A whole day had gone by since the raid and things were not looking good for the city. The ECPD initiated a citywide crackdown in an effort to hunt down the suspects who escaped the lost Cocoon. Street patrols were increased in both size and frequency. Curfews were put into effect. Officers walked the streets in full combat gear stopping anyone suspicious for random id checks. Life in the once peaceful and reclusive Evo City was beginning to face hardship. While humanity paid for the sins of the Demons, those same beasts had retreated. Lockhart and his precious "children" fled to a backup a facility referred to as the Ark. I returned to my apartment to keep an eye on things on the surface while everyone else settled in.

As the afternoon sun still shined brightly in the sky, I sat alone on my couch. The television was on and producing random background noise. I hardly paid attention to whatever program was on. I was too occupied with the voice in my head. Hell and I were both equally concerned about the current state of affairs. Our next move needed to be carefully planned.

"I don’t know how long I can just sit and watch, Hell," I thought as the television continued to blare its gibberish.

"Don’t be reckless Heaven. The project’s security is already dangling by a thread. You don’t want to be the one responsible for the end, do you?"

"Not at all, but we can’t just sit back and watch Nina do as she pleases."

"You aren’t wrong, but after the Ministry Square attack, she went completely quiet."

I let out a single displeased breath in response to Hell’s words. My right hand was balled up into a fist as I struggled to accept Hell’s suggestion.

"So you’re saying we just wait again."

"What else can we do, Hev?"

"I’m just sick of only being able to react. People will die if we wait any longer."

"I didn’t know you cared about them," Hell responded in a mistakenly apathetic voice.

I sighed to myself as I delved deep into my thoughts. Hell registered each sentence that appeared in my mind as images were brought forth from memory. Everything all boiled down to my past. I couldn’t stand by and watch more innocent people witness the same horror I have seen and make the same stupid choices. It was a cycle of death and vengeance perpetuated by Nina’s insatiable blood lust. Innocent young kids losing parents and vowing revenge only to end up burned the same way their parents were. Nina left behind a circle of charred corpses that kept spiraling towards the sky. This tower of caramelized flesh became the monument to my pain, and the pain of countless others.

Empathy is a tricky thing. You only need to experience something once and suddenly you want to do all you can so that no one else has to live through the same nightmare. The worst pain is that of having to watch total strangers, or even close friends, thrust themselves down the same path you swore you razed to the ground. That is the pain that drove me to fight Nina and stop her madness. But going through the things that I have and confronting the choices I made, I realized that anyone can be driven to madness by misfortune. All it takes is one little spark to light the powder keg and suddenly man is devouring man. Something happened to Nina, and I was determined to find out.

The television began to roar with the sudden announcement of a breaking news story. The sudden rush of sound snapped me out of me trance of thought. My eyes shifted to the screen as I began to watch the report intently. Another dark event thrown atop the miserable pile of circumstances that had been accumulating in this city. The news anchor began her reading of sudden developments and I could feel my heart sinking further into the pits of anxiety.

"This just in. We here at Evo City Daily received an anonymous leak that sheds some light on the recent attacks and police actions that have taken place in Evo City over the last seventy-two hours."

I glared at my television as the pit of anxiety only grew deeper.

"According to this anonymous source, the perpetrator of the attack was a young woman by the name of Nina Volkov. Miss Volkov, for all intents and purposes, was considered dead after a mysterious disappearance over a decade ago…"

"Oh no…," I muttered in disbelief as I saw Nina's portrait displayed over the screen.

"This mysterious disappearance occurred in the wake of the murder of Alexei and Colette Volkov, the mother and father of Miss Nina Volkov. The couple was slaughtered in their home by an, at the time, unknown assailant. This assailant still has yet to be identified to this day as the only thing the authorities have to go off of is a single photograph…"

My eyes widened in shock as the photo of a more than familiar man flashed up on screen. In that moment, everything was frightfully clear, yet I wanted to deny all of it. That image was only so clear. I kept trying to force up every excuse to justify that what I was witnessing wasn’t true. But there no was no turning away from it. The truth sought me out instead, and now it was mocking me. My father killed Nina's parents. Clearly it had to be false, it had to be a lie. There was no way a man as gentle and honorable as my father would have slaughtered Nina's parents. He wouldn’t have done that. At least not without reason. Those were just a sample of the thoughts flooding me as I continued to watch the report.

"On screen now is footage we captured of the attack. We can clearly see Nina Volkov present among a number of other individuals. If you know anything about these people on screen, please contact the Evo City Police Department. We will keep you updated as this story develops."

"No…"

Footage taken from a variety of anonymous sources began to flash by. Scenes of conflict between supernatural beings. Wars fought beyond the plane of society’s understanding. A play of carnage marred by questions unanswered was playing out before my eyes as my heart sank deep into the pits of fear.

I screamed. It was the only thing I could think to do. I screamed at the television in a blank state of rage. I raised my hand and blasted a light beam through the TV in my anger. I stared at my hands as the realization of the facts seeped in. My father was the reason I was alone. My father started all of this. But how could it be possible?

"It doesn't make sense… It doesn't make any fucking sense!"

"Hev…"

Hell could hardly say much to help me cope. My eyes were wide and my fists were shaking. I don’t remember thinking anything, my mind had gone completely blank. That report held a truth that neither myself nor Hell was prepared to accept. Lockhart had kept a dark secret locked away from us, as well as the other Demons. In my trance of shock, I remember getting up off the couch like a zombie. I left my apartment in a shamble as my brain did it’s best to comprehend the knowledge I had received. Meanwhile my heart was tearing itself apart and devouring itself as depression spilled out like a flood of black blood overtaking my veins. A crushing weight fell upon my back as my eyes glazed over nonchalantly. A look of complete dullness came over me as I left the apartment building and wandered the streets of Evo City in a haze. I took pointless step after pointless step in a desperate hope to come to terms with everything. If only it were that easy.

*****

All of the Demons were present in a small café-like breakroom within the new facility. The same broadcast was received loud and clear. It continued on while I had long since left my apartment in an almost vegetative state.

"Our source has made claims that an organization hiding in the shadows of our city is behind the cowardly attack on Ministry Square. This file we were provided with details some very horrifying claims about Nina Volkov and her involvement with this group…"

The picture on screen was scarred into various shapes of grey matter. Twin faces of a split-image resemblance stared back with sapphire eyes at every single onlooker facing the screen. Two names appeared below each headshot, names that furthered the mystery of the Demon of Graceful Embers. Lockhart himself stood in complete horror as his precious secrets were revealed right in front of him. The very thing he hoped to never let his cherished "children" see was displayed like the corpse of a martyr. The worst part was that Lockhart was powerless to stop it. He had no control over the situation. He was forced to sit back and watch as his world burned. He fell back into a chair almost limp as a few small tears escaped their ocular prison.

"What the fuck is this!?" Terra shouted from behind Lockhart as she stormed forward to the scientist’s back.

Genesis swiftly stepped in front of Terra’s path and restrained her from going any further. He would not allow any harm to come to Lockhart, not while he was there to prevent it. Terra clenched her teeth tight as she leaned over Genesis’ arms and screamed at Lockhart.

"What was that, Lockhart!? Fucking answer me!"

Lockhart was silent. His heart torn asunder. An eerie quiet fell over the room like a blanket of plastic that suffocated all emotions other than shock, anger, and sorrow. After but a few short moments, Lockhart rose from his seat. His body slowly turned to face Terra, as if chains of guilt and weights of remorse were tugging at his flesh and bones, peeling him apart and exposing the aching heart within. Terra’s expression suddenly calmed ever so slightly once she laid eyes upon the tearful professor. His face was littered with residual crevices left by his tears. He took a simple deep breath and adjusted himself before finally unveiling one of the many hidden truths of the Demon Project.

"Please forgive me for what I am about to tell you…" Lockhart began as the rest of the room all looked on in fearful curiosity.

"All of you were given a Second Personality. Those personalities were designed to function as an anchor, a sentient voice of reason, albeit a sadistic one. After countless tests and prototypes, we eventually reached a grim conclusion. We had no other alternative…" Lockhart struggled to form the words that would best explain the truth he so desperately locked away.

Finally Lockhart gave in to his aching soul and refused to sugar coat things. He began to speak nothing but cold hard truth.

"Your Second Personalities are living minds. We took them from living people who volunteered for the program... Inside each of you is the mind of another human being. Nina is no exception, and her Second Personality was the greatest injustice I have ever committed in this project. Her name was Serafina Volkov, she was Nina’s twin sister."

Silence. There was not a sound that could drown out the words repeating in each mind of Lockhart’s "children." Terra’s rage instantly boiled back up as she tried to wrestle past Genesis once again.

"Are you serious!? Are you fucking serious!? How could you do this to us!? Why didn’t you-!"

"I didn’t have a choice!"

Lockhart had never raised his voice before until that very moment. A child being scolded by their parents for the first time. That was the feeling that coiled itself around the Demons’ hearts. They truly were like children in their second birth. Lockhart’s cries echoed through the room and nearly shook the walls. Terra immediately backed off, her heart was not prepared for the rage of her father figure. None of those hellfire hearts were ready to hear their creator scream in desperation. Genesis rushed to Lockhart’s aid as he slowly fell to his knees. The poor professor still continued to fight back his emotions, but he could barely hold off their onslaught. Finally he had broken, after years of stoicism.

"The Director, the man who backs all of this has me on a tighter leash than any of you could possibly imagine! I didn't tell you this because you never would have accepted the program otherwise! But, believe me when I say, I never wanted to even be a part of this! I worked in fucking genetics! There is a reason I see you all as my children, because I owe you that kindness for the sins I have committed against you."

Those were the words Lockhart carefully chose in a final attempt to show his love for his creations. He sought sympathy and reunion with those "children" he so foolishly scarred. Lockhart took several deep breaths before finally getting up and staring all his creations in the eye.

"I’ll take my leave now…"

With those final words, the blonde scientist left the room. The Demons were left to their own devices.

"So what are we supposed to do now?" Krysta asked in hopes of formulating some kind of strategy.

"We end this fight for survival, kill every last cop in the ECPD." Terra said between clenched teeth.

Just as Terra concluded her suggestion, a gloved fist rocketed across her face. Genesis was breathing heavily as he looked over Terra in complete rage. In that moment, he unleashed his own pent up feelings.

"You and I both know that won't fix anything! The second we show ourselves, we will be exposed to the world! We can't get careless anymore."

"And what about Nina? What if she causes another explosion? She could drag the rest of us down with her," Flora added.

Genesis sighed to himself in order to relax, then he turned to face all of his allies and brought forth his solution.

"We lay low. We may not be able to engage Nina directly, but we have Goose and the Excaliburs. We can let them handle fights on the front line, but for now... We go quiet."

"That’s not good enough!" Terra screamed as she charged forward, only to be met with a sword pointing right at her head.

"We. Go. Quiet."

*****

All was silent within the office of Chief Lazarus. Philip stood at the Chief’s desk once again, this time overlooking a briefcase sitting atop the desk that Lazarus sat behind. The pale Chief’s hands were folded with his pointer fingers pressed against his lips. Philip’s eyes glanced down at the briefcase with a strange look of curiosity.

"Why don’t you open it?" Lazarus asked as his hands left the soft proximity of his lips for the hard wood of the desk.

Philip nodded and opened the briefcase. Within it, packed neatly in foam, was a syringe gun and a series of injections.

"The syringes in the suitcase are numbered. You are to use the first one today." informed Lazarus.

"What is it?" Philip asked as he picked up the syringe gun.

"Something that will help you understand who you are."

The gun itself seemed foreign. The design was alien to him, it seemed far too high tech for a simple medical apparatus. Following orders without question, Philip began to load the first injection in the series into the gun. As Lazarus instructed him, Philip injected the strange serum into his neck. The serum entered directly through a vein and merged into his bloodstream. Only a few seconds passed where Philip felt normal. Once those same few seconds vanished into the oblivion that was the past, Philip collapsed. Lazarus merely watched as his deputy began to seize and convulse on the floor. Lazarus could hear the stifled screams of his deputy as he tried his hardest to fight off the unbearable pain brought on by whatever drug had been injected into him. As his body violently threw itself about atop the grainy carpet, Philip’s eyes were beginning to drown themselves in visions. Flashes of all kinds of colors danced across his view as he struggled to find focus. Philip could barely make out the shape of two feet approaching him. Those feet wore what seemed to be shoes of fine black leather, light shimmering in orbs off their glistening bodies. Philip could also slightly make out black fabric belonging to a simple pair of trousers. As the figure approached Philip, it stopped suddenly. Then it bent down and Philip saw the face of the man he saw approach. Philip was looking into a bizarre mirror. He saw himself, but something was different. His appearance was all wrong. Skin paler than winter’s tears, luminescent white locks that feathered down the right side of his head, while the rest was buzzed off. Fierce red eyes stared back at Philip's out of focus hazel oculars. A wave of confusion and questioning rushed to Philip’s brain as the outlandish version of himself sat down in front of him.

"I know you can see me," the other Philip said with a small grin.

"What the fuck is this!?" responded Philip in a strained voice.

"You'll know soon enough. Just know that am I the result of the path you started to walk."

"What!? What does that even mean!?"

Philip couldn’t help but question all that he saw. Were his eyes tricking him? Did Lazarus put him on some powerful hallucinogen? Just what the hell was going on? That was all Philip needed an answer to before he could decide whether or not to believe it.

"Don't be afraid. Through me, you'll finally be able to make that dream of yours real. Just take my advice, continue the treatment and learn to control your ability."

Philip felt his body lunge backward as his trance suddenly vanished. The pain, the seizing, it all vanished within the passing of a single second. Philip was just sprawled on the office floor panting for a steady breath. After finally calming himself down, he arose from the ground and brushed the dust off his outfit. Lazarus continued to just stare at his deputy before finally proceeding.

"You handled it better than I expected. The treatment is meant to be carried out weekly. You will start to notice changes in your body, pale skin, your hair may start to go grey, and your eye color will change. This is all normal and part of the procedure so don't be alarmed."

Philip shambled his still near breathless body over to Lazarus’ desk. His fists were curled up tight like heavy stones. In a quick moment of rage, those fists hammered onto the wooden surface of the desk. The sound of flesh on cedar echoed like a timpani drum preluding to the strained shouts of the deputy.

"Just tell me what the fuck is going on! That's all I want! Tell me what I want to know and I'll do whatever you ask!"

Lazarus stayed silent for a moment. His hands folded, pointer fingers pressed gently against his lips once again. His stare was analytical in nature. Red eyes scanned over Philip’s shaking frame making sure to observe every minute detail of body language. Finally, the pale chief stood up from his seat and spoke softly to Philip.

"Consider it a test Philip. A test of your loyalty. I cannot tell you everything, simply because I need to make sure you are trustworthy. You see, Mason may have thought you were a good man, but I am not as lenient as him. You want answers? Then fight for them. Prove to me that you are worth receiving them."

Philip flinched at Lazarus’ words. The pale man then made his way around the desk and approached the disturbed deputy.

"Now then, tell me what you saw this time."

"Myself. My eyes were blood red, my hair was shaved and fell to one side. It was completely white. He must have completed the treatment."

"Did he say anything to you?" Lazarus asked following a brief nod.

"He said that through him I’d be able to fulfill my dream."

"What dream?"

Philip looked down at his hands for a moment as old memories spurted forth from old wounds.

"The power to protect my brother."

*****

The conference room was dimly lit and only housed a few select individuals. Agent Wolf sat to the right of Director Margrave. Both men wore a stern look on their face. Across from the old forest dog sat Agent Leo. Leo was a stern and fit African American male. His suit complimented his chiseled figure well as he cleanly flicked through the pages of a briefing file. His black hair was styled into clean corn rows that reminded him of his urban upbringing. A young boy who lived in the projects and dealt with all forms of hatred. Even now his life wasn’t so great, though his living was decent and paid for, he still had to face horror after horror day in and day out. All these thoughts and feelings were hidden behind deep black sunglasses, which also hid away the rather discerning amber color of his eyes. Eyes that were now staring down Myst, who was masquerading as his master to cooperate with the United States.

Before the meeting could begin, there was one more whose presence was required. She chose the option of being fashionably late. Her thunderous steps echoed down the corridor leading to the meeting room. Each pound of her boot on the polished floor sent chills down the men's spines. Before long, the doors burst open and the Captain stood present. The Captain was a woman, brave of heart and strong of arm. Her crystal blue eyes never wavered as they stared ahead at her compatriots. Those blue eyes held a glare that was colder than winter’s bite. God help the poor unfortunate soul that had to face the gaze of the Captain. Her blonde hair was tied back in a large bun to keep strands from falling into her vision. Her hair was rather long and more than likely far longer than regulations would allow. She wore it in a bun for years and after attaining status, few questioned her sense of fashion. Her uniform slightly clung to her figure as her rather large bust seemed to bulge outward, not by choice of course. Her rather abundant chest was not something the Captain was particularly proud of. Her white naval uniform was sleek and professional. Medals signifying her rank were displayed with great pride and she made sure that no one dare question the authority she wielded. She commanded a ship, it was her words that made its engine run and its canons fire. The captain truly believed in the power her voice had over men, and she felt strong when she lead them into battle, but no one could have guessed the darker secrets hidden behind the cold and dominant eyes of Captain Jane Stonewall.