ReDemon Book 1 Chapter 1

8/3/2019 ReDemon Book 1 Chapter 1

1/10

ReDemon

Book 1: Beckham Institute for Prodigies

Chapter 1: One of Them

There was a ringing on the rooftop. On the tallest building in Beckham

City, Takashi Momotari was standing, looking over the buildings ledge. His

cell phone was ringing but he declined to notice it. He was preoccupied with

the streets below: people stumbling around, leaning against each other for

support as they walked to their cars; red and blue lights turning on and off

racing down the city streets; and criminals feeling up strangers in dark,

abandoned alleyways. It was home, but not really. There were important

pieces missing He finally heard his phone.

It was a cold day in December and the wind rustled his long coat

around his knees while his long, white hair wrapped around his face. He took

a hair tie out of his coat pocket and pulled his hair back revealing his red-

lens glasses.

Mooshi mooshi, Takashi answered into his headset, Im

unoccupied 432 and Lincoln? I see. Ill be there soon. He hung up the

phone and stared down the building. It was like any other building; steel,

glass, cement, all working together to stand erect. He stood up onto theledge and began to walk down the side towards the alley below.

It would be nice to say these sorts of feats were unordinary. The world

made a shocking discovery in the mid-80s and to make a long story short,

those who could do these amazing things were highly despised.

Before they were utterly hated, they were considered a new

evolutionary strain in humanity--the next step: Homo Praestans, or more

commonly known as prodigies. They astounded everyone with their physical

and mental prowess; able to outthink the top minds of every nation and

outdo every athlete in every competition. It soon came to pass that they

became a source of envy and disdain amongst the normal people or norms.

And as time went on, during the next 12 years, prodigies were

overshadowed by numerous atrocious acts displayed by those among them.


2/10

The most famous case study involving prodigies--the rule of five--illustrated

the actions of five prodigies who wreaked havoc in the United States. The

news of these five spread throughout the world and soon every nation was

creating their own prodigy policies.

In America, all prodigies were made to identify themselves by wearing

a large red P on special jackets the government issued them. Violent

protests broke out over this but eventually it was accepted by the majority

of citizens. As well as the jackets, a special school was erected for the

education of all prodigies in order to protect the Norms--Homo Sapiens--

from the prodigies--Home Praestans.

It was not without just cause for these precautions. Takashi himself

was working for a very powerful prodigy himself, and unfortunately, their

group was every bit what the public believed.

432 and Lincoln was the address of a very shady bar operated by a

colleague of Takashis. The Crested Marlon lay just outside the Beckham city

docks. Owned and monitored by Phillip Pal, The Crested Marlon was a den of

miscreants who could be called upon to work for Mr. A. Pal had a lot of

influence in the bar, capable of finding the right guy for any mission that

needed to be performed. Pal was in essence the eyes and ears of the bigmans underworld.

Takashi was more of a mobile soldier. He had his own team that he

would lead in various missions of mayhem and espionage. It was fun and

challenging and Takashi enjoyed himself. But today he was looking for

someone who was out of their jurisdiction.

Wayne Zou, another member of Mr. As team, was an inside man

amongst the new students of BIP: Beckhams Institute for Prodigies. His job

was to watch the students, measure their abilities, and figure out which

ones would want to join the organization. Like Pal, Zou was a recruiter and

used numerous ways to find prodigy soldiers, but he was also to remain in

the light of BIP not in the dark, criminal underworld where he has wandered

into.


3/10

Takashi stood at a lit lamppost on the corner of the bar, staring at the

door. He waited outside until Zou came out. It didnt take long. Zou walked

out of the bar, wearing a long winter coat. With his long beard and

moustache he looked like Confucius, if Confucius had a penchant for nice

things. On his fingers he wore a couple of expensive rings, ones

unaffordable on a school councilors salary. His coat itself had a fur interior,

that Takashi understood to be somewhere near $1000. Something was

indeed fishy.

Zou saw Takashi as he left the bar. His insides froze. He, Wayne Zou,

wasnt supposed to be here, unless Hello, Mr. G, said Zou, as he shifted

to a more casual heartbeat, What brings you to the Crested Marlon?

Takashi smiled, My sixth sense told me that you needed my help, so I

came running.

Takashi, thought Zou, Always cool. I can never read him Well

Ive already taken care of it. Mr. E has informed me of a large shipment of

Fs that shall arrive at Beckham harbor tomorrow evening.

Fs? said Takashi, From where?

Is it really important? said Zou, You just make sure you and Mr. J areat the docks by midnight tomorrow evening!

Are you giving me orders, Mr. D? said Takashi, Certainly sounds like

you think you are in charge.

What is that supposed to mean? said Zou.

Mr. A thinks that there is a traitor amongst us, said Takashi, For

your sake I hope it isnt you. You know, with men like Mr. I and Mr. F at his

right and left, you might want to stay out of unfriendly places

Mr. I and Mr. F? said Zou, Have they been dispatched?

His voice betrayed him; Takashi had to have heard it.

Well it is unavoidable. If Mr. E. thinks it is ok to tell you my recent

mission with the Fs, then I guess it is ok with me, said Takashi.

You knew?


4/10

Of course, said Takashi, matter of factly, They are my orders. Just

as yours are to stay away from the Crested Marlon.

I havent been called on in a while, said Zou, nervously, I needed to

know what was going on!

So you used your Jedi mind tricks? said Takashi, playfully, Mr. D, if

you need information feel free to call me. As a top ranking agent in this

society, I know much more than Mr. E. I could quench your thirst for

information much more. Besides, Mr. I and Mr. F are on the tail of another of

our group. Mr. J has bad habits of not reporting in on time. We think he has

been compromised. For now, please go back to the school. We need you

there and if we do need any assistance, trust that Mr. A will call.

The two hadnt noticed, but the air was now filling with snow. The frost

whipped their faces as they stood in the warm glow of the streetlight.

Well, said Takashi, closing his eyes and smiling, I guess we should retire

for the evening and prepare for tomorrows events.

Yes, said Zou, I will see you when I see you, I suppose.

With that, Takashi walked down the street and into the driving snow

and darkness.

Takashi didnt walk far. Once he could no longer feel Wayne Zous eyes

upon him, he turned down an alley and ascended up the side of the building.

He pulled out his phone and redialed the number that had called. Once on

the roof, he adjusted his red lens glasses and he was able to see through the

snow and at a fleeing Zou. The other end picked up. Hello, boss, said

Takashi, Yes, he is up to something. No I dont know yet, but I will find out.

Mr. J huh? That is unfortunate. I hope they find him quickly. Is that all?

Oyasuminasai!

It was a stone cold night in late December when the sisters heard a


5/10

hard knock at the front door of Silverstone Orphanage. Sister Lauren, a tall,

blond woman, sat on a couch in her pajamas watching the news, while Sister

Edith, a petite, brunette woman, sat at her desk figuring the expenses for

the orphanage. The two sisters shared a large room upstairs. It was their

sanctuary at night while the children were asleep.

On the television, Sister Lauren was watching a reporter who was

talking with a professor Strauss about the prodigies again. She yawned and

blinked as if to push away the sleepy feeling that tried to subdue her. After a

month of talking about the supposed Prodigy problem, nobody had

anything new to say. It was rather annoying to watch, and she felt like she

knew more about the prodigies than she ever cared to know.

Prodigies were different from everybody else. They were able to learn

faster than regular people; they had higher bone density; they had stronger

muscles; and their perception was much higher than a regular person. In

short all prodigies were super people. Yawn

This wasnt anything new to the sisters. All of the children in their

orphanage were prodigies. They excelled in all their lessons and many of

them were learning to play musical instruments and speak different

languages in a matter of days. The problem that seemed to beexacerbated by the media was the large number of prodigies that turned

out bad. It was believed by the general populace that prodigies were prone

to violence and antisocial behavior. But not all prodigies acted this way.

Beckham City had its own superman to protect it.

Millionaire Steven Silverstone was the resident superhero of Beckham

city. He owned the largest corporation in Beckham that specialized in new

technology from military might to domestic devices. Amongst other things,

Silverstone was also a philanthropist and dedicated a lot of his time to

helping prodigies make better choices.

He started the Silverstone Orphanage, where the Sisters worked, and

continued to donate money. However, not many were as generous. Sister

Edith sat at her desk looking over the expenses. Though the government


6/10

gave a fair amount to the orphanage and Mr. Silverstone gave a large

amount, the orphanage had to make some budget cuts due to the overflow

of unwanted prodigy children.

Sister Lauren continued to watch the spectacle on the television, her

brows furrowed and her eyes narrowed, she began to click the remote

control to find something else to watch and that was when they heard the

pounding on the front door.

It was not a light tapping that made the sisters rise from their sitting

positions; it was a loud, hard banging that made the sisters jump up in

panic. No one had ever pounded on the front doors of the Silverstone

Orphanage before, especially not this late at night.

The sisters stepped out of their room and walked down the flight of

steps, flipping on light switches as they went. They walked to the front door

and sister Lauren peaked through the eye hole to see who was there.

As she peered outside, she saw a man. It was hard to see him clearly

under the cascading rain. He had long, dark hair that seemed pasted to his

face. Sister Lauren stepped away from the door as Sister Edith opened it.

Good evening, sir, said Sister Edith. Is there anything we can help

you with?The sisters could see him quite clearly now. He looked grizzly. A beard

and ragged clothes covered in auto grease extenuated his rough gaze. He

smelled like an auto repair shop and his eyes were similar to a junkyard

dogs. Strangely, his eyes softened but returned to a cold stare once the

door swung completely open.

I want to get rid of my daughter, said the man. Shes one of those

prodigies. With the man was a little girl, about five years old with short,

purple hair and extremely baggy clothes. Her face was sprinkled in dirt and

dust and her clothes smelled like a dumpster. The sisters flinched at the

sight and smell but they smiled at her just the same. Please, come in, said

Sister Edith.

The sisters guided their guests down a main hall and to an office.


7/10

Sister Edith turned on the light and sat behind the desk and brought out her

log book while Sister Lauren went to find some chairs for the man and his

daughter. The pages of Sister Ediths log book fluttered as her fingers

flipped through the pages looking for a blank page to write on. Sister Lauren

took two chairs from their dining room and placed them in front of the desk.

As the man and the girl took their seats, Sister Lauren sat in another chair

that sat next to Sister Edith.

Mr., began Sister Edith, Im sorry what is your name?

The man was now staring at Sister Laurens pajama top. You know, I

would never have thought you two were nuns, he said.

Um, thank you, Mr. Uh? said Sister Edith who was staring at her log

book. Sister Laurens eyes narrowed and she became as annoyed with the

man as she was with the news.

Halden. Raymond Halden. Im single.

Yes, Im sure you are, said Sister Edith not looking up from her log

book, I guess my question for you Mr. Halden is why now? Your daughter

looks like she should be starting kindergarten, have you not created any sort

of bond since that time?

Shes one of them, he said, his voice hollow but firm, Shes aprodigy.

Yes, said Sister Lauren, her face flushed. We have plenty of prodigy

children here. None of them are problems.

Well then you wont mind one more of em, huh? said Raymond

It isnt that simple, Mr. Halden, said Sister Edith, I mean, it isnt

against the law to just put up your child for adoption but in most cases

parents have legitimate reasons for doing so. Even if they are lies. Tell me,

why now? Why give up your daughter?

I dont like her anymore.

I see, said Sister Edith, who began to write this into her log book.

Sister Lauren grew hotter with every word Mr. Halden spoke. She decided to

shift her eyes away from him and onto the child. She, the child, looked so


8/10

pathetic. She hunched so low, it was hard to see under her rain drenched

hair. She didnt have any shoes. Instead, she had rubber bands around the

ends of her baggy pants. Her glasses were cracked and the bridge seemed

to be repaired with duct tape. Sister Lauren wanted to say something, but

she was too angry to say anything intelligent.

Mr. Halden, said Sister Edith, Are you unable to care for this child?

Do you not have the money or time to take care of her?

What difference does it make?

It makes all the difference in the world! said Sister Lauren.

Sister Lauren, said Sister Edith calmly, Settle down. She continued

to write in her log book. Mr. Halden, I think we can help you out. As I look at

your little girl, I understand that you are a douche bag.

Mr. Haldens eyes widened as his mouth dropped. Sister Laurens face

ducked down behind the desk. Her mouth twitched and she was trying so

hard not to laugh.

She sits before me in clothing unsuited for her, no shoes, no proper

eyewear, and absolutely filthy, Sister Edith droned, I look upon you and

you sir look no better. You look like a capital douche bag; A douche burger

with double cheese.Um, began Sister Lauren, now very red, Sister Edith

You are perhaps the most disgusting douche bag I have ever laid

eyes on, and I have seen plenty of used douches

Sister Edith, said Sister Lauren, Could you please control yourself in

front of the child?

Why? She knows Im right.

The other two grownups sat dumbstruck while the little girl kept her

head down. I dont mean to be judgmental, Mr. Halden, continued

Sister Edith, But honestly Rubber bands? We would be glad to take this

little angel off of your hands, since she is such an inconvenience. Dont look

at Sister Lauren, she cant help you. Please leave now. Oh and please sign

here and here and we can end this little transaction.


9/10

She smiled at Mr. Halden. It was the first smile she had exchanged

with the man since he entered the orphanage. He signed the papers and left

as soon as he could.

Sister Edith bent down, grabbed the little girl, and hugged her. Im

glad youre away from that man.

The little girl began to cry. Whats wrong? asked Sister Lauren. She

knelt down. Youre safe here.

Wheres my daddy going? she asked.

Well, honey, Sister Lauren said, He left you here with us. Im afraid

he is not coming back.

Why? asked the little girl, Why is he leaving me?

Because hes a douche bag, said Sister Edith.

Sister! said Sister Lauren, Its alright. You will be better off with us.

We will take care of you, um, what is your name?

My name is Suzan, said the little girl, as she began to cry. The sisters

tried to calm her down. It wasnt unusual. Many prodigy children at this age

didnt understand. They were sad because the people they knew the most,

the ones that were supposed to love them, had decided that they were

monsters. The first couple of months would be hard for her, but maybeAnd that was when the sisters heard a noise coming from the kitchen. Sister

Lauren picked up Suzan and they went to see what had made the noise.

On the kitchen floor sprawled out on the floor with chocolate pudding

all over her was a little girl. She was licking the bowl that seemed to have

fallen on her head because her hair was caked in pudding.

Sadie Jane Hawkins! said Sister Lauren, That was for desert

tomorrow night!

I just wanted to taste it, she said, Just to make sure it was good.

Well for that Miss Hawkins, said Sister Lauren, You wont get any of

the cake that Im going to make to replace the pudding!

Oh! Youre going to make that cake? said Sadie, Crap!

Language! said Sister Lauren.


10/10

I have a better idea, said Sister Edith, Sadie, if you can do me a

favor, you wont be punished.

What? said Sister Lauren and Sadie together.

I want you to look after Suzan here. She is joining our family and she

is already feeling homesick, said Sister Edith.

Well said Sadie, Can I have an extra piece of cake?

Nope, but you can clean up this mess, said Sister Lauren.

Yes, you can have an extra piece, said Sister Edith.

What?! said Sister Lauren.

Ok deal, said Sadie.

Now go show Suzan where to wash up. You both could use a bath,

said Sister Edith.

After Sister Lauren let Suzan down, Sadie took her by the hand and

dragged her to the girls lavatory.

What are you doing, Sister Edith? said Sister Lauren.

I think this will be good for both of them, said Sister Edith, They

could both use a friend right now. Besides, it might put an end to Sadies

mischief.

Clever, Sister, said Sister Lauren with a smile.

ReDemon Book 1 Chapter 1

Documents

Transcript of ReDemon Book 1 Chapter 1