The Scarlet Phantom

Prologue

           The incident of 2010 December 23, I think I was six at the time, It's hard to remember all the details. I've tried to forget it, but it's hard to forget a near-death experience. It was just like any other December night: cold, snowy, and wet. I was hiding in the alley when I heard a sudden noise. Around the corner came some young-looking guys, they looked my way, I slowly backed up and ended up in the corner. As they got closer I could tell that they were at least 18. Once they were within reach they tried to grab me, I fought as hard as I could, but they were much stronger than me. So I ended up with some pretty bad cuts and bruises in the process. As I got dragged away from the alley I suddenly saw a group of men, one of them had scars on his face, he seemed to be the leader. Suddenly I heard a soft click noise and felt something pressed up against my head. I couldn't move, I was frozen I fear. I suddenly heard shouting about a gun, I don't exactly remember. As the gun sat against the side of my head all I could think about was how I was such a waste of space that I wasn't good enough for my parents to keep me. With a heavy heart, tears suddenly flooded my little eyes as I pleaded.

         "P-P-Please! D-D-Don't H-Hurt M-Me!"

          Why did I plead for my life, at the moment!? It was miserable! Since my mom left me I'd been living on my own for almost two years. Wanna know the worst part? Every time I went to bed there was always a part of me that hoped I didn't wake up. I remember feeling like I was about to die. I don't know how to explain it. I could just tell. The tears suddenly stopped when I heard a booming yet somehow gentle voice yell stop, as I searched for the source of the voice I locked eyes with what I now know as one of my dads. That leads us to where we are now. I'm Akushi it's my gang name given by one of my dads. The first part of my name, Aku means evil. The second part, Shi means death. 

      With each passing year my dad Kira would teach me self-defense and fighting techniques. He would offer me guns and different weapons but I would always stick to my swords. They just felt more comfortable to me.

             11 years later I'm with my dad Kira, the air is cold as we run on the snow-covered ground. Police sirens in the background blaring, men yelling at us to stop running. Struggling to run with the sharp pain in my leg, I yelled for my dad to help as I slip and face-plant onto the cold ground. Suddenly hands were holding me down as cuffs got stuck on my wrist, I watched as the rest of the police chased after my dad. I could see the tears in his eyes as he ran. As I got forced into the police car reality hit, I was going to jail, I'd never see my dads again.

        Sitting in silence in the back of the police car the smallest snowflake landed on the car window. Somehow I could tell that my father got away safely. Next thing I know I'm getting thrown into an interrogation room and handcuffed to a table. As all the adrenaline wore off the pain in my leg became extreme. Looking down I notice I'm starting to bleed through the shirt wrapped around my leg. Sitting in silence the detective glared at me, I could see the fire burning behind his eyes.

       "I'm detective Kenji, and what's your name?" He questioned.

      I sat there in the room knowing very well my every move was recorded, I was silent with a blank face, waiting for him to give up. After an eternity of us maintaining eye contact waiting to see who would break the silence first, the detective speaks.

       "Fine, have it your way, just know, we will kill every single person in that gang of yours," Said the detective with a snotty tone as he spit in my face.

      "You do know that gum exists, right?" I said with a little chuckle. He stormed out of the room. While we sit here waiting for detective stinks a lot to get some gum I guess I might as well explain why the cops were even chasing us in the first place.