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All’s Fair

Chapter Ten: She’s So Heavy

    The planet of Hjiki-kyo IV was one that was perfect for anyone who wanted to disappear, and fast. It was on the outskirts of the Klinko Galaxy, and barely inhabited by any Irkens, or any other race for that matter. Hjiki-kyo IV was a planet with a low population, but one wouldn’t think it to be. The planet was   blanketed with gloomy and dark colours and the sky which entrapped smoke and smog from over-industrialization had turned the sky a dark gray so that there was barely a day that anyone who lived on the planet could feel happy.
    The planet had once been a prosperous planet ruled by the Vortians but was overused and milked dry of it’s resources. Hjiki-kyo IV used to be a planet mostly made up of Vortians, seeing as how the race had conquered the tiny, almost moon-like planet, but at one point, a great deal of Irkens had lived their too. Due to so much of the industrialization, there was a surplus of jobs and housing, but soon enough, the environment became thick and heavy and sanitation failed the standards of the Vortian race. Disease spread like wildfire and soon enough, the planet was a wasteland; dismissed and tossed aside by the universe as the unwanted child of a teen mother.
    The capital city of Hjiki-kyo IV was a perfect example of an egg thrown into the sun to rot in it’s very prime. The crime was high, and easy to get away with since no one truly cared enough to keep up a formal police force. The streets were narrow and littered with trash, blood and the remnants of drugs from illegal exchanges which seemed to be the planet’s most favored trade. The buildings, a dull olive green shade, with gray and black accents, towered high into the gloomy sky and kept the dirty clouds company. Smoke still slinked into the air from the tall pipes of still used factories, in hopes that perhaps the planet would still be of some use. But it was barely the case.
    A particular apartment complex on the west side of this capital city stretched 15 stories into the sky and was home to one of Irk’s top killers, although he could barely be called a great killer in his state of mind. Up the twisting, rusted and brittle stairs, down the 5th hall, through the 3rd door on the left with the scratch marks and badly painted over bullet holes; amongst the piles of unpacked boxes of chemicals and equipment, under mountains of blankets and hills of pillows and surrounded by stained and sickly pale green walls and a cold steel floor, shirtless and wearing pajama bottoms with patterns of galaxies on them, there was Kaiser.
    Only seven months prior to this setting, Kaiser resided in a mansion on one of Irk’s moons, and Kaiser had it all. He lived with his girlfriend, Sirra, he had money at his disposal, a laboratory, plenty victims to choose from. Not to mention, he was living life happily, the best he could as a killer. But now, all that resided with Kaiser were his chemicals and his photographic memory of the times when he was happy, when he wasn’t drinking like crazy to numb the intense pain that he felt over leaving Sirra, which he now deducted as the worst thing that he ever could have done.
    A week after not being with Sirra, Kaiser nearly drove himself insane, and packed up a stolen voot runner with only the most important things and watching as Groove, his best friend, blew up every single memory he ever held in the house. Soon after that, Kaiser had moved to Hjiki-kyo IV and would only kill the homeless and the petty criminals on the planet, stealing money when ever he could, but just enough to barely survive.
    Now, whatever sanity was left in Kaiser was dying, calling out in a raspy voice, pleading for a physical death, and even insanity was silently agreeing that there would be nothing better than death to end such pain, but unfortunately, Kaiser still had one thing keeping him alive-his hate and refreshed vow to kill Sideos, even if it took loosing everything else, Kaiser promised himself that he would have his revenge.
   Although, it was hard for one to think of revenge when one was so desperately miserable and focusing on the idea of their loved one and their worst enemy as a happy family. It was that, more than anything, which tortured Kaiser. The idea of Sideos, Sirra and the spawn of his worst enemy and his ex-lover’s… the ex-lover, to whom Kaiser now understood that his heart belonged.
    Kaiser’s hand jerked forward and his claws scraped upon the steel floor as his face stayed hidden in the cushions of comfort that his pillow had to offer. Slowly, Kaiser dragged his claw across the steel before planting his palm upon the floor and pushing himself up off the makeshift bed, the blanket that rested on his shoulders falling to his waist. He reminded himself that Sideos wasn’t at fault, but it was Kaiser himself, and there was no one else to blame for the broken relationship but he. He absolutely hated himself.
    Either way, Kaiser knew that he had to have breakfast, because there was no way he’d be able to keep up with Groove’s antics without having something in his squeedily-spooch. At least, Kaiser could rely on Groove to help him when the chips were down. Groove had gone out of his way to make things better for Kaiser, and while Kaiser appreciated the efforts, there was nothing that could bring back his Sirra, which could possibly be the only thing that could make him happy.
    And, without much delay after finally rising completely from the floor, the door to Kaiser’s apartment slammed open and then slammed shut.
    “Are you a prostitute I can rape and kill?” Kaiser growled from the kitchen, staring in thought at the 2 boxes of cereal he possessed, deep in contemplation about which one he wanted.
    “Better!” Came the voice of Groove, the companion that knew Kaiser like the back of his hand, “It’s me! Why is your front door always unlocked? I never get to knock on that thing, though I bet if I did, it’d disintegrate!”
    Groove was a very short Irken with round, greenish-yellow orbs for eyes. He wore two layers of shirts made of a silk material, the bottom layer white and the top one psychedelic twists and turns of purple and lime green with flared black pants. Strung on a silver chain that was around his neck, there was a large silver peace symbol, a dead give away that Groove was stuck in the disco ages. He was a happy guy, with a love for bombs, and of course, disco. Groove was Kaiser’s cell mate, and not to mention best friend at the asylum prison of Skitzatos 7, so truly, there was no one better to console Kaiser than Groove at the moment.
    “Groove, you removed the lock on my door.” Kaiser said in a monotone after finally choosing the box on the left and looking around for a broken chemical container to use as a bowl. He looked over the counter in his kitchen at Groove to greet him, but he quickly turned away and continued to prepare his breakfast as Groove walked into the kitchen.
     “Did you sleep well?” Groove asked in a high pitched voice. “At least you’re up. This is the first time I haven’t had to wake you!”
     Kaiser sighed loudly and exasperatedly. “Because I knew that I would have to get up or you would make me get up, and I, for once would like breakfast.”
    There was a long silence before Groove’s voice softened and he spoke, “You didn’t dream of…her again….did you?” Groove knew that the subject was still touchy, and it was a stupid question to ask because Groove knew the answer. But Groove had realized that his duty was to help Kaiser do the right thing. And while Groove thought Sirra had wronged Kaiser greatly, Kaiser was dying without her, and it was obvious to anyone who could see—Kaiser needed to be pushed in the right direction, or he would never do anything.
    Kaiser avoided the question and stayed silent, pouring the milk into his cereal and avoiding the sharp edges of the broken beaker. He was silent for a few more moments before speaking. “I remember that night more clearly than I remember the escape. All I did was complain and yell, and it drove her to him. I have no idea how I spent two months not feeling guilty about it. I have no idea how I slept.”
    “You’re just sad because you haven’t had sex for 9 months now.” Groove said loudly, earning himself a glare from Kaiser. “You need a new girlfriend. What about that 17 you were always talking about?”
    “SEVENTEEN?!” Kaiser looked repulsed immediately. “SEVENTEEN-NEIN! Ich werde nie-!” He exclaimed viciously. “Besides, I saw her not too long ago, that whore! Sie hat nichts auf mein Sirra! Nichts!” He ferociously stirred his cereal and swallowed some by drinking from a non-sharp edge.
    “Well, you don’t have to babble in your dialect!” Groove scoffed. “It was JUST a suggestion. Besides, I hear she’s got her interests elsewhere and definitely not in you.” He looked at Kaiser’s puzzled expression and decided to elaborate. “Have you not been watching the news? She and Sleek split, she’s in the private investigation field now.”
    “Zikki, Zikki, Zikki.” Kaiser scoffed, shaking his head. It was the first time he had called her by her name since she was his student. He blamed it on the fact that he no longer felt the need to brand her as a number of his own, and had long lost interest in the project he once held dear. “My poor failed experiment. I should have done her a favor, and killed her, and instead I brought her spawn into the world and allowed her to live.”
    “Doesn’t that make you and Sirra even then?” Groove inquired. “Even though 17’s kid was a mistake and a result of a commotion…”
    “Of course not!” Kaiser exclaimed. “I should have slept with Zikki, got her pregnant, and THEN we could call it even. But we’re not even, and…” He sighed. “Unlike Sirra, I don’t have it in me to do what she did. Even though she deserves it, the whore. “
    “We should go girl hunting today.” Groove said finally, tired and weary of Kaiser’s bad mood. He had to get Kaiser out of the apartment that could barely be called a place to live. “Yes, get dressed, because we’re going out.”

~
     When desperate times call for desperate measures, there is not much that people will not do for relief. It is supposed that was the reason for the sniffling girl standing on the edge of a tall building and looking down at the bustling city life below her.
    Her make-up had long been cried away and the lids of her eyes were dull and raw from tear exposure. She wore a plain pink dress that to her mid-thigh and that may have been due to her very pregnant belly that protruded out for about 7 months now and looked as if it may burst, it was true that she was due any day. However, Sirra seemed determined to kill herself off before she gave birth.
     Her months pregnant and spent alone had been all-in-all rough. The pain of loosing Kaiser was one that intensified each day, and with the growing pain grew the hatred of her actions that had lead to her departure. At least she had found a place to stay, though it had nothing on Kaiser’s mansion.
    The apartment she had managed to get into had once been owned by a single Irken female named Ima, but early in Sirra’s first trimester, she had killed poor Ima and took her housing and pak ID codes. Afterwards, all Sirra had to do was somehow get food, which she managed to by stealing as much as she could. She was sure that the smeet that had been growing inside of her was malnourished and would probably be quite underweight if born, after all, there wasn’t very much she could manage to get. But the planet she took refuge on was at least better than her home planet and provided the cover that she needed to stay hidden.
    Though things weren’t exactly bad for Sirra, since she had been in much worse conditions, it was the psychological torment of having to go on without Kaiser that plagued her. Not being able to wake up with him beside her or have him shouting in his native language at the TV was punishment enough for everything she had done. But as soon as the reality hit her that Kaiser was not coming back, that Sirra would never again get to see him, she had come to the conclusion that her life was over, and there was nothing more for her to live for. Everyday, she constantly wished how things had ended up differently, that Kaiser had taken her back in, and if that had happened, she never would have disobeyed him again.
    She would have done anything to have Kaiser back. Sirra would have given up everything in the universe to have him back. It was then Sirra gave in and admitted she was in love with Kaiser.
    Sirra looked down at her pregnant bump and slowly let a hand stroke over it sadly while her other hand held tight to an aerial that poked out of the top of the building. She was probably causing a lot of signal problems right now, but that was hardly at the foremost of her mind.
    “I’m sorry…” She whispered in a croaky, broken voice, “I’m sorry this is happening to you… you don’t deserve this…” In many ways, it still puzzled her why she hadn’t been able to abort her unwanted smeet, after all, it wasn’t like she’d seriously thought about it. All it’d have taken was to fall down some stairs when she was in her first few months, and even after, she could have easily picked up any knife and stabbed the poor thing through her own womb.
   But she didn’t. She couldn’t. In some way she couldn’t explain, she felt no anger or hate towards the smeet. The child had done no harm to her…after all, it’d all been Sideos’s fault that what happened, happened. The smeet was just a byproduct. Although she did hold it against the smeet that without it, she’d never have split from Kaiser, but she couldn’t blame it for consciously causing the action.
    Even now, as she looked down to the life held within her, she could only think of how perfectly innocent the smeet was in all of this…it’d never asked to be born of rape, or the smeet of murderers, a curse which Sirra was sure it’d always carry.
    And furthermore, she knew she couldn’t raise the smeet on her own, there was no way she’d ever make a good mother, especially without Kaiser there to help her. Sirra had decided to make sure the smeet was never born into misery and insanity than let it live with murder, sadism and rape running through it’s blood.
    She took a deep breath and shook her head, looking over the edge of the building better. It was then she decided she was about to close her eyes and just leap and allow her story to write the final sentences. At least no other female killer had bettered her.
    Her foot slid so that it half hung off the building, but the other was still placed firmly on the concrete top, as if something was pulling her back, not allowing her to jump just yet. And it is assumed that was fate intervening as it so conveniently does in times like this.
    Suddenly, something weird happened. Between her legs suddenly felt very… wet, causing the girl to look down to her stomach and let out a very small, very surprised, “Oh?!”
    It took only a second for the girl to realize that her water had broken, and only a second later a very small, but still notable pain shot through her, causing her to wince just lightly.
    She was going into labor.
    Sirra almost began crying there on the spot, “Why NOW?” Fate was possibly the most humorless, cruelest thing in the history of the universe. Right now, right as she was going to end her miserable existence before it could get even more miserable, fate decided to jump in and kick her again.
    The girl was now torn…torn between giving the little smeet a chance to live, or making sure that it never got entered into this horrible depressing existence. “Well…” She muttered to herself, “If fate’s decided everything so far, let it decide this.”
    Sirra let go of the aerial and opened her arms wide, ignoring the very uncomfortable feeling of the water against her legs and the strange feelings coming from her womb. Whichever way the wind blew, she’d fall. Forwards to deathly peace, or backwards, to give just one life a chance.
    The wind blew, and Sirra was pushed…back onto the roof.
    She staggered a little, trying to find her balance with the heavy weight on her front before realizing what had happened and sighing, it seemed that the universe still wanted just another life to torture before her own was up.
    Another contraction suddenly went through her and again, Sirra winced. Her tolerance for pain was far beyond any normal irken’s tolerance, so it wasn’t that she was wincing at. No, it was the feeling…it was impossibly uncomfortable and very weird, not to mention it suddenly hit her she needed to get to the nearest hospital as fast as possible.
    Sirra quickly turned and began run-waddling towards the staircase that had taken her to the roof, cursing the fact she’d have to climb down at least one flight of steps before reaching the elevator. However, soon enough she was outside and jumping into the back of a voot taxi, shouting at the Octopus-like alien driver to get her to the nearest possible hospital.
    The driver frowned in annoyance as he sped off into the skytraffic, “Another smeet birth? This is the third one this week…”

~
    Kaiser panted and then cackled in excitement. There was no better situation he could have been in; there was no better scene that could have been painted for him. Finally, after about 4 moon cycles, Kaiser was feeling himself.
    The lab was a complete and total wasteland and there were chemicals and formulas spilled and machines running and buzzing through Kai’s antennae and there was an odd air and shock that traveled through it. Indeed, it was a beautiful feeling and it left Kaiser refreshed. He realized subconsciously that he must have been getting better and recovering from his break up with Sirra. And he was certainly rather proud of himself.
    To his left, unconscious and bleeding profusely on the floor, there was Sleek. And in front of Kaiser on the lab table and struggling was the most desired Seventeen. He had been lucky that in their attempt to escape him, they had run straight into Kaiser’s household, which technically was Sleek’s. But Kaiser had already foreseen such an action. Though how they had found out that Kaiser’s next plan was to come after them, the blue eyed Irken hadn’t the slightest idea.
    And he truly couldn’t care. After all, he had exactly what he wanted-a way to become even with Sirra. His smile snaked into a smirk which morphed into a sick grin as he gazed at his failed experimentation.
    Zikki refused to look at Kaiser and was doing the very best she could to figure out some sort of escape, though, she doubted that anyone would come to her rescue. Sleek was unconscious, and the only other person who could save her...she shook her head and realized that she had to focus on escape, not think of anyone else.
    It was a shame that she wasn’t wearing her rocket boots, just like it was a shame that she had neglected to realize that Kaiser would be here. Otherwise, she would have been better prepared. Frustrated, she screamed like a child and banged her hands against the lab table.
    Kaiser looked to her, highly amused. “Well, Seventeen, I finally have you where I want you.” He strode to her as she continued to fruitlessly try to escape, her frustrated whine becoming louder and louder. He decided that it would be the best idea if he didn’t waste anymore time talking and got straight down to what he had planned to do.
    He climbed atop his victim and kissed her mouth roughly, almost tauntingly, muffling her scream in the process. In mere minutes, his revenge would be complete and he and Sirra would be square. Sirra…
    Kaiser’s smile faded and he blinked, breaking off his obviously unwanted kiss with Zikki as the image of his ex flooded into his mind. He slowly sat up and looked away into space, confused as to why exactly he couldn’t do it. Kaiser couldn’t rape Seventeen.
    Perhaps it was remembering the sight and sound of her crying as she had before that stopped him, or maybe it was just sheer pity for her…or maybe it was because Kaiser actually loved Sirra and doing this, using Seventeen to even the score made him no better than Sirra. Whatever the reason, Kaiser stopped, and he jumped off the lab table, landing on the floor to his lab with a tap.
    He couldn’t look over at Seventeen out of shame, not being able to harm her because he loved Sirra far too much to hurt her like she had hurt him. Unfortunately for Kaiser, he had failed to notice that Sleek was awake again, and was quietly waiting for the moment to strike.
    Kaiser was too lost in his thoughts and hatred to really pay attention, which is probably why he was shoved into the DNA synthesizing machine and slammed the button that turned it on. He heard Sleek curse loudly and the splatter of the young general’s blood hit cold metal on his machinery. Kaiser cursed loudly and looked over to Sleek, who cracked his neck and his knuckles as he gazed at Kaiser in hatred, almost protectiveness.
    Kaiser growled. “Don’t be so protective over what you don’t love, du Stück Schmutz!” He lunged at Sleek, failing to notice that his DNA synthesizing machine was up and running, and it was synthesizing something, though Kaiser had been too distracted trying his best to defeat Sleek with the old way of fighting as he was so acquainted with.
    Zikki was the only one who noticed and asked loudly, “WHAT’S SYNTHESIZING?!” With a very anxious tone, worried that Kaiser was creating some sort of toxic chemical that would eat her skin off and still keep her alive. It sounded so much like Kaiser.
    Kaiser spun around to look at Zikki and Sleek took the moment that Kaiser was off guard to land a blow right to his stomach which caused Kaiser to fall to his knees and cough and hack loudly.
    Sleek walked up to the DNA synthesizing machine and looked up at it with a blank expression, trying to read what exactly it was synthesizing and when he did, his blank expression broke and he stumbled back in surprise.

~
    Kaiser frowned as he recalled the verdict that Sleek had read aloud. At least the DNA synthesizing machine hadn’t read that the two pieces of DNA were Zikki’s and his own. Kaiser would have immediately killed Zikki and the embryo. The last Kaiser had heard, the little odd smeet that had been synthesized in Kaiser’s machine was a boy, and Sleek was doing his best to cover up that it was his child at all.
    Kaiser frowned as he thought about it. A new hatred for Sleek filled him as he thought about Sleek trying to cover up the fact he had a child. Kaiser found it to be more than a horrible quality in his successor, a quality that shouldn’t have even been present in a killer. Kaiser sighed and put his drink down as he stared at the TV mounted on the wall of the bar.
    His tattered navy blue coat was open to reveal such casual wear: a long-sleeved grey shirt and black pants, and under them a pair of black combat boots. His expression looked worse in the light, and his visage had begun to take on one similar to his enemy on account of the fact that Kaiser was malnourished and depressed.
    He was becoming bored quite quick, and focused on the screen of the TV instead of his thoughts in an attempt to try and distract himself. His antennae perked up when he saw that it was a familiar face that was plastered across the screen. He did his best to read the headlines scrolling across the bottom of the screen. It was far too loud in the bar to hear.
    Kaiser frowned again as he read that Neep had turned himself in after a little taste of freedom and wondered why exactly Neep had done so. Unfortunately for Kaiser, the reason wasn’t stated on the headlines, so he would have to live in curiosity for the rest of his life. This annoyed him further and he decided that he had to leave to go home and bask in his filthy apartment under blankets soaked with guilt and shame, mostly due to a lack of fans and working AC.
    He finished off his drink and looked around for Groove, though Groove was no where to be found, which made Kaiser feel worse and even more lonely. Groove was off getting some, and Kaiser couldn’t even look at another girl with bedroom eyes without feeling a pang while thinking, with some last shred of hope that Sirra might just show up and return to him after growing tired of Sideos. Not to mention, Kaiser was incapable of sleeping with any other girl anyway.
    He shoved his hands in his pockets and walked out of the bar, completely positive his life couldn’t become worse. But Kaiser was sorely mistaken.

~
    Sirra couldn’t even muster a smile as she looked down at the large purple eyed smeet in her arms. It made him look like Sideos, if Sideos hadn’t been a vicious murderer, Sirra would have sworn that the little smeet would have looked strikingly like his father. Save for his antennae which curled slightly giving them an effeminate look, which Sirra knew instantly was due to her own mutated antennae genes.
    He was so quiet, this little smeet that she had met and instantly decided to give up was near silent, and so innocent looking. Especially now, as Sirra gazed down at the tiny little smeet, she couldn’t blame him for everything that happened. At least by giving him to an orphanage, he’d have a better life than if he had stayed with her.
    The unnamed smeet grabbed Sirra’s finger and looked up to her, unaware that his mother was about to turn away and never look back. Sirra swallowed thickly and withdrew her finger from the grip of her son and hugged him once more to offer some sort of comfort to the small creature. “I hope you have a better life than what’s left of mine…” She whispered softly before handing him to the irken nursemaid dressed in black and white and turning back to a taller Irken female, also dressed in black and white.
    “Shall we name the smeet?” She asked in a rather masculine voice. “Or do you have a name in mind?”
    Sirra looked back over to the nursemaid holding her child. “Name him Kash.” She said simply, hoping that Fate would pick upon his name and bring him much fortune to make him happy. Fate obviously seemed to favor the tiny smeet after all. “And I’m not going to hand over any information, because it would be better off for him to never know of his parentage.” Sirra grimaced at the idea of what would happen if anyone ever figured out who Kash’s parents were. She was sure that Sideos would kill the poor smeet and not to mention, Kash would never get anywhere in life with the known fact that both parents were killers, two of the Royal Five.
    The lady nodded and didn’t ask any questions and Sirra met this gesture with a firm nod herself before turning on her heel without a second look at Kash, hands stuffed in the pockets of her long overcoat.
    Sirra slowly walked down the steps of the orphanage and the cool air greeted her, and beckoned for her to finally get rid of herself this time. Without contractions to distract her, she’d finally be able to commit suicide properly. She inhaled the polluted air deeply and began her walk down the concreted walk way leading away from the orphanage and down the way to her apartment complex.
    It wasn’t too far from said orphanage, which was rather convenient. At least Sirra didn’t have to take a cab from her apartment straight to an orphanage just after getting out of one straight from the hospital. And she was glad that the doctors there had not made her and the little Kash stay more than 3 days. She didn’t want to have to be around Kash much longer. And as horrible of a thing as it was, Kash was just more of a reminder of what had happened, more of a reminder of Kaiser’s harsh voice saying ‘goodbye’ for the last time in his native tongue.
    She arrived at her apartment complex and looked up at the top before looking down at the empty side walk beside her. ’I hope my head doesn’t crack open on impact,’ She thought morbidly as she began to walk inside the building, but something caught her eye and made her glance over her shoulder more.
    A completely black cab-looking voot runner had pulled up, and she thought for a moment that some one famous might step out. Though in the back of her mind, a nagging voice was telling her to just go inside, but she shoved it away thinking that if she was going to die, she might as well die after meeting some sort of famous person. It might further publicize her death, even.
    Unfortunately for Sirra, she was completely off when she saw who stepped out of the red velvet lined voot and she wished that she had listened to that little voice in the back of her head.

Description
All’s Fair

Chapter Ten: She’s So Heavy

    The planet of Hjiki-kyo IV was one that was perfect for anyone who wanted to disappear, and fast. It was on the outskirts of the Klinko Galaxy, and barely inhabited by any Irkens, or any other race for that matter. Hjiki-kyo IV was a planet with a low population, but one wouldn’t think it to be. The planet was   blanketed with gloomy and dark colours and the sky which entrapped smoke and smog from over-industrialization had turned the sky a dark gray so that there was barely a day that anyone who lived on the planet could feel happy.
    The planet had once been a prosperous planet ruled by the Vortians but was overused and milked dry of it’s resources. Hjiki-kyo IV used to be a planet mostly made up of Vortians, seeing as how the race had conquered the tiny, almost moon-like planet, but at one point, a great deal of Irkens had lived their too. Due to so much of the industrialization, there was a surplus of jobs and housing, but soon enough, the environment became thick and heavy and sanitation failed the standards of the Vortian race. Disease spread like wildfire and soon enough, the planet was a wasteland; dismissed and tossed aside by the universe as the unwanted child of a teen mother.
    The capital city of Hjiki-kyo IV was a perfect example of an egg thrown into the sun to rot in it’s very prime. The crime was high, and easy to get away with since no one truly cared enough to keep up a formal police force. The streets were narrow and littered with trash, blood and the remnants of drugs from illegal exchanges which seemed to be the planet’s most favored trade. The buildings, a dull olive green shade, with gray and black accents, towered high into the gloomy sky and kept the dirty clouds company. Smoke still slinked into the air from the tall pipes of still used factories, in hopes that perhaps the planet would still be of some use. But it was barely the case.
    A particular apartment complex on the west side of this capital city stretched 15 stories into the sky and was home to one of Irk’s top killers, although he could barely be called a great killer in his state of mind. Up the twisting, rusted and brittle stairs, down the 5th hall, through the 3rd door on the left with the scratch marks and badly painted over bullet holes; amongst the piles of unpacked boxes of chemicals and equipment, under mountains of blankets and hills of pillows and surrounded by stained and sickly pale green walls and a cold steel floor, shirtless and wearing pajama bottoms with patterns of galaxies on them, there was Kaiser.
    Only seven months prior to this setting, Kaiser resided in a mansion on one of Irk’s moons, and Kaiser had it all. He lived with his girlfriend, Sirra, he had money at his disposal, a laboratory, plenty victims to choose from. Not to mention, he was living life happily, the best he could as a killer. But now, all that resided with Kaiser were his chemicals and his photographic memory of the times when he was happy, when he wasn’t drinking like crazy to numb the intense pain that he felt over leaving Sirra, which he now deducted as the worst thing that he ever could have done.
    A week after not being with Sirra, Kaiser nearly drove himself insane, and packed up a stolen voot runner with only the most important things and watching as Groove, his best friend, blew up every single memory he ever held in the house. Soon after that, Kaiser had moved to Hjiki-kyo IV and would only kill the homeless and the petty criminals on the planet, stealing money when ever he could, but just enough to barely survive.
    Now, whatever sanity was left in Kaiser was dying, calling out in a raspy voice, pleading for a physical death, and even insanity was silently agreeing that there would be nothing better than death to end such pain, but unfortunately, Kaiser still had one thing keeping him alive-his hate and refreshed vow to kill Sideos, even if it took loosing everything else, Kaiser promised himself that he would have his revenge.
   Although, it was hard for one to think of revenge when one was so desperately miserable and focusing on the idea of their loved one and their worst enemy as a happy family. It was that, more than anything, which tortured Kaiser. The idea of Sideos, Sirra and the spawn of his worst enemy and his ex-lover’s… the ex-lover, to whom Kaiser now understood that his heart belonged.
    Kaiser’s hand jerked forward and his claws scraped upon the steel floor as his face stayed hidden in the cushions of comfort that his pillow had to offer. Slowly, Kaiser dragged his claw across the steel before planting his palm upon the floor and pushing himself up off the makeshift bed, the blanket that rested on his shoulders falling to his waist. He reminded himself that Sideos wasn’t at fault, but it was Kaiser himself, and there was no one else to blame for the broken relationship but he. He absolutely hated himself.
    Either way, Kaiser knew that he had to have breakfast, because there was no way he’d be able to keep up with Groove’s antics without having something in his squeedily-spooch. At least, Kaiser could rely on Groove to help him when the chips were down. Groove had gone out of his way to make things better for Kaiser, and while Kaiser appreciated the efforts, there was nothing that could bring back his Sirra, which could possibly be the only thing that could make him happy.
    And, without much delay after finally rising completely from the floor, the door to Kaiser’s apartment slammed open and then slammed shut.
    “Are you a prostitute I can rape and kill?” Kaiser growled from the kitchen, staring in thought at the 2 boxes of cereal he possessed, deep in contemplation about which one he wanted.
    “Better!” Came the voice of Groove, the companion that knew Kaiser like the back of his hand, “It’s me! Why is your front door always unlocked? I never get to knock on that thing, though I bet if I did, it’d disintegrate!”
    Groove was a very short Irken with round, greenish-yellow orbs for eyes. He wore two layers of shirts made of a silk material, the bottom layer white and the top one psychedelic twists and turns of purple and lime green with flared black pants. Strung on a silver chain that was around his neck, there was a large silver peace symbol, a dead give away that Groove was stuck in the disco ages. He was a happy guy, with a love for bombs, and of course, disco. Groove was Kaiser’s cell mate, and not to mention best friend at the asylum prison of Skitzatos 7, so truly, there was no one better to console Kaiser than Groove at the moment.
    “Groove, you removed the lock on my door.” Kaiser said in a monotone after finally choosing the box on the left and looking around for a broken chemical container to use as a bowl. He looked over the counter in his kitchen at Groove to greet him, but he quickly turned away and continued to prepare his breakfast as Groove walked into the kitchen.
     “Did you sleep well?” Groove asked in a high pitched voice. “At least you’re up. This is the first time I haven’t had to wake you!”
     Kaiser sighed loudly and exasperatedly. “Because I knew that I would have to get up or you would make me get up, and I, for once would like breakfast.”
    There was a long silence before Groove’s voice softened and he spoke, “You didn’t dream of…her again….did you?” Groove knew that the subject was still touchy, and it was a stupid question to ask because Groove knew the answer. But Groove had realized that his duty was to help Kaiser do the right thing. And while Groove thought Sirra had wronged Kaiser greatly, Kaiser was dying without her, and it was obvious to anyone who could see—Kaiser needed to be pushed in the right direction, or he would never do anything.
    Kaiser avoided the question and stayed silent, pouring the milk into his cereal and avoiding the sharp edges of the broken beaker. He was silent for a few more moments before speaking. “I remember that night more clearly than I remember the escape. All I did was complain and yell, and it drove her to him. I have no idea how I spent two months not feeling guilty about it. I have no idea how I slept.”
    “You’re just sad because you haven’t had sex for 9 months now.” Groove said loudly, earning himself a glare from Kaiser. “You need a new girlfriend. What about that 17 you were always talking about?”
    “SEVENTEEN?!” Kaiser looked repulsed immediately. “SEVENTEEN-NEIN! Ich werde nie-!” He exclaimed viciously. “Besides, I saw her not too long ago, that whore! Sie hat nichts auf mein Sirra! Nichts!” He ferociously stirred his cereal and swallowed some by drinking from a non-sharp edge.
    “Well, you don’t have to babble in your dialect!” Groove scoffed. “It was JUST a suggestion. Besides, I hear she’s got her interests elsewhere and definitely not in you.” He looked at Kaiser’s puzzled expression and decided to elaborate. “Have you not been watching the news? She and Sleek split, she’s in the private investigation field now.”
    “Zikki, Zikki, Zikki.” Kaiser scoffed, shaking his head. It was the first time he had called her by her name since she was his student. He blamed it on the fact that he no longer felt the need to brand her as a number of his own, and had long lost interest in the project he once held dear. “My poor failed experiment. I should have done her a favor, and killed her, and instead I brought her spawn into the world and allowed her to live.”
    “Doesn’t that make you and Sirra even then?” Groove inquired. “Even though 17’s kid was a mistake and a result of a commotion…”
    “Of course not!” Kaiser exclaimed. “I should have slept with Zikki, got her pregnant, and THEN we could call it even. But we’re not even, and…” He sighed. “Unlike Sirra, I don’t have it in me to do what she did. Even though she deserves it, the whore. “
    “We should go girl hunting today.” Groove said finally, tired and weary of Kaiser’s bad mood. He had to get Kaiser out of the apartment that could barely be called a place to live. “Yes, get dressed, because we’re going out.”

~
     When desperate times call for desperate measures, there is not much that people will not do for relief. It is supposed that was the reason for the sniffling girl standing on the edge of a tall building and looking down at the bustling city life below her.
    Her make-up had long been cried away and the lids of her eyes were dull and raw from tear exposure. She wore a plain pink dress that to her mid-thigh and that may have been due to her very pregnant belly that protruded out for about 7 months now and looked as if it may burst, it was true that she was due any day. However, Sirra seemed determined to kill herself off before she gave birth.
     Her months pregnant and spent alone had been all-in-all rough. The pain of loosing Kaiser was one that intensified each day, and with the growing pain grew the hatred of her actions that had lead to her departure. At least she had found a place to stay, though it had nothing on Kaiser’s mansion.
    The apartment she had managed to get into had once been owned by a single Irken female named Ima, but early in Sirra’s first trimester, she had killed poor Ima and took her housing and pak ID codes. Afterwards, all Sirra had to do was somehow get food, which she managed to by stealing as much as she could. She was sure that the smeet that had been growing inside of her was malnourished and would probably be quite underweight if born, after all, there wasn’t very much she could manage to get. But the planet she took refuge on was at least better than her home planet and provided the cover that she needed to stay hidden.
    Though things weren’t exactly bad for Sirra, since she had been in much worse conditions, it was the psychological torment of having to go on without Kaiser that plagued her. Not being able to wake up with him beside her or have him shouting in his native language at the TV was punishment enough for everything she had done. But as soon as the reality hit her that Kaiser was not coming back, that Sirra would never again get to see him, she had come to the conclusion that her life was over, and there was nothing more for her to live for. Everyday, she constantly wished how things had ended up differently, that Kaiser had taken her back in, and if that had happened, she never would have disobeyed him again.
    She would have done anything to have Kaiser back. Sirra would have given up everything in the universe to have him back. It was then Sirra gave in and admitted she was in love with Kaiser.
    Sirra looked down at her pregnant bump and slowly let a hand stroke over it sadly while her other hand held tight to an aerial that poked out of the top of the building. She was probably causing a lot of signal problems right now, but that was hardly at the foremost of her mind.
    “I’m sorry…” She whispered in a croaky, broken voice, “I’m sorry this is happening to you… you don’t deserve this…” In many ways, it still puzzled her why she hadn’t been able to abort her unwanted smeet, after all, it wasn’t like she’d seriously thought about it. All it’d have taken was to fall down some stairs when she was in her first few months, and even after, she could have easily picked up any knife and stabbed the poor thing through her own womb.
   But she didn’t. She couldn’t. In some way she couldn’t explain, she felt no anger or hate towards the smeet. The child had done no harm to her…after all, it’d all been Sideos’s fault that what happened, happened. The smeet was just a byproduct. Although she did hold it against the smeet that without it, she’d never have split from Kaiser, but she couldn’t blame it for consciously causing the action.
    Even now, as she looked down to the life held within her, she could only think of how perfectly innocent the smeet was in all of this…it’d never asked to be born of rape, or the smeet of murderers, a curse which Sirra was sure it’d always carry.
    And furthermore, she knew she couldn’t raise the smeet on her own, there was no way she’d ever make a good mother, especially without Kaiser there to help her. Sirra had decided to make sure the smeet was never born into misery and insanity than let it live with murder, sadism and rape running through it’s blood.
    She took a deep breath and shook her head, looking over the edge of the building better. It was then she decided she was about to close her eyes and just leap and allow her story to write the final sentences. At least no other female killer had bettered her.
    Her foot slid so that it half hung off the building, but the other was still placed firmly on the concrete top, as if something was pulling her back, not allowing her to jump just yet. And it is assumed that was fate intervening as it so conveniently does in times like this.
    Suddenly, something weird happened. Between her legs suddenly felt very… wet, causing the girl to look down to her stomach and let out a very small, very surprised, “Oh?!”
    It took only a second for the girl to realize that her water had broken, and only a second later a very small, but still notable pain shot through her, causing her to wince just lightly.
    She was going into labor.
    Sirra almost began crying there on the spot, “Why NOW?” Fate was possibly the most humorless, cruelest thing in the history of the universe. Right now, right as she was going to end her miserable existence before it could get even more miserable, fate decided to jump in and kick her again.
    The girl was now torn…torn between giving the little smeet a chance to live, or making sure that it never got entered into this horrible depressing existence. “Well…” She muttered to herself, “If fate’s decided everything so far, let it decide this.”
    Sirra let go of the aerial and opened her arms wide, ignoring the very uncomfortable feeling of the water against her legs and the strange feelings coming from her womb. Whichever way the wind blew, she’d fall. Forwards to deathly peace, or backwards, to give just one life a chance.
    The wind blew, and Sirra was pushed…back onto the roof.
    She staggered a little, trying to find her balance with the heavy weight on her front before realizing what had happened and sighing, it seemed that the universe still wanted just another life to torture before her own was up.
    Another contraction suddenly went through her and again, Sirra winced. Her tolerance for pain was far beyond any normal irken’s tolerance, so it wasn’t that she was wincing at. No, it was the feeling…it was impossibly uncomfortable and very weird, not to mention it suddenly hit her she needed to get to the nearest hospital as fast as possible.
    Sirra quickly turned and began run-waddling towards the staircase that had taken her to the roof, cursing the fact she’d have to climb down at least one flight of steps before reaching the elevator. However, soon enough she was outside and jumping into the back of a voot taxi, shouting at the Octopus-like alien driver to get her to the nearest possible hospital.
    The driver frowned in annoyance as he sped off into the skytraffic, “Another smeet birth? This is the third one this week…”

~
    Kaiser panted and then cackled in excitement. There was no better situation he could have been in; there was no better scene that could have been painted for him. Finally, after about 4 moon cycles, Kaiser was feeling himself.
    The lab was a complete and total wasteland and there were chemicals and formulas spilled and machines running and buzzing through Kai’s antennae and there was an odd air and shock that traveled through it. Indeed, it was a beautiful feeling and it left Kaiser refreshed. He realized subconsciously that he must have been getting better and recovering from his break up with Sirra. And he was certainly rather proud of himself.
    To his left, unconscious and bleeding profusely on the floor, there was Sleek. And in front of Kaiser on the lab table and struggling was the most desired Seventeen. He had been lucky that in their attempt to escape him, they had run straight into Kaiser’s household, which technically was Sleek’s. But Kaiser had already foreseen such an action. Though how they had found out that Kaiser’s next plan was to come after them, the blue eyed Irken hadn’t the slightest idea.
    And he truly couldn’t care. After all, he had exactly what he wanted-a way to become even with Sirra. His smile snaked into a smirk which morphed into a sick grin as he gazed at his failed experimentation.
    Zikki refused to look at Kaiser and was doing the very best she could to figure out some sort of escape, though, she doubted that anyone would come to her rescue. Sleek was unconscious, and the only other person who could save her...she shook her head and realized that she had to focus on escape, not think of anyone else.
    It was a shame that she wasn’t wearing her rocket boots, just like it was a shame that she had neglected to realize that Kaiser would be here. Otherwise, she would have been better prepared. Frustrated, she screamed like a child and banged her hands against the lab table.
    Kaiser looked to her, highly amused. “Well, Seventeen, I finally have you where I want you.” He strode to her as she continued to fruitlessly try to escape, her frustrated whine becoming louder and louder. He decided that it would be the best idea if he didn’t waste anymore time talking and got straight down to what he had planned to do.
    He climbed atop his victim and kissed her mouth roughly, almost tauntingly, muffling her scream in the process. In mere minutes, his revenge would be complete and he and Sirra would be square. Sirra…
    Kaiser’s smile faded and he blinked, breaking off his obviously unwanted kiss with Zikki as the image of his ex flooded into his mind. He slowly sat up and looked away into space, confused as to why exactly he couldn’t do it. Kaiser couldn’t rape Seventeen.
    Perhaps it was remembering the sight and sound of her crying as she had before that stopped him, or maybe it was just sheer pity for her…or maybe it was because Kaiser actually loved Sirra and doing this, using Seventeen to even the score made him no better than Sirra. Whatever the reason, Kaiser stopped, and he jumped off the lab table, landing on the floor to his lab with a tap.
    He couldn’t look over at Seventeen out of shame, not being able to harm her because he loved Sirra far too much to hurt her like she had hurt him. Unfortunately for Kaiser, he had failed to notice that Sleek was awake again, and was quietly waiting for the moment to strike.
    Kaiser was too lost in his thoughts and hatred to really pay attention, which is probably why he was shoved into the DNA synthesizing machine and slammed the button that turned it on. He heard Sleek curse loudly and the splatter of the young general’s blood hit cold metal on his machinery. Kaiser cursed loudly and looked over to Sleek, who cracked his neck and his knuckles as he gazed at Kaiser in hatred, almost protectiveness.
    Kaiser growled. “Don’t be so protective over what you don’t love, du Stück Schmutz!” He lunged at Sleek, failing to notice that his DNA synthesizing machine was up and running, and it was synthesizing something, though Kaiser had been too distracted trying his best to defeat Sleek with the old way of fighting as he was so acquainted with.
    Zikki was the only one who noticed and asked loudly, “WHAT’S SYNTHESIZING?!” With a very anxious tone, worried that Kaiser was creating some sort of toxic chemical that would eat her skin off and still keep her alive. It sounded so much like Kaiser.
    Kaiser spun around to look at Zikki and Sleek took the moment that Kaiser was off guard to land a blow right to his stomach which caused Kaiser to fall to his knees and cough and hack loudly.
    Sleek walked up to the DNA synthesizing machine and looked up at it with a blank expression, trying to read what exactly it was synthesizing and when he did, his blank expression broke and he stumbled back in surprise.

~
    Kaiser frowned as he recalled the verdict that Sleek had read aloud. At least the DNA synthesizing machine hadn’t read that the two pieces of DNA were Zikki’s and his own. Kaiser would have immediately killed Zikki and the embryo. The last Kaiser had heard, the little odd smeet that had been synthesized in Kaiser’s machine was a boy, and Sleek was doing his best to cover up that it was his child at all.
    Kaiser frowned as he thought about it. A new hatred for Sleek filled him as he thought about Sleek trying to cover up the fact he had a child. Kaiser found it to be more than a horrible quality in his successor, a quality that shouldn’t have even been present in a killer. Kaiser sighed and put his drink down as he stared at the TV mounted on the wall of the bar.
    His tattered navy blue coat was open to reveal such casual wear: a long-sleeved grey shirt and black pants, and under them a pair of black combat boots. His expression looked worse in the light, and his visage had begun to take on one similar to his enemy on account of the fact that Kaiser was malnourished and depressed.
    He was becoming bored quite quick, and focused on the screen of the TV instead of his thoughts in an attempt to try and distract himself. His antennae perked up when he saw that it was a familiar face that was plastered across the screen. He did his best to read the headlines scrolling across the bottom of the screen. It was far too loud in the bar to hear.
    Kaiser frowned again as he read that Neep had turned himself in after a little taste of freedom and wondered why exactly Neep had done so. Unfortunately for Kaiser, the reason wasn’t stated on the headlines, so he would have to live in curiosity for the rest of his life. This annoyed him further and he decided that he had to leave to go home and bask in his filthy apartment under blankets soaked with guilt and shame, mostly due to a lack of fans and working AC.
    He finished off his drink and looked around for Groove, though Groove was no where to be found, which made Kaiser feel worse and even more lonely. Groove was off getting some, and Kaiser couldn’t even look at another girl with bedroom eyes without feeling a pang while thinking, with some last shred of hope that Sirra might just show up and return to him after growing tired of Sideos. Not to mention, Kaiser was incapable of sleeping with any other girl anyway.
    He shoved his hands in his pockets and walked out of the bar, completely positive his life couldn’t become worse. But Kaiser was sorely mistaken.

~
    Sirra couldn’t even muster a smile as she looked down at the large purple eyed smeet in her arms. It made him look like Sideos, if Sideos hadn’t been a vicious murderer, Sirra would have sworn that the little smeet would have looked strikingly like his father. Save for his antennae which curled slightly giving them an effeminate look, which Sirra knew instantly was due to her own mutated antennae genes.
    He was so quiet, this little smeet that she had met and instantly decided to give up was near silent, and so innocent looking. Especially now, as Sirra gazed down at the tiny little smeet, she couldn’t blame him for everything that happened. At least by giving him to an orphanage, he’d have a better life than if he had stayed with her.
    The unnamed smeet grabbed Sirra’s finger and looked up to her, unaware that his mother was about to turn away and never look back. Sirra swallowed thickly and withdrew her finger from the grip of her son and hugged him once more to offer some sort of comfort to the small creature. “I hope you have a better life than what’s left of mine…” She whispered softly before handing him to the irken nursemaid dressed in black and white and turning back to a taller Irken female, also dressed in black and white.
    “Shall we name the smeet?” She asked in a rather masculine voice. “Or do you have a name in mind?”
    Sirra looked back over to the nursemaid holding her child. “Name him Kash.” She said simply, hoping that Fate would pick upon his name and bring him much fortune to make him happy. Fate obviously seemed to favor the tiny smeet after all. “And I’m not going to hand over any information, because it would be better off for him to never know of his parentage.” Sirra grimaced at the idea of what would happen if anyone ever figured out who Kash’s parents were. She was sure that Sideos would kill the poor smeet and not to mention, Kash would never get anywhere in life with the known fact that both parents were killers, two of the Royal Five.
    The lady nodded and didn’t ask any questions and Sirra met this gesture with a firm nod herself before turning on her heel without a second look at Kash, hands stuffed in the pockets of her long overcoat.
    Sirra slowly walked down the steps of the orphanage and the cool air greeted her, and beckoned for her to finally get rid of herself this time. Without contractions to distract her, she’d finally be able to commit suicide properly. She inhaled the polluted air deeply and began her walk down the concreted walk way leading away from the orphanage and down the way to her apartment complex.
    It wasn’t too far from said orphanage, which was rather convenient. At least Sirra didn’t have to take a cab from her apartment straight to an orphanage just after getting out of one straight from the hospital. And she was glad that the doctors there had not made her and the little Kash stay more than 3 days. She didn’t want to have to be around Kash much longer. And as horrible of a thing as it was, Kash was just more of a reminder of what had happened, more of a reminder of Kaiser’s harsh voice saying ‘goodbye’ for the last time in his native tongue.
    She arrived at her apartment complex and looked up at the top before looking down at the empty side walk beside her. ’I hope my head doesn’t crack open on impact,’ She thought morbidly as she began to walk inside the building, but something caught her eye and made her glance over her shoulder more.
    A completely black cab-looking voot runner had pulled up, and she thought for a moment that some one famous might step out. Though in the back of her mind, a nagging voice was telling her to just go inside, but she shoved it away thinking that if she was going to die, she might as well die after meeting some sort of famous person. It might further publicize her death, even.
    Unfortunately for Sirra, she was completely off when she saw who stepped out of the red velvet lined voot and she wished that she had listened to that little voice in the back of her head.