The Villains' Hero (second draft)

Chapter 10: Unexpected Ally

            “I said speak!” The source of the voice was a male, not too much older than Karma, with sandy blonde hair gelled into a shorter mohawk and brown eyes that appeared to resemble pools of chocolate. He had freckles bridging his nose and cheeks and well-tanned skin that had various scars across it. He wasn’t overly muscular but was definitely leaning to a more athletic build and he wore a red tee shirt visible through a tattered Eros standard black robe Reapers were required to wear on duty, as well as dark red jeans leading to black tennis shoes. He had a white skull mask tied to his right hip through the belt loops on his pants and had a sickle-like weapon on his left hip.

            Karma shifted into a more comfortable position, looking the male up and down a moment before meeting his eyes evenly, though he felt it was hard to do, given the situation. “Don’t bother lying either, Fallen. You have a charm cast on you so if you lie, you die.” More fear flooded Karma’s system but he remained cool on the outside. “Saving the people of this building. That’s what I was doing when you grabbed me.”

            “My question wasn’t what you were doing when I found you, that was obvious. When I told you to talk, I wanted to know why you were here in the first place.” His voice carried a bit of gravel to it, which normally would make people give in as it made them perceive a larger threat. Karma wasn’t other people though. “I was captured by a little girl and taken into her home.”

            “First off, the only little girl in that building is my sister. Secondly, why would she take an adult man home? And third, why would my parents let an adult man who is a Fallen stay anyway?” Karma realized how it sounded hearing it back and sighed heavily. He would have to talk about everything and just hope this Reaper didn’t choose to kill him anyway.

            “Look, I was in Hunloy training, because it’s a free day today. Or was, at least. I have the ability to transform into ….ugh a female kitten….” His face wrinkled up in disgust at just saying female when associating it with himself. “Anyway, I was training this ability to learn how to control it when I discovered a hole. I think it may have been an old rat burrow… I went up into an unguarded alleyway, disguised my two tails with an illusion, before being snatched up by that little girl I was talking about. She called me Magpie and took me home with her mother.” He was careful not to mention Blythe or the sting operation. “Then I stayed with the family until I could figure out how to leave. Before I could, a fire started up. I transformed into my normal form to get everyone out and now I’m here on the ground talking to you.”

            The man’s expression changed from a stern and serious look to a more curious and mildly amused face. He sat down, to speak to Karma more directly rather than towering above him. “Yeah, that sounds like Kaylee. So Magpie, huh?” He grinned and Karma’s ears pinned behind his head as his tails lashed behind him. “Seriously though. Thank you for saving my family, but tell me why you decided it was a good idea to come to Dene in the first place.” His face became more serious again, though his tone had softened. Karma was going out on a leap but he felt maybe he could trust this guy.

            “To…uh... Look if I tell you, please promise not to kill me?” He spoke more unconfidently, unsure of how to move forward. The man thought for a moment before agreeing to spare him due to Karma rescuing his family. “To spy on Eros… I came to spy so that I may find a way to take down their tyranny.” Now that it was spoken, it was unable to be taken back. Karma closed his eyes and winced, expecting an instant switch in the man, but felt nothing. He carefully opened his eyes to find the man in thought, but no sense of malice. “You’re….Not going to kill me for treason…?”

            “I did promise not to. But also, while I think you’re crazy I am glad somebody’s going to stand up to them. However, brave or stupid, I can’t say.”  Karma was dumfounded. Did a Reaper, one of Eros’ highly trained and totally loyal assassins, just… agree with him standing against their rule? “What.” It wasn’t a question but a statement of shock that slipped passed Karma’s lips. He must have been staring because the male gave him a weird look, and Karma’s face flushed from embarrassment while maintaining a bewildered look.

            “Dude, you good?” He was asked out of genuine concern but Karma’s mind was reeling. “You…Want me to do this…?” The male understood what Karma was feeling at the moment and replied,”Oh. Sorry for the confusion. But yeah, I hate Eros. The things they make me do, I wish I could say no honestly. Trust me, as messed up as it is on the outside, it’s far more fucked inside and the Reapers get to experience that end. I’m not crazy enough to make a public stand though, Eros’ training goes deep and I know the repercussions if I fail. But I don’t mind helping someone else from the shadows.”

            Karma got over his shock, but something bugged him about this conversation. “You seem awfully calm hearing about a rebel standing against the very thing you were trained to protect, regardless of whether you like what they do or not. You’re trained to kill first ask later. I don’t understand why you’re sitting here, talking to me as an equal, and risking your life and the lives of your family to agree with a radically different view than you’re forced to have…”

            The man looked away, picking up his mask and gazing into it. “I’m a Reaper, sure. You’re right. From a young age, I was picked out, separated, given a pill early to embody the powers of an ancient being no one even knows if it existed, and trained in a school of assassins to coldly murder anyone whether they are guilty or not. I was told that I must follow the government without question and never disobey orders. “He sighed, gripping the mask tighter. “I am nothing but their puppet. Used to remove anyone Eros saw fit, never with my own life or individuality. I am nothing but a soldier with no childhood and taught to be merciless. Hell, I was even given the power to kill by touching them with my hands, so I have to wear gloves constantly.” He turned his gaze back towards Karma, eyes cold but seemingly holding a fire within them ironically.

            “I have witnessed many horrors. I started as a Reaper at 15, youngest in my class, and I have killed many people, even innocents. I have followed every command, every order, every drill. I’m tired… But they crossed a line when they picked Kaylee to become one. She is to start training when she is 12. She and my family are excited. They don’t know what it means to be a Reaper. They don’t know the terrors we experience or the many Reapers going insane because they mentally reached their breaking point and how they are dealt with… Look, Fall-“ He interrupted himself to change what he was about to say,” Look, whatever your name is, if you acting rebel works and can save my sister her innocence, then trust me when I say, you have a friend on the inside now. My name is Ajax, you can call me AJ. Yours?”

            Karma’s ears went down as he listened to the pain in this man’s voice. When he introduced himself, Karma saw the first person in Dene to treat him as a person after his failed Rising. He saw someone look him in the eye as an equal, treat him with respect, and open up to him with trust Karma dared not to misplace. “My name is Karma. I’ll protect your sister to the best of my ability.” Ajax nodded, knowing Karma was speaking the truth due to the charm. "In that case, I'll keep your cover. Let me talk to my parents as well, they'll be suspicious...but likely to join your cause if I tell them I trust you. Do you have others with you so I can work inside to ensure they stay hidden?"

             "Yes. But I will need to discuss this with them prior to giving you that information. " Ajax nodded once more to show that he understood. The air was silent for a moment, but peaceful, as Karma let down his guard and just relaxed. He felt the rough gravel underneath, heard the wind hit the buildings around them, smelt the remainder of the fire as it was put out, heard the people gathered around outside the alleyway as they came to help those who lost their home. Karma just sat there, knowing that despite the horrible event, no one was hurt and there was hope, knowing it all worked out in the end.

          It was Ajax who broke the silence, standing up and brushing himself off. "They'll get suspicious if I stay any longer. In the meantime, I'll return you to my family and talk to my parents. You, however, need to transform back into that cat." Karma snapped back from his peace and groaned. "Of course I do.... Makes sense I guess ... Talk to your parents first, I'll talk to my partner, then I'll come out transformed." Ajax noticed Karma's discomfort but knew it was the only way to keep his cover. He waved a silent "sorry" as he walked out of the alleyway.

         "Blythe, you there? So something massive just happened. "

          "I'm here, where the hell did you go?!"

          "No time. Look, I have gained a powerful ally but I'll tell you about that  later. For now, I need you to do me a favor. There was a fire. I think it was arson."