The Story of Yeling Mah

Chapter 1 - Introductions

"Yeah, we're gonna have a problem." The new recruit said, as he flipped his knives, eyeing our Squad Leader. Matt narrowed his eyes.

"Do we now." Matt mused.

The new guy, Flint, stepped forward with his knife in hand, his other hand hovering over his handgun. This was gonna get bad. And not for Matt.

Flint is supposedly a top rate mercenary. Highly trained. Initially a member of the Infantry Unit in the New Ulysses Military Force until his defection because he did some naughty naughty with the women during one of his raids. In exchange for their freedom. Well, actually, he did the thing, then he shot them afterwards. He was found out, and exiled to death row, because a lot of other crimes were uncovered.

Then Lord Taras picked him up. Since then, Flint has been part of our squad. Squad Four of the Contingency Initiative. A company who's sole purpose is to advance The Second Great War, and raze this stupid ass world to the ground.

Do I care? No. Of course not. I hate this world. Like everybody in our Squad, we all have a grudge on how this world has been operated. Some of us, struggling, and ignored.

Anyway, enough with the background. Gotta watch Flint get his ass kicked.

Matt watched as Flint began showing off his knife tricks.

"I'm a top rate killer in the army. I've pinned down and taken out some real dangerous targets. You're telling me some whack ass 22 year old kid is gonna be my leader? Hell no. So I'm gonna be real nice. You make me Squad Leader, and I'll spare you the humiliation in front of your squad there."

"You asshole, Squad Lead Matt is going to kick your ass!" Whitney shouted. Lewis had to pull her back.

"Chill out Whitney! My god. He's not gonna sleep with you." Lewis grumbled.

Whitney continued to fangirl Matt as he held out his hand.

"Let's make something real clear, Mister Army Dude." Matt said, coldly. "I don't give a shit about being the leader of this stupid team. Quite frankly, I don't give a shit about the members here. They can do whatever they want. Kill whoever they want. They could even kill each other. I don't care. But someone needs to pull this dumbass team together and have a level head, for Taras. You're clearly not fit to be a leader. So I'm gonna go ahead and say come at me."

Flint smirked, as he threw his knife at Matt's face. The knife pierced him right through as Flint took out his handgun and began firing at his chest, peppering Matt with bullets. Flint was so fast I couldn't even register his movements, almost like within a split second he had already peppered Matt with bullets.

"Wow." Flint said, as he turned to us. "That was disappointedly quick."

I tried to hold back a laugh. Whitney glared at Flint. "You really think you won? What kind of professional are you?"

Flint stopped playing with his knife, as suddenly, Matt's body dissipated into black mist.

"The hell?" Flint muttered.

A clone. A Senkaku clone, actually. Matt's Level 3 Dogma power.

Suddenly, a shadow flew in, and knocked Flint to the ground. Flint held out a flash bang grenade, and the shadow leapt into the air. Immediately, the grenade and the shadow switched places, and Flint stared at the real Matt in shock, as Matt grabbed Flint's face and turned it, forcing him to watch as the now airborne flash bang exploded, blinding him.

Matt chuckled as he grabbed Flint's head and slammed him the ground. Two more clones manifested, each pinning down Flint's limbs.

"Fighting skill. Deception. Sabotage. Tactics. Redirection. Everything you have, I have more of it." Matt said, as he began to twist. I heard bones crack as Flint growled in pain. Matt continued.

"You're basing your aptitude to being a Squad Leader off of these abilities. That's real sad. You're basically a shittier version of me." Matt taunted.

Flint closed his eyes in pain. "Dammit..." He muttered.

Matt let go, as Flint sprawled on the ground, breathing hard.

"Remember your place, trash. You serve ME. You do as I say. Defy me again, and I might just go ahead and ask Lord Taras for another recruit. You're not worth my time at the moment, so I'll give you two weeks to make it up. If you can't impress me by then, I'll take that as we need a new Squad member."

Matt's tattooed arm reverted back into its shadowy form, manifesting a sharp blade.

"Basically it means I'm going to have to kill you." He said.

Flint said nothing, as he struggled to his feet. Whitney stepped forward, but Matt held out his arm.

"Do not heal him."

Classic Matt. The guy was such a chad. I wish I was as ruthless. We went back to the main room, locking Flint in his room until he had recovered. Thankfully, his injuries weren't that serious. At least I hoped.

"So, Captain..." Whitney said, coyly. "Want to have a drink with me tonight?"

"No." Matt said, dismissively, as he left the hideout. Whitney looked disappointed, as Lewis snickered.

Matt looked at me. "Don't forget about your mission, Yeling. I want status report by tonight so Charlie doesn't get on my damn case about missing paperwork."

Yeah, if it wasn't already obvious, Whitney is in love with Matt, and she doesn't hesitate to show it. I guess I could kind of understand where she was coming from.

According to Lewis, before she had joined the Contingency Initiative, Whitney was in a relationship with her old boyfriend, and he always abused her. Despite that, she clung onto him desperately because he was the source of all the income. She had no way of getting a job at New Ulysses, since she had a criminal record and a drug addiction. To make matters worse, she had a really traumatic past. Something about watching her parents die when she was little. So she couldn't get family support either.

At some point, Whitney discovered her powers of regeneration. Following that, she turned to robbery, but of course, she wasn't too good at the whole secret identity thing, and her boyfriend found out. Blah blah blah. More abuse. More drama. At some point, her efforts were recognized by Taras Pax, the leader and founder of the Contingency Initiative, who took her in. He placed her in Squad Four (our squad), under the supervision of Matthew Lam, "The Mirage".

But obviously, Matt didn't approve. He wanted squad members who could handle themselves. So he decided to help Whitney out. And by help, I mean helping the "Matt way". That night, Matt and Whitney went to her house, and Matt told Whitney to kill her boyfriend. Whitney was too scared, but Matt told her the only way to move on would be to kill him, because she was already at a point of no return. She had already done so much criminal acts, there would be no way for her to return to a normal life.

I think that night where Whitney killed her boyfriend was where the true Whitney died. Because since then, she had supposedly never been the same. She became obsessed with killing and stuff. And also she saw Matt as her saviour. Her knight in shining armour that saved her from her abusive relationship.

To this day, she still feels the same way about Matt. If I'm going to be honest, I think Whitney cares more about jumping Matt than the Second Great War. I mean, it's not like I'm complaining. To each their own. As long as she does her part.

I left the hideout and got into a black van, as members of the CI drove me to the spot for deployment. I got off and transferred to a chopper, that flew high in the sky. The pilot spoke into the coms.

"Alright Tidalflame. I want a clean elimination of the plant. No survivors, got that?"

I nodded, grinning maniacally. "Yeah. It'd be my pleasure sir."

No survivors.

Pure elimination.

I put on my mask, which illuminated an HUD on the right side of my face. The mask was a gift from Taras ever since I had unlocked Level 2 of my Dogma. The entire right side of my face was crippled and scarred, meaning if I ever was on mission for stealth, I could easily be identified. Sometimes I took the mask off as a scare factor, but usually, it served double purpose. For identity clearance and for that HUD. Wasn't anything fancy, but it did give me a read on how many survivors were there.

The hatch door opened, and wind breezed through me. I looked down at the power plant that powered the Lifestream Company. This was a requirement to complete Phase 2 Q1 of our Second Great War advancement initiative. There were several phases. Each comprised of Quarters. Each quarter was divided into numerous missions to complete.

My mission was to completely annihilate this plant. Only one person was needed, and with my destructive powers, I was more than adequate to complete the job. Squad 4 was tasked to destroy things, an annihilation unit. So I was a natural fit for the team.

I leapt from the hatch and descended below, slowing the fall as I closed my eyes.

Level 2 Intangibility - Devil's Comet I said, as my body completely converted into ghostly blue flames, hitting the ground in a massive wave of fire.

"The hell was that?!" Someone shouted from the recon tower.

"It was like a comet. The proxy is.... it's a person!" Another said.

I reverted back to human form, as numerous guards approached me with their guns drawn.

"Hands in the air! Surrender yourself for questioning, or we will open fire!" A massive voice boomed from some kind of amplifier at the back.

I smiled as my left arm burst into blue flames, the demonic lettering and lines glowing a bright blue in the night.

"There's no need for that..." I hissed, as my heart rate went up. Adrenaline. I loved this. Something about... everybody thinking they could stop me. Their delusion. Then seeing their shocked expression when they realize there was nothing they could do to stop me. Something about that made me excited.

I loved to see the despair in a person's eyes. Nothing in my life mattered. I fit in nowhere. To burn everything. Everybody down. That is what I wanted. That is my only goal in life.

I held out my hand as I heard numerous guns being readied, their lasers aimed at my forehead.

"No..." One guard said, his eyes through his protective gear full of horror.

"It's him... The Devil's Flames." Another said.

"Yes..." I said, as my flames became even more violent, illuminating the entire sky. The bullets began to fire, but it was too late.

Level 1 Hinokami - Inverse Tsunami Release! I shouted, as an enormous blast of blue flame emitted from my arm, flooding the entire area, the entire plant. The whole sky lit up blue in the night, as I heard the voice of screaming and panic, explosions mixing in with my fire as the plant disintegrated, burning to ash before my very eyes. At my hands.

The entire scene was filled with my flames, some kind of infernal hellhole of what remained from the power plant. Job well done. Wait.

My HUD was blipping. A survivor? No way.

I turned around and found a guard who was so badly charred, he was barely clinging onto life, but he had his knife aimed at me as he dragged his body to my position.

"You... you will not get away with this..." The guard spurted out.

I knelt in front of him. "The Second Great War is coming. There's nothing you can do about it."

The guard regarded me. "Do you even know what you've just done? The people you've killed? Everybody here who has died today had a family. People to come home to. Don't you have a sense of decency-"

"Decency?!" I cackled. "The hell kinda decency is there left in people like me? Does it look like I care about morals? After society has rejected me? To have created these cookie cutter personalities for people to slot themselves in? What did this world do to help me fit in? Hm? Telling me to uphold morals."

I grabbed the man with one hand and ripped the knife from his hands.

The man coughed as he glared at me. "You are still young. There's still so much things you could live for. Your life is not decided. Don't throw it away, find a girl to love-"

"Wow. Buddy, let me fill you in on something." I said, as I readjusted my grip, my other hand, my free hand, bursting into flames.

"Everybody is a hero in their story. That's something you've probably heard before. Well let's do a reality check. I'm not the main hero in this story. I'm not even a supporting character. I'm that insignificant in this world."

I put my hand near the man's face as he began to scream in agony.

"I am just a side character. Someone to be neglected. I always have been. Never important enough to be considered part of anything in this messed up world. It's time to change that. Time for side characters like me to shine, by destroying the very fabric of this storyline. To start over. This is what the Second Great War aims to achieve. To tear this very notion of importance down. To start anew."

I increased the intensity of the flames until the man disintegrated, his last memories being me.

"By burning this world to the ground." I hissed.

Chapter 2 - Couple Assassination Contract

I entered the HQ and handed Matt the paperwork I completed for the project.

"Yo, Matt. Here's the status report." I said, as Matt took the paper.

I sat across from him as Matt scribbled on the paper dejectedly.

You are still young. There's still so much things you could live for. Your life is not decided. Don't throw it away, find a girl to love

"Yeling." Matt said, as I looked up.

"Yo." I said.

"Forget about it."

"Huh?" I replied, confused.

Matt finished up his paperwork and put it neatly into a binder. As much as Matt hated to be Squad Leader, he still found a way to get his job done efficiently and effectively. It deserved a ton of respect.

"What do you mean?" I asked.

It was late, the sky had gone dark, and Matt's face was full of shadows, but it didn't take that for me to know Matt had a really dark life. He never told any of us about it. And I didn't know what Matt was like in the past, but whatever it was, it had to be hard on him to mold his personality into this.

Matt eyed me coldly.

"That expression you have, you're longing for someone to love you."

My heart almost stopped. "What? What are you talking about."

Matt was not convinced. "Yeling, your life has been decided. The moment you struck the Dogma Bargain to unlock your two levels, you already sealed your fate. There's no place for people like us here. Our only salvation is to give our life for the Contingency Initiative. You know that. It's time to accept it."

I fiddled with the sleeves on my shirt. "Still... I mean. There's still a chance though, right? My Dogma Bargains didn't mention anything about finding love-"

"There is no chance for you to find love." Matt cut me off. I felt my heart rate go up. I didn't know why. I knew there was no chance for me to find love now after all the horrible things I've done for this company. But why was there still a part of me that denied it?

Matt slammed his hand on the desk, taking off his mask and revealing his one missing eye. Which was a black socket. It made me queasy to look at, and this is coming from a guy who lost half of his face just to become Intangible.

"How many times am I going to tell you, kid." Matt growled. "There is no place for people like us. You're not going to find salvation. You're not going to find true happiness. And there is no way for you to find love. No matter what you tell yourself, you are a slave to the Dogma. That's how it is for us. That's the brutal reality."

I stared at his empty socket. It was almost ironic that something so empty could emit so much darkness and resentment. A feeling that I knew all too well.

Matt glared at me. "This team has no place for second thoughts. If your little naive half is still sprouting lies from within you, then burn it to ash. There will never be a happy ending for users of the Dogma."

I wanted to sink into my seat. Matt was scary when he was mad. And every time he got mad, it made me so upset, because he was everything I strived to be. Someone who let go of his attachments to the world. Someone who could just carry on his task without looking behind him. Someone who would never let his past and his ties and desires get in his way.

"I understand, Matt. I do." I said, coldly.

Matt repositioned himself, putting his mask back on.

"Good. Tomorrow's mission will really put your feelings to the test. And I must warn you, Yeling Mah..."

Matt's missing arm suddenly manifested, a black and red spiked mass as it materialized into the shape of a claw, wrapping around my throat. Matt's face was pure malice as he eyed me.

"If you have second thoughts, if you even so much as hesitate to kill both targets... I will kill you. I have no place for regrets in this team. No matter how old of a member you are in my eyes."

I nodded. "I'll kill them, Captain. I swear by it."

"Wow! This place looks so pretty!" Whitney said, her voice oozing with delight. Lewis rolled his eyes.

"Calm down, TF is gonna torch the place to oblivion anyway."

Whitney pouted. "Could have given me some time to appreciate it." She slumped in her seat in the van. Suddenly, Whitney leaned forward and put her arms around Matt's neck, who was sitting in the shotgun seat.

"Say, Captain. When's our day off? I'd love to spend some time with-"

"Not interested." Matt said.

Whitney slumped back in her seat, her pout even more pronounced than before.

There weren't many members to our team at the moment. Some of us were off doing other missions. Apparently, Matt had a second in command, but he was off doing some kinda recon or intel. Flint was still locked in his room for defying the Captain.

Didn't really matter. This operation only needed Whitney and I. Maybe Lewis for some recon. And Matt was responsible for making sure no one intervenes other than the resident guards.

"Remember you two, kill the proxy and anyone who intervenes. Do whatever you need to do. I don't give a shit. But do it quick. And I don't wanna see either of you hesitating. I'll kill anyone who tries to jump in." Matt glared at the sky. "Anybody."

We all knew what he meant by that. The Stormwatch Brigade. Part of the Realmwatch Collective, a company consisting of fifteen Brigades. Stormwatch was in charge of internal and external affairs. With the Tamaki Household being part of the external parts of New Ulysses, that meant we were in Stormwatch Jurisdiction.

Needless to say, Matt had a huge grudge against this particular Brigade. None of us really knew why. None of us dared to ask.

Whitney grasped her hands, squealing with joy. "I won't let you down, Matt! I'll savour this..." She licked her lips.

I'm sure she did. And I'm sure all of you will understand why.

We got off in a swift motion, as I exited first. I was in standard CI uniform, a black robe, and a mask covering half my face. I held out my hand before the guards could say anything.

Level 1 Hinokami - Inverse Tsunami Release - 20%.

A torrent of blue flame exited my arm as the runic lines decorating it glowed a brighter blue, the flames incinerating the entire household. Screaming and shouting emerging as I burnt everything to ash. Just as Matt had predicted, a green forcefield shielded a group of guards, who were huddled together.

Ayato Tamaki, the head of the household, shielded his wife, Yumi, as the guards all brought their weapons up. It didn't matter if Ayato was powered or not, it was clear he didn't have what it took to withstand us. Considering he was only capable of defence. Most of the time, he relied on his guards to carry out the asskicking. Too bad he happened to get on Taras' bad side. And now he was on our Hitlist.

Unlucky.

The force field dissipated, as the guards all began to open fire. But before that could happen, several black portals appeared under their feet, as the guards all fell through, and materializing into the sky. Matt got up slowly from his seat and left the van, as he held out his hand, creating a Senkaku clone before him, and pointed at one of the airborne guards, switching places with them.

Instantly, the guard materialized in front of us, his body impaled by the Clone, who eyed him with no remorse. The guard stared at us in horror as he crumpled to the ground. The sounds of fighting echoed in the sky as Matt dispatched each guard in the air flawlessly, zipping and darting in the sky with his switch teleport. The dude was levels above any fighter I had ever seen.

He wasn't just strong. Matt was smart. Fast. Deceptive. Cunning.

He was the ultimate soldier.

"They're making their move." Lewis said, as he continued scanning the area for hostiles.

Lewis nodded at Whitney and I. "Begin the assassination contract."

Running was not my strong suit. I was naturally an unathletic person. I guess that might have been one of the reasons I became a vessel to the Dogma. Regardless, it didn't take long for us to close the distance, because Whitney's crazy ass had instantly leapt on Ayato, her eyes full of bloodlust and the most crazy smile was on her face.

Yumi screamed as Ayato shouted at her.

"Run! Get out of here!"

Yumi sobbed as she had her hand over her mouth. "No... I can't leave you! NO!" She screamed.

I watched as Whitney tilted her head, giggling.

"I love the look of a man on the verge of death. Did you know this was how I killed Brice?"

Brice was Whitney's ex. The one she killed in cold blood that turned her into... well...

Whitney leaned in closer as Ayato grimaced.

"You do not scare me, Soul Eater."

Yumi began to whimper. "I cannot leave you, beloved. I refuse! Get... get away from him!" She screamed as she ran forward, but Ayato held out his hand, creating a force field that blocked her off.

"No. Yumi. I cannot live with myself to know you died. You need to live... for me. You need to continue the Tamaki bloodline. Our hopes our dreams. Do you remember?"

Ayato looked at Whitney, who slowly undid her mask, revealing her lips.

"Time to die, Tamaki Sen....sei!" Whitney took a deep breath, as air entered her mouth, as Ayato's face began to become more and more shrivelled.

Ayato looked at his wife one last time.

"For the both of us..." He muttered, holding out his hand as it crumbled to dust, his soul sucked in by Whitney's powers.

Yumi screamed as she ran off, and Whitney got to her feet, frowning at me.

"Umm, Yeling? Aren't you supposed to kill the other one?"

"Huh?" I asked.

Whitney put her hand on her hip. "Captain Matt is gonna be really pissed off once he finds out you hesitated. Better at least kill off the girl."

"Oh shit! You're right!" I yelped, as I quickly ran after her. How could I have gotten distracted?! Thank god Whitney wasn't the sadistic type to her squad mates. Come to think of it, Whitney was actually a really sweet person. As long as you were on her good side. Which was rare.

"Get away from me!" Yumi screamed, as she knocked over cabinet over cabinet trying to intercept the two of us. I activated my Level 2 Intangibility, as my body became a mere blue ghostly wisp, phasing through the barricades. Yumi sobbed and yelped as she tried to get away from me, climbing the stairs from a nearby building. Higher and higher. I followed, my feet melting the ground and creating blue melted footprints.

I should have just killed her right away with a blast of flame, but the more I chased after her, the more time I spent thinking.

Of her relationship with her husband.

Of their legacy, and the love they had for each other.

They cherished each other. Ayato loved her so much that he would give his life for her, and to keep her safe. Forcing her to turn away and not watch her beloved get sucked up to dust by Whitney.

There is no place for people like us. You're not going to find salvation. You're not going to find true happiness. And there is no way for you to find love. No matter what you tell yourself, you are a slave to the Dogma. That's how it is for us. That's the brutal reality.

Even if the facts were all laid out in front of me.

Even if every day I looked at my left arm, to see all the markings scrawled all over it. The tattooed lines. The demonic letterings that were all over my arm, that race up my neck. The scarring and deformed, destroyed skin that took over the right side of my face.

Part of me...

Yumi continued to sob as she ran up the steps and flung the doors open to the roof of the building. We were several stories above now, and Yumi backed herself to the roof, cornered. She clutched her belly, and I noticed that she was taking care to avoid hitting it.

My eyes widened.

You need to live... for me. You need to continue the Tamaki bloodline. Our hopes our dreams.

She was pregnant with Ayato's child.

"You... all of you. Are just pure monsters. So selfish, to take away the happiness of people just because of your stupid damn agenda!" Yumi screamed at me, as she took out a nearby piece of debris and threw it at me, which phased through my body.

I regarded her with my one exposed eye, which lit up cyan, as I reverted back to my normal form. I had to kill her. I had to prove to Matt that I wasn't soft.

I held out my hand, as the arcane lines all over my arm glowed cyan. Flames erupted from these lines as I prepared to blast her to oblivion. But for some reason, Yumi's reaction wasn't anything I had received before.

"Go on then. Go on Tidalflame. Kill me. Kill my son. I bet you enjoy tearing people down. All you bastards can enjoy your time in hell!"

I clenched my fist. Why was I hesitating?!

Whitney killed Ayato knowing full well they were together. She didn't just do it without hesitation. She loved it. If Matt was here, he would have killed them both, with no hesitation. Just like that. If Lewis was here, he would have incinerated both of them with his eye beams. Flint would have killed them and had fun with it.

Yet here I was... I couldn't even kill this woman. I had all the power in the world.

YELING MAH. YOU SHALL BE THE FLAMES OF MY BEING. THE FIRES OF THE GREAT AKUMA. YOU POSSESS INCREDIBLE POWER. The Great Akuma himself acknowledged me, when I unlocked Hinokami. That night when the flames took form, that night where I watched the Dogma rip into my arm, burning those lines into the skin, into the flesh.

That night I had killed my entire family. That was the sacrifice. That was what it took to become the Devil's Flames.

I had done the unforgivable. I had taken the life of the people who gave me life. Of the people who loved me.

I went so low as to do something so horrific. Yet why wasn't I... why wasn't I....

Why wasn't I like them?

"What are you waiting for?!" Yumi screamed at me as I gasped.

I looked back at Yumi, who's face was pouring with tears. She had pulled out something from her kimono. A dark grey object. A gun.

"My life is already over. I have no chance... no chance of surviving this. Ayato and my son. We were supposed to carry on the name. Ayato wanted to teach our little boy how to ride a bicycle, because he himself never learned how to from his father." Yumi smiled, as she put the barrel of the gun to her head.

"No... stop!" I said, against my own will.

This was wrong. This was all wrong. I should be the one ending her life. Not herself.

Yumi gave me a look of pity. "I won't let you kill me. I will do it myself." She said, as she pressed her finger on the trigger.

"DON'T!" I screamed, as I rushed forward, but suddenly, a shadow appeared, and knocked Yumi to the ground, as she crumpled unconscious. I stared at figure. A large 6 foot 5 man, wearing shades and a buzzcut that was greying. He looked at me, and rushed forward with blinding speed as I instantly activated Intangibility.

The man pulled back.

"Tidalflame, the Contingency Initiative truly has no remorse for anything. To kill a pregnant woman? How unforgivable." The man said, as he twisted around. He couldn't do anything against me while I was Intangible, but he seemed to already know that. Because he kept pressuring me.

My Level 2 Intangibility kept me from being harmed, as anything would just pass through my body. But it took up a lot of stamina.

And this man knew that. I tried to get some breathing room, as I leapt back, deactivating Level 2, and blasting the area with flames to push him back. My entire vision was shrouded with blue flames. There was no way this guy could close the distance. There was no room-

"So Taras' teachings have been sloppy." The man's voice appeared. From underneath.

I stared in horror as the man closed in.

"It doesn't take a genius to know... that your flames come from those markings on your left arm. An AoE attack from you... isn't truly an AoE, is it?"

The man kicked me in the stomach as I flew sideways.

"ACK!" I spat out as I flew into a nearby radiator, destroying it and sending sparks everywhere.

I got to my feet. This guy, was so skillful. So smart. So perceptive.

Only one person had this level or skill and aptitude in fighting.

Metron of the Stormwatch Brigade.

Metron closed in, as I held out my hand, blasting flame at him, but he darted to the side, zig zagging as he flew in.

I yelped as I instantly when intangible, and I turned around, blasting flame in an outward circular motion frantically trying to get something in. This made no sense. I was at an advantage. Everything was in my favour. I just had to incinerate the area. Even the safety of Yumi meant nothing to me. I was supposed to kill her. Metron was supposed to protect her.

But despite that, he was winning. I spun around and unleashed a torrent of flame.

"To hell with this..." I growled, the markings on my arm glowing brighter.

Level 1 Hinokami - Devil's Typhoon I yelled, as blue flames protruded outwards, forming a massive fiery tornado that incinerated the whole place. Yumi definitely should have been incinerated by that. The building began to melt, as the supports disintegrated, and I fell down several stories. I activated my Intangibility as my flaming body splattered onto the ground, creating a massive burning inferno as I regained shape.

"Too slow." Metron said, as he closed in and struck me across the face, splitting my mask in two. I fell back, the disorientation keeping me from going Intangible again.

And Metron knew that. Because he took this opportunity fully, and slammed his elbow into my back as I fell flat on my face.

"Urgh..." I grumbled, as Metron took out a pair of cuffs.

This was it. I didn't expect Metron or the Stormwatch Brigade to come. And what was worse...

What was worse was I hesitated. At least Yumi was dead.

"Sorry, Tidalflame. But I'm not letting you get away with anything." Metron said, as he stood before me. To my shock, Yumi's unconscious body was slumped over his shoulder.

"No..." I muttered. This couldn't be. I struggled to me feet, summoning my flames.

"Let me at least kill her!" I shouted, as my flames became more aggressive, but Metron regarded me sadly.

"I'm afraid this is over." He said, as he closed in. I was out of stamina. I couldn't use Level 2. And my Hinokami flames were so doused that I was barely able to create any more than a sputter.

"I... I won't lose. I REFUSE!" I shouted as I rushed forward, but suddenly, a shadow intercepted us, stopping Metron's movements.

"Well, TF. It looks like you failed to kill our target." A familiar voice said from within his cloak. Matt turned around, his one eye, glowing red at the pupils.

"Mir.. Mirage..." I muttered.

"But you tried, and I didn't see you hesitate. So there's that. I'll let you off the hook, but mostly because I wanted to go one more round with the Stormwatch Brigade."

I got to my feet as I watched Matt's shadow arm manifest, the black spikes arcing up his left shoulder replacement, glowing red. I shifted to the side to get a better view. Matt's mask covered his chin, face, and his right eye, but kept his mouth and left eye exposed. Matt grinned evilly at Metron.

"Say, Old Man Metron. Let's have another go, shall we?" Matt taunted, as Metron brought his hands up and assumed a stance, his eyes glowing a white-blue.

"I don't have time to play games with you, Mirage. I'm taking you out. Both you and Tidalflame. I'm going serious for you scum. Take that as you will."

Metron... was going easy on me? I felt so insulted and unworthy to be on Squad Four, but I kept to myself.

Mirage looked at me, his eye cold and calculating.

"Stay out of this."

I nodded, as Mirage assumed his stance, and charged Metron head on.

Chapter 3 - The Mirage vs. The Stormwatch Brigade

Metron zipped in with blinding speed, but Matt jumped back, doing a reverse handstand, and kicked upwards with both feet. Metron weaved out of the way, but Matt twisted midair, and created a Senkaku clone behind him, who pushed and launched Matt to Metron's location. Matt landed a punch that Metron blocked, and flipped backwards, landing on his feet. Metron closed in again, and the two began a hand to hand exchange of blows.

"I have no idea how you're able to match me blow for blow, Mirage. But I will bring you down in the name of the Realmwatch Collective. For all of your crimes with the Contingency Initiative." Metron said, but Matt caught his punch.

Level 2 Amplification Matt said, as he grabbed Metron's other hand, and leapt into the air, twisting and flinging the older fighter into the air.

Twisting Bonebreaker! Matt shouted, as I heard several bones crack. I watched as Matt slammed Metron into the ground, cracking it. Metron. The guy who had easily evaded my blasts of heat. Who showcased so much skill, was being outmatched by Squad Leader Matt. My faith in him was once again restored.

Matt landed on the ground, but he didn't look satisfied.

"What's wrong? Mirage?" I asked. But Matt continued eyeing Metron.

"So you finally showed up. Patcher." Matt said, as a beautiful woman and a very fit dude appeared. Patcher held out her hand, as Metron began to regenerate from his broken bones.

Patcher helped Metron to his feet as she glared at Mirage.

"You're not getting away this time, Mirage. We're going to stop you."

"Oh?" Matt began to chuckle, which turned into a cackle and a crazy laugh. Matt mashed his fists together.

"Metron, Patcher, Guardian." He taunted. "Stormwatch's first generation. Assembled to take me down! How fate has brought us together.... again." He said.

Guardian stood forward. I heard so many stories about this dude. He was Realmwatch's greatest soldier. Joseph "The Guardian" Greziak. If you thought Metron was crazy skillful, this guy was just as skillful. And if anything, he also had the power to back it up.

A near reincarnation of Vala, the Spirit of Hope. A powerful spectral entity that sided with the humans during the First Great War. Guardian was the closest to a superhero we were ever gonna get in this messed up world.

Joseph eyed Matt with disdain. "You hurt Logan. That's something I'm not gonna forgive."

"Well then, hero." Matt mocked. "Let's see if you can back up your words. I'm gonna take you all on."

Matt charged all three heroes as I watched from the sidelines. There was really nothing I could do against all three First Gen members of Stormwatch. Not as I was currently. Maybe if I was fresh. I could at least take down Patcher. But all three of them combined... was definitely too much for me. Even at full power.

But here Matt was, fighting all three.

Joseph glowed blue, as he zipped in with his supersonic speed to launch a punch, but Matt's eye glowed red, and the two of them switched places. Guardian's eyes widened as Matt smashed his foot into Greziak's face using the same supersonic speed. Then twisted, launching a kick that sent Metron back.

Patcher, Guardian, and Metron closed in, and brought their respective strikes at Matt, but Mirage simply smiled, as multiple copies of himself spread outwards. All attacks missed. Matt's mirages all imitated his movements, as Guardian zipped forward, launching punch after punch at each mirage hoping one of his superpowered punches could land, but none of them did. Even at hypersonic speed.

"Too slow." Matt taunted, as he went low, striking Guardian in the midsection. Another clone manifested behind him, and helped with the punch and sent Joseph into the air. Matt used his clone to push himself into air and switch teleported with Joseph. His arm manifested a chain and flung him into air, and switch teleported again. A vicious cycle that happened in the span of a second as before I knew it, Matt and Joseph were in a vicious back and forth in the air.

Amplification and Senkaku: Slingshot Backbreaker

Matt smashed Joseph into ground, but before he could hit it, he and his two clones struck upwards, snapping his back. Guardian yelled in pain, but managed to regain his composure.

Matt glared at Patcher evilly.

"Rui... always... ruining things..." He spoke, his eye full of murderous intent. Matt stomped onto the ground, and began switch teleporting, closing in on Rui fast.

Logan and Joseph tried to intercept, but Matt's clones got in the way. Each of them holding out two fingers, and manifesting their own mirages.

Level 3 Senkaku: Legion of Mirrors the clones spoke in unison, unleashing their own barrage of punching and tendril strikes. Metron and Guardian found themselves fighting off the clones as Matt pinned Rui onto the ground.

Patcher glared at Mirage, as Matt smiled.

"So beautiful, it makes my Level 1 Curse so unbearable." Matt muttered, stroking her face. Thank god Whitney wasn't around. She would have had a heart attack.

Rui struggled. "Ugh. Creep!"

Matt's face suddenly went serious. "I tried to be nice, and this is what I get. Well, at least it's better than before." He said, as his arm turned into a blade.

Rui's face changed. "Like before...?"

Suddenly, a huge explosion appeared, knocking Matt back.

"Mirage!" I shouted. Matt slid backwards, regaining his balance, as two other members appeared.

"Holy crap, Patchy Patch. You good?" One of the members said. The other looked at Matt. He had weird lines on his arm too. Just like him. Just like me.

"Lucas." Matt said, as he regained his composure.

Lucas' eyes narrowed. "Huh? How do you know who I am?"

Matt held out his hand. "Those markings. Your eyes. They emit sadness. Like a curse. An... exchange..."

Lucas clenched his fists. "Don't give me that shit. Logan and Joseph warned me about your tricks. I ain't going beyond Level 1. You can forget it. I ain't joining you either."

Matt grimaced. "You will know the hard reality for people like us soon."

The entire Stormwatch Brigade rejoined, as I watched Matt's clones dissipate from being finished off.

Matt regarded everybody, as all five Brigadiers readied themselves, powering up.

"I can't fight this." He muttered, as he looked at me.

"We're leaving. Consider this mission a half success."

"Hey!" One of the recruits shouted. "Where are you going?!" He rushed forward, but Matt simply smiled, grabbing me, and activating a switch teleport with a nearby object from a faraway building. We left, as we regrouped with the rest of Squad Four.

"Captain!!!" Whitney screamed as she ran up to Matt and wrapped her arms around his midsection. Matt regarded the rest of us.

"Ayato is dead, at least. Yumi, from what Whitney has said, appears to be on her last legs of sanity. So there's that. We're going home."

Lewis sighed. "Yeah, well. If those scumbag Stormwatch members didn't intercept us, we coulda gotten the job done. Good work though. Taking them on like that, Matt. That alone is freaking impressive."

Matt pushed Whitney out of the way. "Hm." He said, as we entered the van and returned back to our HQ.

We weren't able to get the same van as last time, since that would be too suspicious. We ended up breaking apart into two groups. Lewis and Whitney in one car. Matt and I in another.

I looked out the window as we drove back to the hideout.

I glanced at my hand, the numerous lines marked on it. So much power. So much destructive ability. Yet... I couldn't even beat Metron, who didn't once use his full power on me.

"Metron was a pretty tough opponent to beat. I wouldn't get hung up on it." Matt said.

I turned to him. "Yeah, but... you took all three of them on."

Matt adjusted his sleeves. "That's different."

"How so?"

Matt glanced at me, raising an eyebrow. "Because I know them. I know how they operate. I know how they fight."

I guess that made sense. Matt was always such a highly meticulous person. Analyzing and learning his opponents in a fight seemed like a really Matt thing to do.

By the time we got home, Lewis hit the hay, and Whitney began to pop open a Crown Royal.

"Want some?" She offered.

"Nah." I said, as I slumped on the couch. Whitney leaned forward.

"Lemme guess, you got rocked by Metron Woodley didn't cha."

I grumbled as I took the glass and downed it.

"I could have killed Yumi if that old man didn't get in my way. Should have used Devil's Typhoon right off the bat."

Whitney laughed. "Awww, it's probably just the nerves, ya' know? We all get them. I mean, when I'm about to kill somebody, I get this rush."

"Yeah, but it benefits you."

Whitney propped her feet on the table. "Yeling, why'd you join the Contingency Initiative?"

I raised an eyebrow. "Is that even a question? I got nowhere else to be."

Whitney took another sip of her drink. "Exactly. We're so down under. Ain't nowhere else for us to go. At this point, we just gotta keep our dirty chins up high and keep doing what we have to do."

If only it were that simple. Maybe if I had Whitney's personality this job would have been easier.

Suddenly, the mental image of me trying to win Matt's one sided affection popped into my mind. Actually... I take that back.

"Did you run into the others in Stormwatch?" I asked.

Whitney chuckled. "Yeah, I ran into Patcher. She's cute. Got that cute innocent girly vibe. Would dig, not gonna lie."

"Huh?" I asked.

"What do you mean 'huh?' Never heard of bisexuality before?"

"No! I mean, I uh. Nevermind." I muttered. Whitney laughed.

"Awww, you're so damn innocent Yeling!" She got up and put her hands on my shoulders, massaging it.

"Maybe someday, you'll grow up, maybe lose your V card."

"Okay! I guess I'm heading off now." I quickly got up and headed to my room. Whitney waved me goodbye.

I headed to my room, as I heard Matt torturing Flint from a holding cell not too far from mine. Just some casual torture to brighten up the night I guess. I had seen this same thing happen so many times, it was almost normal for me.

I slumped into my bed and pulled out a charred photo of four people. My family. Matt would have flipped if he found out I still had it in my possession. To have old ties was considered weakness in this squad. In this whole company. But I just couldn't. I hugged the photo, remembering my parent's embrace. How they told me that no matter how badly I did in school, or how I struggled to make friends. I would still be loved by them no matter what.

Suddenly, I remembered how the flames sprouted from my arm. The flames arcing all the way to the ceiling. How my mom ran in, panic in her face as I cried, asking her for help. Because I couldn't make the flames stop. I couldn't control it, as I watched the flames get closer and closer to her.

I snapped out of it. No. I couldn't remember this. I couldn't. I put the photo back into its safe. My past was my past. To be burnt away. I had people in this squad now. I had a mission to destroy this world. There was no place for people like me here. So I might as well combust.

To burn this world to the ground.

Chapter 4 - Urca vs. Squad Four

"We springin someone out of jail?" Whitney asked, as Matt laid out the plans.

"Looks like it." I said, as I took a look at the photos and nearly spat out my drink.

"No way." I said. Was this guy for real?

Matt took the photo back. "Yes. Looks like Lord Taras wants some bigger guns to advance to the next Quarter. If we are gonna get big guns, we have to get the biggest. And that means breaking out Urca."

To those unacquainted, in the Contingency Initiative, we have multiple squads. Right now, we have around six squads. A bit shy from the fifteen in the Realmwatch Collective (our biggest adversary), but in exchange, we have higher quality and more powerful members. Since many of us have undergone much more brutal training. We're also tougher, having seen more death.

Of all the squads, Squad Four, our squad, is currently the top in terms of power. Which makes sense. We're an annihilation squad. The whole point of our being was to destroy and kill. But we weren't always the top. And it was very clear why that was.

Squad One. Lead by the most ruthless, darkest, brutal criminal. Rumour had it that he was so powerful that even Taras had trouble putting him on the leash. Because this dude was just levels beyond anything imaginable. According to Matt, even he believes he won't even put up much of a fight against the guy.

But there was a reason why Squad One ceased to operate. Because Urca, as powerful as he was, wasn't exactly a team player. And at some point, his whole team followed him in an attempt to overthrow Taras and become leader of the Contingency Initiative. But for his own personal gain. Taras was enraged when he found out, and defeated Urca, forcing him to watch as Taras slaughtered his entire team before his very eyes. Since then, Taras locked Urca up for many years, and the power hierarchy of the remaining five squads fluctuated.

Until Matt joined the Contingency Initiative, and rose to the top with his power. Matt may not have been the strongest, but he was certainly the most cunning. And that earned him the spot of Squad Leader quick.

Even so... Taras planning us to break out Urca... after everything. This must have been serious. This mission was also no joke. Urca hates Taras, as you probably would have guessed. The two have bad blood.

Matt probably read my expression. "You're right, Yeling. Knowing Urca, he's going to try to fight us all. That means it's up to us to take him down and put him on the leash."

Lewis stared at Matt. "Uhh what? Fight Urca? Have you lost your mind?"

Matt looked at the papers without any emotion. "We do what Taras tells us. Consider this a means to become stronger."

We all didn't look too stoked for that. This was basically suicide. But if Matt ordered us to do it... we didn't have much of a choice.

"I'll fight Urca and wipe the floor with his face for you, Captain Matty." Whitney said, as she leaned forward, attempting to embrace Matt, but the Squad Leader stood up.

"I don't give a shit about your reasons. Just get the job done." Matt said, as he opened the door.

Lewis drank the rest of his coffee. "I just hope Maika shows up on time."

Right on queue, Maika busted through the doors.

"I'm hoooooOOOmmme!!!" Maika sung, as she threw confetti at Matt's face. We all went silent, as Matt said nothing. Maika danced around the flat as Lewis and I had to hold Whitney back.

"Imma drink that bitch." She muttered.

Maika sat across from us. "Damn. We're fighting the Great Urca himself. This mission is so messed up! At least it's a good opportunity to get stronger. It's that or we all die!" Maika began laughing hysterically, as she bounded to the bathroom.

"Hey!" Whitney growled, as she ran in.

"Don't touch my makeup!" She screeched, as the two girls began to reenact the Civil War in the bathroom.

Matt facepalmed. "This might take longer than I thought." He muttered.

Lewis crossed his arms. "I hope you have a plan, Captain."

Matt looked at his subordinate. "Yeah. The plan is I kick his ass and you lackeys provide backup."

Lewis raised his eyebrows. "The hell kind of a plan is that?! This is URCA we are talking about! You can't just do what you normally do and expect to wing this-"

Matt glared at Lewis, who zipped it instantly.

"Sorry." He said, quickly.

Matt walked past him and took the picture of Urca.

"Urca of Squad One. He was a true Squad Leader. But he lacked loyalty. Despite that, he gained his immense power through resolve. I will fight him, out of that honour. You guys can all be bitches all you want. But I will take this opportunity with full stride."

Matt turned to us. His eye menacing.

"Might I remind you, that as far as teamwork is concerned, I only care that you dumbasses get the job done. And not give me a bad rep to Taras. I couldn't care less what happens to you idiots. Do whatever the hell you want."

I smiled nervously. "Yes sir..." Lewis and I both said at the same time.

We arrived at the roof of the prison cell. Apparently, the top security prison was a lot easier to bypass. But then again, any stealth we needed to do was essentially hacks with Maika around. She practically could make someone invisible from anywhere.

Lewis knelt down, and purple light beams appeared from his eyes, cutting the glass. We stepped aside, as numerous Contingency Initiative foot soldiers all jumped down the hole, their black robes and white masks filling the skies.

Matt jumped in himself, as we all followed suit.

We landed on the ground, and followed Lewis as he began searching for Urca with his vision powers.

"This place is so gross." Whitney muttered.

"Isn't this kinda like your old living arrangements with Brice?" Maika joked.

Whitney glared at her. "Watch your mouth, you don't know who I'm gonna kill next. Maybe it might be one of our own."

"Oooh, scary. What will Matty think? Hm?"

"Knock it off you two." Matt snapped. "Both of you are giving me a damn headache."

I glared at the walls, the next turn, the next light, the next door Lewis was leading us past. Every time we found a guard, I lit him up with a blast of flame. His screams of agony meant nothing to me. My main focus was on Urca.

This might have sounded crazy. But I wanted to show to Matt and everybody that I was just like them. If it meant taking down Urca, I might be able to validate it. It was true. I was getting soft. I couldn't afford that.

The Devil's Flames. I had sacrificed so much to unlock Hinokami. There was no going back now.

"Well, this is it." Lewis said, as we approached an enormous holding cell. Inside was a gigantic man. He was probably 7 foot. His black silky hair was ridiculously long, reaching his waist. And by god... he was... he was...

"He's HUGE! And NAKED!" Maika exclaimed.

Well that was one way to put it.

Urca was ridiculously muscular. Like, most big guys you see, are mostly fat. They could be muscular underneath, but it's rare to see them huge and ripped. But Urca... he was clearly juiced up. Because he made every single Mister Olympia champion look tiny. 7 feet. Huge. And ripped.

Matt eyed the holding cell. Urca had his eyes closed.

"Open it." Matt commanded Lewis, who reluctantly fired a pair of laser beams at the holding cell.

I found myself inching back away from Urca. I turned and realized everybody was doing the same.

Except for Matt.

Urca opened his eyes, as he stepped forward, towering over our Squad Leader.

"Who are you. Why have you disturbed my slumber."

Matt held out his hand.

"I am Matthew Lam. The Mirage. Leader of Squad Four."

Urca regarded the fellow Squad Leader. The height difference was ridiculous. Matt was muscular too, but he was athletic muscular. Urca was muscular. But like... a freak show muscular.

"Squad..." He muttered, then his eyes went wide.

"Bastard... you serve TARAS." He roared, as he flexed his muscles, a massive gust of wind sending all of us back. Matt held out his arm and shielded himself, as he slowly slid back as well.

"Pax sent your squad to find me. I'm guessing he thinks you're the best his Contingency Initiative can offer." Urca looked Matt up and down.

"My qualms are not with you, puny boy. It is with Taras. But if you think you can defeat me, then you are more delusional than your master."

Matt eyed Urca, his face menacing.

"We'll see about that."

Matt leapt into the air, and opened his left arm, which transformed into a chain, and wrapped around Urca's neck. Matt pulled and sent himself to Urca, as Urca looked at our Squad Leader unimpressed.

"That won't work on me-"

Suddenly, Matt's eye glowed, and activating Switch Teleport. Urca materialized in Matt's place, as Matt manifested two clones, throwing a combined punch at a now airborne Urca who was hurtling at them.

"Mirage... do you think you can handle my momentum?"

Matt's eyes widened as Urca simply let himself take the hit, but his sheer momentum... was too much, as I heard bones crack. Matt hit the ground, his two clones dissipating, as Urca grabbed his neck and flung him several yards across the holding cell room, smashing into a nearby wall.

"Matt!" Whitney shouted, as she ran in and began to absorb Urca's life-force.

"He's... too much..." She gasped, as Urca began to close the distance.

Maika slammed her hands on the ground, and a pair of invisible hands yanked Whitney away as Lewis and I prepared our attacks.

Level 1 Hinokami - Inverse Tsunami Release 100% I shouted, as I blasted a massive torrent of flame at Urca, who stopped dead in his tracks.

Lewis joined in, firing a wide beam of light from his eyes.

"Heh. Ha. Hahahaha." Urca laughed as the flames and smoke dissipated. I stared at Urca in shock, as he got out of our attacks unharmed. He resisted my Hinokami flames. The flames of the Dogma. He resisted it...

"Fun is over." Urca said, as he closed in faster than I could register. He was so fast for a guy his size, and I watched in horror as Urca grabbed Lewis by the face and threw him into a wall.

Urca turned to me. And swung downwards. I frantically activated Intangibility, as I leapt back.

"Intangibility?" Urca said, amused. "A coward's ability." He mocked.

"Call it all you want." I muttered, my rage returning. I needed to prove myself. I needed to take this guy out. He was only melee. I had the advantage if I kept my distance. I blasted fire from my hands and propelled myself to the next floor.

I held out both my hands as I felt power surging through me. I couldn't use this ability for longer than fifteen seconds. But I had no choice.

Level 1 Hinokami - Double Inverse Tsunami Release

Two giant torrents of flames emitted from me and flooded the entire bottom floor with blue flames. Maika yelped as she frantically latched onto the nearest thing she could find to escape, grabbing Whitney along with her.

Urca chuckled, as he emerged from the flames. He had blocked my attack, but his arms were slightly charred.

"The flames of the Great Akuma. Interesting." He said, as he instantly closed the distance. My eyes widened as he held his fist back, and time seemed to slow. There was no time for me to activate Intangibility. He was going to connect. One punch and I was a dead man.

Urca suddenly, disappeared, replaced by Matt, who was heavily wounded, blood pouring from his face.

"Captain!" Maika and Whitney shouted running to Matt's aid, but Matt shrugged them off.

"Shut up." He said, as he eyed Urca, who took his time dispatching Matt's clones, ripping them in half with his ridiculous strength.

"He's not even using his powers yet." He muttered.

"What?!" I said, incredulous. "There's no way. He grabbed you and flung you around. He legit walked past both Lewis and my attacks!"

Matt watched as Urca finished the rest of Matt's clones and pointed his finger at us.

"Urca's resilience to attacks is innate to him. The fact that we haven't forced him to use his powers means we aren't strong enough." Matt clenched his fists.

"I'm not strong enough." He growled.

Matt leapt from the railing and landed in front of Urca. Who smiled.

"Ready for Round 2, little Captain?"

Matt assumed his stance.

"Matt, don't!" Whitney shouted. "You'll be killed!"

Urca cracked his neck. "Aww, you seem to have yourself a little fangirl. I thought you said you had a curse on that. I wonder how that's going for you."

Matt clenched his fist. "It only fires if I reciprocate it. I don't give a shit about Whitney."

Urca charged, as Matt manifested two clones, who pushed and propelled him forward. Urca held out his hand, and Matt slipped past, becoming weightless, and wrapped his chain around the Squad One Captain's neck. Matt resummoned his clones, who yanked him down in an attempt to send Urca on his back, but Urca, grabbed the chain and threw two Matt's into the air.

Urca held out his hand, which turned into a fist.

"This'll do a number on you, puny boy." He said, as he punched the air, a massive torrent of wind slicing up the two into pieces. So... this was his power. Air manipulation. He could manipulate it to his liking. Shaping it into nearly infinitely sharp arcs. And the sheer strength he had, forcing them forward with ridiculous speed and momentum.

The two beings fell on the ground, and burst into darkness.

"What?" Urca said.

Urca had been too focused on the two Matt's that he hadn't realized the third one... the REAL Matt, was underneath him, inside a portal, which was at his feet. Matt smiled as a massive spike went right through Urca's foot, the Squad One Captain roaring in pain.

"Sneaky little bastard, you are." Urca roared, as he held out his hand, but Matt activated switch teleport, forcing Urca into the portal.

Matt appeared before the man, his one eye cold and malicious.

"This portal links you to the other side of the room. But I'm not kind enough to let you go all the way through." He said, as he closed his hand, tightening it. Urca began to struggle, as Matt smiled sinisterly.

"Half of you here. Half of you there. There's no surviving this, Urca, unless you admit your defeat to me."

Urca chuckled, to our disbelief. "Oh dear. How Taras' pawns become so foolish over time. Back in my day, his students were top rate."

Urca began to widen the portal, to Matt's shock. To all of our shock. This guy's strength... transcends space?

Urca roared as he forced the portal open, and grabbed Matt's face.

"I think you need to remember your place. You are nothing to me. Just a mere temporary gig for Taras. You will never replace me." Urca began to squeeze as Matt retched in pain.

"Matt!" I shouted, as I leapt from the railing and fired bolts of flames at Urca, who shrugged it off.

"Do NOT help me..." Matt muttered, causing Urca to chuckle.

"A little bit of an ego you got there, boy." Urca said, as he threw Matt at me. I went intangible as Matt passed right through my body.

Level 1 Hinokami - Double Inverse Tsunami Release! I shouted, as I blasted Urca with flames once more. Urca held out his arms. He went charred before. If I could max out my limits... I could deal damage.

I continued the stream of heat as I felt my body giving way.

The flames dissipated as I felt my arms nearly crumpled in itself. But to my horror, Urca had blocked the entire attack.

"Did you think one little char was enough to justify the damage of your attack?" Squad One's Leader said, as he instantly closed the distance.

"Yeling!" Maika shouted as she tried to pull me back, but Urca grabbed the invisible arm and yanked her into his vicinity.

"Your powers are disappointing. You should have stayed in a Stealth squad. To join an elimination squad is simply foolish. Taras has lost his touch." Urca said as he kneed Maika and sent her unconscious.

My vision turned red with rage. I knew Urca was too strong for us. But that was no excuse. My only objective left in this world was to raze it to the ground. But if I couldn't even do this, did I really have any purpose left?

My arms burst into flames once more, but Urca turned to me.

"That's enough. You're done, child." He said, as he opened his hand, and a massive jolt of wind sliced me up. I gasped and spat out blood as my body exploded in blood, my vision turning blurry.

Then all went black.

Chapter 5 - Devil's Flames

"Hey." I texted to Tess.

"Hey." She responded. She was in her depressed mood today. I wanted to help her out, but I didn't know how.

"Want to know what happened in school today?!" I said, putting as much enthusiasm in my text as I could.

"?" Tess responded.

"Well, I got my exam grade back, and I got below average. Turned out I forgot to write a number wrong!"

"Lol."

My heart sank. Tess was the only friend I ever had, who genuinely would let me share things with her. But no matter how much I tried... something about her just didn't fit in with me.

"Yeling, I'm having a panic attack. I just don't feel too well. I can't even breathe, and my heart hurts. Everything is hurting."

My eyes went wide as I frantically tried to text her back.

"What do you need me to do? What can I do to help you?"

No answer.

That night, I could barely sleep. I knew Tess had suffered a lot of bad things in her life. She was abused when she was a child, her parents neglected her. She was bullied and cheated on multiple times. Assaulted. Everything. You name it. Every day she had to put up with patients in a psychiatric ward, and numerous times she had to see the most messed up shit. She had bipolar disorder and internal voices in her head, and she had panic attacks regularly.

But despite all that, she did her best to be my support. To cheer me up when I felt down.

And I felt like I deserved none of that, because here she was, unable to even breathe, and I couldn't do a single damn thing. And here I was just complaining to her about my problems. She neglected all of hers and tended to mine. She was a friend that was just too good for me.

I wrapped myself in my bedsheets as I tried to sleep through my self guilt.

That night, I regularly checked my phone to see if Tess was getting better. That's when I saw it. She was in a voice call with a bunch of other people. They looked like they were playing a game. I quickly turned off my phone and tried to sleep through the night.

The next morning I checked my phone, and received a text from Tess.

"Hey. How's it going ? :)"

Did... did she get better?

"Hi, how are you feeling?"

"Much better. I had a couple of friends who I talked to and they made me feel better."

My heart stopped. She was better. And I had a pretty good idea how that happened.

"You there? You must be busy, I'll text you later! :)" Tess said.

I texted back. "Hey... do you mind if I ask you something?"

"What is it?"

"You have lots of friends for support, don't you."

Tess began typing back. "Of course, they've been my pillar of support for years. We're like family now at this point!"

I clenched my fist. No.

Not again.

Just when I felt like I was accepted...

"Yeling? You there?"

"Tess... what am I to you?"

"A friend..."

"But... you have so many. Am I even worth talking to at this point?"

"I don't think I really understand what you're talking about."

"I'm saying that I don't deserve to have you in my life."

Tess was silent for a few minutes. She began to type something, but deleted it. It took a few minutes for her to get back to me.

"I'm here to support you, Yeling. I will always be there for you if you need it."

"That's exactly what I mean." I responded. "You're always there for me... but when you needed help the most... I wasn't there for you."

"Yeling, don't beat yourself up just because I had a little panic attack. Besides, my friends were there for me. I have many others to lean on."

My heart began twisting and ripping apart. Never had I felt so... useless. So discarded. I lived my life alone, without friends, and I was always the oddball. I had depression... and I had temper tantrums. To the point where I was considered too unstable to hang around. People always avoided me for that reason.

So I came here, and tried to make friends with the mental health community. To seek support and friends who were like me...

And here I was, realizing that I could never have these friends...

Because even among the mentally ill...

I didn't fit in.

"Tess, you're not getting what I'm saying. This is exactly what I mean. I... I can't even help you. You went through so much shit. You've seen so much messed up things. I haven't even taken a life before. I-"

"Yeling, taking a life isn't an accomplishment. It's the last thing you ever want to do."

"Tess... I wish I could be like your friends."

"Yeling, do you know what you are saying? How could you say something like that? You're living a normal life. You have parents who love you and you are in education. Don't ever say you will throw all that away to be like us. Don't ever say that."

That point. That message. It was there did I realize that even among those who were struggling I could never be accepted. I was just too much in the grey zone to be anywhere. I couldn't find a place to fit in, to be accepted. My whole life I walked it alone. I watched as I texted Tess my final message. Telling her that this was an end to our friendship, as I removed her from my contacts. The only friend I thought I ever had.

YOUR ORIGINS. A voice rumbled within me. It was the Great Akuma.

"Akuma..." I muttered, tears running down my cheeks.

"I can't beat Urca. I told myself that the only thing I had left for in this world was to burn everything down. And I can't even do that. Please, tell me what I must do."

I looked at the giant red face. His fangs and endless scowl. His horns.

"I need to unlock it. I need to unlock Level 3. Set up the Dogma Bargain."

NO. YOU ARE NOT READY TO HANDLE LEVEL 3.

"But-"

YOUR LEVEL 1 ABILITY STILL HAS SO MUCH POTENTIAL. DO YOU REMEMBER, WHAT YOU SAID TO ME, WHEN YOU UNLOCKED IT?

I remembered. I was sprawled on the ground that one night, when I learned Tess had a mental breakdown. She had tried to end it all, because that night, her boyfriend had left her, and it was also the same night that I had cut off our friendship. I was the reason Tess went through a downwards spiral back into the abyss. I had given up on my life. I just wanted it all to end as well.

I resented this world. For how it treated me. For how it grouped everybody together into little categories, and how I was left neglected. To watch myself be an outsider to everyone I came across.

That night, I spoke to the Great Akuma. I felt myself reciting an ancient language, as a blue circle appeared at my feet. But instead of trying to stop it, I let it keep going. Because I wanted the power.

"I wanted the power to destroy this world." I said, as my body burst into flames.

THEY SAY A MAN WHO WALKS A PATH OF RAGE WILL WALK IT ALONE. BUT YOU HAVE BEEN WALKING ALONE YOUR WHOLE LIFE.

An image of Tess appeared before me, as she held hands with her boyfriend, and had a bunch of other people from the community greet her, surround her, and give her affection.

My vision darkened, as I felt myself shaking with rage.

YOU ARE A MAN WITH NOTHING TO LOSE. THIS IS WHY YOU WERE CHOSEN BY ME, TO CARRY OUT MY DEEDS. TO BECOME MY VESSEL. ALONG WITH THE OTHER HOLDERS OF THE DOGMA.

I clenched my fists, as I felt my flames becoming more and more concentrated. They were no longer flames, they were almost... like a glow.

YOU ARE THE DEVIL'S FLAMES. YOU ARE MY FLAMES. DESTROY THIS WORLD. MAKE URCA SEE YOUR RESOLVE.

I yelled, as a beam of light exited my body, incinerating everything.

"Burn to ash." I hissed, as I watched Tess and everybody incinerate into black dust.

I gasped awake, as I jolted upwards.

"Yeling!" Whitney shouted, as she finished healing me.

I looked at her, then at Urca, who was fighting Matt. Matt was on full evasion mode. Which was working okay, but it meant he was just dodging. He wasn't dealing damage.

"Matt is not gonna hold out long. Come on. We need to help him. We're the only ones standing."

I got up. "Whitney, tell Matt to come here and stay back. I'm gonna do a thing."

Whitney looked at me. "Damn, look at you taking charge."

Whitney waved Matt over as he materialized next to us.

"Guess you finally grew some balls, TF."

I stepped forward, approaching Urca, who laughed.

"Child, your flames are inferior to me. They are ineffective. No matter how many times you come at me, the result will be the same. Persistence is not heroic. It is stupidity."

I brought my arms in front of me, closing my fingers into a claw like motion. My body burst into violent blue flames as I began to collect my thoughts.

I thought about myself incinerating everything. My past. Everybody who neglected me. Everybody who isolated and ostracized me just because I was different.

My flames began to concentrate into my body, glowing a brighter blue than before.

"Interesting..." Urca said. "Come then. Let us see the Devil's Flames. His true fire."

I am someone with nothing to lose. So if that's the case. I'll just let everything out. That was what Taras had promised me, when he brought me into the Contingency Initiative.

Nothing to hold back. No regrets. You can destroy and burn. To your heart's desire. From this day on, you shall be known as the Tidalflame. One who's flames are so overwhelming. Like the ocean itself.

I watched my eyes power up, trailing with the blue fire that was emitting from my body. Only it was no longer fire. It was so concentrated.

Level 1 Hinokami: Supreme Apocalypse I screamed, Tess's face in my head, disintegrating with all my regrets.

All the power and flames that was concentrated in my body unleashed into a massive blue beam that exited my body, blasting Urca with so much force the entire prison decimated. The walls, the whole building, reduced to cinders as Urca tried to shield himself.

"This... this power..." Urca struggled, as he began to slip. "RRRR... Taras I shall not... I AAAAARGHHH!!!" The man yelled as he became consumed in the blinding blue light of my blast.

"Holy shit!" Whitney yelped from behind me.

I saw Matt grab the others, an unconscious Lewis and Maika, as he and Whitney evacuated to somewhere safe.

"That's the way." Matt said, as he nodded at me, grimly.

"Let it all out."

"Burn... BURN AWAY!" I screamed, as everything went bright.

By the time the light died out, everything was in cinders. Nothing but ash and remains. Urca was flat on his back, staring at the night sky.

"I saw it." He muttered, smiling at me through his scarred burnt tissue.

I approached him. "See what?"

Urca tried a laugh, but choked.

"Your flames. They are connected... to you."

I regarded him with no emotion. "You're coming with us, no matter what you say."

Urca coughed. "Do you really see yourself loyal to Taras. To the Contingency Initiative?"

I stopped in my tracks. Urca smirked.

"Your flames, fierce and overwhelming. You are probably the most destructive person I have every come across, but you are not a killer. Not from the way you fight. Your memories, your feelings. Your fate, I saw it."

"Shut up..." I whispered, but Urca continued.

"Everyone is so dead set on running their lives to the ground, but I will tell you only this. When your time comes, you will regret it. You will wish you had more time. You will see..."

Urca waved his scarred hand, as a little breeze of wind brushed against my face.

"That you were loved."

I said nothing as I watched Matt knock Urca unconscious, as numerous Contingency Initiative operates took Urca away.

This didn't feel like a victory. I looked at my left arm. The blue lines that tattooed themselves along it, which signified my allegiance to the Dogma became even thicker. The tattoos were changed. More elegant and refined. My flames had evolved.

Chapter 6 - Bodyguard

"We got a new mission. This one is slightly different from the others we have done to date." Matt said as we circled around the table in the living room.

"What kinda mission is it?" Whitney asked. "Is it sabotage? I looooooove sabotage."

"No." Matt said.

"Is it one where we torture the guy to death?"

"No, Whitney. Now if you stop interrupting I can expla-"

"It's one where we blow a little thing up and it ends up blowing a bigger thing up isn't it?!" Whitney squealed in excitement.

"DAMMIT Whitney let me finish!" Matt snapped.

Matt pulled out some photos from the folder he got anonymously.

"This is Jacob and Mariah. They recently got engaged. The girl, Mariah, possesses a power that is very beneficial to the Contingency Initiative. Our job is to keep her and Jacob safe from the Realmwatch Collective, who also see the girl for her powers, but as a threat."

We all stared at Matt.

Did he just say.... safe?

"Uh, Cap? What do you mean safe? You're not suggesting-"

"It's exactly what I'm suggesting, Maika. We're gonna serve as their protectors until Taras brings in the right men for the job."

Lewis scowled. "The hell kinda mission is this?! They threw us in to fighting freaking Urca the Slicer and now we're playing babysitter to these brats?!"

Matt glared at Lewis. "I don't like it either. But what I think, is we only need one of us to do it."

Matt pointed at me. "That'll be Yeling."

I stared at him. "Huh? Come again?"

Whitney rolled her eyes. "Come on, TF. Everybody here knows you're literally the least violent person in this squad."

"WHAT?! I've killed more people than all of you jokers combined!" I shot to my feet.

Whitney giggled. "Yeah, but each time you did, you had your flames blocking your view."

"I am a killer. I have no regrets."

"Is that so?"

"Both of you shut the hell up!" Matt shouted, causing all of us to jump in our seats.

Matt grabbed me by the collar. "You're gonna keep those two safe from the Realmwatch Collective, or the meta beasts in the streets. But that's it. I'm watching you, kid. If you get attached to these two, I'm gonna cut off your god damn head. Got it?"

"Yes sir!" I said, quickly, my voice an octave higher than usual.

Matt took the decency to drive me to the target point to meet with the two.

"I still can't believe we've been tasked to watch over those damn kids. I'm not a babysitter."

"Just so you know, Mariah is 18 and Jacob is 19. So you're basically their age."

I nearly choked. "The hell?! And they're already married?!"

"Yeah. They got married when Mariah turned 17. They've been together for about three years now since high school."

"Uh... isn't the legal age 18."

"No, it's 17 here. This isn't China or wherever the hell you came from, Yeling. New Ulysses has their own laws when it comes to this."

Matt took a turn and glanced at me. "Just get the damn job done, kid. See it as precision practice. Burn those Realmwatch pricks while also not burning the brats. It's still an opportunity to get stronger."

"I guess."

"Do you remember the pointers Whitney gave you?"

"Yeah." I lied. To be honest, I just didn't really trust Whitney with kids. She sure loved them, and always wouldn't shut the hell up about what she thought her and Matt's kids would look like one day. But the thing was, if it wasn't already obvious, Whitney is batshit insane. I wouldn't trust Whitney to be with full grown adults, much less teenagers or even children.

By the time we arrived, it was already turning dark.

"Mask." Matt said, as I almost tripped on my way out of the car.

"Oh shoot, sorry." I said. I slipped it on. I didn't need these people traumatized by my face on the first day of the job.

"Heya Matt!" A girl with brown hair waved at Matt. She looked... really cute. Thank god my mask concealed my expression, otherwise Matt would definitely cut me up for feeling this way. But she was really cute. She had one of those innocent faces and was wearing a white dress. She looked constantly happy, and some part of me wanted to...

Focus. My god. This is cringe. What am I even saying.

The guy who I presumed to be Jacob walked over and held her hand. I felt something in my heart that didn't feel too pleasant. It was jealousy.

Matt put his hands on my shoulders.

"Jacob, Mariah, this is Yeling. From now on, he will serve as your protector for an indefinite time. Get to know him well."

INDEFINITE?! This wasn't part of the damn deal!

"Got anything to say? Yeling?" Matt asked. Against my wishes, I grabbed Matt and pulled him out of the room.

"The hell is this?! I thought this was like a one day thing!"

Matt looked at me, confused. "I don't get why you're so upset about this. You seem like the type of guy who likes romance and shit."

"WHAT?!"

"Look, kid. You're the only person in this squad who can do this. Just do it for the team."

He was right. I was the only level headed person who could watch over these two without killing them.

Lewis would have just spent his entire time playing video games, and zapped them up any time they bothered him.

Maika would just completely forget them and go out shopping.

Whitney would have tried to seduce Jacob and see what drama would unfold. Yikes.

And Matt. Well, Matt had told me he hated being a third wheel. So naturally, he assumed I was okay with it, and shoved the responsibility to me. Thanks Squad Captain.

Matt left, leaving me standing awkwardly in front of the couple, who were staring at me.

Come on, Tidalflame. You're single handedly the most powerful member in the Contingency Initiative. You took down Urca. You can do this. Remember what Whitney had told you. Well, remember the first few bits of what Whitney told you.

Always establish boundaries in any relationship. Gotta know what you're comfortable with, so when they cross it, you get an excuse to bash their head in! Whitney began giggling in my mind. Yeah, maybe forget about the head bashing part.

I put my fists together, as a blast of blue flame illuminated my face sinisterly. Mariah and Jacob yelped in surprise.

"Alright you two..." I cackled.

"It's time I laid out the rules. You do what I say. No going out at night. No public affection to give any hints away to the RWC. No leaving my sight. These three pillars will be fundamental to..."

I turned around.

"Huh? They're gone?!" I said, desperately. I ran around the room.

What the hell?! How did they even leave the house this quick?! When did they even leave the house?! How is this even possible?!

I found the two outside, holding hands and kissing, in the dark. So basically they broke all three of my rules.

I raised my hand, about to shout at them, but suddenly, I hesitated. Mariah was blushing, as Jacob pulled away.

"Jeez, Jake. You always manage to slip those in..."

"Sorry. I just couldn't help myself."

Mariah smiled. "It's okay. I liked it."

My eyebrow twitched in annoyance. This... this... I always heard from people that couples being intimate with each other was the sweetest thing ever. But when I'm standing several feet away witnessing it for myself. It never dawned on me.

How friggin awkward it is!!!

I raised my voice but suddenly choked. The two whipped around.

"Yeling!" Jake said, as he walked up to me. "Hey, sorry. Tonight was supposed to be our night out. I guess we should have told you."

"No. I'm good." I muttered.

I glared at the two. "From now on, I'm your bodyguard. I'll be trailing you two from behind keeping anything from attacking you."

Mariah put her hands to her mouth in excitement. "So like our hero!"

I nearly choked again. "Like hell I am. Don't ever call me that." I got to my feet.

"Do what you two brats want. Just make sure you don't get in trouble. I'm supposed to be your protector, I can't do my job if my clients are constantly throwing themselves into danger."

"Brats?" Jacob looked amused. "How old are you?"

"I'm.... twenty.... six..." I lied.

Mariah raised an eyebrow. "You don't look twenty six. If I had my guess, you kind of look fifteen."

I clenched my fist as I felt a few veins pop from my head. "Doesn't matter how old I am! You two are under my watch. And if I fail, I'll get my head chopped off. So please. I beg. Don't do anything stupid."

I definitely now understand why Matt hated being a third wheel. Because it wasn't just the fact that I was all alone, watching those two hold hands and showing affection to each other (which, again, was supposed to be against my rules). But I was also jealous. Jealous that Jacob had such a cute girlfriend. Yes. I was jealous, okay. Bite me.

It wasn't just that. I felt like I was intruding their space. Literally no one in the squad asked to be a bodyguard. The hell was Taras thinking? Why would he task a Squad Four Elimination Team to serve as protectors? Literally anybody from Squad Six could have filled that role.

I watched as Jacob bought some snacks and shared it with Mariah. I looked away, awkwardly, trying to be distracted by something else.

"Hey, boy. I sell you two dried snakes. Yes?" A crippled old man, approached me. He was one of those guys who tried to make a quick buck and scam passerby's in an attempt to capitalize on an event.

"Shove it up your ass instead, geezer." I hissed.

"Dirty dirty language! You bad boy!" The old man hit me over the head with a stick.

"The hell?! You want to die?!" I growled, my hands bursting into blue flames.

"We're going now, Yeling!" Mariah shouted at me, as the two walked off.

"Grrr...." I grumbled, as I followed them, the old man throwing pieces of dried fish guts and tailings at the back of my head.

"Gonna go to the bathroom, I'll be back." Jake said, as he kissed Mariah and went off.

"Hey, don't stay in there too long! You hear me?!" I shouted after him.

I leaned against the railway, looking at the city. This stupid world. How many times is it going to mock me? Is it not bad enough that I'm never going to have what Jake has. But now fate is forcing me to watch, almost as if it was dangling it before my very face. Mocking me.

I clenched my fist against the metal, heating it up and deforming it.

"Yeling?" Mariah asked. "Are you okay?"

"What?" I said, as I quickly let go. The blue glow of the melted metal starting to harden and disappear.

"That's irrelevant. Just be as you were."

Mariah laughed. "You're a pyrokinetic!"

"Yeah. So?"

Mariah opened her hands, and manifested a swirling red ball of energy. "I'm a meta human. One of the victims from the Pax Incident. Erm... I'm guessing you were too?"

"Not exactly."

I pulled up the sleeve to my left arm, and showed her my numerous tattoos.

"Wow..." Mariah leaned in, causing my heart to beat faster.

"It's so pretty! But those letters..." She frowned. "What do they say?"

I quickly pulled my sleeve down. "Doesn't matter. My powers come from these markings."

"That's still super cool. My powers were forced on me." Mariah sighed. "I never wanted them, I just wanted to be happy with Jacob. But even so... we got past all of that to live a normal life." She smiled and began playing with her necklace.

"Jake never left me, even when he discovered about my powers. He's so sweet."

I grimaced. Of course he wouldn't. Who wouldn't leave someone so attractive.

"Yeling, do you have someone you love?"

Matt's face suddenly appeared in my vision. His dark tendrils circling around my neck.

I dare you to say it, kid. I could hear his voice threatening me. I began to sweat.

"Nope. Not interested. Nope. Never."

Mariah laughed. "Aww, I'm sure the perfect someone will come by eventually. They always do."

If only it were that easy.

Jacob was taking awfully long in the bathroom. I hoped he wasn't having the shits. But it had been an hour already.

"Yeling, something's wrong." Mariah said, her face full of concern.

If I went in to check on Jacob, that would leave Mariah out in the open. I could just drag Mariah into the men's washroom, but that would probably not be well perceived.

I had to think. Come on. I needed a plan.

"I have a plan." I said to Mariah. "Get down."

Mariah laid on the ground and put her hands on her head as I held out my hand.

Level 1 Hinokami, Runt Dragon Sputter

A constrained blast of flame levelled the bathroom as I heard a bunch of screaming and people running outside. The entire top half of it was decimated.

"What are you doing?!" Mariah screamed at me.

"Tch!" I heard a voice say, as someone with long legged constructs appeared from within the stall, grabbing Jacob with one of his appendages. Mariah screamed.

"Jacob!!" She rushed forward, but I held her back.

"Relax. This doofus isn't gonna do shit."

Four more RWC members appeared next to him, as they faced us off. A guy with multiple appendages. Four lackeys. I knew exactly who these idiots were. The Groundwatch Brigade.

"Tidalflame..." One of the members said. "Should we call for backup? This dude is dangerous."

"Nah. He's just a wannabe Taras Pax. He ain't shit! All of together will take him down."

The level of delusion coming off of this team made me uncomfortable. But it had been too long since I faced a Brigade. Since my last one being with Stormwatch, the most powerful Brigade in the entire company, it was refreshing to deal with a more normal group for once.

My hands burst into flame.

"Wow. I'm so scared. Please kind sir, give Jacob back." I said, sarcastically.

The guy, who was the mentor to the group. Yeah I said mentor. He was the mentor, but ended up taking charge of everything to fuel his ego. Not like it mattered anyway. They were all being burnt to a crisp anyway. They weren't accompanied by the Lightwatch Brigade, meaning they couldn't TP outta there.

"You got some spunk, TF." The mentor sneered. "But we went through a major development in our last mission. I always hated that side of you, that cocky and confident side. It's time I put it to the ground."

"Yeling...?" Mariah looked at me, her eyes glinted with tears.

I slowly undid my mask. "Ya call it spunk? Just who do you think you're talking to. Say it to my face..."

The mask fell to the ground, as the entire Groundwatch Brigade hesitated, backing away, their faces a mixture of disgust and unsettlement as they saw the scarred ruined tissue that was the right side of my face.

Mariah yelped as she put her hands over her mouth.

"Yeling... your... your..."

Jacob was barely conscious, but he also had the same expression.

"What happened to your face..." He whispered, in horror.

I glinted at the mentor, as blue flames began to swirl behind me, reading to launch me at any second.

"Come on, Doug. Say it to my face. Say that again." I grinned murderously, as the Brigade all powered up. "Say it to my real face." I hissed, as I blasted forward.

Level 2 Intangibility - Devil's Comet

My ghostly body went right through Doug, as I simultaneously rematerialized my arm to grab Jake out of his embrace. I landed on the ground, materializing, as Doug stared at the burning hole that I made through his chest.

"You... bastard..." He muttered as he crumbled to dust.

"Sir!" Two of the members ran up to the ashes, but I held out my hand.

"Hey, don't be hasty. You're joining him real soon." I said, as I blasted them with a giant torrent of flame. Their charred bodies hit the ground.

I grabbed Jacob's wrist. "Take your wife and get outta here. I gotta have some fun now."

Jacob obliged, as he took Mariah and sprinted as far as he could. I began powering up, as the remaining four members of the Groundwatch Brigade circled me. I held out my hand and blasted three streams of fire at one of the members, who used her flight to evade two of them. But the third blast hit her dead on, and she crumpled to the ground.

"You bastard, I'm gonna kill you." One of the members said, as he split off into two doubles, and those doubles split off into doubles. They began stabbing me as my body lanced with pain, but this wasn't really anything new.

"Walmart Matt clones." I muttered, as I brought my arms together in a cross.

Level 1 Hinokami - Devil's Typhoon

I released my flames in a giant flaming cyclone as the doubles all disintegrated, knocking out the last three members. I began powering up my hand as I prepared one final blast.

"Any of y'all have a communications device by any chance? Relay this message. Mariah and Jacob are under the protection of The Tidalflame. Anybody wants to mess with them can come get the smoke."

I unleashed a final burst of flame as the rest of the Groundwatch Brigade was incinerated.

I walked off when I suddenly heard rustling. I turned around, to realize one of the members, the one with flight, Julia, had gotten to her feet. She looked like she was on her last legs, as she wiped the blood on her face with her sleeve.

"I'm not done yet." She said, as she flew to the air and tackled me, sending us both skyward.

"You're pretty annoying." I said, as I unleashed my flames from my body, blasting her back. Julia cried out in pain, but tried to close the distance again. Was she doing a last ditch effort? That was pretty sad.

I opened my palms and blasted her away with more flames as Julia flew backwards and tried to flank me. I fired bursts of flame from my arm to control myself in the air, and blasted her with more lances of fire. Some of them landing. But despite all the pain, Julia was still relentlessly charging.

"Give it up, Julia. I'm gonna kill you. I've had my fun, now I'm actually gonna finish this."

Julia screamed as another wave of heat charred her body. "I will not... GIVE UP!"

She powered up as the air behind her jolted her forward.

"Screw this." I muttered, as I brought my hands back and into the air.

Level 1 Hinokami - Double Inverse Tsunami Release

I let loose two massive infernos as the flames consumed Julia, who's screams of pain became engulfed by the roars of my fires. By the flames died down, I could see her ashes and remains fly off into the wind.

"Tidalflame! I'm gonna kill you!" Two voices appeared from the ground as I began to free fall. Those little shits were not dead yet, huh. I guess the developments Doug had mentioned must have been with their uniforms. If they had anything else on, a single puff of flames would have sent them to the afterlife instantly.

I had to go back to those two brats. I couldn't waste any more time, as fun as it was, messing with the RWC. All they had to worry about was replacing their lost brigade. They will still have fifteen others anyway.

And if it was a guaranteed death. Only one set of super moves could pull that off. My second tier level.

I began to power up, as my freefall became accelerated from the flames blasting from my arms, my hair flying wildly as I laughed maniacally.

Hinokami and Intangibility - Devil's Meteorite

My body became a flaming bullet, as I smashed into the ground and created a huge blue explosion, destroying the last two members of the Groundwatch Brigade.

I regained my form, as I breathed fire out of my mouth.

"Ahhh.... I've missed this..." I muttered, as I emerged from the fiery landscape, my body shrouded in shadows of the night, the only light coming from my eyes as I approached Jacob and Mariah, who were petrified.

"What?" I asked.

Mariah held out her hand. "You... you killed them..."

"Yeah? So? That's part of the job. Now get your asses back in the house."

Mariah was still staring at me, her face pale, but Jacob helped his wife to her feet. "Yes sir. Yep. Totally. I um... sorry if I offended you earlier. We'll do as you say."

I followed the two as they went back to their house. At least they were treating me with respect now. Maybe this job wasn't so bad. I'd be stoked if Realmwatch sent another one of their Brigades after us. More fun for me.

Chapter 7 - Demotion

Mariah and Jacob did a pretty good job at pretending nothing happened the night before.

"I'm going to work." Jacob said, as he shouldered his bag.

"What? You're not going anywhere!" I said, but Jacob opened the door.

"Well, I gotta earn money for this household, what did you expect, we get funding or something?"

I watched as the guy I was supposed to protect left the house to his office. Mariah sat on the ground next to me as she waved her husband goodbye. After Jacob was gone, Mariah began to pout.

"Another day without Jake." She sighed.

I cleared my throat. "Uh. Okay, well I guess I'll just leave you to do your own thing."

I got up, but Mariah took my wrist. "Wait, can you help me with the housework?"

I stared at her. "Um, excuse me?"

Mariah took out some cleaning supplies. "Usually, when Jake's off at work, I try to make the house as clean and relaxing as I can for when he comes back. It gets lonely when he isn't around and I get bored."

The hell was she getting me to do? I was a top rate killer at the Contingency Initiative... how did I get stuck with doing chores for a woman who's not even affiliated with me?!

I spent the day scrubbing and cleaning, against my own wishes. Multiple times, I lost my patience and ended up vaporizing the water in the bucket, and had to refill it.

"You've never done this sort of thing often, have you?" Mariah asked, holding back a laugh.

"No, we usually got someone to clean for us." I muttered, as I dropped the sponge. I watched as the little thing fell on the ground and left behind a splatter of water like a body did.

"That's too bad. It's okay, I can take over if it's too much for you."

"No!" I yelped, causing Mariah to jump in surprise. "I mean, I can handle it. Just take it easy." I found myself saying. Was I... doing chores for her? What was I saying? The hell am I even doing?!

By the time I was done, I found myself sprawled on the ground. This was way worse than any training I had in the Contingency Initiative. Mostly because I didn't enjoy it. If it was something I didn't like, I tended to do horribly in it. This was exactly the case for me.

I sat up as I heard Mariah cooking in the kitchen. Probably for Jake or something. The fact she did this everyday... must have been torture. I went up the steps and went into the guest room, which was reserved for me. I flipped open my coms unit and called Matt, who picked up.

"How's the mission going along, kid."

"They're safe. I incinerated the Groundwatch Brigade. That was the only highlight these past few days."

"Keep it up." Matt said, as I heard a ruckus in the background.

"That's my hairbrush, why were you using my hairbrush?!" Whitney screamed.

"Because it was out in the open, duh." Maika responded. "Besides, wouldn't do you any good. You're using like... cheap ass products for your hair."

"The hell did you just say?!"

I could hear Matt groan as the sounds of Whitney and Maika tackling and fighting lit up the call.

"Matt, how long do I have to stay here."

"As long as Taras needs."

"I'm losing my mind, man."

"Consider this a demotion, then. Months away from missions will reignite your thirst to kill. Because as of now, you went soft."

"What are you saying? I was never soft!"

"Oh yeah? Okay. Let's put it to the test. Kill Mariah."

I suddenly pursed my lips. "But... that's against mission protocol."

"I can always convince Taras to find another candidate. There's many metahumans with similar powers as her. Kill her. Right now. That's an order."

I forced my flames to ignite, but for some reason, something was holding me back. I could hear Mariah humming in the kitchen. So peaceful. So innocent, as the aroma of her cooking filled the house. She was putting her heart and soul in the food, that she was going to give to her husband when he got home. She put up with all the housework and all the cleaning, all the cooking, so she could spend time with Jacob.

"You can't kill her can you." Matt said, coldly.

"I..."

Matt crossed his arms. "Yeling Mah. Don't tell me you've gotten attached."

"No I haven't!"

"No, you have. Consider this me being nice, and that's a real treat. You like them so much? You can stay with them as long as you need to."

"But... she gets me to do housework man."

Matt raised an eyebrow. "Good for you. You wanna play fantasy with these two, go right ahead. You have no place in my Squad right now. The next time you call me wishing for the mission to be over, I want you to be broken, begging me to take you back. And begging me to give you an opportunity to take a life."

It felt weird, having dinner with two people I barely knew. The food was also good, home-made, and it felt different. Normally, we'd just have takeout back in the Squad Four hideout, or the occasional protein shake that Matt would have lying around.

Eating with those two made me feel different. Like a warm tingly feeling inside me that I never experienced ever since...

The night I got my powers.

"Hey, Yeling, is everything alright?" Mariah asked, putting her hand on mine. I felt a jolt inside me as I jumped back into reality.

"Yeah."

Jacob stretched his arms. "Man, I'm stuffed. You always have the best cooking."

"Aww, thanks."

I helped Mariah with the dishes as Jacob went to bed early. Mariah looked kind of sullen.

"I take it his sudden voyage to the bed isn't well received."

Mariah managed a weak laugh. "He's always so tired when he comes home. I know he's doing it for the both of us, but maybe I'm selfish for saying I wish I could spend more time with him. We only have the weekends when he's really free."

Mariah held out a plate as I hovered my hand over it, summoning maybe like 2% of my flames. The plate dried up instantly.

"Your powers are so useful in the kitchen!" Mariah said.

"My powers have been nothing but destructive..."

Mariah put the plate away and ran her finger across my tattoos. "Depends on how you use it."

Mariah slumped on the couch as she looked at the night sky. I joined her.

"Yeling, do you mind me asking... how many times have you... killed someone?"

"Too many to count." I replied.

"Does it bother you? That you ended their lives?"

"No. Because at the end of the day, the Second Great War will take the lives of everyone it deems unfit. I'm just giving them a shortcut to their destiny."

"The Second Great War..." Mariah muttered.

"I take it you're not happy with my answer."

"Do you know why they tasked you to watch over me?"

"You're vital to our plans, right?"

Mariah stood up and slowly brought her shirt down, revealing a massive black and red tattoo on her back. The thing was pulsing.

"When I was affected by the Pax Incident, it didn't just give me metahuman powers... it awakened something inside me."

Mariah looked at me. "Yeling, my power, my destructive explosive power... Taras is going to use that to awaken the Great Akuma. And when that happens... I will die as the Akuma's mother."

My eyes went wide, as Mariah put her shirt back on.

Mariah noticed my alarmed expression. "I didn't think you would make that face. Most of the people from the Contingency Initiative have always been so, dead inside."

I ruffled my hair. "I just didn't think someone like you would be so special, is all."

"Special..." Mariah muttered, as she sat down on the couch. "You're the first person who has called me that from the company. Many people see me as a ticking time bomb. Or a resource, a means to an end."

Mariah sighed. "I don't want Jake to know. So please, Yeling. I beg you, don't tell him. I don't want him to know I don't have much time left. I've been trying so hard to avoid my destiny." Her voice broke.

"I've been doing my best to avoid it, but when Matt found me. The Mirage. I knew it was over. My life with Jake, it was a reminder that it was only temporary. Just a placeholder for me when it's time to give my life."

Mariah began to sob as she buried her face in her hands. "Prophecy can't be changed. I know that much. But just, for once... could I just live in this world for a little longer? Even if it is never meant to last?"

I looked at my hand. I was the Akuma's Flames. And Mariah was the Akuma's Mother. We shared that much. But at the same time we were different.

While everything I did, was to destroy this world, for I so hated it with every cell in my body.

Everything Mariah did, was to preserve this world, because she loved it with every fibre of her heart.

Chapter 8 - Dance of the Final Sun

Matt had me become their bodyguard for an entire year.

Much had changed since then. I became accustomed to their way of living, and felt integrated as part of their lives now. In a way, like their roommate, but we shared meals, and went out together, unless they told me they wanted alone time, I would keep my distance.

Nobody came to attack them during this whole year, and I found myself having less and less opportunities to use my powers.

And before I knew it, my life with the Contingency Initiative had become almost like a memory. Matt had ceased communication with me ever since I had defied his orders to kill Mariah. I felt disowned, and the only way to move forward was continue with my mission to keep the two safe.

"You should get a haircut." Mariah said, as she picked a bunch of blueberries from the garden she, Jake, and I had planted together. I held out the basket as she placed the berries in.

"It hasn't gotten in the way yet, besides, I don't want to use your money for petty things like that."

Mariah chuckled. "So considerate, Yeling. But if you let it grow any longer, I'm going to lose you under there!"

We got back to the house as Mariah washed the berries and cleaned her hands. She went up to me and took my hair.

"Hey! What are you doing?!" I yelped, as Mariah laughed and pulled it back.

"Relax, I'm not gonna yank it off!" Mariah tied a knot and took out an elastic.

"Is it better now?"

I looked at myself in the mirror. My hair had grown out so much that I never stopped to realize it had reached my shoulders. Now, with it tied back, it was almost weird to see so little hair around my ears.

"Yeah, I guess."

We heard a creak at the door. Maybe if it was me a year ago, I would have burst into flames, but I just sat there, as I waited for Jake to come in.

"I'm home, guys."

Mariah ran up to him and kissed him as I gave Jake a wave.

"You're back early, huh." I said.

"Yeah, boss gave me a day off for everything I did for the company. So I guess more company time!"

We went out, all three of us, as Jake and I followed Mariah around.

Jake glanced at me. "Why so down today, man?"

I realized my sulking went noticed. "Ah, nothing. It's just, well, today marks a whole year of me being your protector. Yet, we never encountered anything that would put your lives at jeopardy. It kind of makes me think that maybe I'm no longer needed."

Jake put his arm around my neck. "Buddy! Don't say that. You're part of our household now. Don't ever feel that way. Got it? Even if you have no opportunities to be our protector, you still have tons of opportunities to be with us. I wouldn't give that up for anything."

My heart warmed as I smiled. "Thanks, Jake. It really means a lot."

Jake chuckled. "You know, during this year, many things not bodyguard related has happened. And it's obvious, because the you now is so different from the you back then."

"Really?"

"You've changed, man. And it isn't a bad thing. I guess your year with us has made you a bit more... human. If that makes any sense."

I watched as Mariah called Jake over. Jake looked at me. "Well, the wife needs me. Just remember what I said man. You're loved here. Don't think otherwise!"

I smiled warmly as I sat on the bench, numerous people flooding the mall as I watched the two have fun. A year ago, I would have found it awkward. But now, watching them as their protector, a member of their household. It made me realize how wholesome they were together.

"Funny tattoo! Mommy, he has a funny tattoo!" A little boy's voice squealed from the corner of my vision.

"Charlie! Don't look!" A woman's voice scolded her child.

I hesitated, as I looked at my hand. The tattoos on my hand. It was almost nothing like a reminder at this point of what I was back then. Because I had neglected my powers for so long, the once thick dark blue lines had gotten thinner. No doubt I had gotten weaker.

I continued waiting, when something caught my eye. A girl, with red eyes. That was unexpected. I was aware that there were a lot of meta humans around due to the Pax Incident, but her eyes... they looked abnormal. Her whole vibe was abnormal.

And what was even weirder, was it felt like I knew her from somewhere.

She went into the store Mariah and Jake were in, and suddenly, every fibre in my body wanted to rush in and stop her. She was dangerous. But I had this feeling before, and it was always something harmless. But what if... what if she was?

I got up. This would be the first time in an entire year where I would have to use my powers. I stepped forward, when suddenly, something held me back. I couldn't move as I stared at the ground.

"Hey." A face appeared from the ground, grotesque, one of his eyes were closed, and his tongue was extended all the way out.

I yelped as I tried to escape him, but my legs were pinned to the ground, like threads.

"You're the Tidalflame, aren't you? What happened to you?"

"What do you want. Who's that girl?"

The man gave me a curious look. "What do you mean who's that girl? You don't recognize her?"

"Recognize?!" I tried to struggle out of the threads, but the man held me tighter.

"Disappointing. A whole year without violence. You'd think a member of Squad Four would go mad without killing, but here you are, influenced by this life!"

"Let me go!"

"Or what? You'll kill me? And incinerate all the people in this store?"

"You... I..."

"You're hesitating!" The man cackled. "The Akuma's Flames, the murderous, killing machine, is hesitating to kill people!"

I watched as the store collapsed in front of me.

"Mariah! Jacob!" I shouted, as a massive stone hand appeared, the two caught in its grip as they struggled to get out.

"Yeling!" Mariah screamed, as I closed my eyes.

Level 1 Hinokami: Devil's Typhoon

The threads incinerated as I blasted forward with my hands, but another stone appendage appeared out of nowhere and smashed me in the side, sending me into a building. My vision turned blurry as I struggled to my feet, face to face with a massive stone golem, at least the size of the whole mall in height, red pulsating veins along the armoured stone plating. Standing at the top, was a hooded figure with an intricate lined mask. Her eyes were bright red from underneath, meaning it was the same girl from before.

Was she Contingency Initiative? That didn't make any sense. Why was she attacking one of her own?

The girl held made a gesture as she lifted the two into the air.

"I am not Contingency Initiative." She said, as I continued staring at her.

"Ino, it's time. We have the two we need."

I stepped forward. "Hey! Give them back!"

The girl glanced back at me. Her eyes were laced with rage.

"Very disappointing Yeling. You are the Akuma's Flames? Maybe that power should have gone to me instead. If you want them back, you're going to need to take it from me."

I powered up, as I brought my hands back.

"You made a big mistake." I growled.

Level 1 Hinokami: Double Inverse Tsunami Release

I blasted two massive tidal waves of flame from my hands as the entire golem became incinerated by my fire. But once it died down, I couldn't believe my eyes. The golem was still intact. In fact, the girl was also unharmed, not even a single char.

"Hinokami? Not even Second Stage? That's so pathetic." She said, as she raised her hand, the size of the golem continuing to grow as the entire thing began to develop legs of its own.

"I will show you the differences in our power... big brother."

My heart stopped. Big brother? What... what was she... that wasn't possible. I killed everyone that night. No one was supposed to survive. No one...

The girl giggled maniacally as red lines appeared all over her body.

"Taras Pax has been making good strides to awaken the Great Akuma. But they're not good enough. We'll advance the agenda, our way. For Lord Ginga."

I watched in horror as my little sister towered over me with her gigantic construct, her eyes... broken.

Level 1 Shakujin, Stage Four: Gaea's Body

A massive fist came flying my way, as I blasted out of the way, but the shockwave sent me through more walls as I slowly began to lose consciousness.

"Mariah..." I muttered. They were going to take her away. Her life with Jake was going to be shattered. Her own life would be shattered. I thought back to the times we had together during that entire year. How they accepted me. For the first time... in my entire life.

"I was accepted!" I screamed, as my vision returned, my entire body wreathed in flames.

"Give her back... GIVE HER BACK!" I roared as my whole body began to glow blue.

Level 1 Hinokami: Supreme Apocalypse

I fired a massive beam of blue light as part of Haka's golem disintegrated.

Her face became annoyed, as the golem began to buckle.

"Such force from a Stage One attack..." She muttered.

I wasn't going to give her the satisfaction of taking away the people I loved. I had to do this. Again. I leapt into the air, my body burning bright, illuminating the entire place.

Hinokami and Intangibility: Devil's Meteorite I roared, as I blasted right through the golem and took both Mariah and Jacob away, landing on the ground.

"Yeling... they've come to take me away, haven't they..." Mariah whimpered, as Jake grabbed her into a tight embrace.

"I won't let them have you. I will do everything I can." Jake reassured her.

I grimaced as I watched Haka slowly descend, the markings on her legs, glowing white.

"I have no idea how you're able to pull of so much power from just a Stage One Dogma, but this is the end of the line for you, brother."

I held out my hand. "Haka..." I sobbed. "How are you still alive?! I watched you die.. I watched-"

"My name... is not Haka. From now on, I go by the name that both the Dogma, and Ginga had given me. Tidalflame, my name is Phoenix."

I was at a loss for words. She was the only family I had left, but looking at her. Looking at all the markings and tattoos that took over her body... Her face was still hidden from under the mask, but those two red eyes, she never had them when she was little.

"How many, how many Dogma Bargains have you made?!"

Haka giggled once more. An unsettling one. One from a broken girl.

"Let's see. The first one I made, was when you torched our house. Do you remember? Big brother? I made a deal with the Akuma, in exchange for my life. I took away my legs."

Haka brought her robes up, showing me her tattooed legs. Only they weren't legs. They were spiked at the ends.

"The second... was once I learned that you were still alive." Her face went murderous. "My own precious big brother. Wanted so badly to find a purpose in life, that he would burn down his own family. I watched Mama and Papa die in front of my eyes. Their bodies, burning away as they ran up to me and tried to hug me. Burning my face as they tried to tell me to run."

"No..." I muttered.

"I'm not going to give you the satisfaction of knowing all of my tricks." Haka giggled, as she brought her hair back, showing one of her ears, which had become pointy and blackened. No doubt from another Dogma Bargain.

"But here's a hint. I've already unlocked Hinokami. But since it was not my First Level, I couldn't advance its stages. But if I did I would certainly have done a better job than you."

"Haka, please..." I begged.

"And now you've been reduced to a shrivelling snivelling snot. Hinokami was your Level 1. I can accept that. But to make a total fool of yourself. You've already broken me, and that can't be fixed. Now you have to go on humiliating our bloodline even more?"

Mariah and Jacob were speechless. I turned partway to look at them, to tell them to run. But nothing came out of my mouth. Because I was at a loss for words. Everything was coming at me so fast.

My little sister was still alive.

But she was broken.

She might as well have been dead.

Haka smiled, as she held out one of her hands, red tattoos glowing all over.

"This won't do. Maybe I'll have to prove to the Great Akuma that I'm a better candidate for Hinokami Level 1. I'll do that... by killing you with your own powers!"

Haka's entire arm burst into red flames as she glinted at me murderously.

Level 12 Hinokami: Hell's Gate Release

"No...way..." I sobbed, as I watched my own little sister prepare to take my life.

I couldn't let Mariah and Jacob die. I needed to do this. I held out my arms as well, bursting into blue flames.

Level 1 Hinokami: Inverse Tsunami Release

Our two flames converged into a massive firestorm. The red and blue flames mixing together, but not combining. No purple flames were made, as Haka's red fire began to overcome mine.

"Die. DIE DIE DIE DIE!!!" Haka screamed maniacally.

"No... I can't..." I growled, as I felt my bones giving way. The muscles in my arms failing me, as the massive point of convergence got closer and closer to me.

I activated Intangibility at the last minute, as I slipped through the blast. I fell to my knees, breathing hard.

"Jacob!" Mariah screamed, as I slowly turned around. My breath became staggered, as I crawled to the scorched body of Mariah's husband.

Mariah grabbed him and sobbed into his scorched hair, as Jacob tried to pat her head.

"It's okay, honey. It's gonna be okay."

"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I kept this all a secret from you. I... I..."

"Mary."

Mariah pulled away. Jacob's face was surprisingly calm. His cracked skin made my heart twist and tear apart.

"Mary, I knew all this time. Your fate to be the Great Akuma's mother. I knew."

"But..."

Jacob stroked her face. "But then I saw your face. You were so happy. To leave that life behind, even if it was temporary."

Jacob burst into a fit of coughing but continued. "To ignore your destiny, even for a little bit. Every day we lived a normal life, even if it was a lie, it made you happy. And that alone... that alone was enough for me."

Tears streamed down my face. This was all my fault. The flames from Haka and my clash. We did this.

Jacob took my hand. "You have nothing to be sorry about, Yeling. That year you spent with us, protecting us. I'll admit I hated you for it. I was scared you, the killer, would take Mariah from me. But that year, I saw the light inside you clawing out."

Jacob's grip was getting weaker. Mariah cried as she pleaded to her husband. "Jake, save your strength... please. We'll take you to the hospital. Just hang in there. HANG IN THERE!"

I clenched my fists.

"Yeling Mah. You are a good man. Take care of my precious Mariah for me."

Jacob closed his eyes for the last time as Mariah slumped over him, sobbing and begging him not to leave her.

Haka laughed, as I snapped back into the reality of the situation.

"Why do you feel remorse? Brother? The husband had nothing to do with our plans. It was only Mariah. She was all we needed to advance the Second Great War."

Something inside me began to burn. Like a reignition. I got to my feet, staring at the ground, my heart almost beating out of my chest. Tears falling to the ground and steaming from my face, which began to heat up again.

Right here. Right now. I need your power.

I could hear the Dogma speak from within me.

YOU ARE STILL NOT READY FOR LEVEL 3, YELING. YOUR YEAR WITH THE TWO HAS MADE YOU WEAK.

"No!" I screamed at the ground.

I looked at Mariah, who's eyes went empty. I did this to her. I caused her all this pain, after all the good she had done for me.

"I'm not asking for Level 3. I want you to help me reawaken the flames."

I looked at Haka, with a burning rage.

"Your flames." I sobbed, as the tattoos on my left arm began to change, growing thicker.

Mariah. Jacob. You both took me in. Even when I killed those Groundwatch Brigadiers in front of you. You still kept me around. You loved me. Like family.

No other people treated me so kindly.

And what did I do?

I killed Jacob.

I glared at my hands. "I cannot lose again. I will lose Mariah to you when the Great Akuma awakens. But I don't... I don't..."

I could feel the flames become more and more violent, the patterns becoming more and more jagged. This wasn't like my Supreme Apocalypse.

Hinokami? Not even Second Stage? That's so pathetic.

I needed to unlock it. I needed to evolve what I had now.

I stomped on the ground, as the blue tattooed lines arced across my other arm, my teeth changing into fangs, and a horn sprouting out of my forehead as I yelled.

"I don't want to lose Mariah's soul! Not yet! Because I... I..."

My flames began shaking the entire landscape as Haka grinned.

"Yes, brother. Evolve! Live up to your name. Tidalflame. The Akuma's Flames. I want to see it. I want to cherish it. So when the world burns from your wrath, and is engulfed from my grip, we can be together once more."

I looked at Mariah and Jacob one last time, as I felt my flames take over my body.

"Mariah... I love you." I said, as her eyes went wide.

Level 1 Hinokami, Stage Two: Dance of the Final Sun

My entire body erupted into blue and purple flames, as my mask burned away, revealing my ruined right half of my face. Lines spread all over my neck as I blasted forward with immense speed.

"YES! Do it. DO IT DO IT DO IT!!!" Haka screamed, as she unleashed her Earth powers, the environment around her rumbling as massive boulders erupted from the ground, with red arcane symbols on it. Her body gained a swirling dirt aura with red light.

Level 1 Shakujin, Stage Two: Total Tremor Cataclysm

"We are both beyond redemption, big brother. Even if you've found someone to live for, you know it is temporary."

"RAAAAARGHH" I screamed, my body losing structure as the sheer speed I was travelling at turned me into a massive blast of heat, hatred, shame, and remorse.

Haka smiled, as she launched herself forward, a huge, overwhelming rotating storm of boulders, rocks, and debris surrounding her.

"Because we are both holders. Slaves to the Dogma of Equivalent Exchange." Haka said, gritting her teeth, as we charged.

Brother against Sister.

Fire against Earth.

Chapter 9 - Stormwatch

"Why... why didn't you tell me my sister was alive?!" I screamed.

The Dogma, a swirling icon in the darkness was silent for a few minutes, before its voice boomed in my head.

HAKA MAH NEEDED TO BE HIDDEN FROM YOU, TO LET YOU GROW. YOUR EXISTENCE DID NOT FAZE HER VIEWS. BUT HER EXISTENCE WOULD HAVE CHANGED YOURS.

I tried punching the air in a frenzy, but a force bounded me to the ground.

"My own little sister. She's been driven mad! I thought everybody died. All those years, I was haunted by their death."

UNLIKE YOU, YOUR YOUNGER SISTER HAS FULLY ACCEPTED HER ROLE TO AID IN THE GREAT AKUMA'S RESURGENCE. YOUR HUMANITY STILL FIGHTS YOU, MAKING YOU WEAK. IT WAS REQUIRED THAT YOU DID NOT KNOW SHE EXISTED

"So it's manipulation then."

THERE IS NO CHANGING THE FACT THAT YOU ARE THE AKUMA'S FLAMES. YOUR BODY AND YOUR DESTINY ALIGNS TO IT. WHETHER YOU ACCEPT IT OR NOT, YOU WILL BE THE ONE TO BURN THIS WORLD TO ASH.

The Dogma began to disappear as I clawed the air frantically, a white light flooding me.

I woke up screaming, as a beautiful woman with blonde flowing hair held me down.

"Relax! Relax." She said, as she restrained me. She was surprisingly strong for her build.

"Haka... Mariah! Where, who are you?"

The woman looked at me with concern. "My name is Rui Iwatani. We brought you in because you were horribly injured from an explosion. Take it easy, let me heal you."

I watched as Rui healed my wounds with a green light. It felt like eucalyptus oil was being spread across my skin.

"Rui...? As in Patcher Rui? You're..."

"Stormwatch? Mmhm. Are you going to try to kill me because of that? Tidalflame?"

I was silent. I didn't feel like fighting. That surge that went through my body, that made me use Stage Two of Hinokami was gone. I doubted I could summon that power again. And even if I wanted to, every time I tried to summon my flames, a wave of depression hit me.

"No." I said. "I... just don't want to do any of this anymore. I want it all to be over."

Rui continued regarding me. She got up and turned around, leaving the room.

"We're going to have to take extra precautions with you around."

I looked around me, realizing that the room I was in, was a holding cell.

"Are you, going to transfer me somewhere?"

Rui glanced at me. "Right now, moving you would be too risky. You're not ready to even get out of the bed. As for why we saved you, you have valuable information on Squad Four. Joseph believes it'll help us with our mission."