The Outsiders Chapter 2

The Outsiders
Ch. 2
Liana’s life took a turn for the worst the day she entered that schooling room and was looked at by a man named Aki Onode. He was a recruiter for The Outsiders and was always looking for the girls that could put up with the environment that they are put in. the girls were constantly being overworked and underfed. They never stopped their training and hardly ever got to rest. When the rested it was never peaceful. The Outlands were noisy and rainy. Thunder never stopped and the constant flash of lightning was blinding. When they dreamed it was nothing other than the nightmares of living in that place for the rest of their lives. There is a reason that these girls are chosen. Because they have an undying hope. In liana’s case it was her hope of seeing Heather again. It was unlikely, but she always believed that Heather would be there for her, even if they were enemies in the worlds terms. That undying hope is what kept liana from going crazy. It kept her strong and willful through her training. She was afraid of what might happen if she tried to overrule what her teachers said so she never tried. She simply gave her life away for the hope that she may one day return to her former life. Though it would never happen. Liana spent her days in her room shared with many other girls. These girls all had a similar hope to liana’s. they all wanted to see someone again. Even if they had only a sliver of a chance.

Evil. That was the word that mostly described what the people who recruitment officers wanted. They would take the girls with the most hope and turn it into vengeful thinking. Aki was good at this. He could find the girls worst fear and turn it into something that made them angry. For Liana it was being enemies with her best friend. He nearly convinced Leana that Heather could have saved her from this place and that she had abandoned her. Liana refused to believe it, but Aki was clever, and knew how to manipulate people. He faked Heathers handwriting and wrote letters saying things that sounded like Heathers words but were changed into something terrible. Liana was slipping deeper and deeper into the hatred that Aki wanted in his army of girls. He taught them magic and several types of weaponry. The girls soon mastered all of the weapons and magic. Then came the part where they had to use them. The girls were matched to each other by skill and were put together to battle. The girls that survived went on to another round. The others died on the spot. This game was created so all the strongest girls were put up against The Formations.

Liana was scared about the tournament coming up. She was afraid that she couldn’t match up against these girls around her. they were all strong and knew the same skills that she had learned. Liana had always been shaky with her weapons, but was good at creating powerful magic. In order to win something of this magnitude, the girls needed to be the strongest at both. Liana was tired and worn thin from her training. She was also stronger and had a twinge of hope for meeting heather. Liana just couldn’t believe that Heather would have abandoned her. they had been friends forever. But when Liana thought of Heather in a nice school with a great partner that cared for her. She was also told by Aki that Heather had anything she wanted and that Heather would never give up the life she has now for a life like Liana's. She was slowly starting to believe that Heather didn’t want to be there for her anymore. That she truly had been abandoned by her lifelong friend. It was a horrible thought, and she didn’t want to believe it. And that is what kept her going.

She fought harder than all the other girls because she didn’t want to give up hope for their relationship as friends. She just couldn’t give up yet. There was still a chance for them to meet. And at that chance, Liana planned to leave the outsiders and go with Heather. Heather would run to her and they would hug and be friends again. Tolomy might even let them stay together as friends. Heather said that he was nice. He would have to let her stay. Heather would make him let her stay. They would be together forever and never have to leave each other again. Friends forever. Well it was a hope that would never be lost, but it was also a dream that would never come true. Aki had something planned for Liana. Something that would change her forever. Something that would insure that Liana never left The Outsiders. Liana’s hopes and dreams couldn’t even breach the kind of magic that Aki had. He was a telepath. Not just a master, but the most powerful there was. He did not use his telepathy unless absolutely necessary. For what he wanted now, he believed that all he had to do was get Liana to trust him. With Liana being so desperate for a friend, Aki only had to make Liana believe that he was trustworthy. Aki was a good liar. Too good for Liana.

He walked into her room and asked her to come with him. Liana didn’t really have a choice so she followed. He walked them down the hallway and into a small room. He had her sit in a chair and he sat across from her. Aki asked her what she wanted most of all. She of course said that she wanted to see her friend Heather again. Aki frowned. “She is a part of The Formation. I cant get you in to see her, or her in to see you. Its against the rules. Is there anything else that would make your stay here a bit easier?” liana thought about this. She knew that Aki was the leader around here so she couldn’t go against the rules. She also knew that Aki was the person who separated her from Heather in the first place. Aki wasn’t a good guy, but he was asking her if something could make her feel better. Was he different from what she thought? Was he really a kind person who had just been changed by his environment? Could he really care about her? Liana looked at him and he smiled at her. She looked away and thought that she may have a chance to see her friend sooner than she would have hoped. To become friends with the leader might be a way to get what you really want. If she could just become a strong person in the eyes of the people who controlled The Outsiders, she might have a chance of becoming a leader. She could learn to manipulate people into getting what she wanted most. Freedom.

Talking to Aki was harder that Liana could have believed. They had nothing in common. She tried to be nice, but it seemed that everything she said made him mad or bored. Liana had to keep him entertained. But she wasn’t having the easiest time doing so. Aki was also trying to be nice in order to gain her trust. He hadn’t tried to get along with someone in a long time, so he wasn’t really sure what to say. They mostly just made small talk, he was trying to talk to her, and she was trying to talk to him. They might’ve gotten along had they just been trying to be themselves, but they just couldn’t keep from making each other angry. “Fine I don’t want anything! Just leave me alone!” Liana yelled at him. He was peeved but keeping himself under control. “Alright fine, I wont help you with the tournament. You can die along with the rest of the losers.” Liana glared at him but then thought better of this. She didn’t have a chance the way she was now. She would certainly be killed. As Aki started to leave liana called out to him. “Wait…I need your help. I want to live through this tournament.” Aki stopped where he was. Slowly he turned to face her. “Do you think you have what it takes? If you don’t, then you will die.” Liana looked him in the eyes and said with determination. “I will not be killed in this tournament.” He smiled slightly “that’s what I want to hear. Meet me in the training field in Two hours. Be ready for the hardest training in your life.” She nodded, and he left her.

The training field was where they went everyday for the next few weeks to train Liana to where she could face up to the competition of the girls in this school. Aki knew that she was determined and could be an asset to their team. Liana was strong willed and ready for anything. She adapted quickly and surpassed the girls in her class. She was now a major competitor for the upcoming challenge. Liana had gained quite a reputation, and was now known as someone not to be messed with. Magic was her greatest skill, but now her weapon skills were close to matching. But there was one thing that could still hold liana back from winning this competition. Liana was not a killer, and Aki knew it. He would have to gain her trust soon, or liana would never be able to win.

“No.” Liana replied when Aki told her that she would have to kill someone. “I wont kill anyone. I don’t do that.” Aki sighed and walked over to her. “If you want to survive this tournament you will kill thirteen people. And that’s just to insure you make it to finals.” Liana’s face filled with tears. “But…I cant just kill them. I don’t even know these girls. I don’t hate them and I wont kill them. I just cant!” Liana knew that if she wanted to survive that she would have to kill people. She couldn’t do that. But Liana also knew that she had no choice if she ever wanted to see her friends again. This was a big choice for Liana, and it would be the toughest one of her life. “I wont kill anyone. I don’t care if I die. I will not murder someone who did nothing to me.” Aki was getting tired of messing around with Liana’s emotions. “If you don’t act, they will cut you down without thinking. You are just a competitor. They wont even think twice. You would rather die?” Liana nodded. Aki grabbed her arm and threw her against the wall pinning her arms above her head. “How dare you! After everything I went through to train you for this. You just give up! Do you know what kind of crap I had to pull just to get you training with me! You will not give this chance up! Even if I have to force you to kill someone!” Liana gave him a determined glare. “I will not kill someone.” Aki’s theory of trust went out the window when he struck her. She fell to the ground and he stood over her. Aki glared angrily, then walked out of the room. Liana sat there on the ground touching her cheek tenderly. She broke out in tears. She walked down the hallway and back to her room. She knew she had no choice now. She was going to die. She crawled into bed and waited for the next day. The day of the tournament.

That night at midnight, Liana would never be the same again. Aki entered her room with the sparkling orange potion. The one that he had planned to give her the day that she trusted him. That day had never come. His mind was made up. He was going to have to change her way of thinking by force. Aki sat on the edge of her bed and reached over towards her face. He pried her mouth open and stuck the bottle into it. She instantly woke up and tried to spit it out. He held her down with his strong hands, and kept the bottle to her mouth knowing that Liana would have to swallow it if she wanted to breathe. Finally after quite a ,it was done. Her body was limp on the bed. Aki stood up and walked out of the room. Tomorrow Liana would be ready to kill thirteen people and win the tournament. She would be one of the ten new members of The Outsiders.