Brutal Journey Of An Unfortunate Heroine

As soon as Javier left the area of the thumb scanner the other kids pressed their thumbs as well. One by one they received their marks. Slowly the number of kids around the scanner thinned. Soon everyone had a mark except Bennox, Owen and Bianca.

Owen had helped Bennox over from his cube and Bianca had already rested enough to stumble around on her own. Hatred seeped from Senri but she wouldn't do anything that might potentially get her expelled from the academy. Although Bianca was cautious of Javier making a move she willed herself to act strong like she has always done. No fear, no pain, no emotion. Breathing steadily Bianca walked towards Owen and Bennox.

"May I assist?"

Bennox and Owen were almost to the scanner but Owen's neck had a big bruise from Javier's foot while Bennox's face was still red from his deep scratches. Owen was at a loss but Bennox intervened in time.

"Sorry to disturb you Miss Bianca but we are fine, if anything your injuries seem worse, please don't mind us and continue with the selection process."

Bianca wanted to help but the way Bennox had chosen his words was like a polite push away from them. Clenching her hand slightly Bianca smiled politely and did a little bow.

"Then I shall head on first." Bianca turned away sharply and headed for the scanner. Pressing her thumb down on it so hard she felt the small needle's tip dig into her bones.

The system's robotic voice announced her results.

"Bianca, age of ten, Celestial mark, Cancer."

Just like all the others before her a thin black trail traveled from her thumb to form a mark on her body. Having completed her scan Bianca walked to a nearby cube and began to examine her mark, her head tilted down just enough to cover her eyes.

When Owen and Bennox arrived at the scanner they weren't sure who would go first when abruptly a voice interrupted their thinking.

"There can only be twelve members why am I counting thirteen?" On the other side of the speaker the kids could hear muffled and hushed talking before the announcer spoke again. "Well, it seems that there was a bit of a malfunction in the filtering to between the two of you, choose one person to proceed while the other exits back through the door."

Surprised by their options Bennox started to weight their outcomes. Should he go? Owen was his friend but he knew that Owen would want Bennox to go and Bennox in turn wanted Owen to go. Bennox looked at Owen and saw that his trusted friend had already made up his mind. Without a pause Owen turned to Bennox and started to speak.

"Bennox you sh-?!"

Suddenly Bennox gave Owen a slight punch. Confused, Owen was about to ask why but Bennox was already a step ahead of him.

"Together. We do this together. Friends never desert each other, right?"

Filled with warmth Owen smiled dearly at Bennox. When he had already given up to let Bennox go his friend had already decided that neither would be left behind even with the possibility that their choice might not allow either of them to go.

With a nod to each other Bennox and Owen pressed half of their thumb side by side on the scanner. To their surprise the needle on the scanner became two, one in each person's thumb.

Once again the female voice spoke.

"Bennox, Owen, age of ten, Celestial mark, Gemini." The black ink traveled up their arms and formed half of two serpent fishes. Owen's white with a black eye while Bennox's was reversed.

Smiling happily, both of them gave each other a small high five. Abruptly the scanner was s.u.c.k.e.d back into the ground and the screen appeared again. The same man was shown and this time his tone was a bit unusual.

"Children, move to the designated cubicles and change into your uniforms. It should only take you a minimum of five minuets, ten at most. Then we'll begin your practice for the orientation for commoners. That is all." Just as it appeared the screen disappeared.

At first the children were a bit confused until walls rose up from the ground, each forming a small room in various places in the larger room. On the door of each was the name of their mark. Each child went to their respective rooms and began to change instantly. Bennox and Owen were headed to their room when Javier interrupted them.

"Woah woah, where do you think you're going? Didn't I mention that we weren't done mutt?" Javier's piercing gaze was still chilling but it had begun to look more normal, at least, normal compared to the crazed look in his eyes before.

Owen narrowed his eyes at Javier.

"Move, we don't want to delay the process any further."

Suddenly Javier's right fist shot out at Owen. Unable to dodge Owen resigned to take the punch compared to droping Bennox's arm. Javier's fist collided with Bianca's palm. Her arm extended in front of Owen and Bennox, Bianca dug her fingers into Javier's fist and threw his arm to the side violently.

"Enough of this nonsense."

It turned out that ever since Bianca had left Bennox and Owen she had been keeping an eye on them in case Javier decided to make another move, looks like her guess was correct. When she noticed that Javier had begun moving towards Bennox and Owen she knew that things would go south quickly.

"Out of my way b*itch. Or what? Want me to mess up your face instead?" Javier's agitated tone was worsening by the second. His fists were clenching and unclenching repeatedly.

"I cannot stand for unnecessary violence. You have already won, there is no point in kicking a downed person."

Javier's sudden cackle startled Bianca and Bennox, Owen's body already tensing up for a fight.

"What reason would I need except for entertainment? The thrill as I play with someone's life, the rush when I reason whether to let them live and continue to torture them or to end them so painfully they wouldn't want to live a second longer?"

Bianca couldn't believe that a ten-year-old would be capable of such words and emotions but Javier was a, 'special' exception. She was about to retort when Bennox interrupted.

"Javier, if Owen can block three hits from you, will that satisfy your hunger?" Javier turned his eyes from Bianca to Bennox. This bloodied, weak, bug tried to make a compromise with him? Usually he would laugh it off but the way he had said it felt to right to call the feeling swirling inside of him. Hunger, he longed for a life-threatening thrill, for something that could help his 'hunger'. Grinning, Javier began to slightly nod his head.

"Three hits, no more, no less. He has to last without weapons and as he is right now."

Bianca wanted to argue that Owen was in no shape to fight again and to yell at Bennox for selling out his friend but she couldn't mutter a word when she was the way Owen trusted his friend. There wasn't even a hint of doubt in his eyes, just pure, blind trust in Bennox.

"If Bennox says so then I'll be able to handle it." Owen's tone wasn't scared or even worried, it was confident. Owen truly believed that Bennox would be right so he could only follow along with him.

Javier grinned and motioned for Owen to get ready.

"I'll be back Bennox." Owen set Bennox on the ground gently.

"I believe in you."

Owen smiled proudly and turned to face Javier. He raised his hands and struck a defensive position. It looked similar to a boxer's defending pose but in Etafor, boxing wasn't even a concept the people knew of.

Javier shrugged at Owen's pose and dashed closer. Feinting with a flick to the left he brought his right foot hard against the side of Owen's face. His kick fast enough to bring a slight breeze with it. On Owen's side he had seen through Javier's feint and had already shifted his arms to the right, protecting his head. Owen's defense faltered a bit and Javier's foot slipped from Owen's arms to his torso, in that moment Owen opened his palms and caught Javier's foot in them, the heel of Javier's boots splitting the skin on Owen's hands.

Seeing how his attack was blocked Javier shrugged his shoulders at Owen's defense and went in again. This time Javier switched from kicks to his fists. He threw out multiple feints and openings but Owen stayed still. Suddenly Owen's arms shifted upwards and Javier took this chance to throw a fist at Owen's gut. Surprised by the attack Owen didn't have time to react fast enough as Javier's knuckles dug deeply into Owen's stomach.

"!!"

Javier retracted his fist and made some distance between them to see how his punch had affected Owen.

The second after Javier's punch landed, Owen could feel the small remnants of his measly lunch begin to rise. His cheeks puffed out but no stomach acid made it's way back up. Gagging, Owen wiped the side of his mouth with his hand, a small thread of spit connecting the two.

"Ha ha ha! Can you still go on?" Javier looked pleased as he saw Owen's shoulders slump a bit. What he didn't like was the fighting intent in Owen's eyes. The kind of look that said he would never bow his head, not until he died at least.

*huff huff* "I-is that all y-you got weakling?"

Javier clenched his jaw so hard his veins popped out from his neck. Angered, Javier took a step closer.

"Watch your words mutt."

Preparing for another punch Javier reared back and twisted his arm to that the rotation would add more power to Javier's fist. Owen stumbled to bring up his left arm to block the punch but suddenly Javier's fist curved and curled around Owen's left arm. The punch fueled by all of Javier's weight and the rotation would've knocked out Owen if he hadn't brought his right palm up, catching Javier's fist in it. Feeling that his punch was blocked, Javier pushed with more force again. Without thinking, Owen shifted his body and allowed Javier's punch to slide off from his palm, Javier's upper body following the punch. Within that moment Owen used his knee to hit Javier right in the gut.

The two paused for a second before Javier flung Owen off him. Tripping on his own feet, Owen was about to fall when Bennox caught him from behind.

"You did well Owen."

With a cheeky smile and a weak laugh, Owen raised his hand for a high-five. Smiling along, Bennox was about to return Owen's gesture when he saw Owen's hand. His smile faded and panic quickly settled in. Bianca saw the blood and quickly moved to help but suddenly the screen appeared once again.