"And they all lived happily ever after...the end" A young woman said, ending the bedtime story she was reading to her son.
"Mom, why's your hair so red?" Her son asked.
"It's because I ate too many tomatoes" She joked.Her name was Andrea Torrez and her eyes and hair were just as red as her son... Diego.
"Mom,I have another question" The boy said.
"And what would that be?"
"Why did you name me Diego?"
The woman flinched at the question.She looked down at Diego who was just eight years old at the time and smiled.
"A long time ago...I had to make a decision..." She started."To die or leave...to go away from home.I chose to go and when I had you,I thought to myself,'What the hell.Why don't I just name you Diego so I remember my choice' Is that a good enough answer for you?"
"That's dumb..." Diego muttered and stuck his tongue out at her playfully.She ruffled his hair and stuck her tongue out at him defiantly as well.
"Just go to sleep Diego.Ive already read you a bedtime story." She said.
Diego huffed and reluctantly closed his eyes but then she tapped his shoulder"You remember my red jacket right?" She asked.
"The one you're always wearing?" Diego asked.
"Yeah,that one.Its yours from now on" She said and Diego sat up instantly.
"Really?!" He asked,nearly able to contain his excitement.
"Yep.You can have it on one condition...Take care of it with your life.Can you do that for me?" She asked him and he nodded frantically in agreement.
"Good...now to to sleep you little gremlin" She said and kisses him on the forehead before walking out of his bedroom.
The next morning soon rose and Diego along with it.He yawned and sat up on his bed but the house felt quiet...too quiet.He got up and padded out of his room."Mom?Im hungry" He said as he opened the door to her room but to his surprise,she was nowhere to be found.It was odd for her to not be asleep this early in the morning and the whole situation felt wrong to little Diego.He roamed the small house, searching every room including the kitchen, bathroom, backyard and everywhere else he could think of but he couldn't find her.Fear slowly began to creep into his chest as he still couldn't find her.
"MOM!WHERE ARE YOU?" He yelled but there was nothing but silence as an answer.He kept walking around until he stumbled on his mom's jacket.It lay on the floor with nothing to explain how it got there.He cautiously picked it up and inspected it.It was way bigger than him and when he tried to put it on,it dragged along the floor with every step he took.Thats when he finally realized his mom was missing.On any other occasion,he would be panicking and crying but for once,he put up a brave face.Her jacket was all he had but he wasn't going to sit and wait for her to come back.
"I'll find you mom!Just wait for me!" He vowed and without wasting another moment,he left his house in search for her.He never really left home much and and never really knew other people other than his mom.He thought the outside world would be as sweet and kind as her but he quickly found out soon enough that wasn't exactly the case.
Diego was thrown out of bars,beaten up by thugs,chased by rabid dogs and many other unpleasant experiences hit him.By the end of the day,he was battered,bruised,tired,hungry, lonely and scared.He escaped into a quiet meadow late into the night.He cried and called out for his mother but there was no answer.The cold nights breeze hit him and he wrapped the jacket tighter around himself...he cried himself to sleep that night...
The next morning,he woke up to the unpleasant feeling of a stick poking his cheek."Hello?Are you dead?" A voice asked.
Diego frowned and grabbed to stick.He looked up with bleary eyes to see a little girl.She was around his age and had golden hair with dark eyes.Whoever this girl was, Diego hated her already.
"Leave me alone" Diego said and turned away from her.
"So you're not dead? great!" The girl yelled happily.
"I said leave me alone" Diego muttered again and as he did,his stomach grumbled loudly.The girl noticed this and smiled mischievously.
From behind her,she pulled out a small picnic basket and opened it, letting the sweet aroma of the food in it wafer around."Okay.I guess I'll have to eat all this delicious food all by myself" She said and swung the small picnic basket from side to side.Diego's mouth watered and his eyes followed the basket in a trance."Changed your mind yet?" The girl asked and Diego nodded quickly.
"Good.My name is Misa and I wanna be friends with you.Whats your name?" The girl or Misa asked and placed the basket on the short grass.Diego pounced on it and ravaged through the food instead in a hungry trance.
"Diego.Im Diego" He replied.
"Mommy was right.The best may to a boys heart is through his stomach" Misa said proudly as she watched him eat.
The two children quickly became close friends.Misa would come to the meadow everyday with food and they would spend the rest of the day playing and having fun.From time to time, Diego would stalk her , just to find out where she lived and every time she caught him,she would toss him something special like a toy,food or maybe some clothes.
This routine continued for a few weeks until one day,Misa didn't come.Diego waited the whole day for her and when night fell,he was fed up.He navigated the meadow which was now like his new home and after a few minutes,he was at the gate of her house.
The building was slightly larger than normal and the compound was as well.He took a few cautious steps towards the gate but he quickly noticed an armed man he didn't recognize guarding the door.Diego frowned and decided to find another way in.He walked around the house until finally,he found an open window.He waited until there was no sound coming from the window before he cautiously climbed in.Once he was in,he recognized the room as a kitchen with numberous utensils hanging on the walls.He sneaked through the kitchen quietly but clumsily tripped on the oversized red jacket he was wearing.He fell with a thud and his arm hit one of the metal utensils on a table.It fell with a loud crash and the sound was loud enough to notify everyone in the house of his presence.
"Oww" He whimpered in pain but his little moment of recovery was cut short when a large man with a pistol rushed into the room and grabbed him.He carried Diego out the kitchen and tossed him roughly unto the ground.Diego groaned and tried to push himself up but he froze the moment he realized his arm was in a puddle of blood.He looked up and saw a dog.Its white fur was stained with blood and three bullet wounds were at it's side...it was dead.
Diego scrambled back in horror and that's when he saw Misa kneeling on the floor,her arms and legs tied up and a look of trauma on her face.Beside her,both of her parents were also on their knees with their limbs tied up.Surrounding them was a large number of armed men.Diego stared with utter fear.Somehow,he'd gotten himself into this mess.It wasn't after a few moments that another armed man walked into the room.The respect the other men showed him made it clear he was the leader the gang.
The gang leader walked up to Misa's father and placed the cold pistol on his forehead."I'll ask one last time.Where.Are.The.Documents."
Misa's father tried to explain to them how he had no idea what they were talking about but then...Bang...the sound of a gunshot rang out...then the thud of a body hitting the ground... followed by the scream of a hysterical woman who just lost her husband...then another bang...and the thud of another body hitting the floor...then utter silence...
Misa was completely unresponsive.The trauma of this night was too much for the little girl and she stared blankly.Diego on the other hand was trembling as blood from Misa's mother had splattered on one side of his face.He was hyperventilating and everything suddenly went red.Silently,so silently that no one noticed,he walked out the room.
"That was probably a bad idea boss" One of the goons said.
"Finding those documents is going to be next to impossible now." Another added.
"Will you two just shut up for a moment?" The leader said calmly."Our benefactors said this family is tied to those documents.We'll turn this whole house upside down if we have to but we're not leaving without those documents."
"But what about the kid?" One man asked.
"You perverts can do what you want.Just find me those documents.Ill be outside if you need anything." And without another word,the gang leader left the house.
The men all grinned to themselves and soon enough,one of them took bold steps towards a completely unresponsive Misa.He reached out to touch her but from across the room "Shhk!" A kitchen knife landed right in the goons eye.He shrieked for a moment before landing on the ground,dead.The knife slipped out of his eye and landed right Infront of Misa.All eyes turned in the direction the knife flew from and when they turned,they saw Diego standing at the entrance of the kitchen.He was breathing heavily and another knife was in his other arm.He had an odd glint in his eye... something like a lust for blood...
The goons quickly opened fire on Diego who ducked out of the way and hid behind a kitchen counter.One of the goons rushed into the kitchen after him but instantly met his demise when Diego jumped from behind the counter and shoved a frying pan up the goons jaw.His flesh tore and his lower jaw separated completely from the rest of his face.Diego growled and smashed the frying pan on the man's face over and over until it was barely recognisable as human.
The remaining men finally caught up and started shooting at the boy again.Diego help up the frying pan as a shield but after two direct shots to it,it flew out of his arm and "Bang!!!" One of the bullets hit Diego at his side.He yelled in pain and landed on the floor,out of sight once again.The men lowered their guns and let out sighs of relief.
"What the hell was up with that kid?" One of the remaining three asked the rest.
"Doesn't matter anymore.He's dead and so are two of us." Another replied.He walked behind the counter, towards Diego's body but he was surprised when he saw Diego groaning and making barely noticeable movements.The goon laughed out loud and called the rest over."Would you look at that.The kid's still alive" The other looked on as blood slowly oozed out of Diego's side.
"Mom..." Diego whispered and the men laughed louder at his weak cry for help.
"Sorry kid but, mommy's not here to save you and even if she was,I'm sure we'd have a lot of fun with her." They joked.Diego crawled his small arm around the flood, reaching for a gun which previously belonged to one of the goons he killed but it didn't go unnoticed by the rest of them.They kicked the gun away and continued laughing at him.One of them stopped laughing though.The other two turned to face him and looks or horror dawned on their faces as they realized his throat had been slit by Diego who still had a knife in his other hand.
The other two stepped back in panic as another one of them dropped dead.Diego weakly got up to his feet, ignoring the pain and blood loss.
"KILL THE BASTARD!" One yelled in panic and soon enough"Shhk!!!",the knife went straight through his chest with a sickening sound.The other opened fire again but Diego hid behind the other ones now dead body and waited until the last goon ran out of bullet and that's when he struck.He tossed the dead goons body away and tossed the knife right into the last ones neck.He ran up and pulled in up violently, ripping half of the last ones face in half.
There was silence... silence Diego suddenly found comfort in...but now wasn't the time for that.He limped to Misa.Every step filled with unbearable pain and agony for little boy like him.The wound was still bleeding but he disciplined the pain.He took a few more shaky steps but then,he felt the cold tip of a pistol on his forehead.His face rose and thats when he finally saw the leader.The last remaining one...
"I don't know what you are kid...but one things for sure...you aren't human and I'd be doing the world a favor by getting rid of an abomination like you." The leader said and slowly began to pull the trigger.Diego closed his eyes and got ready another inevitable death...."Bang..." The leader fell to the floor...dead... Behind him was Misa ...she had shot him with trembling handstand she dropped the gun with unshed tears in her eyes.Diego smiled at her and finally,he passed out.
He woke up later on a rough bed.He sat up and looked down at his side where he had gotten shot but was surprised to see the wound wasn't there anymore.A moment later,the door to the room flew open revealing a tall fat man.He had an unkept beard and reeked of beer."Finally awake are ya kid.I'll make sure to tell your lady friend once she's back" The man said and placed a
Plate full of food Infront of him.
Many other events transpired in Diego's life as he grew up,most of them a blur but the rest,not so much.He and Misa grew up together, depending on each other and fighting for each other...but Misa was now dead and less than a day later,another girl carrying her name appeared in his life.
Diego stared at her blankly.He didn't know how to even react to it but then,a familiar voice called out from behind them.
"Diego.fun times over.You're coming with me.Misa,you can tag along if you want." It was Ivankov and for once,his expression was rather serious.
"And where the hell are you taking me this time?" Diego asked.
"He hasn't even settled in yet sir.Whatever it is,can't he do it tomorrow?" Misa added, trying to reason with him.
"Diego Torrez,this will be your first real test.You want to know more about your mother don't you?" Ivankov asked.
"More than anything!" Diego answered instantly.
"Good... There's something I want you to kill...and someone I want you to meet... Survive today and I'll tell you what you truly are...are you ready?"
"Hell yeah!" Diego yelled and followed Ivankov off the rooftop.
"Boys will be boys I guess..." Misa grumbled and followed.
Once they were on the road and out of the school compound, Ivankov asked"Did your mother ever tell you about your lineage?"
"No.I never thought it mattered." Diego replied.
"And you've never asked or questioned your 'Hell Breaker' " Ivankov added.Misa choked on her own breath in shock and stared at Diego like she'd just seen a ghost.
"A Hell Breaker?!" She asked in shock."That means he's a-" Misa cut herself off when she bit her own tongue.She groaned in pain but still stared at Diego in shock.
"He's a what?And what's a Hell Breaker?" Diego asked in confused.
"Hell Breaker.That form you took when you fought me.You've never asked me about it or questioned it even once." Ivankov said.
"Once again,I didn't see a reason to.I got something I could use to get revenge for her death... If it's a curse,I'd gladly live with it." Diego said and leaned back slightly."But still,what am I?you two are making it sound like I'm not human "
"That's the thing Diego...You're not...You're a Demon..."
END OF CHAPTER 3