Red: The Beginning

Chapter 11

Glass and broken bits of metal stabbed into the creature's foot. There was some pain but the creature was used to pain. Long time ago the creature had a name. It had been a fine one too, but now he hardly remembered it, no one did. They just called him The zookeeper.

Long time ago when the creature was just a scientist working on a deserted planet. He had only one goal, prolonged life. Very prolonged life. He had been confident that he could do it, in fact he believed it was his destiny. Many species in the universe had powerful abilities and amazing gifts but they were all vision less. They didn't know what to do with their gifts. The scientist didn't know either, but he knew that he wanted what they had. Even if he had to rip it from them. But the work was slow painful, work.

Slowly people who had joined his cause abandoned him. One by one they left and never came back. But someone stayed, his sister (he had also forgotten her name) . They had been Duos. Born from the same mother and at the same time. Inseparable from birth.

But some people didn't like what they were doing they said they were breaking "Rules" and "regulations" so they sent someone after them. His sister had tried to slow him down, but for all she did it was pointless. He burnt her down to ashes. He could still remember the bittersweet smell of his sister's burnt flesh. Through luck or some universal glitch he escaped, but life was bleak without her.

He cried and plotted revenge against the red man but the weak can't do anything against the strong. So he plunged deeper into his project with renewed fervor. It paid off. When the time came to choose what weapon he would adorn himself he decided to choose one that he thought fit him.

He had always preferred animals to sentient beings. If an animal liked you it showed it to you, if it didn't it attacked you. Pretty straight forward. Senti's on the other hand were deceptious creatures and you could hardly ever guess what they were thinking or what they would do. So he became an anima. Lending his scientific prowess to the beasts and taking them in return. The universe was a dangerous place for fine beasts like them. They deserved to be locked up and cared for. They deserved to be in a zoo. They were his wards and he was there zookeeper.

Somehow the red man had eluded him, somehow always slipping out of his grasp when he almost had him. They played an elaborate game of tag for many years until the zookeeper had decided to go into his own zoo.

While there he had smelt it. It was faint but it was there, the trace smell of ashes and charred flesh. He could have made a 'friend' appear and lift Him out of here as easy as it was for a magician to make a coin appear and disappear, but his feet and hands were heavily chained. His head was the only free appendage he had. He couldn't contact anything because he was heavily sedated, At least that was what the guards thought. In reality he had modified himself in so many ways he had lost count.

He bit his upper lip off and spat it out, his lower lip followed. He was lipless and bleeding profoundly. He turned his throat up and slowly choked on his own blood. After some thought he added his tongue.

When the guards found him his body was ice cold and still, He was beyond saving. It was obvious. He had seriously injured himself and drowned himself in his own blood, commiting suicide. He was released from his chains and sedation line to be sent to be put in cold storage. Later when they reached their destination they would incinerate his leftovers. But he had other plans he let them carry him to the hallway from there Crashing the ship had been child's play.

He stepped out from the ruins of the crashed spaceship and looked around. This system was full of ugly planets. They had landed on the moon of some gas giant with an ugly big red spot on it.

The scientist's field was biology and he didn't know that what he had looked at was Jupiter's great red spot, and even if he knew he Wouldn't have been bothered as he stood there a single thought was racing through his mind multiple times.

The red man is here.

* * *

Principal Richards sat in his car outside a seedy fast food joint called speedy's. He's finger tapped on the steering wheel repeatedly. A lady bundled heavily in a long coat walked up to his car, opened the door and sat down in the passenger seat. She was Penelope Garcia a teacher at Brentwood High. She and Devon Richards had been having an affair for a while. At first it had started with glances at meetings and hidden remarks. Then one day after a party he had dropped her off. She had invited him in and after a few more drinks they had made love for the first time. The affair had been going on for eight months now. They had hidden it well.

"Oh Dev, I missed you so much." Devon was about to reply but she shut him with a kiss. A flash momentarily blinded her she was about to look up when she felt Devon's hands making their way under her shirt.

Later that night they both received a call. Devon was making a sandwich. Ever since his daughter had moved off to college the house felt dead. It was too quiet and dull, and sometimes Devon could swear he saw shadows move out of the corner of his eye. His wife was busy reading a book. It was all she ever did nowadays eat, sleep and attend her few social functions. Whatever love had existed when they had married it had all evaporated by now. His phone vibrated in his pocket. He looked at the picture of his wife and daughter on his wallpaper. He wondered how long he and Penelope would last before it turned cold. He had received a message from an unknown number. The message was a picture of him and Penelope kissing in his car. It was from this evening.

This was not good. This could cause trouble for him and his wife but he wasn't bothered about that. He was bothered about what Brentwood would do. Brentwood was big but not big enough, and it was pretty isolated. News spread fast and everyone knew everyone. His reputation would be ruined in a matter of days if not hours. He wouldn't be able to show face anywhere. Penelope would be worse off. She was just an ignorant little girl in a woman's body. She couldn't handle that kind of stress. What would the board do about it? They could take both of their jobs.

His phone rang, it was an unknown number, he picked. A man's voice spoke.

"Good evening, Mr Richards."

"What do you want?"

" I'll keep those videos to myself if you do a favour for me."

" What is it?"

" There's a little package waiting for you in your mailbox. In it are files of ten children, I want them admitted as early as possible. "

" It's not as easy as you think it is. They are processes. "

" Mr Richards. "

" Yes. "

" It may not be easy for you but releasing this picture is easy enough. Do you understand? "

" Yes I do. " The stranger Hanged up. Devon was full of determination and relief. He would save and Penelope.

One of those files had David Ivan Blackheart written on it.

* * *

The g**g stood in a straight line like soldiers awaiting orders. They were in the dojo about a floor beneath the lounge. It was a big room but clear of any furniture. David stood opposite them without his jacket, none of them were wearing coats. Nobody knew how but apparently the room was heated. Thinking about it everywhere in the building seemed heated. David's katana stood at a corner. Clearly he didn't go anywhere except school without it.

"Ok" he said, "show me what you can do." Kevin walked up to David and held his shoulder. His face frowned in concentration. David remained the same, it wasn't clear whether the electric trick had worked out or not.

"This isn't going to be handy except you fight close combat, and It doesn't really do much except tickle. Next." Kevin came back looking defeated. Mia went up next cheeky. She focused and her shadow became animated again. Her shadow popped out of the ground like literally popped out. One moment he was 2d and the next a shadow humanoid was standing next to Mia. Jason at first wondered why her shadow was masculine, then he remembered what she had told him about shadow about being bound to her by blood. Her alien ancestor must have been male and shadow was clearly built after his image. The height and the build were almost the same.

"How long can you keep him out?" David asked.

"As long as I like." Mia cheerfully.

"He has his own will right?"

"Yes."

"How far can you be separated."

"I don't know . A few miles. He made it as far as Colorado before I had to call him Back. But once he jumped to Dallas, Texas and I couldn't sense him anymore."

"Jump?"

"Shadow can travel through shadows. I guess their all linked or something. He can take small things too as well."

"Can you travel through shadow's?"

"No. At l least not yet."

"Can you reshape him."

"No."

"Anything else?"

"I can darken the room." David nodded his head signalling her to go back.

"I guess you don't need to stand up to put off the lights. Next." Mia walked back looking pissed of. Alex stepped forward and focused. A gentle breeze started blowing soon it escalated. Soon a small cyclone started up but it sounded slowed down and died out. Alex was sweating with the effort.

"That thing takes too long to build up, and you leave yourself open. Next."

"Next." Jess walked up.

"I can't really do anything unless someone's injured." David walked towards his katana, picked it up, unsheathed it and cut his palm. His palm started gushing immediately, if anyone had any doubts about the sword's sharpness they were all cleared now. He walked back to Jess.

"Well here's your injury." Jess held his hand focused and the bleeding stopped. Slowly the flesh mended itself and his palm was good as new.

"Is that all? Do you have any other any skills."

"No. Not really."

"You would be a sitting duck while they. I believe I used the idiom Correctly."

"Yes you did."

And besides it was just a cut but you already looker paler. What if it was the whole arm?" Jess had no response for that so she just walked back.

"Jason what about you?"

"I can't do anything...yet."

"I see. Well that concludes it. You guys are totally useless. Your abilities take too long to use and their effect is too weak, way too weak. I guess I'm going to have to devise separate training ways from you all. You can go home. I'm going to have to search the deeper levels for something to help you all." For an inefficient teacher he seemed pretty efficient.

Kevin walked home slowly. He was carrying a six pack of energy drinks and seriously contemplating taking one. He had already had his fifth cup of coffee today but his nerves were still on edge.

"Yo, Kev!" Kevin turned around to find a figure beckoning him to wait. As the person drew closer he recognized the person. It was his childhood friend Ace. His name was actually henry, but nobody called him that.

They had met at the sorry excuse for a playground the neighborhood had. Ace had met Kevin crying by himself a swing. They had been together since then or at least till high school. Ace had dropped out from high school as a freshman to dedicate more of his time to "music career". They did their customary special handshake that led to a bro hug.

"What's up bro. I hardly see you anymore nowadays." That was true. Back before he used to drop and he would and Ace would hang out. But partly it wasn't his fault. He was so busy nowadays and David wasn't going to make anything easier. In fact he suspected it would only get worse from here.

"Sorry man, I've just been up to my neck in work."

"Understandable. So Tink's got a party this Saturday, everyone's coming. He's even inviting some DJ from Cal. Totally overkill if you ask me." He wanted to say yes he really did, but he knew that if he said yes and didn't come Ace would be disappointed. Very disappointed.

"Sorry man. I'm not sure I'm gonna be able to make it." He saw disappointment in Ace's face and something else. Ace had expected this and yet he had still gone through.

"Well... I guess I'll see you around."Ace patted his back and walked away.

"Yo. Have you seen Andre around?"

"I saw him around the basketball court with Don and his guys. His getting a bit too friendly with them if you ask me." Kevin nodded his head and walked away. Cocaine had made it's way to Idaho and it was Don's and his guys job to make sure it reached anybody in the buckets who had cash to buy.

Andre had started bringing home a lot money recently. At first nobody had questioned him. Money was scarce and they had to do whatever they could to make ends meet. Their elder sister who had practically raised them up since their mom died. Their dad was in prison on life sentence for some charge that no body remembered. Even when he had been something of an on and off parent. Going off for weeks and appearing for only a short while, but still he had tried in his own way. When their mother had died he had stuck around more until the day the police came. Since then it had been him, andre, Debra and grandma Charlotte. And Mike. Kevin didn't like Mike, nobody did.

He went up the stairs and into their apartment. Grandma Charlotte was busy watching reruns of some cheesy soapy operas.

"How was Your day?"

"Good. Haven't You already seen that show before?"

"Oh, I have? I don't think so. If I had I would have remembered." She looked confused. She really believed that she hadn't seen this show before. Well in reality she binged through all three seasons of it everyday.

Grandma Charlotte was eighty six years and actually their Great grandmother. While she was doing physically well for someone her age. Her mind on the other hand was getting worse. On some days it got so bad that she hardly remembered her name. She thought Andre was her long dead son and some days she would cry and scream that she wanted her bolt. What that was nobody knew.

Kevin went to his room undressed and slid into bed. Hours later the thumping sounds woke him up. It was the sound of flesh hitting flesh. Each thump was followed by a Yelp of pain. There was nothing s****l about the sound, he knew what it meant. Mike had come back drunk and was beating Debra up. It was a sound everyone knew well even Grandma Charlotte. They had heard it long before mike even came by.

It had been a few months after their dad was convicted and Debra's new boyfriend moved in. It had happened in the living room. What they had been arguing about had long since faded into memory, But he still how he had back handed her. He had slid his belt off and wiped Debra with it. Andre and Kevin had just sat there too petrified to do anything. Andre was just six then and Kevin nine. At that time they were in the same room .Andre had nightmares about his belt turning into a slithery monster. He still didn't wear belts till today.

Two years later It was a new boyfriend but the same situation. The only difference was that this one preferred his fists to his belt. Kevin and Andre had thought up a plan. The plan involved stopping Debra's then boyfriend from beating her anymore. How they would do that. Their childish minds hadn't thought about that yet and they didn't bother. It hadn't worked out so well. They had tried to stop him and he had decided that maybe he had enough of Debra, beating women wasn't good and indeed "unbecoming" (it was a new word Kevin had learned that day) of a man. So he decided to take out his frustration on the two little meddling kids instead. As Kevin was being beaten up for the first time in his life he looked at his sister. She was angry, but she wasn't angry at her cowardly boyfriend. She was angry at the boys for interrupting. Andre hadn't seen the look but he was still angry in his own childish way at his sister for not saving them.

It was then the nightmares had started. It changed every night but he still woke up sweating. Andre had moved into his own room. As they grew older their childish anger was replaced by guilt. It was their fault that Debra had to date scumbags like Mike and the others. It was their fault that their father had been involved in a g**g shoot out down at Atlanta. Kevin got two jobs, Andre sold coke and pills for Don. Everybody did what they had to. Like an unwritten agreement they both avoided home as much as possible, like a criminal avoiding the crime scene.

As Kevin lay there in his dark room, on his creaking bed, listening to the sounds of his sister Being beaten in the next room. He laughed and said.

"One day I'm going to snap. At what or who I don't know, but I'mma snap."