Okay, a note to y'all. This fic has gotten a
permenent name change. I just got the whole prologe
finished and yeah, it's short; but most prologues are.
I really want feedback on this and I've been asked
this before, so I'll answer it now. Yes, this will
someday be both a comic and an RPG for the computer.
That's a big someday folks, so I'll elt you get to
reading this thing that has taken so much time out of
my life, and will continue to take more.
Oh yeah, we're lookinging for reviewers for games and
anime down at <a
href="geocities.com/fringe_of_insanity">Fallout
Studios Online</a>. If you want to subit something,
just let me know okay? Thanks. And Tycho, I expect a
funny as hell Penny Arcade strip tomorrow, though I
doubt I need to ask ^_^
==========================================
* * * *
FALLEN ANGEL
* *
"Fallen Angel" � 2000 Mark Marquez and Fallout
Studios. All Rights Reserved. This is a work of
fiction. Any resemblance of the characters to any
persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.
* * * *
==========================================
Prologue
-------------------------------------------------------------------
^�Hiro-san! Wake up!^�
The man in question did not stir. The young woman
poked him a second time.
^�Wake up! We^�re nearly there.^� She narrowed her eyes
in anger. She drew back her fist. ^�Wake up BAKA!^� She
punched Hiro in the face with all the strength she
could muster. Hiro opened his eyes and smiled.
^�Heh. I^�ve been awake for a while now Ayu-chan.^� He
said, getting into sitting position. ^�I also see that
you^�ve been working out more. I almost felt that punch
of yours.^�
That remark earned him a hard kick to the shin. He
yelped and clutched at it in mock pain.
^�Oh God! I think you broke it!^� Hiro began to hop
around the train car on one foot. Ayu began to giggle
at his immature behavior. Abruptly, he stopped, and
walked to Ayu.
^�This is for hitting me in the face.^� He placed his
hands on her waist and bent down to kiss her. She
returned the kiss, but shoved him away when his hands
began to wander to her inner thighs. He looked at her
incredulously.
^�What? I though you were into that sort of thing.^� He
tapped his chin as if trying to think. ^�No...that was
the waitress in Ibuki Village.^�
He managed to move out of the way of a small ball of
fire that was meant for his head. Ayu began to chant
something in an unintelligible language. Hiro took
that as a cue to get as far away from her as possible.
He sprinted for the door to the adjoining car.
^�Hey, Royal-killers! Meeting in the dining car!^� He
yelled as he left the car. Several men awoke in time
to see Ayu glowing with magic. The more sensible ones
ducked back down. The less sensible ones just gaped in
horror as the train car exploded.
When the smoke cleared, Ayu stood in the middle of the
scorched, yet still intact train car. Several men were
blackened with soot and others were rising from their
hiding places.
^�Damn. Talk about a woman scorned.^�
The man dove back under the seat when Ayu glared at
him. One man came out of an overhead compartment and
dropped to the floor. He dusted himself off and looked
around the car.
^�Well, I^�d say that Hiro did something stupid again.^�
Several men groaned about that being the
understatement of the year. The man turned to them and
they were silenced.
^�Honestly, how did an idiot like him get to command us
anyways?^� One of the men opened his mouth to answer
but he was cut off. ^�I know why you fool! He^�s the
best goddamned strategist and swordsman on the
continent.^� The man clenched his fist and assumed a
dramatic pose. ^�Why, we^�re damn lucky to be serving
under him! I^�m all choked up about--oof!^� The man
doubled over in pain as Ayu withdrew her fist from his
gut.
^�Would you shut up Kraven?^� She turned to the rest of
the men assembled before her. ^�Okay. I want you to go
find that baka leader of ours. When you do, bring him
to me. Move out!^�
The men all saluted nervously and ran to the next car
in hopes of finding their foolish leader.
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Meanwhile, in the dining car, Hiro chatted with some
stewardesses about their plans for the night. He
turned around at the sound of the ^�Royal Killers^�^�
entry. He motioned to a large table and took a seat at
its head. The others took their seats as well. Kraven
was the last to sit. He took a seat next to Hiro.
^�What'd you do to piss off Ayu-chan this time?^� he
asked; the amusement evident in his voice. Hiro turned
to face him and began to laugh. Kraven began to laugh
as well, and soon, everyone at the table was laughing.
Hiro stopped suddenly and slugged Kraven in the face,
knocking him to the floor.
^�None of your damn business! And only I get to call
her that! Now, on to important matters.^� Hiro looked
down at Kraven who was nursing his jaw and mumbling
obscenities. ^�Anyways. You all know what^�s going down
when we reach the city right?^�
The men nodded. Hiro grinned, and lit a cigarette. He
took a drag and his face became serious.
^�I^�m gonna go over it again to be sure there are no
screw-ups. When we get to the city, we^�ll split into
two groups of four. My group will meet our contact;
who will in turn get us in the castle. Inside, we^�ll
sneak into the throne room and kill the bastard of a
king. This should be easy because most of the guards
are busy doing drills at that time. Ayu^�s group will
wait at the rendezvous point and help cover our
escape. You can be sure as hell that this is a
dangerous, if not suicidal mission. Anyone who wants
out better jump off this train now ^�cause once you^�re
in, there^�s no going back.^�
Kai opens a large map of the city and the castle and
spreads it out in the table. He points to a spot on
it.
^�This is where my group meets up with Ayu^�s. It^�ll be
her job to make sure that the escape route is clear.
You got all that?^�
^�You make it sound too easy. Don^�t lie to your men
about this being suicide.^� a voice from somewhere
nearby says. Hiro jumps to his feet, as do most of the
troops.
^�What did you say?^� Hiro^�s voice was full of anger.
>From the corner of the room, the silhouette of a man
could be seen. He rose to his feet as well.
^�I said, you^�ll never make it out alive. Trust me,
stealth is my business. The security is so tight that
only a ninja like myself could possibly get in. You
won^�t even get close to the King.^�
Kraven took a step towards the man.
^�What of you ninja? If you^�re so smart, why not help
us out?^� The ninja merely smirked behind his mask.
^�I don^�t help lost causes.^�
That was enough for Kraven. He leapt at the ninja
while drawing his sword. The ninja moved in a blur and
in less than a second, Kraven was sprawled out on the
floor, bleeding from his left shoulder and right knee.
Hiro narrowed his eyes. The ninja just ^�hmphed^� and
receded into the shadows.
^�Heed my advice before you throw your lives away,^� was
the last they heard before the train whistle blew;
signaling that they were near the city. Hiro glanced
down at the wounded Kraven and shook his head.
^�Go to a doctor in town. You^�re no good to us
injured.^� Hiro looked away and took another drag from
the cigarette. ^�Good shit, this Locathan tobacco.^� He
turned back to the RK troops who had taken their seats
again. ^�Okay, we^�re almost there. Someone go get
Ayu-chan.^�
No one moved. Hiro^�s brow furrowed. He took another
drag and slowly exhaled. He looked at his men
impatiently and began to tap his foot.
^�Come on you cowards!^� he bellowed. ^�One of you has
got to have the balls to go talk to her.^�
With no answer, he strode around the table and grabbed
a random soldier by the back of his shirt. He hauled
the unlucky fellow to his feet and tuned him so they
were staring eye to eye. The soldier began to sweat
nervously and his eye began to twitch.
^�Guess what?^� Hiro asked in an ominous voice. ^�You
just volunteered. Where do you want us to spread your
ashes?^� The man swallowed nervously. Hiro let the man
go and watched as he rushed off to his imminent
death... err, I mean to find Ayu.
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Ten minutes later, the Royal Killers assembled at the
train station; minus Kraven and another soldier, who
had gone off to find a doctor for Kraven^�s wounds.
Hiro looked up towards the castle in the distance.
^�Okay, Squad A, let^�s move out. Ayu,-chan, take your
group to the rendezvous point and wait for our
signal.^� Hiro left the train area and went towards the
castle with three soldiers, while Ayu headed west with
the remaining three.
On a nearby rooftop, the ninja stood in silence. Even
with his face covered, one could make out the smirk
that played across his features.
^�Lord Kuraima will be most pleased that you are
arriving Tenchou-san. Now, we will see if you truly
are the One.^� With that, the ninja leapt off the
rooftop to the shadows below.
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Hiro stood over the bodies of the fallen soldiers. He
hadn^�t wanted to kill anyone, but there seemed to be
more guards than he had anticipated. He slid his sword
into the scabbard at his side. Two more guards entered
the room yelling about intruders. Hiro wasted no time
in unsheathing the sword and striking them down. He
looked back as three RKs entered the room with large
bags full of valuables. Hiro shook his head at them.
^�Look. We^�re mercenaries, not thieves. Put it back.^�
The mercenaries looked downcast but saluted and left
the room. Hiro turned back to the stairwell and heard
more guards coming down. He began to yell.
^�Intruders! Intruders!^� Many guards ran past him. The
last one stopped and turned to him.
^�Where?^� he asked. Hiro^�s face twisted into a feral
grin.
^�Right here.^� With that, he slid the sword through the
man^�s belly until it protruded from his back. He
removed the sword and let the man fall to the floor;
lifeless.
^�Dammit. This isn^�t how the mission was supposed to
go. Where did all the guards come from?^� he asked no
one in particular. He never expected an answer. He got
one anyways.
^�Obviously, this is a trap.^� Hiro looked around
franticly for the owner of the voice, but it seemed to
be coming from all sides. He held his sword at the
ready position. ^�Did you really think you could make
it to his highness?^� the voice asked. The ninja
dropped from the ceiling and landed a few paces away
from Hiro. ^�It^�s a pleasure meeting you again.^�
^�Likewise. Just who are you really? One of the King^�s
guards?^� The ninja began to laugh. The sound was
unsettling to say the least. Hiro tightened his grip
on the sword and pointed it towards the ninja. ^�Answer
me goddammit!^�
^�I am called Silent Death by most. You may refer to me
as such.^� Hiro spat to the side and charged at the
ninja with a yell. He swung don with his sword in an
attempt to cleave the ninja in two. The attack was
sidestepped and Hiro stumbled past. The ninja began to
chuckle.
^�And they said you would be a challenge.^� Through the
mask, Hiro could see the ninja sneer. ^�You^�re just as
weak as your men.^� Hiro^�s eyes widened in shock. ^�Yes.
They^�re all dead now. Hahahahaha! You^�ll join them
soon enough though.^�
^�You rotten bastard!^� Hiro brought his sword to bear.
^�I^�ll kill you slowly for what you did.^�
The ninja made no move to attack. Hiro charged again,
intent on striking the ninja down with one blow.
Again, the attack was dodged. Hiro spun on one foot
and slashed at the ninja^�s side. This time, the ninja
could not avoid the blow. A loud clang of metal
striking metal could be heard as the ninja blocked the
attack with his katana. Hiro grinned and the ninja
returned it beneath his mask. The two warriors
separated and took their respective combat stances. A
sudden noise caught the ninja^�s attention. He glanced
back to the doorway.
^�It seems that the Royal Guard is on to our little
game. We^�ll have to finish this some other time.^� With
that, smoke enveloped the ninja Hiro took a step back
in surprise. When the smoke cleared, the ninja had
vanished. Hiro looked around the room in hopes of
finding some trace of his foe.
^�Why does he fear the guards? I thought he was working
for the King.^� Hiro wondered aloud. He was shaken out
of his thoughts when three guards entered the room.
Hiro lashed out with his sword and deftly cut them
down. He sighed as he sheathed his sword.
^�This is a mission from Hell. I guess I^�d better try
to get to the King still.^� Hiro took of running up the
stairwell.
-------------------------------------------------------------------
At the same time, the King is sitting on his throne
chortling with pleasure. He is a short, rotund man
with bulging eyes and a sick grin. In short, his
visage is not pleasant to behold. He turns to his lone
bodyguard; a giant of a man clad in silver armor and a
cape. He wore no helmet and had an enormous sword
strapped to his back. His face betrayed no emotion
whatsoever. His dark eyes shone of indifference.
^�So, how goes the trap? Are they all dead now?^� the
King asked with impatience apparent in his voice. The
knight spared no glance at the King.
^�To my knowledge, only one has not yet been found.^�
The King^�s smile turned to an angry frown. He began
jumping up and down on his chair.
^�Find him and kill him dammit!^� He calmed and sat back
down. ^�I pay you to protect this castle and myself. I
expect positive results.^� The knight seemed to ignore
the statement. ^�Do you understand me?^� the King asked
with anger in his voice. The knight closed his eyes as
if in thought.
^�Yes you^�re Highness. Should he make it here, I shall
dispose of him myself.^� The King smiled again.
^�Good. Now that we understand each other, we can eat.
Send for a servant.^� The King clapped his hands with
glee. ^�Bring on the grub!^�
^�As if you deserve a last meal.^� The King looked up in
shock to see Hiro standing at the door.
^�How dare you say such a thing to your king! Behead
this rebellious scum at once!^� The King began to jump
up and down again. ^�Kill him! Kill him!^� The knight
took a step forward.
^�As you command my liege.^� The knight pulled the sword
from it^�s place on his back and brought it to bear
with one hand. Hiro gulped at the feat of strength.
^�Rebel dog. You will perish this very day.^� With that,
the knight charged.
Hiro brought up his sword to block the attack. His
eyes widened as the knight's sword cut through his own
like a hot knife through butter. Hiro twisted out of
the way in time to save his life. The knight showed no
emotion as he turned and attacked again. He swung his
sword at a vertical arc. Hiro leapt away to avoid the
lethal blow and began chanting in a strange tongue.
The King dove under his throne in fear for his life.
The knight made no move.
^�Blade of Ice!^� Hiro yelled as he thrust his hands
forward. A column of blue energy engulfed the knight
and he vanished for a moment in the fog that appeared.
When the spell ended, the knight stood, unharmed.
Hiro^�s jaw dropped.
^�Bullshit! It didn^�t even touch him!^� Hiro looked
around frantically for an escape route. The king
peaked from his hiding place and snickered. Hiro threw
a dirty look his way and the King dove back under the
throne.
The knight for his own part began to chant and glow
with blood-red energy. Hiro could do nothing but watch
as his only avenue of escape was blocked by the
seemingly invincible knight. The knight^�s opened his
eyes; they began to glow bright red.
^�Just as fire melts even the coldest ice, you shall
die this day.^� Hiro offered a silent prayer to every
deity he knew of in hopes of escaping alive. The
knight trust his hands forward and yelled out as a
column of fire engulfed Hiro.
Hiro could not even scream as he felt the life burn
away within his body. His only regret was that he
would not be there to see the birth of his child.
-------------------------------------------------------------------
End Prologue
==========================================
=====
"You lose more in life by holding back. Carpe Diem!!!"-Ryo-
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