The Carnival

[Victoria]

Victoria didn’t usually do this; in truth she didn’t do a lot of things. Her life was changing every day; it all began with killing Marcus. Her life as a slave had become more substantial, she was more than a slave; she was a weapon and a warrior. Vic didn’t doubt her ability as a Hunter of Zone 5, but she did doubt her ever changing emotions. She was human, after all, one that had been enhanced. She began to wonder if life would have been easier if she had been made a robot.

“So,” the female spoke, eyeing Vicky carefully, “who are you?” she asked in turn, and the young warrior looked away for a moment.

“Well, as I told you, my name is Victoira.” She started, “I’m not sure who I am anymore.” She answered, and looked back at the girl. “I’ve had a series of events occur in my life over the past week, you see, which has caused me to question everything. Did you know that there are aliens called Saiyan’s that look just like humans? Because I didn’t.” she said and raised her hands with palms upward in futility.

“Yes, I did know that.” The reptilian replied, giving the girl across from her a surprised look. “How could you not know? You are a fighter, that much I know, and you don’t know the world around you, not even what a Saiyan is?” she questioned.

Victoria gave her an anguished look. “I met one, he makes me feel,” she held a fist to her chets, “just, he’s different. He’s strong, but he looked like a human.” She wrinkled her brow in confusion.

“They’re just stronger humans, they aren’t special.” Alura replied coolly.

“Perhaps…but they’re alien to me, and so are you. I’ve been living a life of servitude, contained in a bubble, only let out to do my missions.” She explained. “So you see, when I saw you, I was shocked but…curious. Joal, the Saiyan I told you about, he didn’t exactly explain what being a Saiyan was.” She furrowed her brow. “I find that when I don’t know something, I have this need to find out, and I have no idea what the world is like.”

“You said you go on missions, wouldn’t that allow you to be educated on this sort of stuff?” the woman asked.

“Yes and no,” Vic started, “we have a time limit most of the time. Most of my missions involve capturing targets for recruitment, or taking out mob bosses. I’ve never been far from Zone 5, we take in bounties from the surrounding cities on earth.” She waved her hands, explaining how her missions worked. “Once a mission is done, we return, and wait for the next one. We cannot leave the compound unless given permission; essentially, we are prisoners or slaves.”

“Why would you live like that? Why wouldn’t you just run away?” Alura asked, taken aback.

“I joined voluntarily,” Vic lowered her head, “it’s a lot to explain. The Company is run by a group of powerful men, and even if I did run away, they have hands in every town. I wouldn’t be safe anywhere on Earth.”

“Then leave Earth, I did.” The scaled warrior prompted.

“L-leave Earth?” the Hunter replied in shock, “I…didn’t know I could.” She lowered her face into her hands and moaned piteously for a moment. “I’ve been under a rock for seven years!” she exclaimed.

“You aren’t missing much,” Alura commented.

“Aren’t I? I’m twenty years old now, and I made my first friend a week ago. I’m acting like a child, having no idea what the world is like, only that I have a target and I kill it or capture it.” She looked up from her hands, ashen.

“But now you know, so what are you going to do about it?” the girl asked, giving her a stern look.

“I don’t know…I have to get out of here first, don’t I?” she frowned.

“Yeah, you have a point.” She replied, frowning with her.

The wheel turned as they talked, moving them in a large circle and stopping to let people on and off. She did enjoy the view from up high, and the cool breeze. She shook her head and smiled, looked at the reptilian excitedly.

“We’re going to get out of here, I have a feeling.” She said, grinning. “If we don’t get out of here ourselves, Jeremy will come, maybe The Company too.”

“You think they can take down this guy?” Alura looked doubtful.

“Maybe? I don’t know anything right now, but if I don’t keep my head up, and stay positive, then what’s the point? I decided to keep fighting, even when I found out that after seven years, I was never going to be free. I’ve made choices, to make friends and live differently, regardless of what my superiors say. You see, life only comes once, and I want to take charge.” She nodded and smiled.

“Does this mean you’re going to leave Earth, assuming we get out of here?” Alura asked, bemused.

“That’s possible, the fucked up thing is that I like my job.” Victoria shrugged helplessly. “I’ve learned my skills, learned my past, and I have a home. I don’t intend on staying forever, and I don’t intend on living just by their rules.” She jabbed her thumb against her chest. “I’m going to make the changes, and when I’m strong enough, they won’t be able to hold me down. I’ll make lemonade out of lemons, right?”

Before Alura could respond she held up her hand. “Enough about me tell me more about you. What is a reptilian? And you have to tell me how you got us from over there,” she pointed towards the fair ground, “to here.” She looked at the woman in bewilderment.