dark haired man wore a faded grey coat. Underneath he wore a silver breastplate along with a pair of old jeans in a strange match. In a quiet, yet reasonable voice, he spoke.
"Let her go…”
Although the man meant well, the five men at the table were scoundrels and would even shoot children who annoyed them. Their leader, still holding the terrified and crying waitress, walked over to the man in the grey coat. Throwing down the waitress and pulling a knife from his vest, he provoked the man in grey.
"Would you rather take her place?!"
The calm man didn't reply, but only turned and headed back towards his corner. Infuriated by this disrespectful act, Samson prepared to drive the knife into his back. Just as he was about to do it, the man in grey turned around and spoke. No. He didn't speak. He sang and the man dropped his knife.
Those in the bar who would survive what was to come would call it the most beautiful sound they had ever heard. It brought people to tears, even the scoundrels from the card table. It was in a divine tongue that no one knew, but only envied. The words themselves seemed to have been conceived only to pass from the lips of the man before them.
As soon as everyone was lost in the tranquil sound... it changed. Like the shrieks of a thousand bats, the buzzing of a million flies, and the wails that could've echoed off the walls of Hell itself, the following ode of misery moved throughout the bar. It consumed Samson like a twister of dark energy and its true nature revealed itself. The space around the poor fool seemed to become a speeding movie. Dust covered him from head to toe as he aged rapidly. Wrinkles covered his face and body. As he opened his mouth to scream, the skin peeled back from the bone until he was a skeleton and then his entire body disintegrated into dust. The song over, the man in the grey coat smiled at the horrified waitress and bent down next to her.
“May I be so bold as to inquire your name, miss?”
“D-d-diane...”
“Diane… pleased to meet your acquaintance.” He kissed her hand. “Sorry about the mess.” He smiled a toothy smile and made his way for the exit unhindered.
Crawling slowly towards the spot where the Samson stood, Diane saw the perfect circle of dust covering the floor, the remains of the man, and his clothing, which feel to pieces in her hands.
Outside, the man in grey picked a cactus-like flower from the red soil and smelled it, and then he headed towards Maxinucia. He sang softly, but not in his lethal voice.
“Angel of mind, matter, and fate. Making reality bend until it splits. Will your pure heart be consumed by hate? Blowing every single mind into bits.”
Back in Maxinucia…
As the hotel door hit the floor, it bounced back up and sent the officer with the battering ram through the wall outside. Shinitenshi willed it to happen. Dark Roy grabbed his bag of food and headed for the window by running backwards.
“Time to go, Shini!”
He smashed through he window and went into a free fall from the ninety-seventh floor. Shinitenshi soon followed, but picked up his suitcase and the print out Dark Roy left just as the back-up officers opened fire and destroyed most of the room. Shinitenshi fell straight down headfirst. He caught a glimpse of Dark Roy activating his jetpack and stopping just in time to land safely on the ground. He used his own telekinesis to lift himself in midair and set himself down on the ground. The two proceeded to run like mad men through the streets.
“Where the hell are we going?!” Dark Roy asked.
Shinitenshi pulled the print out from his pocket and stopped dead in his tracks. Dark Roy nearly tripped when he stopped almost with him.
“Shini? What’s wrong, dude?” He asked.
Shinitenshi glanced at the print out and as he did, he felt faint and stumbled backwards until he fell onto a table of an outside diner. He blacked out just as Dark Roy yelled.
Shinitenshi woke up in his bed. A very angry officer grabbed his throat and pulled him from the bunk.
“You shit faced fucker!” He yelled and struck Shinitenshi across the mouth. “Do you know how deep the shit you are in is!?” Before he could answer, he was being handcuffed and dragged through a dark hall. A door opened and he saw only darkness. Suddenly, lights came on the ground and revealed the landing pad for terrestrial aircrafts. It went out in a semi-circle from the main building. It was raining sheets outside as he was dragged to the middle of the pad where about a dozen other officers were gathered around… something. They all kicked and beat whatever it was until it was almost completely black and blue. Then, Shinitenshi saw what it was.
Satsurikutenshi was whimpering as the men around him laughed hysterically. He was also handcuffed; his hands behind his back. He shook his head as all the men but one walked away from his tortured and bruised body and headed for where Shinitenshi stared with eyes already filling with tears.
“Didn’t you get the message, boy?” Asked the officer that brought him to this horrible place. “Only humans allowed. Not freaks of nature!”
They began to beat him mercilessly. He couldn’t even defend himself as their feet stomped his nose and kicked his ribs. Though all around him were screams of hate, he heard a faint sound almost a million miles away.
CRACK
Followed by a scream. The men stopped momentarily as they turned away from Shinitenshi. The next thing he knew, they were all screaming shouts of surprise and fear. Mostly fear. They fell around him. He saw one hit the ground with a smaller figure on top of him. He could only make out the distinct shape of fists hitting an oval and making wet noises as blood splattered all over the pad. As he was blacking out, he felt gentle, but strong hands lifting him up. The smell of blood was everywhere. He heard one last thing before he completely passed out. It was a soft voice filled with so much sadness.
“It’s okay, Shini. It’s okay. They won’t hurt you anymore. I promise I…”
Shinitenshi woke up to see Dark Roy shaking his shoulders. He raised a hand in protest.
“Stop it.” He said.
“Okay. Are you alright? You took a pretty bad spill outside.”
“Outside?”
“Yeah. I brought you to the ship.”
“I’ll be okay… just thirsty.”
“I’ll get you some H20. Hold tight.”
Shinitenshi recognized the ship Dark Roy and him went in on together. It was mainly a cargo area, a two-seat cockpit, a resting area, and a toilet. Shinitenshi was currently lying in his cot beneath Dark Roy’s in the resting area. He saw his coat hanging from a hook on the wall. He also noticed the print out lying on his thin, white blanket. He picked up the sheet and read the first part; a news article. A picture of a planet, which caused Shinitenshi to pass out unexpectedly, was above a paragraph. He still didn’t know why he slipped into his memories like that.
“Special Delivery
At 2pm on Krelgi (August) 9th, the space shuttle Goliath was reported crashed on the junkyard planet of Earth. The crew was en route to the space station Atlantis 12 to deliver top secret cargo. Ur Quan investigators have no leads as to the location of the crash site and…”
The rest had been cut off. In cursive writing beneath it, someone wrote…
“Find the cargo and bring it to us at these coordinates. You’ll be awarded handsomely and much, much more.”
There were the coordinates, but no signature. Dark Roy stood in the doorway with a glass of water.
“What do you think?”
“About what?” Shinitenshi asked.
“The job. Should we take it?”
“Who gave you this?”
“Well, that’s kind of a good question. I actually stole it from this asshole mercenary who cheated me out of poker money. I took it from his coat pocket after I knocked his ass out with a bottle.”
Shinitenshi just shook smirked and shook his head as Roy started laughing.
“I say we have a plan.”
He rose from the cot in his plain, white shirt and headed for the cockpit. He swiped the glass of water and chugged it.
“You fill up the gas?” Shini asked almost accusingly.
“Fuck you. Do you even have to ask? You don’t have much confidence in me, do you?” Dark Roy laughed.
“Sit your ass down and buckle up.” Shinitenshi started the ship’s engine and it accelerated, sped along the ground, lifted its nose up, and exploded into the atmosphere.
“Wooooooooooooo-fucking-hoooooooooooo!!! Yee-haw! Damn! I never get tired of that! This baby’s engine rocks!” Dark Roy carried on, but Shinitenshi just smirked and continued piloting. He set the coordinates for Earth and they were on their way.
“Want your burger?” Roy asked as he held up the fast food bag.
Chapter 3
Shinitenshi awoke just as the autopilot was signaling the approach of Earth. He unbuckled his harness and shook Roy who sat snoring in the seat next to his.
“Wake up. We’re almost there.” He said.
When that didn’t work, Shinitenshi took the water he was drinking and splashed it on Roy’s face.
“Pffft!” Dark Roy spat as he awoke. “What the hell!?”
“We’re almost there.” Shinitenshi replied.
“Nice.” Dark Roy grudgingly said. “I was just getting used to having water splashed on me.”
“Get your ass in the back and ready the weapons. We might encounter hostile life forms or natives.” Shinitenshi ordered.
“Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.” Dark Roy set out into the back of the ship and opened the way to the cargo area. He stumbled and nearly fell flat on his face when the ship made a quick jerk.
“Sorry.” Shinitenshi said while trying to keep from laughing.
“The hell you are…” Dark Roy said as he opened the compartment containing his laser weaponry and ammunition. He also picked up some flashlights and body armor, putting them all in a black bag. He heard something strange and began to look farther into the cargo area, but Shinitenshi called him back. He wrote it off as the creaks and moans of an old ship.
A few minutes later, they were entering the atmosphere of Earth at 160 mph.
“Slow it down or we’ll crash just like that other ship!” Roy yelled as he held onto his harness.
Shinitenshi pulled back on the thrust and the ship began to slow. So far, they saw only clouds through the cockpit window, but now something else came into view.
“Oh…” Roy started.
The ship hit an ocean of black, putrid water.
“Shiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiit!!!” Dark Roy screamed as they descended through the darkness. Shinitenshi had a panicked look on his face as he desperately tried to slow the ship down before they found themselves dead. He flicked on the headlights.
“Pull up!!!” Roy yelled as they almost hit a rock formation. He reached over and took control of the ship. It banked upwards at a ninety-degree incline. Soon, it burst from the murky depths and flew into a forest of trash. Thousands of destroyed ships and machinery littered the ground as they skidded along hauls and smashed off the review mirrors of some older models. Finally, they exited the junkyard and crashed into the ground. Screeching noises filled the cockpit as the two screamed simultaneously. They looked at each other, then back out the cockpit window, moments before slamming headfirst into a small tree and blowing it to pieces. Somehow it stopped them. Strange, scaled birds flew away from the crash site while inside the cockpit Shinitenshi and Roy lifted their heads. Still gasping from all the screaming, they were speechless, but a moment later Roy smiled his trademark jackass smile and yelled, “That was fucking sweet!”
“You are such a child sometimes…” Shinitenshi said as he pulled himself out of his harness and accessed the ship’s computer.
“You have to admit that was fun.” Dark Roy had to struggle out of his harness and pick up the bag of supplies off the floor behind his seat.
“Over 43% of the haul is damaged…” Shinitenshi replied grimly.
“Best ride of my life, I swear.” Dark Roy slipped into his battle armor. It fitted like a police vest around his chest. He slid an energy rifle into a holster on his back and two energy pistols into holsters on his belt.
“We blew out one of the engines…” Shinitenshi continued before shutting off the engine and pressing more buttons on the computer panel. The small retractable monitor was lit up with warnings and alerts.
“Think there’s a concession stand around here?” Roy joked. “Damn. I could go for some fried chicken or maybe a gyro. (He pronounced it jy-row)” He said as he loaded cartridges into his weapons and clipped grenades onto his belt.
“Are you even listening?” Shinitenshi turned very annoyed. He already shut off the computer to conserve power.
“Yeah. We’re hopelessly stranded and if we don’t find a local colony or some other form of civilization, we’re basically doomed to starvation or death by dehydration. Have you seen that water? Shi-it. You couldn’t drink that if it went through a million filters of…” Dark Roy stopped when he saw Shinitenshi raise his finger to signal “Silence.” He already had his cassock style coat on and his sword was already drawn. Dark Roy walked up to him and saw what he was looking at. Outside the window was a lone figure in a grey coat. He must have seen the accident and now was staring directly into the cockpit of the ship. Dark Roy raised his right hand and wiggled his fingers.
“Hi.” He said.
The figure darted towards the ship, running at great speed. He leaped into the air and a second later there was a loud clang on the ship’s roof. Shinitenshi nodded to Dark Roy, who nodded back in agreement. The two ran out the ship’s side door as Shinitenshi unlocked it and pushed it open. They both turned towards the roof in time to see the figure leap again and come flying towards Dark Roy.
“Who or what the fuck is that!?” Roy exclaimed.
Shinitenshi recognized him.
“Get down!!!” Shinitenshi pushed Roy with his mind and sent him into a bush. He then readied his sword and steadied his mind. The figure collided with him and the two went tumbling along the ground. Shinitenshi was the first to get up and swing his sword, only to have it connect with the enemy’s identical, save for the markings, sword.
They stared into each other’s eyes, studying each other’s movements and breathing. After what seemed an eternity, the figure in grey spoke.
“Hello, Shini. Long time. No see. How’s it been?” Satsurikutenshi asked.
“How did you know we were coming here, Sat?” Shinitenshi asked.
“You know… you and your friend should look your ship over more carefully before leaving a planet. You never know if a stowaway is on board…” Satsurikutenshi replied.
“Bullshit.” Came Shinitenshi’s reply.
“I see your vocabulary hasn’t improved much.” Satsurikutenshi snickered. “Let’s see if your skill with that sword has!”
The two began to fight ferociously and with incredible speed. Each countering each other’s swings and stabs over and over again. Sat did a backwards leap over Shini and swung his sword at his neck, only to have it blocked.
“You were always a good student, weren’t you?” Sat asked with a grin.
“I had a good teacher.” Shini replied with a stone face.
“Too bad it wasn’t me…” Sat replied.
“I could teach you a thing or two.” Shini smiled.
Satsurikutenshi’s face began red with rage as he screamed in reply. His attacks came with more power and speed. In a few seconds, Shinitenshi knocked his sword from his hands and had the tip to his neck.
“You may have been a good student.” Satsurikutenshi said, then he kicked the sword from Shini’s hand and grabbed him by the neck. Lifting him up with one hand, he wore a huge smile. “But school’s out.”
Before Shinitenshi’s eyes, his brother’s other hand vanished into his coat sleeve. A gurgle of noise came from the dark hole seconds before a very different appendage emerged. Metallic silver with pulsating veins of black, the spiked stump contorted and shaped itself before Shini’s very eyes until it became a spiked club of flesh and metal bone. Satsurikutenshi smiled as he pulled it back, preparing to swing it and crush Shini’s skull into pulp.
“Drop him!” Dark Roy yelled, aiming his rifle at Sat’s back.
“Or what?!” Sat growled.
Dark Roy fired the rifle and the resulting explosion of energy sent him stumbling back. The green fire hit Satsurikutenshi, burned through his coat, and ignited his flesh, causing him to drop Shinitenshi and howl in pain. Shini used all his power to send Sat flying into the air like a boy would flick a bug. His brother landed in the mud more than twenty meters away with a loud and wet thud.
“Who was that?” Roy asked. “And more important, why the hell did you send me into a bush!?”
Shinitenshi stared at him with great concern.
“We have to get away from of here.” He said slowly.
“Why? You saw. He’s toast. I wasted him.” Roy said.
“No. You don’t understand. He’s regenerating right now and will be coming back this way in no time. Come on. If we hurry, we can power the ship just enough to get to the coordinates.” Shinitenshi said as he picked up both swords and headed into the ship.
Dark Roy soon followed. As the ship took off with great effort on Shinitenshi’s part, it blasted across the barren wasteland and was on its way to the coordinates. In a short time though, Shinitenshi spotted the remains of the Goliath and they set down to investigate.