Training Hall,
Genaco Compound.
One step, Strike! Two steps, Strike, Strike! Duck, evade... Triple strike!
The booms of flesh against mannequin echoed in the training hall, its lone occupant drenched in sweat as he repeated the ritualistic motions. Hardened, taxed muscles rippled under the clothing, which was stuck to his skin as a result of the excess perspiration.
James Shouyou observed the young man's session from the entrance with a small smile. As expected, Suzuki did not miss a step as he continually hammered away at the mannequins, his techniques a mixture of various fighting schools. At times he would start with a boxer's posture, shifting his feet quickly as he ducked and punched, but then without warning, and quite seamlessly, he would swivel and deliver a crunching kick to the mannequin's neck—a popular taekwondo skill.
Shouyou noticed Suzuki's strained expression and slightly shaky arms as he practiced his Taka. If he hadn't been acquainted with the young man, he would have thought these were signs of fatigue. After all, it had been two whole hours since Suzuki began his training session. However, he knew this not to be the case.
The man called Suzuki Mato was what many would consider being a 'fighting genius.' He had acquired and nearly perfected many different schools and techniques at a mere seventeen years of age. In fact, with his current skills, it would be completely unfair of him to participate in any school competitions. That was the level of the current Suzuki Mato... but that wasn't always the case.
Five years ago, following the death of his parents, Suzuki Mato became a completely different being. If there was one word to describe him, it would be... yes, it would be Feral!
The cause of this change... No, that was not important.
What was important was that Suzuki became a soul filled with nothing but rage. He willfully targeted the unsavory characters in his classes, making as many enemies as he could along the way. He was akin to a beast, devouring anybody that challenged him, no matter the amount, using his teeth, nails, or anything he could find.
In a strange twist of fate, the person who rescued him from this cycle was none other than Razznik Y'Terlow, the man who would later be known as the "God of Destruction." It was through Razznik he learned that he could suppress the rage through disciplined and rigorous training.
That was when Suzuki began what would later earn him the nickname of 'Club Crusher,' the same sequence of events that would eventually lead him to meet with the girl that ultimately saved him from himself.
Well, though he said that, it wasn't entirely true. That feral rage still lurked just beneath Suzuki's surface, threatening to break out each time he put himself through rigorous exercise or fought with someone.
Suzuki's muscles relaxed as he took a deep breath then released. The session was over. He was still in top fighting shape. Perfect.
Suzuki noticed Shouyou approaching, dressed casually in track pants and a loose T-shirt, whose lax demeanor somehow managed not to betray any openings for the young man to attack if he wanted to. He caught a bottle of water thrown by the older man and finished its contents before Shouyou was within arm's length.
"What brings you here?" Suzuki asked, eyes narrow as he observed Shouyou, careful to keep him at arm's length.
The older man shook his head, with a slight chuckle. "You still don't trust me? Even after everything we've been through?"
"I don't trust you because of everything we've been through."
"Then why'd you tell me your secret?"
Suzuki frowned. "Moment of weakness. It happens. Now tell me what you really came here for."
Shouyou maintained his smile despite Suzuki's hostility. "How's Kashi doing?"
Suzuki's brow rose as he adopted a knowing smirk. "I assume you'd know more than I."
"Ah, I don't mean the body going through bondage play," Shouyou replied with a smirk of his own. "I mean Kashi himself."
Any other person and Suzuki would have been surprised. But not this man. This egotistic maniac had no qualms about cheating in his own game to further his personal goals—whatever they may be. "He's fine. At least he doesn't have to deal with you." Suzuki's frown deepened. "Why do you ask?"
"Scientific curiosity?" Suzuki's frown proved he did not buy a second of that. "Fine, fine. I'm just curious, you know. Personality disorders are rare you kn—"
"—There's nothing wrong with me," interrupted Suzuki, tone venomous.
Shouyou briefly raised his hands in mock surrender. "I know, I know. That's what's so fascinating about you. I don't know of anybody else who can willingly create multiple personalities within themselves like you do. And what's more: exist in harmony with each other."
"Why are you repeating what we both know? Quit stalling and say what you want."
Shouyou took a deep breath as he ran his fingers through his hair. "This Project will eventually place you in a situation where you will most likely have to kill people. I was thi—"
"No." Suzuki's reply was terse, his voice somewhat tight. "I will not let Kashi fight in this world."
"That's not what I—"
"Nor will I create another one." Suzuki glared at Shouyou, daring him to ask again. "You know my rules. Why would you ask me to do that? You know what happens when I let my personas out in the real world."
Shouyou shook his head. "I was gambling that you'd be strong enough to prevent that."
"It's not a matter of strength."
"Well, I guess you're right," he relented. "Just thought I'd spare you the hollowness that comes with killing. Kashi's already used to it, and you could quite easily create a murderous persona if you wanted."
"I do not create personas just for the sake of it," Suzuki explained. "Each one is designed to teach me something I've forgotten. There would be no merit in creating a murderer. I already have experience in that field."
Shouyou raised a brow. "I highly doubt that counts as murder."
"True, no constitution can try me for murder. But every human being would agree that morally it is murder."
"Well, you do have a point there, I suppose. Can't fault your logic, no matter how self-punishing it actually is."
Brring!
Suzuki walked over to a desk and lifted his PDA. "Time's up, James-san. I've got an appointment. We can continue this talk later."
James smiled. "Going to the Gladiators? Yuki-chan says your rapid progress is making her go crazy."
That was right. It had been four days since Suzuki started the project. Following Yukino's manipulative advice, Suzuki decided to leave the secondary programs to the assisting A.I, while he took charge of the primary functions. Kind of like how humans could control their limbs, but only a few had control over their actual inner body functions. By the end of the first day, Suzuki could freely manipulate all of the primary functions with ease. The start of the second day was focused on information processing. Unlike the Iron Man suit, which displayed information in front of Tony Stark in a holographic manner, the Gladiators sent all of its information directly to its user's brain.
This should have been a lot more difficult, but both Kashi and Razznik had dealt with several sense-enhancing techniques, enabling them to take in at least ten times the information a normal person perceives on an average day. As such, it took him only a few hours before he could freely sift through all of the information sent by the A.I.
Suzuki spent the rest of the day practicing taxing motions while collecting this information. This proved to be the hardest. He could efficiently process the data if he stood still, but doing so while navigating the obstacle course prepared as a test was a lot harder. His arrogant do-or-die nature kept him going for hours, but it wasn't until the third day he finally perfected it.
Since then, he had been practicing taking over the secondary systems bit-by-bit.
"No," Suzuki wistfully replied as he placed his gloves in a bag, which he then slung over his shoulder. "My plan's been derailed by a force of nature."
"Huh?"
"Never mind," Suzuki said as he walked past James, but then paused at the door. "I never said this... Thanks."
Shouyou's face lit up with a happy grin. "Oya~. What did you just say? I didn't quite catch that."
"Go fix your ear," Suzuki replied deadpan as the door slid shut behind him.
Shouyou's grin mellowed to a soft smile as he stared at the door. "Well, might not have gone exactly as planned, but he's still useable." Eventually, he let out a loud sigh and scratched his hair. "More importantly, though, what did he mean by 'force of nature.' It can't be. Does that brat have a girlf—nah impossible, impossible? Far greater chance of a meteorite wiping out the earth."
With that, Shouyou decided to begin his workout.
3 Hours Later,
Suzuki rested against a lamppost at one of the facility's busy streets, dressed in a comfortable graphic T-shirt and Jean trousers. He brushed strands of hair out of his eyes as he scanned his surroundings for the being that had interrupted his plans. He wiped the sweat from his forehead as he glared at the early morning sun. As expected of the first week of July. The unrelenting orb in the sky was out in full force, as if to everyone they had just about a month of summer left.
Now that Suzuki thought about it, if he still lived with the Akios, his day wouldn't really be all that different. Well, except for the fact that he was participating in a robot experiment. That might be a significant difference.
A sharp rap to the back of his head snapped Suzuki out of his reverie. He looked to his left to see Jade pouting as she returned his confused gaze with a glare of her own. She seemed to be saying something, so he removed his earphones just in time to catch the last of her rebuke.
"...and who puts on earphones while waiting for someone, huh? I've been calling your name since I was way..."
Suzuki tuned Jad out as he admired her attire. As an artist of sorts, he had always been fascinated by the gothic. Their outlandish art forms had inspired most of Razznik's wardrobe, especially the long overcoat/Jacket that eventually became his signature attire, and the dark, skull-themed weapons he wielded.
However, for all his admiration, Suzuki never really understood goth. And surprisingly, for the first time, going to the internet for answers had been a bad move, leaving him with far more questions than answers.
Still, though, that did nothing to deter Suzuki's admiration for the genre. While he would never have the time nor patience required to don the style known as 'gothic fashion' or any other fashion trend for that matter, Suzuki wasn't immune to its charms.
As usual, Jade had gone simple in her wardrobe, but somehow still managed to severely stand out. She wore a black tank-top on fitted white pants, which had the lower skeletal frame drawn onto them, with a matching white jacket. She had once again switched hairstyles. This time going for a high ponytail with parted bangs, one falling down the left of her forehead, the other styled, so it sloped down the right but avoided her eyes. Her height was artificially elevated by shoes whose soles should have been considered illegally high.
Suzuki's eyes rested just beneath her chin, on the choker she wore. He had never actually seen anyone wear those in real life. It looked surprisingly better than he expected. Maybe it was the contrast against her pale skin or the way it matched the smoky eyeliner she used. He wasn't exactly fashion-inclined, so all he could settle on was: It looked good for reasons unknown.
Snap!
Suzuki winced as the illegally high boot crushed his foot. "What was that for? I'm not the one who's thirty minutes late."
"Your mind was somewhere else," Jade countered, her heel still crushing her offender's foot. "You totally tuned me out."
"No, I didn't," Suzuki protested as he struggled to keep a straight face. "Ask me anything."
"Ha! Don't think I'll fall for that," Jade proclaimed with a triumphant smirk. "I invented that trick."
"Yes, yes. You got me," Suzuki acquiesced. "Now, please release my foot, will you?"
"Nope."
"Huh?"
"Not until you tell me what you were thinking of."
"You?"
This time it was Jade's eyes that widened in incredulous surprise. "Huh?"
"I was just admiring your appearance. Gotta admit it's pretty cool."
Jade's cheeks turned beet red as heat rushed up to her neck. Crunch!
"Hey!" Suzuki protested as she buried her fist in his stomach. "I told you like you asked."
She glared up at him, teeth grit. "Don't just spout cool lines like that without thinking."
"You think that was a cool line? Does that mean you think I'm cool?" Suzuki said with a laugh that was abruptly cut short by a second jab to his midriff.
"Drop dead!"
"At this rate, I just might." Suzuki stifled his amusement as her fist trembled violently like she would explode at any moment. Disappointingly, however, Jade closed her eyes, swallowed hard, and then regained her composure.
By the time Jade reopened them, her mocking smirk had returned.
Damn it. Suzuki inwardly cursed. He missed his chance to take the upper hand.
Jade gazed at his hair and a slow grin coming to her face as she formulated an evil plot. "Say, Suzuki, remember our deal?"
Suzuki groaned inwardly. Here it came. "Yes. For not telling you about Razznik, and leaving Syèl to tell you, I have to accompany you and do whatever you want for a day."
"You don't care about your hair, right? Doesn't even look like you combed it today."
"I never said I don't ca—"
"—Well then, first off, I'm going to turn you into someone worthy of cool lines."
"Since when do people have to be worthy of—"
"—Don't interrupt me."
'You're interrupting me, though.' Suzuki sighed as he let himself get dragged along the facility's busy streets. Well, it wasn't wrong to relax every now and then. Then again, he would be lying if he said he did not appreciate Jade's company. The little fire-starter was like a live wire, electric, and dangerous. She talked non-stop as she dragged him along, and in such a way, he didn't feel obliged to chip in often. Which suited him just fine. However, even he knew it would be overly rude if he forced her to carry all the burden. "How's your grandfather been?
The sudden question caused Jade to pause. "Hmm, he's fine, I guess," she finally said with a shrug. "Always working on something or another."
Suzuki raised a brow, confused by her nonchalance. "When was the last time you saw him?"
"Hmm... That time you went with me, I think."
Now Suzuki was even more confused. "What do you mean, you think? You hacked Genaco and participated in a potential life-threatening program so you could meet him. And you've only seen him once since then?"
"Yup."
"Wha—"
"I just wanted to check if he was alright. Now that I know he is, there's no need for me to disturb his work is there?"
Suzuki stared at Jade's confused expression with shock. She actually appeared as confused by the whole thing as he was. He couldn't stop the laughter that immediately burst out, forcing him to bend over as he tried to stifle it.
This girl was crazy. What kind of person would hunt down a relative as doggedly as she did, then just go 'Meh' he's fine now, case closed? And here he thought she was one of the normal ones. Maybe he was doomed to be surrounded by weirdoes. Weren't like poles supposed to repel each other?
"Stop laughing!" Jade protested.
"Yeah, yeah," Suzuki managed through wheezes as he slowly regained his composure. "Sorry about that. You're just full of surprises."
Jade's following pout only lasted till they rounded a corner, and the facility's mall came into view. Her eyes immediately sparkled as she grabbed Suzuki's arm and rushed in. First, she took him to a salon and gave them specific instructions. Suzuki's protests fell on deaf ears, and eventually, he gave in to her will when she threatened to shave him bald if he kept annoying her.
A couple minutes later, Suzuki stared at his reflection in the mirror and had to admit it wasn't terrible. His unruly bangs were now concentrated between his brows, with manes falling down either side of his cheeks. They had untangled his hair, so its full length cascaded down, just past his neck. Oh, but Jade wasn't done by a long shot. At her behest, his hair was dyed to a very dark shade of violet. Worst of all, he had to endure women put some makeup thingies on his face. When they were done, his eyes resembled that of an insomniac, with his eyebags somehow emphasized. Jesus, he knew he regularly skipped sleep, but he had rarely seen his eyes this bad before.
What's worse, from the ladies' expressions, this was the desired effect they wanted. Suzuki raised a hand to rub his eye, but then stopped. What if that only worsened the impact? Well, he hated it, but the expression on Jade's face was worth the torture. She looked like she would explode with joy.
Suzuki was whisked away by the overly charged girl once he was done paying. Their next stop was a clothing store. A high-end one judging by the ridiculous price tags. How many consoles and P.C. games could he buy for the same price as one of these tops? It was utterly absurd.
Suzuki was then ushered into a changing room with Jade tossing him clothes one after another in an attempt to find the right combination.
"Say, don't you think there's something wrong with this picture?" Suzuki called as he tried on what felt like the thousandth combination.
"Yeah, you're right. That shirt really wouldn't go with those pants," Jade agreed as she took another option off the rack and tossed it over the top to him.
"No," Suzuki refuted as he stepped out. "I mean, usually, isn't it the guy who watches the girl pick outfits?"
"That's exactly what we're doing," Jade pressed as she shook her head, signaling for him to take off the pants and try the next one. "You're waiting for me to choose, aren't you?"
"Well, yeah," Suzuki reluctantly accepted as he put on the dark trousers, then stepped out. "But I'm not meant to be doing anything. I'm supposed to go, "That's good," That's good," That looks good," until you make up your mind, and we leave."
A smile spread across Jade's face as she studied his attire. He wore a long-sleeved jacket on a similarly long-sleeved classic white dress shirt, which was, in turn, worn on a black sleeveless top. The dark pants he wore maybe could have been a little tighter, but Suzuki drew the line on those. The brooding contrasts emphasized his eyes even more than usual, and she had to admit they were despairingly beautiful. They were the type of orbs that made one wonder what their owner had gone through to possess such eyes. "Well, now, I guess it's true that even a goat can resemble a small horse with the right disguise."
"Is that a round-about way of you saying I'm hot?" Suzuki lightly teased.
"Haa!? Are you an idiot? As if! You barely pass not being utterly ugly."
"Yeah, yeah," Suzuki relented as he packed his old clothes into a complimentary bag. "You didn't have to protest so strongly, you know? Makes you look guilty." He raised his hands and jumped back as she raised her right foot.
"The only thing I'll be guilty of is your murder if you keep this up."
"Yes, ma'am." Suzuki was about to go pay for his purchases when she suddenly strapped a choker around his throat. Unlike hers, however, his was much larger and was made of leather, with none of the accompanying spikes. "This really isn't—"
"Humor me."
Suzuki relented and paid for the clothes. She then made him buy some more, which he arranged to be delivered to his room.
The rest of the day passed in a surprising flash as they spent their time watching a movie, visiting various restaurants where Suzuki was once again impressed by just how much they tiny girl could wolf down and playing some arcade games. The majority of their time was spent simply walking, though, sometimes chatting about the game, their respective lives, and other times content with a bit of silence.
Suzuki revealed a lot about himself to her, but not too much, careful to leave a lot of the sensitive parts out. He did tell her of his late parents, and how only he survived the car crash that claimed their lives on the day of his martial arts tournament's finals.
"Funny thing really," Suzuki said as he reclined on the park bench they currently sat on (Well he sat on. Jade was sort of kneeling on it, her arm resting on its backrest, so she faced him.) "That was the first time all three of us had been in the same car for close to a year."
"You loved them?"
Suzuki sighed. "Who knows? I'm not so sure anymore. There are times I think I did. Other times I think I hated them, others... meh."
"Why would you hate your parents?"
Suzuki turned to face her. Her sincerity showed in her eyes. She really wanted to know, and he did not want to lie to her. But he couldn't tell her the truth either. The truth would lead to questions. Questions he was not yet prepared to answer. "Rebellious stage, maybe?" Suzuki offered a thin smile.
"I think twelve's a little early for that."
Suzuki laughed. "Who knows why kids do half the things we do."
Jade chuckled as she poked his left cheek. "You just called yourself a kid."
"Hmm. I am, aren't I?" Suzuki challenged. "At least until I turn eighteen. Until then, I have to do as adults say, just like a kid."
"You... You're really depressing, do you know that?" Jade frankly replied.
Suzuki laughed harder than he should have at that. It was one thing when people whispered it to themselves in class and the bus. Being told to his face so honestly and without judgment was refreshing beyond explanation. "Maybe I am. Well, you know a bit of my story now. What's yours?"
"What? That was like the prologue. You haven't even started. Past girlfriends or boyfriends, current girlfriends or boyfriends, High school crushes, rejections, adven—come on!"
Suzuki flicked her forehead, stifling a laugh as she clutched the sore spot. "I am straight, thank you very much. And I'll tell you the rest in due time. There's no fun in finishing all the episodes of an anime in one day."
"Bah! You just don't want to talk. Well, I'll get it out of you eventually."
"Well?"
"Fine." Jade reluctantly agreed to reveal some of her own past. Her life was pretty colorful. Though Japanese, she had been born in America before the economic meltdown. Her father, like her (or was that the other way round?), was a hacker. In his case, an activist hacker, fighting for the good of the common man and all that. He taught Jade everything he knew, though she surpassed him in only a few years. His favorite food was apple-pie, though he only ate it after a successful job... As a reward of sorts.
The two of them spent a lot of time hacking corporations and sometimes criminal organizations, anonymously assisting the police with their work. Of course, this led to many scary adventures with criminals and CEOs who swore revenge against them.
"I even got kidnapped once when I was eight, two years after the meltdown," Jade pronounced, a little too happily. "I even remember the day. It was the anniversary of that meteor crash in the Atlantic that killed hundreds on a liner bound for England."
Suzuki groaned. "Yeah, that damned anniversary that had to coincide with my birthday."
"Seriously!? Hahaha! Knew a dude called Mark, who shared a birthday with the crash too. We never let him hear the end of it on his birthday. Once gave him a rock as a birthday present."
"Why?"
"Don't remember. We were kids then. It must've been funny for some reason."
Suzuki chuckled. "Well, at least sounds like Mark had it better than I did. Sharing a birthday with that date was taken a lot more seriously in my case."
"You sure it wasn't cause of your shitty personality?"
Again! Again this girl blurted out the truth without any whitewash. "Maybe. Maybe you're right once again."
"It's hard, always being right. Such a burden," Jade replied with a snarky smile.
Suzuki groaned inwardly. This girl was amassing ammo against him. It was time he found out some dirt on her. "So how'd you esc—"
"Hey, guys!" An annoyingly familiar voice called, and Suzuki looked up to see Saeko Minako and Taiga walking towards them, their attires a complete contrast of each other. Saeko was adorably adorned in the latest fashion trends, while Taiga wore a ripped shirt and trousers.
"You both look awesome!" Jade exclaimed as she shot off the bench and raced towards Saeko.
'What!? Wait, what? Taiga too? That thing that looks like an actual tiger went through it before he put them on is fashionably accepted? I knew there was a reason I never bothered.'
"Oh, my," Saeko muttered as she appraised Suzuki like a piece of steak. "I must admit, the brooding character suits you perfectly. Jade, you must tell me what you did to transform him so. I don't think I can resist."
"What about you, Saeko-chan?" Jade asked. "You totally caught Taiga's wild image and enhanced it a thousand times. He looks absolutely dangerous."
"Uh, I'm pretty sure that ain't a good thing," Taiga protested, but Saeko shushed him.
"Quiet you," Saeko instantly rebuked, and Taiga retreated to Suzuki's side as the two girls engaged in some sort of sacred female ritual, the likes of which the male species would never fully understand.
"Had a busy day, too, I see," Taiga remarked.
"You too, huh?" Suzuki replied, sympathy in his voice. "Jade's plan, I guess."
"Yup. Said we needed to team-build."
"We're missing one member."
"Yeah, was with us 'till a few minutes ago. Went to secure our table."
"Table?"
Taiga's eyes lit up. "She didn't tell you? We're going to see a movie, the five of us. VIP style."
Suzuki physically deflated. "Seriously? I'm already dead on my feet." He gazed up at the dark grey clouds. Wow, the sun had already set? He'd blown a whole day without even realizing it. What's more, he hadn't once thought of Kashi, the Gladiators, or anything else.
Yuhi Jade was dangerous... Far too dangerous.
Suzuki stood up and stretched as he resigned himself to his fate. Well, it wasn't an entirely horrible one, to be honest. "Come on, let's get this over with..."