The hallways were quiet. Quiet enough to hear a pin drop. The base was filled with this deadly silence, but an echo of quiet thunder rose up and quieted down. It was soon followed by the faint cry of many men and women that faded within minutes. Maru quietly looked down the hallway, towards the quiet screams and looked down in shame. Maru clinched a pocket that laid above her left shoulder tighter and tighter with each echo of a cry for help rose and faded. She grinded her teeth and began to shake.

“General?” said Marcus, walking up behind her. “We need to head to the safe room.”

Maru jumped slightly and stood quietly until she mumbled something.

“W-What was the ma’am?”

“I said, “I’m coming”,” mumbled Maru.

Marcus questionably looked back at the small group of soldiers behind him and shrugged his shoulders. Maru looked down at the ground for a few moments until she took a deep breath and turned around, her menacing glare back. The soldiers stood up straight at the sight of her glare and remained still she passed. As the small group of soldiers followed Maru, they arrived at a large sliding door that opened to a room that was filled with computers and screens. Maru entered the room and glanced at the screens in front of her. On the screens were images of intersections of the hallways. They were all empty. Not a trace of another person seemed to be in sight. Maru walked to the control panels where several men where working.

“So…how are things looking?” said Maru to a man sitting in front of a screen.

“Not good,” replied the security personnel. “We’re suffering a lot of casualties and reinforcements won’t arrive for another half hour.”

“…..Let me see it.”

“Ma’am?”

“Let me see what he’s done so far. I need to know.”

The man slowly looked down, but did what he was told and started typing on the keyboard in front of him as Maru slowly walked backwards. Maru intensely studied the screens, until they turned one by one, showing the grim work that Blain left behind. Many soldiers covered their mouths and moaned. One turned away gagging, but Maru looked at the screens displeased. Blood of many soldiers were painted across the hallways in a furious fashion. On one screen, there appeared to be blood smears that looked like someone or something was dragged across it. Maru pointed at the screen and told the man in to look at near by cameras to see what made those dragging marks. The man nodded and started typing on his keyboard again and a few screens changed until one stopped at a soldier slowly crawling down the hallway. His left leg was completely separated from him, but his right leg was only attached by a few pieces of skin. The man reached out towards the camera and mouthed, “Help…Me…” before he fell to the floor like a rag doll. Maru looked away and said that she saw enough. The security man nodded and started changing the screens, but stopped and stared at it.

“General? I think you need to look at this.”

Maru walked over to him and looked at the screen. She swallowed a large lump in her throat from the image of Blain standing in the middle of a small pool of blood, it smeared across the walls and over countless bodies. In his hand was a head of a woman that he held by its hair. Blain lifted the head up, letting it sway side to side for the camera to capture all its bloody glory. Marcus grinded his teeth and clinched the handle of his gun tightly, staring at the screen. Maru quietly looked at the screen, no emotion anywhere present on her face and looked at the security officer.

“How many soldiers do we have in the base right now?”

The man looked down with a depressed look, “Those men behind you…are all that are left. Until reinforcements arrive that is.”

“I see….Where is he located?”

“In front of the room where we are holding that girl.”

“Well, it would be obvious he would go after her,” shouted Marcus. “Ma’am! Please! Let us go take him down!”

Maru looked back at Marcus and to the screen. Blain was still holding the head in his hand. Maru took a few steps closer to the screen and gently ran her finger over the side of Blain’s face and studied the screen for a few moments.

“General?” spoke up Marcus.

“Alright…You can go, but…he must be taken down with out dying. We need him alive or everything we are trying to achieve for him will be in vain.”

Marcus nodded and ordered the small group to move out. After the last man left the room, Marcus stopped at the door and turned to Maru.

“You know, he’s not the little kid that you loved anymore. He’s a monster now and if he kills more of my men…I will not hesitate and put a bullet in his head.”

The security room became incredibly still as Marcus left the room and went to catch up to his men. Maru took a deep breath as the security officer looked at her.

“Do you regret it, general?” he mumbled. “Do you regret letting them do those things to him? Turning him into that…thing?”

Maru didn’t answer. She stared at the screen that showed Blain still holding onto the head and seemed a million miles away. Maru snapped back to reality when Blain dropped the head and turned to the door. Maru took a deep breath and turned away from the screen and headed to the door.

“Do you know what I would have done, general?” said the security officer.

Maru stopped in front of the door and looked back at the man, he turning in his chair and looking at her in the eyes.

“I would have done anything to get my child back into my arms, knowing what horrid things they did to him…and if I failed and let him turn into what I never wanted him to be, I would do everything to put his suffering to an end. Even if that meant betraying everyone, even hi…”

“I know,” said Maru. “I know what anyone would do, but…I can’t help him anymore. I can only watch from the sidelines and pray that he changes back, even though I know he will never be the same.”

The security officer looked down in frustration as Maru exited the room and made her way through the labyrinth of hallways.

The scientists stood next to Abigail quietly and watched the door, clinching onto some sharp tools. They both looked at each other and quietly mumbled to each other. They quickly turned back to the door when more rapid, muffled bursts happened next to the door. They started to move away from the door, but fell to the floor when the end of a blade pierced through one side of the door. One scientist gave a high, girly scream as another end of a blade pierced the other door. Gears began to screech from the doors being pulled away from each other, enough for Blain to slip in while a few bullets hit the doors and bounced away. The doors closed with a loud thump as Blain stood slumped over, breathing heavily. Blain stood up straight, but stumbled a little, his arms changing back to normal. One of the scientists grabbed a scalpel and charged Blain with a warrior cry, but was batted away from Blain’s back hand. He was sent into the cabinets and broke the glass holding all of the medicine and fell to the floor, dead. The other scientist screamed and started to freak out as Blain moved to the table where Abigail laid. He examined her body and saw that there was a trail of blood trickling down from her mouth. Blain looked over at a wastebasket and saw the inside was covered in blood. Blain’s attention changed and focused on the scientist laying on the floor. He knelt down and gave a deadly stare.

“Who are you?”

“M-M-Me??”

“Answer me!”

“Aaaah! D-D-Daisy! Daisy Remington!”

“Are you one of the head doctors here?”

“Y-Yes. Why?”

“Good,” said Blain as he stood up and grabbed Abigail, throwing her over his shoulder. “You’re coming with me.”

Daisy looked at Blain confused, but was quickly swooped up off of her butt and held her by her waist. Daisy blushed and started kicking and screaming, trying to break free. Blain tightened his grip on Daisy and muttered under his breath.

“If you don’t stop right now, I’m going to use you as a meat shield.”

Daisy quickly stopped and relaxed, sobbing. Blain turned to the door and took a deep breath and kicked one side of the doors, caving it in. With another kick, the metallic door crashed against the wall. Marcus and his men pointed their guns at the room and waited patiently for the target. Blain took a few steps out and looked down at the small group of men. Marcus gasped when he saw that Blain was carrying Daisy.

“Watch your fire! He’s carrying one of ours too!”

Blain smiled and turned away and sprinted down the hallway. Marcus cussed under his breath and gave chase, but eventually lost track of them. Blain quickly dashed through the hallways and made his way to the front entrance of the base. As he made his way towards it, he began coughing hard, blood exiting with each cough. Daisy covered her mouth quickly and looked away and waited for him to finish.

“W-W-What do you think you are doing?! I could turn into you, you know?!”

“Shut up,” hissed Blain as the coughing stopped and made his way to the exit.

As Blain approached the exit, the doors opened and the sun’s bright light blinded him. Blain looked away for a moment, shielding his eyes, but looked onward and saw a small army waiting for him. Every soldier in front of Blain pointed his gun at him and waited for their next command. Daisy started to cry intensely saying she was going to die rapidity. Blain scowled himself for being so slow but turned around at the sound of footsteps. Blain’s armor started to crack and break as Maru moved out of the shadows and stood out of Blain’s reach.

“It seems that you were too slow, Blain.”

Half of Blain’s mask cracked and tumbled off of his head, exposing his glare, “It seems that way.”

It was a brisk August morning and Abigail brushed her brown hair out of her face and mouth as she sprinted towards school. It was her first day as a sophomore at Black Hill high school.

"I'm going to be really late if I don't hurry!" she yelled, sprinting down the sidewalks and turning sharply around corners of buildings.

"Maria, damn it!" she thought. "Not even a little 'hey wake up'. Noooo. She just takes off without me! I don't care if she is a senior or not, a little help would be nice one in a while!"

As Abigail grumbled and cursed her older sister, she weaved through crowds of people and sprinted across walk ways, forcing cars to screech to a stop. Abigail noticed none of them and continued her way towards the school.

"I'll take this alleyway," she thought, turning into the alley. "It is a little shortcut, but it will help." Abigail quickly ran through the alley and turned the corner, but met something hard and fell backwards. Her head hit the concrete hard and everything went black. The person Abigail ran into looked behind him and carefully examined the girl.

Abigail slowly opened her eyes and saw that she was in her high school's nurse's office.

"What the…?" she thought. "How did I…?"

Abigail felt the back of her head where the patch with a spot of blood soaked in and suddenly remembered what had happened and, without thinking shoved her hands into her pants. She gave a sigh of relief and started to move off the bed, but pain shooting through her head stopped her in her tracks.

"I wouldn't do that," said a voice from the other end of the office. It was Nurse Patty as she filed her nails.

"You shouldn't move since you hit your head pretty hard on the concrete," she explained.

Abigail rolled her eyes and slowly stood on her feet, but suddenly stopped as her face exploded in a bright red, "W-wait!" she yelled as she pointed to Nurse Patty. "D-did you see what I…!"

Nurse Patty looked up and chuckled.

"I-I-It's not what you think! I-I-I was just…"

Nurse Patty raised her hand, "You don't need to explain it to me. I'm not surprised that was the first thing you checked, even though I've seen girls instantly check where their purses or whatever is."

"How did I get here?"

"A boy brought you here saying that you ran full steam into his back and knocked yourself unconscious," Nurse Patty explain, going back to work on her nails. "Pretty good looking kid too. You should go and thank him for bringing you here. God knows what else he could of done."

"Y-yeah," mumbled Abigail, as she walked towards the door.

"Hold it!" yelled Nurse Patty.

"What now~?" whined Abigail. "I need to get to class.

Nurse Patty's eye twitched, but gave a forced sighed, "Take some aspirin. You're going to need it."

"Right," muttered Abigail, taking the small pills. "By the way, what period is it?"

"Second."

Abigail gave a high pitched squeal, "I missed my first class and my second one!" and sprinted out of the office.

Nurse Patty sat quietly, speechless, but quickly changed to anger and stood out of her chair. "A thank you would be really appreciated, you know?!" she yelled, but suddenly pulled back as students looked at her in confusion and fear. Before she could explain, the students ran off screaming sorry. Nurse Patty gave a heavy sigh and placed her head on the desk with a thump. She stayed there for a while until a voice asked if she was okay.

She looked up and smiled, "Oh, it's you. If you're looking for Abigail," she said pointing towards the door, "she already sprinted out of here."

The boy chuckled, "Okay, thanks." He started to move to the door, but Patty stopped him by asking how he got out of class this early. The boy looked back with a smile, "I already have everything done for today in that class so I thought I would stop in and check on…uh."

"Abigail," said Patty.

"Right. Well, thank you for helping her." Patty smiled as the boy walked back into the hallway.

Abigail sprinted through hallways, a million thoughts running through her head of how she's going get into the room without looking like an idiot.

"Maybe I can just sneak through a window or something?" she thought, as she ran pass a girl who began to yell.

She looked behind herself to see Sheri, the president of the student council, running after her.

"No running in the halls!" she yelled.

Abigail and her never got along ever since they met.

"She is so stuck up," she thought as she stuck her tongue out and continued to run down the hall. Sheri clinched her teeth and began to catch up to Abigail. Abigail ran harder and harder through the halls, but came to a sudden realization.

"I have no idea where my classes are! How can I forget something like that?!"

"Get back here, Abigail!" yelled Sheri, within arms reach. Abigail gave a small gasp and lowered her head as she gain more ground between the two of them. Abigail rounded the next corner, but screeched to a sudden stop for a boy standing in the hallway. He looked back and locked his brown eyes with Abigail's blue eyes. His black hair was spiked all around his head and covered a scar over his left eye. His body looked in very good shape, even with the baggy shirt and the backpack over one shoulder. Abigail's heart thumped hard as she continued to stare at the mysterious boy.

"Oh," he finally said, "it's you."

His voice sent chills down Abigail's spine, but it suddenly was overwhelmed by pain as Sheri talked her from behind sending Abigail's forehead into the boy's crotch. His eyes almost popped out of their sockets as Abigail, Sheri, and he fell to the floor.

"Ha!" boasted Sheri, huffing and puffing. "I finally cau…"

Abigail looked up to the Sheri frozen in fear, staring at the boy in the fetal position, almost reduced to tears. Sheri quickly got up and ran to the end of the hall, but quickly turned back.

"This isn't the end, Abigail!" she studdered, her body shaking. "I-I will get you some day!"

Abigail looked back in confusion as Sheri ran into another hall. "What the hell was that all about?" she thought. "I've never seen her act like that before."

Abigail looked over to the boy, who now was on all fours, coughing.

"What's the matter with you?" said Abigail, bluntly.

"You head butted me in the crotch, that's what!" yelled the boy, slowly getting up as he gripped his family jewels.

Abigail sat up and processed it a little while as her face exploded in red again.

"D-d-does that mean I gave you h-head?!" she studdered.

The boy looked at Abigail blankly, "Are an idiot or something?"

"I am not an idiot!" she yelled as she punched the boy across the face.

He gave a small whimper before falling to the ground like a wet towel.

"Ah crap!" she screamed as she shaking him like a rag doll. "I didn't mean to do that! Please wake up!"

Abigail and the boy, who was holding the side of his face, quietly leaned against the wall, the awkward silence making its presence clearly.

"What the hell am I suppose to say?" Abigail thought. "I ran into his back that knocked me out cold and then after bringing me to the school I head butt him in crotch and then sucker punch him. One of us has some seriously bad luck."

The silence continued until the boy grabbed his bag and pulled out a can of pop. He offered Abigail one who happily accepted it. They both cracked the cans open and drank at the same time. The two looked at each other and chuckled.

"So, um," mumbled Abigail, "where you the one who I ran into earlier this morning?"

The boy nodded his head, "Yep."

"Ah, sorry about that and for what I did earlier."

The boy took another drink and gave a small sigh, "It's alright. Just don't do it again."

Abigail chuckled, "I won't."

The boy smiled that made Abigail blush.

"He is really cute," she thought. "I'm just glad he's talking to me instead of lecturing me like Mary would."

"So,"continued Abigail, "have we met somewhere before? Or are you new to the school?"

The boy looked at Abigail in amazement, "You don't know my name? We sat next to each other last year in every class."

Abigail thought back and suddenly remembered, "Oh, yeah! You were that quiet boy who no one ever talked to."

"Y-yeah," mumbled the boy, his head hung low.

"I-I didn't mean it like that…"

"It's fine, Abigail. I know you didn't mean anything bad."

The silence quickly returned to the two making it even more awkward than before. Abigail l started to say something, but was cut off by the bell ending the second period. Abigail gathered her things and threw it over her shoulder,

"Well, I'm going to head to class, but we should talk again sometime."

The boy nodded and waved goodbye. He chuckled, "What a strange girl." He raised the can to his lips, but stopped and gave a heavy sigh, "She didn't even ask what my name was."