June King
"Why did you kill your first victims? You must have had a pretty big reason. I don't think you are the kind of man to stereotype as a coldblooded murderer who went crazy for no reason one day. I'm sorry your life has been rough so far."
Victims.... A rough life.... June had always wondered how he came off to most people. However, instead of saying considerate words like that, most would classify him as a monster. Only a few times in his life had he had people look at his life that way. He was used to the usual banter of hate and disdain from people, but he wasn't use to people looking at him with something he would classify as compassion. While it would probably make most people in his situation feel relieved. Feel human. He didn't feel that way at all. In fact, he hated it. He knew well enough the type of life he led. He almost had the nerve to walk away from the girl, pretend to go to bed, and leave her there going back on his own lonesome road. However, he couldn't. Not yet. He was too interested in hearing the woman's past than anything else. He thought that maybe, if he knew her past, then he could make sense of the way she thought. The words she said. The actions she took.
"You know June maybe instead of giving yourself to others as a assassin you should try living a simpler life and attempt to fix yourself. I don't think you are too happy doing what you do, even if it comes naturally."
Again with the compassion. Her and Cortez. If he had the right mind and it wouldn't have defected from his goal, he'd had left him too. Though, the man did have connections. Still, June made sure to keep his emotional distance. Something that he had realized was being shortened by him, just so he could just get to know a woman whom he just met today. It was dangerous. Not for only him, but also for her. Still, he stayed quiet until she went on to talk about her past. A past he could relate to in some way. It was too convenient how he would meet someone like that. Someone who also lost someone they cared about because of the difference between Neco's and Sapian's. His head began to become clouded as he too remembered how his life was changed around, moments at a time. Thinking about it, he did realize that she seemed to have something against Neco's in some type of way. Now he knew why. It angered him that the world was cruel enough to not only hit him, but a lot of the people around him. Even through the small fantasy and escape that he allowed himself to be in that night, he was reminded, yet again, why he did what he did. Why he couldn't take his own life yet, even though he wanted so badly to do it in the past. He could feel the past hate and anger welling up inside him. Anger, the feeling that he had tried to get rid of in order to focus on his cause. Glancing at Akira from time to time, he realized that she had began shedding tears and immediately regretted asking her such a personal question. It proved to him, that even though she had experienced in some way, similar things as he did, it had affected her differently. The tears on her face at the moment were his fault. His fault for letting his guard down once again and trying to get close to someone. Life was sure a bitch. No matter what way he did it. No matter how hard he tried. He could never get close to someone without hurting them a certain way. On top of that, he also couldn't stop himself from wanting to get close to someone. It was the way of man as they say. No man was an island. No one could live in solitude forever without trying to grasp another persons hand. It was like drowning. Not even June could drown in the ocean of his life without trying to connect with another person for air.
Listening to her words, he had imagined that she was seeing everything over again as she spoke. Something which June noted he'd probably do once he told her of his "first victims". She seemed to tire herself out by doing so. It appeared as if it wasn't her head that was lying on the table, pouring clear liquid, but her heart instead.
"That is my past. You happy now?"
June looked at her green eyes. Seemingly different in appearance than the first time he had met her. He could only guess that just like his past, not many people got to witness them in this way. June had made up his mind as to what he would do. Taking out a cigarette and burning it as it lay on the bridge of his mouth, he decided that after what she had told him, she deserved to hear the rest of his story. A folly of words that presumed might have been the last set of words he'd speak to her.
"I'm sorry about your love. I'm not going to sit here and act as if I know where you're coming from, but as you asked. I'll let you know what happened to those first set of people." June began by telling her the basis of everything that had to do with his past. How his father was a Neco and a heir to a lead industry that may have been one of the backbones behind the war. How his grandfather grew mad as his relationship with a Sapien woman, and even more angered at the fact that the offspring of a so called taboo relationship and the fact that the offspring wasn't on a level equal to that of a Neco. How his family was exiled and his father was made to travel back and forth between both worlds. Then he told her of his cousin, who had cut ties with the family just to get June and his younger cousin out of that world of hate. June went on about the promise that they'd be kings of a better, fairer world where no one was separated based on their DNA. His dad went missing and then his cousin took him to a place where they would think all three of them could be safe. Though of course, he noted, they were wrong. The man explained how everything caught up to them and just like a tidal wave, wrecked the mindless ship they were sailing. He didn't even leave out how he acted as a coward by running when asked to instead of fighting only to go back anyway to see his oldest cousin was murdered by the soldiers sent to get them. He counted his death as his fault, for not having the strength to stay and fight and though he did tell her that he ended up killing the men that were left over, he didn't tell her how he did so for being a kid. Though, he supposed she could guess. Already knowing that the information he had given her so far was enough to make her think more negatively about him, he continued.
After each cigarette was finished, June chased it with another one, making sure that as he told the tale he was always smoking. "So after that I was on my on. I went back home only to find out my mom was no longer there, but.... I could tell why she wasn't. Based on the state of the nice house we lived in. How it was battered. I could tell she was probably dead. After a few months there I went out to walk the world, trying to abandon my past. Sometime in that journey of mine, I met her. Her eyes shined with optimism and at first glance I suppose I could confuse yours for her own." She was the love of his life, he explained. Someone who made all the negative events of the past go away and also, someone who accepted his past. In both their eyes, even though there was no official document, they were both married at a time. Though, he also told her that because of him she died as well. In more ways than one was it his fault. His younger cousin came back for him because he left them and didn't come back in time to take him with him. That and he also blamed June for Kriste's, their older cousins death. So of course, he took it out on the one June was closest to. That's the second reason why her death was his fault. Without thinking, he invited the girl into his life and forgot about the past. The past which forgotten or not, she too was apart of. In the end he explained that he had to fight his younger cousin, not just out of anger, but out of defense. He told her how the scar on his face came from Deci, his cousin, and how he couldn't help but to let other wounds occur. For he never intended to kill Deci. He couldn't. Even if the boy killed the one person that saved him from ending his life years ago. June also noted that he didn't need to kill Deci with his own hands to end the boys life. True, Deci did take his own life, but it was only because of June that he did so. After that event, he was charged with the murder of Kriste, Deci, and the girl he loved. The verdict was six years in incarceration. Most of which, he spent getting more scars, both inside and out, and developing a hatred for the man who had put everything all together. Joseph King. The same man, who for whatever reason, made his sentence as lenient as it was for the amount of lives charged with it.
"You see now. Even if I should be living a simpler life. I can't. Not until that man is dead. Now that I've also heard your story, I know more than ever that I have to kill him. I thought, only if just for a moment. I thought that when I met you and hung around you, that maybe I could actually get to know you, put my past behind me and do as you said earlier,but..... After hearing about your past.....After sharing mine. I now know that I was a fool to think that. Deci's last words to me was that we were born to die. I use to think that was true, but now I know, that I can't die until I kill that man." Junes face scrunched up as he was trying to withhold his anger. He could feel the heat of it flowing inside his veins. He practiced the calm breathing technique Cortez had taught him to calm himself, but he just couldn't stand it. Standing and hanging his arms over the railing he continued trying to regain his composure. "I also realize that meeting you was probably a test of fate. Trying to get me to lure in another victim to my life. It was also a reminder of my goal in a way. Though I ......" before June could get out the rest of his sentence, his phone rang, causing him to pause and pick it up on reaction.
"Hello," he said in a mild pissed off tone.
"June. I'm glad you're still doing well."
"Who is this?"
"Hahaha. You seriously can't remember my voice. Ah well. You'll remember as the talk goes on. Listen boy, you will not speak anymore during this conversation got it. I know you have someone with you right now. Known since you met her. Pretty isn't she? She's a Sapien right? you know my men wont hesitate to kill her if she's with you."
June's eyes shot open as he looked around, seeing a truck parked outside the gas area about a half mile away. After seeing the mannerisms of those around the vehicle he could tell who he was speaking to.
"Is suppose you got it now. So listen carefully. I know you've been targeting people I work with. I'm not dumb you know. I can gather that you want my head. I accept your challenge June. Why wouldn't I? I mean, it's not everyday I get someone who is close to the same level as myself and my men gunning for me. Hmmhmm. Listen to this old man speak. Reminds me of my better days."
"Why you!!!" June yelled.
"What did I say boy!? If you continue to disobey my rules, I'll take another precious Sapien from you. Damn. You and your father. I can't understand how you two think. Equals you would call them. They are nothing more than animals. No, let me take that back. At least they have a title. You're the only animal here June. Anyway. As of now, they are waiting for you to come. If you beat them, then you're safe to hunt me for another day. However, if you die, then I've won the hunt. Sounds fun right?"
June hung up his phone and stormed inside his room grabbing his guns, ammunition and jacket. Once clothed he returned outside, readying himself to leap over the railing before turning to Akira. "I guess you were right. I would end up getting rid of you in the end. But, I wouldn't kill you. I'd never take a meaningless life even if you probably think otherwise. I'm sorry." With his hair covering his eyes it'd be hard for one to get a glimpse of his face. However, if the woman was to see his face, she would probably see the moon contrasting in the moonlight. June always wondered what his red eyes in true light would look like to someone, but he would never ask to find out.
Without another word, June leaped down from the railing to land only to run toward the truck with the armed men surrounding it. He didn't know or care how much of chance he had against them alone, but he did know that if he had to get through them to get to the old man, he'd take whatever chance he had to. Leaving the girl behind, June imagined that maybe one day, he might have been able to meet her again to apologize for leaving her alone and remembered her face. For once in a long time he felt a drop in his stomach that would have without a doubt caused him to shed tears if not for the current circumstance. Instead, he transferred it into his anger and hatred and moved on, deciding to use it as his strength instead of a weakness. Coming to terms with the situation, he realized that there was no chance in hell. No chance for the armed men to survive the night.