Origins of NEVER

[NEVER]

“We are the superior being,” Daidou stated as his body regenerated from a gunshot, fired on by a Foundation X member. He watched as his flesh on his uncovered chest molded over the wound, sealing completely, showing absolutely no damage.

“I’m not entirely convinced,” a scientist stated, “Do something else.”

“Something else?” Katsumi demanded, “Do anything! I’ll recover no matter what! That is what a Necro-Over is! We’ve told you that time and again, yet you Foundation people refuse to believe us!”

“Stand down,” Neon Ulsland stated as she walked into the large observation room, where various experiments were simultaneously going on. The Necro-Over project in one end, while the other had Dopant experiments, both sides vying for the Foundation’s money. “I believe that, Mr. Daidou. However, we wish to be thorough.”

“Fine then,” Katsumi said, “Whatever nets us our money.”

Under the leadership of his mother, Maria Daidou, Katsumi Daidou, Kyosui Izumi, Reika Hanehara, Gozo Domoto and Ken Ashihara made up the group known as NEVER. Started by Maria to revive her deceased son, they required money and so worked as mercenaries for some time before being sought out by Foundation X as a possible group they would sponsor and pay for research.

After all, who wouldn’t want an undead army like NEVER?

Maria approached Neon hesitantly, “Forgive my son’s outburst,” she said.

“Forgiven,” Neon said, turning to the other woman, “We’ll get back to you on your results,” she stated, “If we will sponsor you.” The woman turned and left, so Katsumi walked towards his mother.

“We’ll get the money,” Katsumi said, “Those Dopant things are nothing compared to us. Immortal, undying soldiers. Monsters like those won’t surpass us.”

“I think we are monsters,” the lone female of their group, Reika, stated as she walked towards the two of them, with the other three members in tow.

“We are not monsters,” Katsumi hissed, walking out of the lower, inset chamber and up into the walkways above, looking down into the various training grounds, watching as other experiments were simultaneously going on. Medal experiments, Orphnochs, Fangires, much more all being experimented upon, various groups believing that they could gain sponsorship and money from Foundation X.

“What are those, Katsumi-chan?” Kyosui, the second in command of the group, asked, standing the closest to Katsumi.

Katsumi looked down at the area, watching a group of five people. Two women, three men, most wearing white robe-like clothing. There were targets set up around them, all of them going down. Some were torn apart, others were just beaten aside.

“Psychics,” Gozo grunted.

Katsumi had no words. He continued to walk, heading down towards that area as Maria ran after him, “Katsumi! Where are you going?”

“I want to see this,” he told his mother, “It looks…interesting. We’re undead; they manipulate anything. I want to see.”

[NEVER]

As the psychics continued to lash out, with a few Foundation X members watching and taking notes, one woman collapsed. Katsumi stood at the doorway, watching, with his members in tow, but not as interested as he was.

“Get up!” one man shouted at the woman. He couldn’t have been twenty; probably eighteen or nineteen. Most looked that age, while the woman couldn’t have been more than seventeen or eighteen, probably the youngest.

“I’m…I’m sorry,” he panted, pushing herself up. Katsumi was able to notice that all of them were Japanese, and one scientist stood with them, keeping his eyes on the man whom had spoken. There was a slight similarity between them. Father and son, perhaps?

As he continued to watch, the others started to grow bored behind him. Maria had gone, and Ken was the only one showing no signs of boredom, or anything, for that matter.

“My evaluations are complete,” a Foundation scientist stated, leaving the psychics. Katsumi and his men stepped aside for the man, having no interest in impeding a man of the Foundation.

As the psychics began to leave, the only two left were the man and the woman whom had fallen. He walked over to her and gripped her with a powerful grip around her chin, “You just had to fall in front of that man, didn’t you?” he shouted.

“I’m…I’m sorry, Leo,” she said, her voice betraying her fear.

“Sorry isn’t good enough if we don’t get our money, Marilen,” he hissed. She cried out as bruises began to appear on the side of her face from psychic blows he inflicted.

Katsumi took a few quick strides, standing beside them, backhanding the man – Leo – to the ground.

“…who…who are you?” Marilen asked him softly, in some fear.

“Daidou, Katsumi. A Necro-Over,” he told her, glaring down at Leo, “Who are you to hurt a woman like that?” he demanded.

“What do you care?” Leo shouted, pushing himself up and throwing a psychic blast towards Katsumi, knocking the man back.

Leo took two quick strides forward, but quickly found a knife at his chest. He hadn’t even seen Katsumi draw his weapon. He looked up into Katsumi’s eyes; a boy, afraid, hiding behind a façade of strength, or so it seemed.

“Answer my question,” Katsumi hissed.

“I’m her boyfriend,” he hissed in annoyance, “I can do what I want.”

“Do you really think so?” Katsumi demanded, sheathing his weapon. He looked to his men, “It’s getting late; let’s set up camp.”

“You know we have rooms, right, Katsumi-chan?” Kyosui asked.

“I know,” Katsumi told him, annoyed, “For the fifth night, I know.” He looked back at the two young psychics, “You do know what you’re here for, right?”

“To show what can be done,” Leo hissed.

Katsumi laughed at him, “You’re going to be made into soldiers! Don’t you see that?”

“Soldiers?” Leo demanded, “No.” Marilen shook her head to agree.

“You’ll see,” Katsumi said, departing with NEVER in tow.

[NEVER]

Sitting around the roaring blaze of the fire just outside of the Foundation X facility located in the jungle, the members of NEVER sat around on logs, watching as a large pig roasted in the flames. The members devoured it greedily, Katsumi eating off of one of his combat knives, while the others used what they had; knives or hands.

Meanwhile, Maria was being pulled through the halls by an angry looking member of Foundation X, without an explanation of what was going on. Soon, he stopped outside of a door where another member waited, presumably with more information.

“We have decided that the Necro-Over project is something that we are not interested in pursuing,” the man told Maria, “However, one of our members felt otherwise, and committed suicide by poison. Revive him and show us that you are still worth something to the Foundation.”

“Did he really believe that much in the research?” she questioned.

“He did,” replied the man, “Jun Kazu had a lot to live for; he must have truly valued this research and idea if he killed himself for no reason.”

“I’ll get my things and help him,” she replied, running off. In minutes she returned with a large briefcase full of the things she needed; chemicals and the like to continue with the growth of the body, and to help to repair the body and draw life back.

When they entered the room, it was only the man, Jun Kazu, lying on a bed, hooked up to many machines. She laid the briefcase on the table beside him and began to pull things out, setting up a needle and injecting him initially with green liquid. She began to pull other things out, working on reviving Jun Kazu.

After nearly ten minutes of continual work, she stopped. She looked at the machines as she finished, watching his vitals increase from zero.

He was alive, reborn as a Necro-Over.

“My work is done,” she said, “I’ll just have to leave instructions, or give him the continual treatments myself,” Maria stated.

“You’ll have to leave the instructions if the Necro-Over project is to be used by the Foundation,” the man stated, “We’re allowing it to become one of ours, since it works this effectively.”

“Really?” Maria was filled with pride and joy.

“Yes. Foundation X will sponsor your project,” he told her.

[NEVER]

“What do you want, girl?” Reika demanded.

Katsumi looked back with the others, seeing Marilen walking out towards their outdoor campground among the large trees and ferns of the jungle. They sat on logs around the large flame, only Reika facing towards the door where she had come from.

“I’m…I’m here to say…”

“Just say it,” Katsumi said, turning to face her, plunging his knife into the log he sat on.

“Thank you for earlier,” she told him quietly.

“You should speak up, girl,” Gozo grunted.

“Katsumi-chan may not be able to hear you,” Kyosui said.

“Thank you,” she said a little louder to Katsumi.

He shook his head, “You don’t need to thank me. I just put a brat in his place,” he told her. He pulled his knife free and wiped it off on his pant leg, then pointed back to the meat, “Eat if you want some.” He sliced another chunk off with his knife and began to eat again.

“I’m…I’m fine,” she told him.

“Proper little girl too good for our food?” Reika questioned, tearing a bloody chunk off and eating it.

“Ignore her,” Katsumi told Marilen.

Marilen looked to the bones of another such pig sitting on the ground near the fire, “You’ve already eaten one?” she asked them.

“As a Necro-Over, our bodies are different, clearly,” she was told by Katsumi, “Due to all the damage we take, the repairs our bodies need, we need a lot of energy. That means we need a lot of food to fuel our bodies. We may need another before the night is done to completely recover, after all of the experiments today.”

“I see,” Marilen said, coming closer.

Katsumi moved over and held a knife out, “Eat,” he said, “I can see you want some.”

“No,” she told him, “I really don’t.”

“Then why did you come over here?” he questioned.

“Because…,” she had no answer for him.

“Sit,” Reika told her.

“Yes, sit with us a bit,” Kyosui said, “Preferably away from Katsumi-chan.”

“Ignore him,” Katsumi told her, “Sit where you would like.”

She sat at the spot he provided for her, next to him. She looked around them, “What are your stories?” she asked, “I mean…I don’t know much about the Necro-Overs, but…”

“You want to know our histories?” Gozo questioned, “That is a very private matter. Not for a girl to know.”

“Its fine,” Katsumi said, “I don’t think she’s a threat to us in any way,”

“And if we tell her, she might leave,” Kyosui agreed.

Katsumi glared at him, then looked to her, “Tell me one thing, first,” he told her.

“What is it?” she asked him quietly.

“That man, Leo,” he told her, “Your boyfriend, I think.”

“Yes,” she said, almost ashamed of having to tell him. Not because she was ashamed of Leo, but because she was developing inexplicable feelings for Katsumi, even though he was older, even though she was involved with Leo, even though the two of them had barely interacted.

He had saved her from a beating. He had shown care. She…what was it?

“Why are you with him, if he hurts you?” Katsumi questioned her.

She had no answer. She felt all of the eyes of NEVER on her, but she had no answer to give.

“Because I like him,” she said, “And he likes me. He’s not always like that…just when he gets very angry. And this is so important to him…”

He looked into her eyes. She felt at peace, just felt like she was melting, looking into them.

“You don’t deserve that,” he told her, “No one deserves that.”

“Thank you,” she said softly.

“Now, our stories,” Katsumi said.

[NEVER]

“Kyosui here, my second in command, was a former wrestler,” Katsumi stated, “He used his flexibility to win in the ring by getting past the blow of his opponents and take them down with unique holds.

“One day he was told to throw a fight by his promoter. His opponent wasn’t good enough to win, but was becoming a fan favorite, and Kyosui needed to lose.”

“I had my pride!” Kyosui shouted, “I wouldn’t throw the fight!”

“Quiet,” Katsumi told him, “Well, when he wouldn’t throw the fight, his promoter had some people beat him prior to his fight. He wasn’t able to fight his opponent very well, and lost. Not only that, but we later found out that the promoter told the new favorite to do all he could.”

“I died fighting that bastard,” Kyosui growled, “I died because of the cowardly ways of that promoter!”

“And then we found him. My mother thought he could be of use. Spare parts,” Katsumi said, “But he was revived and became my second in command.”

“Your second?” she asked.

“When we started we took on bounty hunting jobs. The two of us collected bounties for my mother’s research, and so that we could live. We weren’t a formal organization yet, but he was still my second.”

[NEVER]

Katsumi turned to Gozo, “Next was Gozo.”

“I’ll tell it,” Gozo said, resting his metal staff on his shoulder, looking at in remembrance, “I…I was in the military for some time. I worked as a close quarters combat instructor, and had to quit when my leg was crushed in an accident. I thought it would ruin my life, but I took the money I had saved for years and bought a small piece of land. I began to work it as best as I could alone, with one good leg.

“I guess it was a good piece of land. After about two years, developers came. They wanted the land, but I refused to give it up. They offered to pay for it, but I still refused. I had a new life there; I wasn’t giving it up.

“But we were away from civilization. I had no way of contacting anyone, and nobody to contact. What happened was, one night, when I was asleep, I heard something outside. I got my cane and walked out to take a look. Even with one leg and using the cane as a staff, I was still good.

“The developers were there. They hid from me, even though I knew my land so well. They managed to get behind me and hit me in the head. I didn’t lose consciousness, I didn’t die. I struggled. They beat me continually, and then they killed me.

“Katsumi’s mother found me and revived me, for parts, I guess, but she revived me because it worked. I was told I was thrown into an open sewer, left to rot in the waters. When I was revived, my leg was working again. I began to collect bounties with the others.”

[NEVER]

“Reika was our next member,” Katsumi stated, “Want to tell it?” he asked her.

“No. You can,” she told Katsumi.

Katsumi looked to Marilen, “Reika was an orphan, living on the streets as a thief. She knew guns from an early age and worked with them to do some work, with gangs, but mostly she picked pockets. However, doing her work for the gangs didn’t turn out to be a good idea. Other gangs didn’t like her skill.

“Some people got together and they killed her on the streets. They shot her to death and left her to rot in the street. I found her and had mother revive her when the projects were going well. Reika continued to help us with bounties, until we had enough to do our real work.”

“What work would that be?” Marilen asked.

“Mercenary work.”

[NEVER]

“Ken was the last to be revived and join us. He was a bit of an orphan as well, but grew up with guns on the streets. He always did trick shots to earn money, outshooting anyone he ever met,” he looked to Ken, who was cleaning a handgun by the light of the fire, “Made his money that way.

“For years he did that. He never worked for gangs, despite his skill, despite their offers. He never killed anyone. He was good. Too good. He outshot everyone, and outshot the wrong person once. He was killed on the streets that day, and I found him. We had Ken revived, and now he’s our silent marksman. The best we have.

“Then NEVER truly formed into what it is today.”

“A mercenary unit?” she asked.

He nodded, “A mercenary unit.”

[NEVER]

“From that day on, we began to work not as bounty hunters any longer, but as mercenaries. We used our bounty money, got our hands on weapons, and began working. At first we did our work for free, just fighting in conflicts to show our skill. To show that we were immortal soldiers.

“Buyers soon sprang up, desiring our skills. We earned great deals of money, buying more weaponry, a plane, and more. We would be sent into battle first against an enemy, and lay waste to the majority before the side we fought for would send in their forces to clean up the remainder.

“The relationship was always good. It always worked. Nobody could stop us. No soldiers could defeat us. We were invincible. And then we met one organization who dared to oppose us.”

“Who?” Marilen asked softly, entranced by the story.

“They call themselves Combat.”

“Combat?”

“A military unit, but they utilized anything they could. Prototype Gaia Memories, Orphnochs, Fangires, anything and everything they could. Supposedly they were connected to this Foundation, and that could be how they gained their weaponry and supplies that were beyond military weaponry.

“We fought them many times, small units they would send. We always won, but never easily. They became our greatest enemy, and still persist in various parts of the world, fighting to undo the work we did, being hired by the men we decimated.

“We are the strongest soldiers in the world. They’re just as good, and more numerous.”

“Then doesn’t that mean you would lose?” Marilen asked.

He smiled, “One thing. They can die, we can’t.”

[NEVER]

They heard one of the large steel doors opening behind them. Katsumi, Marilen, Kyosui, Gozo and Ken turned to look, while Reika could see from her spot.

“Marilen, there you are,” Leo sounded angry as he came over, still dressed in his white robe from earlier, “What are you doing out here with these…corpses?” he growled, “Do you really want to spend the night out here, in this damned heat and forest, when you can have a nice bed? And me?”

Katsumi glanced to Marilen, then back to Leo, “She clearly fears you, can’t you see that?”

“Quiet corpse!” he shouted, “I can do whatever I want! I don’t have to listen to you!” he walked to reach for Marilen, but heard guns clicking. He looked up. Ken had his pistol trained, and Reika had hers as well, while Gozo had his staff ready and Kyosui his whip, while Katsumi fingered his knife that he had been eating off of.

“You fear me!” Leo laughed.

“We’re just not stupid to underestimate a psychic,” Katsumi said, rising, taller than him, “But we’re not afraid.” He pointed his knife forward at Leo, “If you want to show us how good you are, fight me. If you could possibly beat me, then we might fear you psychics,” Katsumi told him simply.

“A fight?” Leo laughed, walking a few steps back to give Katsumi room. Katsumi stepped over the log, “Ok then! Here I come!”

[NEVER]

Katsumi didn’t move. He waited for Leo.

“Afraid?” he shouted, throwing a psychic blade forward. Katsumi grunted in pain as it impaled his shoulder, “This is my power!” the young psychic shouted.

“Not enough,” Katsumi replied, taking two quick steps forward and kneeing Leo. Leo fell back, shouting and cursing in pain, throwing more psychic blades and needles forward, but Katsumi basically shrugged them off, even through the heart or head; his body repaired itself.

He flicked his knife around, driving the tip forward. Leo stopped it with a wall, “Got you!” he shouted, throwing the entire wall into Katsumi, throwing him back. He struggled, but went down, nearly into the fire, but he managed to fight the wall by rooting his feet into the ground.

“Good try,” Katsumi hissed, drawing his second knife. He flicked his first up and threw it. It stopped in the air from Leo’s powers. Katsumi ran forward, ripping it free from the psychic bonds, and drove both forward at Leo.

A wall stopped him again. “You know, kid, you can’t win,” Katsumi hissed.

“I can beat you,” he growled.

“Maybe, but unless you can kill me, you can’t win. I’ll just keep getting back up to fight,” he told Leo.

“Then I’ll crush you between two walls!” Leo shouted, forming another psychic wall behind Katsumi, forcing them together. Katsumi could feel the pressure, but never said anything about the pain he was feeling.

As the walls continued to push on him, he sheathed one knife and gripped his gun while in the holster. He aimed it down and fired once, the sound of it shocking Leo, making him lapse in concentration, letting Katsumi take two strides forward and drive the knife up at the other man’s throat, keeping the tip on the flesh.

“I win,” Katsumi told him.

[NEVER]

Leo cursed and took a step back. Just in case, all weapons were still aimed at him, but he didn’t do anything t try to attack again.

He walked towards Marilen, griping her arm in a tight grip, “Come on, we’re leaving.” He began to pull her, but she tried to keep where she was.

“She doesn’t want to go,” Reika told Leo.

“I don’t care what she wants,” Leo hissed.

“Katsumi cares,” Gozo grunted, putting his staff on the back of Leo’s neck.

“We listen to Katsumi-chan,” Kyosui said, getting his whip ready, “And he seems to want this girl to choose for herself.”

“She chooses to stay here,” Katsumi said, “Or at least, not with you.”

“I don’t care!” Leo shouted, “She’s my woman, so I’ll do what I want!”

“You’re a spoiled brat,” Katsumi told him.

“My father is the Professor in charge of this project,” Leo hissed, “I get what I want!”

“Spoiled, like I said,” Katsumi said, keeping one knife drawn, “Release her. Now!”

“No,” he hissed.

“Leo, look at me,” Katsumi said.

Leo glanced back just in time to see the knife coming for him. He screamed out as Katsumi’s knife cut across his eyes, ripping them both apart, cutting him along his nose as well, leaving him blind and letting blood run down his face.

In shock Marilen stumbled back when he released her. He shouted and swore, stumbling around blindly, his hands over his face, “This isn’t over!” he screamed, “Father will know about this!”

“I don’t really care,” Katsumi told him, wiping the blood off of his knife and cutting another piece of the pig off. After all of his regenerations, he needed a lot of energy; meat.

Leo stumbled away, using his psychic powers as his eyes, finally getting into the large facility and leaving NEVER.

[NEVER]

“What did you do to him?” Marilen shouted at Katsumi, who was calm, like the rest of NEVER. She had never seen such a violent action, even Leo’s attacks on Katsumi, since he always healed.

“I did what I had to,” Katsumi said, “For your sake. I hate men like him, spoiled, entitled.”

“I hate them too,” Kyosui chimed in.

“You have to learn about the site of carnage for when you’re a soldier,” Katsumi told Marilen.

“We are not soldiers!” she shouted.

“Still thinking that?” Reika questioned, “What do you think Foundation X wants you for, then? Just pets? No. They’re going to sell you to the highest bidder, and make more.”

“You may be mercenaries like us,” Gozo agreed, “We may have to kill you someday.”

“We won’t be soldiers! That’s not what the Professor brought us here for!” Marilen protested.

“It doesn’t matter,” Katsumi said, “When Foundation X accepts you, the Professor won’t be in charge anymore.”

“You think the Foundation wants us as soldiers?” she questioned.

He tore another chunk of meat off and began to eat it, “Yes.”

Marilen shook her head, “I’m going,” she told him, getting up and walking towards the facility.

“Wait,” he said, no extra tone; just his normal voice.

“What?” she turned around as he approached her, sheathing his knife. He reached around, gripping his other knife and pulled it free. He held it out, “Leo will probably go after you, because I defended you. He’ll come after me, but I can defend myself. Is he stronger than you?”

“His powers are…,” she knew that’s what Katsumi meant.

“Then take this,” he told her, holding the knife out to her, “Use it to protect yourself.”

“I’m no soldiers,” she said.

“Learn to be,” he told her, “It’s easy.”

At that statement, Kyosui came over, “Show her, Katsumi-chan,” he said.

Katsumi turned and drove the knife into his gut and up towards his heart, “Like this,” he told Marilen, “Up and over towards the heart, and you should have him.” He tore it free, and Kyosui’s flesh recovered.

He held it out to her, “Do it.” He turned to her.

“I don’t want to,” she said softly, “I don’t want to hurt you.”

“Then you’ll be hurt by him. I’d rather him be killed than you fail as a soldier, if I’m wasting my time telling you this.”

“But…”

“Do it!” he screamed at her.

She took the knife firmly as he had, and drove it into his chest and twisted the tip up. He looked down into her eyes, no pain filling his.

“No,” he said, softly gripping her hand and twisting the knife slightly, “That’s the heart. Close.”

She started to blush a little when his hands were on hers. She nodded slowly, “I understand,” she said, taking the knife out as he pushed her hand back.

As his flesh healed, he handed the sheath over, “Keep that. Kill him if he tries anything,” he said it as an order more than anything else.”

“I understand,” she said, affixing it to her belt, “I will, Katsumi.”

He turned back to the fire, back to his men, as she left, heading towards her bedroom.

[K.W Cross]

~Who else is in this?~ Cross

[NEVER]

It's like what Kaisu did with the Greeed/Ankh, just a chunk of storyline that only pertains to the specific account being used, and only uses that account. It's just me telling the story here.