《From Notorious Misfits to Summoned Heroes》 Prologue: Whispering Coffin In a world where one''s magic and fighting ability was considered to be true strength... or when the Demon Lord brought fear to everyone, two kingdoms were at war with one another. The Shadow City of Orcus and the Holy City of Light. Neither side was winning and yet no one was backing down. Just as things were feeling everlasting, explosions from afar shook the ground, causing everyone to stop what they were doing. News spread to the command post of each side, were their leaders stayed. ------------------------ The Holy City of Light''s camp. "Lord Bishop! It''s them! It''s Whispering Coffin!" (Soldier) "Are you sure?" (Bishop) "Yes, we''ve confirmed their black clothing and symbol." (Soldier) "Dammit, so... they''re supporting the demon lord! I wish his majesty never summoned those dam heroes!" (Bishop) "It''s a good thing you we had a backup plan, right? I''m they''re here, I was getting bored" (?) A smirk appeared on the bishops face as he looked at the individual sitting beside him, his armor shined a brilliant gold from head to toe. "Yes, that''s why we summoned more heroes after all. Take a unit with you and kill them. Kill them all!" (Bishop) --------------------------- The Demon Lords camp. "Your Majesty... It''s them. Whispering Coffin, just as you predicted." (Demon Soldier) A soldier with horns came running into the king''s tent, even as the other side felt fear from this sudden news, the demon lord''s forces laughed. "I figured they wouldn''t uphold their promise but then again, I wasn''t expecting them to learn the truth either. How many of them are there?" (Demon Lord) "So far... three. That explosive freak Demo, the demon Shades and the Healer Medic. Although, the rest of them could be around as well." (Demon Soldier) "No. Luna isn''t the type of guy to stay back and Rose? Well, she would be out on the front lines with Demo... I see, they''re after the princess..." (Demon Lord) "The castle! We need to send some forces back there!" (Demon Soldier) "It won''t make a difference... Luckily, the new test subject is there and craving blood. For now, send our generals to kill the ones already here." (Demon lord) ---------------------------- While Both kingdoms sent forces to deal with the group known as Whispering Coffin, two individuals in all black were far from the battlefield; one had a robe with a hood, and the logo of a half open coffin and scribbles, signifying that someone was whispering from inside. The other individual wore black clothes that made her look like a commander, it was clear that she was the boss. Ahead of them was another one of their members, a girl with red hair tied into a ponytail, she constantly threw bombs at an empty field with no one around. It was obvious she had no intention on hurting anyone yet. The bombs she used weren''t your normal handmade ones but rather, created with magic. They formed in her hands like an invisible force was tracing it with a neon marker which she used while laughing like a maniac. "Hey leader, you sure It''s safe for you to be here leader" (?) "I was the one who approved this plan, the least I can do is be here to take the blame with you guys. What about you Pocket? Your skills aren''t necessarily needed here..." (??) The boy who spoke took of his hoodie, revealing an emerald-colored bowl cut just above his eyes. He smiled and looked at his friend who continued blowing things up with smile. Placing his hands out in-front of him, the space began to warp and envelope it. When Pocket pulled out his hand, he was holding a chair. "Please take a seat boss. I can tell this is stressing you out. Sorry for all the trouble. I''ll take out a table and snacks as well. Do you want some tea?" (? -> Pocket) "I swear Pocket. You always have exactly what I need in that Dimensional storage." (?? -> Boss) "And that why I''m here. But if I''m being honest... Demo... She worries when I''m not around, so I have to stay close by." (Pocket) "That''s love for you... Wait, where''s Medic?" (Boss) "I don''t know... Last time I saw her, she was still sleeping..." (Pocket) "Are you serious? She''s probably still back at the base then!" (Boss) "It''ll be fine, she can use the sleep. Besides, she has Split with her..." (Pocket) "That''s even worse!" (Boss) ----------------- Back at their base, A girl with green hair slept peacefully while another was watching. She was so bored, that all she could do was poke at the sleeping friends face. Her appearance was different, she was small like a little kid and while you could see everyone else face, she wore a square paper bag over her head with two holes, helping her to see. Even though the house was silent, she could feel another presence enter the premise, even as it made its way to their room. She didn''t move from her original spot, the girl just stared at the door as it slowly opened. Just then a shadowy figure ran straight for her with a knife. She was able to dodge by just a hair, but the knife touched her paper bag, cutting it in half and revealing her face.You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version. She had black and purple hair that split down the middle and when she moved her hands from her face, she wore the same-colored make-up as if she was a clown. "You shouldn''t have done that... now... I can''t control her..." (Split) Her voice, attitude, and even facial expression changed as she tried to speak. When the intruder dashed to finish her off, the girl''s eyes glowed a bright purple, leaving the unknown foe in a trance. "You got balls coming for me!" (Split 2) Everything around them vanished, it was as if they were shrouded in complete darkness, not even the room or the sleeping girl remained. The intruder didn''t know how to react, but fear was beginning to creep up on him. It felt as if something or someone was watching them. It was true he underestimated his opponent, but he himself was not a normal human either, but an assassin. When he focused his senses on this third person, it drew his eyes towards the back of the girl where a giant eye appeared as if it finally woke up. Soon after, many more opened up all around them. Chill ran down his body as it screamed at him to run but he couldn''t move. He trembled while he felt the sensation of something crawling up his body until screaming was all that could be done. She slowly walked over to him. "I''m a little short so if you don''t mind, I would appreciate it if you''d kneel for me." (Split 2) His body did exactly as it was told. When she was finally Infront of him, she grabbed the knife from his hand, readying herself to kill him but then, the dark void disappeared, and they were back in the room. "Split, take more care of yourself! And shut him up, I''m trying to sleep" (Medic) The girl sleeping woke up from the man screaming and rushed to get another bag. When she placed it on her friend''s head and climbed back into bed. The girl reverted back to her usual self, even her voice changed to a more innocent like one. "Sorry..." (Split) She walked up to the guy, still frozen in place and dragged him out of the room. Move to a nearby window, she tossed him out but rather than falling down, his body flew towards the sky until he could no longer be seen. -------------------------- "Well... I''m sure they''ll be fine." (Pocket) Their leader looked at Pocket, annoyed and just as things couldn''t bother her more, the voice of the girl known as Demo called out. "Hey boss, it looks like they''re finally sending people to attack us. Can I attack now?" (Demo) Their leader sighed as she gave the thumbs up. Demo returned the gesture but just when she was about to attack, she noticed someone standing a few yards away Infront of her. "What... When did Shades get over there?" (Demo) Demo yelled at her colleague to move but her words were ignored. The girl known as Shade removed her hood, revealing silver hair as it flowed along with the wind; she had one red eye while a black eye patch covered the other. She spoke and yet no one was around. "I know you''ve been itching for a fight. Don''t worry, I won''t stop you this time." (Shades) Her shadow grew larger as a giant wolf clouded in black fur sprouted from the ground. "It''s about time." ------------------------------ While their fight was about to begin, in the demon lord''s kingdom, his castle was currently under attack but the rest of Whispering Coffins members. As the demon''s forces gathered, a girl in black with pink hair was cutting them down with her sword. She moved so fast; they couldn''t respond or defend in time. The rest could only stare as their own people''s heads flew left and right until they too met the same fate. When it was over, she alone stood as corpses laid all around her. She swung her blade, getting rid of the blood still dripping off of it, revealing a rose-pink colored sword that mirrored her own appearance. More forces appeared but rather than looking like warriors, they dressed in robes, each one carrying their own wands in their hands. They each started chanting magic as circles appeared at the edged of them. Each color represented the elements. Wind blades, fire balls were fired at the girl. From their point of view, it looked like a direct hit but the girl was unscathed. Just above her, a mage with a similar outfit was floating in the sky.. She too had a wand and used her magic in order to provide protection. "Don''t worry Rose, I got you. METALLIC RAIN!" (?) Multiple magic circles appeared in the sky as they rained down on the mages, rather then water, they were made of metal-like spikes, shredding them to pieces. "Thanks Chem, but I was just feeling the area, I sensed a stronger power and I finally pin pointed where it was coming from. Seems Luna and Bandit are in for a surprise." (Rose) She looked up at the sky, the mage took her hood, revealing a girl with orange hair and a burnt mark from her cheek to the top of her eye lid. ------------------------ Just outside the Demon lord''s throne room, two boys stood before a large door, discussing whether to open it or not. "Luna, you know it''s a trap right?" (??) A boy with dark grey hair spoke to his comrade who had dark black hair and eyes. One would assume he was a demon himself but his attitude and expression proved other wise. "Yea, I can tell there''s only one person on the other side of this door. Based on the shape of his aura, You can tell he isn''t a normal demon." (Luna) "What do you want to do?" (??) "I''ll entertain this monster. You go on ahead Bandit. Your girlfriend needs you." (Luna) When he told his friend to go on, the boy called bandit smiled and vanished while Luna surrounded his body in an invisible aura and used it to kicked the door wide open, sending it flying to end of the room. When he entered, no one was around. He didn''t expect the door to take the enemy with it. A loud roar echoed through the room as a giant hand grabbed onto the door and sent it to the side of the room. Out of the rubble came an ogre with purple skin with a giant hammer at his side. It''s very body was 4 times bigger than Luna. "I see... No wonder I couldn''t figure you out. An Ogre''s soul usually takes the shape of its body but it seems you''ve been mixed with a bunch of other creatures. I don''t seem to remember your kind being purple either...." (Luna) The Ogre didn''t reply, it just screamed a war like cry as it brought down it''s hammer on Luna. When the dust cleared, Luna was gone, the Ogre couldn''t see him anywhere but the sound of his laughing as he floated down to the top of it''s head told the beast everything it needed to know. "Don''t bother, I can''t have you smashing your own head, that would be embarrassing." (Luna) Luna''s body vanished in a second and appeared next to where the ogre landed his hammer as if he had teleported. Placing his hand on the weapon that was bigger than his own body, Luna crushed it with his own hand as if it was made out of sand. The debris from the hammer blew in every direction but never touched Luna''s body, as it an invisible force field was protecting him. "Curious? I teleported earlier, your hammer broke because it was made from weak materials and your head? That''s just me kicking of the ground with as little power as possible." (Luna) Luna pushed off of the ground, leaving a crater behind as his body shot off like a torpedo that flew straight threw the ogre''s face, leaving nothing behind. His body continued going, breaking through the roof until he was far enough in the sky. The cool breeze made him feel relaxed. He looked down at his comrades as they continued to kill the rest of the demon lords forces. "Be they human or demon. Whispering Coffin will ensure the peace of this world.Anyone who dares to disrupt my vacation... Will die." (Luna) Chapter 1: Who the hell are these kids? The world of Ariel where magic and ones fighting abilities reigned supreme. Currently, there were two countries currently at war, one belong to the demon king called the Shadow City of Orcus while the other belong to the holy city known as the Holy City of Light that worshiped the goddess known as Ariel, hence the name of this world. Although this holy city was the largest and possibly the most powerful, they still sustained heavy damage from being at war for so long, which also made them a target for other nearby kingdoms. They didn''t have to worry about others across their oceans but one can never lower their guard. Since they were tired of this endless war, they decided there was only one option left... the summoning of heroes. In a palace at the center of the holy capital. people gathered around a large circle with unusual writings and symbols carved into it. They each held staffs in their hands as they chanted an unusual language. Behind them was a man with white hair and beard wearing a crown, a young girl that just slightly resembled his elite appearance and an elderly man wearing a robe covered in gold jewelry. They called the robed man a magic priest where as he called the two others, king and a princess. "Your holiness... Are you sure this is the only way?" (Princess) "Yes princess Iris. I have decoded the ancient script and if we wish to call upon heroes to save our kingdom, then living humans with magic abilities must be sacrificed." (Magic priest) "But to sacrifice 12 mages... That''s a little much don''t you think? One hero should suffice." (Princess -> Princess Iris) "Don''t worry your highness. They gladly volunteered in order to protect this kingdom." (Magic Priest) "He''s right my daughter. Besides, the more heroes we have, the better. We will kill the demon king, and then? We shall expand our kingdom. We''ll be unstoppable!" (King) The priest yelled at his henchmen with words that would boost their morale. Reminding them that what they were doing was for the king, the kingdom, and its citizens. When the circle began to glow, they knew the ritual was starting. The priest cheered with excitement as the walls shook, the magic released from the circle went haywire until everything turn white. "I wonder what kind of heroes will come from this..." (Princess Iris) ------------------------------- The year was 1984, and our story was beginning in a big city known as New York city. In an area of this city, most people would say it''s the slums of New York whereas other would use the words "Ghetto". Even though most buildings were bunt down or abandon due to an economic crisis, one building still thrived. From the outside, it looked like a regular body shop for cars but in reality, it was an undercover spot for a dangerous gang called the "York crime family". They used this shop to hide their stolen cars, flip them, and sell them to the highest bidder but that wasn''t the only thing. It was home to a vault that held 40% of their money. It was a late night, and the York crime family had yet to come and clean out the vault. One group decided to mark this location as their next heist and although this gang was prepared for fools who would try and pull a plan this idiotic, they never would expect a bunch of kids to be behind this heist. "What do you see Luna? Are they armed? Can I blow them up yet?" (?) "Calm down Demo. You can''t solve everything with explosives... " (??) "You froze! Didn''t you, Bandit? You know explosives can solve everything." (? -> Demo) "Shut up!" (?? -> Bandit) "It seems like you can''t see from all the way over here. Luckily, I put this in my bag?" (???) "Binoculars? You never disappoint Pocket!" (Luna) Luna grabbed the binoculars. Behind him was a boy named Pocket, carrying a backpack, and a boy named Bandit who argued with a girl called Demo. It wasn''t just the four of them either, there were five more behind them sitting beside a wall. A girl with pink hair and sword who looked to be meditating while the three other girls sat around another who wore an eye patch. They were discussing on what the girl''s nickname should be. "I don''t know why this has to be so difficult... Just call me whatever or use my real name... Isabel." (????) "No way! It has to be special, something that defines you! We can''t just keep calling you that new girl forever. You agree as well, right? Split?" (?????) "Why do they call you Split? more importantly, you never answered my previous question. Why do you wear a bag over your head?" (???? -> New Girl) She asked, but like before, her question was ignored. "How about captain? because of... You know... Because of the eye patch!" (Split) "No, people might assume she''s like our boss or something. How about Red? or One Eye?" (?????) "Chem, your names are so basic. Wait, is that why I''m called Medic? I want a new nickname, now!" (Medic) "Too bad! And since you''re so judgmental, what ideas do you have?" (????? -> Chem) "I don''t know... Give me until the end of the day. I''ll think of something." (Medic) "Sister, I doubt you can come up with something better. If you had, you wouldn''t have let them call you Medic" (Demo) "You little punk, see if I help you next time!" (Medic) Back to where Luna was, he had finally finished scoping out the area and he was not happy about it. "There''s at least six guys. Two are carrying rifles while the others seem to have pistols holstered on their waist." (Luna) "I knew this was a bad idea. It''s not the same like in Chicago. We got away but we''re still wanted by the mafia there." (Bandit) "You got this Luna. Use that big brain of yours." (??? -> Pocket) Luna looked at the ground, moving his finger across the floor as if playing some kind of game, everyone but the new girl knew what he was doing so they waited patiently until he stopped. "What''s the plan?" (Bandit) "Alright. Bandit, use those sneaky skills of yours to get behind the building, you''ll know when it''s time to enter. Demo, hold off on those explosives, I''d rather used them to destroy the evidence, not our money. Pocket, we''ll need a distraction. Rose, it''s time to wake up, we''re going in through the front. Before that happens, Split, we''ll need you to use that strength of yours." (Luna) "But..." (Split) Luna walked up to Split and flicked that bag on her head, making it spin around after she started feeling nervous. He knew she hated when he did that, but it always calmed her down. "You and I have been together since the beginning... I know what you''re capable of. You got this. Chem, I hope you brought some of your special gas. We''ll need to disorient them before me and Rose start fighting. Medic, be on standby with the new girl and Split once she''s done." (Luna) "Easy." (Medic) "Alright gang, Let''s leave here rich." (Luna) "Wait. I can help out too! You don''t know what I''m capable of..." (New Girl) She assured everyone that she wasn''t scared, but they notice a slight hesitation at the end of her speech. No one refused, they only smile at her with a face saying, "We know". "That the spirit new girl but it''s just as you said, we don''t know you, and it''s also your first time seeing all of us work together. We can''t just incorporate you just yet. See us in action and learn our moves. Got it? Also, protect Medic at all costs. She may not be a fighter but she''s still the only one with a medical experience." (Luna) "Whatever." (New girl) "Alright, Let''s begin" (Luna) Bandit was the first to leave out of the group, when Luna looked towards Pocket, he took out fireworks from his bag. Demo was disappointed about not being able to blow stuff up, but her attitude quickly turned a whole 180 when she saw that Pocket brought her favorite toys. In front of the crime family''s building, three of their six were posted outside. Tonight felt like any normal night for them until fireworks started going off on the 3rd floor of an abandon apartment complex just across the street. One guy started walking towards the noise until another set of fireworks went off in a nearby alley and then another on the opposite side of that. They didn''t know what to do. "Demo and Pocket aren''t wasting anytime. Split, It''s your turn kid." (Luna) "Ok..." (Split) The next two came running outside the building, asking what was going on but no one had any answers. They began arguing on who was going to check it out until one of them notice something dark flying in the sky. When he called out, they realized, there was a dumpster flying right at them. "What the hell is going on?" (Henchmen 1) "That was a dumpster... flying right at us..." (Henchmen 2) "Focus guys, we got company!" (Henchmen 3) They looked ahead and noticed two people running at them wearing masks, their identity was unknown but it was clearly Luna and Rose. When they readied their guns, Luna took out vials and threw them into the air. With a wave of his hand, the vials flew straight at the gunmen''s feet, releasing a toxic gas as soon as they broke. The chemicals released caused confusion and their throats to dry up. Luna and Rose used the opening to get close, knocking them out. Just when Rose pulled out her sword to kill them off, she was stopped by Luna "What do you think you''re doing Luna?" (Rose) "We don''t kill unless our hands are forced." (Luna) "That might just back fire on us you know?" (Rose) "Perhaps, but killing people will bring the cops on us too and make it even easier for us to get caught. Atleast this way... the crime family will have to hide what happened and we''ll be long gone by then." (Luna) "Why did I even bring this sword? Whatever, how are you feeling? Using your mind to move those vials couldn''t have been easy." (Rose) "I''m fine. Lets go. Bandit should have taken out the last guy by now." (Luna) They signaled the others to come and together, they cleaned out the crime families vault. Afterwords, Demo left her bombs around the building and blew everything up, making sure the gunmen were safe of course and ran off into the night. The coast looked to be clear until a car parked a block over saw everything. "The boss won''t like this. Kids these days, I swear." (Henchmen) ------------------------------- "We''re rich! Just think of the bombs I can make now!" (Demo) "I could use some more medical tools... and books." (Medic) "I want a new bag for my head... Like something fancy." (Split) "A bag is still a bag though..." (New Girl) After their mission was completed, everyone was to excited to sleep. They returned to their base which was a basement to an abandoned building. It used to be a safe haven for those into drugs but they were able to take it over. While just about everyone was ready to spend their money, Luna and the other guys were discussing where to go next. "Does it have to be right away?" (Pocket) "Yea... we can''t risk them making moves. Right now, they should be trying to figure out what happened." (Luna) "What about Los Angeles?" (Bandit) "I don''t know... This crime family is pretty big. They can have connections in California and I was already worried about coming to New York after what we did to the mafia." (Luna) "Seattle then?" (Bandit) They all agreed, atleast this way, Seattle was big enough to have everything they needed when it came to using their money and Pocket was able to convince them to stay an extra day. ------------------------- "No I refuse to go!" (New Girl) "What are you going on about now? You know we can''t stay here!" (Luna) "I don''t care! I won''t go back there." (New girl) On the next day, Bandit left early to procure some tickets for their departure while Luna told everyone else how leaving as soon as possible would be better for them but the moment he mentioned that Seattle or rather Washington would be their next destination, the new girl objected to this plan which led to this argument now. Luna kept pushing for why they should leave but she was not budging, out of frustration, she ran out of their hide out with out looking back. "That dam girl! I''m going after her." (Luna) "Luna wait! She''s never acted like this before." (Demo) "She''s right, maybe she has bad history with that place. We did find her on our way out of Chicago but her body looked as she had been on the road for weeks." (Medic) "You don''t think she''s like us do you...? or even worse?" (Split) "Don''t even go there kid. We''re alive aren''t we? We''ve all had it bad... That''s how we came to be together and all the more reason we can''t leave her alone." (Luna) Luna decided to go after her, Pocket volunteered to help and Demo followed soon after. Ofcourse, she just wanted this chance to buy something but Medic cut in saying she''ll keep her little sister in check. She also noticed the new girl left without any shoes on and figured they could use her help. The rest stayed behind in order to wait for Bandit to get back. After they left the building, a car pulled up from around the corner, watching the kids leave with a backpack. "Where could she be?" (Luna) "I figured she would just be sitting at some nearby park but maybe she actually ran away..." (Pocket) After a few hours, they couldn''t find any trace of the new girl. Even after they split into two groups of two, they still found nothing and Luna was getting frustrated. "This isn''t like you. You''re really worried about her, is this... love?" (Pocket) "No you idiot. Its just... we can''t leave with out her. No one gets left behind remember? and well... what Split said earlier today... Now she''s got me all worried." (Luna)Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions. "You and Split were together back then right?" (Pocket) "Yea and we were lucky to have escaped that hell hole. I know its not a competition about who had it worse but I can''t help but think that the new girl must have had it rough too." (Luna) "Yea, there was always something creepy about her. I mean... you remember seeing things move at night right? and the sounds... Split said she would hear footsteps... Maybe she''s like you two?" (Pocket) "What you mean?" (Luna) "Well you know. Split is super strong and you can make things move with your mind... That''s it!" (Pocket) Pocket startled Luna after creeping him out about the new girl and suddenly yelling. "It''s time you tried a new skill" (Pocket) "What are you talking about? No please, not the notebook!" (Luna) Pocket took out a notebook with Luna''s name on it. Apparently, from the way it looked, he had notes on everything Luna could do and not do or as Pocket would say "Something he can''t do yet". "I''ve been reading comic books about people with your abilities and..." (Pocket) "Here we go!" (Luna) "Just listen. Since you''ve been able to control the things you move, I''ve had you practice everyday and after some time I told you to start moving to something heavier. You can''t fly yet because, well your clearly to heavy." (Pocket) "You little brat... Just get on with it" (Luna) "Well, you remember you said you felt something ominous about the new girl? What if that wasn''t a hunch but a part of your ability? Maybe if you think about, you can find that aura of hers again!" (Pocket) "I can barely lift a book, how will I accomplish something this advance?" (Luna) "Well for starters, you won''t be fighting against the weight of something and you never tried so we don''t know if it''ll be easy or not. Just focus!" (Pocket) Luna stopped fighting him and placed his hand on the ground. He focused only on how he remembered the new girl. With his eyes closed, he was like a bat at night, sending a pulse around him. Just then, he could feel pieces of her aura like footsteps lighting up on the ground where she walked. "Shit... I did it." (Luna) "It was that easy? maybe its just her... Are you sure it''s not just love?" (Pocket) ''Shut up!, lets go get Demo and Medic" (Luna) ----------------------------- Right after, the new girl named Isabel left the hide out, she ran as fast as she could with teers in her eyes. People walked by and wondered what was wrong but more importantly, why she had no shoes and looked so dirty. "No, I can''t go back. I refuse... They''ll find me if I go back..." (New Girl) She turned into an alley and just when she felt like she was far enough from anyone to finally be alone, the sound of someone''s voice echoed in her head. "But you''re never truly be alone little Isa~" "Shut up... Don''t call me that" (New Girl) "I thought you liked that name? After all, that''s what mommy and daddy used to call you..." "Those weren''t my parents, that group... they changed them and they tried to turn me into some kind of monster." (New Girl) "Not a monster, but a god. I thought you wanted to make them happy? Didn''t you see their faces? their voices when they found out their daughter would be chosen as my new vessel. We could have been one and if you really wanted revenge for everything they did, I could have killed them all for you." As this monster when on and on, her back ached like something hot was being pressed against her. She couldn''t take his words anymore so she paced herself back and forth counting to five but when she said each number, she would sing it out to soothe her soul. "3~.... 4~... 5..." (New Girl) "Come now, this is getting tiring. Aren''t you tired? Don''t you want to just rest for once without all the nightmares? I promise I won''t hurt your friends." "Stop it! This is my body so you have to do as I say. Now leave me alone!" (New Girl) "The more you resist the harder it will become. When the time finally comes, I will kill all your friends, is that what you want?" "1~... 2~... 3~..." (New Girl) She covered her ears and continued counting again but the voice in her head got louder and soon she could hear many different voices begging her to sleep or give up, it was driving her insane. "New girl! There you are!" (Luna) "I said SHUT UP!!" (New Girl) She lashed out, scratching Luna left cheek with out even knowing who it really was. Just then, everything got quiet and she could think again. "Luna... I''m so sorry!" (New Girl) "Don''t worry about it. Just be-careful next time!" (Luna) "Wow, that girl can scratch! You alright? it looked like something was bothering you." (Demo) "Isabel come here. I got you some shoes. Look at your feet! You need to be more careful!" (Medic) "Sorry... and I''m sorry for running off like that." (New Girl) "Who care about that! Just... don''t worry us like that. You don''t have to explain, besides, Luna already decided that if you don''t want to go, we can just choose another place so don''t look so glum. It''s a nice day out and yet you''re giving vibes like its the end of the world or something.." (Medic) "Maybe Shades should be her new nickname. Since she always acts so dark." (Luna) Medic looked at Luna angrily but he just wondered when she was going to check his wound. "Shades... I like it." (New Girl -> Shades) She showed a smile so bright that everyone was in awe. It wasn''t just cute but it was also the first time they have ever seen her smile. They finally decided to head back until they were cut off. Three gentlemen walked up to them, carrying guns. When they turned around to run, there were more of them waiting on the other side. "You got something of ours... and it''s about time you gave it back." (Henchmen) "How did they find us so fast? Was there someone watching us?" (Luna) The crime family rushed them from both sides, Luna and the other tried to resist but it was practically impossible. Pocket was the first to get caught after getting punched in the face and Medic soon after. Demo tried to take out her bombs but she was already had a gun pointing at her head. Shades was the one resisting the most, scratching the men in the face. They grabbed onto her shirt but she still tried to get away, which led to it tearing it off and revealing marks of abuse all over her back. Everyone was stun but what was really shocking was a mark that seemed to have been carved up with a knife. "An upside down cross?" (Luna) Shades went on a rampage after her only friends saw everything, one of the gun men pulled out his gun, tired of dealing with her, her pulled the trigger. "No!" (Luna) Luna panicked, in that moment, it was as if a lot of energy was released from his body. He sent the gunmen behind him flying back and used his hands to surround Shade, deflecting the bullet. After, he tried to pushed the rest of the guys away, one of them was able to pistol whip him in the back of the head, knocking him out. Blood flowed out from his head, the scene stopped Shades in her tracks and she too was taken into custody. "Luna! No!" (Shades) "Luna wake up!" (Medic) "Dam brat, take them all. we''ll lock them up and call the boss." (Henchmen) Everyone was thrown into a car while Luna was thrown in the back trunk. After the cars drove off, on the roof was Bandit who had just made barely made it. "This isn''t good... I need to get the others." (Bandit) ------------------ After the crime family got a hold of them, they took everyone to another one of their safe houses. Each person got their own cell whereas Medic was able to convince them to put Luna in with her. The first thing she did was tear a piece of his clothes in order to wrap it around his head. "Sister how is he?" (Demo) "Luna!" (Pocket) "For now, I just applied pressure but it''s bad. Luna you have to stay with me." (Medic) "I''m so tired..." (Luna) Luna was beginning to lose consciousness but Medic made sure he stayed awake, hoping the others would come for them. "Dam, they even took my bag..." (Pocket) "It''s my fault... It''s all my fault..." (Shades) "Shades, don''t even go there!" (Demo) Shades curled up into a ball in the corner of her cell, she continued blaming herself as the darkness around her grew bigger and bigger. The voices began coming back but she did not care, even if her mind grew hazy and the colors in her eyes began to fade. Above them was a camera where the crime family was watching everything, even their boss made a special visit. "What is this? and how much were we able to get back?" (Boss) "Well sir, We got four of the people who broke in and stole our money. When we secured their bag, only half of the money was on them." (Henchmen) "They''re just kids and yet they''re the one who stole our money? Who the hell are these kids?" (Boss) "One of our guys heard about them in Chicago. Apparently they did something similar over there but back then there was only eight kids. Based on the information we got prior to their arrival, I figured their information was just some big joke and deemed it pointless but I''m glad I took it. The one knocked out is a boy name Luna who has some unique abilities." (Henchmen) "Define unique?" (Boss) "Well sir... he can make things move with his mind and I''m not joking, some of our guys saw it before they were dazed by some gas. The girl next to him is Medic, their doctor. The other girl is Demo, an explosive freak which makes you wonder about all those terrorist attack a few years back in Chicago. Then there''s Pocket... who had these bags full of our money, bombs and a bunch of other peculiar stuff." (Henchmen) "I don''t know what to say. I''m speechless. Who''s the third girl?" (Boss) "She wasn''t in the sketches we got so she must be new. Some of the guys were freaked out though. We found an upside down cross engraved on her back. It was so bad they started praying. My guess? She was part of some cult. Now a days, who knows what kind of freaks exist in this world." (Henchmen) "You said there were eight of them right? She makes nine so we still have four more out there." (Boss) "Yes sir. There''s Bandit, a master thief. Chem who deals in chemical warfare but apparently she claims to be an alchemist. Rose, a girl from Taiwan whose also the first daughter to the leader of the Taiwanese triple threat based out of Chicago and last but not least is a little girl named Split. From what they told me, she was the one who cause the most damage out there, especially when they took the bag...." (Henchmen) "I''ve heard enough. You sound like my son when he reads those ridiculous comic books. What I want to know is where their hideout is. I want the rest of my money!" (Boss) "About that... By the time we got to their hideout, it had burned down to the ground. The last four are in the wind right now." (Henchmen) "What are the chances of them playing heroes?" (Boss) "Twenty percent sir, they got the rest of the money. If it were me, I''d run far away from here." (Henchman) An explosion shook the whole building, stopping their conversation. They didn''t know what was going on until another man ran into the room declaring that they were being attack by a bunch of kids. "I meant to say a hundred percent sir. They would never betray their friends." (Henchmen) "Go kill them then you idiot!" (Boss) "Right away!" (Henchmen) ------------------------ Prior to the safe house explosion, Bandit and the others were right outside the safe house. Only two people were standing guard and based off of the fancy cars parked outside, meant someone really important was there as well. "You sure this is the place?" (Chem) "You said Luna looked hurt! We need to go!" (Split) "I''m positive, I followed them here prior to finding you guys and you need to remain calm, we don''t know how many people are inside" (Bandit) "Doesn''t look like Rose wants to wait any longer" (Chem) She pointed at Rose who was already running on the gunmen. When they notice her, they started firing off their guns but Rose was dodging and deflecting every bullet like she knew where they were going to hit. Blood sprayed everywhere when she sliced their hands and guns, she wasted no time killing them. By the time the other caught up, they were amazed by her skills, even if they had seen it a million times. "We have no time to waste. They hurt our friends, I refuse to waste time knocking them out." (Rose) "Don''t look at me. I just wish you''d let me know before hand." (Bandit) The door was locked, Bandit took out some tools to pick the door but Split was getting frustrated as well and punched the door, knocking it down. "Like she said... We have no time to waste." (Split) Bandit took out some bombs that Demo left behind and threw them in every direction, causing everything to shake. When more gunmen came out, Bandit threw knives that he had hidden under his clothing, hitting nothing but head shots. Their rescue was going smoothly and the boss couldn''t help but fear they were going to lose as he stared at the screen. Panicking, he ordered some of his men to follow him in order to use Luna and the others as hostages. "Each of you need to grab a kid. We''ll kill one of them in front of the intruders to show them we ain''t messing around!" (Boss) ""Yes Sir"" The building continued to shake and Demo was the only excited one since she knew her bombs were being used. "Hurry up and open those cells. We need to take this outside before this building collapses." (Boss) "Sir? This cell is empty..." (Henchmen) "What?" (Boss) When they opened up Shades cell, they noticed no one was inside and yet the boss just couldn''t believe she was gone. He stared deeply at the shadow that took over the corner of the room. Something told him she was there and when a red eyes opened up, he could feel the fear creeping up on him. Your guess is correct. I''m still here and thank you. Thank you for freeing me. She jumped from of the shadow like a wild beast and with just a grip of her hand, she ripped off the bosses head, allowing the blood to rain onto her. She licked his blood off her hand, the scene made the henchmen tremble to the point that they ran for their lives, forgetting they even had guns. When they ran for the exit, the doors suddenly shut by themselves, trapping them in with her. When they turned around, Shades was nowhere to be seen until they heard something above them and noticed her crawling on the ceiling, heading straight for them. Every light in the ceiling turned off as she passed by them, all but the one above their heads. "Dam, is that really Shades?" (Pocket) "She''s bad ass! It''s like seeing a horror movie!" (Demo) She no longer had her eye patch on, revealing a black colored eye. The blood on her complemented her red eye while the black one represented the darkness that was attached to her. She jumped onto one of the henchmen, biting and scratching away at his body, even as he screamed, she would not stop. After he fell silent, she got up, showing a face that said "I''m bored". The rest of the lights flickered in the room and even though she didn''t move, they didn''t want to either, they were to scared to. Medic and the others just stared at her with their jaws dropped. It was only when one of the guys pointed his gun that her eyes moved. She walked away from them and just when they felt relief, her shadow extended out to attack them, they screamed until their sounds and bodies were swallowed up by darkness itself. "Dam Shades, it''s about time you played your cards!" (Demo) She didn''t respond, or rather, the demon inside of her didn''t. When they got out of their cells, Medic was worried she might attack them but it didn''t. "Its thanks to you that I was able to take this body. I thank you and as a reward, I''ll spare your lives. Farewell, humans" "Shades! Where are you going?" (Demo) "I don''t know who you are... But we thank you." (Medic) "Ridiculous" When Shades got to the door, the demon noticed her body trembling, stopping it from leaving. "She still has some control? Dammit, if I leave she''ll continue to fight. I guess saving them will help her ease off on the reigns..." The demon looked back and laid its eyes on Luna. "There''s no way that kid will survive and yet these kids are totally unpredictable. His power is similar to my own, in other words... he''s a threat. Very well, I''ll stick around so stop bugging me." When they got out, they were able to meet up with Bandit and the other. Split ran straight for Luna who was being carried by Medic and Pocket. "Luna... Is he alright?" (Split) "The bleeding stopped and he''s been in and out of consciousness. We need to get him to the hospital immediately" (Medic) "Agreed..." (Bandit) Bandit didn''t want to take his eyes off Shades, he knew something was off but it only smiled back at him. "I sense something evil..." (Rose) "It''s the new girl. Who are you." (Bandit) "Hey, everyone just relax! and her name is Shades now." (Demo) "Shades? I like it..." (Split) "That thing saved our lives but more importantly, this place is collapsing. We need to go now!" (Medic) Everyone agreed, Bandit carried Luna on his back and began running with everyone. The ceiling started to come down on them and just when they were about to make it to the door, a giant piece fell down, blocking their exit. "Shit! What now?" (Chem) "Stand aside humans." Shades step forward, she was about to make an exit until something bright appeared from underneath them. "What the hell is this?" (Bandit) "A Magic circle? Impossible... But this writing... Is it some kind of summoning? The nerve!" Shades demon place her hands on the ground, enjoying the challenge, it started changing some of the formula written on the ground and the light changed to a black color, showing she had taken control of it. "What are you doing?" (Pocket) "No one summons me! I couldn''t cancel out this magic since its bound to us but then again, it''s better than being crushed. Although... I was able to over write it to some extent" "Magic? Ridiculous, no such thing exist." (Chem) "If only you knew" They circle enveloped them and they all left before the building could completely crush them. -------------------- The world of Ariel. "The summoning is complete!" (Magic Priest) When their summoning was finished, the mages were gone and only their clothes remained. The center of the circle was surrounded by smoke and once it vanished, only three people had appeared. two girls and one boy. "Where are we Allan?" (??????) "Hell if I know. You got any ideas random girl?" (Allan) "How should I know? I was praying when I showed up here... and my name is Emmy. Instead of asking me, why don''t you just ask the people in weird clothing over there?" (Emmy) They looked over at the Magic priest but he was to busy conversing with the king and princess. "What is the meaning of this?" (King) "I''m not exactly sure... But I looked over at the circle and it feels different somehow." (Magic Priest) "Different?" (Princess Iris) "Yes. I believe someone over wrote my magic... Which shouldn''t be possible unless a similar power exist in their world..." (Magic Priest) "So we just lost nine heroes? And now we don''t know where they are? This is unforgivable." (King) "Don''t fret your majesty. We will find them!" (Magic Priest) "They could be anywhere. How dangerous will they be for us now? I mean the world if they were to run amok?" (King) "This circle is meant to summon unique people, the magic offered by our sacrifices will help awaken powers within them." (Magic Priest) "What kind of powers?" (Princess Iris) "They won''t be bound by the rules of this world. In others words, they will have gifts that break the rules set by gods. These gifts will reflect their soul... We will never know what kind of powers they posses until it''s too late." (Magic Priest) --------------------------- When everyone opened their eyes, they noticed they were no longer in the building. Trees were spread out all around them, and it seemed like they were in the middle of the forest. "Where are we?" (Chem) "Shades?" (Medic) "I don''t know either..." (Shades) "Oh! You''re back! We worried for a second there." (Demo) "Yea... I don''t know what happened, i was just in control when I opened my eyes. Sorry, I was hoping you guys never saw that..." (Shades) "Don''t sweat it, we''re just happy to have you back." (Pocket) Pocket took off a part of his clothing and gave it too Shades to help cover her making. Bandit slowly placed Luna on the ground and asked Medic what they should do next. "I don''t know... the other Shades said we were being summoned. These trees don''t look familiar but then again, I''m not an expert... our only option is to find a nearby town and hope there''s a doctor. I''m assuming you don''t have any of the money we stole on you?" (Medic) "Correct, I hid it before we broke in. Didn''t want to fight with that extra weight on us." (Bandit) "In that case, You and Rose should both head in different directions. You''re both nimble and good fighters, I know you guys will be safe no matter what. We''ll stay back." (Medic) When Medic talked about their plan, a sudden roar echoed through the forest, leaving them stunned. "On second thought, You should go yourself Bandit. You''re fast and Rose can help protect us." (Medic) "I''ll protect you guys too!" (Split) Bandit nodded his head and took off. When Rose stood in the direction where she heard the roar, she felt the presence of something approaching them. Before she knew it, they were surrounded. Wolves came out from nearby bushes, they looked nothing like the wolves they were familiar with; they had saber like teeth and blue fur. "What the hell are those things ?" (Demo) "I don''t know but they look injured. Seems they were fighting the thing that was roaring earlier. Stay behind me Split, when you notice the openings... Kicked them as hard as you can." (Rose) "Got it!" (Split) "Finally, A real challenge. Lets see whose really the prey and whose the predator." (Rose)