'Why?'
Ally felt herself shrinking.
The one before her was just a girl.
Only ten years old, half her height.
She wore nothing more than rags, and carried not even a single emotion within her eyes.
Yet even so...
'Why... do I feel so cornered?'
Ally had rejected everything.
Her husband.
Her family.
Her life.
Her morality.
Her sanity.
Everything - she had rejected.
'By... my own daughter?'
Even after struggling against everything she knew was right, after having ruined the lives of many children and parents by separating them, it was all for the sake of that very daughter who stood before her now.
Yet she had rejected the very notion of ever seeing that daughter again.
'Was I... scared?'
Clenching her heart, an overwhelming pain engulfed the woman as she found her throat tighten.
She was unable to even speak.
'Was I scared of seeing my daughter again?'
'Was I truly just terrified of what would become of me... if I accepted her back into my life?'
Opening her mouth, the woman tried to speak.
Yet not even a squeal came out.
'Was I not just ashamed? Ashamed of the fact that I ruined so many lives... just to take back my own?'
She had deceived herself.
Even she did not understand until this point.
Yet right now, with the very daughter she had rejected before her - glaring at her as if she were nothing more than another opponent - Ally knew for certain.
'I didn't deserve to regain my daughter.'
'But because I didn't bother... she has become this... thing.'
Drip.
Tears flowed down the eyes of the woman as she stood in place, neither of the two moving.
Perhaps the emotionless girl was waiting for her opponent to make her move first, or perhaps she was having some sort of doubts herself.
Ally did not know.
'How... could I have become this?'
Trembling, the woman brought her hand to her face as she fell to her knees in despair.
'No matter what she has become... I have to face the truth... that I have become something far worse.'
"My... daughter...."
The woman croaked out this statement, reaching forward as her eyes blurred with sadness.
As the woman said this, the girl slowly - cautiously - took a step forward.
"You are the one who gave birth to me. Which I suppose... would make you my mother. Is that not correct?"
With such a robotic statement, the girl took a step towards the woman.
"No... no... no.... NO!!"
The woman thrust her fist to the ground as she cried in sorrow, completely overwhelmed in that moment.
"I... have no right to call myself a mother.", she whispered.
"I see."
With calmness evident in her voice, the girl responded as such.
"I was taken in by his words... but I cannot say that it is the fault of that man. I used him just as he used me... I was drunk on my own power... I... I never wanted to become this way... at first I rejected the idea... I hated the very concept of it... deceiving and using others... stealing their children... hahaha... it was something I never would have even considered. As a mother, how could I have ever done such a thing!? But... I was jealous. And I... I thought that if someone like me wasn't even allowed to keep my own child... that people like THEM shouldn't be able to."
Looking up, the woman shriveled as she gazed upon the never changing expression which her daughter held.
"If only... I could have been a better mother for you... perhaps... perhaps if I were a better wife... then none of this would have happened."
And then, the woman stood up.
Bursting forward, the girl immediately went on guard as the woman rushed at her.
"I'm not going to hurt you... anymore."
Yet to the surprise of the girl, the woman wrapped her arms around the child.
"I know that it must have been difficult... I know that the man I served probably put you through so many horrible things... and I know that no matter what I say or do, those things have changed you. But even so... I am sorry."
The two zombified people who had invaded this place merely watched quietly, taking the passive roles of observers within this interaction between mother and daughter.
Perhaps they knew that it was not their place to interfere.
"Mother... are you saying that you love me?"
"Yes. Yes... yes... yes..."
Gripping the child tightly, the woman spoke quickly as regret overcame her.
"I love you, Isabella."
"I see."
Closing her eyes, the girl wrapped her arms around the woman as well.
"So this is what love feels like."
At this statement, the woman bit her lips with bitterness - realizing that because of her, her child had never experienced such love.
'How could I do this? I... am far worse than my husband who gave up her life.'
"Love... is useful."
However it was in that moment that the voice of the girl chilled her to the bone.
And at this moment, she felt a sharp pain in her back.
"After all... if love can manipulate my enemy right into my arms... then it truly makes them into an easy target."
"I'm... sorry..."
Weakly spitting these words out even as she was stabbed in the back, the woman gently lifted her hand as she caressed the very girl who stabbed her.
"If only... if only..."
However the woman was then dropped to the ground.
She felt the wind taken out of her as she landed on her back violently, unable to move as the blood flowed from her back.
Her lungs filled with fluid, and she soon felt her mind become hazy.
'If only I had realized sooner... how precious you were to me... then perhaps... I wouldn't have fallen this far.'
Closing her tear filled eyes, the woman felt the burning sensation lull as her body weakened.
However just before she closed her eyes she heard one last question.
"Why are you apologizing?"
Jolting her eyes open as if she had been reinvigorated with one final breath, the woman looked up as she met eyes with the blue haired child.
"I don't see any reason as to why you would apologize to me.", the girl stated coldly without wavering as the weapon in her hand seemed to mold into her very skin, soon disappearing without effort.
Then, with a light smile, the woman found a small light of hope as she witnessed the cheerful face of the child that she had abandoned.
"After all... the reason I killed you has nothing to do with you abandoning me. Such a thing was a trivial decision. One backed by a desire to serve the one who I have dedicated myself to. The only reason I killed you... was because I felt that you would be an annoyance to keep around."
Corrupted.
Her words were corrupted beyond all salvation.
Slowly, that beautiful smile wrapped around the girl's face as it turned to a rotten grin.
"And since my master gave me the power to decide on my own... then this is my decision."
Then, lifting up her hand, a weapon once more formed from the flesh of the girl as she gripped it with eyes thinned in delight.
"Goodbye, mother. And thank you... for giving birth to me. After all..."
Run through with a stake, the mind of the woman was pierced in that moment as a fountain of blood shot up.
"If you had not... then I never would have been able to experience the joys of living."
----
[That girl... is broken.]
[Without the love of a mother or father... she was born into this world in the hands of a man who viewed her as nothing more than a tool.]
[Her situation... greatly reminds me of our own. Therefore... I want you to care for her, Marcus.]
[Show me that you can take such a girl and SAVE her.]
With sadism in his tone, Seven whispered into the minds of Sylvia and Marcus.
[And if you can't even save such a girl... then how could you possibly think that you could save US?]
[Show me.]
[Show me that you can save people.]
[But at the same time... show me that you will never bask in the GLORY that a savior would normally obtain.]
[Show me that you are willing to become evil... hated... despised... loathed... all for the sake of saving the few around you who DESERVE to be saved.]
[Only then... will I accept you.]
[As a worthy host.]
----
'I get it.'
Closing his eyes in thought, Marcus stepped forward as he approached the blood covered girl.
'I understand you, Seven.'
Taking in a deep breath, Marcus opened his eyes as he looked down upon the girl, who returned to her position by his side like a little soldier.
'You never planned on forcing me to kill her in the first place.'
With a bitter smile, Marcus placed his hand on the head of the girl.
"Master... Did my decision please you?"
The girl asked this with eagerness, looking up to Marcus and then over to Sylvia.
Overwhelmed with guilt, Marcus let out a light chuckle.
"Heh."
If he had intervened, then perhaps he could have stopped this murder from happening.
However Marcus had done nothing.
Not because he was terrified of what Seven would do.
But rather because he wanted the girl to decide for herself - no matter what the outcome.
"It pleases me.", Marcus stated.
"I see.", the girl calmly answered.
However, turning to the girl, Marcus grinned grandly as he put both hands on her shoulders.
"I am pleased that you made the decision on your own. You... are your own person. Therefore even if you will make such decisions... I... no... we will not abandon you."
'She was molded to become this.'
"You hold much use in this world. Perhaps much more... than any normal person.", Sylvia added as she walked past the girl with the tapping of her heels. "Therefore... we will use that to our advantage. Until the day where your use is no more."
At this statement, the girl nodded quietly.
"And then you will throw me out?", she asked without concern.
However as she asked this, she found a hand wrapped around the back of her head grab onto her chin.
The pointed nails dug into her as her head was turned around suddenly to face the gorgeous woman.
"Wrong."
With this single statement, the cherry lips of the woman curled up into a horrid smile as her sharp eyes gazed into the soul of the girl.
Yet even at this gaze the girl did not react.
"Then... we will find another use for you. Therefore... just follow us. And we will figure out the rest."
Turning forward, Sylvia walked in sync with Marcus as she waved her hand for the girl to follow.
"Because at the end of the day... You are just a child. And we are adults. Therefore it is our responsibility... to make the hard decisions. All you have to do is follow our orders... and that will be enough."
----
"So?"
Sitting at an outdoor table outside what looked like a typical cafe were three people.
One an adult male who had the appearance of a businessman.
With hair slicked back and a professional outfit, this man folded his hands as he gazed around him with disdain.
For all he saw was destruction.
An entire city was in ruins surrounding him, with nothing left aside from the rubble filled buildings and the chaotic streets.
"What is our plan from this point out?", the man asked.
"Haha... that should be obvious."
Responding to the man was a beautiful businesswoman who was dressed as if she was attending a casino, with a long black dress and high heels.
Her hair was styled in extravagant manner, and she crossed one leg over another as she thinned her eyes in a demented manner.
"We destroy them all."
Both had borne witness to the actions of Sheldon Stirling.
Filled with these memories which Seven and One had provided them, they had but one single goal which aligned in their hearts.
"Very well then. Isabella."
"Yes, Masters?"
"Tell us everything you know. About the man who raised you... about the Street Rats... and most importantly... about their leaders."
"Very well.", the girl said with a nod. "I will start from the beginning."
----
[The Day of Awakening]
"Ugh..."
A large man sat up in his bed, looking around his room with confusion.
"What the hell?"
This man, whose hair was receding and whose face was as repulsive as a hog, looked around him as he tore off his covers.
This man awoke in what was previously a penthouse suite, however it could not be considered such a luxurious place in its current state.
The windows around him had been shattered to pieces.
Rot and rust filled every corner of his sight, and the soot and ashes covered every square inch of the room.
"Hey!! You bitches!! Where the fuck do you think you are!? Leaving me alone like this... tch... and everything... everything is ruined!! What the fuck is going on here!?"
As the man thrust himself out of the bed in haste and began dressing himself, he wiped a line of drool from his face as he looked around him with disgust.
"Who the fuck do they think they are leaving me alone like this? Do they think that just because I gave them a high position that it means they can do anything they want!? Did they throw a party in here while I was asleep? No... this couldn't have happened from a mere party.... an explosion!? No... then I would have been harmed, right?"
The man pulled a cell phone out of his pocket, fiddling with it only to realize that it wouldn't turn on.
"What the fuck? Out of battery... shit... lemme get a charger..."
Stumbling over to where a phone charger was, the man fumbled with the cord as he jammed it into the phone.
"What the hell? Still isn't turning on... piece of shit... gah! Lemme just use the damn landline..."
As the man grabbed the home phone from the nightstand, he began to type in a set of numbers before quickly realizing that something was off.
"Why... isn't it making any sound?"
Slamming the phone down, the man's face filled with irritation.
"They leave me alone up here with this mess... electricity doesn't seem to be working... phones aren't working... nothing is fucking working..."
As the man struggled to fit his gut into his clothes, he slid himself into his jacket as he made his way to the front of the room.
"I'll make them pay for leaving me with this mess... ungrateful little..."
However as the man walked out of the bedroom, he glanced over to the windows as the sight of the City below him entered his eyes.
And as this grand sight of destruction showed itself to him, the man slowly came across a realization of horror.
Buildings destroyed.
Streets in a dead chaos.
And on the ground, hundreds of people as small as ants walking about lifelessly.
"What... the hell is going on?"
Taken aback at the scene, the man immediately headed towards his own closet - opening it up to reveal a miniature armory.
Suiting himself up with a bulletproof vest and grabbing onto an assault rifle while shoving a number of magazines into his pockets, the man grit his teeth as he slid a couple of pistols onto his belt.
"All that work... everything I've ever lived for gone... shit..."
Exiting the room into what was previously a grand hotel, the man made one glance at the elevator before deciding instead to use the stairs.
"No... wait just a minute... this... haha... this could be an opportunity, couldn't it?"
As he made his way down the stairs, the man heard the sounds of a gunshot come from below.
And as he did so, he realized something.
"Heh... I see... so there are no more government officials around to stop us from doing as we please."
Making his way down the stairs, the man seemed to be struggling to carry himself and the vast amount of equipment, for his body was not accustomed to such exercise.
'Haha... well... I'll just have to bear with this for a little bit. After all... if I can find those four... then I'll be able to rebuild my little kingdom here... and reign over these ruins.'
This man was Gerard Stirling.
The Uncle of Sheldon Stirling, and the leader of the 4th branch of the Street Rats Organization.
----
"So the Street Rats were split into five branches... each of which controls a particular area of crime."
"That is correct. I performed many negotiations with other leaders and higher up members of the Street Rats, therefore I happen to know much about their executives. If I recall correctly... the Fourth branch was led by my brother's uncle, and there were three particular women that he had promoted to his executives. Ah, and there was also that Janitor as well. Although I never personally met any of the executives, I heard that they each had their own specialties based on their backgrounds."
Isabella calmly explained to Marcus and Sylvia as they listened and questioned her regarding the Street Rats, the gang who she was a member of until the death of Sheldon Stirling.
"I see.", Marcus said with a nod. "Then you know the location of their headquarters?"
"That is correct. The 4th branch was actually based out of what appeared to be a normal hotel... on the outside. However in reality... this hotel was just a facade. If I had to compare it to what I know of... then it was more of a prison."
"A prison? Similar to the one that you were living in?", Sylvia asked as she turned to the girl.
"I do not consider my living conditions to be a prison, for each and every one of us were happy to be there. Everything that brother gave to us was a reward for the work we performed for him, and not a single person was displeased. Even when he punished us, it was out of his desire for us to grow. However when I visited the basement of the hotel... I truly understood what it was like to be imprisoned against one's will."
Silence overcame the streets as the girl looked forwards, not a single glance of humanity in her eyes.
However as she spoke, even Marcus and Sylvia could realize the disgust which was evident in the voice of this normally emotionless child.
"The 3rd branch specialized in child related crimes such as kidnapping and child labor. However it was only because brother used his connections to the Young Master that he was able to legally get away with such things. Uncle had his own methods to ensure that he wasn't caught."
Standing up, the girl looked back and forth between Marcus and Sylvia to confirm their intentions.
"The 4th branch is one where the main focus is illegal prostitution."
As the girl made this statement, Marcus and Sylvia both nodded as they appeared to be in deep thought.
Then, with a seductive smile, Sylvia thinned her eyes in strange delight as she stood up with elegance.
"I see. So he was a man who would use loopholes and secrecy in order to force people to make money for him. Am I wrong in assuming this?"
"No, that is exactly correct.", the girl responded. "So? What do you intend on doing?"
"While it is true that this world has been destroyed... there is a common pattern which has been followed."
Raising a finger, Marcus spoke to the girl with confidence.
"While the majority of people have been killed off... the very few who have been lucky enough to survive are those who have been protected and alone - those who the virus did not reach. The rich who live in the luxury of their own homes, far from the contact of other people... those who have been locked underground in chambers like prisoners... even those who have been locked up in their apartments."
Thinning his eyes, the man leaned forward as he gazed at the girl.
"To put it simply, the likelihood that such a man living in luxury is still alive... is almost certain. Unless he happened to be on an outing at the time of the cataclysm... I would place my bet on saying that this man is indeed still alive."
With a grin, the man stood up as he stepped forth, motioning for the two to follow him.
"Therefore... I suppose we have our next target. Come. If we are to become true predators in this world... then would you not say that we need to set our sights on acceptable prey?"
"I couldn't agree more.", Sylvia added. "What's the plan?"
"The plan?"
With a chuckle, the man slicked back his hair as he thinned his eyes, looking up towards the sky. "We find this place... invade it... and we throw everything into chaos."
"You are quite interesting, Master and Mistress.", Isabella stated as she followed the two. "I... think that serving you two will be... a good experience."
"A good experience? Hahaha.... I see. So that's how you see it. Well... I would have to disagree. However... so be it. Sylvia. Are you not tired?"
"Tired?"
The woman looked to Marcus with a smirk, however with a quick nod she agreed.
"Yes, I would say that I am quite tired."
The hair of the woman swayed as she walked, emphasizing her beauty as she let out a light giggle.
"Heh... I'm tired of failure."
"Then let's succeed. If Seven and One will not allow us to succeed in saving people... then instead we will succeed in destroying them. Or rather... in destroying the ones who chain them to their current states."