Tycara inched closer and closer to Seth, not liking the look she was getting from
Eric. "You... you're Tycara aren't you?!" He exclaimed, obviously excited. "I can't believe
it...! Do you know how badly I've wanted to study you?"
"Seth... he's scaring me," Tycara murmured, clutching on to her boyfriend.
Josh and Bakra exchanged looks. Erin and Faye had the four of them keeping an eye on
the professor while they went to go get Dark. Eric had continuously been pestering Tycara
about studying her and he'd been rambling off about how he wanted to see Miki again so he
could study her as well.
"So... do you think he has any dangerous weapons on him?" Bakra asked suddenly.
Josh pretended to ponder the thought. "You never know... should we check?"
Eric, who was currently tied up by Faye's ribbons, looked up at them in confusion.
"Weapons? I don't have any, I swear it. I'm a scientist, not a fighter."
"I think he might," Bakra said, utterly ignoring the man.
Josh motioned to another room. "Let's frisk him down and see if he has any."
"What...? What are you doing?" Eric asked as he was dragged into another room.
"Don't you love gay guys?" Seth said suddenly with a small smile.
Tycara pouted. "You aren't turning on me, are you?"
"What?! No! I just... I just meant that they're 'frisking' Eric for being so weird to
you," Seth explained which made Tycara smile.
"Really? That's nice of them."
After a few minutes, Bakra and Josh came out, throwing Eric to the floor. The ribbons
were gone, but the scientist was noticeably disheveled. "What the hell is wrong with you
guys! You weren't even looking for weapons!"
Bakra and Josh just exchanged smug looks. Eric just paled. "God, I don't want to lose
my virginity to a dude..."
"You're still a virgin?" Tycara asked suddenly.
Eric got up and straightened out his clothes. "Of course. Do I really look like a guy
who would have gotten laid?"
Josh piped in. "Well, you sure are cute enough..."
"Not like that, you weirdo," Eric hissed out. "I spend all my time in a lab and an
office. I don't have time to be doing stuff and the girl I love was like, underage!"
Seth let out a sigh before looking at Tycara. "I know what that feels like..." Tycara
just giggled.
Bakra looked over at the pair before saying, "Wait. Have you guys actually...?"
The couple seemed embarrassed but Seth nodded, surprising Bakra and Josh. "You two...
actually did it?" Josh asked, amazed. "Weird... I used to worry about you Seth when you
weren't sleeping with Krystal, but I guess we all know why that wasn't happening..."
Bakra laughed. "And we know why you kept it to yourselves. You'd have Sakura, Abby,
Tsuru and Isaka all on your ass for sleeping with daughter and sister. You'd be screwed
indefinitely..."
They all stopped to think of the terrible fate that would befall Seth for sleeping
with Tycara before Josh asked, "Was it worth the possible hell you'll face if they find
out?"
"Of course, but," Seth started. "It was kind of weird the first time since we didn't
know what we were doing... and Tycara almost killed me, too."
Bakra frowned. "If Tycara almost killed you, isn't that technically-"
"No!" The hybrid said suddenly. "I just got really excited and lost control of my
powers and almost hurt Seth..."
Eric just stared at them. "So... would that be like... death by magical girlfriend or
death in an attempt to lose your virginity?"
Seth bopped the professor on the head. "Ow! That's prisoner abuse!"
The argument would have continued if it weren't for Erin and Faye returning. The
snake goddess was giving them all a questioning look since Eric did look like he'd
undergone a slight tussle while Faye was holding Dark in her arms, the angel clinging to
her for dear life.
"Alright, we have a change of plans," Faye announced, setting Dark down. The angel
wobbled a bit and clutched on to the closest thing possible - Tycara.
The hybrid tried to jerk away due to her extreme dislike and anxiousness about
angels, but Dark refused to let go. Tycara pouted and looked desperately to Seth as Dark
held on to her tightly. Seth just shrugged. "If she went through dark energy poisoning,
she's probably trying to siphon off your holy power to heal herself."
Tycara tried to push Dark away and towards Josh. "Then why doesn't she latch on to
him instead?"
"Probably because you're part angel and I'm simply human," Josh answered before he
noticed Bakra staring at Dark. "What is it?"
"...she's just really adorable," the demon said with a straight face. Eric stared at
him.
"Aren't you gay?"
"Yes, but it's perfectly acceptable for a grown man to feel protective of girls that
remind him of his little niece Mara!" Bakra proclaimed.
Tycara still seemed upset until she noticed something odd about the girl holding onto
her. "Aren't you... a dark angel?"
"Well, her name is Dark," Erin said, not sure what Tycara meant.
"No, no, I mean... like she doesn't look like a normal angel," Tycara murmured,
looking down at Dark's face.
"She looks fine to me," Faye said.
Tycara looked up at everyone else. "Oh... none of you have seen more than one angel,
have you...? Angels usually have really light hair and eye color, which is why I got
mistaken for one when I was little. She has dark hair and eyes... angels don't usually
treat dark angels nicely."
"And that's why I stick with the theory that angels are total jerks," Eric said
smugly. "Take Adrian for example - he's a total ass."
Tycara just glared at him. "My mommy is angel and she isn't a mean person. Dark's an
angel and she seems alright."
"Well... I meant in general," Eric said, trying to defend his view point. "I'm not
trying to be racist, but-"
Seth bopped him on the head for a second. "Ow! Stop doing that!"
"Like I said," Faye started again. "We're having a change of plans. We're leaving
Eric behind and going to meet up with everyone else."
"Why are we leaving him behind?" Josh asked. "Isn't it better to keep him?"
"You're not going to kidnap me?!" Eric exclaimed. "Are you kidding? I have the
greatest opportunity in the world to study Tycara, to take of Dark, to see Miki,
investigate Eveon's power, meet the Living Inferno, and talk with the Demon Lord and you're
not going to kidnap me?!"
There was a moment of silence before Bakra nodded his head. "And this is why we're
leaving him behind."
"That and he probably has a tracking device on him," Erin stated. "It's hidden in his
computer so it's better to just abandon him in the building."
Eric gaped. "But I hate Adrian and Lilith! I will gladly help you obliterate them
and... and...!"
Faye took no time at all tying up the professor again with her ribbons. "Come on!
Hold me hostage! Please!" Eric called out as they started to leave.
Tycara was having trouble since Dark was still clinging with her and it was making
her upset since she, in turn, couldn't cling to Seth. "Why don't you just carry her?" Seth
suggested.
The hybrid begrudgingly did so, still unhappy. "I don't really like this," she
sighed. "I just don't like girls like that...!"
She stared pleadingly at her boyfriend who sighed, unable to help her out. "Let's
hurry," Erin said, suddenly summoning her giant snake golem out of the ground and into the
floor they were on.
"So... do we get into its mouth, or...?" Bakra asked, a little anxious at the thought
of using the snake express.
*****
Marx, being the only straight male of the group, had gotten a room all by his
lonesome on the same floor. He was anxious because Sakura had told him something
interesting about the girl that was traveling with her stepdaughter.
Her name was Miki Uramoto. He knocked on the door and it was a young woman who opened
it. "Hi," Krystal said, letting him in. He'd already gotten acquainted with most of the
girls.
He went inside, smiling at the prospect of meeting his daughter. He saw two young
girls sitting on the floor by a table, playing cards. Eveon laid down her poker hand, only
to be disappointed by Miki's better cards.
Sakura got up from the couch when she saw Marx and said, "Miki?"
The green eyed girl turned to face the Living Inferno. After being dressed, she was
able to escape from the sisters who were having tactical meeting with their 'mistress' and
Carmilla. "Yeah?"
"This is your father," Sakura said simply. Marx just gave Sakura a strange look,
wondering why she had to be so blunt about it.
Miki dropped her cards, obviously blindsided by Marx's appearance. "...oh...!" She
scrambled to stand up, unsure of what to do.
Marx fidgeted with his hat, scrutinizing the 16 year old girl in front of him who was
busy looking at the floor. "...we haven't... The last time we were together was when you
were six," he said, with a small smile. "It's been a long time."
"Uh, yeah..." Miki agreed rubbing her arms. "I didn't think you were alive."
Marx motioned over to the balcony so they could talk in private. Miki followed behind
anxious. Marx shut the glass door behind them as they looked onto the evening sky.
"I thought you were dead as well," Marx said, looking at her carefully. Miki just
nodded, looking away.
There was a bit of silence as the young girl looked down at the parking lot of the
hotel. Marx took a deep breath. "Miki is dead, isn't she?"
The green eyed girl took in a sharp breath, unsure of what to say. "Did you dye your
hair? That's the only thing you have in common..."
She stared down at her feet before looking over at him. "I... I'm sorry if I got your
hopes up..."
"I knew she was dead," Marx whispered. "But I couldn't find her soul."
"It's... she's in a safe place," Miki ascertained.
"Who are you?" He asked, looking up at the clouds.
"I... uh... need to go use the bathroom," she whispered awkwardly.
"Alright. I won't tell anyone," he said winking at her.
She nodded and went back inside as Marx stared out at the sky. He heard the glass
door open and shut, but he was surprised to hear another voice. "Are you disappointed?"
"Yeah... she's dead, but her soul is caught somewhere. Do you know who she is?" Marx
asked turning around to see Sakura.
"I haven't had a chance to look into her soul," Sakura murmured. "She's been avoiding
eye contact with me."
"I just... I don't understand why she would impersonate Miki," Marx said. "It seems
like such a random thing for a young girl to do."
"Perhaps... she has a reason," Sakura stated looking through the glass to see Miki
leading Eveon to a different room.
*****
"You're worthless," Lilith heaved out, looking down at Eric still tied up on the
floor.
"Says the woman who would have died right after absorbing Miki's core," Eric scoffed.
"I still can't believe I even saved you after knowing what you did to Alice."
She gave him a slight kick in the side and he let out a yelp. "Ow! That's abuse, you
stupid bitch!"
Lilith was going to kick him again until she remembered something important. "Oh and
Miki is definitely dead."
"Did you kill her again?" Eric asked, disappointed.
"The girl wasn't Miki," Lilith murmured. "Someone totally different, but I guess she
knew about Project Angelus."
Eric frowned in confusion. "Maybe her original intent was to rescue Dark and she
found the Project Angelus files instead?"
"It would explain her impersonating Miki, but..." Lilith looked down the hall. "It
seems like Dark has been taken as well."
"Yeah, they're probably going to bring her back to her home once she gets better,"
the scientist stated, trying to pull his wrists out of the ribbons.
"No matter," Lilith said, nonchalant. "Dark is useless to us now and we have Mina.
Eveon's going to be opening that gate soon whether she wants to or not."
"Adrian and his stupid schemes," Eric sighed. "I hope it fails."
Lilith lifted the professor off the ground and started to undo the ribbons. "I need
you to exam me again, Eric. And Adrian isn't going to fail. Plus, don't you want to see
Alice alive again?"
He gritted his teeth. "If it weren't for you, I wouldn't even have to consider
reviving her."
Lilith sighed and continued to one of the rooms. "I feel bad about Alice... really.
If there was an alternative, I would have taken it." Her words were so simple and cold that
he didn't quite believe her.
"It doesn't matter," Eric said, following her into the examination room. "Adrian
wanted to kill Alice so she wouldn't get the core and turn against him. If you didn't
decide to become the next host, he would have found a different bimbo to seduce into doing
it."
She glared at him, but sat down on the examination table. "Undress," Eric ordered as
he rummaged around for his clipboard and other tools.
Under ordinary circumstances, Lilith would have been offended and nervous to be naked
in front of him, but Eric was her doctor after all. She shed her overcoat as he shut the
door and was naked in no time. She sat back on the table as she waited for him to get all
of his stuff.
"I love him," Lilith whispered.
"Duh," Eric responded. "Why else would you kill so many people and do so many things
horrific things? I doubt you're a psychopathic killer or you lack empathy."
"Was that a compliment?" Lilith asked as she sat up to get her heart rate checked.
"Whatever," Eric replied, listening to her chest. There was silence until he
finished. "Tell me, my least favorite test subject, did you have a troubled childhood? Is
that why you fell for Adrian faster than a female in a romantic comedy?"
She scowled at his wording as he jotted some things down and got out the blood
pressure cuff. "My mom got pregnant without a husband and raised me by herself," Lilith
said simply. "I haven't seen her in years."
"Lack of a father figure," Eric said blandly. "Does Adrian let you call him 'daddy'
when you screw each other?"
Eric ducked under the pretense of picking up a pencil, but it was to avoid Lilith's
swipe. "You are such an asshole! You asked about my past!"
"I was actually kidding, but do go on," Eric said sarcastically. "I think this is
great scientist test subject bonding material."
"Well, my mom was a total and complete Bible thumper. She drove me up a wall talking
about God and Jesus... good lot it helped her from getting pregnant," Lilith said with a
huff falling back. "I'm glad I ran away - look at me now. Even you can't deny I've come a
long way."
"From a girl living with her good Christian mother and running off to the city only
to get raped and assaulted?" Eric stopped to think to himself. "Well considering you and
Adrian have consensual sex, I'm sure it's just so much better."
"Don't talk about me like that!" Lilith screeched, getting off the table. Eric didn't
hesitate to get out an already prepared needle and sedate her. She fell back against the
table, noticeably upset. "I didn't... want it to happen... the man said he wanted to dance
with me at the club."
"You were only 15," Eric murmured, as he got out a machine to scan the core in
Lilith's body.
"I didn't know that he..." Lilith let out a laugh. "My mother would have been so
thrilled to see me making the exact same mistakes as she did."
Eric started the scanning process, listening. Lilith was a sad girl, really... Alice
could have become the same as her. "He not only raped you and beat you, he gave you HIV,"
Eric stated from memory. "It was a good thing you went to a hospital immediately."
"Do you see why I love Adrian?" Lilith asked as the scan finished. "He saved me from
everything and he wants to make a new world for us to be in."
Eric nodded dully, a smile twitching at the corner of his mouth. He didn't want to
tell Lilith the truth - Adrian could have chosen any girl in any hospital in the country.
He just so happened to come across little HIV positive Lilith and she ate out of his hand
like none other.
As the CEO of the Shadow Organization's pharmaceutical branch, he paid off her
medical bills and enrolled her into a highly experimental treatment program for AIDS. Eric
thought he was cruel to play off the girl's insecurities, but the more Adrian spent time
with Lilith, the more he twisted her into being his own sadistic little puppet.
"The treatments used to cure the virus are still being tested," Eric said randomly.
"Maybe they'll hit the market in the next couple of years."
The sedative was wearing off, so Lilith started to dress. Now that Eric thought about
it, Adrian had a way of doing that to people - Alice had been no different. She adored him
as the perfect big brother and followed him to the ends of the Earth. Now that Eric thought
of it, maybe he was the same - believing Adrian's empty promises and finding warmth in a
frigid smile.
Of course Lilith had been Adrian's perfect choice for the next host. He would have
used Alice if it weren't for her attachment to Miki. He groomed Lilith into the perfect
killing machine and the young woman was happy to do it.
"Don't you ever want to be a normal girl again?" Eric asked. "Just run away and go
back home to see your mother?"
Lilith stared at him and for a moment, he thought she hesitated. "Are you insane?"
She started to laugh. "That bitch can pray to God for however much she wants to see me, but
I'm never going back."
"That must be why you disliked Mariah so much," Eric said with a small smile.
"I hate that name," Lilith growled out. "So damn biblical. But Mariah's just as dead
as Miki is."
"Such a shame," Eric groaned. "Mariah was a nice girl. She cared about other people,
unlike you."
"I thought you loved Alice," Lilith said smugly.
"I do. But maybe you could learn a thing or two from the people you've killed."
"...Tell me when my results come back," Lilith said, annoyed. She still had to go
help the defense forces clean up headquarters due to the recent attack.
Eric trekked back to his lab, frustrated. If he could...! He stopped to brush some of
his auburn hair out of his eyes. The best way for him to get revenge on Adrian would be to
get Lilith first... and if he couldn't get Lilith, he would try to make her see that she
was being used and Adrian would lose his strongest weapon.
He thought back to what she said and knew it was pointless. She was as hopelessly
devoted to Adrian as he was to Alice... he had to rethink a better plan.
*****
"Alright, so now I can ask you questions?" Eveon prodded carefully as she sat down on
the bed across from Miki. The green eyed girl nodded, steeling herself.
"...so what the freak?! What happened to Alice - I mean she died and all, then you
weren't mentioned, like, at all in the diary except for when you were little!"
"Uh..." Miki said, trying to think of how to answer it. "It's because I tampered with
the diary in case I lost it and someone found it."
Eveon just stared at her, expecting more. "Let me start from the beginning. Remember
how you said I didn?t look Asian when we first met?" Eveon nodded as Miki undid her hair
from a ponytail. "It's because I'm not and I'm most definitely not Miki Uramoto. I dyed my
hair black."
She motioned to her much lighter roots and Eveon was confused. "So you're
impersonating someone else...? I don't care if you lied about your name, if you're worried
about that."
The other girl shook her head. "I know. The real Miki was the prime experiment in
Project Angelus and her hybrid powers were condensed into a core that she held inside her
body. At first, she didn't realize that was why she was kidnapped from her father... The
Shadow Organization, led by Adrian, placed her into a foster family in order to keep her
stable."
Eveon nodded, pulling her knees up to her chest. "Alice Bailey was adopted into that
same family to serve as the next core host. The plan was to plant Miki's condensed power
core into Alice's body to see if the power of hybrid could be harvested and placed into
humans. However, it didn't take long for Miki to realize that her foster parents were
really Shadow Organization operatives and her brother, Adrian, was actually the mastermind
behind her condition."
The blonde suddenly cut in. "So that's why Miki was getting sick?"
"Yeah... Adrian trained Alice in sword fighting so when she got the core, she'd be an
adequate fighter that he could manipulate. Miki decided to use her core's powers for her
own intentions and set fire to Alice's home."
"Then..." Eveon murmured. "The monster Alice was pursuing was actually her adopted
sister Miki?"
"The Shadow Organization fooled Alice into believing that once they realized that
Miki was hiding from them and stalking Alice," the fake Miki revealed. "They originally
lied to her and called Miki a monster to keep her from realizing the horrible atrocities
they had done to her sister. In fact, all the monstrous experiments Alice killed were
released on purpose to try and attack Miki."
"So did Mariah know that Miki was Alice's sister? And Eric knew all about the
organization's plan?" Eveon asked, disturbed.
"Mariah knew because Alice told her and Eric knew about the plan. However, he
believed that Alice was going to become his new test subject after the core was removed
from Miki," the green eyed girl stated. "But Adrian and Lilith had a much different plan."
"Who exactly is Lilith?" Eveon asked.
The fake Miki took a deep breath. "She... she's Adrian's girlfriend. That's the
easiest way to think of her."
"...what happened to Alice, Miki and Mariah?" Eveon finally asked.
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