Vincent ran as fast as he could. His heart pounded, and his lungs burned for air. The muscles in his legs contracted, and he felt like the bone and muscle could break apart. Why, why me? Why would this happen? I’ve killed people. I murdered them without knowing it. I…I… Before he could think, Vincent felt his legs give way. He crashed into the ground, and dropped off the edge of a small rise. He felt his body tumble down towards the ground, and heard a sickening crack when he hit the bottom, and his eyes lost focus. Then everything went black.
As Vincent’s vision returned, a pale blue sky stretched over him. White fluffy clouds slowly crept across the sky, but there were too few to block out the blue sky. Pink cherry blossom leaves floated across his vision, and tears formed in the corners of his eyes. Sakura were are you? What happened when I blacked out? Did I kill you too?
“Don’t worry, she wasn’t even close to those criminals when I killed them.”
Vincent bolted up at the sound of the voice. His eyes grew wide, and his body shook in terror. Leaning against a tree across from him was the being that terrorized his every dream, the man who called him brother, and the man who was a mirror image of himself. A smile broke across the man’s face, and his red eyes shone.
“So brother, what are you going to do now? Are you going to run in fear of me? Are you going to cower and beg me to not kill you? Or are you going to take it like a man, and fight?”
The man leaned forward, and he began walking towards Vincent. What do I do? He’s going to kill me! I’ve got to get out of here! Vincent turned to run, but a silver bolt streaked past his ear. It slammed into a tree trunk with a thud. The knife seemed to glow with bloodlust, and a laugh erupted from behind Vincent.
“Oh, don’t worry, the next one will be quick and painless. You won’t feel a thing!”
Vincent pushed off the ground, and ran with all his might. The man threw another knife, this one aimed at the back of Vincent’s neck. It raced through the air, its tip ready to rip through weak human flesh. Vincent could feel it bearing down on him, but before it could draw any closer it was stopped. A metallic clang rang through the area, but Vincent continued to run. As he drew farther away, an angelic voice broke the silence.
“Vicious, you need to stop this. His mind isn’t ready to handle us yet, and if we push him too far, we could lose him forever.”
“So what. We lose the weakling, but we can still get out. The only thing he’s good for anyway is target practice. I mean come on, he couldn’t handle one guy in a fight.”
“That may be, but your incorrect on one aspect. He’s our only way out.”
Vicious spit on the ground and shrugged at the man before him. The man looked exactly like him, but there was one big difference. This man had purple eyes.
“Fine, but he needs us for what’s ahead.”
“Well, until then, we shall wait patiently.”
A sharp pain rushed through Vincent’s body. His eyes opened to the darkness of night, and he looked around. What that just a dream? As he stood, his legs buckled, and he crashed to the ground. Blood covered his left leg, making it useless until it healed. Vincent looked for something he could use as a crutch, but he spotted a black figure moving through the trees. It seemed to be looking for something, and it held what looked like a gun. S***! I got to get out of here! Vincent turned and tried to run in the other direction, but his leg buckled, and he crashed to the ground. He looked for the black figure, and it appeared to be moving closer and closer. Vincent’s body shook, and a cold sweat washed over him. He felt a gloved hand clamp over his mouth.
“Shhhhhhhs, be quiet. If you make anymore noise whoever’s after you is going to know exactly where you are.”
Vincent tried to escape the gloved hand, but a strong grip held him tight. As the black figure drew closer and closer, it’s features became clearer. Black shoulder length hair surrounded a tanned face, while streaks of bright colors ran ramped throughout it. Jade eyes scanned the area, and its body moved with a womanly grace. Vincent’s eyes widened, and he shoved the gloved hand away, just long enough to yell.
“SAKURA!!!!!!!!”
Sakura jumped, and pointed the gun in Vincent’s general direction. Her hand’s trembled, and her voice shook. “Wh… Who’s there? I’ll sho… shoot!”
“It’s me, Vincent. Don’t worry! Just put the gun down!”
Vincent shoved the gloved hand away and tried to stand up, but the gloved hand grabbed his wrist. Vincent turned and looked at the man holding him. Bleach blonde hair covered the top of the man’s head. Scars covered his pale skin where it wasn’t covered by the all black clothing the man wore. Dark beard growth covered his face, but what drew Vincent’s attention were the different colored eyes. One, his right, was pure white, while the other, his left, was solid black. As he opened his mouth to speak, Vincent could see the five golden teeth that replaced the missing ones. “Don’t go! This could all be a trap! She could be working for them!” he said in a low whisper.
“What are you talking about? She’s my friend! Some thieves kidnapped her, and when she escaped, she probably came and hid in the forest. She’s scared; that’s why she has that gun!”
The man looked Vincent in the eyes, and a strange seriousness covered his face.
“How sure are you?”
“I’m positive.”
“Fine then go. But if you die, blame yourself for not listening to me.”
The man let go of Vincent, and low crawled in the opposite direction of Sakura. He looked back and shook his head, then disappeared into bushes. “Damned fool.”
Vincent stood using a tree for support. Sakura aimed the gun at him, but then dropped it to the ground. Tears formed, and ran down her face. She ran to him, and they embraced. She cried softly into his chest. “I was so scared, I…I thought they were going to kill me, or worse.”
“It’s alright. It’s alright. They’re gone now.”
Sakura looked up, and she wiped away her tears. She a puzzled look crossed her face.
“What do you mean they’re gone now? What happened?”
Vincent started to say something, but stopped. He looked past Sakura, and the images of the robber’s corpses flashed through his mind. His body tensed up, and a cold sweat covered him. Why did this have to happen to me? Why?
“Vincent what happened?”
Vincent shook his head, and the images faded. He looked at Sakura, and saw the worried look she had. “It’s nothing. I was just saying that they’re gone; they’re not around here. That’s all. So, how did you manage to escape them?”
“Well… I…”
Sakura pushed him away, and turned away from Vincent. She muttered to herself, and shook her head. Finally, she turned back around. “Well, I waited till they weren’t looking and ran. That’s how I got away. Yeah, that’s it!”
Vincent looked at her and he scratched his head. She’s hiding something I know it, but what is it that she’s hiding? That man said that she could be working for them. But who are they? And how did she end up in the same place that I did?
“I see. That makes sense. So, then after you escaped you ran into the forest to hide?”
“Yes, that’s right. I came in here to hide.”
Sakura stumbled over her words, and Vincent knew she was hiding something. His mind raced. Why would she be hiding something? Maybe they had raped her, and left her lying in some alley, then crossed paths with that nightmarish being. Maybe she was lying to him, and something bad was about to happen. Brother, don’t trust her. Vincent jumped at the sound of the voice. His head spun. You’re telling me to trust a murderer and not the woman I’ve liked for a long time? Yes, I am. I know what happened during that whole incident. Those robbers were waiting for us. She was nowhere around. They knew who I was. That’s that. Vincent screamed, and dropped to his knees. He dug his fingers into his scalp, and shook his head violently. No! No! NO!!!!!!!!!!!
“Vincent, are you alright?”
Vincent looked up, and met Sakura’s eyes. He shoved her away, and ran. He couldn’t feel his leg, and his body seemed to move on it’s own. He wove his way through the bushes, and trees, stopping for nothing. His heart pounded, and his breathing was ragged. Tears ran down his face, and all he could hear was the faint sound of her yelling after him. What is going on?
As Vincent’s figure was lost in the trees, Sakura wiped away the tears on her cheeks. Her hands shook, and she dropped to her knees. Her hair fell around her; her eyes gazed unfocused at the ground.
“So, is he ready yet?”
“Yeah… he doesn’t trust me anymore. Go ahead and follow through with your plans, I’m done here.”
“Good. Once he’s cornered, he’ll fight like a savage to escape. Sakura, I must commend you on your excellent work, but…”
Sakura heard the sound of someone drawing near, but she made no move to see who, or what it was. A thin smile crossed her face, and tears continued to fall as she shook with laughter.
“But what sir?”
“But you’ve lost your use to us, so goodbye Sakura. We will all miss you.”
“Whatever. I hope you get burnt by the fire your trying to use.”
Sakura heard the cocking of the gun, and she closed her eyes. Images from her life flashed through her mind. But the last one was of Vincent.
“I never could talk to you about how I felt about you. I’ll bet you’ll be laughing now.”
As Vincent slowed his pace, he realized no one was following him. Maybe she wasn’t against me. Maybe she really did escape. Maybe… A loud bang broke his train of thought, and he looked in the direction he thought it had come from. As Vincent turned and looked at the direction he had just come from, he felt like his heart was breaking. A small chuckle escaped his lips, and tears ran down his face. Why are you crying? I don’t know, I just am.
Vincent turned back around, but his eyes met a hollow end of an assault rifle. Holding the assault rifle was a man in what looked a gullie suit. A mask obscured the man’s face, but his voice rand clear. “Resist and we shoot! Surrender, and you live! Your choice Vincent!”
All around Vincent, similar dressed men popped up from their hiding spots, while others came running from other directions. Each held a high-powered weapon, and all were aimed at him. Vincent held his hands up high and backed into the center of the circled they had made around him. S***, we walked right into a trap. Great. The voice rang through Vincent’s head. Vincent looked blankly at the ground, all while he felt his hand s drawn behind his back. He felt the cold steel of the handcuffs, and then his vision went dark as the black bag covered his head.
Vincent felt like he was blinded from the world for an eternity. He was moved from one car to another, down stairs, through doors, and just about everything else. Each descent down stairs, the air grew colder and colder. His skin felt numb, and his body moved without him telling it to. Finally, they stopped. Teeth chattering, the bag was removed, and his eyes adjusted immediately to the dim light. His hands were uncuffed, and he was thrown into one of the cells. The guards closed the door and left him alone. Vincent tried to stand, but his muscles burned from the cold, and he could see his ragged breathing. A voice broke through his mind. Brother, as much as I want nothing more than to kill you, we must learn to cooperate with each other. I have no intentions of disappearing into the depths of our mind, and neither does the others like me. So what. It doesn’t matter anyway; we’ll rot in here regardless. Fine, have it your way brother, but at least I would have tried to fight back. I would have had the balls to stand and fight, not cowered and cry like a baby. Who are you to judge me? Your nothing more than the image of me going crazy. You act like this is some big conspiracy against me, and call me a coward. But you’re to scared to even tell me your name!!! Vicious…What? My name is Vicious.
The opening of a door in the distance broke the silence, interrupting the argument. Vincent could hear guards dragging in another prisoner, but he couldn’t see who it was. After closing the door to the other cell, the guards turned towards Vincent’s.
“You’ve got a visitor.”
A man in an extravagant white suit walked forward. The man had short brown hair, eyes the color of steel, and a jagged scar on his cheek. Golden rings cover the man’s hands, as he reached through the bars, holding his hand as if he wanted Vincent to shake his hand. Muscles stretched the fabric of his suit as he did this. He spoke with a thick British accent. “How do you do, Vincent? I’m here to offer you the chance of a life time.”
Vincent stared coldly at the man.
“Not a talker I see. Well, I believe that you will be willing to talk after a few days in this bitter cold won’t you. Goodbye.”
The man turned and began to walk away. “Wait, what is this offer?”
“Why, you will be freed from this place, and you will work for me.”
“As what?”
“Why to lead our company’s army to world domination, of course. People with your condition are perfect for this kind of work, but you stand above the rest.”
“What condition do I have, and why am I so perfect?”
“Well, you have what most call MPD, or Multiple Personality Disorder. And as for why you’re so perfect, your other side has more bloodlust than any I’ve seen. So, do we have a deal?”
The man held his right arm back through the bar, and a smile spread across his face. Vincent looked down, hair covering his eyes. He muttered to himself, and he took the man’s hand.
“Well, I’m glad you accepted my offer.”
“Like hell I have. I want nothing more than to see you dead. You put me through all this didn’t you? You turned Sakura against me, and you made my life hell.
“Why…”
But before the man could say anything, his right arm snapped sideways, bone breaking through the skin. Blood was thrown on Vincent’s face, and as the man screamed, the blue eyes turned a blood red. Vicious laughed, making him look like a demon from hell. The guards fired two shots into Vicious’ body, and he fell to the ground. The man fell back screaming and cradling his arm. The guards helped the man up, and slowly carried him away.
“Just you wait! I’ll make you regret doing this!”
As the screaming disappeared, Vicious opened his eyes. The blood red slowly faded to blue, and a Vincent’s breath came in wheezing gasps. You’re lucky they weren’t using real bullets. But God, these things still hurt. Don’t worry it was worth it. Like hell it was.
After awhile, Vincent’s breathing returned to normal, but his body was growing colder by the second. His life seemed to slip away, and his body grew number and number. After what seemed like an eternity in the silent cold that was his cell, Vincent heard the jingle of keys. He looked around, but saw nothing and no one. He heard the unlocking of a cell door, and as he looked, he saw a shadow of the other prisoner slipping out of his cell. The figure moved closer and closer to Vincent’s cell, bleach blonde hair covering the man’s head. Dark beard growth covered the rest of the face, save the different colored eyes, and the golden teeth that gleamed in the man’s smile. The man leaned forward, face almost pressed against the bars, keys dangling from his hands. “Looks like you two could need some help.”
Vincent nodded, and the man unlocked the cell door, sliding it open. He held out a hand, which Vincent took.
“Thanks, I guess I should have listened to you back there.”
The man shrugged and leaned against the wall. He looked Vincent over, and nodded to himself.
“How would you like to have a chance to rip these guys a new one? My friends and I have been looking for someone to join us, but it’s hard to find people like us that haven’t fallen into their hands. How bout it?”
Vincent smiled, and as he spoke, his eyes briefly flashed blood red.
“Sure, why not? Vicious thinks it’s a good idea, so I guess I’ll tag along.”
“Alright. That was easy, but first let’s get out of this place. I’m not good with all this cold.”
As Vincent fallowed the man towards the stairs, his mind raced. I’ve finally made up my mind, Vicious. I’m not going to hide anymore, and be a coward I’m going to stand and fight. That’s that. Good. I think I’m actually starting to enjoy this. A thought interrupted Vincent’s train of thought. He stopped, and the man in front of him stopped as well. He turned and faced Vincent.
“What is it?”
“Just one thing, I don’t know who you are.”
“Solomon, Solomon Black. Anyway, let’s get going.”
Vincent smiled, and took off after him.