Team 5 No. 5: Means To The End

## The Story

* Part One
* Part 2

It's been a rough month on all of them, especially Maya. She's been living with the group because of the incident. Elliot has been taking care of her the most, getting her food, checking up on her constantly, partly because feels he should be doing more, even though not drinking since Steven’s death is taking a major toll on Elliot, but he persists.

Maya is broken. Fully. She wont eat, sleep or get up, and when she does its to take a shower then lay down again.

Elliot walks down the hallway, passing everyone's doors. Steven’s hasn't been opened since he left. He opens the spare bedroom to an abyss, with one lone lamp in the back of the room.

“Hey, Maya, you in here?”

“...”

“Well id really like you to eat, please, I made breakfast and I burnt it like 7 times, and this time is Perfect, so please.”

“...”

“Fine i'll just leave it here, please eat it Maya.”

“...”

Elliot closes the door and walks back to the living room where Mitsumi and Michael are eating. He complains worriedly that she hasn't eaten in 3 days, but Mitsumi says she wouldn't starve herself to death, and to just give her time.

He sighs and slumps down on the couch, with Odinya floating in and sitting next to him. He leans on her shoulder, resting his eyes, drifting, into unconsciousness…

# **“BANG!”**

Elliot jumps up holding a bleeding wound in his chest. He looks around sporadically, seeing that he's in a small home, and bodies the ground, multiple bloody bodies wearing the same uniform as him.

He starts to hyperventilate, trying to crawl away but falling to the floor. He struggles to get up, but later limps outside and sits on the ground next to the front door. He stairs in oblivion, hearing the distant fan of the helicopter awaiting him.

His Chief Captain  gets there,  holding his chest to make sure he doesn't bleed out, asking what had happened. His words escaped him. Elliot could have passed as dead if not for his heart beat still pounding.

“Green! Green we are getting you out of here”

“They’re dead..Chief “

“I know Green, but you're alive, let's keep it that way. Now get up!”

His Chief picks him up, carrying him to the helicopter. Everyone shouting to get him in and people asking how bad the wound is becomes white noise to him. He soon wakes up in a military hospital, looking down to see his commanding officer, the president, and Boss.

Elliot eyes adjust to focus on him, trying to make sense of his facial features, or, lack thereof.  Boss steps forward,

“Elliot Green, I have to say, you are a strong one, tough, I think tough enough to help me save the world. Would you do that?”

Elliot stares blankly. Broken. They decide to show what had happened on a body cam of his partner that had been recovered. They press play. Its seen that a band of bandits had ambushed them while trying to intercept a home.

Elliot had shot two of them, pulling his pistol out and trying to shoot a third, but it was nocked out of his hands by a machete. He grabbed the man's arm, trying not to get his head chopped off, struggling to pull away, and then soon, light flung everywhere like a flashbang.

In the comotion, he was shot in the chest but everyone had either gone blind, or writhed on the ground. Elliot grabbed his pistol and killed the rest, but the damage had been done, his teammates were dead, and Elliot couldn't have stopped it.

Elliot sits quietly as he watches the footage, grinding his teeth, blaming himself. Boss leans next to Elliot,

“You have a gift, Mr. Green, something truly, truly extraordinary. Now, are you willing to help?”

Elliot closes his eyes, laying back down, holding his gut.

“You will understand in due time, Elliot…Elliot…Elliot”

“ELLIOT!”

Elliot jumps up from the couch, breathing heavily and clenching his fist.

“El man, Maya says she wants you.”

“W-what?”

“Maya, she wants to talk to you”

Elliot gets up and walks over to the door and knocks on it softly. The door opens, Maya is looking blankly at him. Her arms shakley rise up in the expression of a hug, with tears starting to form in her eyes.

Elliot immediately hugs her with no hesitation. Saying hes always there for her, he’ll do anything she needs.

“...I…am..sorry”

“What? Nonono dont be sorry for anything.”

“...I…am so..so sorry”

“What are you talking about Maya?”

Maya grits her teeth, shaking with every movement. Her arm starts to lower, giving off the depression she is leaning away from the hug, but it coudn’t be more from the truth.

She gets a hold of his revolver, and starts to pull it out

His arms are still around her back

There isn't any time

His face is cold

Hers filled with tears

The gun rises,

“NO!”

Like a cannon. The shot is fired.

His hand punches her arm away from her head, as the round lands in the ceiling. Her eyes are dazed and empty and she falls on Elliot.

Michael and MItsumi come running, seeing Maya hold Elliot sobbing and his gun on the floor behind him. Michael picks it up and puts it in the kitchen, and Mitsumi grabs on to Maya as well.

They all hold her, smotherd in their love and fear for her.

"What happened."

The group's heart drop, already farther then its set at.

"Nothing you need to know asshole." Mitsumi scowls

"Well the mental health of my employe-"

"BullSHIT!" Mitsumi's grip lets go of Maya,

"You need to calm down."

"You need to leave."

A long, long silent pause envelopes the hallway...

Boss reaches his arm out, catching Mitsumi’s neck and slamming her into the wall. Elliot and Michael try talking him out of his action, but he states he had quite enough of her ruining everyting, before Michaels voice breaks the conversation

“Laisse-la partir, connard!”

Michael has a knife to his wrist, holding it for Boss to see

“La blesser. Je te défie.”

“Michael… Don’t do anything you wouldn’t be able to handle the consequences of-”

“PUT HER DOWN!”

He slowly puts her down, and lets go of her neck. She falls to the floor and crawls over to Michael, Maya and Elliot, who finally drops the knife.

"You need to clean up your act Kakyna, or ill MAKE you...haha...or ill just make sure your gone."

His tone was sharp and frustrated as he walked into the elevator, and the doors shut.

The entire gang are on the top of the satellite tower, quietly reassuring each other that they will be okay. Odinya suggests they should run away, which Mitsumi says would be a good idea if they had a place to stay, had IDs, or could be able to use their powers without being tracked.

Odinya quietly stopped giving ideas after that.

Boss steps into a room, making sure the door is shut, before he falls to his knees in pain. He’s grunting and breathing heavily, as he lifts his hood back, revealing his thorns. The sides of his head are bleeding, and he touches them, causing him to rear his head back in shock.

He wants to scream… so bad… but he can’t, he can have no pity. He bends forward on his hands and knees, breathing like he’s pushing out a baby, before it starts to slow, and he goes soft, almost melting to the floor.

He stands up, using a desk as leverage, before brushing off his cloak, and leaving the room, with the view being on the floor, with a dull, gold stain splattered on it.

The door shuts, leaving an entirely black view and reopens to a church, where two nuns are bringing tea to a room with a little girl. The little girl reaches forward.

“Careful child, it is hot.” one of the nuns warns.

“It’s okay, I’ve been practicing my pain tolerance, give it to me.”

The Nun places the mug in her hands, and the girl has no reaction.

“Such a brave girl you are. Call us if you need anything, okay sister?”

“Yes, God bless you.”

“God bless you.”

The nuns leave, and the little girl drinks some of the tea.

“I think I did it… did you see? Not even a flinch!”

The view pans over to a being, cased in stone, murmuring.

“My king will set me free.”

The girl has an unamused expression in its direction, before looking forward and drinking some more.

“Will you ever not mutter that phrase?”

“My king will set me free.”

She sighs and continues to sip her tea. The boney creature doesn't move, its body frozen in an attacking pose with its hand reaching out for whoever he wanted to kill. But it has been subjugated to the sisters, making him a mere artifact they have to keep their eyes on every once in a while.

A large crack runs down the stone on its face, leaving a cavern of black to linger behind the cold rock. The small sets the finished tea cup next to her.

In the hallway, a nun steps out, going to turn the light off, when the phone on the wall rings. She answers it upset, asking why they are calling so late.

“**Turn… Around…**” A voice requests of her, as if it were attempting to sound human. She does, and sees nothing, before looking back to answer again.

Her ear doesn’t make it to the phone as she comes face to face with a large, buck toothed creature.

Back in the hallway, Mitsumi stands up, telling everyone her throat hurts, and that she’s going to bed. Maya asks if he can sleep with her, which she agrees with.

The doors open, and Boss is standing in their way.

“Make way.” He says sternly.

“The fuck it wrong with you now?" Says Elliot, annoyed.

“We have a new goal, right now.”

“Motherfucker we saw our friend DIE, your BEST man in this hellhole, and your telling me we need to do more?"

“Innocent lives are at stake, Green. I apologize if that’s not very important to you, but I will not allow it to be MY fault for the deaths of these people.” Boss snarls at Elliot, reminding him once more.

Instead of a snarky comeback, Elliot just exhales angrily, tired of being shown phantoms of his past.

“Jesus, Boss, why are you so worked up about this place? You’re typically not one to care about lives in danger.” Says Mitsumi.

“There are confirmed children in the area. Does that make it more important?” He asks sarcastically.

The group all recoil in small shock.

“Yes?! Significantly!” Says Michael.

“Then let's stop moping, and leave. It’s not far, just about 2 miles down the road.” Boss says, stepping inside.

“I thought you said this place was secure? Nobody around to see us?” asks Mitsumi.

“They were here first. Enough questions.” Boss answers quickly.

Now in the car, Michael asks why he decided to ride with them for once.

“It’s not important. This mission is on very short notice, I will supervise its completion myself.”

They look at each other, and at Maya,

They all walk into the kitchen away from boss.

"Are you going to be okay here with Odinya?" Elliot looks at Maya with a worried face.

"I got it...dont worry" Odinya says in a warm voice, hugging her.

They pull up to a small series of churches, with one larger chapel in the middle. A slight fog rides the air, as they all step outside.

“Where first?” asks Mitsumi.

“The main chapel, check for survivors.” Boss says walking toward another building.

“Survivors-” Michael is cut off by Boss rushing at him at the speed of sound.

“Enough.”

Boss turns away to the same building.

“Fine.” Michael says downright angrily

Inside the main church, the group all stands in the entrance to the Chapel. The air is empty. Cold like a corpse, but a pale nun stands at the desk as if everything is as it should be.

“Hello.” She struggles to get out.

“Are you okay?” asks Michael, getting closer and holding his hand out. “Are you being held hostage?” he whispers next to her.

“Please do not invade my personal space. It is mine after all.” says the nun with a very strange look on her face.

“S… Sorry?” Michael apologizes.

“What do you all want? In my house? Why are you in my house? All of you?” She stumbles her words out, like its being thrown out of her.

“Are you okay?” Asks Elliot.

She stares through them for a  bit, before answering.

“Muh-huh. The girl is down the hall. First door on the left.” She says with robotic clarity.

“How di-” Mitsumi is interrupted,

“Go. Now. Please. Now.” She stammers.

“Okay, Christ..” Mitsumi wispers while they walk toward the hallway.

The Nun waits until they are all gone, before face planting on the desk with a loud, meaty thud, as the same buck toothed creature rises from behind the desk.

Inside the room, the nun is laying on a bed, sleeping, when the team enters. The girl seems to be wearing a bandage across her eyes, that is partly bloody is some spots.

“Hello?” asks Michael.

She shoots up, not recognizing his voice.

“Who is that?! Get out!” She shouts in fear.

“We’re not gonna hurt you sweetheart. My name is Elliot, this is Michael, and we have here Mitsumi, We’re here to save you.” Elliot says, kneeling down next to her.

“But you cannot be around him! It’s dangerous! No one else should be here!” She pleads, pulling on him.

“Around what? That thing in stone?”

“Yes! Exactly!”

“Do you know what it is?” Asks Michael.

“Its Dire.” She says looking in its direction.

“Okay, well I doubt “Dire” is going to get out any time soon, but you have to, do you mind telling us your name?” Says Mitsumi

“Darina” She says in a slight european accent

“Okay Darina, we are going to get you out of here”

As Mitsumi holds her hand and starts to walk out the door, suddenly, a chill runs down Darina’s spine, as she stops walking.

“Oh goodness.” she says, as the door slams shut behind all of them, leaving them in the void of the pitch black room. Darina slowly pears up at Mitsumi,

“What have you brought here…”

Boss walks alone to a door to a side building, opening it, and staring in disbelief. Seeing a giant, heavenly opening into a cathedral-like area. He looks deeply into it before quickly deciding not to play into the mind game.

“No.” He says, a tinge of anxiety in his voice for the first time in forever.

He turns around, and is no longer at the forest, but in front of an ancient home, something friendly and welcoming turned sour and dark. Its old middle eastern architecture being almost heavenly.

“NO.” He says, now much more emotional.

Boss slides down on the ground, cowering on the floor, holding his head in his hands, gripping onto his twisted crown. His body contours with every breath, constantly arguing with himself over and over again.

“Do not enter that room. You know what’s in there.”

“This cannot be happening, not again… I can’t bear the sight again. I can’t…”

“Are you really ready to see that visage once more? The first second of your new life? A life of despair, a life of mistrust? A life of Wrong?”

“You are chosen to imagine, yet all you wonder is how bad the pit in your soul will concave once more, it seems.”

Suddenly, the door to the home opens, and a figure steps inside. It looks just like him. He’d give anything to look like that again. The figure steps by him as if he doesn’t exist, and he watches as he looks to his left, dropping everything in his hands.

Boss covers his ears to avoid the desperate screaming of the figure. Hearing him run into the house as his voice soon dies into nonsense and crying, something all too painful to hear again.

Back to Darina and the group, she is bombarded with questions, when she tells them to be quiet. She sits quietly, having their voices turn into white noise as she hears a difference in the room.

She turns her head at the statue, Dire has stopped chainting

“Why… Why aren’t you chanting?” she asks, terror in her voice.

“How long has he been doing that? Does it keep them away?” asks Elliot.

“No… He’s been waiting for hundreds of years, I thought he was bluffing..” she says, now choking up with fear.

“My king has sent my brothers in black to free me. I am free. I am free..” it gurgles at them

A deep, guttural cackle begins to erupt from the statue, before he is knocked over, landing on his side.

Two small, white, beady eyes stare from where the statue once was. Elliot goes invisible, as the rest prepare for battle. The eyes remain perfectly still, as two large black arms reach forth, pulling the  even further cracked statue into the darkness, as it continues laughing.

The sound of stone breaking ripples around the room, as the only light above flickers like it has a loose wire. Darina stands in front of Michael and Mitsumi as her eyes begin to drip blood, taking off her bandage, and throwing it to the floor with a bloody splat.

Her eyes glow a vicious white, in her vision, she can see nothing but the outline of A horned creature, Dire, and a creature with a cloak.

“Be gone! All of you!!” She points to the darkness, washing them in some sort of light.

Dire screams in pain, as the large buck toothed screeches a horrendous squeal that makes the group cover their ears.

While illuminated, Mitsumi attempts to cut straight through them, but she can’t seem to unsheathe her sword. She yanks at it, even trying to shake it out of the hilt via gravity, but nothing seems to work

Elliot sneaks to the side, attempting to get the drop on the screeching monsters, but suddenly, a blur of black and yellow launches from nowhere.

“I CAN SEE YOU ELLIELLIOT!!!! WAHAHAHAHA!!!”

A strange Jester-like demon rides his head like a coked up monkey. Manically laughing and gabbing at him before grabbing his hand.

“Agh!! Get the FUCK of me!!”

Elliot shouts as the creature holds his hand and shoots for Elliot around the room randomly. A bullet heads for the little girl, but Fox uses her regular reflexes to block it, which enrages the Demon.

“NO!!! THE MERCH!!” it hops off Elliot, rushing Mitsumi. She tries swinging it at him, but he catches it with his tail, sliding off the sheath, and kicking the sword out of her hands with one fluid motion.

He catches it in mid air and slashing her across the back, making her fall to the floor half unconscious.

“MITSUMI!”

Michael screams in anguish. He rushes over, but takes the heel of the demon to his face, knocking him back as he slams his head against the door. The demon crawls on all fours atop Mitsumi as she is unable to move.

She groans with anger, but the inhuman jester shushes her, slowly putting two fingers on her eyelids, closing them.

In the darkness of her eyelids, she sees a vision,

A lighter igniting, and then a smoking crater in front of the satellite dish.

She opens her eyes in shock, trying to sit up but falling and resting on her elbow.

The small girl turns around to try and help, accidentally freeing the monsters which allows Dire to swipe her away.

She collides with Michael, who catches her as he gets up. He picks her up, revealing a deep stream of red flowing from her stomach, having a deep gash along her chest, but she doesn’t know it. Michael tries to hold her chest in while keeping her from not noticing.

He rips off a piece of the bedsheet and wraps it around the small girl’s waist. Tying it on her back and taking her to the corner next to Mitsumi.

The Jester and the Buck Toothed demon gather around the newly freed Dire, with the Jester cackling maniacally and the Buck Toothed one letting out a deep growl. One of anger. Elliot tries to shoot at them, but The Jester’s tail catches his leg, pulling him in front of the trio.

“DIG IN!!!” Shouts the Jester, pulling Elliot up like a dead pig in a butcher’s freezer. His shirt falls, and they all stop, with Dire trying to bite at him, but the Buck toothed demon holds him back.

“Ara thrama moyshe.” Utters the being covered in the cloak. He pokes at Elliot’s back, where the mark Odinya has left on him is.

“aaAAAARHGH!! ARE YOU FUCKIN’ KIDDIN’ ME?!” shouts the Jester.

“Moyovu ashin tonomored.” Speaks the Cloaked being in a different voice, with the Horned demon letting out another groan, also upset that he cannot be harmed.

“Why isn’t he food. Food for me. Now.” Grumbles Dire, as he begins to salivate and twitch.

“Jahramo, inictidilis.” Orders the cloaked being in yet another voice. The Jester spins Elliot so he is facing the cloaked figure.

Elliot is disgusted as the figure lifts his hood off to reveal he is covered in mouths, and the one on his forehead speaks.

“You’re a lucky man, Sergeant.” The Creature speaks in Elliots Chief of Command from all those years ago.

“Let’s hope your luck doesn’t run out.” It replies to itself with the mouth of one of his squad mates.

Elliot is dropped as he watches the Demons circle together, the emotion of fear completely lathered on his face.

“Rishen Lodd, Makaen Saiye, Nihmea Kin, wea, Kla’taar…” It chants as it raises its arms into the air.

Just before they disappear, the horned one does one final grunt in Elliot’s face, and they vanish into ash and black embers.

Elliot stands up to see Michael with the two wounded women.

“Is… Is it gone?” The girl asks weakly.

“Yes. They’re all gone for good.” Answers Michael, holding her close.

“It hurts so much…”

“I know, I know I’m so sorry. Try and hold on just a bit longer, okay?”

She grabs at his collar.

“You have nothing to apologize for, Michael. Like him, I have been freed…” She takes a big breath…

“By a King…” As she smiles, the glow in her eyes goes dull, as she dies willingly in Michaels arms.

“nonononoNONO NO! WE WERE RIGHT- ( a whimper starts to form in his voice)...We were right there! We were going to get you out of here…”

Michael starts to cradle Darina’s body while Elliot grabs the radio from Mitsumi’s belt, and helps her up.

“Boss, the kid is…the kid didn't make it.”

The distant sound of the crackle of the radio appears behind them, seeing Boss standing in the doorway. Boss stares daggers into Michael, who looks up with horrifying and hate filled eyes, pure agony.

“Every time we are sent to complete a mission, something goes awry, and I find you on your knees in anguish Michael. Are you truly incapable of doing anything I ask of you?”

“Are you…fucking kidding me?”

“Something as simple as saving ONE life, out of at most 10 people, is IMPOSSIBLE for you?”

“THEN WHY THE FUCK AM I HERE!? WHY DIDN'T YOU LEAVE ME IN PARIS!?”

Boss goes quiet, standing completely still.

“Exactly. You can’t tell me. All you do is keep secrets. And **kill** people who find out.”

Near Boss’s head, a small stream of ichor starts to trickles down. The room goes completely silent. Michael tears his mask off and throws it at the ground, revealing a bloody nose and a bruised jaw.

Mikey starts to walk off through the side door, ignoring Boss’s orders to put it back on. MIchael walks to the car and gets in, looking out the window to see the group speed walking behind him and Boss marching behind them.

They return home with a loving greeting to Odinya. Michael heads straight to his room and into the shower, turning on the shower knob and getting in. Hot water splashes on his back revealing massive scars across his arms, neck and back, most from stitches.

Michael closes his eyes, letting the crash of the water fill his head as he begins to think. The bathroom door opens and then closes.

“Hey, baby, tell me what's wrong. Talking to Boss like that can get you in more trouble then I need you in. Its just…scaring me.”

“...”

“You don't have to talk, I just wanted you to know that I love you.”

“...I love you too…”

Mitsumi sits down on the floor of the small bathroom,

“If you want to, can you tell me about Paris?”

“... well…I was sort of a public figure, there was a string of killings of corrupt politicians-”

“So you were like a bodyguard?”

“I was the killer. “Casanova” they called me, God I was so young, like 18, 19 maybe.”

“And then after that, Boss found you? Doesn't sound like you had any powers to begin with.”

“I was in a chase, and a cop shot me, but…I…”

“What baby, what is it,

…Mikey?”

A man is seen crouched behind a wall in a convenience store, gripping onto his arm which had been grazed deeply by a bullet. The man is wearing a motorcycle helmet, a black hoodie and a bulletproof vest.
The police officer is screaming at him to come out behind the wall, slowly walking over the corner of the wall before seeing the man’s boot, next to a puddle of blood.

The officer shoots the foot right as he started to run the other direction, hitting the floor and causing a massive explosion of red and pink flames. The man runs down the alleyway and onto a roof where he begins to head home.

The door opens to a lavish mansion home, the man takes off his helmet and tosses it on the ground of the entryway.

“Sebastian! I've been shot!”

A butler quickly walks to the man, taking him into the bathroom and removing his top clothes.
“Master Adams, I know you find rest in thinning the scum in this awful place, but it is going to get you killed! I implore you Master Adams!”
The mirror in the bathroom reflects the face of the man that had been shot, a younger Michael.
Someone pounds on the door of the bathroom,

“Hey, Mikey, Boss needs you.”
The shower turns off and Micheal walks out with a towel, Elliot stands at the doorway, and behind him a dark coat looms behind him. Michael puts pants and a T on and walks out of the room and into the hallway,
“Walk with me, Adams.” Boss says in a bitter voice as he starts to walk to the elevator as Michael follows.

The bell dings, and the doors close.
The two walk down the hallway and into the unfinished wing of the facility. “You seem to know everything. Tell me, do you know where we are now?”

“No.”

“T-ha.” Boss scoffs. “He kept this more of a secret then I thought he would.”

“What are you talking about”

“You know. You’ve known since he was flattened by steel.”

Michael’s heart pounds though his chest, seeing Boss in this new, broken light.

“Steven.”

“Trivial aren’t you. I’d love to know the fine details of his heartfelt explanation.”

“What do you mean?”

“You’re lying? Right now? You’re here, in the same place, and you’re lying.”

He leans forward. “It’s not like he’ll be mad about you telling.”

“I dont \*chokes\* I don’t under-”

A gust of wind rushes through Michael’s hair as Boss points at him.
“Lie. Lie. Lie, lie lie lie.”

“Boss I don’t know what you wa-”

“I AM SO RESENTFUL OF THOSE AROUND ME, BEING DISHONEST!!” He stomps the floor, cracking the concrete.
Michael falls to a whisper. Boss is right in front of Michael’s face, like a shark waiting for divers to exit their cage, and tell the truth.

“Humans. Thousands of years they have surprised me. Such brave… No none of you are bold anymore. Such stubborn beings. It’s quite the shame you are ALL sentient. Most of you anyway. They’d sooner try to be impressive, or keep the promise of a dead man, and for what? Would you rather die Michael?”

“......I die either way.”

Boss stands up straight,

“It appears I was mistaken. You do know everything.”

Michael stares at the floor in silence,

“And don’t think your punishment is exclusive, Michael. They, all of them, are friends of yours, which makes them…”

Boss chuckles after his pause.

“You aren’t listening anyway. Your mind so full of grief and rage. No different from when I found you all those years ago. Such a long time it was.”

Michael is unmoving, stagnant with thought about his next move.

“I’m sorry I couldn’t be whatever you think a father figure is. Maybe then you would’ve listened to ONE thing I have said this entire 5 years.”

Another silence deafens the room like a Jet.

“You gave Steven the chance to be a father though, which I believe is very nice, considering what happened.”

Mikey does not hesitate, and turns, leaving the room in a shuffle.

“I have only one goodbye to give Michael, you have many.”

The elevator door opens, with Michael going back into his room and laying on his bed. Mitsumi runs in, asking what had happened, what did he say, are you hurt, what's going to happen-

“I'm fine Mitsumi.” His face pale and blank

“I-uh- okay, what did he say though?”

He mimics Boss’s voice tauntingly, “What you did was very disrespectful, If you do anything like that again that could risk the team and yourself blah blah.”

Mitsumi smiles and lays on him, hugging him, lovingly oblivious.

“For a second I was really worried Mikey.”

“Yeah, I was too baby.”

Everyone is asleep, but Michael couldn't for the life of him, as much as he tried, he couldn't. He stares at the ceiling, watching the fans spin, unchanging. He slides out of Mitsumi’s grip, almost making him cry from that alone.

He walks around the living room, kitchen, gym, and then finally the garage, taking in the smell of gasoline and sweat. Michael pulls up two chairs. And sits at the workbench looking at the empty seat, and begins to weep.

“I- Im so so sorry Steven…If only I- i could have saved you.”

“...”

“I'll make you proud, I -I promise, I'll save them.”

His voice finds resolve, he stands up, and gets moving. He sneaks back into his room, picking up his mask, his sunglasses, and his coat. He looks back at the fast asleep Mitsumi one more time, before placing a note next to her and kissing her forehead.

The elevator door opens one last time, the ding rippling though his heart and mind, his very being, before stepping into the metal casket as the doors close

The door opens to a forest, and a small path leading up to the satellite dish, barley making it out besides from the green and red lights on the top from the thick fog that has rolled in on top of the mountains.

He slowly walks to the massive dish, finding a clearing at the foot of the tower. MIchael looks up from the railing, seeing Boss stare at him silently. He jumps down to the ground with a rumble,

“Look at that! You CAN take instruction!”

Michael pulls a revolver from his coat, Elliot’s revolver.

“This is what I was talking about. You cling to EVERYTHING you can just to prove a fleeting point. If Elliot, Mitsumi, STEVEN couldn’t even harm me, what makes you think their weaponry will do to me, especially under your use?”

Mitsumi roles over, feeling that Michael has left her side, she groans and gets up, seeing a sticky note as been placed on her head.

She peels it off, her heart drops.

‘Look for the envelope on the desk’
Her eyes widen,

Elliot runs in the room to her wailing on the ground, holding a piece of paper. Elliot picks her up, asking what had happened, but she's screaming too much to make any sense.

Elliot takes the note seeing a ring fall out, quickly reading and getting up, running into his room trying to find his revolver,

“Mits! We are gonna save him! You have to get up!”

She falls to the ground, unable to pick herself up again.

“M Please! He's not dead yet we have a chance!”

Elliot runs down the hall to the elevator, pressing the button,

“Now M!”

M stumbles into the hallway with her katana, getting into the elevator with Elliot. Odinya tries to tag along, but is quickly put back into the hallway.
Michael mutters to himself,

“For Mitsumi, for Elliot, for Steven, for Maya, for Odinya, for Darina,”
Michael clicks open the cylinder, inserting a bullet with a small drop of blood on the firing cap. The cylinder clicks back, and he cocks the hammer.

“You’re not going to shoot me with that and win, Petit pinson.”

Michael raises the revolver to Boss, rain starts to set in

“No, I'm not.”

Boss raises his hand, catching a bullet, and another, Michael tears of his mask,

“ILL KILL YOU!”

Michael pulls the trigger, and it fires.

In the Elevator, the metal box shakes violently after a loud bang,

A giant fiery beam of pink and red fire though the air at lighting speed. The bullet speeds right
though Boss’s arm, tearing it in half. Boss screams in agony and pain, trying to hold his arm together.

“You have MADE YOUR DECISION!!!”

Boss slams down, quickly appearing in front of Michael and throwing a punch, but he misses. Michael slides his hand across the back of Boss’s coat, coating it in blood,

“So, you found out huh? What makes you so special…”

Boss strikes again, missing and being coated in more blood. He paints, gripping his arm which has been pooling out glowing gold blood. Boss strikes a third time with Michael hitting the top of his crown with the hilt of the revolver.

Elliot and Mitsumi are trying to beat time, running down the hallways,

Boss screams in pain, falling to the floor immediately. His head starts to bleed from multiple parts. He pants, slowly backing away from Michael, struggling to kill a mortal.

“What, what could you possibly gain from killing me. What is it that you want, to see me in pain?”

“Revenge”

Boss stops backing away, and stands still, looking up at Michael.

“Revenge…I once had a brother, named Michael…He was brave, and strong, and just as simple minded as YOU. And at the end of the it all, he couldn't stand up for the ONE PERSON that it counted for.”

Michael puts the revolver away, and takes out a zippo lighter,

Boss sighs, “You dont scare me Michael, not now, not before, not ever. You will die a savage, a boy deprived of everything, if only we could have the things we wanted, but thats not how destiny works.”

The door opens to the forest top floor, they run blind to the back of the Satellite dish,
Michael walks over to Boss and points two fingers to his forehead, he opens the bloody zippo lighter,

“Does MItsumi really deserve this?”

MIchael’s eyes widen, he hesitated.

Boss stands over him with his arm though Michael,

Michael coughs blood, but as his eyes get heavy, he grins, and moves his fingers to Boss’s head.

“Bang.”

And he lights the spark,

Mitsumi and Elliot get blown back, the night sky lights up with a red and pink hue,
Mitsumi holds her head as her ears ring, looking at an unconscious Elliot on the ground. She looks up, seeing the giant metal satellite tower flaying sparks and starting to creak and break.

She picks Elliot up, dashing into the forest as the huge tower collides with the ground in a large crash, deafening on its own.

Mitsumi lays on the ground as she hears a fire start to crackle in the distance, and the distance sound of police sirens.

Boss has been killed.

[Days later]

The elevator door opens.

A skinny, well dressed man with short hair walks out with a giant suitcase.

“Hello! My name is Mr. Katz, I am an associate of the US government and I am here to find housing for you two… (Looks over at Odinya) uhhh..three after this…uh…mess up.”

Elloit gets up from the couch,

“So?”

“We have a list of options for you, in my opinion the nicest option is the apartment skyscraper, I mean look at it! You'll never have to go outside, pleasantly of sunlig-”

“A cabin.”

“Ah- uhh…Yeah yeah we can do that. Something around 2 bed 2 bath? Maybe a litt-”

“2 stories, 5 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms. AND, plenty of land.”

“Uhhhhh…yeah..yeah we can do that. Any exact location?”

“Sunny, cool, lots of forest and and.”

“We will have it set up right away sir. Now you Ms. Kak-”

Elliot steps in front of him before he could ask anything,

“She'll will be living with me.”

The man directs his attention to Maya,

"And you Ms Ochomo?"

"House near theirs, it doesn't matter to me"

“Ah, yes ma'am If you could start packing your things, Valuables, heirlooms, weapons, ect. Ill be waiting at the hallway when your done, and we’ll get it all settled.”

He gives a nice smile and nod,
The two limp to their rooms, Mitsumi enters Michael’s room, staring into the dark empty room and picking up the envelope and putting it into a cardboard box, along with a variety of small things.
She walks into the bathroom, hoping to find his mask, but it has been removed for chemical hazards.
The two carry their boxes to the elevator door, all stepping in,
The camera moves in, seeing a ring on Mitsumi’s finger,
And the door closes.

```
*After Credits*

```

Elliot puts his final box down in the house, as Mitsumi lies on the couch.

“It still hasn’t hit me.” She says emotionless.

“Whatt’ya mean?” Asks Elliot, unpacking.

“For the first time… ever… We just…” She stays quiet for a minute.

“Get to live.”

Elliot smirks “That’s an issue?”

“No, but it should be crushing. It feels like we don’t have any… Purpose.” Mitsumi says in the same dead tone.

“That’s the thing Mits, that is our purpose. We can actually… live now. They said we can speak to the public in a week. You can get a job, go to therapy, although I’m sure they have one ready for you, we can do anything. That’s our new job.” Elliot says sitting next to her, as she scrunches into a ball on the couch.

“The best thing you can do for yourself, for him, is to do what you think will make you feel like you again.” He rubs her shoulder with his hand.
Elliot looks around and gets close to M,

"Yknow, im thinking of having a kid M"

"Really?"

"And I want you to be there, same with Maya"

"Elliot, you told Od-"

"Hush! No, but, im kinda scared"

"Girl or boy" M says, smiling for the first time in a while

"Girl, imma name her Chloe, Chloe Green"

Mitsumi gives a big smile,

"You'd be a good dad"

"...Thanks M" Elliots says hugging M,

Odinya floats in, putting a picture on a shelf of the entire team, the window next to it in view of the rising sun, as a blue and orange comet flies through the sky.
## Trivia

* Boss's body wasn't destroyed completely, instead, the rest of his dead body was put in a chamber for research.
* Michael's decision wasn't rash, if he had another way to kill him, he would have tried it.
* Michael has mentally and physically broken, with having one more person he could have saved die, he snapped. That's why he wasn't mad when fighting Boss, he just didn't care anymore, all he wanted to do was kill him.
* The Painting Odinya holds up in the after credits page was originally gonna be a Hang in there poster, then I remembered I wasn't writing a Pwnage issue. - Lobsterbike