10 Those Seeking Love

'My desire... I always wanted to be normal... I... I don't want to be the monster they say I am anymore... I want to live, and love normally. I pray to the Great One, to just be normal. Maybe one day my Sins will vanish. But until than I pray...'

Age 1981

Orchid City...

Somewhere in a secret and hidden Underground lab...

A small girl was seated on the metal bed as she silently set there not saying anything.

Her legs were curled up to her chest and her eyes had a blank look in them.

She looked to only be four years old and had short black hair with a red stripe in it and light dull red eyes. She wore nothing more than a simple hospital gown that seemed to be too big for her. The look on her face was blank. Expressionless. She was skinny and looked practically malnourished. She had some light bruising on her and a busted lip.

There was a loud clicking sound as the metal door across from her slowly pulled open, and two men walked in.

The first was shrouded by shadows, and only the dirty and heavily stained lab coat he wore could be seen. The lab coat actually seemed to be made out of fur and almost twitched as if it was breathing? This man was Mr. Hyde, and currently he was a member of a group known as The Order, which hated the Bestia Macht far more than any other group.

The second man was tall and wore a long black cloak and had on a simple metal helmet that covered his head. Metal armor could be seen underneath and a long sword hung from his belt. His armor was pure black and his arms were crossed as he looked at the little girl. Lancelot of The Order... Her father...

"So..." The black knight said slowly. His voice seemed to thunder around in his helmet echoing out. "You are sure this will improve my weapon?" He asked Mr. Hyde.

"Oh, it will improve your weapon alright." The scientist said cheerfully. He moved around and the shadow moved with him somehow keeping him in silhouette as he moved around the room. A low growling could be heard coming from him as his lab coat seemed to move around on its own. "Now, now Labby." The man said patting it. "You can't eat this one. She's special." He chuckled. "Now Lancelot. It goes without saying but you'll owe me one for this. After all my experiments are more suited to improving my darlings Dolls. Doing this on a human girl could be weird."

"Depends on what you want?"

"Well first of all. I want you to keep these experiments a hush, hush." Mr. Hyde waked around the girl looking her up and down and inspecting her body. "I would hate for my darling to find out about this. Second of all. I plan on leaving this silly group."

"Do you now..."

"Yes sir." Mr. Hyde stood up placing a hand on the girls head. "I want you to help me leave."

"Fine... I hate you anyways. I would rather you were gone."

The girl's expression continued to remain blank as she stared ahead not moving. There was no reason to move. She was trapped...

"Ahh. She's already so full of despair!" The scientist remarked letting out a laugh that sent a shiver through the girl. "Yes... I can't wait to start the experiment. I assume that you have the necessary body parts? Remember they have to be comparable. Otherwise, they will fail."

"I am well aware." The man in the armor said. He reached down drawing his sword. "Unseal." He announced as a small black bag dropped down. It was stained in blood and had a terrible foul smell coming off of it. "They are in there. Arms, legs, even other organs. I must have slaughtered at least a few hundred humans to get them." Several small white orbs also fell out hitting the floor. "And those are the Equations."

"My... You know I only needed one right... Hmm... I just needed a transformation type... Oh well..." The man picked the bag up setting it on the table next to the girl. The squishing sound it made when it dropped next to her made her flinch.

"It was no trouble to get. I collected them from several Enforcers. They were at Rose city defending it from the Bestia Macht attack. I would have gotten more but I was forced to do battle with a Captain. A tricky bastard with flame powers, and cat-like abilities. Damn guy nearly burned me alive."

The scientist simply hummed as he turned towards the little girl. His arm stretched out somehow still being covered by the silhouette as he placed it on her head. The girl's eyes didn't even bother to look at him.

"What is this experiment anyways?" Lancelot asked.

"Have you heard of the Second Generation experiment?" Mr. Hyde asked. "In a way it is like that but with a living host. Much like the second it involves binding Cursed Life Technique, and Equations." He slowly placed his hand on the girls head forcing her eyes to meet his blank dark face that was just a mass of shadows. "This child as far as I can tell is simply not compatible with an Equation meaning it would be impossible for her to retain one. Normally if a person who isn't compatible tries to use one... Well let's just say it isn't pretty... But what if we could make the body strong enough to withstand it? I wonder what would happen..." He reached out and slowly ran his hand along Ken's check making the girl shiver. "Don't worry. I'm going to make you so pretty." The man said. "And if we're lucky you won't die."

"That reminds me." The black knight turned away as he got ready to leave the room. "She bit my hand while I was feeding her this morning. Damn girl nearly tore a chunk out of it. When you do the surgery be sure not to use aesthetics."

"Oh don't worry." The doctor reached into his furry lab coat pulling out several insects that were all smashed together and formed basic surgical tool, shapes. "I don't have any on me." The tools squirmed and twisted as he let out a loud laugh.

***

Age 1983

The Same Lab...

'Boom!'

The side of the building was completely torn down in a massive explosion as ice filled the room.

Outside the roaring of the Bestia Macht, and the blizzard that it brought with it raged loudly.

A young six-year-old girl was seated in the room staring at the hole in the wall blankly. She had black hair that just slightly went past her shoulder and dull silver eyes. There was a light silver streak through her hair as well. The girl was seated and didn't bother moving. Her body had several scars all along it past the neck down.

"Are... Are you alright?" A new voice asked in a worried tone. One that she had not heard before. A new figure stepped into the room, using the massive hole that had been blasted in the side of the building. It was an older woman with long black to grey, hair, and tired-looking blue eyes. She was dressed in what looked like a nun's outfit, but the clothing was red where it was normally black, and black where it was normally white, and she held a large and thin metal cross in her hands. It was around seven feet long and extremely thick.

The girl's eyes stared blankly at the older woman for a moment. "Who... Are you?" The child asked. Her voice had a small hint of curiosity and cracked showing how little it had been used.

"My word." The older woman said shaking her head. She dropped the cross as it suddenly turned in the air and began to float off of the ground. She stepped on it balancing on it as it raised her up off of the ground and slowly floated over to the little girl. "So the rumors are true. Doctor Hyde has been performing unspeakable experiments." The woman seemed to scowl slightly before suddenly becoming softer. "I am Mother Friday." She said softly. She held her hand out to the little girl smiling at her. "And I've come to save you."

"S... Save me?" She asked cocking her head to the side. Small streams of steam seemed to rise off of her. "You promise?"

***

Age 1991

Violet City...

The Church...

"Forgive me Great One for I have sinned once more..." An annoyed voice could be heard saying her usual prayer.

In a small dark room, a young fourteen-year-old girl could be seen crouched down. Her hands held a small metal cross that was around her neck. She wore a simple black, and red, t-shirt, as well as a black jacket, and a simple black skirt. Her outfit had a few red layering's around it and she wore a simple cross necklace around her neck. She had semi-short, shoulder length, black hair that fell slightly past her ears, that also had a silver streak in it near the edge, and silver eyes that were squeezed shut as her lips muttered those familiar words.

"Forgive me Great One for I have sinned once-"

"Ken?"

The girl was stopped as her head slowly tilted up. "Mother Friday?" She questioned tilting her head to the side. Ken had a slightly annoyed look on her face. Like she was annoyed that she had to say her prayers once more. She didn't like sinning.

"Ken, what are you doing?" The elderly woman sighed as she folded her arms. Her familiar cross floated after her as she walked towards the girl.

"I sinned..." The girl said folding her arms. "Again..."

Mother Friday let out another sigh as she reached out patting the girl on the head. "Ken. You are one of the most honest sisters this Church has adopted, as well as one of our greatest warriors. And yet you are also one of the biggest self critics. Why if not for your terrible personality I would say you embody what it means to be a red sister. I'm sure you don't sin as much as you think you do."

"It is true though Mother. I sin... I sin constantly... And... And in attempts to negate my sinning I find myself committing even more sins." Ken said slowly as she clenched her hands.

The mother hummed. "And what exactly is the sin you find yourself committing so much?"

"I... I can not say." Ken said in an embarrassed tone as she glanced down. Her cheeks became red and she fidgeted nervously. "I find my eyes often wander." Her annoyed expression was gone replaced only with embarrassment as she covered her face with her hands.

"Ahh. I was young and in love once." The Mother laughed. "It is perfectly natural to find your eyes wandering over the body of a man. Our city is blessed with several handsome fellows. We also get several traveling merchants. Like that Hero, boy who came here last week. He was very handsome. Shame about that creepy fellow in the cloak that dragged him kicking and screaming into that dark alleyway."

"You shouldn't say that so casually... And that isn't really what I meant." Ken laughed. "My issues are... Different..."

"Are you referring to the fights you always get into?" The mother let out another laugh as she slowly stood up pulling Ken to her feet as well. "Whatever the case I am sure it isn't as bad as you are making it out to be. I know some of the other kids can be mean to you for your appearance. And I know they can sometimes call you names. But you are truly gifted Ken. Fourteen and your already leagues above everyone. Any group would be honored to have you. Even the Enforcers."

"You... You think so?"

"I know so. Now run along. I have work to do."

"O...Okay."

Ken quickly left the building stepping outside into the cold air. As soon as he was out of the building the small smile that she had formed faded away.

Her talks with Mother Friday were always nice, but they always made her feel worse afterwards. Knowing that no matter what she seemed to do she couldn't stop the sin that coursed through her body.

She once again found herself deep in thought as she walked down the street. She had no idea where she was going or what she wanted to do.

She just found herself walking...

"Hey cutie." A loud voice called out.

Ken stopped and slowly turned seeing a group of five guys staring at her.

The man who was clearly the leader of the group stepped forward as he gave a small laugh. He had a handsome look on him and he was certainly well dressed, but there was sort of this dark look in his eyes... Like the look you would see a delinquent carry. "Hey? You look pretty lonely. Why don't you join me and my group? Besides this city isn't very safe for a young girl like you this late at night. What do you say? It'll be fun." He had a cheeky smile as he looked her up and down.

Ken felt a small smile come onto her face as she stared at them.

'Forgive me Great One, for I am about to sin.'