《UnVitiated》


 The Only Direction is Down (1/3)

    "Kennedy!" A shrill distant voice yelled, "This is my last time telling you to wake up! You''ve got school in an hour!"


    A man lying in bed twisted to face the ceiling. He slid his hands under his pillow and pressed both ends into the sides of his face. This didn''t do anything to nullify the volume of the lady''s voice. Her words only ended up rattling inside his head.


    Receiving nothing but silence, the lady began to scream once again, "If you don''t get up, you''ll force me to come up there and yank you outta the bed myself!"


    Kennedy''s hands stopped putting pressure on the pillow, falling weakly beside him, "I''m awake!" He yelled, a subtle hint of annoyance in his tone. He would then begin to punch the air, still lying on his back. As senselessly frustrated as a toddler having a tantrum, he flailed his fists with no real target.


    Once Kennedy''s explosion of rage died down, he tore his tattered blanket off his body and stormed up to his drawer. "Stupid¡­ stupid¡­-"


    "Why do I have to go to this stupid school all of a sudden? Nobody in the gulches has ever gotten a proper education, so why do I have to? It''s pointless¡­"


    He rifled through the contents of his drawer. Crumpled clothes, mismatched socks, and for some reason, an empty, dented soda can all laid inside. With a frustrated huff, he tossed the can aside and turned his attention back to the clothes. A wrinkled shirt along with pants that had seen better days were chosen.


    Barging through the door and out of his room, Kennedy hopped down a flight of cold stone stairs while still clothing himself. Upon his arrival in the kitchen, his aunt''s eyes lit up, "There you are! I''ve been trying to wake you up for half an hour now!" She would exclaim, cradling a brush in her two wrinkled hands.


    "I don''t know why; It only took me a few moments to get ready for the day when I was still working, Auntie Maya," Kennedy said, swerving past her and the dining table to head for the sink. In the areas where the metal hadn''t rusted, he could see his reflection. His sun-kissed skin, gray eyes, and medium-length black hair all mirrored his aunt''s features. He looked more like her than he ever did his mother, not that he even knew who his mother was.


    "I thought you''d wanna wake up earlier since it''s the first day of you going back completely! you haven''t been to school in two years after you dropped out halfway through middle school." Maya stated, "And since you took that special intelligence assessment exam, you won''t have to catch up on any lower secondary school education. You''ll immediately be placed in ninth grade, and on top of that, at a younger age compared to everyone else."


    With a toothbrush in his mouth, Kennedy listened closely to Maya''s words, "Curiosity Academy is a really prestigious school outside of our area, and I worked extra hard to secure you a place in it. Please make the best of this opportunity."


    For a moment, Kennedy paused, glancing away to avoid eye contact. He pulled the toothbrush from his


    mouth and began to rinse it off, "Yeah, I''ll try."


    After spitting in the sink, he dashed through the house''s interior and grabbed his book bag. Before he could make it to the door, Maya grasped his shoulder, "Not with those clothes... there''s a uniform policy, remember."


    With her free hand, she held a hanger that carried a pristine white dress shirt, a neat blue blazer adorned with an emblem of an open book encircled by laurel branches, and a matching pair of navy blue pants.


    Kennedy''s breath caught in his throat while his face twisted, "Seriously... I have to wear that? It''s embarrassing!"


    "Don''t say such things! You''ll be surrounded by hundreds of other people wearing the same thing! what is there to be embarrassed about?"


    "I''m telling you, I''m not putting it on!"


    Kennedy put it on, against his will of course. With a miserable look on his face, he stood tall as his aunt snapped countless photos of him. "You look amazing! Really, I can''t believe how much you''ve grown, I remember when you were barely up to my waste,-"This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    His folded fingers dug into his knuckles as his irritation grew palpable. A singular eyebrow continuously rose as he listened to his aunt ramble on with joyous tears streaming down her cheeks. He suddenly caught a glimpse of the time, all thanks to the digital clock built into the kitchen''s microwave. "Well, would you look at that, eight forty, and the school opens their conceited gates at nine fifteen, better get going, right?" He quickly stammered, taking steps equally as fast of steps to avoid any sort of response.


    He grasped the door handle and began to twist it, but his panicked aunt yelled for his halt. While wiping the tears from her face, she held a hand out with spread fingers, "I made breakfast. Don''t you want to eat before you leave?"


    Kennedy''s gaze softened as he turned. With a smile and a long sigh, he stepped away from the door.


    ?TheGulches?


    Kennedy stepped out of his home, immediately greeted by the sight of the mangled and deformed body of a petty thug. Its limbs sprawled out on the cracked pavement, twisting and curving at unnatural angles. Next to him were broken bars, from what Kennedy suspected to be metal railing. His eyes trailed up, and he noticed the damaged railing that traced the perimeter of his apartment building''s roof. "Tch, what an idiot."


    Kennedy grabbed the man by his legs and stuffed him in a nearby dumpster, the familiar scent of rotting flesh filled his nostrils. As he began to walk away, he couldn''t take his mind off the interaction he just had with his aunt. He caught himself smiling.


    [The entirety of our world lives in this city called Metropolis, bordered by towering, impenetrable walls. Nobody knows what lies outside of the walls, and nobody worries.]


    Though, this warm sense of joy didn''t last for long. Two men approached Kennedy from both sides. They were thugs, wearing tattered clothing with metal plates that barely matched their skin tones scattered all over their bodies. "Fancy clothes, Punk." One of them snickered.


    The other one rested their forearm on his shoulder, "What house ya live in?"


    Kennedy dug his hand into the pocket of his uniform, pulling out a bundle of paper cash, "Twenty-nine O seven. This is the payment, so don''t go terrorizing my Aunt for chromes that''ve already been given." Kennedy muttered, yanking his body away while holding the money up.


    The pairs of eyes on the thugs narrowed as he walked away. One of them sped up to his pace and threw an arm around his neck, "You''ve got some fancy clothes! What''s the occasion?"


    Kennedy tossed the cash and yanked away once again, not even batting an eye, "Don''t wanna talk to y''all. Take the chromes and screw off."


    It was almost as if the two thugs were synced to one another, for both of them gained angered looks. They looked towards the bundle of cash, which had landed in a puddle of water. It slowly grew darker as the paper absorbed the nasty gray liquid it laid in. They took their eyes off the money and glanced down the direction he had come from.


    [Despite being such a progressive city with out-of-the-world technological advances, sixty percent of Metropolis'' population resides in these places called Gulches. They''re shitty rundown back alleys where organized crime thrives, and desperate souls linger. The Gulches surround the center, a more developed and cared for part of Metropolis, and are divided into eight sections. Each section is primarily controlled by a gang. The government doesn''t seem to care about mafias and drug empires ruling their land, as long as the Center isn''t meddled with. The section I live in, the north side, is primarily controlled by ''the posse''.]


    Kennedy stepped out of the back alley and was introduced to a double-lane road that had train tracks running a few meters overhead. Climbing the worn concrete steps that led to the train platform, Kennedy reached his destination in seconds. The sun broke through the heavy clouds, with beams of light raining down.


    A harsh glare was now present on the slender tube of metal and wires that glided along the tracks. The train screeched to a stop, and the doors slid open with a hiss. Kennedy entered, greeted by a rush of cold air and the faint hum of digital displays that showcased trivial ads. Despite the train being filled to the brim with passengers, he was still able to get a spot near the window. He clung onto a grab bar, feeling the train lurch forward. The abominable landscape of the Gulches faded away, soon replaced by the towering buildings of the Center.


    [The truth about Metropolis? some are born to thrive, and others are born to die.]


    [Unless born at the minimum of the middle class, you''re destined to rot away, clinging onto the scraps that others leave behind.]


    [They say there is no rising in Metropolis]


    Unvitiated


    [The only direction you can move in is down.]


    [Though]


    Chapter one --


    [My aunt doesn''t believe in this widely repeated saying. I am going to school, because]


    The Only Direction is Down


    [She believes in the myth of ascending.]

 The Only Direction is Down (2/3)

    ?Yaks Workshop?


    Hours Later


    The low whirring of activating pistons could be heard as the double doors of a workshop entrance slid open. A man sitting in a rolling chair slowly twisted upon hearing the noise. His hunched back straightened itself as he realized who stood in the frame.


    With his head tilted and eyes low, Kennedy stared inside. His once crossed arms fell to his sides as the man inside scanned his tidy uniform up and down, "Well look at you, pretty boy!"


    "Shut your mouth," Kennedy spat, rolling his eyes, "Pops..."


    He spoke this word with a sharp edge, like a curse or insult meant to sting. It landed with precision, striking the nerve he intended. The man jumped out of his seat and aimed his blowtorch at Kennedy, "It''s Papa Yak! I don''t care how often of a customer you are, that''s the name you''ll call me by!" He would scream.


    Kennedy shrugged off the lecture strolling inside and tossing his bookbag onto a random counter, "Yeah, whatever,"


    He fell into a rolling chair of his own, the tension in his muscles immediately easing once he landed. With stern eyes, Yak watched Kennedy roll and spin around, "What do you want? Got any parts to sell? you rarely ever come to me for that." He interrogated.


    "No, just thought I''d visit since I was close. See how you''re holding up, y''know."


    Yak covered the lower half of his face, but that wasn''t enough to hide his expression. He seemed happy. Happy to have someone care for his well-being. Sitting back down, he began to once again become immersed in his craft. While blowtorching a metal plate, he opened his mouth to respond.


    "So, where''s Cherry?" Kennedy asked, puckering his lips and looking away.


    The warmth made its departure as soon as it had arrived. The usual angry expression took back its rightfully owned spot on his face, "That little lying bastard. That talk about visiting to catch up and then immediately asking about my assistant. I should''ve known he didn''t care for seeing me."


    "She''s out sick. Simple cold, so she''ll be alright." Yak explained, his eyebrows further descending into the vicinity of his eyelids, "How have you been doing? Still working your main job, or have you shifted focus to your night job?"


    Kennedy''s alter in posture hinted at his discomfort. He slouched deeper into the chair, his arms lazily hanging over the rests, "Auntie Maya made me quit my main job, and then she enrolled me in Curiosity Academy. She wants me to fully focus on school."


    Yak''s eyes widened. He glanced at Kennedy, who was still spinning in circles, "That explains the outfit... You go there now?"


    Kennedy nodded.


    "How was it?"


    "Nothin'' special."


    "Ah.."


    Silence befell the room. Yak slowly turned back to his metal plate twisting his blowtorch at a precise angle. He hesitated before firing it up again, clearly waiting for the rest of Kennedy''s response. It was just as clear that he wasn''t getting anything else out of him.


    "That''s a load of crap! Curiosity Academy is the fifth-ranked school in all of Metropolis! The fact that you''re from the gulches and you still go there is enough to tell me that your day wasn''t ''nothing special''!" He yelled.


    Kennedy shuddered lower in his seat and rolled himself away from Yak, "I was being honest! I mean.. I guess it was kind of odd being up there in the center since I don''t really leave Northside much.."


    "You don''t even understand how amazing that is... I''ll never understand you, Kid," Yak sighed, "But speaking about your jobs, does Maya know about your night work? If not, will you stop doing it since you''ve managed to score a spot in such a reputable school?"


    Kennedy twisted, his head tilting away from Yak, "She doesn''t know, so I''m not gonna stop. I''ve got a person with biomechanical attachments in my apartment dumpster right now. I''ll disassemble him and sell his enhancements for the best prices I''m offered. Once that money runs out, I''ll get back to killing those Posse goons and other idiot thugs running rampant while hoping to make it big in the crime world. Selling their BMed parts''ll earn even more money."Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions.


    Yak couldn''t help but smirk as he listened to Kennedy, "How bold... and you do it all to help out your Aunt. We live in a world where empowering your body with mechanics reigns supreme, yet a normal-bodied boy such as you goes up against these individuals."


    Suddenly, his praiseful tone shifted, becoming more serious, "I''m not trying to convince you to stop, but keep in mind that this is a dangerous line of work. It''s only a matter of time before you draw too much attention to yourself. The Posse won''t take kindly to those they catch killing their lackeys."


    Kennedy crossed his arms, pushing back in his seat, "I can handle myself. I''ve been doing this long enough to know when to fight and when to run."


    "Good." Yak affirmed, "We spoke about the secrets you''re keeping from her, but not about her condition. How is Maya doing? Does she still suffer from heart problems?"


    "Nah, got her a Biomech heart a while back. They''re expensive, so I had to pay with scrapping money I saved up over the months. If she knew I paid, she would''ve been suspicious about where I got the money from, so I told her a man who wanted to remain anonymous donated it to her."


    Yak nodded, placing the blowtorch on his desk and wiping his hands with a rag. While doing his business, he noticed Kennedy standing up. He grabbed his back and began to walk to the door, "I think I should get going now. Dont want Maya worrying. See you sometime soon hopefully."


    As he grabbed his items, Yak''s brows furrowed. It was like he was holding back something. A foot before the sliding doors, Kennedy paused and Yak spoke.


    "Hey, I know it''s bad business, but if you get tied up in situations of rising difficulty, getting your own enhancements installed is always an option. As long as you supply the gear, I''d get you situated for free. No chromes at all!"


    "What a kind offer. You must be high," Kennedy antagonized, "I make a decent bit of cash from each of my sales, but I doubt I''ll ever make enough to get real Biomech. The cheap shit on the black market is what all the airhead gangsters use. It''s always dangerous and prone to malfunctions. I''d never get stuff like that installed."


    "Preciate the offer though," He smiled, sticking up a thumb before turning around.


    "Keep safe, then!" Yak shouted, watching Kennedy step out of his shop.


    The neon lights of the workshop''s flashy sign flickered above him as he whipped out his phone. After clicking a few buttons, he whipped out earbuds and placed them in his ears.


    Navigating the streets of the Gulches, littered with homeless citizens and the thugs that pointlessly harassed them, Kennedy pushed forward. The heavy air, thick with musk and decay clung to his clothing and skin, a sensation he barely noticed anymore. Shoving his hands deep into his pockets, He thought about the day''s events.


    Stepping onto the street lost in thought, he barely registered the red traffic lights. The fact that the lights were always ignored, regardless of the color, made it all the more hard to know the state of the road. He stepped past the shadows that stretched across the uneven road, caused by the sinking sun


    He paused in the middle of the street, tapping his foot on the floor as he waited for the steady flow of illegally passing cars to die down. Horns blared, and a traffic jam began to build, but moving didn''t feel urgent. The moment a space opened up, he darted forward and across the rest of the street. He veered around a stalled car and hopped onto the sidewalk, narrowly avoiding the side mirror as he sped away.


    looking at the sky, the warm sunlight hit his face. Flocks of deformed birds flew across the sky with a light breeze sweeping by. His experiences throughout the day and the sensations of the present moment brought a smile to his face.


    At the corner, graffiti-covered alleyways stretched before him, the name ''posse'' dominating the designs. He sighed, brushed it off, and made his way home.


    Blood stained the foot of his staircase, and dried into a dark patch. Drifting from the embarrassing crater, Kennedy''s eyes met the dumpster. Without hesitation, he yanked the thug''s body out by its mangled arm. Scaling the fire escape, he climbed into his apartment through the window.


    The corpse, and his own body, both hit the floor. Launching off his stomach, Kennedy swiftly pushed his window shut and pulled the curtains over it.


    Once he turned his attention back to the body his eyes slowly lit up. He stepped up for a closer look and his eyebrows rose even higher. "These enhancements... they aren''t rusties!?" Kennedy exclaimed."


    His eyes trailed up and down the carcass''s mechanical arm. It was lined with sleek, high-quality steel, and a light blue, almost glowing liquid flowed in between the cracks of the plating. "That''s a cooling system! Enhancements like this should only be installed on law enforcement officers!"


    He fell to his knees and brought up his hand, knocking on the man''s chest. A metallic thud echoed through the room, "Armored skin as well! This guy is wired head to toe! There might even be more under his clothes!"


    "The arm alone could go for three-hundred-thousand chromes! Then if I''m able to extract his armored skin and the other potential enhancements..."


    He interrupted himself after shooting to his feet. He took a deep breath in an attempt to tone down his excitement. "I''m getting ahead of myself. His armor and other enhancements are probably damaged from the fall, and Maya doesn''t even know I''m in the house yet. I can''t let her know that I snuck in through the window."


    Kennedy wrapped his hands under the arms of the body and dragged it into his closet, "I''ll deal with this guy later."


    He repeated the steps he took to enter his home in reverse, ending up in front of the door.


    "I''m home, Auntie!" Kennedy yelled, stepping inside for the second time while pretending it was the first. He froze in spot immediately once the mess in the hallway was noticed. The family photos that once hung on the walls were now scattered across the floor. Bits and chunks of concrete were sprinkled all over, garnishing the disorder, "W..what...?"


    He ignored the disarray and stared ahead, the single thing he couldn''t ignore being the lack of a response.


    "Auntie¡­?"

 The Only Direction is Down (3/3)

    The longer Kennedy stared down the hall, the farther it seemed to stretch and twist. The mess ahead was from no accident. Furniture was overturned, splintered wood littered the floor, and ominous streaks along the walls hinted at a violent, drawn-out struggle. With questions racing through his mind, he began to feel a weird emptiness in his stomach.


    He stepped forward, clenching his dress shirt while a wave of anxiety washed over him. The darkness made the eerieness all the more unbearable. Glass shards from shattered lightbulbs glinted like sinister stars, scattered across the floor. He swerved around them carefully, his stomach sinking even deeper.


    He stepped forward, an unsettling laugh breaking the silence. Kennedy froze, his breath shallow as a flicker of light spilled into the corridor. It was weak, clinging to life like a candle''s dying flame.


    He stepped forward, faint mumbling flooding his ears. By the voices coming from the TV, he could tell a familiar sitcom was playing. It was Maya''s favorite, filled with laughter and giggles coming from the ''live audience'' that was never actually present. He stepped forward, finding himself in the kitchen. Although the distance from the door to where he stood was particularly short, in these moments, it felt as though hours were passing.


    He stepped forward, seeing Maya lying on the floor. Kennedy''s heart skipped a beat from the sight. His legs shook a little, slightly giving in as he tried to process his aunt''s state. "W-what..."


    He stepped forward, stumbling after tripping over a tipped-over chair. The corny jokes and overused laugh tracks continued to fill the silence as he crawled across the floor.


    "Maya! He screamed, gently shaking her body, "Wake up!"


    No response.


    Kennedy''s heart raced and panic surged through him. His gentle shaking soon grew rough and aggressive, "Get up!" he begged, a tone more demanding than pleading.This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    His breath quickened as he glanced around the room, desperately searching for something that could help. The beaten TV continued to flicker and glitch on its wooden stand


    With trembling fingers that trailed up Maya''s neck, Kennedy put pressure right below her jawline. The sound of laughter was more prominent than ever¡ªa cruel mockery of his anguish.


    "UWAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGH!"


    "There''s no pulse... there''s no pulse!"


    "Her heart... could it have something to... no it can''t be that. The house is in ruins, so it had to be someone who did this... it was a person. Who?" Kennedy stammered, tears welling in his infuriated eyes. He suddenly paused, his expression growing vindictive. His eyes sharpened and eyebrows lowered, "Is that even a question...? It was them... those fuckin'' Posse bastards. I''ll kill them all. Every last one of ''em!"


    His body curled over and he grasped Maya''s hand, "They''ll pay... I swear it." He promised, his voice barely a whisper.


    ?Yak''s Workshop?


    Immersed in his workflow, Yak danced around his workshop, tending to his various projects. As always, it was a completely disorganized mess, but that didn''t affect the pace of his progress at all. He was in such a deep trance that he didn''t notice his doors sliding open.


    Bobbing his head to music that blasted from speakers, Yak moved with energy that defiled his sleep-deprived appearance. Some strange feeling made him feel like his name was being called, but the music completely engrossed him. He felt this sensation a few more times, only giving it attention when the sudden crash of items falling off his main desk spooked him.


    At the entrance, Kennedy stood with his arm hanging in the air. He had just thrown the body of the dead thug.


    "What the hell is wrong with you!? Don''t enter my shop like that, boy! Got my heart dropping into my ass..."


    Piles of scraps and failed mechanics clashed against one another while falling to the ground.


    "Those Posse fucks killed Maya!" Kennedy growled.


    Yak paused, his entire mood changing. He stared into the blaze that raged in Kennedy''s wide eyes.


    "Get over here. What you told me earlier, I''m getting it done!" Kennedy demanded, lowering his arm to point at the body, "Amp me up to eleven, now! I''m striking back and killing every last one of ''em!"