Shadow's of the past (Kyr)

[Mathew Amtrum]

It was early in the afternoon and Mathew's college classes had ended for the day. Midterms were almost over for him and he felt a weight off of his shoulders, however minor it may be. Mathew was spending his time sitting under one of the trees in the courtyard. His back leaned against the bark of the tree and his eyes were closed. His mind was reflecting on everything that had happened over the last few years, pondering how his life unwound to become what it was. Everything could be traced back to when he joined the Reign of Blood back in New York.

It really was the first day of the rest of his life. Everything after that was a series of seeming rational steps that lead him down a twisted and dark path. So long was the path that he wasn't sure if he could find his way back to the person he was before, or even if he wanted too. Fear and hatred had quite a few perks, and he wasn't sure that he wanted to give them up.

The last few years had shined some perspective on him, being locked up for so long gave him little to do other than take a good long look at himself. And he didn't like what he saw. Everything that he was, was just so ugly. He was venom coated in honey, his lies and twisted words so compelling that he even had trouble telling what was true and what wasn't sometime.

So absorbed was he in his thoughts and reflections that he wasn't paying attention to what was around him, that he was not the only one in the courtyard anymore. Little did he know that something from his past was about to return, for better or for worse.

[Kyr Merquise]

It was her father's idea to go to college, not her's. She had wanted to do the classes online, but her father and her doctor both agreed getting out into the fresh air was part of her recovery. If she could have it differently, she'd be more comfortable.

The young girl had her hood up about her head, shielding her face from people as she'd walk by them. The jacket was a deep blue, almost black and she was trying to make her way out of the area. The jacket was zipped up about her chest, a black skirt swaying about her hips, a bit of lace adorned the edges. Thin legs hugged by black and white striped nylons made their way across the courtyard now. Blue converse padding against the sidewalk, she'd halt for a moment.

She hugged her books to her chest, pausing a moment as she'd reach into her pocket to respond to a text she'd received from her father. A pink backpack hung from her shoulders, and she'd turn to the side as she'd look around for a moment. Blue eyes searched the courtyard.

She'd turn now, to head to the parking lot when she'd suddenly crash into another female. Her books fell to the ground and she'd kneel to grab them, looking up at the girl she'd run into.

"I'm sorry..."

Was all Kyr said, blue eyes now going to her books as she;d grab them and bring them into her arms. Kyr had apologized, but the girl was snapping at her.

"Watch where your going!!! Fucking freak!."

It hurt, but Kyr had heard worse before. She was silent, she wouldn't let her words get to her.

"Whats wrong with you? you fucking deaf?!"

The girl kept snapping, her mouth opening and closing as she spoke and Kyr continued to ignore her. Kyr stood now and turned and went on her way but a man stepped in front of her.

"My girlfriend is talking to you."

Kyr looked up at the man who stood before her as the girl would laugh behind her.

"You fucking dea-"

Kyr would cut him off.

"I said I was sorry."

She was sharp with him, she wouldn't be pushed around.
not here, not now.

"Don't get a fucking attitude with me!"

Kyr walked passed him now.
She wouldn't get into a fight.

"You heard me cunt!!!"

Kyr stopped.
And slowly turned around.

"What the fuck did you say to me???"

"I called you a cunt!"

Kyr glared for a moment.

"I will shank your fucking ass!!!"

Kyr yelled suddenly, throwing her books to the ground.

"Come here mother fucker!! Come get some!!!"

The man blinked, turning with his girlfriend and suddenly walking away.

Kyr stood, glaring at the two of them.

"heh... Thats right."

She turned towards the parking lot now.

[Mathew Amtrum]

Mathew's eyes snapped open, he had been lost in thought, peaceful even when the commotion blared out from across the courtyard. Not far enough for him to be undisturbed, but far enough away that he hadn't realized he was no longer alone until they started shouting. He watched it from his spot for a few moments, unconcerned. It looked like a petty squabble, nothing that he had to worry about. But he had an itch in the back of his mind. Something telling him that there was more to this then he was catching on.

So he watched, looking at the girl with the pink backpack and back to the other girl and her boyfriend. His lips tightened as he frowned trying to figure out what seemed so familiar about this scene. Scratching the back of his head he watched as the girl and her boyfriend left the girl with the pink backpack alone. That's when it clicked in Mathew's head.

Kyr

His eyes widened in surprise, that was not a name he had thought about in a very long time. Sadly it made him think of Xaier and how long it had been since he had spoken to his old best friend. What made it worse was he couldn't remember the last time he had even thought about Xaier. He couldn't help but feel guilty at that. The three of them used to hang out back in New York and then he just kind of dropped off the face of the world, lost touch with them and never looked back.

He didn't know why but he had to go see her, to talk to her. She was part of his origin and now she was standing in front of him like a ghost, a shadow. Before he knew it he was walking toward her, thinking of what he wanted to say. What he could say.

"Sorry I vanished for years how are you?"

No that wouldn't work, that would be a stupid thing to say. He made it to her as she was looking out over the parking lot, his hand reaching out to tap her on her shoulder, he still didn't know what he wanted to say to her.

"Kyr?" Was all he managed to get out, unable to hide the disbelief in his tone at seeing her again after all of these years.

[Kyr Merquise]

She was bent over, picking up her books she had so angrily thrown on the ground and she was regretting it now. They had been expensive, oh well. She had made her point, and hopefully those two would never mess with her again.

She wasn't going to allow herself to be stomped on, not here. She had too many things to do, and being someones bitch was not one of them. She sighed for a moment though, looking to the side as she scooped up her books.

She hadn't heard the soft steps of the male who approached her as she began to stand, and now he was tapping her shoulder. She suddenly grew stiff, books in hand as she turned and in one fluid movement brought the books with her, to bring down upon the man.

"YOU WANT SOME OF THIS!!??!"

Her lips curled as she screamed, almost snarling at him like a wild beast.

Bringing the book down upon his body.

"GET SOME!"

[Mathew Amtrum]

That was a bad move.

Never mind that she might be scared or still angry. Never mind what kind of crap she was going on in her life. She just now attacked him, and that was not good. Mathew really did not like being attacked, former ally or not. Former friend or not, if you were going to be aggressive toward him he would return in kind.

It was unlucky for her that Mathew had no problem at all fighting a girl, so when she brought the books down against his body yelling at him, the hand that had been extended to tap her on the shoulder would now attempt to grab her by her shirt, pulling her close to him as his knee shot up to slam in to her stomach. He didn't intend to try and break her bones, but he was going to make sure she remembered that he was former RoB and he did NOT take shit.

"You sure you wanna do this Kyr?" He asked pushing her away from him if he had managed to get ahold of her. Raising an eyebrow in a challenge he would move his head to crack his neck. "Cause if you want to do this, I'll dance." He said giving her fair warning.

[Kyr Merquise]

He pushed her back, and she slid a moment. She looked up through strands of black hair as she'd look into his own eyes. she would defend herself if need be, and she was readying herself for another attack when he spoke.

"You sure you wanna do this Kyr?"

Wait... What?

She was still for a moment, cocking her head to the side as she'd look at him. Questioning him with her eyes, she spoke now.

"How...How do you know my name?"

She stood still, fists ready to attack at any moment. She couldn't let her guard down, not yet.

She was so sure she wouldn't know anyone, this is why they had traveled so far.

Was this a joke?

He couldn't know her...

She licked her lower lip, blue eye shadow had been brushed around her own blue eyes, and she watched him closely.

[Mathew Amtrum]

She didn't fight back to Mathew's attack before she was pushed back away from him. She seemed to be more confused than anything else. Could it be that she didn't recognize him? Now that he found hard to believe. They had been in the same gang together, they were both close to Xaier, and Mathew had been infamous in New York. No, she had to be working an angle of some time.

"Reign of Blood." Was all he said before he rushed forward, , his right leg shooting out low to kick at the inside of her left ankle to kick her leg out from under her and bring her to the ground. If he kept her there she would be unable to do much if she wanted to keep up this little fight of theirs.

He wasn't sure if telling her their old gang name would spark a memory for her or not, and he didn't know if she would have some kind of grudge against him or not for dropping off the face of the Earth when and if she did finally remember him.

[Kyr Merquise]

"Reign of Blood."

"Reign..of..."

She swallowed hard, looking to side as she'd collect her thoughts. He did know her from New York. Panic instantly set in. Would she relapse? Would her father send her back to that horrid asylum?

"NO!!!"

She glared at him now as he came for her, the passed was a bit fuzzy. She had locked it all away. She leaned back wards, letting her hands plant against the ground before gracefully landing on her feet to escape his attack.

She wasn't sure who he was just yet, she wouldn't attack him unless she knew for sure if he was an enemy.

What was his intentions? Had he come in hopes of sending her back to the asylum?

"I won't go back!!!! I won't!!!"

She was searching her mind, picking at that fragile brain of her's. It had been so long since the days of R.O.B. had he been in the same gang?? She wanted to remember, but would remembering dig her into a deeper hole? She had been doing so well, she was getting better, and now this?

[Mathew Amtrum]

Now Mathew was more confused than ever. She was not fighting back, which meant she probably didn't mean him harm. But she didn't seem to realize who he was. When he mentioned the Reign of Blood she started to freak out, yelling that she wouldn't go back. Did she not realize that the Reign of Blood was over, there was no going back. Not to the old Reign of Blood at least, he conceded that it was possible to start a new gang with the same name, but it still wouldn't be the same.

"Whoa Kyr, you alright? Quit freaking out on me."

Mathew said raising his hands out in front of him no longer trying to push a fight. He was wondering if there was something wrong with her mentally. Like Post Traumatic Stress Disorder or maybe she just went crazy. Whatever it was this was not the Kyr that he knew and remembered.

"Kyr, it's me. It's Mathew. Mathew Amtrum." He said still trying to calm her down and stop freaking out. Things had just gotten real with him, he had no idea what happened to Kyr to bring her to this state and he now needed to know, he needed to know what it was that broke her.

[Kyr Merquise]

"Whoa Kyr, you alright? Quit freaking out on me."

She tilted her head as she looked at him, a few strands of black hair falling into her face as she'd take a step forward.

"Kyr, it's me. It's Mathew. Mathew Amtrum."

She swallowed, tilting her head for a moment as she looked at him. She'd locked so many things away, trying tol block it all out. But with his name, she almost sighed as he spoke.

She had tried to forget everything from 552.

Everything.

"Mathew."

She spoke his name, her lips parting to let her tongue roll out as she spoke out to him.

She only slightly rememberd. The name rang some sortof bell within her brain as he stood before her.

"What are you doing here?"

She looked at him with her blue eyes, taking a few steps forward. She lifted her hands, to bring her hood down to rest against her shoulders. She was silent for a moment as she watched him.

"How many of us are here?"

How many students from 552 had thought of the same thing?
How many had left that horrible place?

She would lower herself to the ground to grab her books, scooping them into chest. She looked up at him now, blinking her eyes for a moment as he'd speak.

[Mathew Amtrum]

Well his name seemed to do it, it finally seemed to click in her head who he was and that he wasn't an enemy. At least for now, he would be if she hit him with her fucking books again. Though that didn't seem to be her intent now. She seemed almost confused, maybe even lost as she looked at him. Mathew couldn't help but feel pity. He felt himself tumbling, though he didn't think he was as far down the rabbit hole as she appeared to be.

He also felt a sense of disgust and self loathing. To think that he might appear like that to others. Weak. One of the things Mathew had tried to avoid for so long, and yet here it was. Leon was running from a lot of stuff and as much as Mathew loved the guy, he was losing his mind. It wasn't the same Leon that Mathew knew back in the day. And now Kyr, she didn't want to go back to something. Something was wrong. Was he next? Could his little crisis turn in to this?

"What? Oh. Ummm." He said thinking back to how many people he could remember being here from 552. People that he has seen about or heard about.

"Well I know Vetis is here, as is Leon. Shugo is here as well sadly. I think a few others from the old RoB crowd might be here as well, though I have yet to run in to them. I think I remember seeing Farren here a while ago, Patrick O'Connor, and god knows how many others. A lot of us are here."

He said frowning, he didn't realize it until now but a lot of people from New York were here. It couldn't be a coincidence. Something was up, and his gut said Barker probably had something to do with it. Though he wouldn't tell her that. She didn't need to know that he had been experimented on, that he had been kidnapped. Besides, Barker had to be taken care of by now, no way he could have survived what happened at the correctional facility.

"As for why I am here? Back during the Green Rebellion I got black bagged and forcibly transfered here. Been here for years now, never bothered to go back to New York." He said with a small shrug, it was the truth, incomplete though it may be.

[Kyr Merquise]

She listened to him speak.

Hmm...

So apparently there were more people here from her passed then she'd ever imagined. She sighed for a moment, letting her head drop almost with her hand against her forehead. So moving to California proved to be the wrong idea...

She thought for a moment. Her father had paid so much money to move here, it had been thought to be the best choice for her steady recovery. But now had been proven wrong. She couldn't be bothered with all these blasts from the past. After all, she could relapse. And that is what she feared most.

She looked up at Mathew through her fingers, soon letting her hand fall to the side now as she looked up at him with those blue eyes before she allowed her right foot to kick at the ground.

Vetis, Shugo, Farren.

Just a few names that would ring a bell.
She almost sighed.

There wasn't much that could be done now. she wouldn't tell her father, he'd want to ship her off somewhere "safe." But if she'd learned one thing already...

If they'd found her in California...

They'd find her everywhere else.

She couldn't escape these memories of her's.
She'd have to live with the burden.

She gave a soft smile at him now.

"So, how do you like the weather?"

[Mathew Amtrum]

He watched impatiently as she seemed to process what he had said, her hand blocking her face from his view. He didn't know what had happened to her and why it was so bad that they were all there. Sure he understood it was annoying, it annoyed him too. But the impression Mathew had was that it was much more than an annoyance to her.

Her sudden change of topics to the weather confirmed Mathew's thoughts. The weather was what you talked about when you had nothing else, one of the weakest of ice breakers. Going to that would just show Mathew that she had nothing to say to him. At least for now, she was probably still processing him being here.

"It sucks." He said laughing. "I miss the rain, cold, and snow. I wasn't made for this much sun." He said spreading his arms out. He was still wearing his coat, the heavy coat that had been his symbol in New York. Unusual attire for California but thankfully it was getting closer to Winter and thus cooling down a bit, so at least he wasn't dying.

"What about you? When did you get in the state? You settling in alright?" He asked, trying to move the topic away from the weather and closer to what had happened to her.

[Kyr Merquise]

"It sucks."

She looked up at him.

"I miss the rain, cold, and snow. I wasn't made for this much sun."

She smiled for a moment as she looked at him, giving a gentle nod.

"Ya... There is a bit too much sun here."

She laughed again.

"What about you? When did you get in the state? You settling in alright?"

"Um..."

She thought for a moment, tilting her head to the side as a few strands of hair would fall in her face. She'd brush them away before replying.

"I've been here for a few months now. I'm ok... My dad and I moved here together."

She paused for a moment before speaking.

"Ya know... Chance of scenery is always good.

Farthest place away from New York...

She smiled again, clutching her books to her chest as she looked at him.

"Do you take any classes here? Or are you just visiting someone?"

[Mathew Amtrum]

She didn't seem to have much to say about his comments other than some small laughing, it felt forced. Polite. Maybe Mathew was someone that she didn't want to see, maybe she just was trying not to be rude, or maybe she was afraid of him. Nah, that couldn't be it. Kyr had no reason to be afraid of him. He couldn't imagine her being afraid of him. Hell they used to live together, the three of them.

"Yeah a change of scenery is good, I will admit. Though I do miss New York from time to time, especially in the Summer. I mean fuck it feels like spring now." He said with a small frown. Shaking his head to dismiss his words from him as Kyr asked him if he took any classes here.

"Yeah, I actually attend the college now. I know, who would have thought I would graduate High School right?" He said with a laugh. Honestly he had thought more than once that he would be dead long before graduation, he was sure he wasn't the only one that had thought that either.

"What about you? You going to college here?" He asked, he assumed she was, but it was possible that she was being home schooled or taking online classes, hell maybe she was just done with school.