Loser Dog of Tokyo

The dark alley echoed with her hurried footsteps. Chants of anger followed closely behind as she scrambled between piles of musty garbage; her heavy panting turning into pained whimpers. Her strides were cut short in an instant, falling face first onto the filthy ground below. With a mouth full of foul tasting rainwater, the 'Loser Dog of Tokyo', also known as Umeda Mika, lost grip of her earnings; scattering the pile of paper bills across the wet floor beneath her.

"Hey there, little girl. Where do you think you're going with that?" The sound of heavy boots drew closer, causing Mika to scramble to all fours; frantically gathering as much money as she could fit in her bloodied hands. With a deafening thud, Mika found herself face to face with a brick wall, her stolen money flying in every which direction.

"Such a feisty little thief. We don't take kindly to people stealing from us, you know?" His menacing chuckle filled the alley. Through her ringing ears, she could make out the sounds of more men approaching; the unrhythmic clattering of their footsteps growing too close for comfort. The yakuza member roughly grabbed her arm, lifting her up with surprising strength; Mika's legs dangled helplessly in the air.

"Disrespectful brats should be taught proper manners, don't you think, boys?" Five chuckles resonated in unison. Mika clamped her teeth around the yakuza's wrist, chomping down with a weak bite.

"Let me go!" Mika shouted against his arm, flailing her limbs as she barked like a dog. Her bare feet scraped against the ground, her toes trying to latch onto something to prevent her from being dragged away. She knew once she was out of the public eye, she would be free game. The yakuza's grip tightened around her hair, causing tears to prickle at the corners of her eyes; his cold gaze bore daggers into her small frame.

Her back hit the concrete, knocking the wind from her lungs. Gazing up at the five shadowy figures looming over her, she could see the faint glisten of a blade in one of their hands; illuminated by the neon signs hanging overhead. Her arms instinctively gripped the ground behind her, tugging herself away from the fearful display of power.
"Don't!" Mika screamed.

With a brutal kick to her abdomen, Mika's body rolled against the wall; her head thudding against a water pipe. Her vision blurred, and the disorientation combined with lack of nourishment made her nauseous. With narrowed eyes, Mika looked up at her attackers, letting out a sharp gasp as the blade approached her. The knife sank into her shoulder, causing Mika to yelp in pain, her tears flowing freely as she screamed in agony. The yakuza pulled his tanto blade from her shoulder, admiring the way her blood spurted out with each quick pulse.

"You're lucky I don't cut your fingers off, kid." He shoved her head back, watching her bleed out in the abandoned alleyway. The pain caused Mika to vomit all over her chest, the smell making her sick to her stomach. Her wheezes were dampened by the harsh eruption of rain, smothering her in a painful chill. Every droplet felt like a shard of ice piercing her skin. The yakuza squatted before her, but she couldn't bring herself to move.

Mika's voice was hoarse as she spoke, her throat swelling shut with each bated breath.
"Somebody... help me."
Her vision faded, and she lost consciousness.

"Nobody's helping you, kid. Boys, toss her in the car. The boss could use a new plaything." The man stood up, motioning for his lackeys to drag her away. Underneath the awning of a back alley ramen shop, he lit a cigarette; watching the smoke curl around the windy sky.
"Looks like it's gonna be a typhoon."

Just outside the Arakawa-ku district in Tokyo, a lone apartment complex overlooked the slums of Sanya. The Bara-gumi, the Rose Group, kept a watchful eye over the people of Arakawa-ku; often offering protection from crime and lending money to those brave enough to ask. Under the rule of Ninagawa Charlotte, the streets of Sanya were a terrifying place to live.
Charlotte's eyes glued to the approaching vehicle outside, the tip of her pipe resting loosely against her bottom lip. She watched as her subordinates dragged a pink haired girl from the trunk of the car and into the first floor; a few drops of blood spilling onto the road. Wearing a wicked smirk, her lips curled around her pipe, waiting for her new, pretty toy to make its way up to her. Four rhythmic knocks thudded against her door.

"You may enter." Charlotte sat cross legged in her throne of a chair, blowing a ring of smoke as the door opened. The yakuza members tossed the petite pink haired girl onto the floor, each of them bowing their heads in respect. The stench of vomit and urine invaded her nostrils, causing her face to grimace.
"What the hell kind of girl did you drag into my office?"

"Forgive me, boss. We didn't have time to properly wash her. We caught her stealing money from Sakai-san in apartment 3B, which led us to take measures to ensure she wouldn't take us lightly." The yakuza bowed lower, his nervousness masked by his professional demeanor.

"She reeks of piss, and she's bleeding all over my carpet!" Charlotte pinched her nose shut, frantically waving her hand to clear the stench. She motioned for her subordinates to remove her.
"Toss her in the bath, and don't bring her back until she's clean."

In unison, the men shouted, "Yes, boss!" and dragged her into the restroom to wash her up.

The three yakuza members removed the small girl's clothes, roughly scrubbing her body with a rag. In the midst of their cleansing, Mika's eyes blinked open, her vision distorted from lack of blood and a brutal beatdown. She winced as their rough hands cleaned over her open wound, her mouth making a sharp hissing sound.
"Let me go... perverts."

"Shut your mouth, brat. You're lucky we're giving a hobo like you a proper bath." The higher ranking yakuza dug his thumb into her wound to silence her. Mika whimpered in distress, her body slumping further into the water.

"Where am I?" Mika looked up at the fluorescent lights, struggling to understand what time or day it was. Her body was on fire from the attack, and her stomach growled loudly.

"Sanya. We're prepping you for your new job. What's your name anyway, kid?" The upper-ranking member spoke softer, gently offering her the rag to wash her own breasts; his silent way of expressing gentlemanly respect. He didn't regret injuring her earlier, but he would never be so crass as to grope a child.

"Mika... I'm an orphan." She began wiping the dry vomit from her chest, carefully moving so as not to aggravate her wounds.
"What do you mean by job?"

"You'll see, but it isn't pretty." He tossed Mika a clean towel, exiting the room and leaving her in curiosity. As she dried herself off, she wrapped the towel around her chest and stepped into the dimly lit apartment room just outside the bathroom. Mika let out a loud gasp, watching as a tall woman in a black kimono gestured toward a plate of steaming hot wagyu steak.

"Choose wisely, child. Eat this food, and you pay for it with your soul; pledging your loyalty to me. Turn down the food, and you'll be sent back to the slums where you came from." Charlotte's wicked grin taunted her, her pipe smoke wafting around her face like a menacing ghost. Mika stood in silence, her stomach screaming loudly with desperate urgency. As she approached the plate of steak, she trembled violently, her mouth dripping saliva onto the floor below.

"If I eat this... I'll be your pawn." Mika licked her lips, not tearing her eyes away from the dangerous offering. She began panting, yanking at her own hair in frustration.

"You look like a dog, child. Like a rabid dog, stalking its prey with hungry eyes. You want this food, like a dog begging for a treat. You're nothing but a dog, a loser dog." Charlotte stepped closer, her voice growing louder and more intimidating. Each sway of her hips entranced Mika as she judged if she should truly pledge her soul to this wicked trickster; this evil temptress.

Mika picked up a piece of steak, angrily growling at it. Her eyes grew wide, and her empty stomach yearned for a taste.
"Shit!"
Mika stuffed the steak into her mouth, tears overflowing her eyes. She let out pained sobs, whimpering in pure sorrow as she devoured each tender slice. Her cries filled the room as she stuffed multiple pieces into her mouth, barely chewing before swallowing.

Charlotte leaned eerily close to Mika's face, her eyes wide and her mouth curled in a sinister smirk. Her breath reeked of tobacco as she whispered in Mika's ear.
"Welcome home, loser dog."