No one loves you.

It's hopeless.

You're nothing.

Kiera wanted nothing more than the voices to stop torturing her. They'd been echoing in her mind for so long that she could no longer distinguish between what was her own thought and what was simply a memory.

How could she have been so stupid? If she had only known back then of the things that would happen to her...

You're disgusting.

You're no more than a stain on the face of all that is good.

It would be better if you just died.

Kiera began to whisper to herself, "Worthless. Useless. Unloved. Disgusting. Worthless. Useless. Unloved. Disgusting. Worthless. Useless. Unloved. Disgusting."

Kiera's focus was lost in the midst of the overlapping voices and she ended up dive-bombing into the base of an ancient sycamore tree. The face began to haunt her. His voice was crystal clear. His eyes were full of malice, sending a shiver through the goddess' metal spine.

You are nothing.

Kiera gripped the sides of her head, as if it would somehow drown out the sound of her own memories. "SHUT UP!" The barrier between horror and reality was steadily crumbling, and Kiera was already defenseless as it was. All the years of her trying to ignore what had happened were all in vain. The memories began to hit her full force.

* * *

Kiera had been lonely. She had no real friends; only her twin brother, Kruphix. She wanted so desperately to fit in. Kiera wanted a group of people to call her own. Maybe that's why it had seemed like such a good idea at the time.

She had heard whispers and rumors that circulated amongst local boys at the soccer fields; talk of an elite group that was open to anyone with paranormal background. Kiera had always been picked on for being a registered β 5-B mutant. Everyone knew due to the fact that she was required by law to wear an identification tag around her neck. But what if she was among others like her? What if she could finally belong somewhere?

After many painful weeks of training herself to absorb metal material into her bones and be able to wield said material in which ever way she so pleased, Kiera had her mutation down to a science. She was so excited she even named her fighting style "Kinzoku-shi". She knew then in her thirteen year old heart that she was ready.

She took the knowledge she had gathered from all the rumors she had heard and arrived at the abandoned cathedral in the downtown area on a Saturday night. She knocked on the doors three times with the tips of her fingernails and whispered, "Länge leve Cthulhu." Watching the doors open, she smiled to herself. With hope fluttering in her chest, Kiera entered the old building.

"Who came to disturb the order?" A voice asked.

Kiera swallowed the lump that began to form in her throat. "I do."

"Why are you here?"

"I-I heard that this group accepted paranormals." She managed.

A figure stepped out from one of the pews, rising to a height of about six feet and seven inches. His hair was dyed cornflower blue and his eyes were the color of rotting flesh. A edora rested on his head and he was dressed in a white tank top and denim jeans. "We do." He said calmly.

"Well, I was wondering if..." She took a deep breath and bowed. "I humbly request to join."

The man smiled and laughed. "Why would I do that? What could you possibly have to offer?"

She took another deep breath. "My skeleton is pure titanium, and I can absorb metal and purge it into anything I want."

The man walked closer to Kiera, looking her up and down. "Very beautiful."

She blushed. "Why, thank you."

He ran his fingers through her brown locks. "Silky hair." He brushed the back of his hand along her cheek. "Smooth, fair skin."

Kiera felt herself begin to stutter. "I-I-I've n-never been t-t-told things like t-t-that before."

The man's smile widened. "Why, I'm just stating the obvious. As sure as my name is Tall Jake, I speak what I see."

Kiera laughed nervously. "So, may I join?"

Tall Jake smirked. He shook his head and with movements too fast for Kiera to track, he secured her arms behind her back with a piece of rope. He pushed her against a wall and chained her ankles so she couldn't escape.

"What's going on?"

Tall Jake chuckled. "Call it initiation."

He grabbed the end of her shirt and pulled it up so the girl's navel was visible.

"Stop it!" Kiera begged.

"Ah, a virgin, aren't we?" He mocked. "You'll soon get what you deserve. No female should ever remain pure. All of them are no more than filth, including you."

"No!" She screeched. "Please, don't!"

"Don't deny it." He said, stripping the girl's shirt off her body. "When it comes down to it, all women are whores. You should be thankful that I'm putting this much effort into helping you. What an ungrateful little wretch!"

"Help!" Kiera screamed, hot tears rolling down her face.

"Quiet!" Tall Jake snapped. He pulled a knife out of his pocket and cut off Kiera's pants, leaving her in nothing but her undergarments. "Look at that...she's still clinging unto her innocence." The knife slashed two large cuts into her hips. "Next time I hear another sound from your worthless mouth, I'll leave you with more scars."

As she screwed her eyes shut, all Kiera could feel--and therefore remember--was the pain. She bit her lip until it bled so she wouldn't scream. She couldn't afford to see what she already knew was happening to her. Kiera felt sick and filthy.

Sadly, this was only the first of many times.

* * *

Jak may have appeared calm to anyone that looked at him, but in reality, he was actually quite worried. Kiera was the only thing that had kept him going through all the terrible things he had been through; the only reason he had to face another day on this god-forsaken world. If anything happened to her...Jak didn't want to think what he would do.

"Pa...Pa? Pa!"

Vadina's voice snapped him out of his trance. He looked down to see the two eyes of his adopted daughter staring into his worriedly.

"Yes?"

She frowned. "You've been awfully quiet since we left the mansion."

Jak blinked. "I have?"

Kruphix nodded. "I don't blame you. It must hurt not knowing what's going on with Kiera. I know it's killing me that I didn't realize what was happening to my own sister."

Jak nodded solemnly. "She's one of the only people that have ever made me feel happy. If her mind is broken, she might not be...her anymore." He justified.

"She'll be okay, Pa." Vadina assured him. "She has to."

<Or at least, I hope.> Her thoughts echoed in Jak's head.

Jak looked at Kruphix and tuned into his thoughts as well. <I hope she doesn't do anything stupid. If she does, I'd never forgive myself.>

Everyone cared about Kiera in one way or another. She was such a big part of everyone's lives that living without her seemed unimaginable. This was why it was so imperative that they found her. Not just for Jak's sake, but for everyone else's sake as well. This was what the God of the Mind realized as he tracked the mental link of his wife, feeling how fragile it was.

"We're very close." Jak announced. "Scan the area for any sign of her."

All three pairs of eyes were now trained on the ground, searching for anything familiar. After a short wait, Kruphix pointed to a half-dead sycamore tree. "There." He announced.

Jak breathed a sigh of relief as he saw that Kiera was physically okay, but he didn't know if the same could be said for her mind. Kruphix, Jak and Vadina swooped down, and Jak felt a pang of hurt as he heard Kiera's ranting.

"Stupid! Horrible! Hated!"

As they landed, Jak took a moment to take in his wife's pitiful figure. She was curled up in the fetal position, nails digging into her scalp and tears cascading down her cheeks like a waterfall.

"Kiera," Kruphix tried.

"I. Am. Worthless." She muttered.

Kruphix was taken aback by his sister's words. "Who ever told you that? What happened?"

"Kill me..." She trailed. "The pain...too much...violated..."

"No, Ma!" Vadina exclaimed. "I won't kill you! We won't kill you!"

"Kiera, what's wrong?" Kruphix asked.

"Pain..."

"Where!? Tell me!" Her brother pressed.

Kiera's eyes flashed bright blue as she lifted up her head. "Want. Out. Now."

"Out of what, Ma?" Vadina cried.

It killed Jak to see the one he loved like this. How long had this been going on for? Jak kneeled down and wiped away her tears with the edge of his sleeve. "Kiera, it's me, Jak. Please...you remember me, right?"

"Jak...I don't deserve..." She trailed off.

"Don't deserve what?" The God of the Mind was doing his best to keep his voice steady.

"You." She reached for her wing and plucked off one of the metal feathers.

"Kiera, please talk to me." Jak begged.

Kiera passed the feather to her right hand.

"What is it!? What's wrong!?"

Kiera held the feather above her forearm.

Jak grabbed her shoulders and looked her in the eyes. "Kiera, I'm begging you. Tell me what's going on!"

What happened next caused everything Jak thought he knew to come crumbling down. Kiera ran the sharpened edge of the feather across her forearm, scarlet seeping out of the freshly made cut.