I was in a trance. My steps had no meaning to them. I just kept walking wherever the wind would take me as it howled from behind me between towering skyscrapers. Even the voice of Hell could not drag me from my stupor. Not a single question would appear in my consciousness. Not even the voice of Purgatorio, my subconscious self, could wake me from the walking dream I lost myself in. I hardly noticed the crowds of people around me, let alone the place I had walked to. I stumbled back into the Street Mall, the place where everything began. I had no idea that a new beginning awaited me there.

Out of the corner of my eye I could see a person. A black cloaked figure wearing a cartoonish rabbit mask. That sharp grimace seemed to be laughing at me. My heart began to race as Hell’s voice slowly began to rip through the veil. It sounded muffled at first, but before long I could hear his words.

"Heaven! Get the fuck down!"

In that instance I dove for cover as machine pistol rounds punctured the concrete below. People scattered as gunshots echoed throughout the once calm air. I leapt back up to my feet and was now facing the rabbit mask head on. His hands gripped a MAC 10 machine pistol. I stood my ground ready for a fight, but I did not expect what happened next. Next to the rabbit mask, a rippling white circle ripped its way into the space of reality. The rabbit mask had opened a Mind Gate. From it, the rabbit retrieved a silver katana with a white wrapped handle and white tassel dangling from the bottom. Time seemed to stop for but a moment as disbelief hit me with the force of an atomic bomb.

"How!?"

In a split second the rabbit was on me. I dodged his strikes as best I could. The rabbit was quick and his strikes were precise. I could the feel the weight of his blade as it barely scraped my flesh.

"Hev, you’ve got to fight back!" Hell screamed from within.

"I can’t! I can’t expose my powers!"

The rabbit ran towards me with his blade raised. He swung it down hoping to cut into my skull. I quickly stepped away from the cut and ran my fist into the rabbit’s gut. Just as I landed my hit on the rabbit, I felt a piercing pain in my back. Someone stabbed me from behind. I leapt away and did what I could to catch my breath. That’s when my eyes finally registered what was in front of me.

"Oh shit…"

I was bent over and panting for air. Two mysterious, cloaked figures stood before me. Their swords of silver glistened with the refracted light of the afternoon sun. Warm, slick red blood dripped down my body and created a puddle beneath my feet. I had to get away, I couldn’t fight out in the open. I did the only thing I could do. I ran. The rampant burst of a machine pistol rang out into the streets as I made a break for it. My mind was in a panic as the Rabbits gave chase, their guns firing off indiscriminately. Civilians darted for cover as lead cries reached their ears, driving them into a panic. I kept running for dear life, looking for somewhere I could hide. There had to be an alleyway or something nearby. As I bolted down the long avenue, I took notice of three more cloaked Rabbits running towards me. Instinct kicked in and I immediately darted into a store front. I could hear the frustrated cries of the clerk as I rushed through his business place. Rapid percussions quickly drowned out his concern as I darted towards the back and kicked open a door that lead into an empty lot. Into the alleyway I ran, and I didn’t dare look back at the pack of White Rabbits hunting me down. Two more of those freakish cartoon masks came into view.

"Fuck…"

Seven figures in rabbit masks surrounded me. Each one of them had the power of the Mind Gate. Somehow they too could bend their mind to their will and force their thoughts into existence. A power unknown to the world, was somehow put in the hands of a mob of mysteries. At least within the confines of the back alley I could dispatch my foes without consequence. I took steady breaths and closed my eyes. I tried to drown out my thoughts and focus solely on one thing. I could see myself moving towards a dim light piercing through shadow. I tried to focus on that single hopeful image, my Mind Gate began to open. I could feel the gate rip itself through reality, but it flickered away as soon as it appeared.

"Dammit!"

I quickly summoned my light and dark blades as my foes ran at me all at once. I blocked two silver swords as they came down towards my body, eager to taste demonic flesh. I pushed the two blades back and leapt away to create distance. I recalled my dark blade and began to lay down suppressing fire. Concentrated beams of dark matter ripped through the space ahead and forced the Rabbits into cover. One of those cloaked soldiers was unfortunate enough to feel a beam of pure nothingness rip through his chest. His body eroded away as his gargled screams echoed around that confined battlefield. I summoned my dark matter sword once more and launched it behind the cover of two White Rabbits. Blinking forth from the void within my sword, I took my light blade in hand a cleaved into the unsuspecting beasts. Blood splattered onto my face and clothes like paint as I dashed behind cover. Trails of lead probed for my skin. Just as I prepared to return fire I felt an argent katana cut deep into my arm. I cried out in pain and grabbed the sneaky Rabbit by his sword arm. I ran my light blade through his chest and forced it upward through his head, cleaving him in half. Blood and viscera spilled onto the ground as if it were a blank canvas anticipating a masterpiece of gore to be splayed upon it. Four down. The other three Rabbits were encroaching upon my cover. Their guns were drawn and pinning me to my position. I fired a dark beam that pierced right through the head of the centermost Rabbit and then there were only two remaining. I dashed from my cover, my blades scraping along the ground. The Rabbits fired their guns, desperately hoping to bring me to my knees riddled with lead. My swords glided through their cloaked bodies splattering their life’s facilities in mutilated shards across the dirty pavement. Blood dripped off my body as I looked down at the scene of carnage at my feet.

"Who the hell?"

So many more questions were roaming around inside my head, questions that needed answering. Just what the hell was happening within my city? I took a deep breath and relaxed myself. With a steady voice I spoke to Hell.

"Hell, take me to the Ark."

*****

Terra and Goose sat in the bleak conference room of the Ark. The room was dimly lit and hosted a long table of glossy wood that sat more than a dozen people. With Lockhart gone to wallow in his guilt, Goose was the only other person Terra could get answers from. Goose sat across from Terra and leaned into the desk while Terra tried to think of what to say. A remnant of fear clung to Terra’s nerves as she stared at her folded hands.

"You’re still thinking about the raid, aren’t you?" Goose asked, hoping to elicit some sort of response from Terra.

The blue haired demon nodded in a positive silence as murderous memories poisoned her mind’s eye.

"Goose, what’s happening to me?"

Goose sighed as he leaned back in his seat. It was going to be a long talk.

"It’s the same reason the Excaliburs were created. Why we exist as Lockhart’s personal watch dogs."

Terra lifted her head up slightly, her blood red eyes staring through Goose’s skin. He felt his hair stand up on end as Terra’s rage began to boil. The Excalibur’s heart began to race with anxiety, he knew he had to be careful lest he receive a fistful of stone.

"What do you mean, Goose?" Terra’s voice dropped into a deep and guttural tone.

"Your powers, they… Look, everything has a limit, even you. That’s why the Excaliburs were created."

Terra looked at her hands once again. She felt like she didn’t even know her own body anymore. Her hands were alien to her, her powers were a mystery. All the mastery and control she had shown over the years, was it a lie? Was her restraint nonexistent?

"Are you trying to say that I can’t control my powers?"

Terra sounded like a lost child as she spoke. The barrier of brashness she had put up so long ago was smashed to smithereens.

"Every Demon has the potential to be consumed by their powers… To prevent that from happening, Lockhart had three seals placed on you. The First Seal is what prevents your powers from leaking out in everyday life. It is what allows you to call forth your abilities at will. During the raid, you broke the Second Seal. Breaking your Second Seal is what happens when you start to let your powers control you." Goose explained calmly.

"What do you mean?" Terra asked in response.

"Every Demon’s powers feed off of emotion. That bloodlust of yours isn’t natural. You all have a heightened sense of adrenaline and you thrive in conflict. I don’t know why that is, it’s just the way you were made. The Second Seal breaks when you let that lust for battle consume you. In your case… You wanted to save your home, and you gave into your desire for more power."

"W-what about the Third Seal? You said there were three."

Goose lowered his head slightly, as he continued to explain.

"No one has ever broken the Third Seal, but Lockhart has a hypothesis. He said breaking the Third Seal isn’t something you just come back from. Even if you survive and somehow manage to control it, you’ll be forever changed. You’d lose your humanity."

"And how do you expect to be able to stop a Demon who has gone that far?"

"We Excaliburs have a lot of secrets of our own, Terra."

Terra sat there for a moment. A flood of thoughts came to her like a tempest of consciousness. Her fear was understandable. She knew that her own emotions could get the better of her at times. It was how she fought. She was galvanized by the power of her emotions. Now she had been faced with the reality that her emotions could force her into an even greater madness. Goose took note of the inquisitive look upon the earthen woman’s face.

"I must have dredged up some old memories back then... I apologize."

"Thank you, Goose."

Terra stood up from her seat and began to leave the conference room. She stopped herself just at the door at looked back at the Excalibur Commander who still sat idly in his seat. One question still hung off the edges of her mind as she looked back at the old soldier.

"Goose? Do you think it’s possible to control the Second Seal?"

Goose immediately turned to face Terra. His eyes flashed a brief glimpse of fear before returning to the stoic glare of a militant. Terra was perceptive, that brief moment of concern told her all that she needed before Goose had a chance to even speak, though his words were more or less comforting.

"I’d tell you it's too dangerous, but you’re just going to try anyway. I’ll leave it at this, be careful. You are too valuable, not only as an asset, but as a woman."

"Don’t worry about me. I won’t lose myself again."

*****

The office Lockhart occupied within the Ark was quite similar to the one in the Cocoon. The same wooden furnishings and emerald carpet decorated the place and created a striking contrast to the pasty white tunnels constructing the Ark. Lockhart’s feet were not placed upon his desk in a lazy pose like always. Instead he sat straight, staring ahead at the door to his office. His eyes were dead, they were merely gazing over his surroundings without meaning. He was completely dazed and confused. His glance shifted down to the desktop. There, placed upon the table was an old photograph. It was a photograph of two young redheads. They were twins, and they looked quite happy and innocent at the time. A heavy sin shackled the scientist’s heart and tortured his conscience. Many of Lockhart’s crimes were catching up to him, and even he wasn’t sure how much more he would be able to take. Lockhart felt almost like the old Ebenezer Scrooge. He was living out a restless night as three ghosts visited him against his will. Though these ghosts did not bring tidings of holiday cheer and such. These specters were all from the past, a past that Lockhart had desperately tried to repel into the blackest depths of his subconscious. These were ghosts the addled scientist wanted to forget, and the worst of them was yet to arrive.

The hum of a vibrating phone woke Lockhart from his morose trance. He saw his cellphone shaking against the rich wood of his desk. In a drawn out, fatigued motion, Lockhart answered his call. His exhaustion was immediately overtaken by a wave of fear driven adrenaline as the mysterious caller spoke to him. Another ghost returned to the present to wreak havoc upon Lockhart and his "children." Once again, Lockhart felt his heart shattering piece by piece, eroding away like stones on the shore of some desolate beach.

"It’s been a long time, Lockhart."

From the other end of the line spoke a rather soft and uninterested English accent. An accent all too familiar to Lockhart. His nerves spiked feeling the pressure of his own memories collapse on him like a cave in. His voice could hardly remain still as he replied to the Englishman in a single shaky word.

"You…"

"Indeed."

"I thought you died," Lockhart said after finally mustering his courage.

"A lot of people did, yet here I am, still breathing."

"What do you want?"

There was a silence that pervaded the atmosphere for but a few seconds. The stillness felt thick, like a witch’s brew. Double, double, toil and trouble. Terrible things were at work and Lockhart knew that these latest incidents were completely overshadowed by the presence of this, the most terrifying of his ghosts. Finally, the Englishman spoke.

"I saw the news reports, and the leaks. It seems that the Demon Project has been put under a microscope. You’re cornered Lockhart, there is no way out of this one."

"Answer the fucking question!" Lockhart finally cried as he slammed his fist into the delicate wood of his desk.

The loud rattling and creaking of the desk resounded within his chamber as Lockhart’s anger reached its paramount.

"Nothing at all," responded the Englishman, calm as ever.

"Bullshit."

"The United States Secretary of Defense has seen what is happening in your city. He is preparing a force to mobilize. They are being led by Captain Jane Stonewall of the United States Navy. Myst is there as well, masquerading as myself while I do some work of my own in the shadows."

"Why the hell are you telling me this?" Lockhart said with a slick smile across his face as he knew the Englishman and his ways all too well.

"You and I have a little score to settle. I won't tolerate it if you fall to the likes of CAPRA before I can have the satisfaction of humiliating you myself. I’ll do what I can to manipulate events on my side for the time being. Just know that I am doing this for my own gain, not your advantage."

"Fine. Just don’t expect my children to go down easy."

"I anticipate their resistance. It will give me something to think about."

"Then I’ll see you on the battlefield."

"Quite. Take as much time as you need, old friend." the Englishman concluded before ending the call with a swift click.

Lockhart clenched his phone tight in his hand as rage began to build up inside him like kettle. He threw his phone at the door and screamed in a visceral fury. Veins popped from his forehead as he released all the anger that had been festering within the bowels of his emotions. Finally he fell back into his seat in exhaustion. So much energy expelled in one swift scream brought on a euphoric rush of fatigue. Nevertheless, Lockhart did get some good news. He just bought his "children" a great deal of time.

*****

Before long, I had arrived in the atrium of the Ark. The place seemed a lot larger than the maze of corridors that was the Cocoon. As I entered, I took notice of Flora who seemed to be waiting for me. She instantly leapt to concern once she laid eyes upon my blood soaked body.

"There you are Heaven, we’ve been… Holy shit!"

Flora ran up to me and offered up her shoulder. It was a pointless gesture. My regeneration had already kicked in.

"Out of my way..." I muttered in a slightly strained breath as I pushed past Flora.

"What happened out there?"

"Nothing… Where's Genesis?"

Flora hesitated, but ultimately pointed me in the right direction. I entered a large circular room extremely similar to the White Room I practically lived in three years ago. Genesis stood at the center of the room. Accompanying the cloaked swordsman were Terra and Goose. Genesis seemed to have a look of determination plastered on his face. He was in one of his stern moods. I looked at the others before looking directly at Genesis.

"You. Where's Lockhart?"

"If this is about the news report I don't think I should answer that question."

In an instant, I raised my palm to Genesis. Dark matter coursed through my hand, ready to discharge.

"You want to run that by me again?"

Genesis unsheathed his blade while Goose and Terra stood off to the side. Terra seemed less than amused.

"Genesis! Don't!"

"You lied to me… All this fucking time, you lied to me!" I screamed as I felt rage unlike any other take hold in my heart.

My body swelled with strength, the energy coursing through began to magnify. Hell's voice was slowly becoming fainter and fainter as he tried to keep me from succumbing. It was too late for that. All I could think of in that moment, was erasing the people who lied to me from existence. What I couldn't see was my right eye beginning to glow intensely. My hands began to spark with bolts of white lightning that fizzled and cracked around my fingers. Genesis held his ground as my strength continued to rise. Terra looked at Goose with a fearful expression.

"Is that?"

"Yeah… Heaven's breaking the Second Seal."