A Prologue Part Two ~ Growing Up(sample)

Chapter Five ~ and Off With the Gloves Part I:

Reine winced and her face contorted with grief, as loneliness gripped her and without realizing it she screamed. Her scream projected over the sound of the surrounding marketplace, before she ran down the alley past her new teammates. She did not understand, 'why does father go through so much trouble to isolate me?'

She rounded the corner and fell to her knees, before she could no longer hold back the sobs. Her mind spun, 'I feel like an outcast and no one wants me to be here.' Her girlfriend came up behind her and hugged her shoulders; for a moment, she just cried.

She turned around slowly and embraced her, as she calmed and spoke, "I feel like a joke, Dey..."

Deytria pushed her back a little by her shoulders. There was a moment when the two just looked at each other. Her girlfriend shook her head, before she spoke comfortingly.

"No, Reine - you're not a joke at all. You're our leader and you're gonna be great! They don't know you, but that doesn't matter - because you will be the strongest of us all."

She shook her head violently and reached out, as she pulled her girlfriend back into an embrace. She cried on the blonde's shoulder and gripped them. She was still quite emotionally unstable and sniffled, as she spoke.

"I don't want to be the strongest! I want to be loved and accepted, Dey. Don't you understand?"

"I do love and accept you, so will they."

Deytria kissed her forehead and petted her hair, while it took a few moments before she eventually stopped crying. Reine calmed herself and pulled back slowly from her; she stood up all-of-a-sudden and wiped her eyes clean. Her girlfriend recognized her game face.

She walked around her girlfriend, while the assassin quickly stood and fell in-line behind her leader. She rounded the corner with purpose, as she noticed that the parents had gone into the store. Acovis was facing them and listened to Alex rant, as she faced him; Reine walked at a brisk pace and overheard Alexia, as she spoke.

"Really, if I had known our leader was such a crybaby - I wouldn't have said..."

The lanky girl stopped mid-sentence, as the boy shook his head and looked past her at Reine's approach. The rude girl did not have the time to turn around, as she was right behind her and pinned her to the wall by her neck using a forearm. The cubby boy started to grab her arm, but was swiftly kicked in the gut; Alexia grabbed hold of her other arm, attempting to breathe. Their leader spoke in a low and angry tone.

"Listen, I got it - you don't know me. Let's get one thing straight right now... I am the leader. The next time you forget that and disrespect me will be your last. Now if you ever address me as anything other than Captain my Captain or Reine, I'm going to take that as disrespect."

She looked towards Acovis for a split second; he still held his gut and knelt from the blow. She turned back to Alex and tilted her head with a grin. She spoke again with a wicked stare, as the tall girl went wide eyed and stiff.

"Understood?"

"Yes, Captain my Captain."

Reine let the girl go and realized she had taken her off her feet during the speech. Alexia rubbed her neck and took in a deep breath, as she landed on solid ground again. His leader held her hand out for Acovis to help him stand up.

She ordered him, as he hesitated to take her hand, "On your feet. Now line up!"

The boy quickly accepted her aid, and his leader pulled him off the ground with ease; all three of them stood against the wall. She took her time and looked them over, as she did not realize the parents had come out during the scene and now quietly watched. When she spoke, it was with confidence, as she addressed her crew.