Captains Equal

Chapter 1

Today was a day like any other day. Quiet and peaceful, well besides from the everyday fights and gunshots but what else can you expect when you live in The Underground District. "What's wrong?" A voice snaps me from my daze. "Hmm? Sorry, I was just uh.... thinking." I tuck a stray hair behind my ear and hop down from the windowsill of my bedroom. "You can't keep using that excuse Katia, you've been like that since some asshole landed a hit on you. Are you mad at yourself or something?" I shrug of Eva's (pronounced eh-va) concern and walk downstairs. "Yeah what's been up with you lately? You haven't been yourself lately." I glare at Eva's twin sister. "I don't know what you're talking about Jayla. I've been perfectly fine, it's you guys who're crazy and changing." I flick my wrist back as I walk over to the dining table, push the chair back and kick my legs up on the table top.

"No, no, no! You're going to wreck all of Rodin's hard work." I roll my eyes at Rodins 3rd person remake and take my feet off the table. "Calm down Rodin, I know how you like to be the housewife, so to speak, but I'd clean off any dirt again afterwords anway." Eva and Jayla scoff at my remake of calling Rodin, the only man in the house currently, a housewife. "Rodin is no housewife." He crosss his arms and starts sulking. "No, of course you're not. I was just saying that because you were the only one that was too scared to learn how to use the 3DMG. So, like a housewife, you cook clean and look after the rest of us." I feel a weight fall onto my shoulders. "And we all apriciate it!" Jayla finishes my explanation with her award-winning, royal smile. "Okay, Rodin forgives." He unfolds his arms as I walk over to him. I stop in front of him and open my arms before recieving a tight hug from my brotherly friend.

I hear a loud noise from outside before letting Rodin go and running to the door. I lean down and grab my butterfly knife from my boot that was mid-calf length. "On my mark." I inform Eva and Jayla, who just nod and push Rodin out of sight. I squat down as the noise played again but louder. Gunshots? Usually I would ignore gunshots but this is too close for me not to at least take caution. I thought to myself as I flip open my knife. My finger tips touch the bronze door handle but quickly fly away as a banging emits from the door and resonates throught out the old, run down house. "Someone's knocking?" Eva whispers behind me. I shrug my shoulders and carefully grab the, now shaking, doorknob.

"Be ready." I command the twins. The slow scrapping of the handle rang though my ears as I got ready to swing the door open. I swing the door open and a little girl with jet black hair looks me straight in the eyes. "Please let me in!" Even thought this little girl looks innocent I, being the cautious person I am, keep my knife open. "Why?" I hear another gunshot and the girls head spin back. "Please, please, PLEASE! I'll explain it inside, but right now there's no time!" I look at her for a seccond, checking for poorly hidden weapons.

I grab her shoulder and push her inside, closing and locking the door behind her. Eva and Jayla point their knives at her. "Explain." I state as this little girl glances around in fear. "NOW!" I shout, causing her to jump. "Well, umm, I was really hungry and I don't have any money so I stole some bread and someone must've gotten angry." She opens up her arms that were previously clutched to her chest, showing half a loaf of bread. That's hardly enough to get her in trouble.... Now that I think about it she looks like an oriental, a pure one at that. "That doesn't seem like enough to feed a family." I notice as I signal the others to lower their knives. "Oh, I don't have a family." She states bluntly. I stare at her for a second before telling the others to go get Rodin.

"What's your name?" I ask kneeling down to her height. "Mei Shun." She beams happily. "Mei, if you don't mind me asking, how long have you not had a family?" She thinks for a little bit before answering. "Ever since the last time the eathquake hit." Earthquake? We're in The Underground. There are no earth...... oh... she must mean when the titans broke through the wall of the city above. My eyes went wide as soon as I realise that happened 8 years ago. "How old are you Mei?" I ask, walking her over to the couch. "13. I was 5 when my parents left to go upstairs to the city, they left me with Auntie. They didn't come back though...." She quietly ends. "Mei did you're parents ever talk about people called orient's?" I ask slowly, gaining a nod from her. "Momma and Pappa were both orientals!" So she is a pure! Maybe she wasn't being chased for just stealing the bread. "Did they tell you what can happen if an oriental was caught by a bad person, like the ones who were chasing you?" She shakes her head.

"Well...." I gesture the others to come over here and help me. "If an oriental is taken by the wrong person some very bad things can happen. Have you ever heard of the word prostitute?" I ask cautiously, hopping she wouldn't go into shock. "Yes, I hear those words very often around here. I usually sleep anywhere, being poor and all, so I hear a lot of things. They sell themselves to others for sex, right?" Her sudden mature words took me completely by surprise. "Y...yes. If an orient is kidnaped by bad people they are forcefully sold and often used for that pupose, but they don't get anything in return." I explain. "It's basically rape. You know what that means?" Eva asks, to which Mei nods. "Forced sex, the reciever doesn't want it to happen." She maturley explains. I exaimne her from head to toe with my eyes. "Say, Mei, have you ever heard of 3 Dimensional Maneuver Gear?" I ask raising my eyebrows to the other, who catch on right away. "No, but I've...." Mei was cut off by another loud banging.