Sorry for the late upload guys, I have been busy for the last few weeks. Personal stuff and what not. Anyway, remember to tell me what you think of the story, and I will catch you guys later.

-At the Inn, Inn Lobby, 45 minutes later- Crysis POV

Man, Ruby can be pretty professional sometimes. I'm so used to her cute, childish exposition that it is still weirding me out.

I looked at Ruby, who was standing next to me. I soon noticed she wasn't intertwined to my right arm like usual.

Probably still trying to keep that sophisticated facade of hers…. I looked up at the front desk of the inn, and noticed the people in front of us have finally finished signing in. We walked up to the desk, a young woman sitting there writing on a notepad. She quickly scribbled down one last thing, then looked up at us with a happy, and oddly creepy, smile.

"Hello! How may I help you two?" She was now beaming at us, and it was still creeping me out how enthusiastic she was about it.

Ruby was quick to answer as usual, I think it was because she disliked awkward silences.

"Yes. We are the mayors friends, I believe he reserved a room for us?" The lady looked at the two of us, still keeping her happy demeanor, but I could tell she was studying us at the same time.

"Of course! Just give me a moment…." She then twirled around in her chair, and opened a filing cabinet then was next to her. After a few seconds of hearing nothing but the sound of shuffling folders, she whipped one out of the cabinet.

"Ah yes, here we go! Medium sized room… queen sized bed… reserved by mayor!" She then looked up at the two of us and rose an eyebrow.

"May I ask how you two young people know the mayor, and how I can be sure this room is actually for you?" She then looked at us without the creepy smile, which for some reason creeped me out even more. Me and Ruby looked at each other for a second, trying to figure out what to say.

"Um… We are the two hunters that were sent from Beacon to assist in the raids that have been happening. You can CALL the mayor to verify we are the hunters, or we can show you these." Ruby then held out her bright red Scroll, and I then searched my coat for mine. I soon found it and held it out. The receptionists eyes went wide.

"May… May I see this for a second if you don't mind?" She asked Ruby nervously for some reason.

Ruby shrugged.

"Sure." She then held out the Scroll for the lady to hold, and I slide mine back into my pocket. The lady was turning the thing over left and right, when she actually flipped it over to show the Beacon icon engraved on the back, along with Ruby's name engraved underneath that. She then looked up at Ruby.

"What did you say your name was Miss?"

"Ruby Rose." Ruby said almost immediately.

The woman looked down at the Scroll, as if to verify if this was actually Ruby's. She then handed it back to her, then looked at me.

"And your name sir?" She asked politely this time, discarding both her awkward, jubilant expression, and her nervous one.

I blinked at her. But she couldn't tell since I was still wearing both my hat and glasses. Thankfully Ruby stepped in as usual.

"His name is Crysis Rapture. He is my partner for this assignment." The Lady looked at both me and Ruby for a second, then nodded. She reached into the folder, and held out a pair of copper-looking keys. I grabbed them before Ruby could. She quickly looked at me, and was about to pout at me before she noticed the lady was still looking at us.

"Thank you." Ruby said, as she grabbed me and began to drag me down the hall by the collar of my coat. As we were walking away, well more like I was being dragged away, I saw the receptionist lean over her desk.

"Room 4-2!" She said rather loudly, as me and Ruby turned the corner in a new hallway.

-15 Minutes later, Room 4-2- Crysis POV

Wow...Big room…. Me and Ruby stood there, our jaws slightly dropped at the room, no, the suite, that was in front of them. It was close to quadruple the size our our dorms back at Beacon. The bed was located at the left corner of the room, and next to it where windows that outlooked the cliffs at they which we arrived. The sun would set under those cliffs, but at the moment it was high in the sky. It was only 11:00 in the morning after all.

"I guess we should get comfortable?" Ruby suggested. I nodded, and threw my things on the table in the bottom left corner of the room. I Also leaned Victorias Wrath against the table leg, but kept Pain in it's sheath. I feel weird not having it on me, hence why I sleep with it under my pillow every night. Ruby put all of her stuff neatly on the bed, and Cresent Rose right next to her pack.

I soon walked over and sat myself on the couch, which was ALOT better quality than the one on the airship. It also didn't move. Ruby walked over and sat next to me, then somehow her gaze fell to my shuriken. She then tilted her head to me.

"You remember the first night up on the roof? The day before initiation? In the ball room?" I looked down at her, and raised an eyebrow.

"Of c-course. What are you getting at?"

"Well. I asked you how your weapon got it's name, and you said you tell me some other time. Why not now? We shouldn't go scouting until dusk, so we have time to kill."

I looked at her.

Did I really say that to her…? Oh yea, I did. I don't know if I want to remember why….

I battled with myself for what seemed like eternity, but what was really only a second. I sighed.

"This is g-gonna be a long story…." I started to say. She curled around my right arm.

"I have time." She said in a calm tone.

"V-very well. Now it w-was a long time ago. It was two or three years after my parents died…."

-Flashback, 8 years, Orphanage in Vale coast colony- Kid Crysis POV

"Creak"

I sat on the swing in the corner of the playground. As usual, I was alone. I slowly looked up, and saw all the others kids playing and laughing, running around and having fun. I sat by myself in the back of the playground, slowly going back and forth on the old swing set.

"Croak"

The hinges and chains were rusted, so the old swings moaned with every motion. I liked it. The solitude left me to my thought, and I was always alone. Since I witnessed was happened in the woods that day, I couldn't talk. All I heard was my mother scream when I talked, and I remember how I was hopeless to help them. I couldn't save my mom...my dad...my brother….

A tear streamed down my face.

"Croak"

The kids saw me as a freak, I didn't talk, didn't play with any of the other kids, I avoided everyone to the best of my ability. People didn't like me, and I disliked them just as much.

"Creak"

"Hey!"

I looked up, and saw a girl standing in front of me. She had ginger hair that looked like the color of a sunrise, and wore a purple dress that went down to her knees. She looked at me with a worried look on her face.

"Are you okay? You're sitting here all by yourself…" I slowly dropped my head down to look back down at the ground. People didn't like me, she would just see me as a freak and leave after a little bit.

But for some reason… she didn't.

She sat in the swing next to me, and began to swing back and forth.

"Creak"

"So...whats your name?" She asked.

I slowly tilted my head to my right at her, and saw she was smiling.

Why was she smiling?

I shook my head, and she looked at me in puzzlement.

"You don't have a name?" She asked. I was now actually looking at her, at her deep hazel eyes. I was looking at her for a few seconds, when she giggled, and I realized that I was staring. I reached into my pocket and took out a crumpled up piece of paper and a broken pencil with a dull tip. I began to write a note, the note that would start the first conversation I had with a person since the incident.

Crysis Rapture. I do not talk, don't like to talk

Again she giggled, and I began to shrink back.

She laughing at me like all the others do….

"Thats a funny name. I like it. Mine is Victoria Pulchra, nice to meet you Crysis." She got off the swing and held out her hand, smiling as she did. I looked at her, my hands still holding on the swing chains. I slowly took my right hand off the chain and looked at it, then slowly reached it out in front of me. She grabbed my hand and shook it. I slowly looked from my hand to her.

Why was this girl being nice to me? I'm the outcast, I'm the no-good freak, so WHY is she talking to me? I raised my head so my eyes met hers, and saw that they were full of joy and happiness. My face changed ever so slightly into that of slight confusion, and somehow she saw this.

"Whats with the puzzled face?" She tilted her head as she asked, but still keeping that wonderful smile of hers.

I again took out the piece of paper and wrote another message.

Why are you talking to me? No one here likes me. I am the freak.

I finished scribbling the note, and handed to her. She held the note in both hands. The smile that was on her face slowly faded, and she sat back on the swings, letting her auburn hair fall along the sides of her face.

"I was brought here because my mommy died in the monster raid. After that my daddy wouldn't smile, and was always angry. Then one day he didn't come home like he usually did, and I was alone. Then after awhile a woman in a suit came and told me daddy wasn't coming home. Ever. And she brought me here." I caught a glimpse of her face from behind her hair, which was acting like a curtain to shield her face from me, and saw a tear roll down her face and hit the ground. She wiped her face with her hand, then looked at me, her face was red from tears and sorrow.

"I saw how you come here everyday, and sit by yourself. I've seen how you get pushed around and made fun of, and when I saw this…," another tear rolled down her face.

"I thought I might finally have met someone who understands the pain I go through. The pain of being alone." She ran her hand through her hair, and began to make a fist.

"This hair...I get made fun of because of it… because it's not normal…." She began to cry again, and for some reason I began to dislike it when she cried. I got my piece of paper, flipped it over, and began to write.

I like your hair. It's pretty.

She looked at the note, and began to cry even more. I shrunk back.

Did I do something wrong? I probably made her-

I never finished that thought because, before I knew it, she was hugging me.

"Thank you Crysis…." She back away from the hug and looked at me, to see I was wearing a miniscule smile. I nodded, and got off the swing. As I did the bell went off, signaling the end of recess. Victoria then looked at me, somehow discarding her saddened features that were there only but a second ago. She smiled at me, something that made me happy for some strange reason.

"Want to sit with me at lunch?" I blushed a bit, then nodded. She giggled with excitement and, the next thing I knew, we were running towards the door, hand in hand.

- 4 years ago, Vale Coast Hospital- Crysis POV

"I...I'm sorry. She didn't make it…." The doctor words hit me like a bullet. My world was crumbling before me. The only person who had ever cared for me, the only friend I ever had, the person I swore to protect the day after we met, the first person I had developed feelings for since my parents died...was gone….

I failed….I couldn't save her….

I grabbed the doctor by the collar ( I was tall for a 12 year old ) and slammed him against the wall behind him. I looked him in the eyes, which were now filled with anger and sorrow, and saw only fear and desperation.

"W-we did all we could I swear! Her heart just...stopped. We tried to revive her, but it was too late.…" His eyes met mine, and we stayed there for a second. I then threw the doctor to my left, and he landed on the ground with a thud, his papers flying and scattering across the floor. I fell to my knees, and tears began to stream down my face.

Why? Why couldn't it have been me? She didn't do anything to deserve this…. I was on the ground motionless, seeing no reason to get up. And why should I? She was the only one who acknowledged my existence, the only one who saw me as more than the lonely mute kid.

Get up.

My head shot up. My eyes and ears were trying to find the source of the sound, the enchanting sound that I would never hear again.

Get up Crysis….

I listen and I got up, not really knowing why. My face was still stained with tears, but I was still searching for the voice.

Don't revert back into the lonely boy that you were all those years ago….

I suddenly realized who was talking to me.

Victoria…? Am I hearing things? Am I going insane? I put my hands on my head, wanting this torture to stop.

Semblences are a magical thing Crysis, and mine is allowing me to tell you my final words. Don't shrink back into your shell, but stand tall. Be the hero, protect those who need to be protected. Make it so people won't have to go through what we did...Please Crysis...do this...for me….

Her voice began to fade, and I started to panic.

Nononono Victoria please...don't leave me….

I will always be with you Crysis...I promise….

Her voice faded into silence, but I heard what she said last. I slowly got up, even though my body told me not to, and pulled the cap of my hat close to my face, trying to hide the tears.

Okay Victoria. I'll do it. I'll be the hero...for you….

I got up and began to walk away, when the doctor I threw to the ground grabbed my shoulder. I whipped around, my face filled with anger and on the breaking point. He held out a closed fist.

"The last she she was able to tell us. Was to tell us to give this to you." I held out my hand, and the doctor dropped a crumbled piece of paper into it, then walked away. I brought the paper close to me.

What is this….?

I unraveled the paper, and my eyes went wide.

Is this…?

It was the piece of paper I had in my pocket the day I met Victoria. The one I wrote on since I refused to talk. It had those three sentences on it. The three I remember so vividly.

Crysis Rapture. I do not talk, don't like to talk.

Why are you talking to me? No one here likes me. I am the freak.

I like your hair. It's pretty.

I held the paper tightly in my hand, then turned around to the exit. When I got outside of the hospital, I looked around and saw the sign on the left directing me towards the orphanage.

I went right.

FLASHBACK. Read that as if I was yelling it in a dramatic voice. Now you just went back and did it. Now you are smiling. Boom, Crysis strikes yet again. Besides that, what did you guys think? I thought of Victoria with the help of a friend, and if you want to know, her last name (Pulchra) means 'Beautiful' in latin. Hope you guys enjoyed, and leave a review to tell me what you think! Thanks guys, I will see you soon!