Story in Progress; no longer being worked on

                It began with a child, a little girl, at the age of five.

                Natasha was five years old at the time. She was outside playing. She'd been outside all day of course, what child wouldn't on a perfect day in the middle of the summer? She'd always been different. Natasha could sense things were going to happen before they did. She was constantly made fun of in school, she was the outsider; The one that didn't fit in no matter where she went.  But she didn't care. Natasha wanted to be an Archeologist. Spending all of her time reading books on Archeology, Natasha was well on her way to fulfilling her dream. That was, until one day.

                On her way home from playing outside all day, Natasha suddenly heard screams.  She ran faster back to her village, Miho. What she saw there, scarred her for life. The entire place was ablaze. The World Government's doing she knew at once. No one else had this little humanity, or this kind of power. A tall man was holding her father when she ran to the village's plaza. "WHERE IS SHE!" he was screaming at her father. Her father, crying and broken, told him time and time again he didn't know, and he didn't.

                Scout, Natasha's senior sister by three years, knew how to use a slingshot with deadly accuracy. Five years of practice was about to be very useful. She was on top of the nearest house, with a pouch full of rocks. Scout, and her band of followers, 14 strong, all readied their weapons. "READY! AIM! FIRE!" Scout called off. At that moment, fifteen projectiles, flew and hit several soldiers in the village plaza. A rock, shot by Scout, hit the man holder her father, square in the back of the head. Fracturing his skull, he dropped like a stone, releasing their father. Seeing their fellow brothers in arms fall about them, the soldiers quickly assessed what they should do. Seeing where the fire was coming from, they quickly took aim, and fired upon Scout and her band, the Fliers. Four were killed in the first volley. Three others were injured.

                "Don't fall back! Keep firing!" Scout was shouting to her remaining Fliers. Unawares of Natasha, Scout kept this up, firing her stones at anything that didn't look like a villager. Running low on rocks, Scout jumped from the rooftop, where four WG soldiers stepped out, and surrounded her. Natasha stepped in, using the power's she'd had since birth, marking her as the outsider. One soldier just collapsed in place. Another folded in on himself. The third began screaming in horror when Natasha stepped out, looking like a demon. Her eyes were ablaze, there was fire all around her. There was the look of death about her. Firing at her, the bullet stopped midway, turned around, and went through the heart of the woman who fired. The fourth, who tried to run, suddenly stopped. And went screaming to his grave as he was forced to rip his own heart out. These were Natasha's powers, and this was just the beginning, for there was more to come.

                Forgetting the Fliers, the soldiers turned on Natasha and Scout. No one knows who shouted the order, but the order was given. "OPEN FIRE!" Two hundred guns went off at the same time, the barrels all pointed at the same place. With that many bullets, Natasha couldn't control where they all went, she just did her best to protect Scout from them. Went the dust cleared, the two girls were still sitting there. Seemingly nothing had changed until you took another look. Four bullets had hit Scout, three had hit Natasha. Scout took a bullet in the stomach, her thigh, her left arm, and one had grazed her neck. Natasha took all three bullets in the stomach. Both girls fighting unconsciousness, the man Scout had fired upon, stood before them. He pulled out a revolver. Firing twice, Natasha barely managed to reflect the bullets. He fired four more times. One of the bullets, pierced Scout's heart, she died, there and then.

                "I am Admiral Hoshiki. You've made a very big mistake here, today, girl." Upon saying that, Hoshiki, was about to fire his last shot through Natasha's heart, when he stopped. A shocked and puzzled look came on his face. He couldn't move anymore. Eyes glazing over,  shock still on his face, he fell over, dead at Natasha's feet. Looking up, Natasha saw her wounded father, standing over the body with bloodied hands. Just seconds after saving his daughter's life, her father died, of fatal wounds inflicted by the bullets reflected by Natasha trying to save her sister's life.

                Left alone in a world where everyone she knew had been killed, Natasha soon became cold and heartless. She taught herself to fight. Working everyday to learn to wield her weapons better, Natasha became very deadly. Settings out, to find the World Government, determined to let nothing stop her, she cut down all in her way without a moment's hesitation. Wandering alone, nine years later, at age 14, with a $95 million bounty on her head, there was constantly people hunting her. She mercilessly slaughtered them all. Continuing the research, that during her time alone she had started, she kept hunting ancient artifacts from a time known only as Void Period. There's no history other than these artifacts about this period. It's truly a void, an empty gap in recorded history.

                Hunting for these artifacts, Natasha stumbled upon another child, fifteen years old, who also was hunting for and in possession of some of the artifacts. A friendship formed at once. A paranormal heartless outlaw, and an expert thief outlaw; both with the same mission. Natasha and Alec became world-wide known names. The Void Searchers they were called, and it fit them.  Together, they held approximately thirty of the two thousand or so artifacts.

                After pairing up with Natasha, Alec's bounty rose from $28 million to $70 million. And Natasha's to $110 million. A dangerous duo by any standards, they had no idea, that they were to become two of the world's highest bounties.

                Two years, and fifty artifacts later Natasha and Alec were stopped at a village, resting up, preparing to enter some caves that had been around for longer than anyone could remember. Rumor had it that artifacts of the Void Period resided in the caves, and Natasha and Alec were determined to find them. After entering the caves, they were so engrossed with them, that they spent all their time in them. After about a week, they ran into another boy. He was a little taller than Natasha and Alec, and very strong looking. On his back law a giant, red, ugly scar. Sensing their presence, he turned around. "Hello, my name is Scar. But you may call me Nim."

                "Nim? What kind of a name is that?" questioned Alec as they sat around a fire.

                "Nim is the name I prefer. There's no story how I chose it, I just did." explained Scar/Nim. "And now for you two. Natasha and Alec I'm assuming? The Void Searchers? It's an honor to meet you. I'm also searching the caves for Void Artifacts."

                Natasha knew immediately that she wanted him in her pack. He knew who they were, he was searching for Void Artifacts too, and he wasn't ratting them out. Of course he joined them. And then there were three. Nim was a technical genius, he could do just about anything with electronics. His specialty though, was weapons. He built all kinds of mechanical weapons. Big, small, impossibly deadly, every last one of them.

                Spending two months in the caves, food became a problem, but Nim's machine's were a huge help. He had miniature spiders, that went out and collected food when they ran low.  However, there was still no sign of the Artifacts. Beginning to lose hope, and starting their way back to the cave entrance, the three noticed a new wing of the cave they hadn't seen previously. Searching down the new passage, with renewed hope, it lead to a cavern. A cavern filled with gold, silver, diamonds, gems in general. An impossible amount of wealth. Natasha, Alec and Nim started to celebrate until they realized that, first, there was no artifacts, and second, the passage had somehow disappeared. They had been duped, and they knew it. A trap set by the World Government.

WORLD GOVERNMENT HEADQUARTERS PRISON

                "We've been here for two whole weeks!" complained Nim. "I want out! Well, I want better food at least..."

                "Aw, shuddap, Nim. We're all in the same damned boat here." said Alec, throwing his shoe at Nim's head.

                "Both of you quit complaining. I'm tired of hearing it," commanded Natasha. "Anyway, we're going to be out of here in a few hours. Just leave it to me." And sure enough, three hours later, Natasha had broken them out. Their only problem was escaping off the island, in the middle of an ancient, forgotten sea.

                The amount of soldiers killed from escaping that prison exceeded over 14,000 men and woman, fighting to contain these criminals. The island burnt to ashes, with nothing left, Natasha had planned it this way, the same way it had happened to her village of Miho, now, 11 years previously. A smile playing on her lips, Natasha began laughing. Laughing, laughing and more laughing as it started to rain, upon this hell-forsaken land. At this, Alec and Nim realized, just how hell-bent this girl was, and they'd never been happier than to be at her side. These kids truly are hell spawns.

                Upon the destruction of the island, and their supposed HQ, the World Government raised bounties even further. Natasha, now $400 million, Alec, now $315 million, Nim, now $295 million. Together, this trio's bounties were the highest total bounties of any group put together. The infamous Void Searchers, just got a helluva lot more infamous, and more bounty hunters heading their way.

                Having slipped from their hands again, Natasha and her band headed south. Heading to a long-forgotten island called Foonible, they once again searched for the Void Relics. Foonible is a very strange island, one where time hadn't seemed to affect it. Dinosaurs were still around, there was giants, about 45 feet tall, everything. Even the birds were giant. Natasha and her crew had a hard time navigating the island though. With giant insects and birds and everything, not to mention the impossibly rocky terrain, volcanoes at every turn, and dinosaurs more plentiful than cows.

                Climbing into more than thirty volcanoes, slaughtering hundreds upon thousands of dinosaurs, and still, finding the Artifacts was seemingly impossible. The only clue they'd found to them was a giant rock with ancient writings in a dinosaurs stomach. it pointed in the direction that the relics were once here, on Foonible, but it gave no direction in where they were on the island or if they'd been moved. Six months later, they found the Artifacts. Or rather, what had once been the Artifacts. Apparently, the World Government had come through thirty years earlier and had vandalized the Artifacts past usefulness or recognition. "What a waste of time," complained Natasha. "Oh well, let's go, Alec, Nim. We've still got more work to do."

                Back at Miho, where after all these years had been rebuilt, the Void Searchers resided. "Nim, would you be able to make us underwater transportation?" questioned Natasha. "We'll need it for where we're going next." And of course, Nim could. In seven weeks, Nim created a submarine for them, which could go about 4000 meters below sea level. The work was very impressive, but coming from Nim, it was to be expected.

                The submarine was in sleek design. It was about 45 feet long, silver and black. It had a self-powered nuclear core, with 6 feet of lead walls to prevent radiation from leaking. With twin super-bright headlights and a giant window at the front, it was quite easy to tell where they were going. As well as all the internal screens and monitors. "SHIT! IT'S HOT IN HERE, DAMMIT NIM!" screamed Alec. "WHERE THE HELL'S THE AIR CONDITIONING?"

                "There isn't any. At this depth under the ocean, I figured we wouldn't need any. Just suck it up, you'll live."

                "(God dammit... if we get out of this alive I'm gunna fuc...)"

                "Quiet. Both of you. We're going to an undersea island chain. It was said to be on the surface during the Void Period, and it sank about 250 years ago. We'll be spending the next few weeks here, searching for some Artifacts. Hopefully we'll find some, but if we don't, oh well. We have more important work to do than sit here complaining about air conditioning or moping if we don't find any. So get off your asses and get ready to work."

                As her will be done, the boys got ready to work. so did Natasha of course. She wanted these Artifacts just as much as them. The Artifacts told the unknown history of the World Government, and no one hated the WG as much as Natasha. They destroyed her life, burned her home, and crushed her perfect world. She had an idea of what it was, but was not entirely sure. When she'd collected enough, she would propose it to the world, and she would show it what a tyranny the World Government actually was.  No one had ever lived past the events that made it such, it's destructive force was too much, crushing all in its path to protect its power and position. Until she had come along. Now she was determined to prove to the world, what their supposed peace-bringing leader truly was.

                Natasha was ready to bring it to its knees, cripple it past recognition, and rip that damned hydra's heads off. One at a time, slowly, so very slowly. She wanted the World Government and its employees to feel the pain that she'd felt. She was prepared to sacrifice anyone and anything to achieve her goal. Stopping at nothing, she decimated all Soldiers she came in contact with.

(Some of Natasha's memories since her village burned; Growing up)

                "Halt! You are wanted for murder of World Government Soldiers. Do not attempt to resist arrest or you will be shot." These were the first words she heard when she walked into a nearby village. She simply looked at him, and watched as sores opened up all across his face, shriveled his eyes in his dead, and forced him to cut out his own intestines with his knife and bleed to death. The entire village watched in horror as this little 5-year-old girl ripped apart her enemies. Forty seven Soldiers died in the second village that day. She ripped their limbs from their sockets just by raising her hand, caused their hearts to swell and explode in their chests just by willing it so. Several were forced to swell past any normal body's limits until they simply exploded. And several others imploded.

                This child had no mercy for those who wanted to do her harm. For weeks to come, she'll be hunted mercilessly. The first bounty hunter, a low-life, third-rate man. Armed with only a knife, he expected to be able to kill the child and claim the bounty. When he attacked her in her sleep, he did so clumsily, being a drunkard. She awoke, and forced him to cut off his leg with his rusty knife, and shove the bone through his eye, piercing through his brain, and out the other side of his head, taking much of his brains with it.

                Death, no longer moving the child, turned her into the stone-coldblooded killer before she was even six. In fact, the girl came to enjoy killing and misery. "Go back to your HQ, if you live, and tell your commanders I don't plan to die yet," she told a Soldier after she'd mutilated him. Cutting open his stomach, leaving a giant, bloody gash, cutting off his fingers, one by one, carving out the bones in one of his legs, cutting out the muscles and tendons of one arm, leaving him there to fend. She was making an impression, she'd made sure the man would live if he had food and water.

Three years after the second village

                "Natasha!" a voice called out as I passed through Entuku, a village not far from mine. "Natasha! it's me, Lana! Don't you remember? It's been three or four years!" I vaguely remember Lana from when we were little. She moved from Miho to Entuku about four years ago... She betrayed me I thought. She left me there alone with no other friends.

                "You betrayed me..," I began. "All those years ago.. You were the only friend I had... And then you betrayed me! Now. I'm going to kill you." Walking over to Lana, I shoved my finger through Lana's eye, and ripped it out. "Eat it," I commanded. Struggling, she refused to open her mouth, so I grabbed her wrist, and cut off her left hand, so she'd open her mouth. With that, I shoved her poorly torn-out eye, in her mouth and shoved the knife through her lips so she'd have no choice but to eat her own eye. "You shouldn't have betrayed me," I warned her. From there, I snapped her leg, breaking the bones so that her foot reached up and over to touch the middle of her back. She tried to scream, but I crushed her windpipe, then sliced her throat. I watched her bleed out, slowly. Somehow, I felt strangely giddy and happy about killing my old friend.

                Now for the rest of you I thought. None of you would help me. Now you'll pay the price. I made my way to Entuku's plaza. Starting with the blacksmith, I began my work. He was working (obviously), using a hammer and anvil. As he was striking, whatever he was making, I made him mess up, striking his hand, shattering the bone instead of hitting his whatever it was. From there, he took the calipers our of the fire, and burned holes through his leg with them. Sparing him too much, I tripped him, and sent him sprawling into the fire where he burned to death.

                Moving on to the Inn, where they refused me a meal and bed. My fury growing, a new power I'd not known about clicked inside me. I made fire from nothing.  Walking to the Inn, I played with my newfound ability. Walking around to the back, where no one would see what I was doing, I set the roof and wall ablaze. Spreading like a wildfire, I walked back around to the front, and in through the door. "You've made me mad," I told the owner. "Now you're going to pay." Hearing the foundation weakening, I gave it a little push. The entire second story collapsed onto the owner, crushing him before my very eyes. it had gone much better than I'd hoped.

(Back to the present)

                "Finally, we're here," announced a voice.

                "Good," growled a second voice. "It's about time we tracked this she-devil down, I've been waiting 11 years for this." Trying to track down Natasha and the Void Searchers, the World Government was ready to deploy two of their remaining four Admirals. Admirals were unlike any other soldiers. They were also paranormalic. Some of their highest ranking officers below them were also slightly paranormalic. There was no way this girl and her two friends were getting away again. The World Government was going to blow up the undersea island chain they were stopped at. They were taking no chances, they were also going to destroy their submarine.

                "Nim, do we have those external pods I asked you to make with us? I have a feeling we're going to need them. The World Government's on its way." Hiding in the darkness of the sea, the Void Searchers were lying in wait for the World Government to arrive. They won't be waiting long. After about 10 minutes wait, "Okay boys. we're going to take over their hull."

                "Are the ultrasonic cannons ready?" asked the first mysterious voice.

                "Of course," replied the second. "We are preparing to fire. The entire undersea island chain, and their hub will be crushed, and destroyed." Approximately 5 minutes after the cannon went off, three unknown, dark objects appeared from the wreckage. These objects, were heading full-steam towards the World Government hull. "Oh shit.." breathed the voice.

                Nearing the hull, the crew slowed their "attack" and rammed into it at just enough to grapple on, and board. Once inside, emergency lights were going off everywhere. "INTRUDERS! ALL MEN ON LOOKOUT!" a voice was blaring over the intercom.  "Let's show these bastards what we're made of," suggested Alec. Having said that, Alec tore off, literally ripping right through the first four Soldiers he encountered. He crushed the skull of another, and collapsed three others by taking out their kidneys.

                Nim worked differently. He dropped machines, little spiders that sped through the halls, acting as piranhas, tearing the flesh off of Soldiers in mere seconds. In less than a minute, seventeen Soldiers has been turned to bone by the little mechanical beasts. Nim just simply followed in their wake, allowing them to do all the hard work.

                Natasha, peeled steel plates from the walls and crushed Soldiers, flattening them where they stood, shot bolts from the walls, with the speed and power of a bullet. And the unfortunate ones, well, they were forced to shove their gun, through their stomach, and then break their backs with the gun, through the backs of their stomachs. Or she just simply ripped out their intestines and strangled them with their intestines. And she enjoyed every minute of it.

                "What a hellish woman," came a voice from the dark. "I think I like her. No pity at all, very admirable." With 800 Soldiers on board, going against 3 teenagers, armed only with what they have on their backs, and at the bottom of the ocean, this was pathetic. Supposedly first-class Soldiers, armed to the teeth, and they can't even kill, 3, fucking, kids. "However... She is most troublesome. She must be dealt with. Hoshiki; You deal with her, after all, it's your prize," said the voice, speaking again.

                "It's going to be my pleasure, Sir," replied Hoshiki, with a voice like broken glass and nails on a chalkboard. "I've been waiting to kill this wretched girl for the last 11 and a half years." Admiral Hoshiki was by no means a pretty sight. His face had nearly no skin left, it was made of steel, diamonds, and some other weird substance. His torso was covered in giant, red, ugly burn-scars, as well a big steel plate across his breast. Both arms looked normal enough, but beneath the skin, they were entirely mechanical. His back, a hole halfway down his spine was open, revealing the bone, where he'd been stabbed by Natasha's father years before in an attempt to save his daughter.

                "AIDE! Ready my equipment. I'll be needing it shortly. Make sure it's all polished and shiny." Dressed in his armor, with sword and gun at hand, Admiral Hoshiki looked exactly like one of Nim's inventions. Following the path of destruction, he soon found them. Stepping in place as one of Nim's inventions, he cut down his own men, waiting for a chance to strike. Finally, the chance arrived, stepping back from the fray, he turned, and shoved his sword through Nim's third rib, just under his heart. Disappearing quickly, before any could see him, he watched Nim die from the shadows.

(A dark, empty void)

                Upon "waking up," Nim realized he was no longer in the World Government's hull. He was no longer under the sea. He doubted he was even still on Earth.  "What happened...?"  Nim wondered aloud. "Where am I..? How did I get here...?"All of a sudden, the void-space began to close in on Nim, smothering him. It continued shrinking, until Nim could see where he was. It was a cardboard box. "....A CARDBOARD BOX?!?!?!" screamed Nim into the darkness. "YOU HAVE GOT TO BE KIDDING ME!"  Hearing a whistling sound, Nim looked to his right, just in time to see a red object flying at his face. Before he could react, it hit him, square in the nose. It was an apple. An apple, the size of a watermelon. "What the hell is going on with this place!" he screamed.

(Back on the World Government hull)

                Stepping over Nim's cold, lifeless body, Natasha walked into the shadows where Hoshiki was waiting. "You killed him," she said. It wasn't a question. It was accusation. "You killed him, to get to me. Guess what. It didn't work well enough." Saying that, she tosses three fireballs in his direction, smashing him into the wall. "I'm going to kill you. Then I'll kill your commander. Then I'm going to bring Nim back." With that said and done, Natasha, summoning up all of her paranormalic strength,  created a small fireball. So hot it had no color. It couldn't be looked at. Screaming inside his armor, Hoshiki was being melted. His bare spine, was already beginning to melt into one chunk of bone. Soon, his armor collapsed, encasing him into a lump of steel, blood, and very little flesh. Hoshiki was no more. This time, he wasn't coming back. Calling over her shoulder, "Alec! Take care of Nim, after I deal with the survivors, I'm going to bring him back. Keep his body ready!"

                Nim's body was in terrible shape. His wound, obviously fatal, had gushed blood everywhere. His body was pale, so pale it'd make a ghost seem tan. His eyes, wide open in shock of being stabbed. On his face, a look of disbelief, and astonishment that one of his own inventions had killed him. Cleaning and dressing his wound was a pain for Alec. It passed all the way through, and out his back. Shutting his eyes, and trying to make is face look a little more at peace, Alec didn't notice the man behind him, until he had the gun pressed to the back of his head. "Don't move," commanded the voice.

                Spinning around faster than the man could react, Alec, drove his fist home, shattering his tibia. Screaming in pain, Alec realized the he, was actually a she. Stomping down on her wrist, he crushed the bone, and thus, preventing her from picking up the gun again and shooting him. Deciding to spare her the pain, he gripped her head and neck, and wrenched her head from her neck, creating a giant fountain of blood, as she died. "Such messy work I have to do," he mused as he began addressing Nim's body again.

                The Old Man, who had been watching the spectacle unfold on the monitors began preparing his stuff to leave. He knew he wouldn't be leaving this hull alive, but it was worth a try anyway. When the World Government had asked for volunteers for it, he knew even then, that anyone who went, would not be coming back, but he had volunteered anyway. Just as he was about to leave, walking to the door, a shadow appeared in the doorway. "You're not going anywhere just yet, Old Man," said the chillingly cold, and evil voice, of a teenage girl.

                "You're not going anywhere just yet, Old Man," said Natasha as the Old Man was about to leave. Stepping forward, Natasha gathered energy. Old Man just stood there, she saw in his eyes, that he knew he was going to die here, by her hands, before he'd even left on this journey.  Preparing her hand for the strike, she hardened her fingers, and shot her arm out. Piercing several blood veins, she spread her powers, freezing his blood in the veins. The Old Man made not a sound as he was frozen to death from within. At long last, his eyes glazed over as the blood in his heart froze, the blood-spikes piercing it in every direction. And the blood in his brain as well, when it was done, looked like oddly colored Swiss cheese. "You shouldn't have messed with me or my friends."

                Retracing her steps, Natasha made her way back to Alec and Nim's body. "How's he doing?" A needless question, his state was obvious. Dead. Stone-cold, dead. "Okay Alec. Hold him still. I'm going to set to work, and bring him back."

(Back in the dark, empty void)

                Still screaming, Nim realized a light was opening. He stared at it for a long time, waiting for it to do something. Then it started expanding, a little at fist, to the size of a marble, then an apple, then a beach ball. From there it continued expanding until it reached the size of a small lake. Wondering what was happening with it, Nim just kept staring. Ghostly images of his worst nightmares began pouring through, rushing at him, in an endless supply, never-ending rush. Being too much for him, Nim passed out from fear.

                In his unconscious state, Nim was dreaming. He was in an endless area, stretching further than the eye could see in all directions. And with him... Was Natasha. "What are you doing here?" he asked. No reply. She simply stuck out a hand for him. He began to reach for her, but the closer he reached, the further she slid out of reach. Nim tried running to catch her, but when he couldn't, he realized that he was dematerializing from the bottom up. Waking up screaming, he realized he was still in the Void, all in one piece.

                Relieved, he noticed that the circle of light and it's ghostly horrors were gone. He was alone, nothing had changed. or had it? The Void was much colder now, cold as winter. And he had a note in his hand, one he knew had not been there before he'd passed out. Opening it, the note read

                Nim,

Natasha here. What I'm about to tell you may seem entirely impossible but believe me, it's the complete and total truth. You are dead, I am not entirely sure where you are, just that it's some sort of void, holding area. Some sort of space between life and death, not quite Heaven, not quite Hell. I'm working on getting you out. I've figured out how to do so once I get to where you are, but getting there without dying myself is the tricky part. I managed to get there briefly, but you began screaming, and soon passed out. I was also there with you in that endless stretch of land. Alec is taking care of your body, trying to prepare it for when I manage to bring you back. Hold on, and don't lose hope. We're not going on without you. I will get you out.

--Nat & Alec.

(Back in the hull)

Gasping as she came back, "Oh my God. That was a bitch," said Natasha. "This is gunna be one helluva hard challenge. Let's start haulin' ass." Working desperately fast, trying to get out of the current situation ASAP, Natasha checked every source she could possibly check through her paranormally. Three had reference to a Cardboard Box, that looked like a Void. Guessing that might be where Nim is, she checked further into it.

                The Cardboard Box. It is a void, empty of everything. It is said that people go there when they are dead, but not fully. They still have an attachment to their world, and are not meant to leave it. This paranormally is quite hard to describe in detail, as nothing can be seen until someone tries to get you out. At this time, the person inside the Box sees a white light appearing that grows larger and larger. At this time, all of the person's worst nightmares begin pouring through as ghostly images. Most people begin screaming, and soon black out, leaving them in a never-ending stretch of land. No one knows where this Box is, or where that stretch of land is. Nor does anyone know how to get there, or get out. The most supported theory is that one must have the WILL to overcome death, as well as a second party on the other side with the will to open a gate, and pull them home. This theory has never been proven, however since it's been introduced, it's been the most widely supported theory.

                "Hm...," mused Alec. So we have to will a Gate open and pull him through, and home? Is that really all there is to it?"

                "Basically," replied Natasha. " But he must also have the will to overcome death, and not pass out at his nightmares... I'll leave him another note. I can do that much at least. Then we'll work on getting him out."

                Entering the Void again, Natasha was prepared this time. Her note was written, and she knew he'd pass out now this time, and she knew why. She also knew what to do when he did pass out. Screaming, Nim passed out again as the circle opened and his ghostly nightmares poured out. Waking up again in that endless plain, Natasha spoke this time. "I'm not a ghost, I'm not dead like you. I'm a messenger for the real Her," it said. "You will find a note again with instructions. You must follow them to the letter or She will not be able to get you out. Best get ready. You'll be back in the Box in... 3... 2... 1..."

(The Void)

                "That was weird...," Nim said aloud just to hear a voice. "I swear I was talking to Natasha... Huh? What's this? A note? Just like she said..."

                Nim,

I've done some research on your Void. It's called the Cardboard Box. It's some sort of limbo area between life and death. You've not moved on to Heaven or Hell because you still have an attachment to our world; Your hate for the World Government and your passion for the Void Artifacts. These are preventing you from fully dying. Do not let go of these passions.

Now then though. That light you see opening is my passage into the Box. No one is sure why it releases your worst nightmares, presumably to prevent you from getting out. We think you have the will to overcome death, now prove it. Do not succumb to the darkness or cold in that terrible place. We're going to fish you out, but you must not black out, at any cost, or we can't get you out. You must be awake and conscience to get out. Try your hardest, and remember, never give up.

--Nat & Alec.

                "I might as well try... No guessing what's to come next."

(Back in the hull)

                The note delivered, Natasha and Alec set to work. The wound was cleaned and redressed for the hundredth time. The temperature in the room was raised to 80 degrees, defrosting his body. Warming up the sugar in his blood, and rebooting his system, Natasha and Alec got behind schedule, it took longer than they'd expected to prepare someone's body to bring them back from the dead. All preparations made, "Okay. We're ready to proceed," said Natasha.

                With Nim hopefully prepared, Natasha and Alec set to work. Focusing their wills together to open a Gate for Nim to come through, neither noticed the great, golden light gate-shaped thing forming. For nearly twenty minutes they sat there concentrating, until suddenly a big CLANG happened. A big, golden gate had appeared from nowhere. Both were clueless, wondering if it was the passage for Nim. From there, Natasha began her job of entering the Box.

                "Ready to proceed, ma'am."

                "Good. Give the boost a go," said a middle-aged, 40-year old woman. Her name was Ella, and she was a Director of a special program. The WG, ran and funded a program that spliced DNA. Calling it the DSA for DNA Spicing Association, it created human-animal hybrids. None had been successful yet though.

(More of Natasha's Memories)

                "Well, hello there, pretty thing." Turning, I looked to see who had spoken. "Won't you come play with me?" the voice asked. Shaking my head, I told him no, I had business. He looked to be about 30 years old.

                Grabbing my shoulder he told me to come with him. "No. I don't want to," I told him, with unimaginable power in my voice. Beginning to shake, he tried to grab me. "Put me down!" I shrieked just as I felt a burst of power in me. His hands exploded all the way up to his elbows, leaving nothing on me. With him screaming in pain, I made his throat explode, to stop the terribly annoying screaming he was making. I watched him drown in his own blood, as I only made the front of his throat explode. "Pity," was the only word I had for the man.

                It was time for lunch, Alecia and I had our seats saved at the table. Alecia was the new friend I'd made, in a faraway place, where no one knew who I was. She was quite pretty; a blue-eyed, blond-haired, petite kind of girl. Slender in build, not too tall, but not too short. We were both seven years old. Something about her brought me to like her unlike most people, and she alone knew of my past. She was fascinated unlike most people who found it repulsive and mortifying. However, upon returning to our seats, we noticed our stuff was moved, and the class jackass had taken our spots.

                Walking over to him, I told him to move. "Maybe I don't wanna," he sneered.

                "Dakota, get up now, or I guarantee you'll regret it," I told him my voice cold as ice, sharp as a knife. Refusing to get up he told me to bug off. Walking over to a next table, I picked up a chair and walked back to Dakota. "I said you'll regret it," I whispered as I swung the chair around, smashing it into the back of his head.

                Screaming in pain at a fractured skull, all the kids in the lunchroom turned to stare at us. The kids at the table, eyes wide in shock. "I'M SORRY!" he screamed over and over as I stood over him, the chair still in my hands.

                "Too late for sorry," I told him and I smashed it into the back of his head, over and over until he didn't twitch anymore. "...oops...," I mumbled as I realized I would have to leave again. "My bad...."

(Back in the Hull in the present)

                "Oh hell that was hard," gasped Natasha as she lay on the floor covered in sweat, Nim and Alec both sitting next to her, eyes wide.