Here's the first chapter of my story Sin's Judgement, I posted the prologue a while ago during a bit of a writer's depression. YES! We get those too! Not just artists! Anyhow, here's the story.!

I'd recommend downloading for correct format.

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Sin's Judgement
Chapter One
The Monster


Clarinze let out a heavy sigh of relief as she turned the wheel to the steel door shut, now safe in her haven she could relax a little. Her first order of priority was to get the Steam Gauntlet of her. Rolling up her sleeve, she pulled out a wrench from her back pocket and started to undo the anchoring mechanism while walking to the workbench. The gauntlet landing with a heavy thud as it came loose from her right hand, her improved right hand. From the elbow down it carried the welcoming shine of brass, inside of it she could hear gears turn as she moved it. The most beautiful sound in the world to her. The gears inside wasn't brass though, it was titanium and surgical steel, the same as the connection that fused it to her organic elbow.

Slumping down in a chair, she let her arms hang down along the sides and her head tilted back, looking up at the ceiling. This had been her first fight in the tournament, and if it hadn't been for that black thing, she'd be in the Sanctuary or six feet under by now. She'd expected hard fights, but not this early on. It made her wonder what she was even doing here.

When she left home and bought her ticket, it had seen like the greatest adventure in the world. Fight in the tournament of the gods, Sin's Judgement, win a prize. A gift of your choice from the gods themselves. The first year, everyone had laughed at the prophets that declared the god's divine design onto the world. All, but a few dozen fighters, willing to risk life and ridicule for a fictive prize no one believed in.

Then it happened, on the last day, the last fight that was aired all across the world. As the last fighter, Tarin Jaaquint, declared victory to the skies. The heavens opened and the god's stepped down upon the world and offered him one wish, one singe wish. With but a few limitations, such as he could not disturb free will, wish someone to death, or demand godhood. He'd wished for more fighters next year. And the people flocked to the tournament next years, hundreds came to take their chances and fight for prize. This year, the fighters were less than the second year, but more than the first and fourth. The second and third having weeded out those that didn't understand just how hard it was and those too weak to survive.

And this year was special, all previous winners, except for the one from last year, was here again to try and win again. Where they were in the city, Clarinze wasn't too sure at the moment. Since there was a hierarchy to the battles, in some twisted way at least. Each fighter or team was given a Haven somewhere in the city, fighters from previous years that had acquired more prestige was given Havens closer to the city centre, while newcomers were placed in the outer edges of it.

Clarinze had been given a stranded steamboat, which she had eagerly set up chop in the boiler room. Here she could scavenge for parts parts and fuel if she needed, and if she needed heat she could just turn on a fire in the furnace.

After sitting in the oh so comfortable chair for a while, she lifted her head and reached up to tap her finger against her gauntlet. A hollow thump being her reply. Then she let out a sigh and got up, she needed to upgrade it if she would have any chance in the future. But she had to hurry, rules said a contestant could only stay in his or her haven for twenty four hours before going outside again. Or else a warning would be issued by Orderlies.


Subway Station 34, Hinten St.


Tarin whistled as he walked, swirling his chain idly in the air next to him. So far he hadn't come into any fights at all, his rival had disappeared early in the first day and hadn't been seen since. Which caused the first year winner some level of annoyance, he'd hoped to get some real fights early on this time. But people seemed to avoid him, even those he reckoned was strong enough to stand up to him. Oh well, eventually people would have to fight against him if they wanted to win. But he hadn't been actively looking for fights, more just wandering and hoping it was going to come to him. But he tried of that, and now he was looking, and the best place to be was down in the subway tunnels. As it was the easiest place to get around the city in.

At appearance, Tarin wasn't an imposing character. He stood at an average height for the people of his country, which was around six feet. He had a friendly, soft look to his face. Gentle eyes and a kind smile, his head was topped off with a well kept, medium length bush brown of hair. Being a outdoor person, his skin was naturally tanned. His clothing was sturdy, yet casual. Black jeans with three belts, one to keep them up, and the two other's being mostly for style and carrying his small belt bags in. A white t-shirt and tarnished leather jacket accompanied his pants. His feet were encased in sturdy, outdoor booths, former military ones he'd gotten cheap at a sale. And then there was his weapon of choice, Betsy, a spiked length of chain about three times as long as he was. It was burnt black from the first year, when he'd come against a contestant that had a thing for fire.

A noise caught his ear and he glanced in it's direction, raising an eyebrow at the thing that he saw. The black-skinning thing that was crawling over the floor of the platform, it's face in the floor and dragging it back and fourth, sniffing like a blood hound tracking. Tarin stood still as it sniffed its way towards him, either not noticing or not caring that he was there. It jumped down onto the tracks, next to him, continuing it's sniffing. Moving around him in a circle, until it's face came onto his booth.

"If ya take a piss on ma booth, I'll be kicking ya..." Tarin warned and tilted his head, the thing looking up at him with it's large, green eyes. He couldn't help but notice it didn't have a nose. Not even holes, it just had a mouth and yes in it's face. Sitting on its haunches, it looked up at him, then leaned towards him. Sniffing his pocket and then tried to shove its head down into it.

"'Hey now." Pushing the head away, he stuck his hand into the pocket. Feeling a chocolate bar there, it was supposed to be his snack. But looking at whatever this creature was, it was as thin as bones. And looked up at him like a puppy next to a dining table. "Guess ya be hungry, mite?"

Sighing he held the wrapped chocolate above it's head, and it followed the candy with it's eyes. Then it lunged upwards, it's mouth opening impossibly wide to snack the candy, wrapper and all from his fingers. Crouching back down, holding it's hands in front of it's mouth and chewing noisily. Tarin just stood and looked at it.

"Gue' ya be some fellow's pet, right?" He sighed and shook his head, reaching down to gently pat its head. "Wonde' what kind of fella tha' just leave ya to ya self like this."

"Well, well!" Tarin's eyes snapped down the tunnel, seeing a approaching shadow coming down it. "I didn't know you picked up stray dogs... or what ever that is, Tarin."

Tarin recognised that voice all too well, the second year winner, Marian McCoy, and the sound of her voice caused Tarin to scowl. Her red painted lips was split into a grin as she came into the light cast from the platform lights. She'd changed her outfit since last he saw her the previous year. She was wearing black shorts and a black vest, thick iron gauntlets on and heavy armoured booths. On top of her head rested what could be called a pirate hat, it had the shape, but sticking out from it's edges was a webbing of black mesh that hung down along her neck to halfway down her back. The hat also had a bright red feather that was stuck into it's side. She hadn't changed much else though, she was still slender, and short. At a mere four and a half feet, she was less imposing than Tarin was. That was until you noticed she was carrying a anchor twice her size slung over her shoulder like it was made out of foam rubber.

"He ain't mine.." Tarin said as he turned to stand towards her, ignoring the chocolate muncher at the moment.

"You sure, looks like you two could be related. I can see the resemblance between you two." She laughed, putting one of her hands in front of her mouth.

There was a whistling in the air, the giant anchor moving like a blur to block the bladed end of the chain as it came towards her face. For a moment, they just stood there, staring at each other. Their weapons grinding against each other. The only sound heard being the noisy chewing of chocolate and candy wrapper.

"My, my... no pleasantries like last time?" Marian asked with a grin as the chain was pulled back towards Tarin, and she whirling the anchor back onto her shoulder. The last time they'd meet, had been during the second year tournament. Marian had been the first woman to fight, the first woman Tarin had fought. And lost against. She'd used trickery, deception, and unhanded tactics to win. Pretending to be sweet and kind, only to smash her opponents' head in when they dropped their guard.

"Ah ain't so low as to be hittin' a lade, bu' ya ain' no lade in ma book!" He said as he jerked the chain through the air, swinging it back towards her in a wide arch. Walls and iron supports didn't matter, it was all cut through like paper as Betsy clever through it.

Marian jumped up above the chain, swinging her anchor down and stopping Betsy in mid flight. Turning the anchor sharply, she wound the chain around it and yanked. Pulling Tarin off his feet and sending him up onto the platform, and into the stairs. She was about to follow him, but stopped in mid step, catching the black creature in the corner of her eye for a moment. It hadn't moved as the fight had started, too involved in it's eating. Oh well, she would deal with it later. Leaping after Tarin, she raised the anchor and slammed it down into the stairs.


Stranded Steamboat, Clarinze's Haven, three hours later.


Clarinze smiled as she put the plating back in place, she'd added a more efficient fuel system and tweaked the pressure chamber a little. As well as added a steam cannon to the side of the gauntlet. Now she was armed with more firepower and more efficient way of handling the pressure she'd need for continued fighting.

Sliding her hand into the gauntlet and fixing it in place, bolts sliding into her mechanical arm to keep them locked together. She could feel the her hand sliding apart as the mechanism cogs of the gauntlet pushed against the plating and into, interfacing with the gears inside and becoming a physical extension of her normal hand. Holding it up, she clenched it into a fist as a grin slipped over her lips. It was time to cause some havoc.

Leaving her haven, she jumped down onto the ground and set off towards the city again. But she soon came to a halt as something was coming towards her. It was about the size of her head, round, and archived locomotion through a gravity ring that turned around it as it flew. At first she didn't realise what it was, until it stopped in front of her. That's when she recognised it as an eye-pod, the cameras and TVs of Fortuno. To those outside the city, they were cameras only. But for those on the inside, they also served as view screens for fights.

Not every fight was viewed for those on the inside though, only special fights that the Watcher deemed to be of weight or inspirational. While the people from around the world could view any ongoing fight they wanted. Clarinze bit her lower lip, hoping it wouldn't start recording her now. And she would let out a sigh of relief as the orb opened up and the holographic screen was projected in front of her.

"Welcome Contestants." The Watcher spoke, a sentient machine who oversaw the fights through the e-pods. It's mechanised voice slow and deep. "To this second day of our glorious tournament. So far the number of contestants are two hundred seventeen remaining of those two hundred fifty one registered."

Two hundred fifty one? Clarinze asked herself, must have been a late addition. Since when she was signed up, it had been two hundred fifty in total. Could it had been that thing?

"And today, on the second day of the contest, we give you our first Spectacle Battle."


Hinten St


The four e-pods would circle around the street, keeping both fighters in view at all times. Standing about twenty meters away from each other, they both seemed rather relaxed. One of them was even rolling a little ball back and fourth on the ground in front of it. While his opponent looked on with a rather levelled look on his face, calm, focused and slightly disturbed on what he was going to fight.

Above them, the dirigible housing the Watcher hovered. The machine's voice being transmitted down onto them through the e-pods that floated. Two of em coming closer to get good views of them. The human was properly dressed in a casual suit and a coat that fluttered softly in the wind the dirigible kicked up with it's engines. He had black hair and blue eyes, his skin pale and his facial features soft. Built average, but carrying a air of confidence with him as he stood there, observing his opponent.

"Today combatant's are Eye Storm and..." Two e-pods zooming in close on the black, unidentified creature that was still idly pushing the ball back and fourth. "Who might you be... you're not registered in my data banks." The Watcher's voice spoke out, all over Fortuno a lot of people raised eyebrows in question. Not only to the identity to the creature, but also to what the hell it was to begin with. Black-skinned with a reptile tail, no distinguishable features except the green lines around it's upper left arm.

"Well, you certainly doesn't look normal... " The voice of the Watcher now came from a single e-pod as he was speaking directly to the creature, getting it's attention as it stood up straight to look directly into the camera. "I shall call you Aberrant, will that suffice?" At first it just stared at the pod, tilting it's head a little to the side at the question. At first it seemed like it didn't register it's baptism by the machine.

"Yes..." It's raspy voice answered after a while, and it stepped back a little.

"Very well." The e-pods rose up again. "First battle, Eye Storm verses Aberrant. Fight!"

Eye was first to move, his hands darting in beneath his coat to his armpits. Hands wrapping around the grips of his pistols and yanking them out, levelled perfectly at Aberrant's head. Shots flew, set off by thunder as they left the barrels of his guns. He was planning to end this quickly, why would he drag out a fight with a unarmed opponent more than he had to after all. The gunman would raise an eyebrow as his opponent swirled to the left, avoiding the bullets. Luck or did he actually dodge a bullet.

Then at blink of an eye it was at Eye's feet, crouched low, one hand on the ground and the other pulled back with the fingers held like a claw. Tips splitting apart to grow claws well over four inches long, thin and metallic, like knives. Guns blurred and barrels found themselves pressed against Aberrant's forehead, triggers were pressed and bullets struck nothing but air. The human's eyes darted to the side, this freak sure was fast, but he wasn't discouraged by that. It took more than speed to win a battle.'

Aberrant turned the moment he landed again, low to the ground and moving at inhuman speed as he rushed up the side of the building. In his head, the storm that had been raging for the past weeks was now dying down, clear thoughts was forming and a actual sense of self was taking shape as well. A name, Aberrant, that echoed inside of his head now as bullets belted the wall around him as he rushed across it. Of course, there was still much more to solidify before he would be anything that could resemble a person. Now he was just, Aberrant, and it made him smile, widely. Face split from one pointy ear to the other as he suddenly changed his course and dived down to the street again.

Eye Storm turned in place as he followed the monster that he'd come to face, he didn't need to reload these guns. Powered by arcane energies, they gathered mater from the surrounding at a microscopic level and turned it into bullets for him to fire. Getting his opponent back up close was something he didn't desire, so for the moment, pelting everything with red-hot bullets was the plan until he could come up with something better. The black blur that was his target slipped form view, behind some stacked cars, but he didn't let up his hail of fire for that. Metal would bend, twist, and buckle as he kept ups his barrage. Until a car came flying over the stack. Making the human dive to the side to avoid being crushed.

That's when Aberrant made his move, diving out to the side, up along the building wall and then down onto the human. Body Slamming him down into the ground, then bouncing back up again and pulling Eye Storm with him. Pulling him into a mad spin in the air, gripping his shoulders to not let him be ripped away. Until spin had carried them into the air a fair bit, then he let go. Sending the human sailing to the other side of the street and breaking through a window in the building. Aberrant twisted, his tail tapping the building behind him and sending him straight after his prey.

Landing on broken glass didn't seem to bother him as he walked now on two legs rather than all four, looking around and sniffing his way to find Eye Storm. Which he did as soon as he stuck his head into the next room where a right hock caught him in the chin, sending his head smacking into the door frame. Followed by the butt of a pistol in his neck, crashing him into the ground.

Eye Storm raised his foot to stamp down on Aberrant's head, but his booth struck nothing but the floor as his target was yanked out of the way at the last moment. He was bleeding, and he felt that at least two ribs and his left knee was broken. But being smart enough to have some pain erasers with him, he could ignore those injuries for now. It was harder to work with the blood that was gushing into his eye from the cut on his forehead. He didn't bother with words, catchy phrases or witty remarks, not ever, wasn't his thing. He left those for the unprofessional, he simply levelled his gun and fired of shoot after shoot.

Aberrant was dazed from the blows to his head, and it was cheer luck that he managed to dodge the foot that time. Bullets were harder now, especially in the cramped space of the apartment. But he did what he could, diving in behind the TV, it being torn apart, then he was in beneath the table, flipping it onto it's side and hiding behind it. But it was just an efficient cover as cardboard and the bullets simply ripped through it. One of them going through his shoulder and another through his leg, making him howl out in pain. Now with little support from his one leg, he was having trouble dodging. Gripping one of the table legs, he tore it off and hurled it across the room. And even if his aim was off, Eye Storm disappeared from the door opening. The table leg on the other hand, struck the door frame, splintering both into a cloud of wood.

Taking his chance, Aberrant rushed out, to the wall then up along it. Off to the side and diving through the door opening, into the kitchen. The floor here being slippery, he landed in a skid and slammed into the fridge. Ending up lying upside down with his lower body propped up against it. He got a clear view of the human though, gun levelled at him. Too close to dodge this time. But he wasn't about to go down now, his maw snapped open, sending his tongue out like a whip and slapping the gun. Not getting it out of Eye Storm's grip, but enough to get his aim off. The tongue would whip down, snapping around the gunman's ankle and yanking, pulling him off his feet and slamming him into the ground.

Twisting around, the creature leapt from the floor and down onto the human, slamming his claws into his hands and down into the floor beneath. Cutting through both like butter. For a moment they stayed like that, staring at each other and panting. The human let his head fall down in defeat, he would have tried to kick this freak off of him. But what then? His hands were ruined, he couldn't move them and barely feel his fingers. Besides the drugs he took to push away the pain was starting to disappear, soon he wouldn't be able to move at all.


Outside Clarinze's Haven


She could only stare at the screen, that fight had been unreal. For someone to move like Aberrant had, it was physically impossible. Not just the speed, but the way itself. How he stuck so low to the ground, almost brushing it at times, it was as if he was flying rather than running. But she'd seen his legs move so he couldn't have been.

"Maybe there are real monsters after all..." She thought to herself and swallowed, noticing how dry her mouth was by now. Reaching for her water bottle, she took a sip as she started heading towards the city again, a bit more nervous now by the odds she had against her now.