Sitting under the shade of some trees in the Ocleau Forest were the spirits of Larkin Olsen and Cole Hoffman.
"Say, Mr. Larkin...?" Cole began looking up at the man.
"I've wanted to ask this for a while now..."
"Huh?" Larkin replied, seemingly uninterested.
"Why did you kill people...?" He frowned.
Larkin quickly turned to the boy.
"W-why...?" He stammered.
"Mm!" Cole nodded.
"Well, it's a long story..." Larkin mumbled.
"Tell, tell!" Cole chanted.
"W-what no...!" Larkin cried.
"Why not!?" Cole cried, sticking his tongue out at the man.
"For starters..." Larkin began, standing up.
"It's not a tale I like to tell, especially to a child." He frowned.
"Lame!" Cole pouted.
"I bet you've told Janine and Mim, though!"
"Perhaps, but is that any of your business?" Larkin glared.
"Uh-huh, it is!" Cole whined.
"How so!?" Larkin barked.
"Because I'm a part of this
Running through the thickness of the heavy smoke was a boy.The boy, huffing and panting desperately, trying to catch his breath. However, nonetheless, he continued to run."Mama!" He cried out."Where are you, mama!?" He desperately pleaded.As he continued running, the boy tripped and fell to the ground.As he sat up, he realized what he had tripped on.His eyes widened."N-no..." He whispered."M-mama...!" Tears filled his eyes."PLEASE NO...!" He shrieked, grabbing the corpse's hand, gently pressing it against his cheek.Just then, a man hovered over the boy and the corpse."Crap, I guess we missed one..." The man narrowed his eyes."Boy," The man began slowly, unsheathing his sword."Grab that knife from that lady's abdomen."The boy looked up at the man, horrified."Now!" The man barked.The boy began to tremble as he slowly reached for the knife lodged in his mother's
“Hey!” A voice called out.“Hey, kid!” It called out once more.The boy slowly began to stir.As he opened his eyes, he jumped up at the sight of a man hovering over him.“I have to say…” The man began.“Killing my partner…” He paused.“Color me impressed, kid!” He grinned.The boy glared at the man.“Now, now…” The man chuckled.“No need to be afraid of me!” He beamed.“In fact,” His tone suddenly shifting.“Since I’m now out of a partner, thanks to you,” he sighed.“And you’re out of a mother thanks to him…” His eyes then suddenly softened.“Why don’t I give you shelter in exchange for your services?” The man asked.The boy looked the man up and down.“Fine,” the boy said quietly.&ld
“Eh!?” Cole cried.“W-what…” Larkin muttered.“So, Rick stole your name!?”Larkin furrowed his brows.“Well, not necessarily; I suppose he put a unique twist on it is all.” He said.“Though…” He whispered.“I wonder how Rick knew what my name was during my days in The Organization…” He frowned.“Perhaps Mikael told him…?” He thought aloud.“Bah!” Cole cried.“What is it now?” Larkin glared.“I’m so bored now that storytime is over!” He cried.He then turned to Larkin.“I don’t like that look on your face.” Larkin huffed.There was a moment of silence.“Alright!” He cried.“What is it, Cole!?” Larkin demanded.“Can we go visit Rick?” Cole beamed.Larkin fell over
As night fell, Mikael was busy tossing and turning in his bed."Why am I so restless..." He muttered to himself."Damnit, I wish I could fall asleep already..."*After a few minutes passed, the world around him slowly faded out as he successfully drifted off to sleep."Ah, so you've finally made it..." A familiar voice whispered.Mikael quickly opened his eyes.Upon opening them, he noticed he was not in his bedroom; instead, he was in a vacant, dimly lit room with only a dance floor."What the..."Suddenly, he remembered the familiar voice he heard."L-Larkin...!?" He cried out."There's no way..." He chuckled nervously."This is...""A dream?" Another voice intervened.Mikael quickly looked up.As he did, Larkin was standing in front of him wearing a tuxedo."W-what are you..." Mikael stammered.Ignoring his confusion, Larkin gave a soft smile as he extended a ha
Mikael stared blankly for a moment at Larkin's open palm. "If we dance, will you explain what is going on?" "Of course." Larkin smiled. Mikael blushed as he took Larkin's hand into his own. * As they stepped onto the dance floor, a soft classical melody filled the room. The two proceeded to dance. Suddenly, both men's appearances changed. The two looked as they did back in their days as members of The Organization. "You look..." Mikael began, his eyes twinkling. Just as they spun, he noticed his physical changes in a reflection as well. "So," Larkin cleared his throat. "I'm sure you have a lot of questions..." He chuckled. "Yes, well, will you answer them, or will you proceed to dodge them?" "Ouch!" Larkin let out a hardy laugh. "I suppose I deserved that, huh?" "Mm." Mikael nodded unenthusiastically. "First," Mikael paused. "Am I dead?" Lar
The room was dark, with the only source of light being a dimly lit lamp. In the room, a trio of rugged men seated anxiously at a desk. Across from them, a slender man dressed in blacks and grays and a crow-like mask covering his face's upper half. “We’ll ask one more time.” One of the three men barked. “Can we trust you to carry out this mission?” The shaded man relaxing in his seat with arms stretched behind his head chuckled. “For the last time, I’m sure I can help assist those already doomed by fate.” The men exchanged looks and begrudgingly handed the paper to the masked man. “We’ll see how you do within a month.” One of the men said, letting out a sigh. Carelessly skimming the paper, the man couldn’t help but think, how hard can this mission be? * The bell rang faintly to signal the start of lunch. The hallway, usually quiet with just whispers, and the faint sound of IV drips, was now filled with the loud chatter of a variety of different conversations buzzin
“245?” There was a knock. The Reaper froze for a second. Then he realized the knock was coming from the room next door. That must be 246. The man thought to himself as he opened the door. The man looked down, met with the big eyes of a tiny girl. “246, huh?” The girl jumped a bit at the sound of her name. “Y-yes...” she whispered. “It’s a pleasure to meet you finally.” He smiled. “If you’d like, you can call me Rick.” “Rick...” The girl repeated back. “Yep!” The man smiled once more. The girl gave a slight nod as she held her hands to her chest. “Why don’t we have a seat?” Before she could respond, Rick lifted her and placed her carefully on top of the table. “There we go.” He then noticed the girl looking down steadily. “Not the type of striking up a conversation, huh?” He chuckled. She kept looking down. “Well,” Rick began. “Why d
The car came to a jolting stop. “Huh?” Rick lifted his head lethargically. “This is as far as I’ll go.” The taxi driver said. “Alright,” Rick muttered, rubbing his eyes. “How much?” “A hundred and twenty.” “Christ…” Rick looked down at the girl who, to his surprise, was still awake. “Give me a sec.” Rick began feeling his pockets for his wallet. “Eh…?” Rick kept feeling his pockets anxiously. “Don’t tell me…”The driver mumbled. The girl suddenly tapped him. “Huh?” He glanced down. “Your wallet fell out when you gave me the Band-Aids.” She informed him. There was a sigh of relief from both men. “Thanks a lot,” Rick said, begrudgingly handing over a hundred and twenty. “By the way,” the driver began. “There aren’t any hotels within this town, but the people are pretty easygoing!” He laughed. “Hey!” Rick cried out. “W-wait…!” Ho
Mikael stared blankly for a moment at Larkin's open palm. "If we dance, will you explain what is going on?" "Of course." Larkin smiled. Mikael blushed as he took Larkin's hand into his own. * As they stepped onto the dance floor, a soft classical melody filled the room. The two proceeded to dance. Suddenly, both men's appearances changed. The two looked as they did back in their days as members of The Organization. "You look..." Mikael began, his eyes twinkling. Just as they spun, he noticed his physical changes in a reflection as well. "So," Larkin cleared his throat. "I'm sure you have a lot of questions..." He chuckled. "Yes, well, will you answer them, or will you proceed to dodge them?" "Ouch!" Larkin let out a hardy laugh. "I suppose I deserved that, huh?" "Mm." Mikael nodded unenthusiastically. "First," Mikael paused. "Am I dead?" Lar
As night fell, Mikael was busy tossing and turning in his bed."Why am I so restless..." He muttered to himself."Damnit, I wish I could fall asleep already..."*After a few minutes passed, the world around him slowly faded out as he successfully drifted off to sleep."Ah, so you've finally made it..." A familiar voice whispered.Mikael quickly opened his eyes.Upon opening them, he noticed he was not in his bedroom; instead, he was in a vacant, dimly lit room with only a dance floor."What the..."Suddenly, he remembered the familiar voice he heard."L-Larkin...!?" He cried out."There's no way..." He chuckled nervously."This is...""A dream?" Another voice intervened.Mikael quickly looked up.As he did, Larkin was standing in front of him wearing a tuxedo."W-what are you..." Mikael stammered.Ignoring his confusion, Larkin gave a soft smile as he extended a ha
“Eh!?” Cole cried.“W-what…” Larkin muttered.“So, Rick stole your name!?”Larkin furrowed his brows.“Well, not necessarily; I suppose he put a unique twist on it is all.” He said.“Though…” He whispered.“I wonder how Rick knew what my name was during my days in The Organization…” He frowned.“Perhaps Mikael told him…?” He thought aloud.“Bah!” Cole cried.“What is it now?” Larkin glared.“I’m so bored now that storytime is over!” He cried.He then turned to Larkin.“I don’t like that look on your face.” Larkin huffed.There was a moment of silence.“Alright!” He cried.“What is it, Cole!?” Larkin demanded.“Can we go visit Rick?” Cole beamed.Larkin fell over
“Hey!” A voice called out.“Hey, kid!” It called out once more.The boy slowly began to stir.As he opened his eyes, he jumped up at the sight of a man hovering over him.“I have to say…” The man began.“Killing my partner…” He paused.“Color me impressed, kid!” He grinned.The boy glared at the man.“Now, now…” The man chuckled.“No need to be afraid of me!” He beamed.“In fact,” His tone suddenly shifting.“Since I’m now out of a partner, thanks to you,” he sighed.“And you’re out of a mother thanks to him…” His eyes then suddenly softened.“Why don’t I give you shelter in exchange for your services?” The man asked.The boy looked the man up and down.“Fine,” the boy said quietly.&ld
Running through the thickness of the heavy smoke was a boy.The boy, huffing and panting desperately, trying to catch his breath. However, nonetheless, he continued to run."Mama!" He cried out."Where are you, mama!?" He desperately pleaded.As he continued running, the boy tripped and fell to the ground.As he sat up, he realized what he had tripped on.His eyes widened."N-no..." He whispered."M-mama...!" Tears filled his eyes."PLEASE NO...!" He shrieked, grabbing the corpse's hand, gently pressing it against his cheek.Just then, a man hovered over the boy and the corpse."Crap, I guess we missed one..." The man narrowed his eyes."Boy," The man began slowly, unsheathing his sword."Grab that knife from that lady's abdomen."The boy looked up at the man, horrified."Now!" The man barked.The boy began to tremble as he slowly reached for the knife lodged in his mother's
Sitting under the shade of some trees in the Ocleau Forest were the spirits of Larkin Olsen and Cole Hoffman."Say, Mr. Larkin...?" Cole began looking up at the man."I've wanted to ask this for a while now...""Huh?" Larkin replied, seemingly uninterested."Why did you kill people...?" He frowned.Larkin quickly turned to the boy."W-why...?" He stammered."Mm!" Cole nodded."Well, it's a long story..." Larkin mumbled."Tell, tell!" Cole chanted."W-what no...!" Larkin cried."Why not!?" Cole cried, sticking his tongue out at the man."For starters..." Larkin began, standing up."It's not a tale I like to tell, especially to a child." He frowned."Lame!" Cole pouted."I bet you've told Janine and Mim, though!""Perhaps, but is that any of your business?" Larkin glared."Uh-huh, it is!" Cole whined."How so!?" Larkin barked."Because I'm a part of this
As Kari and Tammy arrived at the park the next day, a whistle blew.“You two are late!” A voice exclaimed.“Eh!?” Tammy cried.“You said to get here by nine, and we did just that!” She frowned.“Yeah, I even got up earlier than usual…” Kari muttered, wiping her eye.“Well, you were two minutes late!” Rick exclaimed, trying to hide a smirk.“Anyways, welcome to Mr. Summers’ training camp, girls!” He beamed.Maru tugged on Rick’s shirt.“Rick, I don’t have to do this, right…?” She whimpered.“Of course not, silly!” He laughed.“Just sit back and relax,” he assured, petting her head.“Now then!” Rick blew the whistle.“Ten jumping jacks, go!” He instructed.“That’s not so bad…!” Tammy giggled, as the two did th
“When we were planning to break into your hideout, I remember the others saying how I should be the one to watch Maru because, well…” She smiled sadly.“I’m not the strongest or most reliable, I guess…” She whispered.“Then when the others were fighting off enemies, all I could do was dodge them…” She bit her lip.“Those moments haunt me…” She whispered.“Big sis…” Kari whimpered.“I guess what I’m trying to say is…”“I can relate to you wanting to become stronger because I want the same!” Tammy exclaimed.Kari stared in awe, then gave a hard nod.“I wonder how we can become any stronger…?” Tammy questioned aloud.Just as she said that, Rick walked by with Maru.“R-Rick!” Tammy cried.Rick and Maru quickly turned around.“Oh!&rd
As Kari lay wide awake in bed, she could not help but get lost in deep thought.Tears welled in her eyes.I wasn’t strong enough to protect papa, big sis Janine, or big brother Mim… And now they’re all gone… She thought to herself as tears trickled down her cheeks.“I want to become stronger…” She whimpered, as she closed her eyes.*“Kari?” A voice called out.“Yo Kars, Tammy’s here, you ready?” Another voice questioned.“Ah!” Kari exclaimed, rolling out of bed.“I must’ve overslept!” She cried as she began rushing to get ready.“Honestly…” Abbey sighed as Kari came barreling out of her bedroom.“Leave her be Abbey, she’s still growing.” Sena giggled.“I guess…” Abbey mumbled.“More importantly,” Sena began.&ldqu