August 2nd, Wednesday, Nathan Hale apartments
6:55 am
For sixteen years now, the wail of sirens bleeding through
the thin walls of a ramshackle apartment in the darker corners of the
nation's capital have served as her alarm clock, waking her well before
any shaft of light could penetrate through her window. There is no such
thing as a good siren--ambulances carry the wounded, fire trucks go to
put out blazes, squad cars fight crime--but she has grown accustomed to
them; they're as much a part of her life as the house itself, and its
only other resident: her father, who is her inspiration, even in this
pit. It's one of the worst places for a person to live, especially if
they are a young lady, and she has been forced to evolve and adapt
because of this harsh environment. But behind that tomboy surface was a
gentle heart, and a flicker of hope that broke through just like the
first rays of the sun brought morning to her noisy world. This was most
evident in a needlepoint stitch her mother gave her about nine years
ago, just after the divorce. It had guided her through some hard times,
and it would still be there for her today. It read:
"The mind is its own place, and in itself
Can make a heaven of hell, a hell of heaven."
"Just another day," she yawned, rising slowly.
You complete my fate
The world unwinds inside of me
You complete my fate
The halo crawls away
You repeat my fate
Rewinding all we can
You refill my place
You refill my place
Come and save me
Come and save me
You complete my fate
The heavens stroll inside of me
You repeat my fate
Revealing who we are
You refill my place
You refill my place
Come and save me
Believe in me
Drink the wine
Take my hand
Fill me up
Believe in me
Drink the wine
Take my hand
Let me follow
"Just Another Day"
"I tell ya what, Bracton, I sure am glad we took the 'late'
shift!"
Arthur Warren stretched his limbs as far as they could go,
yawning and groaning as he basked in the warm air of early August. It
was the afternoon of the second day of try-outs and the end of the men's
shift, and so far, they had been fairly prosperous. Seven guys had made
the cut on the first day; four more were added earlier, although the
coach was considering reducing their number. He wanted to put his men
through a series of tests to find out which of them were most apt to
represent the fledgling team. Mr. Warren was not so concerned about
that; he was just happy to sit back, relax, and wait for Leena to
relieve him. As he leaned back, admiring the sky's golden-blue warmth,
he saw the beautiful blonde and her young companion approaching, a bag
of towels, fresh water bottles, and a clipboard in tow.
"Say, look who's here! Afternoon, ladies!" Warren climbed
out of his chair, yawning and stretching again, and smiled lazily. "I
tell ya, this is the sweetest job I've ever had. Maybe I should go
thank ol' Rosewood for twisting my arm. How'd it go yesterday?"
"As fair as we expected it to," Leena answered, grimly
optimistic. "Out of about ten or so applicants, we managed to put six
on our list, but half of them are beginners. They do have potential,
but it'll be like turning coal into diamonds."
"Oh, I see. Well, knowing your track record, I'm sure you
could whip them into shape. Stanton did win those championships. So
are there any areas you're lacking in?"
"What we really need is a balanced offensive player." Leena
showed Arthur her clipboard, pointing to different names. "These notes
were written on the sly, but I think you'll understand the gist.
Nazario here is amazing, but she's like a sword that's been sharpened
too much. I've been thinking about making Khovansky here the team
captain, but she holds back far too much, and she's vulnerable under
pressure. Velur is one of the best I've seen, but she's like a balloon
with too much air. We must find at least one more strong player to
balance all this out. It's too bad most of the girls from Stanton have
moved away and gone on to other things--I really could've used the Fox
sisters, or Miss Walker."
"So you need a solid player with a level head and just the
right amount of aggression, huh?" Warren pursed his lips, humming, and
raised his eyebrow as he thought of something. "I might just be able to
help you out there, Leena. Yo, Bracton! You can go on without
me--this'll take awhile!"
"All right. Men, that was fine work you showed today. I'd
advise you to keep it up if you want to stay on the team!" The coach
and the new recruits left the field, and so Arthur got the privacy he
wanted.
"As I was saying," he resumed, "this might be a long shot,
but if it works out, you may have just the gal you need."
"Oh? Do you know of someone?"
"Uh...sort of," he grinned, rubbing his chin sheepishly.
"Ya see, once the last semester ended, I took Tia and the kids to
Philadelphia and Washington, DC for our summer vacation. They've never
been, so as a history buff, I was itching to show them the sights.
Anyway, while we were wandering around the parks in DC, we saw this
soccer game going on. This is where things got interesting. I didn't
really think much of it until I saw this one woman come onto the field.
The players called her their 'secret weapon', and I gotta tell you,
Leena, that was no exaggeration. She blew through the other team like
they were kindergarteners--and these were guys in their prime! This
girl turned the tide of the game and didn't even seem to break a sweat.
Of course, I might be exaggerating things a little, but I haven't been
that impressed since I went mano-a-mano with the Sultan of Sw--uh, I
mean, since I heard Tia sing at the opera."
"Just what are you saying, Arthur?" Leena wondered. He
smiled craftily, a sure sign of trouble.
"I'm saying...why not let me run off and see if I can find
her? DC's not that far away, and it's not like I have any real
responsibilities here. Bracton's got all the guys he needs. Hell, he's
even got the luxury of getting rid of a few! Tia won't mind, and
Rosewood will encourage it! 'It'll keep you out of trouble,' she'd say
with that wily smile of hers."
"But what are the odds that you'd actually find this woman
again? Do you know her name, or where she lives? Do you even know
where that park is?"
"Look," he answered smoothly, "don't sweat the details,
okay? I'm pretty good at finding people. If you're still feeling
uncertain about it, why not let some of the players accompany me? Who
knows, they might help me close the sale." Now it was Leena's turn to
think. It didn't seem like a bad proposal, but would anybody be willing
to go along with him? She was certain most of the women would like to
start practicing, or at least get to know their teammates. Who would
even volunteer for such a thing...
"Coach? Are we going to start this thing or not?" A voice
barked at her from behind, pulling her thoughts away. Nobody from the
team should've been there, so who...
"Now Fausta, really! What gives you the right to say that,
especially since we shouldn't even be here? Oh, Coach Leena, I am sorry
for the intrusion! We were just getting ready to go about our
business!" Elisa Berkeley was glaring at Fausta Nazario, but they
weren't the only ones on the field: Felicity Velur was there as well,
performing warm-up exercises by herself. Leena stared at Fausta,
wondering why the hotheaded young woman was there, right when the next
batch of applicants were coming in.
"Excuse me, ladies, but can I help you?"
"Oh no, Coach, we really have no business here," Elisa
blurted. Fausta preempted her and spoke up loudly, puffing her chest
out defiantly.
"We're here to practice, of course. This is the nearest
soccer field I know of."
"Oh, don't listen to her, she came to...ugh, how
absurd...she came to examine the ladies you were going to recruit."
"There's nothing wrong with seeing who your future teammates
are," Fausta argued coolly. "It's all for reference, Leena. I just
want to see what I have to work with."
"You mean who you have to work with," she replied sternly.
Leena suddenly grinned and turned to face Arthur Warren. "You know, I
think I have just the volunteers you need."
And so...
"Just sit back and enjoy the ride, ladies!" Warren exclaimed
proudly. "Before ya know it, we'll be in the nation's capital,
recruiting another fine young player. You go ahead and chatter to your
heart's content. I've got a girl around your age; I'm used to it!"
"I'll pass," Fausta sighed.
"No thanks," Felicity mumbled. She couldn't understand why
she had been asked to go. Her intentions had been pure, and she hadn't
been doing anything wrong. She was obviously practicing for the coming
season, and wanted to squeeze as much time as she could into her day,
before school started. Did Leena really think she was Fausta's
accomplice, or was there another reason she was here in this car?
Perhaps it didn't really matter: she was literally going along for the
ride now, and unless she jumped out--ooh, bad idea with the way this
lunatic was driving!--she was in it for the long haul. At least
Washington, DC wasn't far away, and Fausta wasn't nearly as pesky as
Nadia.
But Nadia's not that annoying. I really like her. I just
can't pursue that.
"Sheesh," Warren groaned, "quiet as a tomb! And here I
thought you women would be talking up a storm."
"We don't really know each other very well, Mr. Warren,"
Fausta replied.
"So what better time than right now!?" The two teammates
looked at each other, one an Italian who dominated her game, and the
other an American who was pushed to perfection: perfect ingredients for
a storm. Arthur was lucky they chose to hold their tongues.
"Maybe later," Fausta sighed.
"Yeah." Felicity rested her head against her seat and took
a short nap. Her father would certainly disapprove of this course of
action--riding in a car with a stranger just to scout for a player who
might not even be there!--but right now, she didn't care. He wasn't
around and, God willing, he'd never find out. She slipped into a dreamy
unconsciousness for a moment, but was woken up as the car came to a
crawl and stopped.
"Everybody out!" Warren shouted, rapping the windows like an
eager frat boy. "We made pretty good time getting here, so let's not
waste it. Uh, ladies, quick: names?" They introduced themselves to
him (how silly of him to never ask!) and he started issuing commands.
"Okay, Fausta, dig through that jacket over there and find my cell
phone. Felicity, there should be a map underneath my seat. I'll see if
Tia can't remember the park where we found that girl...ah! Thanks!"
It turned out that Tia Warren did not remember the park
where they had spotted "that one soccer player", nor did any of Arthur's
maps help out. Aside from historical sites, there were at least three
parks in the general area, and two of them could certainly hold a few
soccer fields. As expected, Fausta and Felicity were asked to split up
and explore one park each, so they all traded phone numbers and started
walking. Fausta was infuriated that she had been forced into a
degrading task like this, while Felicity worried that her practice time
was going down the drain. She was so obsessed with how her father would
react to this that she paid very little attention to the park or the
people in it.
Arthur Warren, in the meantime, was praying as he searched.
He hoped that, if none of these parks was the one that "the one soccer
player" frequented, then at least he would find it soon, and maybe
squeeze in some time to speak with her. He was pretty certain that a
talent like hers must've been scouted already, and she was no doubt
living the high life in some fancy college, riding comfortably on her
scholarship. He had to try, though, because he believed in Rosewood's
ambitions as well as Leena's skill. Plus, it would really rub dirt in
the Chairman's face! As he entertained these thoughts, he came across a
game being played, completely by chance, and decided to watch. One team
was falling behind by two points, and he later learned that this was the
second half, and there were only fifteen minutes left in the game.
Then, somebody called out, "I found her!", and presented a
fairly tall, fit, black-haired woman, wearing an oversized torn man's
shirt and jeans that seemed far too large; she was forced to wrap a belt
around them. Arthur did a double-take and nearly fell on his back as he
recognized a peculiar strand of silvery hair in her bangs, and knew that
this was the same woman he had spotted a year ago. But there was only
one way to be sure.
Growing up rough and unrefined, a woman who doesn't hesitate to fight.
She strongly believes in the underdog, going the distance, and tenacity.
Her family is a deformed jewel too precious to throw out.
Kasumi Beckett
"You can do it, Kasumi!" one of the spectators shouted.
"Yeah, kick their butts!"
"Hey, what are you bringing that slum trash in here for? Is
she gonna distract us and put out? You really think that bitch can take
us? You outta your mind!"
"They don't know who they're dealing with, Kasumi! Yeah,
show em' what you're made of!"
"Haha, I bet she sucks balls better than she can kick them!
Whaddya say, bitch? Feel like giving the winning team a few blowjobs?
Or maybe you like girls more! Yeah, she can fuck some pussy if she
loses!"
"And who says humans aren't civilized anymore?" Warren
groaned. But all jokes aside, his eyes were locked onto the dark-haired
woman as she quietly stretched, jogged in place, and casually juggled
the ball with her knees. She certainly had a calm demeanor in spite of
all the insults, but perhaps it was only a matter of time before the
straw broke the camel's back. The game resumed after a brief time-out,
and as Arthur watched the woman called Kasumi, he reached into his
pocket and dialed Felicity's number.
The game ended with a dramatic victory for the underdog team.
Arthur's quest was at an end.
--Kasumi Beckett, 20, Undeclared, striker position--
Instead of prowling around the soccer field scoping out
their potential teammates, most of the other players had better things
to do: Lauren was relaxing with several friends in her dorm, Nadia was
covering Felicity's shift, Elisa was reading a romance novel, and Terra
was brushing up on her Tae Kwon Do. Out of all the girls, Terra
probably had the least number of friends, but only because she had left
so many of them behind, and was just now starting her life as an
independent being, away from family and all the familiar things. She
was happy to discover a martial arts dojo in the area, although she
wondered if she'd be able to invest any time there, since she now had
school, work, and practice devouring her precious time. She managed,
though, and she even made a new friend in the process.
It all started when Terra humbly showed off a few of her
skills. She had a third-degree black belt, and a few of her teachers
had entertained ideas of her turning pro, or even going to Olympic
games. Most of these students were rather embarrassed to see an
average-looking young woman handling techniques they could never master,
but one had a smirk on her face, and watched very intently. The
instructor called on her next--the group generally regarded her as their
"shy sempai", and even though she detested the attention she got, the
woman performed just as well as Terra, if not better.
Instead of feeling jealous and petty, Terra was inspired and
attracted by the woman's exceptional speed and strength, and even though
she was normally reserved, she couldn't pass up the chance to meet
someone like this. She looked pretty cute, but she wore "street"
clothes to put up the impression of being tough or cool; however, her
left shoulder was bare, revealing a solemn wolf. Terra caught her
attention, bowed, and smiled awkwardly. She had no idea how this other
woman would receive her, and didn't want to cause offense.
"Uh, hello. You were excellent out there. Uh, I hope
that's not a strange thing to say. I mean, I just thought it was really
great, is all--not like in a "cool" sense, but like...you've got real
talent. Um...is any of this making sense?"
"Mm-hmm," she nodded.
"Oh. Uh, so anyway, I was thinking about joining up--I
mean, I guess I'm pretty good, too--and, uh, so I guess we'll be on the
same team, or whatever."
"Mm-hmm," she nodded again. Terra sighed. In spite of her
clumsiness, however, she was performing better than expected. She just
wished she had a better response from the other girl.
"So anyway, I'm Terra, or at least that's what my friends
call me. I think we're the same rank--third degree black belt, right?
What's your name?"
"Mmn," she sighed. Her shoulders drooped and she hung her
head, summoning up the courage to reveal herself.
Orphaned at a young age, victim of violence, she prays for respite.
She only confides in animals, for she trusts their pure souls.
Helping others is her raison d'être, her driving force.
Amy Nguyen
"Are you Vietnamese?" Terra asked in her native language.
Amy nodded but didn't respond in kind.
"I w-was born there, b-but my f-family m-m-moved when I was
t-t-t-two. I d-d-don't kn-know much V-Vietnamese."
"Oh, I'm sorry. Um, so how long have you been into martial
arts?"
"S-since I was th-th-thirteen."
"You're very good," Terra smiled. She giggled and added,
"You should be on the soccer team as well!"
"W-w-what team?" Amy asked. Terra explained it to her--but
not in the jilted, choppy, shaky dialogue she had used before; Terra
became animated and livid, gesturing wildly and even smiling. She was
truthfully shy, but only around strangers; she could easily open up and
become the life of the party, providing her friends were around or she
had an attentive audience. She soon realized how differently she was
acting, and calmed down so the rest of the students wouldn't stare.
"Sorry. I'm just excited, is all. I've got a nice job, I'm
away from my tight-ass family, and in spite of all my misgivings, I made
it to the team. Thanks for putting up with my rambling."
"Y-you shouldn't s-s-say such things ab-b-bout your
f-f-family. At least y-you have one. Y-you're l-lucky." Terra was
stricken; she felt idiotic and low.
"Uh...I'm sorry, I didn't know. But they're really awful,
Amy, they really are. Sometimes, nothing is better than something, you
know?"
"N-no!" she exclaimed fitfully. "Y-your family is th-th-the
most imp-p-portant thing you have! Y-y-you sh-should cherish it
wh-wh-while they're still ar-r-round!" She started to gasp for air; now
Terra felt worse. She didn't mean to get Amy so riled up, and while she
did apologize again, and admitted that "most" families were probably
great, she would never have anything good to say about her own.
"Anyway, it seems we've gotten off on the wrong foot. You
seem like a really nice person, and I didn't mean to upset you. Can you
forgive me?" Amy nodded firmly--not because she was exceptionally
merciful, but because she believed it was the right thing to do. Terra
sighed with relief and thanked her. "So now that we've patched things
up, do you go to school anywhere?"
"Y-yes, actually, I'm g-g-going to C-C-Carnegie." Terra's
face lit up like an angelic host.
"Oh, really?! That's where I'm going! Is this your first
year?" Amy nodded. "Wow, mine too! I guess we'll be seeing more of
each other. What classes are you taking?"
"B-biology, ch-chemistry, some engin-n-n-neering courses,
and basic m-medicine."
"Holy crap," she paled, "you've gotta be like a genius or
something!" Amy grinned and blushed, refusing the compliment. "I'm
taking Computer Graphics, Object-Oriented Programming, Calculus, some
Japanese, and of course, the general education requirements! I'm also
taking a bit of music theory. Uh...say, Amy, would it be too forward of
me to invite you to soccer try-outs later today? Just for fun, of
course. I mean, if a girl like me can make it, you'd probably do even
better!"
"I've n-never thought ab-b-bout it bef-f-fore," she
confessed quietly.
"At least give it some thought," she negotiated. She
decided to go out on a limb and gave Amy her phone number; she didn't
know why. The two of them barely knew each other, but in spite of their
difference in opinion, there was definitely a connection as well. Amy
vowed that she would come with Terra later on and try out, but made no
further guarantees.
--Amy Nguyen, 18, Biochemical engineer Major, no position--
"Excuse me. You're Kasumi, right? The so-called 'secret
weapon'?"
The dark-haired woman with a silver streak in her hair
turned around, moving into a defensive position as she glared at the
suspicious man. He was about the same age as her father, and while he
didn't seem like the physical type, he had a somewhat sleazy expression
in his eyes, like he was mentally undressing the young woman. Kasumi
had dealt with perverts before, and when she did, she never had to deal
with them again.
"And what if I am?" she demanded.
"Oh, just wondering. I've got this proposal if you're
interested."
"No thanks, creep," she snorted. "I don't go for men like
you. In fact, the whole gender seems to bug me. Get lost." She turned
around and hastily jogged away, ignoring the compliments her teammates
threw at her. The pervert--poor old Arthur Warren--just stood there
smiling in defeat, scratching the stubble around his jaw.
"Boy, if I had a dollar for every time that's happened! It
looks like I'll have to do things the hard way. Let's hope those two
girls are up for a little bit of espionage."
While Arthur schemed away, Kasumi found her bicycle and rode
home, away from the park and into a seedier side of town, the type
tourists didn't usually see. She stopped in front of Nathan Hale
apartments, home sweet home, and not being the type to trust such an
artifact to chance, she hefted her bicycle into the building, up a
flight of stairs (only one, thank God), and laid it beside the front
door, where it would stay until tomorrow. Since her father wasn't home,
and she didn't have to work, Kasumi decided to make dinner herself, and
went hunting through creaky cupboards and a rusty fridge for something
nice. There was one particular recipe she wanted to try--but oh, she
left it in her room (delays, delays). She took her shoes and socks off,
and strolled over the ugly carpet, down a hallway and into--
Wait a second! There's someone in the game room! Oh, shit,
are we being robbed? Damn it! Gotta go back to the kitchen for a
knife--
"Kasumi!" she heard someone call, a voice that froze her in
her tracks. Dad! "Come on over here! There's someone who wants to
meet you!" She slowly backtracked and inched her head through the
doorway, eyes wide and fists curled. Her father was definitely home,
and he was chatting with someone--no, three people, two women her age
and...
"Holy shit, you're that pervert from the park!" she
screamed.
"Language, young lady!" her father barked. Arthur Warren
smiled cheerfully.
"Yo! Wasn't it lucky that I ran into your old man, Miss
Kasumi Beckett? Us old foxes seemed to hit it off right away!"
"Dad, what the hell is HE doing here? And who the hell are
these other two people?!"
"I told you to watch your language, Kasumi," he warned her.
"Now please, dear, stop being bashful and get in here! These people
came all the way from out of state just to see you! The least you can
do is hear him out." Kasumi was still a little hesitant and pale, so
she crept in carefully and chose to lean against the wall, as far away
from the "visitors" as she could. She crossed her arms and glared at
Warren, but then decided to take a closer look at the women, and focused
mainly on them while the men lectured.
Wow, they're both so gorgeous! I wonder what they're doing
with this old guy! They can't be his daughters, can they?
"I'm sorry for her behavior," Randy Beckett sighed. "My
daughter's gotten tough from growing up in a neighborhood like this, and
she doesn't usually trust people."
"You can't really blame her," Fausta snorted as she gave
Arthur a sharp nudge. "Remind me--who approached her like a lecherous
old man?!"
"I said I had a proposal for her, not that I was gonna make
one. Anyway, if I caused the wrong impression, I'm sorry. My name is
Arthur Warren, and I'm a history teacher from Carnegie University. We
don't have much time, Miss Beckett, so I'll get straight to the point.
The school I'm representing is starting a new sports program, and we're
trying to recruit great soccer players like you for our team. When I
saw you playing, I knew we had to have you on our side. You might even
say that we need you, Miss Beckett. I know that a talent like yours
must've been wooed by every university from coast to coast, but if
there's anything we can do to get you to play for us, just name it!"
"Don't be so stupid," she muttered, clenching her eyes shut
as she bared her teeth. Kasumi was shaking, surprised, and a little
angry. "Do you really think I'm that good? That I'm just sitting here
biding my time until I decide where I want to go with my life? That I
can have my...pick of the litter? Get real, old man. Colleges like
that don't care about...about gutter-trash like me. They don't give a
sh...a care about my sports record, or even my academic record. It all
boils down to money--money, money, nothing but fucking money!"
"Kasumi," Randy sighed.
"Sorry, dad--but it's true. We barely have enough to scrape
by on, and now these people come here dangling this carrot in front of
me. It's probably another private school for spoiled little rich brats!
Well you can just tell your fucking Dean--sorry, dad--that I'm too good
for your sh...your garbage school. I'm going to my room."
"Now hold on!" Warren bolted to his feet, his voice
authoritarian and austere, something that stunned Fausta and Felicity.
"I apologize if I gave you the wrong impression again, but you have to
understand that Carnegie University wants you to attend and play soccer.
Your father has shown me your academic records, and they're more than
sufficient to get you in. There just happens to be a scholarship for
people like you, Miss Beckett: a full scholarship."
When Kasumi showed her face again, it was still hard as
stone, but tears were brimming in her eyes, and they gracefully fell
down, softening her expression.
"Didn't I tell you I'd do anything to get you to come?"
Warren grinned coolly. "Carnegie is more than willing to bend over
backwards for you, Miss Beckett, and as an instructor, let me be the
first to assure you that this is not some private school for snobs. I
mean, they did hire a guy like me to teach there! But I can't force
you. You have to come to the decision yourself. I will say that if you
agree, you'll have people like this at your side..." He pointed at
Fausta and Felicity, who had not been able to speak on their behalf yet.
"And as an added bonus," Warren concluded with a laugh, "you won't have
to deal with me unless you take history! A man coaches the men's team,
and a woman--a hell of a woman, I might add--coaches the women's team.
So now comes the hard part. You've gotta decide, Miss Beckett. We only
have a week left to recruit a full team."
Something must be understood about Kasumi before she says
anything. She had been living in that stinking hovel for ten years,
putting up with crime, mugging, potential rapists, drug dealers,
constant sirens, and the worst that humanity had to offer. It was a
living Hell, and yet she tried making the best of it, always
concentrating on her dreams of moving out to a better world, finding a
real purpose in life, making friends who cared about her--maybe even
falling in love. Playing soccer was actually the humblest of her goals;
all she really wanted was to be happy, and to be at peace. At twenty
years old, barely living above the poverty line, she was afraid that her
chances at getting into college were slim, if not nonexistent. She
yearned to break away from DC, away from her job, away from this
pointless life of hers...and now it was being offered to her on a silver
platter.
She looked into her father's eyes as she took a breath and
sealed her fate.
"There they are," Leena exclaimed in relief. She looked at
the women she had recruited for the day--a decidedly smaller number than
before--and clapped her hands, drawing their attention. "Well, ladies,
now we'll find out if we get another volunteer or not. Of course, this
wait would've been much easier if Mr. Warren had remembered to call me,
but I digress."
Amy Nguyen stood off by herself as she watched a middle-aged
man and two girls her own age--a brunette and an Italian woman--emerge
from the vehicle. The man, presumably Mr. Warren, faced Leena and waved
his arm in the air, flashing a thumbs-up. Then a tall, dark-haired
woman came out of the car, crossing her arms defensively, looking like
all of this was too good to be true. After speaking with this girl for
a few minutes, Leena happily added another name to her list.
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