A Trauma Attack

"AHHHHH!" Kenji shot up from his bed screaming in a cold sweat. A week had passed since their first mission and they had all just been living together. Waking everyone else up Ivy asked him if he was alright.

"Kenji are you okay?" Marry jumped out of the bed and hugged Kenji.

"It's okay just go back to sleep." Ivy got annoyed. This girl just showed up yet she was acting like she knew Kenji and was so touchy with him. Iris got out of bed as Kenji hyperventilated, he was trying to calm himself down but couldn't. Iris moved Marry to the side and she pulled Kenji out of his bed and into the living room. Ivy snapped at Marry.

"Why do you always want to act like you know him so well huh?!" Sam was sitting up in the bed.

"Ivy she was just being nice." Little did they know Marry had an attitude of her own.

"Maybe I was being nice or maybe Kenji was mine from the start!" Ivy looked at Marry confused.

"Yours from the start? What the fuck are you talking about?" Iris tried to sit Kenji down at the table but he pushed her. His vision going in and out and his breathing heavy.

"No, I have to leave." Kenji pushed Iris away from him again as he opened the door going outside.

"Kenji are you okay? What's wrong with you?" Kenji searched his pockets panickily.

"Get me a beer… I…" Iris not knowing what to do just nodded.

"Wait here I'll be back." Iris went quickly down the stairs of the dorms to head to the convenience store to buy beer. Kenji leaned forward his hands on the concrete railing to hold himself still.

"Kenji are you okay…?" Kenji turned to face Ivy who had just walked out of the dorm with a bloody nose. Kenji turned around and crouched down to Ivy's level wiping her nose.

"What happened to you?" Kenji's face was soft. Ivy assumed it was because it was early in the morning and he was tired, it was only 2am.

"Oh it's nothing Marry and I-" Marry came running out the dorm pushing Ivy on to the floor and jumping into Kenji's arms

"Kenji! That girl hit me!" Kenji was surprised as Marry wrapped her legs around him and her arms around his neck. Kenji stumbled backwards into the concrete fence his face a bit surprised but he had seemed to have calmed down.

"Marry get off me." Marry leaned her face closer to Kenji and he panicked.

"Get off me!" Kenji shoved Marry's face away, Ivy grabbed Marry's hair and pulled her off Kenji.

"Stop touching him! He doesn't want you! He's in love with someone much older!" Ivy pulled her arm back with her hand fisted up and she swung her arm but Kenji grabbed her just in time and pulled her off of Marry.

"What do you know about me?" Kenji's face was serious again and Ivy looked worried. Kenji held his grip on her wrist.

"I SAID, WHAT DO YOU KNOW ABOUT ME?" Marry looked at Kenji scared. Maybe he truly had changed and wasn't the sweet Kenji who vomited at the sight of blood she once knew.

"Kenji stop!" Iris pulled Kenji's arm away from Ivy. Kenji looked at Iris's face and the pack of beer in her other hand, then he turned to Ivy who had his hand print on her wrist. Iris placed the beer on the concrete railing and took Ivy and Marry's hand.

"Stay outside until you learn how to control yourself!" Iris slammed the door and a pack of cigarettes fell from the roof. Kenji bent down and picked them up, he recognized the flavor from the once Iven had bought on his birthday he squeezed the box and held it to his chest. Iris went into the bedroom where Sam had gone back to sleep.

"Ivy go to bed. It's almost 3am you need some sleep!" Iris pushed Ivy into the bedroom and closed the door.

"Marry can I talk to you." Marry nodded. "Kenji's bringing you back to the orphanage later today. I'm sorry but if you're fighting with Ivy you can't stay here." Marry's heart dropped.

"No! No! You can't make me go back! They'll hurt me again! Please! Please!" Marry sobbed and screamed as Ivy sat on the bed looking at her wrist with the moonlight. She was smart but she wasn't a psychologist. She couldn't understand why what she said had flipped a switch in Kenji. A few hours had passed and Kenji was standing over Marry sleeping in the bed next to Iris and Ivy. He was remembering mentioning to himself that Iven was way better with kids than he was and that he would probably love Marry and Ivy. I don't remember what Iven's face looked like… it's my own fault. I burned all his pictures except one but my mother hid that picture from me in fear that I would burn it too. I shook Marry softly

"Hey wake up." I whispered as her eyes fluttered open.

"Kenji?" I softly picked her up from the bed and put her on the floor. I took her hand as I walked her out of the room then out of the dorm.

"Kenji where are you taking me?" I walked her down the stairs of the dorm complex.

"Back to the orphanage." Marry started to pull back.

"Wait! That's not fair!" I turned to face her as I held her hand tightly so that she couldn't get away.

"What's not fair?" I pulled Marry down the stairs as she shouted.

"That other girls an orphan too! So why do I have to go and she can stay!" I had to think about it. Marry wasn't wrong, but I had made a promise to protect Ivy and she was like the sister I never had.

 "Well it's just that- "

"You like her don't you! That's why you're throwing me away like last time!" I dragged Marry down the stairs.

"Are you crazy. I would never like a child. I have never liked children. That's why I left you the first time. The only reason I saved your life was because of a promise I had with my friend." Marry finally stopped struggling when she heard my words and the whole walk to the orphanage was quiet. Once at the orphanage I threw Marry on to the ground she fell into a puddle of mud and looked at me with puppy eyes but I just turned around and left. I stopped at the convenience store before heading back to plan my next attack when I heard my name from outside the store.

"Kenji!" I looked out the store and saw Iris. Hm what does she need from me? As I went to walk outside I saw the kings carriage and hid behind a wall looking out at Iris trying to get her attention so she could get away.

"Iris is that you?" Iris's father better known as the king stepped out the carriage with two guards. Iris panicked and tried to get away but her shoe got stuck in mud and she tripped. The guards grabbed her and dragged her to the carriage.

"Finally you're coming home dear! I was worried sick for your safety ever since your disappearance." Iris screamed but she didn't scream my name.

"You liar! You don't care for me at all! You just want to sell me off for marriage!" One of the guards covered her mouth before they put her in the carriage and left. Marriage? Iris is getting sold off into marriage. I have to get her out of that castle but how. I took the lighter I was going to buy and went up to the store owner.

"Good morning, Partner. Will this be all?"

"Morning, yes." The store owner took out his glasses to read the price on the light.

"I can't believe they sent out fliers for the Princess ball even though she was missing until… well just now." I looked at the man confused.

"Fliers? For what ball?" The manager put the lighter into the light to try and see the price.

"You didn't hear? Everyone's talking about it. The princess is 18 she turned 18 yesterday which means she can officially get married. Therefor the king is throwing a ball for her to meet a prince from another kingdom and anyone can go." He handed me my lighter and I gave him the money.

"Do you happen to have on of these fliers?" The man nodded and handed it to me.

"You have a crush on the princess?" Kenji blushed and took a step back.

"N-No!" The man laughed.

"Well good luck. You live in the slums so your chances are slim." I took my stuff and left the shop. I check my wallet since I had done some work recently. 2390 monas, could I buy a suit with that? I rushed back to the dorm and entered. Ivy and Sam were eating breakfast and talking.

"Hey Kenji, did you run back here?" Sam asked.

"Yes, and I have important stuff to do."

"Like what?" Ivy asked.

"And where is Iris?" Ivy sighed and sat down.

"Iris got kidnapped by her father to get married off tomorrow night at the castle."

"WHAT?!" Sam shouted.

"Don't worry I plan on getting her back. But I need to buy a suit and crash the party. You guys stay here and stay safe okay?" Ivy stood up.

"I'm coming with you!" Then Sam followed.

"Yeah! I am too."

"You guys can't go what if you get hurt. It's to risky." Ivy argued

"And you think you going by yourself is a good idea?!" Sam nodded in agreement.

"No way, plus they wont let us in dressed like this! We hardly have enough money for one formal outfit." Ivy spoke up again.

"Well luckily for you when I was searching the new dorms I found some formal clothing over there for parties!" Sam smiled.

"Okay so clothing isn't the problem then I don't see why we can't go." Ivy smiled as well.

"I'll go get the clothes." Once Ivy left the apartment Kenji sighed.

"Why are you so worried, it's just a ball." Kenji looked at Sam with a complicated expression.

"You and Ivy are just kids. You guys should just go home. Live good lives and be decent people." Sam slammed the table.

"Hey! What says we got good lives. Plus didn't you have a good life, what makes you so different that you can risk everything and we can't!" Kenji leaned back in the chair looking up.

"My life ended the day I set my eyes or revenge…" Sam sad back down curious.

"Revenge for who? And why? Is that why you blew up that base." Kenji stood up and walked toward the bedroom but before entering spoke softly.

"For my only friend, who died in the hand's of this school and kingdom." Kenji entered the room and started checking his weapons. Making sure they were loaded and ready, he picked up three items and left the room again. Ivy had arrived with two suits and a dress. One suit was blue with a vest and blazer, the other one was a black suit with only a vest, meanwhile the dress was an old blue and green gown.

"Here, the black ones for you Kenji, and the blue ones for Sam." Ivy smiled she clearly liked the thought of being able to wear a dress.

"You like it?" Sam smiled while blushing a little as he looked at Ivy.

"Yeah! I've never gotten to wear something like this." Sam smiled again.

"Well tomorrows your big day." Kenji felt a bad feeling but kept it to himself and placed the weapons on the table.

"The knife is Sam's, the switchblade is for Ivy and the gun is mine." Kenji check to make sure they were all working and he checked his gun. You two should go shower and get some sleep while I plan everything.

"Alrighty then!" Ivy ran to the shower and Sam went to the bedroom. Kenji sat at the dinning table thinking and writing, he dug in his pocket and got out a cigarette then lit it with a match. *Puff* It's been a while since I've been able to smoke. I can finally have a break or so I thought. I can't believe it's already been a week. Mom's probably worried sick but I can't go back home, not yet. Kenji blew out more smoke a wrote for a few hours planning everything as best as he could since he had never been in the palace. I think that's the best it's going to get. I should go shower and head to sleep too. Kenji put out his cigarette then walked into the bathroom, he turned on the light which flickered a few times before turning on. Buzz, buzz. You could here the fly's swarming towards the light. Kenji took off his shirt, his pant's oversized so you could see a bit of his underwear. Kenji looked up into the mirror and his eyes widened. In the mirror he saw someone that he didn't recognize, it was him but it didn't look like him. The top right corner of his head was gone and blood poured down his face. There was a cut on his mouth and blooded poured from it too. As a matter a fact he was covered in blood and injuries, and standing behind him in the dark was Iven. Tall with long black hair, his jaw was dislocated, and his leg was missing pools of blood coming from the hole in his leg. He had a dead look in his eyes and he just stood straight up. Kenji panicked and turned around but there was nothing there. Kenji didn't say a word in that whole moment, his breathing slowed and he turned back to the mirror to see himself again, but the him that he knew. Kenji turned on the sink water and splashed some on his face. Though he was know by the others as a strong man, and though he didn't scream or cry. In that moment Kenji had been completely and utterly consumed by fear. As he told himself it wasn't real, and it was just a lack of sleep. Kenji left the bathroom and heard a colony of crows fly past the window. Kenji left into the bedroom crawling in to the bed then falling asleep.