Author's note: I began this story when I was seventeen. It's currently undergoing some extensive changes so I apologize for any errors or contradictions or whatever. Enjoy.

The Prologue

Blackleaf village belonged to a several dozen humble, hardworking folks living in decent double-wide houses some of which were lined up in a diagonal fashion.

Crimson moved about the living room, sweeping the floor and singing to herself when she heard noises heavily approaching outside. Hanzo raced up the staircase and tore the door open to his house. Sunlight spilled onto Crimson’s face and she squinted her eyes at the boy who’d just entered.

“Um, Hanzo…” she began, “Your boots are kinda’ dirty y’know.”

“Oh, crap.” He exhaled, glancing down at the crust spilling onto the carpet. “Sheesh.”

He pulled the door shut behind him but kept his feet on the doormat as a daring smile started to spread across his face.

“They’re here.” He breathed excitedly. “Ultimate Soldier’s here and they’re saying they want new candidates to join without the fees or the extra hassle.”

“What do you mean?” The woman angled her head with a dull gaze toward her mangy son.

“I mean we’re getting into Soldier straight through the door and getting paid for it too! No background checks or anything. They even said they got us staying at one of their top tier facilities in Baveoma. We’re basically getting a master VIP!”

The mother smiled warmly but her gaze travelled the floor like a blind person.

“I mean, don’t worry.” Hanzo reassured, “I doubt we’ll be getting deployed. We’ll be in training for the most part. All we gotta do is just do well and do some low class missions and some work…All that good stuff.”

The woman watched her son explain the situation with enthusiasm. She could see he was getting impatient by the repeated fidget of his legs. He was a robust child of seventeen years, much darker than her and a more fiery hairdo tainted in dust from his rumbling outside. A black silvery short sword hung along his side, belted in adjustable leather straps with subtle, glinting bolts decorating it. Over a tan embroidered shirt scarred with rips and stains was a red scarf wrung about his neck nearly covering his mouth while the rest draped down his shoulders.

His gloved hands swept into different gestures as he spoke to his mother in hopes of convincing her that he wouldn’t get thrown into a warzone. She seemed pretty accepting.

“So this means you’ll be leaving today?”

She asked.

“Yeah.” He replied, “Today. The boys are already gathering their stuff. In about an hour they’ll have us all rounded up and we getting up out this town.”

Crimson winced at her son’s slangged up language.

“I see…” she nodded. “Well, honestly I can’t say I’m too thrilled about tossing you off with these soldiers so suddenly but...if you must... I see that I can’t stop you. Go ahead and get ready if you can.”

Hanzo grinned and rubbed his hands together then darted off down the hall into his room to begin packing.

Damn, I didn’t expect this to happen so soon. He thought excitedly. The hyped youngster dropped empty bags out onto the floor and began stuffing them with clothes and other items. He dismounted his other swords off the wall, tore more clothes out of his closet and pocketed any doodad he might need for the trip. He glanced out his window to see if the Soldiers hadn’t left although he knew they wouldn’t. Not without him. His friends wouldn’t dare leave him either. They had time.

Suddenly, the room door opened. He looked up and saw his mother with a long chain in her hands.

Puzzled, he asked, “What’s with the chain?”

Suddenly she dazed him with a sharp kick to the head and smeared a fat strip of tape across his mouth. Then she went on tying him down despite his thrashing and muffled protests.

Once the chains had him bound, the woman dragged him across the carpet then chucked him into the laundry room and locked the door.

At that very moment a knock at the front door came. Crimson let out a sigh and straightened herself before answering.

Two soldiers stood on the patio dressed in the usual aggressive dark uniforms armed with both sword and gun.

“Ah, hello ma’am!” Greeted the first. “We are here to recruit for Soldier and wanted to know if you or some loved ones would like to enroll in our special program. As you may be aware the great King of U.S. has set in motion the new mandate. We are hoping to gather some candidates of great potential to serve and protect the just cause of—”

“Ah, yeah…” Crimson interrupted, “I did have a son who I wanted to send off but you see he’s been saying some crazy things lately…”

Hanzo managed to jerk his body towards the door to listen in on what his mother was about to tell them.

“Pardon?” The soldier replied.

“My son has been caught swearing upon the blood of his ancestors to destroy Ultimate Soldier and behead the King. Some terrible misfortune in his past has birthed in his soul a pristine fury directed toward the constitution…” Crimson shook her head sadly, “We have reason to think he’s been possessed by some demon but one thing is certain...his resolve to assassinate the King is very dangerous.”

The soldiers’ jaws were ajar and their brows were raised. Hanzo himself was literally speechless at his mother’s words.

“What??!” The soldier cried. “Who in the hell would utter such blasphemy??”

Crimson was unfazed by his indignation and continued in a mournful tone. “It’s true. At least that’s what we observe in his nature.”

The soldier took a moment to process the insanity and then went on to ask if the young man was still present.

“He’s being detained as we speak. On the surface he appears normal and cavalier but unfortunately there’s a much darker side to him that he takes extra care not to reveal to the world...even his friends.”

“I mean…” the soldier sputtered. “Certainly he can’t be powerful enough to handle a dozen highly trained soldiers let alone the King??”

Crimson shook her head wistfully, “I highly doubt that he is. But one would think he intends to enter into Soldier quietly through the back door, make his way up the hierarchy like a parasite, becoming more and more powerful and eventually destroy U.S. from the inside out. You’ll have recruited and raised the very downfall of the nation without even knowing it.”

The two men shuddered at the thought. Enemies of the King weren’t unheard of but this sudden telling was quite unnerving.

“What’d you say the kid’s name was?” The other soldier asked, whipping out a pen and pad.

“Hanzo…” she replied. “Hanzo Maverick.”