Given and Taken

"The way of life is jagged, but the surface of death is smooth like silk, and smooth things tends to wrap it's enemy bloodless"

- Barnaby Barnes

It was in the summer, i was 5 when my father enlisted me to a per-elementary compiler school. He is a stubborn hard man that never takes a no when comes to my livelihood, he never gives me nothing for something at that age. I never realize that time of my life was the time that matters the most, as my father mold my future with blood and sweat. He was everything i had and i was the only pride and joy that he has. A first Reed Compiler with a high grade zero nites and a slave animal, the raise in ranks the first generations of my kins, that will be able to get a requirement of scholarship from a top grade school for a pledge contract. A pledge contract is a contract of service to a company of adventurers when after being well educated until graduation from high school institution at the age of 16 years will obligated to return a loyal service of low paid, lodge and foods for 2 years worth expeditions to hunt and culls for zero nites in the jungle. Service of an compiler practitioner is very expensive because such high demand and privileged high benefits that a compiler has, for the most of existing high grade compiler worth mentioning, was either comes from the riches or certain organizations, where no lack of money occurs. So the only solutions they come out with is to do a black outsourcing, they came up with this despicable ways to enforce low subsidiary compiler that rise from a non-comp background. Which both parents or one was a low or non compiler to begin with, basic zero nites with no chance to rise up the ranks. Usually the traits of such was dealing with struggle of some kind economic pressure on daily basis, these will make a good opportunity to endorse to gain fixed overhead cost of the company. The basic 9 years of education is funded 70% by the government and 30% is the students obligation as student loans will be a given for high score academic points. With substituting the 30% expense for 9 years which is preferable cheaper than to paid a fresh graduate master compiler with benefits for dedicated work in 2 years contract.

To be in an elementary class, one have to take a measurement test, with it a initial class will be know of it stage, is it low, mid or high. To be enlisted without a net as a support which means you are a stand alone compiler. Net is an affiliations to an organization or governmental institutions existing that being a sponsorship or legal guardian, which does not include a pledge contract, because pledge contract is a deal between the compiler and pledge companies privately.

Arthur is taking Cass today to a test facility near the central city area, how many times the sight of the central city is an awe to see from an eyes of a child 5 years old. "Will I be working on these tall buildings daddy?" Cass is asking Arthur gazing at the bright tall building that reflecting the sunlight as it's some kind of glowing tower. "Ya betcha champ! You are the one in the family that can do it" Arthur smiling and patting Cass's shoulder. "Have we arrived yet?" Cass is really curious about the place to test. "Yes, about to, that's the Red building we gonna go" Arthur pointing to a 4 level building in front of them. It was a governmental civil buildings that hold registry of the populations, the first floor is the administration of citizens affairs, the second floor is cities service area, the third is the city mayor's office, the fourth is assessment area which located inside a green dome.

"Place your hand on the object after i say so" said the looking middle age woman that works as a staff of the assessment dept. Awkwardly Cass walk to the front of a big square machine with round blue blinking round touch screen, looking straight at the device, he begin to raise his right hand to touch the screen as a slight nodding of the woman operator, indicating he has to touch that blue round thing in front of him. "That's be it boy" said the woman, after a couple of minutes. "The next test is in the next door by this hall, you are not afraid of needle i hope" she continue guiding us to the exit door. On the hall next to the test hall a white door with a restricted entry accept for employee sign, Arthur sit on the bench in front of the door waiting for Cass to come out, a minute later the door opens with Cass red eyes and banded aid on his arm. "Are you alright champ?" Arthur asking while embracing Cass. Cass nod a little weeping "they give me a lollipop daddy since i don't scream loud when they draw the blood". "There you go champ, you are a good boy" Arthur smirking. A nurse open the door, and asking them to wait in front of the public service area in the first floor handing a registered number, "wait for your name and numbers to be called for the results, you are automatically recorded on the city records, if you dissatisfied of the results you can reapply for a retest at your own cost, for this time is free as a public service".

About half an hour later, Arthur is opening and envelope a it was the results. Reading his eyes is watery after that he hugs Cass "You are a good boy Cass, you'll go far from this wretched place, be a great person and never looked back".

Cass wondering Arthur strange behavior.

The test results was beyond expectations, it was a mid stage full potential functions.

Mid is indicating from the blood test that Cass's nanites is forming thick on the cells, i will needs a slight push to leveling up class. Fully function potential is when trained the higher grade nanoweap function will be available for use. There are 4 higher function of high grade inducing zero nites. The basic is healing which all humans with nanites coexistence even for a non-comp has it, it was a passive functions. The second is nanites networking as it was a semi passive control using communication skill between nanites in form of frequency linking, a non-comp can use a little bit of this function but none of them can developed it beyond a specific range and frequency because non-comp can not upgrade class only to develop stage of the basic initial class and in anyway pets are a luxury non-comp had after gathering money for the survival of the whole family. The two skill that Arthur has only can see from a far and never figured out how to use are, thriving inside Cassidy is the forging and sentinel, it was a higher function that uses a round nites and super cores. Non-comp will never get a hands on these two items since round nites are basically a weapon to the military and also a super core will be implanted later on.

For so long as remember, Arthur was always be a henchmen of the Barnes organization, the food on the plate and the living quarters is always provided by the Barnes. Barnaby Barnes is a strict and fearless man, he has an only daughter name Lilia. Arthur was always vigilant in his works for the Barnes, the manager in which Arthur stationed in has making a fortunes skimming for goods from the Barnes for years. When Barnes knows he brought all the muscles working for this manager and question them one by one, that includes Arthur, seeing he only gain a couple of advantages from the manager greed's, and the facts that he is never given a cuts in their black operations, and he sings like a canary to Barnes. And from this act alone Arthur even admits that he skimmed here and there only to provide meets end of his family. The manager was never set to see the days to come, the business will be take on by another party of the organization and the minions of that manager is either loss a limb or tongue cuts for deceiving the Barnes. Arthur and his family was taken by the Barnes out from their homes to be in service for the Barnes, it was the setbacks they have to received a forever servants of the Barnes. It was a way an affiliations to an organization, a network, but never that comes to mind that it was in exchange of their freedom. For Cortina this living arrangements is a mercy, as she always wake up from the nightmares in the middle of the nights in a couple of Arthur night runs, dreaming she'll be noticed by somebody knocking the front door that Arthur is no longer around to come home. Cass was hostages by the Barnes for leverage, hoping after the pledge contracts end, he'll be working for the Barnes. For Arthur this was a given, Cass will never be a small ants in his eyes, even if he never have a freedom, he'll be better than all the rest of Reed's joined together, he was going to be a master compiler.

Barnaby Barnes is a ruthless middle class thugs going down from the rich bloodline, his fathers is George Barnes one of the sons of the main Barnes organization second leader that married a non-comp girl. He was alienated as never gonna have any sayings on the inheritance he only will be only in names. A branch family leader, also how he gets the presents turf, it was in this God forsaken slums which none of the main organizations gonna touch, as it was a dirty shabby business of black markets, Barnaby is the pets of the Barnes main organization. By using his net Barnaby is trying to rise up the ranks, the only obstacle was his wife bearing a daughter for him.

The government is restricting a second child in a family, since nanites keeps all the health of the citizens, as no hospitals for the sick even operating since 180 years ago, because no sickness could ever beat the nanites. Mortality has been rarely happen since only a brain dead and scattered limbs can caused instant death. Old age is common in this era.

Barnes love his only daughter, he even try to find a very rich or powerful suitor for his daughter, seeing only political marriage is the first fastest way to climb the rich or high table society. Net is a lifeline for any business man, and Lilia is very beautiful to pass on as average. As Lilia is also the same age as Cass, and Cass has Fang.

Fang is the name of a white blue eyes arctic wolf, he is two years old. It was bigger than dogs and muscle breed by size, Fang is a slave animal of Cassidy, his mother were de compiled for zero nites, he survives as his two siblings died, Arthur bonded him to Cassidy's blood to gain a DNA marker. Now there are linked Cassidy is Fang's Alpha wolf for life.

Barnaby tasked Cass to be Lilia's bodyguard, Lilia is two months younger than Cass in some short comings of circumstance later on, Cass always feels that Lilia is his sister that he never had.

Lilia Barnes is a cheerful girl that a little bit spoiled, she hates the Barnes name as she always feels like in debt for bearing the name that attached to her birthright. She always try to disguise her identification where ever she goes, about a week ago her father brought a boy that own a pet white wolf, at first she was afraid of the wolf it was the biggest dog like animal in steroids. His name is Cassidy, her dad told her that Cass will accompanying where ever she wishes to go, she can also bring Fang, that wolf name. Her father said as long as she bring Cass and Fang, he will never forbid her to go in her free time.

"Let go off me you jerk!" Lilia is screaming to a guy holding her hand pinned to a wall. "Oh why leading on me just to tease?" The boy getting corny on her. "I said i want to go back inside!" Lilia kick the boy on the groin.

"Ack!! You bitch!" The guy rolling on the alley floor, when suddenly a big white giant dog snarling in his face. Afraid and surprise, he jump back sticking to the wall, when a guy walk the rear side of the white snarling monster "his name is Fang, and he does not like you asshole calling his sister a bitch! Even a real bitch have prides! Because he is a wolf, now give him one good reason why he should not rip your face a part". "I..i..I'll never bother that girl next time i see her" shouting.

"Wrong answer!" Said Cass and Fang is barking growling like he is gonna eat his balls.

"Ooookkkkaayyyy okay! Ever!" Said the boy.

"Said it like you mean it dimwit!!" Cass pointing to his forehead.

"I'll never bother her again EVER!!" said the boy.

Cass smiling patting Fang, and the wolf automatically backed down " if you ever laid your eyes on her or touch even a single hair of her, we'll make sure you will never gonna re grow this body part! Do you understand asshole?" Grab and pulling his balls, After that Cass give a punch in the boy guts. "Who is my name?" The boy flinching.

"Ahhhh ahhhh" groaning.

"Who is my name!!" Kicking the boy in the ground once more.

"Ahhh I DON'T KNOWWW please.." the boy sulking.

"You don't look so tough now you under huh? Look it me!!" Holding the boy by the collar with piercing eyes.

"I'm Cass of the Barnes, that is my sister, ma family! you fuck with the wrong girl, shit brain!! i will brain fuck you with my baseball bat! Do you fucking understand that!!".

The boy looking down, this asshole is bragging like a little snob rich kid buying drinks and harassing women all night and when he looks Lilia going to the back to smoke some weeds and received a call, he follows her to take some advantage of her, luckily Cass on the watch that night from the end of the room he signaled Fang to go to the back alley of the club.

"Who am i motherfucker!" Slapping his head.

"CASSSSS BARNESSS" screaming covering his head.

"Remember it!" Cass give one more blow to the groin.

The boy coughing and dropping to the ground holding his gut.

He go back inside to keep watch Lilia. As Fang also blend to the dark and gone in a blink into the darkness of the night.

"Hey Lily, are you alright?" Cass approaching Lilia.

"Cass? You here? What you.. hey are you following me?" Lilia looking annoyed.

"I can take care of myself you know?" Lilia smirking.

"Oh yeahhhh i can feel ya sis.. but why bother? On your behalf, I'll clean your mess anytime!" Cass smooth talking.

"Go die ass-wipe!" Lilia laughing.

That nite is Lilia's 13th birthday, tomorrow is the day that they last meet at elementary school, this club house is on Barnes turf at the border between city central and the slumps. It was late nite and a farewell party, Lilia gonna enlisted in a private elementary prep-school in the suburbs of the capitol city tomorrow morning she will board a train from the station.