Chapter 4: The Lovely Pedal

Maya was a striking figure—beautiful, cloaked in dark robes, and wrapped in an aura of mystery. Her movements were fluid, her presence commanding. As a member of SAAHO, her reputation was built not only on her deadly agility but also on her ability to manipulate and seduce. She used her wits and charm as much as her blade. Yet, beneath her ruthless efficiency as an assassin, Maya harbored a tenderness, especially for children, a compassion forged through her own tragic past.

This tenderness was reflected in her relationship with Ray, whom she adopted and raised after he was orphaned. To Ray, Maya was a beacon of warmth in an otherwise cold and merciless world. Despite the bloodshed that marked her daily existence, she ensured that Ray knew love and kindness, nurturing him in ways she herself had longed for as a child.

Maya's Past: From Innocence to Vengeance

Maya had not always been cloaked in darkness. Once, she was just a little girl in Iraq, dreaming of a simple life as a teacher. She lived with her family in a small, peaceful village, oblivious to the horrors that would soon invade her world. However, war soon shattered that tranquility. Soldiers—cold and brutal agents of destruction—raided her village. Her family's home was reduced to rubble, and Maya watched in horror as American soldiers, intoxicated with power and cruelty, murdered her parents and siblings for sport.

She survived only because her aunt, Hana, shielded her from the gunfire and dragged her away to safety.

The two of them, broken and scarred, fled Iraq as refugees. They eventually found sanctuary in America, where they tried to rebuild their lives. For a brief moment, it seemed that they could escape the trauma of their past. Maya worked as a waitress, struggling to find meaning in her new life. But just when she thought she could move forward, life cruelly reminded her of its fragility.

One fateful night, the Tori no Ichizoku, a notorious criminal clan with a stranglehold over much of America, set their sights on Hana. She was robbed and murdered in a brutal attack, leaving Maya utterly alone. At just 20 years old, Maya had lost her last remaining family member, and the weight of her trauma finally broke her. That night, after finishing her shift, she sat on a street corner, tears streaming down her face, her heart engulfed by despair.

The Meeting: Vengeance in Shadows

As Maya wept under a dim streetlamp, a soft, measured set of footsteps approached. She looked up, startled, to see a hooded man clad in black robes. His face was partly obscured, but there was something calming about his presence.

"Hello, young lady. Why are you crying?" he asked, his voice low and steady.

Maya hesitated but then poured out her sorrow. "I've lost everything. My parents, my siblings, my home... and now, my aunt's dead. I have no one left."

The man looked at her, his expression softening, though his dark eyes burned with quiet intensity. "You're wrong," he said firmly. "You have your vengeance."

Maya blinked, confused. "What do you mean?"

"I mean," he replied, his voice laced with determination, "I will make them pay for what they've done."

"R-really?" Maya asked, her voice trembling with a mix of disbelief and hope.

"Yes," he said simply. "I will."

Overcome with emotion, Maya threw herself into the stranger's arms, sobbing into his chest. He didn’t pull away. Instead, he embraced her, his grip strong and reassuring.

"Thank you," she whispered. "Thank you so much for helping me."

"They will pay in blood," he promised, his voice cold yet resolute. "But you must wait."

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The Transformation of Maya

True to his word, the hooded man—Michael—began a ruthless campaign against the Tori no Ichizoku. Maya, though grateful, realized that vengeance alone could not fill the void within her heart. She begged Michael to teach her not only how to kill, but how to wield power in a world that had always rendered her powerless.

Under Michael's tutelage, Maya transformed. Her natural grace and agility made her a deadly assassin, and her beauty became another tool, one she could use to manipulate her enemies. As the horrors of her past hardened her resolve, she found herself embracing the shadows. Yet, she clung to a part of herself that refused to be consumed by the darkness: her love for children.

Years later, Maya found Ray—a boy lost in his own abyss of despair. She saw in him a reflection of herself, a child broken by tragedy, and without hesitation, she adopted him. She vowed to give him the love and protection she had never received. Despite the violence that defined her life, she became Ray’s one stable, nurturing presence.

To Ray, Maya was a paradox—a killer with the heart of a protector, a figure of shadows who illuminated his world with compassion. And though she had become a pedal in the machinery of death, she remained, at her core, a lovely pedal—a reminder that even in the darkest places, beauty and kindness could endure.

Reflection

One evening, as Maya tucked Ray into bed, he looked up at her with innocent curiosity and asked, "Why are you so nice to me?"

Maya smiled softly, brushing a strand of hair from his forehead. "Because someone once gave me a chance when I thought I had nothing left. And now, I want to give you the same chance."

"But you’re... an assassin," Ray said hesitantly.

Maya’s smile faded, and she grew quiet for a moment. Then, she spoke, her voice tinged with a quiet wisdom. "Yes, I am. But we don’t get to choose the world we’re born into. We can only choose how we survive it."

She kissed him goodnight, then walked away, her heart heavy with the weight of her own contradictions. The life she led was one of shadows and bloodshed, yet for Ray, she had vowed to be more—to be the mother he deserved. A lovely pedal, blooming even in the darkest soil.

As Maya closed the door behind her, she leaned against the frame for a moment. Ray's question echoed in her mind—"Why are you so nice to me?" It was simple, yet profound, a question grounded in his confusion about kindness in a world that had given him so little.

Maya wiped away a stray tear, not because she was weak, but because the love she felt for Ray was something foreign to her—something she had never known how to express. She had never been mothered, never received the care she had given him. In that moment, Maya realized she had become the very thing she had longed for—a mother.

The night stretched on, but her mind kept drifting back to Ray. It wasn’t just about providing for him or keeping him safe anymore. It was about guiding him through a merciless world, showing him the love she had never known, and giving him the tools to survive—both physically and emotionally.

The next morning, Maya woke early, as she always did, before the sun had fully risen. She moved through the quiet house, her soft footsteps echoing in the silence. In the kitchen, she prepared breakfast—pancakes, a rare treat that she had managed to keep in her routine despite everything.

Ray wandered into the kitchen shortly after, rubbing his eyes. He was still groggy but his face lit up when he saw the pancakes.

"Morning, kid," Maya greeted with a gentle smile. "You hungry?"

Ray nodded and sat at the table, clasping his small hands together as he waited. Maya set the plate down in front of him, and she watched as he devoured the pancakes with an eagerness that warmed her heart. She knew that meals like these had been rare in his life, and she wanted to make each moment count.

"You're growing up fast, Ray," Maya remarked softly. "Before you know it, you'll be stronger than I am."

Ray chewed slowly, his lips curving into a small smile. "I'm not so sure about that," he said quietly. "But I'm trying."

Maya smiled, ruffling his hair gently. "You’re doing better than anyone else could, kid," she said, her voice thick with emotion. "Keep trying. I'm here for you, always. Don’t forget that."

Ray nodded, his eyes softening as he looked up at her. For the first time in a long while, he didn’t feel the weight of the world on his shoulders. He felt like he could breathe.

Maya’s motherly instincts had taken root, not just in her actions, but in her heart. She might have been an assassin by trade, but in this moment, she was simply Ray’s mother—a protector, a nurturer, someone who would fight to the very end to ensure he never felt alone.

"Come on," Maya said with a slight grin. "We’ve got work to do. But after that, we’ll go out for some ice cream. You deserve it."

Ray’s face brightened, and the darkness in his eyes seemed to lift, even if only for a moment. Maya’s heart swelled with the knowledge that, despite the world they lived in, she had managed to give him something precious: the ability to smile again.

I, Maya, the kind-hearted woman you always see in civilian clothing, always willing to help, am one thing—only one side of me. For I am a brutal anti-hero who specializes in guns and knives. You will never hear nor feel what's coming, for I am too fast. The only thing you'll ever feel is a knife or a bullet in your body. You didn’t see me. I am the fastest devil in the anti-hero organization.