The Scarlet Knife

Who am I?

(Back to Aura's POV)

I sat with my back pressed against the cell wall. Across from my unit sat another girl. She was much younger, maybe five years young. I could see her arm was bleeding but she didn't seem to notice, or at least she didn't seem to care. She looked up at me, and I saw it. In her eyes. It was me. Me when I was her age, when I was trying to block out the world. Her stare was blank and cold, just like mine had been then, but underneath I could tell, there was something... something different. Emotion. She has her emotions hidden underneath that cold stare of hers. Just like I had.

I shivered at the thought. Years in the facility had left me empty. I didn't trust easily or at all really. My life was just that. MY LIFE. It wasn't anyone else's to come into. I didn't have any family so love was a foreign word. Pairing (dating) wasn't exactly my area of expertise. As soon as I was able to take care of myself I was off to taking care of others. I left the facility to escape a world of death only to re-create one myself.

Romeo had been visiting me daily just Ashe said he would. He'd become much colder. He rarely talked and when he did, it'd always about how much I must miss my family, or about how pathetic he thinks I am. And I returned the attitude. Answering with rude and short responses. Two can play at this game, but only one can win.

I looked down at myself. My tank top and pants had been taken and I now wore a white short sleeve shirt and grey sweat pants. Comfortable, but not very flattering in my opinion. No one has experimented on me yet. And I'd like to keep it that way. My hair was in clumps, I was allowed showers but only when the employees saw fit, so my hair was taking a good amount of abuse.

An hour later the door to my cell opened and in strolled the devil himself.

Romeo tossed me a packet of picture. They're of me... kind of. It's little me. I have bandages covering my arms and legs. I look sick and am very pale. This was the child that had been locked away in the facility for years. Taken from her parents. And forced to hide her emotions. This was me.

"Why are you showing me this?" I cringed at my own voice, not because of how harsh it was, but because of how vulnerable it made me sound.

"Remember her? Aura Blackwood. The girl who could be compared to a broken angel. She always had so much hope in her words, but her eyes told a different story. They said that she would rather die than continue to live here." Romeo picked up the packet, flipping to another picture. picture my way. Another one of me, but much more recent. It wasn't me exactly, it was the Scarlet Knife. Taken the day they recaptured me. This picture was much different. Here I looked powerful, strong.

"And here's Scarlet. A young woman with a passion for what she calls justice. A ruthless killer with a once secret past. Look at the power in her stance, the sharp edgy look in her face. And her eyes, what do they say? I won't give up without a fight. They seem to silently challenge anyone to fight her, because she knows she'll win." Now he placed a small reflector (mirror) in front of me. I gazed at the girl before me.

"And finally, there's this lovely lady. She has a fire in her that won't die out no matter how much water is thrown at it. She's been through so much, yet she won't give in to her fate. Look at her eyes. What do you see? I see hope, just a glimmer of hope. I see doubt, not much but it's there. I see the power and passion of Scarlet. But I also see that silent wish for it all to end from Aura. Who is this girl? Tell me." He goes silent. Waiting for me to answer. I pick up the mirror and look at the girl. I can see it. The doubt, the fear, the sadness. But I also see the passion and fire. The power behind that innocent mask. I see Scarlet. After a few more moments I spoke.

"That's a good question."

Who am I?

When Romeo left he took the reflector with him, saying it was too dangerous for me to keep but he left the pictures. I took one in each hand and just stared for a while. Just looking at the two. Both girls had high cheek bones, full lips, both had some form and shade of blue eyes. And of course both had thick dirty blonde hair. But yet, they were both so different. One fragile and weak, the other powerful and strong.

Then there was me. The current me. Once weak then powerful and now... well I wasn't sure what I was now. Romeo made a valid point. I was this amazing fighter with nothing but destruction and justice in my future. And I let a petite brunette take me out with a large, intimidating man and a chemical soaked rag.

Romeo returned later that day, this time he didn't really say anything. He just sat down quietly, and watched me. I wondered what he was thinking. He sat like that for maybe fifteen minutes. Then he got up and to my surprise sat next to me. I wanted to move away but my body seemed frozen. Then he spoke.

"You're going to hate me for this."