The beginning

It was a rainy day outside. Nobody on the streets except the homeless. Night came fast and everybody fell asleep. Except for one. It was a tall man with his face covered by the shadow of his hood. He walked up to a zone where the rain does not touch the ground. It was protected by a wall which seemed too much to climb for a person who sleeps on the street and eats junk. But with little to no effort he jumped over. That’s where he is stopped by a man with a knife in his hand.

" Goddammit. I didn’t think I would have to kill someone tonight."

The man removed his hood. He was a young man with black hair and blue eyes. He didn’t even remotely seemed like a homeless man.

" It’s me."

" Hikaru? I cannot believe this. Can u please try to not scare the shit out of me?"

" Sure, you little crybaby. Now, what’s the plan Shion?"

Shion was a black skinned man with a bald head.

" Me? Crybaby? That’s just because you came early and where did you even find those clothes?"

" Thrown from the top. Those pricks sure get bored easily."

" Anyway. Since you are early we need to wait a little until we can rob that store."

" Then walk me through the steps in the meantime."

" The store is a very fancy one for this dump. Its right in the middle of the city where the platform is. Is has an alarm and a lot of patrols are coming by very frequently, so we need to be fast. I’m going to deactivate the alarm but while I’m doing it you start lock picking and open it when I finish. We might not take as much food as we first planned but its quality over quantity so deal with it."

" Quality over quantity my ass. Not in the world we live in. why don’t we just rob a store from around here?"

" Believe me when I tell you, this is going to be much better than this shitty food from this shitty store we always steal from. Don’t you crave what you lost?"

" Ok. You got me. Let’s go."

" I knew I could count on you. Now let’s roll."

They arrived there after a short run. They look around the corner and there is nobody. This was their window.

" I started hacking the security system so start pick locking already!"

" On it Shion!"

" The alarm is down. Open the door."

" I’m in. Be ready to run."

" Fuck off. Can you be a little positive sometimes."

" Nope."

He was in. When he saw all the choices he froze a little. But he couldn’t just stand there. He put on his gloves and started to grab everything. He goes from front to back and while he was in the back he heard the signal made by Shion which signals the coming of a patrol. He tried to make a run for it when suddenly he saw a flashlight in front of the store. He hid after a counter while hoping he would pass.

" Officer, pick up. Is there any sign of people around there?"

" No. What is that?"

" I think there might be trouble. A door to a store is open. There doesn’t seem to be signs of forced entry. I will check."

" Ok. Contact me again with new info. Want backup?"

" No. Like I said this doesn’t seem forced so there can’t be more then two or three intruders. I can manage."

" Roger."

As he started to easily approach the place where Hikaru was standing he decided the best course of action was to show himself as the policeman seemed very cocky. He stood up. The policeman pointed his gun at him.

" Stay there."

" I showed myself because I don’t want to cause any more trouble."

" Take your hood off and put your hands in the air."

" Are there others?"

" Only one. But he bailed as soon as you appeared. What a friend he was."

" Alpha to center. I got him. It’s only one."

" Good job. See you at the station."

" Roger that."

The moment he closed his station that was the moment to strike. Hikaru took out a knife and went for him. The policeman panicked and missed his shot. Hikaru stuck the knife in his arm and knocked him out with one hit. He puts his hood back on.

' Good think I considered the camera position. I hope I successfully removed the memory of my face from his head. Time to bail.'

When he goes outside Shion is waiting on the other side of the road. He signals him to come fast.

" Good to see you made it out in one piece."

" You little shit! What where you doing while I was in there?"

" What could I have done? I’m no fighter unlike you. If it was me there it would have been lost but you, you saved our entire operation. I am useless. You don’t have to tell me. Sorry for letting you handle it."

" No, I’m sorry. I know you wanted to help but couldn’t. Sorry for yelling. Let’s go."

" Sure. I prepared an escape route. The sewers right there should take us to the dump. After you."

They arrived at their camping ground in the dump safely. The next day Hikaru was woken up by a scream. He takes his knife and exits this court. What he sees is his past haunting him. It was a man which held Shion at knife point.

" Long time no see, buddy."

" How did find me, Katashi?"

" It wasn’t so hard after the stunt you pulled last night. I have connections so I got my hands on the video feed at the store. I would never forget that black hair and that fighting style. From there if you know your place around the city then where you went was obvious. The people here turned on you so quickly its amazing how fast they told me where you are."

" Why did you come here?"

" To beat the shit out of you obviously. Did you think I came here to relieve some old and good memories with my favorite buddy?"

" Haven’t I lost enough? Let him go. Then you can do whatever you want with me."

" That’s not how it works dear. Just because your family self destructed it won’t satisfy me, after all it’s not something I did. Its not my fault your family is screwed in the head."

Hikaru starts to grit his teeth.

" Did that upset you little boy? You won’t be able to do that much longer. Get him boys."

From behind Hikaru was grabbed by two men.

" Now how will that monstrous strength help you?"

" Stop! Let him go! I will kill you! I swear I’m going to destroy you!"

" So funny! Its so good to see a man struggle with no chance of winning. Now you just have to drown in despair."

" What do you mean by that?"

Katashi proceeds to stab Shion in the gut. He leaves the knife in him while he drops to the ground.

" SHIONNNNN!"

" I’m sorry Hikaru. It’s all my fault if I wasn’t so weak maybe I could have…"

" NOOO! Stay with me! Don’t close your eyes!"

" Done talking to the dead?"

Katashi starts pounding Hikaru.

" He is dead. And it’s all your fault. You are weak. You are dumb. You are a low life. Garbage. Piece of shit. He died because you exist. Don’t you think it would have been better if you were never born?"

'Perhaps it would have been better. What have I done with my life? Nothing! My life only destroyed others. First my parents died because of me and now Shion. I would’ve liked to die in peace but I guess that’s not an option for a piece of trash like me. Goodbye shitty world!'

" Oh dear! It seems like I came at the right time."

Hikaru found himself in a white space. There was nothing there but one man. He was tall with a beautiful short red hair, a beard and equally as beautiful red eyes.

" Am I dead?"

" Not yet at least. Seems like you are a good candidate."

" What do you mean?"

" I have a proposition for you. You will get what you desire from it. Wanna hear me out?"

" Seems like I really lost it. Sure. I have nothing better to do until I get to hell so please elaborate."

The man snaps his fingers and a field full of blooming flowers appears in front of me. When I look behind I see a field full of withered flowers.

" The choice is yours. Wither away or bloom!"

" Stop this cryptic bullshit! Just tell me straight!"

" Your situation right now is rather bad. But I can help you."

" No thanks. After all that I did I don’t deserve a second chance."

" Are you sure about that? That beating sure did a number on you. Have you really forgotten about it all?"

" I said it already! Stop the crypted messages!"

" Do I have to show it to you again, how you lost everything?"

" YOU BASTARD! What does that have to do with everything?"

" You lost your only chance to ascend to the dome, you lost your family, and now you lost Shion. And why did you loss them? Because of him!"

" No. I was because…"

" LOOK AT YOU! Lying to yourself. You hate them! You want them to die! What’s stopping you? That little old memory of your mother?"

" Shut up. Shut up! Or I will kill you!"

" What was the phrase? Oh I know “Never hurt others. Human life is precious. It cannot be replaced. Be kind and gentle to others.”. Are you holding on to this because that’s one of the last memories you have with her?"

" No."

" You are lying."

" No."

" Yes you are. But what’s the most interesting part is what your father said 'Wrong. If you help other people they will see you as the fool someday. People are disgusting creatures which hold only greed and selfishness.'."

" Don’t mention him ever again. He is the reason she is no more."

" Yes, but he is right. He is the best example of his lecture. A man with only greed which considered his son a tool."

Tears started flowing down Hikaru’s face.

" Of course he is right. But I don’t want to become like that bastard."

" You won’t. You need to kill to survive while he killed because he was greedy."

" Still. Killing is killing."

" Do you really wish your mom to have died in vain?"

" What do you mean?"

" She died protecting you. Did she not? So if you die her sacrifice would be in vain. Do you really wish for the only thing she loved and protected with her life to die in the dump?"

" No."

" Then?"

" I will accept your help."

" Then point at his face and shot."

They left Hikaru in a heap of blood. When they turned their backs to him he started saying something.

" What was that want? Want more?"

Hikaru lifted his bloody hand to his face and then for him everything went dark. The Last things he heard were screams.