Dexter Magma - d3 - FINISHED!!

People see me and think I'm much older than just 18. At 6'2", it's hard not to look older than you really are. Slouching doesn't help either considering my broad shoulders. I feel like I could snap most people in half if I were to try, not that I'm bragging or anything - it's true, I'm strong. I try to keep my hair as short as possible because I don't think my blonde hair really works for me. But I don't cut my hair often so it always ends up tickling my ears and floating over my eyebrows. I really wish I had dark hair - I love brunettes - but my blonde is so difficult to tame and I'd rather not attempt to fix it. I'm not all that tanned, and I swear that if I didn't wear a hoodie at night I could get moon burn. I always end up with a sun burn during the summer and it never really turns me golden like I want it to. The only gold part on my body is the tattoo I got after I left the Detention Center. It's small and simple, just a little golden heart on the inside of my wrist. Heart of gold - for my sister. I try not to let people notice it, and when they ask I simply tell them it was for a past girlfriend. They all seem to understand, and look at me as if it would be easy for a guy like me to have a girlfriend - when in reality most shy away from me.

When I walk around in the streets in the day light, I can see the way people look at me. That is why I work at night - I can't see anyone's eyes. when I walk around in a dark hoodie and huge pants I see teenage girls huddle together and mothers grasp their children tight and the muscles in every man's jaw clench. And I can't blame them. My stature, my face mostly hidden, my eyes darkened by years of being locked away, and of course how my clothing makes me look like nothing but a thug. I can't smile at them, no matter how hard I try. I know they deserve some reassurance that I won't hurt them, but my face will not give in. My jaw is always forced and clenched shut, my hands balled in fists in my pocket. I'm just always so angry - it's what nasty interrogations and dark cells do to you.

But when I am in the dark, I look much more appealing. If only it is because you can't see me. I suppose when I am around decent people they look at me different. A big guy, bigger heart. Blue eyes that are more of a grey unless I wear a blue T-shirt or something. I love sea blue. I have a shirt that I make sure to wear around the Nox's house if only to look a little less pissed off. I love wearing sweatpants too, but I always seem to end up in jeans - It's amazing how things never happen the way you would like them too. I grow syburns and a bit of stubble is always lining my chin and upper lip. And my smile is bright enough to see in the dimmest of places - unless of course Valencia or her dad walk by. Neither of them can have my happiness. They don't deserve it.

At night, I wish I could turn into someone else. Holding knives to peoples' throats and threatening to use it unless they give me their watch. Stalking around nightclubs, waiting for some harmless teenager to walk away into a dark alley alone. Getting caught under the light of the moon and seeing the worst sight of all - eyes. The terror I bring to people is always in my victims eyes. It almost makes me give up - And I wish for just 5 seconds they could see who I really am, who I really want to be, and why I do what I do.

Just 5 seconds.

I'm not exactly the friendliest person in the world. My social skills are a bit lacking due to the fact that I was locked away for a good 2 years. The only people I can talk to or ever really could talk to were Rhine, my dad, Krisondra, and Drace. But I have no idea where my dad is and Rhine is dead, so I all I really have are Drace and Krisondra. I try not to burden either of them with so much of my history, but it seems to always come pouring out when I talk to them - especially Kris. She is always able to get me to talk. I guess that is the shy part of me, the side that would rather just stick to trusting a handful of people and only that handful. And I guess that is the only soft part of me, because otherwise I am pretty brutal.

Growing up in the Detention Center took its tole on me, just like the Hunger Games takes a tole on the Victors. I have learned that hatred is something of a strong emotion and is needed in order to keep going. Hate for my brother kept me alive for those 2 years and I will not let that hate go if it keeps getting money for me. And then I came to the Nox residence and found several different reasons to be angry. #1 - Magnus and Valencia. I didn't really figure it out until after signing the contract that Magnus was manipulative and malicious, and his daughter can't be much better. I'm always watching Drace's eyes follow her around, and I make sure to stay the hell away from Drace when he decides to be around Magnus' bitch daughter. #2 - What every resident is forced to do as a result of signing the contract. I am forced to hold a knife to innocent people's throats, Damea is forced to steal, Shadow and Tiberius are forced to sell drugs on the streets, Drace is forced to skillfully cheat people out of their money, and Krisondra is forced to sell her body every night. Fuck - everyone's lives are now shit holes except Valencia. And no one even has a choice if they get to do it or not. Well, unless you count the choice of dying but i don't count that. So basically, my hatred makes me stronger. And with so much to hate in my life now-a-days, I am about the strongest man alive. And if you dare try and tell me different, my knife might just accidentally slip across your throat.

I do have those soft spots though and one is named Krisondra. She is so angry, just, all the time and I can't help but feel her pain. It pretty much pours off her in waves and she drowns everyone who tries to talk to her. Sometimes I wish she would just relax a little, cool off and try not to kill everyone with her sharp tongue but I know that it isn't exactly possible. It's hard for me too. I try not to let my anger get the best of me, especially when I am talking to her, but sometimes it's hard not to just want punch a hole in the wall. I try to fume alone because I tend to go through blind rages and flying fists and then wake up later wondering who I ended up hurting. But it's funny because usually I'm not mad at my life or the world or anything except guys. Girls don't piss me off, guys do - especially the ones that Krisondra goes and hunts down during the night. I try so hard to get her not to go out, but she never listens to me. And then I see men like that and can only think of killing them - eliminating their kind from the world. Anger is all I am, and I am truly scared of myself when it decides to take over.

Just stay away from me ...

I can still see the glimmer of her eyes ...

I was the first born of my family. My mom and dad had long awaited a child, and I had been the one to end their wait. But they couldn't really anticipate what trouble I would end up causing them in life. But that wouldn't be for another 15 years and the birth of two more children. My brother, Damian, was born only a little over a year after me. I can't remember anything but Damian from when I was little. We were inseparable - partners in crime, little kids growing up with loving parents. The only thing that separated us was that I was a daddy's little boy and Damian was a mommy's little boy. I can always remember each of us sprinting to a separate parent when we got in fights - it was truly comical because my parents would always smile at each other and tell us both that if we stopped arguing we could get some ice cream later. But most of the time we were best friends - brothers of District 3, fighting to save the world from mythical creatures and fighting each other to the death in the Hunger Games and holding each other in the middle of the night when we thought there was a monster under the bed. We really did make a great team. And I loved him. But that was before he ruined my life.

But when I was 6 years old, I got a baby sister, Rhine. She was a the third musketeer to add to me and Damian. She was the most important thing to me when she was baby. I would always check on her when she was sleeping and make little forts of pillows around her bed to make sure none of the bad guys around the house could get her. Damian, well, he wasn't all that interested in her until later, but that was mostly because he missed having the most attention from mom. But as I turned 12, Damian 11, and Rhine 6, we were the best team of three anyone could find. Most of time, me and Damian would try to sneak off alone, only to be caught by Rhine. She would always threaten to tell mom and dad if we didn't let her at least tag along on our endeavors. I can remember sighing when she whined and complained about her feet hurting or saying something we were doing was wrong, but what other choice did we have? If mom and dad ever found out the things we did ... I don't think they would ever let me or Damian leave the house again. And we certainly didn't want that.

Our home life was different as I got older. When I turned 15, I can remember mom and dad arguing a lot more than they used to. It wasn't about much but money and the need to fix the roof and things like that - but every once in awhile dad would be sleeping on the couch downstairs. And me and Damian had grown apart - with no more kid games to play, Damian decided he liked being in the streets more than at home or in school. I guess that was another one of the things my parents argued and screamed about - my brother. He was always getting into little bits of trouble with the Peacekeepers and messing around with the local gangs around District 3. One time I found some pills in the pocket of his jacket - when I questioned him about it he told me to fuck off an just stay the hell out of his way. And so I did - I know I should've intervened, but I was so pissed off at him that I couldn't bring myself to love him at that moment. My mom eventually got a night job and while she was away at night, dad was up drinking. I don't judge him for it - in a world full of shit everyone needs a drink every now and again.

But one of the worst things about turning 15 was what started happening to Rhine. I'm not sure exactly what happened, but it seemed she always woke up with new bruises on her wrists and ankles and she would always be so jumpy. And for some odd reason - she hated going to bed. I don't know what it was, but she was always asking to sleep with me. Dad would try to talk to her but she would cower away - like he was some monster. But later she would hug him and let him take her back to her own bed. It was a weird process through my childhood that I never got to understand - I didn't have time to. And by that time, Rhine had accidentally discovered some of Damian's pills -I caught him shoving her to the ground and telling her that if she told mom or dad about them that he would kill her. I ended up breaking his nose just after that and telling me that he just might kill me too someday for being such a prick. I knew then that he was one angry kid that needed help. And if he wasn't going to let our parent's help then I was going to have to.

And then the night came when I saw him sneak out the window. I followed him for awhile - trying to figure out what exactly he did all night and day out in the streets. He met up with a bunch of guys, all older than him - older than me even - and they all had crowbars and hammers and knives - and there was even a gun. I was so stunned that when my sister snuck up behind me I jumped in fear and got shook back to reality. I told her to go home, that it wasn't safe for her out here, but she nearly started to cry when I told her to go back home to dad - so I let her stay, another huge, life-changing mistake on my part. So, the three musketeers were finally back to roaming the streets. Except, what happened next would change every single one of our lives forever.

- - - - - - - - - -

I can smell the grease of a nearby food outlet nearby, even at this late of an hour. Rhine is gripping my hand, not tightly or anything, but by the sound of her breathing, I can tell she is frightened by the dark alleys. But she isn't complaining, so I let her be. I can see Damian, laughing and talking amongst his, what I assume to be, fellow gangsters. I want to grab him right now, punch him so hard that he will know I'm serious when I tell him to get the fuck out of whatever he is doing. The pills, the weapons, the dark hooded jackets - all of it is leading up to something. And I know I'm going to have to stop him from making anymore mistakes - especially since Rhine knows about it now. She is just 9 years old and already she is exposed to way too much violence and drugs. Between my dad's occasional drinking, my brother's pill, and the odd bruises on her wrists, it is obvious she has already had to deal with too much for her age. I whisper softly to Rhine to try and keep up as I follow Damian and the gang deeper and deeper into dark alleys, until they are all stopped in front of a huge glass window - it's a jewelry store. I stop and hide with Rhine behind a trash bin. I yell at Rhine to stay hidden and then burst out from behind the trash bin just as a crowbar is meeting glass. An alarm is blaring, but all the boys are already inside, breaking glass containers and shoving diamond upon diamond into their pockets. I reach Damian - cursing at him, threatening to kill him - and then suddenly he is pointing a gun in my face. "Get the hell out! Now! Or I swear to God I will blow your brains out ... "Fuck, Damian, put that thing away!" I'll fucking do it Dex!" And before I can even begin of thinking to actually back away from him, he charges at me, gun still pointed at my head and then he fires. And then I am still alive and thinking because he was just threatening aimlessly. Except I hear some scuffling and then a small whimper. And as I look upon Damian's face, I can see tears instantly welling up and his hand dropping to his side. I whirl around to meet something that instantly causes me to wail. Rhine is lying on the ground, bleeding to death in the street.

- - - - - - - - - -

The Peacekeepers showed up a not soon after. But Damian had already run away with his gang and I was left to deal with Rhine. I remember singing to her. She had asked me to - she had always thought I had the most amazing voice - and I sang and sang even when the Peacekeepers started to take me away. It was stupid, but I couldn't help it. I cried and cried and and sang and sang until I fell asleep in a detainment center cell. I woke up and they started to question me, but they had already decided that I was part of the gang that was stealing jewels from the shop. I was charged with theft - but not the murder of my sister. They couldn't find the gun anywhere and decided that I wouldn't have had time to dispose of it before they got there. And I never brought up Damian. My parents were injured enough with their eldest son going to jail, their other son running around District 3 with a gang, and their little girl shot and killed in the middle of the night. My dad fought for me in the battles of my persecution. He knew that I would never have done any of it and that Damian was the real trouble. And I can't ever be more grateful to him for being there for me. My mom - I never got to talk to her again after that night. She didn't want to see me. She was so devastated, so torn apart by grief, that she couldn't bring herself to see me again. Ever.

And then I went away to District 2, away to the Detention Center for 2 years before I was released. And when I got back to District 3, I had no one to go to. I was a solo musketeer with no parents. My old house was closed off and run down. I lived there for about a month before finding deciding to move in with Magnus Nox just down the street. And it was then that I learned of his contract. Rags to Riches. I can clearly remember seeing dollar signs with tons of zeros and instantly scratching my name at he bottom of the paper. I didn't even worry about the big bold letters that threatened to execute me if I didn't pay up. That is when I knew I had to use my size to do something I never in my whole life thought I would ever do. It's funny how 2 years locked away in the middle of nowhere can change you. And that is when I knew I was more like Damian than I thought. My massive size + a black hoodie + a knife = a menace. A menace who needs money. A menace who wouldn't dare kill, only threaten to, in order to get what he wanted.

And now I am stuck. Stuck in a life and controlled by the Nox family. And all I can do is hope I don't get killed ...