8 posts tagged “ren”
"I would like you all to meet Chris Firenze," Hisoka told the group of assembled fighters. "He's come in fourth place at all the most recent sword-fighting tournaments and is very skilled. He's going to be instructing you."
A man snorted. "Not skilled enough to win."
Ren raised a brow. "And if I had won, I would not be able to teach you. The top three of every tournament are required to join the military."
A couple of the men nodded.
"We can't be taught by a boy! I have children older than him!"
Hisoka looked at Ren, but he waved his hand a little and handed her his sword. "Who among you considers himself your best?"
Three men stood up. Ren looked them over. "Very well. Decide amongst yourselves. I want the best to fight me, right now."
"But you just gave your sword to Hisoka!" someone near the back yelled.
Ren looked in that direction, then back at the three standing men. "I won't need it."
"I won't fight an unarmed child," one of the standing men said, then took his seat.
"Me either," another sat.
Ren looked at the remaining man. "And you?"
"Not with a sword."
Ren nodded. "Then feel free to get a wooden practice blade. The worst it can do is bruise."
The man looked at him. His eyes ran along the thin limbs of the boy and up to the unmarred face of the redhead. It'd give him great pleasure to knock a little sense into him. He nodded and handed his blade to the man beside him, then picked out one of the wooden ones off of the rack.
Hisoka moved out of the way and watched as man and boy made their way to the center of the room. The man took up a fighting stance, while Ren stood still, watching.
The man waited, but Ren didn't move, and didn't take a defensive stance. After another minute, he charged the boy, swinging the sword at the redhead.
Ren easily stepped out of the way of the whirling stick and turned so that he was facing the man's back, waiting.
The man spun and looked at the calm-faced boy. He started to circle him at a little more than sword's length, but the boy didn't turn to watch him. When he was behind the boy, he lunged, to several outraged cries from his comrades.
But Ren hit the floor before the sword was even close to him, his leg sweeping out and knocking the man off his own feet.
Ren turned to the assembled group. "If you get an opening on a stronger enemy from behind, take it. It's not cowardice, it's good sense."
He looked at the man again, watching him climb to his feet.
"Are you saying you're stronger than me?"
Ren looked at him curiously. "Perhaps not physically, but I am faster and a better fighter."
The man growled and lunged at him again. Instead of dodging entirely, Ren spun, throwing his back against the man's chest and his elbow into his side then stepping out of the way as the man collapsed onto his knees, panting.
"Go for the lungs or nose or mouth if you find yourself without a weapon," he told the rest of the assembly, "they'll slow down your opponent enough for you to make a run for it."
The man pushed himself up once again, wiping his mouth on his sleeve. Ren looked at him. "I cede," the man said, but he didn't like it.
Ren nodded. "Very well. Anyone else?" he looked back at the group.
Several people shook there heads, but most just stared.
"All right, let's get started then. Arm up. I want the smaller men and women on one side, the larger on the other. There are advantages to be had no matter what your size and I'm going to show you some of them."
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Hisoka caught up to Ren in the halls on his way to his room. "I've heard rumors that you're a tyrant, you know," she said, teasing.
Ren looked at her, then looked around and smiled. "Have you? Good, maybe that means they're learning something."
"They look better, if that means anything to you, Ren. You can tell they're improving, even if they hate you for it."
"Being hated is something that I am used to."
"Are you coming to have dinner with the rest of us in the main hall?"
"Not tonight, Hisoka. I need to take down my aura soon, it's wearing me out."
"I understand. I'll bring you up some food later, then."
"I would appreciate that."
Hisoka smiled to him. "Rest, then. I'll see you soon." She hurried off back towards the main building.
Ren turned and headed to the corridor his room was on, but stopped moving and just walked in place, waiting. A second later a brown haired boy poked his head around the corner. Ren grabbed the front of his shirt and swung him around, pushing him into a wall, a small knife to his throat. "Why are you following me?"
The boy's face warred over whether to blush or pale... paling won. Color washed from his face as the blade pressed against his throat. "There.... there were rumors... I just... I wanted... I wanted to know who you were."
The swordsman recognized the other boy, he was in the class he taught. He eased up a bit.
"You really are him, aren't you? You're The Shadow!"
"Keep your voice down," Ren ordered, looking around.
"Hisoka called you Ren. That's The Shadow's name. My dad told me..." the boy whispered.
Green eyes glared at the boy, but the look did not quash the look of excitement on his face. Ren's aura flickered and he frowned. "Damn. Fine. Come with me." He let go of the boy and hurried to his room. Once they were both in, he shut the door and let his aura drop.
The boy gasped. "How'd you do that?"
"Aura shaping. It acts as a buffer and hides who I really am."
The boy was staring at the scars on Ren's arms, then moved up to his neck and finally his face. "What happened to you?"
Ren looked at him, then crossed his arms over his chest. "What do you plan to do now that you know who I am? Are you planning on announcing it?"
The boy blinked, then shook his head venomently. "No way! If they wanna know then they can follow you around for half a day and try to stay out of sight.... how long did you know I was following you?"
"Since lunch."
The boy's face fell. "The whole time, then?"
"You didn't do badly, but I know when people are looking for me. Anyone else probably wouldn't have noticed."
"Why did you let Hisoka say your name, then?"
"To alert her would have meant alerting you. I've been trying to get alone for the last hour to confront you. Besides, if I wanted to, I could make sure you don't remember any of this..."
The boy recoiled a little, taking a step back.
"Don't look at me like that. You thought I was a monster before you started following me, don't be surprised that I really am one."
"You're not a monster. My dad told me once about how you helped out his town... he said you helped them chase the Shadow Gnarly out of there..."
Ren remembered Gnarly. The Shadow that had cast off his real name in favor of one that frightened children. He sighed. "Chased, yes. I should have killed him."
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Eh, I'd write more but my dad will be here to pick me up soon. Stay tuned for stories about how he came to be a Shadow! And exactly what a Shadow is (I think I figured it out).
Ren stopped, mid-swing, his ears perked, and smiled.
Hisoka, nowhere near as skilled couldn't pull her swing and the wood sword hit Ren's arm with like a hand slapping a ham. "Ohmigosh! Ren, I'm so sorry."
The boy blinked and looked at his student, then smiled to her. "No worries, Hisoka. But listen, I have to go now."
"What? Why?"
Ren listened again, then smiled to her. "Because if I don't, then I'll be in very big trouble." He knelt in front of the girl and smiled. "It's all right. I'll see you again, though not soon. The grown ups are going to tell you a lot of things about me in the next few days, okay? And some of them are true and some of them aren't. Hear them out, okay? Listen to them, then think about me and you make your own decisions, okay?"
Hisoka nodded a little and flung her arms around his neck. "I'm going to miss you, Ren."
Ren hugged her gently. "I'll miss you, too, but now I really have to go, they're getting closer. Keep practicing." He let her go and stood up, hurrying to his equipment and strapping his sword to his back. "Be good," he called to her, then jumped up and grabbed onto a rafter, tugging himself up and hurrying towards the window.
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Bastion was there when Ren hit the ground outside the gym, gun aimed at him. "Where is Hisoka?"
Ren looked at him. "She's perfectly safe."
Bastion's eye twitched a little, his finger tightening slightly against the trigger. Ren didn't even draw his sword, but stood poised, ready to take off. "Why aren't you using her as a shield?" Bastion asked.
Ren sneered. "Only cowards hide behind children. I am not a monster."
"You are a Shadow and Shadows are monsters."
"You have no idea what I am," the boy told him.
"Then why do you run?"
"Because humans are notorious for thinking they know things and basing decisions off of that. You say I'm a monster. I am guilty in name, even if innocent in deed."
Bastion stared at the boy. "I can't let you leave."
"I'm afraid you don't have a choice. I am not someone who's going to stay and be killed... again." He smiled wryly. "Brianna," he said to the tiger creeping up behind him, "please don't try anything foolish, my reflexes are more instinct than anything else these days."
The tiger paused, looked past the boy to Bastion, who gave a small nod. She stopped creeping, but did not move from blocking the exit.
"Daddy!"
All three of them glanced to where Hisoka was coming running out of the gym. Ren recovered first and took the distraction as his opportunity, flipping over Brianna and climbing up the wall in a hurry. He heard the gun go off, but didn't turn around.
"Daddy, no!"
Ren didn't look back. He was out of sight in a matter of seconds.
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20 Years Later.
"Garrison?"
"Yes, ma'am?"
"I think it's time to call in an expert," Hisoka said, watching the new recruits bashing each other with the wooden swords in an almost barbaric fashion.
"All the acclaimed swords masters have pledged their allegiance to the government, Miss. No one would dare train our men."
"There is someone who is not loyal to anyone."
"That could be dangerous to call someone like that in. Someone with no allegiance is almost as dangerous as someone allied to the enemy."
"He'll pledge loyalty to me if I ask him for it."
"Who, ma'am?"
"The Shadow," she said, turning away from the window.
Garrison's eyes went wide. "Miss Hisoka, the Shadow is a demon...."
"The Shadow is an old friend of mine." She tied her hair back in a plain brown ribbon. "I think its best if I retrieve him alone. Have the generals confer without me until I return and cast my vote in my stead."
"Please, I must insist, ma'am... take some guards, at the very least."
Hisoka smiled to him. "He would never harm me."
"People change, Miss. Even Shadows. And I've never met a Shadow that changed for the good."
She smiled. "You've never met Ren, either."
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"You've been looking for me?"
Hisoka looked up at the middle aged man standing at the edge of her table. His hair was jet black, his eyes brown. She shook her head. "No, Sir. I'm looking for a friend of mine."
"I am Ren Kyoko, also known as The Shadow."
The young woman shook her head. "No, sir, you are not, and I would be careful laying such claims; the real Ren would be very upset."
The man slammed his hands down on the table, glaring at her. She didn't even jump. "How dare you say I'm not who I say I am...."
A small blade pressed against the man's jugular. He turned and saw a smallish teenage boy holding the blade their.
Green eyes flashed at the man. "I think you should leave now, sir. I think you're bothering this young lady."
"Get lost, you little brat."
Ren smiled a little to the man. "You should leave, or I will escort you out."
The man swung at the boy. Ren's knife disappeared and he dodged the blow fully, grabbing the arm and twisting it behind the man's back, jerking it up until the man cried out.
"Now, apologize."
The man looked back at Hisoka, who was watching with a small smile on her face and nodded to her. "I'm-I'm sorry, miss."
"Good. Now get out of here." He shoved the man towards the door.
"Now he'll come back with half a dozen friends, you know..." Hisoka pointed out to Ren after the man had left.
Ren grinned a little. "I know." He slid down in the seat across from her. "You've grown up beautifully, Hisoka."
"And you haven't aged a day," she smiled to him.
"Ah, yes, one of the many.... joys... of being a Shadow." He told her with a weary smile.
She stared at him for a long moment, picking out the new scars, the circles under his eyes, the sadness that stared back out at her. "You look like Hell, Ren."
He smiled softly to her. "It's nothing. But you didn't come all the way out here after so long to tell me that, did you?"
"I need your help. The order is crumbling. We're losing members left and right; we've got a mole somewhere and keep getting raided every few weeks and our recruits haven't ever held a gun or sword before in their lives and seem utterly hopeless..."
Ren folded his arms on the table and listened to her. "What can I do?"
"I'd like you to help train our recruits and be an extra set of eyes for me... plus...."
"Plus?"
"You always seem to know when someone's after you... I figured you might be able to give us a heads up for future raids?"
Ren sat back and watched her thoughtfully, considering. For several minutes, nothing was said. Finally, Ren sat forward again. "I will help you the best I can, but..."
Hisoka blinked at him. "But what?"
"Your recruits may be slightly hesitant to take orders from a fifteen year old. And also, I don't think we should reveal who I am to more people than those that absolutely have to know. If word gets out you're employing a Shadow, you may lose support...."
"Ren..." she said, looking at him curiously. "... haven't you heard any of the rumors about you lately? You're not just A Shadow. You're The Shadow--protector of the innocent, opposer of the oppressors. You're a hero..."
"...And a monster." Ren shook his head. "Stories are one thing. You hear someone talking about all these heroic things and in your head you're saying 'yeah, this is a great guy'... then you meet him, and you remember WHAT he is, and suddenly all traces of 'great guy' leaves and is replaced solely with 'monster'. Trust me, I've seen it happen more times than I would like to recall. We should keep my identity a secret."
"All right. But you're a pretty distinctive person, Ren..."
The corners of his mouth twitched. "Right now, yes. But I can fix that."
She looked at him curiously.
"I'll be right back." He stood and headed into the men's room.
Hisoka watched him, her brow furrowed, then picked up her drink and sipped at it. A few minutes later, a redheaded boy with pale skin came out and took a seat across from her. "I'm sorry," she said, "that seat is taken."
The boy smiled, green eyes glinting.
Her eyes widened. "Ren?"
"Not bad, huh?"
"Oh my god... how did you do that? Where are all of your scars?"
"They're still here." He held out his arm to her and the skin suddenly darkened back to Ren's normally tanned color, the scars appearing. After a second, it faded back to the pale unblemished skin. "It's my aura," he told her with an amused smile. "I can reshape it enough to create a temporary disguise."
"When did you learn that?"
"About five years ago. I ran into a Shadow out in New Findley who could do it and I started fiddling around with it. Finally got it right about two years ago."
"How long can you hold it?"
"About sixteen hours. In a pinch, I can hold it longer, but the illusion gets shaky."
"I'll give you your own room at the compound, that way you can have privacy to take it down at night."
He nodded a little. "Good. Then I think we might be able to pull this off."
In the garden outside the recovery room, Ren was practicing. Each step measured, each swing precise. He swung too hard and winced, pausing with a hand on his side.
Bastion watched him from his office.
"If you don't trust him," Brianna said, "then why give back his weapons?"
"He has not done anything to dissuade our trust."
"And yet you have not left him unwatched since he woke up."
"Precautions must be taken."
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Ren had locked himself away in the gym. One week after getting back and he was still moving too slow. He'd been pushing himself for the past hour, running himself from one side of the room to the other, sword swinging at markers that were set up around the open room.
"REN!"
The voice caused a complete halt in his actions, his sword falling limp from his fingers and he turned around just in time to catch the flying child that jumped at him. Her trust that he would catch her astounded him, but he did.
"Hisoka, there you are. I was beginning to think they'd hied you away somewhere." He told her with a smile as she clung to his neck.
"I was so worried! Brianna brought you back and you were all bloody and wouldn't talk to me and nobody would let me near you!"
"I'm sorry. I had an accident and I needed to get better."
"I thought you died."
Ren smiled to her. "How could I? I promised I'd give you another lesson, didn't I? I never break a promise."
The girl child giggled against him. "You're all wet."
"Yes, well, I was working extra hard to get ready for your lesson." He put her down. Next year she'd be at least as tall as him, but right now he had a head and a half on her. "Are you ready?"
"Yes!"
"Where's your practice blade?"
She jumped excitedly and took off across the room. He moved over to his own equipment and replaced his sword with a wooden stick before moving back to the middle of the floor.
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"At it again, Ren?"
Ren paused and lowered his blade, turning towards the door. "I slowed down too much with my injuries; I wanted to get back to where I was before as soon as possible."
"Does that mean that your threat to disarm me was a bluff?" Bastion smiled a little as he walked into the gym.
"With all due respect, you've not trained a single day since I've been here. Lapses in training slow you down. Even injured, I was confident I could take the gun."
Bastion laughed softly and shook his head. "And you make it a habit of knowing who's using the gym?"
"It never hurts to be aware of the skill sets of your friends."
"You never know when you'll have to take them on?"
Ren stared at him for a moment, then shook his head. "No, sir. You never know when you might need additional help."
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"The messengers you've sent out have returned, Bastion," his secretary told him from the door.
"Send them in."
She did a quick bob and then headed out. A moment later two men came into the office and took up seats across from him.
Bastion waited until the door was closed, then looked at them. "Did you find anything?"
"Everything he told you about the last town he lived in is entirely true. He worked in a dojo, scrubbing floors, lived alone, paid his rent on time..."
"But?"
"We decided to check farther back," the other man piped in. "And beyond the last town, things get messy."
"How so?"
"Ren Kyoko died three years ago in a raid on his hometown. He's buried with his father and mother," the first man said. "We dug up the grave and ran tests to be sure."
Bastion tensed. "So who is it that is working for us?"
"We don't know. Ren Kyoko has not been seen since his death, and it was only six months ago that this boy showed up at the dojo," the first man finished.
"There is one more thing..." the second man said, hesitantly.
"Which is?"
"There were remnants of this symbol," he slid a piece of paper across the desk to his boss, "underneath his bed."
Bastion peered at the paper and suddenly threw back his chair, hurrying to his feet and out the door. "Chesna! Where is Ren right now?"
The secretary blinked a little and looked. "Oh, uh... he's in the gym, with Hisoka.... for her lesson."
"Send Brianna there at once and contact the other general and send him over immediately. Tell them to come armed."
"Y-yes, sir." She watched him nearly run from the room, grabbing his pistol out of its holster and followed closely behind by the two messengers.
Ren's breath caught in his throat and he let out a hiss of pain, his hands clenching into fists at his sides. He took several quick, shallow breaths, his eyes shut tightly, before he peeked them open and peered up at the ceiling. This was not his bed, but it wasn't the interrogation room, either.
"You're up."
Ren turned his head to the side and peered at Bastion, who was lounging in a chair in the corner of the room. "Where am I?"
Bastion stood in one fluid motion. "A recovery room at the base. It's quite a bit more comfortable than the barracks, and the hospital wing does get backed up too quickly."
The boy pushed himself up onto his elbows with another hiss of pain.
"Does it still hurt?"
"Yes, sir." He looked up and found the barrel of a gun aimed between his eyes.
"What are you?"
Ren's eyes traced the barrel to Bastion's hand; it was steady, the knuckles weren't white. He looked up at the man's face. "I am a swordsman."
Bastion pressed the barrel against the boy's skin. "How did you heal?"
"I don't know," Ren's voice was slow, even.
"Don't play games with me, child."
"I don't know," he repeated.
"Have you done it before?"
"Yes."
"I've seen you come back with injuries that did not heal near as fast."
"Can we talk without the gun? I am unarmed, as you know."
Bastion considered. He'd never seen Ren fight without a blade, but that didn't mean he couldn't, and Bastion's skills did not lay in hand-to-hand combat. It was hard for him to look on the small, frail-looking boy in the bed and consider him a threat, though. "Tell me why all your injuries don't heal."
"I've only healed like that when I was unconscious. Do not make me take that gun from you, sir. You may be confident, but I am faster than you."
"You would shoot me?"
"No, sir, but I would disarm you."
Bastion smiled a little and took his finger off the trigger, raising the gun so that it wasn't aimed at Ren. "You have some new scars."
Ren gave a nod. "It only fixes things to a certain extent."
"Why didn't you tell us?"
"It's not something that's taken well," the boy said, glancing at the gun.
"Finding out like this is better?"
"I wasn't expecting to be hurt quite as bad."
"What are you?" Bastion asked again.
"I am a swordsman." Ren told him again. "Occasionally a thief and spy, but mainly a swordsman."
"You don't know?"
Ren quirked a brow. "I know who I am; what hardly matters."
"Are you sure about that?"
"Yes, sir."
Bastion smiled again. "Very well. Now, for the important matters. Did you tell them anything?"
"Just that you would make quite an entrance, and you did not disappoint." A small smile quirked on the edges of his lips.
Bastion relaxed more fully as he saw the tug at the edges of the boy's lips. Humans smiled; children more often. It made him feel better when Ren wasn't looking so serious. "It was quite spectacular, wasn't it?"
"Yes, sir. The parting of the cats was a nice touch. I wish I could have seen his face."
The man laughed and ruffled the black hair, then stood up. "Next time, I'll have Brianna take a photo for you."
"I'm hoping there won't be a next time."
"Too true. Well, rest. Take all the time you need. I'll send in some food and drink for you."
"Sir?" Ren stopped him as he turned around.
"Yes?" Bastion looked back at him.
"May I have my weapons back?"
Bastion grinned. "Indeed. I'll send them in later, after you've eaten. The doctor will have my hide if you don't eat something."
"Thank you."
"Rest. When you're ready, we have another task for you, but it isn't pressing, so take your time."
Ren nodded and watched him leave, shivering as his torturer's words came back to him. You are a tool... Are you loyal to these people only because they've put you to use?
"Why have you pledged your allegiance to these people?" the torturer asked, pressing the flat of his blade against Ren's chest. "You are a tool. A hammer does not pledge to serve only one master; it will work for whoever decides to hold it. Are you loyal to these people only because they've put you to use?"
Ren closed his eyes, head drooping slightly.
"You could make a good living working for both sides..."
"Sir! The cats!" The intercom sparked to life.
Both of them raised their heads to look at it. The man looked to Ren and saw a smile creeping onto the corners of those bruised lips. "Remember what I told you about hope," he told the boy, stabbing the knife into his thigh.
Ren could only manage a whimper; he'd long since lost the strength to scream.
The knife was pulled out and the man stood up and slightly behind Ren, grabbing a handful of hair and jerking his head back, then laying the blade against his throat.
The door burst open and a flood of cats came pouring inside, wave after wave, climbing over each other in their rush to get inside. Then the waves parted and Bastion came strolling just through the middle to survey man and boy.
Bastion looked over Ren and then turned to the other man. "I'd appreciate it if you released Ren."
The man smiled. "I'm afraid Ren has been arrested and is being detained for questioning. You wouldn't want to interrupt a federal investigation."
"I wasn't aware that torture was still legal."
Ren's eyes closed. He was fighting for consciousness.
"The boy resisted arrest. We had to use quite a bit of force."
"Brianna?" Bastion said.
A large tigress strode into the room and looked up at him.
"Get Ren and take him home; I'll join you shortly."
The knife pressed more firmly into Ren's throat. "I think you misunderstood. Ren will not be leaving."
Bastion smiled. "Actually, he will. Ladies, if you will?"
Two dozen cats leapt at the man, claws extended and attached themselves to him. He gave a his of pain and then the tigress leapt at him. Other cats scattered as Brianna took the man down. The knife skidded across the floor.
"Brianna, Ren is your first priority." Bastion pointed out when Brianna lingered too long with the man.
The tigress hesitated, then climbed off of him, slashing through the boy's ropes. Ren slumped towards the ground, Bastion grabbing his arms. Brianna shifted back to her human form and slid her arm around him. "It'll be easier for me to carry him tis way," she told Bastion.
He nodded to her. "Go. Take entrance four. I'll follow shortly." He stepped on the man's chest to keep him from getting up. "I'm just going to finish up here."
She gave a quick nod and headed out the door, supporting the boy against her side.
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The doctor hovered nervously near the door of Bastion's office, biting his lip and wringing his hands together.
"Doctor." Bastion looked up and smiled to him. "Good. How is he?"
The doctor took a few tentative steps into the room. "Oh, he's fine.... fine."
Bastion raised a brow. "What is it?"
"There's... something unusual."
"Let's not beat around the bush. What's going on?"
"His wounds are healing..."
"That's a good thing."
"...without our help."
Bastion looked up and stared at the doctor. "What?"
"The bruising is almost gone and most of his cuts are healing... in a matter of hours. The deeper ones are leaving scars, but the tissue is knitting itself together at an amazing rate."
"He's a healer?"
"Well, no. As a general rule, healers can't heal themselves, but just in case, I called in an aura reader just to be sure, and she said that there wasn't the slightest trace of healer on his aura."
"I want to see him. Immediately." Bastion said, standing.
"He's still unconscious, sir."
"Take me to him, doctor."
The doctor nodded and turned, heading out the door and back towards the infirmary with Bastion.
Ren was laying on the bed, wrapped in bandages and breathing calmly. He had a new scar above his eye that had already been uncovered.
"Show me." Bastion ordered.
The doctor moved to one side of the bed and started unwrapping one of the boy's arms. Almost all of the small cuts that'd been inflicted on him were gone and there were two or three fading red areas where slightly deeper cuts had been.
Bastion's eyes slid over the skin, watching the redness fading from the last few cuts. "What exactly are you, kid?" he muttered to himself.
The actual rescue will have to wait until after work, because I have to leave... right now. Bwhahaha. Later.
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Bastion stood outside the complex, watching the men shooting at his cats and sighed. "Lackeys. I hate lackeys. You always have to hurt them to get them to listen."
He looked at a cat that walked up to him. "He's in there?"
The cat mewed.
"All right. We're going in, get everyone ready."
The cat padded away and he sighed.
"Intelligence says he's been in there for almost eight hours, Bastion," the woman beside him said. "He's just a kid. He'll have told them everything by now."
"It doesn't matter. We can't leave him in there."
"We shouldn't have taken him in."
"If we hadn't, they would have. You can't let skills like that go to waste. I'd rather have him on our side."
She sighed softly. "What are we doing, then?"
"I'll go in the front. Can you get to the room they're holding him in?"
She closed her eyes for a minute, looking thoughtful, then nodded. "Yes. He's not alone, though."
"Is he alive?"
"Barely."
Bastion nodded. "All right, then let's go. Meet me in the room, I'm probably going to need your help in there." He picked up one of the kittens off the ground by his feet. "Go back to base, tell them to have a doctor waiting."
The cat mewed and when he put it down, it trotted off in the other direction.
WARNING: CONTAINS SCENES OF TORTURE TO CHILDREN. IF YOU ARE OFFENDED, PLEASE LEAVE NOW.
EXTRA WARNING FOR ANYONE THAT MIGHT STUMBLE ON THIS BY ACCIDENT: ALL CHARACTERS AND EVENTS IN THIS ARE ENTIRELY FICTIONAL AND ANY RESEMBLANCE TO ACTUAL PERSONS OR EVENTS IS PURELY COINCIDENCE. AND IT'S VERY VIOLENT. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED.
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"Sir?" the intercom crackled to life in the room and the man turned away from the boy with a sigh.
He pushed the button and gave a weary sigh. "What is it? I asked not to be interrupted." He looked at Ren, tied to the chair, bleeding and nearly doubled-over, blood soaking through all of his clothes. He turned his eyes to the red-hot poker in his hand, turning it slowly. He had to put it back in the fire soon.
"Yes, sir, I know, sir. But... there's... some commotion... outside."
"Commotion?"
"Yes, sir."
"What sort of commotion?"
"There are cats gathering."
Out of the corner of his eye, he thought he saw the boy tense, but when he looked, he was still hunched over. "Cats?"
"Yes, sir. About thirty right now, but more are arriving."
The man quirked a brow and watched the boy panting for a moment. "Shoot them. Then dispose of them. We can't have attention being drawn here. I'm not done yet."
"Shoot them, sir?"
"Did I stutter?"
"No, sir. We'll begin immediately." The intercom cracked and went silent.
The man moved over and knelt in front of the boy, grabbing his chin and forcing his head up. He examined the cuts and bruises, then looked into the boy's eyes. "Summoning kittens, are we?"
"I can't summon any animals," he said weakly, but the corners of his mouth twitched.
"But you know who can."
"Can't say I do," he muttered with a smirk.
"Oh?" The poker found its way against the boy's side and elicited another cry of pain from the teen. "Would you like to try a bit harder to remember?"
"I'm going to kill you," Ren said between clenched teeth.
The man smiled. "Hope is a dangerous thing, Ren. Do you think..." the man's finger's traced their way through blood that was flowing down the boy's arm, up to the gash it was leaking from, "that the cats will keep coming after you die?" He shoved the tips of his fingers into the wound and Ren screamed, his whole body trembling.
Ren gasped, tightening his hands into fists as the fingers were withdrawn. He felt the tears at his eyes and breathed raggedly.
The man stood, tangling his fingers in the black hair and jerking the boy's head back. "Who is calling the cats?"
"If I die," Ren told him hoarsely, "the cats will come until every last one of you bastards is dead."
The man tightened his hand in the boy's hair, giving it a violent yank. "Who is it?"
The boy winced, then closed his eyes. "He'll be here soon. I don't want to spoil his entrance."
The man shoved the boy's hand down again. "Fucking children. This assignment is Hell." He threw his poker back into the flames and smiled when he saw Ren's eyes widen. "Oh, don't worry, dear boy, we're not done quite yet. By the time your little friend gets here, I will know what I want to know, and you will be quite dead."
Ren was thrown back from the larger man, clutching his sword tightly as his feet skidded through the gravel. This wasn't good. He was out of breath, bleeding, and his arms were shaking ever so slightly.
He held the sword in front of him, staring out of the eye that did not have blood leaking into it at the other man, his chest heaving.
"Why do you continue?" the man asked, smiling. He wasn't out of breath, but did sport several cuts where the boy had managed to get through his defenses.
"Why do you talk so much?" Ren asked, adjusting his stance and readying for another attack.
"I figured I'd give you a minute to breath, but if you're ready for me..." The man nearly flew at him, sword raised, bringing it down towards the boy's shoulder.
Ren pivoted to the side, bringing his blade up to deflect the blow and swinging his leg at the other's torso.
The man shoved off, bouncing a step back and laughing. "Ooh, quick. You almost had me. But you're hurt and you can't finish this. If you stop this foolishness, I won't kill you."
"Go to Hell!" Ren growled, shifting his footing again. He could give up. And the man might actually not kill him. But there were quite a few things worse than death, and he was certain he'd be subjected to at least one of them. He needed an opening: either on the man or as an escape route. He knew the area fairly well, he could find a place to hide.
The man gave an exaggerated sigh. "Children. Always so foolish." He shook his head regretfully, then charged Ren again, swinging fast and driving the boy back.
Ren swung his sword to deflect the blows, moving it quickly to each one, but he didn't have time to counter, and he was running out of room. The wall was approaching too fast.
And then they were there. Ren's back pushed into the wall and the man's sword swinging down at him. He was staggering under the fury of the blows. His leg came up to kick the other back from him.
"Ah!" Ren fell onto the floor, grabbing his sliced thigh with one hand. The man could have stabbed him right then; he'd never be able to get his sword up in time.
"You shouldn't try to use the same move twice." The man's grinning face was in Ren's peripheral vision. He reached a hand out and grabbed a handful of the boy's black locks, yanking them back and eliciting another hiss of pain from Ren. "Take your hand off your sword. Now is not the time to act courageously."
Ren's fist tightened on the hilt. It was suicide to swing it and he knew it, but if he relinquished his weapon...
The boy couldn't bring himself to do it. Death was a better option, but it wasn't one he'd fully been able to embrace. His fingers let go of the blade.
The man smiled to him. "Good boy. Don't feel too bad, you were out-classed. The fact that you even managed to hit me at all speaks of your talent. If only it weren't so... misplaced." He stood, dragging Ren to his feet by his hair.
"Come along, we have quite a walk ahead of us." He smiled, pulling Ren towards the street.
Ren limped along as close to beside the man as he could get, because falling behind meant another yank to his hair and moving too much made his leg wobbly. The amount of blood that was leaking down his pants was startling and with each step a new fount erupted.
"You've caused quite a bit of trouble for us, you know..." the man was saying. He didn't seem to be paying any attention to the trail of blood-laced footprints his captive was leaving behind. "Creeping around on rooftops, fighting guards, stealing horses... attacking a federal agent is grounds for a death sentence, but don't worry, I have other plans for you..."
People were stopping in the street. Cars had stopped in the middle of the road. People were crowding in doorways and windows to watch the two of them pass. Silence fell wherever they walked. Bloody swords and a pair of jeans soaked through with blood had that affect on people.
Ren nearly tripped on a crack in the sidewalk, grabbing the man's arm to keep from collapsing fully. The man paused and smiled at the sight of Ren clinging to the arm that was dragging him through town.
"I must have cut you slightly deeper than I'd anticipated. You seem to be losing quite a lot of blood."
Nobody moved even though there were several people hovering in a doorway not even three feet from the pair. Ren closed his eyes and steadied himself on his good leg, letting go of the man's arm.
The man turned to the doorway. "You and you," he pointed with the swords, "come over here. You'll be helping me escort my young friend to our destination."
Ren looked up sharply and shook his head. "No. They don't need to come."
The man gave the boy an amused smile. "I don't think you're in any position to say that. You can barely stand."
The two men looked uneasy and Ren felt sick because he knew if they came, they wouldn't be coming back. "I can make it," he said, more confident than he felt.
The hand on the back of his head tightened suddenly and pushed down. Ren gave a cry and collapsed to his knees, whimpering as tears invaded the corners of his eyes.
The man smiled. "Oh, I don't think so." He turned back to the two helpers he'd selected. "Now would be a good time, gentlemen, you're holding up official business."
The two men came forward, each of them grabbing one of Ren's arms and heaving him back to his feet. They fell into step behind the other man.
"I'm sorry," Ren murmured to them.
