Initiation

Prologue

     A young family of three walks out of their gated community house unaware of the threat lurking in the shadows. The mother, tall, and graceful has a hand clasped on her eight-year-old daughter's shoulder. She is trying to remain calm, to be strong for her daughter. The girl still remains unaware of the dangers that come from being a member of a high-profile family. Her father – of great stature and power – follows closely behind them. His rich brown eyes scan the area while his wife loads the girl in the back seat.

     A man watches the exchange while hiding in the neighbor's house across the street. He manages to shut the blinds seconds before the father's narrowed eyes lock onto his exact location. The man couldn't afford to be seen now, not when his master counted on him. Everything had been perfectly planned and it would stay that way. The man patiently waits until the family has pulled out of their driveway.

     Once the taillights of the SUV have disappeared from sight, the man flips open his burner cell. The steady ringing stops, seconds after the number had been punched in.

"Has it been done?" His master's deep voice asks.

A nefarious smile begins to spread across the man's lips. "Yes master, the tracker has been successfully planted. They won't be reaching their destination tonight."

A rough chuckle sounds on the other end of the line. "Good, you've done well. You will be rewarded accordingly." The line cuts off, and the man waiting in the house makes sure to leave without a trace. 

*****

     The father drives down roads he normally does not take, farther away from familiarity than he would like. Under normal circumstances the neighborhood they drove through was not the safest. For this family, districts like this were nothing of consequence.

     Both he and his wife were perfectly able to defend themselves. In fact, even their daughter could contribute. She would be a force to be reckoned with in the future. There was no real threat, but what the family did not realize, assumptions were a fickle thing.

     An approaching danger came nearer, too quickly for the family to notice. One moment they are sharing a moment of bonding and laughter. In the next, headlights appear out of nowhere. A large, black pickup truck rams into the back-left side of the family's SUV. The Suburban swerves and fishtails, the left tires rise into the air at the impact. The girls panicked scream echoes throughout the interior as she jostles forward.

     Even with the ensuing chaos, time passes like a slow-motion scene in an action movie. The father's knuckle bones protrude over stretched skin as his hands clench the steering wheel. The side airbags go off with a loud POP, nearly rupturing the mother's eardrums. Screeching of rubber can be heard past the girl's shrill scream. Her head smacks back into the headrest as the left tires slam back onto solid ground.

"Is everyone alright?" The dad asks urgently, his voice coming out gruff.

     He reaches over to touch his wife's hand, squeezing it once she nods back. He quickly focuses his concern toward his daughter, who has a hand pressed to the back of her head. Her liquid topaz brown eyes meet his slightly darker irises.

"I'm okay daddy." Her small voice manages to say without stuttering.

His head falls forward in relief. No one had been hurt in the crash, but their evening was still not over yet.

     A warm hand clasps around the father's bicep. The father lifts his head, meeting the terror-filled expression on his wife's face. Before she can voice her discovery, the driver and passenger side doors are opened with force. Two men that had come out of the pick-up truck drag the girl's parents out into the dark night. The mother and father are roughly pushed forward, not realizing a third man arrived on scene.

     The third man parks a black car with tinted windows on the other side of the SUV. His massive form stalks toward the vehicle where the daughter remains- who is unaware of the approaching danger. She watches the scene unfold before her. Scolding, blood-red flames burst to life in her father's clenched fists, casting flickering shadows against the pavement. He would not go down with a fight and neither would his wife.

     A knowing look passes between her parents before they spring into action. The father's attacker screams in pain as his bare arm is set on fire. The other attacker rushes to his comrade's side. Her mom's pearl grey eyes are luminous as lavender aura spheres form around her petite hands. Before a move can be made, a gunshot cuts through the tension in the air. A muffled, high-pitched scream mixes with the sound of a thud as a body drops to the ground.

"Lucia— NO!" The girl's father shouts out his wife's name in desperation.

Ignoring the men around him, he runs to his wife, dropping to the ground. A trembling hand reaches out to feel for a pulse- only to come up empty.

"Lucia... no..." The father whispers in disdain. Tears form in his eyes, but never fall. Numbness overtakes him as he realizes his best friend – his soulmate – lies dead in front of him.

     He is broken out of his grief once he hears his daughters screams. His eyes snap up to see his daughter writhing in her captor's hold.

"Daddy!" She calls out with tear-filled eyes. Rage spreads throughout his entire being but is diminished as soon as another man comes out of the shadows. A wry smile tugs on the new arrivals lips, causing the three-inch scar running alongside his left eye to distort.

"You won't get away with this Argon." The father threatens with a clenched jaw.

     A humorless chuckle leaves Argon's lips. Raising the same gun that killed the girl's mother, Argon responds with menace. "You aren't in the position to make threats Mason. In fact, your time has run out."

The giant of a man holding Mason's daughter turns her around to face her father. They lock eyes for a brief moment of time. Mason opens his mouth for one final goodbye. "Chloe— I love you. Be strong for me."

The daughter cries out as her father falls forward as another gunshot reverberates in her ears. Blood pours out of a fresh wound in his chest. Puddles of burgundy liquid conjoin; surrounding both he, and his deceased wife.

    As his daughter calls out her parent's names in terror, Mason manages to push himself up despite his weakened state.

"Please spare her..." Mason's voice falters as reality sinks in. He failed to protect his family, and now his daughter would pay for his mistakes.

"Oh— don't you worry Mason," the deep baritone of the man's voice purrs; like grated metal over sandpaper. "I have different plans for your daughter."

Argon turns on his heels, without a last glance at the dying man behind him. Nor did he rush to make his exit. The tenants of the residences in the area were more than familiar with the ringing of gunshots. The police wouldn't arrive on scene until the bodies were fully set in rigor mortis.

     The enormous man behind Argon drags away the girl, kicking and screaming. Her petrified cry echoes into the quiet night air, desperate for her parents to get back up again. The once mighty father, watches his daughter in agony as more blood adds to the puddle around him. His once warm, caring, and intuitive brown irises fade away. The last sign of life leaves his mouth in a puff of air. He would never again see his daughter or know of the woman she would one day become.

Author's note: 

Hey guys, so I am back (finally)! It has taken me quite some time, but I have started working on Initiation again. Things will be changing with the story, but not so much that you won't recognize it from before. It'll just be refreshed and renewed, and hopefully edited better. Some chapters will be condensed or erased, but only because it will help the story flow better.

As for a writing schedule, that has not been decided yet. I just wanted to give you guys something to read. Hopefully you enjoy reading this prologue, even though it's quite sad... and not very pleasant, but I swear to you. It was totally nescessary to write. Anyways, until next time! Have a great morning, day, evening, or night; depending on where you live. :)