Theme 006 - Deadliest (about 1,166 words)

He was deadly. Good enough and skilled enough to be the deadliest. He was kind and had morals. he was ranked sixth. Sixth deadliest. He was Six. He was taken in by the deadliest man on the planet. One. Six sat on the edge of his bed try to stop the tears form rolling down his face as he thought back on his master's recent death. He thought about all the moments he had with his master. With the deadliest. All the good and all the bad. The early days as a sick five year old when he feared the man yet still clanged to him. He was the one that saved the boy after all. All the regret he had about his teen years. Of how he treated One some of those days. Oh the disrespect he showed the man that he didn't really mean. He respected the man greatly. Always did. He would always take his shoes off when he entered the dojo and bowed when he met with One, he always used all his manners and spoke with all the respect his master taught him to use.

The deadliest man found him in an alley way and saw something in him. Something that was enough to give him a home and a life. Six didn't know what kind of potential the sick boy could have had but One saw it and deiced to take him in. He treated him for what ever illness was ailing him, Six never did find out  what it was that he had when One found him, and then One trained him to be one of the deadliest. Six clung to the man when he was scarred but tried not to do something that might annoy the man. He didn't want to be thrown out. Not again. After all if his own biological parents threw him out and they were rich well to do people what was stopping a poor stranger for tossing him back on the streets? He trained hard to make his master proud of him. To make One accept him. The man already did and always have, not that Six realized it until it was too late. The island was wide and large and had lots of places for training.

He'd train all over the island to change up his routine and give himself verity. Helped him practice and build his skills. Worked hard everyday. It all paid off when he was ranked on his sixteenth birthday He was given the rank of sixth. His new name Six. Then One gave him the sword and katana he prized so much. One told him about the code of loyalty and made him take it. The boy was proud and ecstatic that his master had recognized him enough to finally rank him and give him such a nice present. He was finally one of the deadliest and he was starting his life as a mercenary. Just as he was taught. It was a milestone to him. A memory that stood out in his mind. Six in present day glanced up from the floor as he broke out of his thought in order to look over at the sword that sat on a stand on his dresser. Six smiled at the memory. That was a good day for him. One of his best days.

Six thought back on more memories. He chuckled at the memory of when he learned about 'the birds and bees' he shook his head at how similar it was to how Rex recently found out about said things. It was so awkward at the time but he couldn't help but to smile at the memory now. All these years later. He remembered the guilt he felt when One found him reading some of top shelf books that were off limit to him. He remember as that guilt turned to embarrassment when One decide to give him the talk. Six was only a year or two younger then Rex currently was actually. He was around thirteen years old. He had nothing to do and was feeling rebellious so he deiced to read from a book on the very top shelf. What a mistake that was. A mistake that was realized even before One found him. He realized his mistake on the very first page as his cheeks warmed with a blush.He wasn't as educated in the subject but he wasn't that naive either.

Another memory from around that same year was when he learned to drive. One taught him on his classic motorcycle. He quickly gave the young teen a run down of the basics then handed him a helmet as he wished him good luck. Six felt terrible when he crashed his master's pried bike. One simple chucked and asked the boy if he was okay then encouraged him to try again. Six was so relived that his master wasn't mad at him and got right back on. Tried his best and kept at it until he go it. Just like he was taught. Just how he was told to do anything new. One told him if he kept at anything enough that he'd be able to do it. Just like all the other advice given to his students One was right.

The deadliest man was a surprisingly good man and a better father then most would think. He had his moment of anger like everyone did and any parent but even when he forced his adopted children to train or spar as punishment to what ever they had done he was kind and caring. He made sure they wouldn't get hurt. From each other , from their own stupidity, or pushing themselves over their limits. Anything. He shelter them on the safety of the island. He taught them it was disrespectful to hold back in a sparing match but still always went easy on them when they spared. He held back to his student limits. He was a hard teach yes and pushed them hard everyday but he made sure everyone stayed in their limits and didn't try things they weren't ready for yet. He was a smart man for doing such things.

One might have been the deadliest man but he was the most impressive person Six had ever met. No just in his skills but everything about him. He was smart , brave and kind. Something you wouldn't think the deadliest would have. It was the little things. That's what also truly made him the deadliest man on Earth. Six was pulled from his thoughts at a knock at his door and his own young charge calling for him. Six shook his head with a smirk as he stood to his feet and headed out to start training his own. Rex was not going to be one of the deadliest anytime soon but he sure did have ton of skill and Six was proud of the boy. Just as the deadliest was proud of him.