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Heaven or Hell: The King of Games; Hiro write new story~
Topic Started: Oct 2 2009, 12:08 AM (235 Views)
Hiro_Tsukasa
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NICE DRIVE!
So, it's probably been around a year since I actually sat and wrote out one of my many ideas for a story. I've just been too lazy and lacked the motivation to work at it.

However, since (for whatever reason) Amaya likes it so much when I write stuff like this I decided to take notes for one of my newer longer stories and decided to write out the first chapter for her birthday. This is something pretty far removed from anything I've written before and is drawn heavily on my own love of various games and also inspired by the works of Fukumoto and stuff like Yu-Gi-Oh.

So read if you want, bear in mind this is def. not a finalized perfect draft, and feel free to leave comments, give opinions, love on it, hate it, praise, rant or even tell me if I should write further on it. So, here we go:

HAPPY BIRTHDAY AMAYA-SAMA

====

Heaven or Hell: The King of Games

Turn 01
Russian Roulette


This was what it had come to. Dark clouds loomed in the distance choking out the already black sky and far away the low rumble of thunder announced the coming storm; the conditions were perfect. Click. Slowly, the door handle turned and with a low groan opened. Glancing cautiously the figure with his hand upon the door's knob stepped cautiously up the last step exiting to the chill night air that enveloped the rooftop. Somewhere in the distance the faint churning sound of a jackhammer tirelessly pounding against the pavement could be heard; a poor soul left alone to finish his work before the storm rolled in.

The cool air felt nice as it enveloped around Jake's body. It had been hot inside even after he removed his suit jacket hours ago and he shut his eyes peacefully for a moment welcoming the relaxing chill. The teen held a stocky build that seemed an odd merger of both buff and unhealthy and his unemotional eyes, crowded in by the fat surrounding them, gazed ahead to the center of the rooftop sighting his purpose for departing the dance below. Still hearing the faintest of rhythmic drumbeat resounding below their location Jake began to approach the man already waiting there for him.

The other man remained fully dressed in his black tux his long dark disheveled hair blowing slightly in the breeze. As Jake pulled closer the other man slowly turned, his infinitely deep dark brown eyes piercing at him like an artist studying the next stroke to be made upon a canvas, and noting Jake's arrival the right side of his lips twisted up ever so gently into a smirk. The two men stood but a few feet apart and stared at one another for some time. In reality this took only a few moments but in that exact moment it felt as if the two held their ground, staring at the other, for lifetimes.

"This is how it's gonna be?" Jake asked as rage already colored every ounce of his awkward uncertain voice. Slowly, he crossed his arms. He'd been threatening it all week in advance and was more than ready earlier; it seemed it was finally time to hold to his word.

"I made a promise," the other man began in a cooled deep tone, "Not to cause any problems or do anything that would ruin the night for her." His deep dark eyes seemed to bore into Jake as if they might cut away at his very soul were it possible.

"Right, whatever, Riley," Jake retorted quickly sounding as if he might jump the other man and strike before he even finished his own words, "So you want me to kick your ass up here where nobody can see me embarrass you?" How dare he talk of promises and the like as if he truly cared; he was a terrible person.

"Heh, you accused me before of treating you like you're a neanderthal yet here you are acting just like one," Riley retorted with a full grin stretched across his face.

"Fuck you," Jake exclaimed as he unfurled his arms balling his right hand into a tight fist and began to approach slowly. However, Riley gave an almost wickedly defiant laugh as he paced back in equal stride and shook his head slowly.

"No," Riley began with a soft laugh as he reached a hand back inside his black suit jacket as if he were reaching for something, "I also promised I wouldn't fight. I called you to come up here for an entirely different reason. We are going to settle this little matter that you've forced between us but with a more permanent resolution than a pointless fight."

Slightly confused Jake stopped and lowered his balled fist slowly. "What are you talking about?" he asked in a curious tone. The chill wind began to blow even stronger forcing Riley's long dark brown hair, resting upon his shoulders, to blow gently as the deep low rumble of thunder sounded all the more closer.

"A game," Riley said plainly and in a dry voice before adding onto his explanation, "Or perhaps I should say a gamble rather." Laughing once more he drew forth the hand tucked inside his suit jacket and held behind his back revealing a Smith & Wesson 686 Revolver; the stainless steel of the 4'' barrel glinting slightly in what small amount illuminated the rooftop.

"What the fuck, man," Jake cried in response as he stumbled back slightly. He had figured there was something off about the guy; it was odd enough the way he would come so far just for something so menial as a dance. However, the fact that he might actually be deranged had never really been a thought Jake considered.

"Russian Roulette," Riley continued as pulled out the six-shot cylinder to the side and held it forth to show the revolver was empty, "You claim to have passionate feelings about all this and I know I do; let's put them on the line." Laughing again as it seemed his eyes had been taken over by some glinting chaotic force Riley reached inside his suit jacket's pocket and pulled forth a single .357 Magnum round. It was hard for Jake to specifically make out exact details atop the dimly lit roof.

Exhaling slowly Riley continued, "One shot, one spin of the cylinder, six turns. The winner is either the survivor or the one remaining in play if the other should decide to forfeit and drop out."

"That's insane!" Jake retorted with a cry, "Why in the hell would I agree to something like that!?"

"You were more than ready to fight. Fighting's dangerous... you shouldn't go into something like that unless you're resolved in your emotions. This is just as dangerous; I'm resolved. I thought you said you were too?" Riley challenged with another taunting laugh, "If you win, provided I forfeited, I'll march back downstairs, dump her and go home. You can swoop in and do whatever the hell it is you think you can; I'll vanish. If I win then I expect the same. I want you out of our life and my hair."

Jake thought on this matter for a long time. On the one hand it was incredibly dangerous. Russian Roulette was the kind of thing you heard about in movies or of detached suicidal kids toying with; this was different. He might die. If Jake agreed, right here, right now at this very point and time he might perish in a split second. What then? Was it even really worth it knowing this? He hadn't even finished high school. There was so much more of his own life to look ahead for.

However, as a bead of sweat poured down across his forehead, slowly the idea seemed more and more viable. Starting off, if Jake went first, he would have a one in six chance of survival. These felt like good odds. It couldn't be that often that the bullet would end up in the very first chamber. Sure, it was possible but it felt unlikely to him.

While he wasn't adept enough to calculate it in his mind there was a 16.67% chance that the shell would be in chamber that would fire first killing him instantly. The more he thought about it even going second would still have a strong advantage; there would be four dummy chambers and the live one left. Once again, he was not able to calculate this out in his mind but this meant that going second, provided Riley did not perish on the first turn, he would have a 20% chance that the shell would rest in the chamber he'd be firing. This felt to be the best tactic.

Yes. The more he considered it the more it seemed like a viable strategy. If he baited Riley into going first he could quite comfortably go second, if he didn't instantly win thanks to fate, and by that time he could begin to try and bluff the man into forfeiting after that point. It felt safer than going first as some cosmic irony of the bullet being in the first chamber seemed more likely than the second. It was possible; he could win. And what a prize to be won! Marie. He'd pined for her for quite some time. Done all he could to get her to show even a shred of the feelings he had and yet ultimately she falls for some creeper that lives hundreds of miles away.

He detested Riley for this. Everything about him was wrong. He seemed overly concerned about things most wouldn't bother with. Before they'd began dating Marie had been so much fun. She was always joking around and flirting with them or dancing around with everyone at the dances rather than just him. He'd changed her. Made her dry, boring, removed, took away everything that made her such a fun person to be around; or this was how Jake saw the situation.

However, he could change that now. All his attempts thus far to sabotage or drive a wedge between the two had failed though her recent attitude clearly showed that the fighting he was causing them was at least taking some toll, but that didn't matter now. In this single night he could end the entire matter and win over Marie with the only obstacle he saw out of the way. As another bead of sweat gently rolled over the tip of his stubby nose he nodded slowly having come to terms in his mind.

"I'll do it," Jake began in a slow nervous tone, "But you have to go first. That's the only way I'll agree..."

"Alright," Riley laughed as he clicked the cylinder into place and then handed the revolver to Jake slowly, "Here as a means of being entirely fair since we've agreed upon this game I want you to inspect the tools we'll be using to play."

It seemed odd to Jake that Riley would offer such a thing; a gun was a gun. So taking it from his hands he held it from side to side glancing over it slowly before handing it back and giving a confident nod trying to hold down the growing knots in his own stomach, "Looks fine to me."

Shaking his head a little, for reasons Jake did no understand, Riley took back the revolver and slowly pulled the cylinder to the side. Slowly he placed the single .357 Magnum shell into one of the chambers and shut it into place giving it a quick spin. The sound of the cylinder spinning sent Jake's stomach into spirals as he began to feel faint and dizzy. Was he really going through with this?

As the spinning stopped Riley look once to the gun giving it a kind of puzzled look and then looked up at Jake with a glint of wild chaos in his eyes, "Me first, right?"

"Y... Yeah," Jake added with another word as he tried to get a hold upon his stomach; why was he so nervous? It was all logical in his head. Going second would be perfectly safe and then the real game of bluffing Riley into defeat could begin.

"Very well," Riley spoke as if he had no fear at all about their situation and it was in this manner that the first turn of their game began. With little care Riley raised the revolver to the side of his forehead and with an almost nihilistic grin cocked the hammer as he began to clench the finger on the trigger. It was the first shot of the gun since it had its cylinder spun and this meant that Riley had a one in six or 16.67% chance that he would get the chamber that held the round. An almost uneasy feeling with Jake's own mind gave him the sense that the odds it would fire on the first turn were somehow cosmically higher than others. It seemed as if it might be happening in slow motion but ultimately Riley had pulled the trigger.

Click.

Nothing had happened. Against the odds of 16.67% Riley had gambled his very life and succeeded. Laughing slowly with that same almost cocky half-smirk he lowered the revolver and held it out towards Jake speaking only two simple words, "Your turn."

Reaching forth a shaking hand Jake took the revolver and ever so slowly placed it against the side of his forehead as Riley had done. However, the minute the cold steel touched his own skin something happened. He could die right now. This was the thought that began cycling through his head to an almost maddening degree. He hadn't really considered the matter the more he thought back over it. Somewhere along the line he'd sidetracked himself with the potential prize.

There were now five unfired chambers in the revolver and one of them would hold the bullet. Though Jake simply knew he had a one in five chance to lose in more calculated terms this meant he had a 20% chance that he would die. While it was still well more than a majority towards survival something bothered him. Sweat was now pouring down his face and his already pasty skin seemed to have been bleached stark white. What if he died? He could still forfeit and secure his life, but then...

No, he could win. He needed to pass this turn and all he needed to secure a victory would be present. A one in five chance for failure was doable; he could pass. His hand shaking with the revolver he slowly cocked the hammer into place and then gritting his teeth so hard they made an audible crunching around he pulled the trigger.

Click.

He would win; the gun had not fired. Exhaling heavily in relief Jake handed the gun back to Riley as their third turn began. Letting out a sigh but doing so as if this were boring Riley raised the revolver to the side of his forehead confidently and cocked the hammer. However, before he could sweep through his turn Jake cleared his throat. It was time to act. It was the third turn. This meant there were four unfired chambers left, three of which were devoid of contents. This meant a one in four chance or 25% that the chamber loaded would be the one that would fire. While the odds were becoming more steep now, Jake hoped that a game of luck would be removed entirely by this point.

"Getting nervous?" Jake questioned in a taunting tone but the nervous emotions that roared inside him colored his voice.

"Not at all," Riley smirked back confidently, "If you're done I'll be taking my turn now."

"You should just give up now," Jake continued wanting to buy time so figure out a way to crack his confidence, "Marie would be happier without you. All she seems anymore is sad and she doesn't even act the same around us all anymore."

"She never acted herself to you to begin with," Riley retorted in an annoyed tone, "What makes you think you know her so well?"

"She was always happy joking and fooling around with us, you've changed her, took away her spirit!" Jake replied in anger as he balled his right fist once more wishing he'd never agreed to this game and merely beat him down.

"You mean when she was single?" Riley questioned in a cryptic tone the jack hammer had long since stopped and only the howl of the shrill night air gave them background sound, "Things change and people change. That's life."

"But she didn't act like this before, with that other loser that's just like you," Jake cried back. Would nothing crack his opponent's mindset?

"You mean that other loser she didn't want to be with to start with?" Riley questioned still further, "Have you ever really been in love? Do you know what it's like? It changes things within oneself."

"I love her," He shouted back in blind defiance, "You're probably just using her or something! Why the fuck would you drive this far just for someone you barely know!?"

"Stop talking out of your ass, kid," Riley replied harshly as his eyes seemed to narrow in murderous anger, "You made the bet, so can I take my turn now?"

"You're," Jake began in reply but couldn't grasp for the words to use and stumbling tried to continue on, "You're a... coward! That's probably a blank or something. You just thought you'd scare me or something weird cause you're fucked up in the head!" Real or not it didn't matter. He intended to try and stop the matter then and there."

"That so?" Riley questioned with a wicked laugh, "I'm tired of your crap. How about this. I'll give you a handicap in the game so you can calm down and stop blubbering. I'll take my third turn and I'll also take the fourth turn. Then you merely play the fifth turn and well... if it's not over by that point then you've won."

"Deal!" Jake replied quickly not wanting his opponent to change his mind about the issue. It was too golden of an opportunity; this guy was nuts. Two shots had passed and if Riley took the next two... well, he couldn't actually figure the odds in his head. His mind was swimming with a mixture of fear and uneasiness to even begin to try and work it out. However, in truth the odds were quite stacked in his favor. On the third turn Riley would have a 25% chance to catch the loaded chamber and immediately following this the fourth turn would have a 33.33% chance for failure. While these odds still were not beyond half in Jake's mind it seemed unthinkable that four turns could pass back to back without either of them catching the loaded chamber.

"Very well," Riley replied keeping the same cooled confident tone to his deep voice he'd had the entire time. The chill breeze grew colder as a loud boom of thunder resounded overhead. The storm had arrived and whether or not the skies would open apart into a full blown storm remained unclear. Exhaling slowly Riley pulled the trigger suddenly.

Click.

Then to Jake's surprise the man immediately cocked the hammer once more and pulled the trigger with zero hesitation in his action; his eyes shone brightly with a chaotic flare that showed no fear of the results.

Click.

Both the third and fourth turn passed without Riley catching the loaded chamber. Jake's face turned as white as a ghost; everything had gone wrong. Sweat began to pour across his face as he reached up with one hand and gently tugged at the collar of his white dress shirt. It was freezing outside, but he was burning up. His stomach twisted and contorted into thick knots and it felt as if he might throw up at any moment. It all came down to this one final turn.

Smirking Riley held forth the revolver and Jake too it reluctantly as his opponent smirked confidently adding a final taunt to the situation in a tone as if he were looking down upon him, "Make it count." How could he have done this? Taking two consecutive turns in a row after two had already passed, but still coming through in the clear. Could he simply be that lucky? He really was a monster.

Jake's arm trembled slightly as the revolver jiggled in his grasp barely able to keep it held straight while raising it to touch against his forehead. It was the fifth turn. He had a 50% chance for the chamber to be the loaded one and this also meant only a 50% chance to survive the turn. It was down to a proverbial flip of a coin; a true gamble with his life on the line. If he risked now and won it was all over. However, at the same time it could be all over and at the same time Riley wouldn't even have the same risk as he did; if the fifth turn was a pass then he could forfeit on the final turn and survive despite losing.

His hand trembled more and more and time seemed to slow further and further as Jake's thought process spiraled out into infinity. It was too risky; he was going to die. If he pulled the trigger he was going to die. The man had become consumed by his fear and doubt and slowly, letting out a defeated sigh he lowered the revolver to his side. Without a word he merely lowered his head in defeat remaining perfectly silent and only taking solace in the fact he still had his life; fuck the rest, he'd tried and it failed so this was better than the worst case scenario.

"Coward," Riley mimicked back in the same tone Jake had used earlier and to his shock reached forward tearing the revolver out of his hand and raising it cocked the hammer and placed it to his temple with a wicked laugh. He was going to fire the fifth turn shot at himself despite Jake's forfeit.

"Wait!" Jake cried and tried to move but in truth his body was still frozen out of fear from the fifth turn's consideration. Unable to stop the action at all he watched in stark horror as Riley pulled the trigger.

Click.

Laughing as the fifth turn passed Riley slid out the revolver's cylinder and removed the round sitting in the final unfired sixth chamber placing it back in his pocket as he slid the cylinder back into place and smirking gave it a spin for the hell of it. The losing chamber had been the sixth and final one. Jake's eyes widened in defeat as he realized he could have won the gamble had he merely persevered through and took the fifth turn. However, something was wrong. Every turn Riley had taken he fired immediately with zero fear of the situation. It seemed inhuman, unfeasible and though Jake thought of him as someone that was very odd it seemed downright surreal he could have so little fear of losing his own life even down to 50/50 odds.

"How?" Jake asked stuttering the word several times before speaking it. Thunder roared above them in the heavens as if signaling the solidification of his defeat. There had to be a trick; he knew something. However, maybe he even cheated now that Jake considered it further.

"It was simple," Riley began with a slight laugh and then began to step closer holding the revolver forward as he pulled out a cellphone from one of his pant's pockets and opened it letting the screen's back light illuminate the revolver better, "When you gamble with your life you have to be willing to lay that life on the line and must truly believe in whatever cause you're gambling for one hundred percent. I love Marie with all my heart and if it's what it came to... I would die for her."

"I'd do it too!" Jake proclaimed. It wasn't something he'd ever thought about it but damned if he would be verbally outdone about the issue. Riley sickened him talking as if he cared but where was he? He wasn't there every single day and though the short sightedness of his angered mind didn't consider other factors he was merely like an angry child now grabbing for straws.

"And that's where we are different," Riley laughed as he nodded down at the illuminated revolver continuing to explain, "I do love her enough to die for her; if that is what it comes too. However, more than anything my primary concern is her happiness. Right now, from everything she says, I have no choice but to believe what makes her happiest is me being around. I would never recklessly risk my life unless there were no alternative options to ensure accomplishing whatever had to be done."

"You cheated?" Jake mumbled slowly in a defeated tone. How? What could he have done?

Laughing even further Riley reached down with his hand and slowly turned the cylinder of the revolver several times and finally held in place as he continued to explain, "I worked a small notch onto the chamber that I'd load the round into before you got up here so I could know where it was by looking at it or by feeling around the cylinder when it was in my hands. Before I ever handed you the revolver I had glanced and determined it was in the sixth and final chamber. Sure, I got lucky with that I will admit but I had control of the situation the entire time. If it had come earlier I would've just bluffed my way through somehow, but ultimately... that didn't happen so that doesn't even matter: I won. I solved the problem, never risked my life or our relationship to start with and now I'm going to walk myself back downstairs and finish off this lovely evening with the knowledge that I'll never have to see your neanderthal looking face ever again."

As Riley continued to laugh he slammed the cellphone shut and pocketed it putting up the revolver as well he started to walk past Jake moving slowly towards the door. Jake turned and in anger first considered rushing him from behind. However, in truth, he was still frozen with the fright of his own death. Unable to do anything but stand there in embarrassed silence and listen to the verbal beating he was taking.

"Funny part is," Riley continued as he stopped with his hand resting up the roof access' doorknob, "You could have easily gained control of the situation. The entire reason I gave you the revolver at the start to confirm its state of being was so you had a fair chance of discerning my little trick. However, you barely gave it a passing glance and just handed it back. Of course... I guess you didn't have a fair ground to fight this battle on to start with. You were easy to figure out. I understood you the first we ever spoke and you mouthed off at me right away. You're rash. You only care about yourself and only do just enough to slip by giving no attention to detail or considering all the consequences. Despite all that was on the line I knew you'd never care enough because in the end you could forfeit and you still have your life. You don't really care about her. You don't love her. You could care less if she was happy. You simply want her, for yourself and for your own selfish desires. That is why you could never have won this gamble tonight against me and why you never will in the future. Good night, Sir."

Riley punched these final words with a bit of cocky sarcasm as he threw open the door and stepped inside slamming it hard behind him causing a massive boom to echo throughout the night air. As Riley descended down the stairs and back inside towards the dance Jake remained alone now on the roof in utter shreds emotionally. Thunder boomed overhead once more and suddenly the clouds tore apart spilling a torrent of rain upon the glowing city below. As the chillingly cold water engulfed around Jake he shouted and raged at the top of his lungs knowing utter and total defeat. However, inside none would hear his torturous cries of shame and embarrassment above the pounding beat of the music.

It had been a simply act; one Riley made merely out of slight boredom and desiring a way to stop an interfering problem with his own relationship because this was something he could never respect. People have so many problems on their own in life that having third parties butting their heads in was not only rude in his mind but unneeded stress on all involved. If it was one more issue of stress he could remove from Marie's plate, it was worth doing.

Ironically, he wasn't even aware of it yet but in taking this one single act, the first real gamble he'd ever made in the twenty-two years of his life, Riley had opened a path that would be filled with conflict and adversity. He would face many opponents, gamble the most valuable things in his life and constantly claw and drag his desperate situation up from the very depths of hell to achieve victory. He would come to master many different games and gambles and in the end achieve a legacy of greatness that none had ever achieved before. It was this night, on that desolate rooftop staring down a single opponent, that his destiny had split from its original course rocketing him down a chaotic and strife-filled road leading him to become the King of Games.

And this is his legend...
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Amaya
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