Chapter 11: The Truth

Part 1 of 2: The Unknown

March 17th, 2016

Waiting was one of the most painful tasks that Tara had ever endured. It meant for her a lack of certainty, a lack of control. She couldn't stand it. Patience was a virtue, an incredibly important skill that involved retaining enough power over her skill so that she could stay calm for any future event. However, this was not waiting, because patience usually indicated preparing for something good.

But this was by no means good. It was hellish, in fact. Her friend had been gone for over a day. AJ hadn't even given any indication to where she was going, or really how long she would be away. All Tara knew was that, eventually, whether it be five minutes or five months, her friend would return. Tara couldn't shake the feeling that, even worse, AJ happened to be doing something incredibly dangerous. It nagged the back of her mind, seeping into her thoughts whenever she wasn't already thinking about it. There was no relenting from this grief that consumed her. He knew AJ was qualified, even more so than the rest of the P.O.N.Y's put together, yet she couldn't let go of the feeling that she would never be seeing her friend again.

Perhaps she wouldn't be so concerned if there also wasn't a shutdown looming over the operation as well. Tara wasn't feeling optimistic about that either. What would she even do after this was over? Where could she go? For all she knew, her family thought she had died months ago, or they were dead themselves. Even if that wasn't the case, she couldn't face them again. She didn't want to see their sob-contorted faces. That would surely break her.

"I am so fucking bored," Dash groaned from elsewhere in the sleeping quarters.

Maybe I'll get broken anyway, Tara couldn't help but think with a sigh. None of the girls saw any point in training further. They were probably going to be disbanded, regardless of how well they could do in combat. As such, the five girls lay pathetically in their bunks, allowing the time to endlessly pass by. Tara checked the time; nearly eleven at night. She hoped that, maybe, the other girls would fall asleep, and leave her alone with her thoughts.

Yet no one could sleep, and in truth, none of them expected any less.

"You know, Dash," Rachel said. "You don't have to be lying here. You're perfectly allowed to run around the track, or something."

"Not in the mood," stated the rebel. "I need to stretch my limbs; get out in the field. Maybe kill something."

"She's totally right, by the way," Pinky chimed in from above. "Lying down isn't my thing."

"No one is forcing you to lie down either, Pinky," Rachel stated once more.

"Yes, you are," Pinky retaliated. "I'm sticking with you guys, and you all want to sit in here like a bunch of sacks of flower. So here is where I'll stay."

"That's sweet… I guess," Tara said. "But maybe we should get up. Exercise is good for cleansing the mind."

"True," Rachel chimed in. "It provides a healthy amount of endorphins that stimulate the blood flo—"

"Okay, I'm out!" Dash said loudly, hopping to her feet. She raced out the door, with Pinky energetically trailing behind. Rachel sighed, and jumped down from her bead. She picked up her white cane off of the floor, and carefully followed the others. Tara smirked. She needed something new to happen, or else she feared that she might have gone insane form the waiting.

But then, Tara noticed Fiona lying in the bunk across from her, back turned and breathing slowly. The girl appeared to be sleeping, and from the gentle heaving of her back, Tara assumed she was having sweet dreams as well. Unfortunately, Tara did not know whether to let the girl sleep or not. This was the second time in the past week that Fiona had caught some decent slumber, and Tara didn't want to waken her again. Yet she specifically remembered Fiona stating that if she had any problems at all, they were always open to discussion. And, as it so happened, Tara currently had a lot of problems. Still, it stood to reason that five more minutes of sleep wouldn't kill anyone, and so Tara, trying to stay quiet, opened the door.

"What do you think will happen to us?"

Tara nearly jumped out of her skin, and yelped, her hand rattling on the doorknob.

"Oh, sorry," Fiona said, quieter. "I thought you knew I was awake."

"If I did, you wouldn't still be there," Tara responded. She lightly patted Fiona on the back. "Come on. Let's go spar a little. We can talk."

"I don't feel like getting up," Fiona sighed. "I don't really feel like doing much."

"You mean, you just want to be left alone in here?" Tara asked, skeptical. "In this tiny, quiet, lonely, dark room, you want to be completely alone?"

"I don't get that easily scared," Fiona said, knowing that if anyone else had said the same thing, she would have been insulted. "Besides, what's the point?"

"Keeping our hopes up, that's the point," Tara said cheerfully. "And what did you mean about what's going to happen to us?"

"Tara, you know what I mean," Fiona sighed. "P.O.N.Y… it's not going to stay around. They say their still deciding, but really, they already know. We'll be split up, sent far away from each other, back to live our old lives again." Fiona sighed. "But I hated my old life. I didn't have any friends. No one talked to me, or said hello, or cared about what I did. These past few months have been the only real times I felt like a person, you know? And… I don't want to lose that."

"Fiona, everything is going to be fine," Tara said, trying to hide the uncertainty in her voice. "Even if P.O.N.Y. does get broken up, we're not going to abandon each other. We're friends. We can always stay in touch."

"That's easy for you to say," Fiona said softly. "You have a family to go back to…"

Tara wasn't sure how to feel. She knew full well that she could never let Fiona know her true feelings; feelings of loneliness, self-doubt, confusion, hate, sadness. Fiona already had so little, and Tara had a sincere feeling that she was one of the last things Fiona had left to anchor onto. So, Tara did the one thing a leader should do. She brushed aside her feelings, taking care of each individual demon so that it could no longer haunt her. She took a deep breath, and stated as confidently as she could,

"P.O.N.Y. isn't going to break apart."

Fiona flipped herself over, looking at Tara with a mixture of confusion and hope. Hair covered most of her face, leaving only her bright green eyes exposed through a tangle of pink. Tara placed a hand on her friend's shoulder.

"We are a team," Tara said proudly. "It honestly doesn't matter what anyone else says. We've been through absolute hell together, and there is absolutely no way that we're going to let something like this end us. And if it does shut down? That doesn't matter, because we won't be. No one is going to get abandoned. That's the point of being friends. And…"

Tara sighed, and put on a grin.

"…if it really comes down to it, you can stay at my place. No rent needed."

Fiona scrunched her nose. With one swipe, she pushed the hair out of her face, revealing the faint traces of a smile plastered over a very doubting, quizzical expression. An expression that practically read, "You're ridiculous, Tara, but you're wonderful." Tara, now with a large smile herself, pointed at the door, and spoke in her best, most leader-like voice.

"Now, get out there and spar with me, you adorable, lesbian insomniac!" Tara ordered. Fiona couldn't help but burst into a fit of silent giggles, and pressed her face tightly into her bunk. Tara yanked on her friend's arm, and reluctantly, Fiona slid out. Without wasting a moment, she wrapped her arms around Tara's shoulders, and pulled her into a tight embrace.

"You rock, Tara," Fiona sighed. "You absolutely rock."

"Anything for a friend," Tara sighed as well. "You still totally have a crush on me, by the way."

"I still don't," Fiona said defensively, smiling still. "But I do appreciate being called adorable."

"Get moving," Tara groaned, hiding a laugh. Fiona broke off the hug, and held the door open for her best friend. Tara eagerly walked through, and Fiona hurried to the training room. Yet Tara paused mid-step, and turned the other way. She gazed up at the ceiling, towards the exit of Camelot. She let her thoughts go out to the world, knowing full well that they would not be heard. In her heart, though, she felt as if she would be.

Do you hear that, AJ? Tara thought with a grin. We're friends, and we look out for each other. So you better come back alive, you hear?

"Tara, come on!" Fiona shouted from twenty yards away. With one last sigh, Tara turned, and chased Fiona down the hall. Soon, everything would be back to normal. Soon, AJ would arrive, and soon, P.O.N.Y. would be left alone.

And Tara waited eagerly.

__________

342 Graver's Road. The haunting final destination. How long had AJ spent looking for it? Hours upon end, nonstop scanning of the streets of Philadelphia. She knew she was looking for a warehouse, and this took her to the most deserted, worn-down parts of the city. On any other occasion, she might have said she found success. She accidently stumbled across an illegal sex trafficking ring, much to her surprise. She made sure to take time out of her search to kill the seven guards and free the fifteen trapped women, which, on any other occasion, would have brought her a sense of accomplishment. She found a base for the recuperating Grizzlies, which were now under the management of one Mr. Henry Gonzales. AJ found the time to blow up the entire building with C4, and on any other occasion, she would have felt like something productive was done.

But she felt nothing like it. In her mind, it was just successive failure after failure. It didn't matter how many lives she saved, or how many criminals she killed. He was still out there, hiding, undoubtedly waiting for her arrival. And yet, she remained as lost as ever. AJ really wished that it would be as simple as typing in some numbers on a GPS, but alas, it appeared that the location had been entirely wiped from history. There were no phone records of it, no satellite images, and no other residences to even indicate that it had once been around at all.

AJ considered that might have been the case. Why would The Unknown bother giving her his exact location? For all he knew, she would show up with a squadron of the SWAT team, and destroy the whole of the property. So he gave her a fake address, to send her wandering around aimlessly, roaming the streets until she lost her will to continue on, or maybe went insane. Either or. She had no reason to trust in this information at all, and yet, here she was, wandering Philadelphia to find a terrorist, who, for some reason, she believed would give her all of the answers he was looking for. When it was put like that, AJ realized how incredibly stupid it sounded.

But her gut was telling her to keep searching, and so she looked. A day passed by without any further progress. AJ slept in an alley way with her hat folded over her eyes. She wanted to go back to Camelot, but her stubbornness kept her away; she refused to be labeled as a failure. No one bothered her, thankfully, nor did anyone try to steal Dash's motorcycle, which AJ had been using to ride around on, careless of what scorn she might receive later. Spring was arriving late, as there was a chill in the air when AJ searched up and down the streets again. She heard somewhere that it was supposed to rain heavily, but her resolve would not fade.

Finally, starved of food for two days and weary, AJ pulled to the side of the road, and punched her hand into the nearest wall. She rubbed her face forcefully with both palms, and then slid down the wall in anguish. AJ had finally come to the conclusion that she had been tricked. That simply had to be it. Why she ever decided to think that The Unknown would ever give her help? He was her enemy, a threat to everyone and everything she ever knew. There was no faith to be had. As AJ groaned into her hands, she felt ashamed of herself.

You're supposed to be better than that, AJ, she couldn't help but think. Mac taught ya to be better than to waste time chasing down bad leads. An' he taught ya to know bad leads, too. Why would ya ever even think that The Unknown would let ya find him by staying in the same city that—

And then, AJ had an epiphany. How could she have not seen it before, when it was right in front of her? It was so obvious, and yet stupidly, she had discarded the memory from long ago, thinking it had no meaning. As the rain started to pour on to her Stetson, AJ rose to her feet, and drove as fast as she could out of the city.

And now, midnight was fast approaching. While her friend unknowingly sent out a call for hope to the streets of Philadelphia, AJ was speeding down the highway, a trail of water kicking up behind her. Her bag hung around her torso, flapping in the heavy winds. Rain splashed constantly against her helmet in the pitch black of night. Her jacket was thoroughly soaked through, and her grip on the handlebars was slippery at best. But AJ was no dissuaded as she sped ever closer to the end.

With a crack of lightning signaling her arrival, AJ got off of the freeway, and followed the signs to the town of Delaport, Pennsylvania. There, using the dim lights of her bike to guide her, she navigated the narrow streets to Ymerton College.

AJ smirked underneath her helmet. She knew the town like the back of her hand, having spent an entire month living in it undercover. The Unknown had launched an entire raid of her school in this town, which meant he never intended to leave. He was never in Philadelphia at all. Why would he even allow himself and Discord and McCarther and Moon to all take residence in the same place? No, he was here. And AJ knew exactly where.

As the clock struck 11: 45, AJ passed by Ymerton College. It was equivalent to facing a ghost. In the darkness, no signs of life were present. AJ wondered how many kids had been scarred for life in this place. She thought of all of the youths who were hopeful for the future, to take off and soar, only to be shot down. How much innocence was forever taken that day, she asked herself. Because of her. Because of him.

No more, she thought, hate welling up inside her. She drove on, noticing how empty the streets were. No one dared to walk outside anymore. Fear had taken permanent residence in their hearts. At last, AJ found exactly what she was looking for. On the edge of town lay a series of warehouses, used to store materials mostly unseen by human eyes. No one really knew what was there, and no one really cared. As AJ entered Graver's Road, she once more took presence of the sheer lack of humanity; it was just her and the rain. On Graver's Road, there were many driveways which led to temporary housing, all of which had shut windows and locked doors. However, one address, 342, simply had a long dirt road, leading down a shady hill. AJ parked at the top of this road, and stared down into the abyss. She thought she could make out the eyes of a deer, gleaming in the moonlight. Perhaps it was taking shelter from the rain. AJ turned, and slowly descended down the path. Almost instantly, she came to a clearing. Miles of warehouses lined the path, each with a large, printed number on the roof.

However, AJ didn't need to see the numbers, for over one hundred yards away, she could make out the faintest of light shining through the rain. AJ sighed, and got off her bike. She slung her bag off of her shoulders, and plopped it on the ground. Unzipping it, she immediately pulled out her hat, and replaced the helmet with it, shaking around her damp hair. Then, she removed the rest of the bag's contents: two pistols, a light machine gun, four grenades, and two machetes, souvenirs from Vitrumia.

Okay, AJ, ya got this, AJ thought to herself. With her weapons strapped to her, and her hat tipped low, AJ began her assault on the warehouse. She kept low to the ground as she sprinted towards the illumination in the darkness. Occasionally, a flicker of light would burst from the heavens, exposing a girl madly running across the dampened earth. AJ was getting closer to her destination; only one hundred feet away now. Another flash of lightning, and AJ quickly slipped behind the cover of two barrels, which had been left out overnight. AJ peered her head over the barrels, but saw nothing. Could they see her? She couldn't afford to take a chance. She waited patiently for more lightning. Soon, she got her wish; a bolt struck down less than a mile away. AJ jumped up as fast she could, and with the thunder, fired five quick shots at the door.

But the bullets struck only steel; AJ was still alone. AJ looked around, confused. This was clearly the correct building, wasn't it? She gazed up. The number, "22", was painted in bold over the large steel entrance. AJ walked to the front of the warehouse. Surely, she had to be missing something. And, fortunately, she found out that she was correct. While the large, twenty-foot wide door was impressive, she had been looking at the wrong place. Painted on the gate, in pure white color, was an arrow, heading to the right. AJ stepped around to the side (but not before peering around the corner with dual pistols at the ready), and discovered that there was a rusty red door, leading straight inside. AJ walked to the door, and read the words hastily written on it in the same white coloring as before:

Knock

AJ looked at the sign quizzically. She tilted her head, and tapped her fingers against her hip. She briefly looked around, but no one else was present. Attached to her left side was her machete, which she gripped with one hand, ready to strike if the need arose. With her free hand, she slowly reached for the door, and struck it thrice. After a few seconds of waiting, AJ hit the door again, this time much harder.

Suddenly, the door creaked open, only about two inches. The room inside was dimply lit, and AJ could only make out the silhouette of the man who peered through the door.

"What do you know?" he muttered. His voice was gravely, and sounded genuinely surprised. "A cowgirl, armed to the teeth, has showed up. Guess the boss wasn't losing his mind…"

The door opened fully, and a man, not much taller than she, stood in the opening. He waved her inside. It was so inviting; a chance to get out of the rain, out of the cold. But she collected her thoughts quickly. She was going into the headquarters of the enemy, and she needed to expect the worst. Never taking her hand off of the blade, AJ entered the warehouse.

Everything was brown and murky. The rain pounded hard against the metal ceiling. On the side of the wall was a tiny television, where several of the men watched a game of basketball unfold. There were only ten men in all, including the one holding the door open. At the back wall was a staircase, which led up into the ceiling. Directly in front of the steps were two lounge chairs, and two men, both of which clearly on drugs, were chatting to each other.

"I tell you, nigga," Jerome sighed. "We finally moving up, ya know what I mean?"

"Life has been going good," Anwar said. "By the way, young babe just walked in. Damn, she is something."

"I have fuckin' eyes, nigga," Jerome groaned. "You don't got to be narratin' everything."

"An' you still too uptight. I thought after we kicked that little white bitch out and ran over him with your car, you could at least smile, or some shit."

"I do smile," Jerome retaliated, taking in another smoke. "That's why I'm acting fucking positive. See, when a fellow man says he's movin' up in the world, then that mothafucka's bein' positive. Asshole."

AJ looked distastefully away from the two men. She could only assume that The Unknown lay past them, up the stairs. She immediately thought of something positive as well: If these were all of the men The Unknown had left after he lost his allies, then she could probably kill all of them right here and now. Sure, she wasn't entirely sure if she could beat The Unknown by herself, but she could easily weaken his plan. However, she remembered Mac's advice: never rush into things. Plan out each possible scenario before acting on your judgment.

Unfortunately, she hardly had time to think about such things when she heard hard breathing from behind her. The man guarding the door had walked behind her, almost pressing himself to her in a most unpleasant manner. AJ did nothing except mildly turn her head in the direction of the breaths.

"Aren't you the cutest little thing I've ever seen," the man whispered into her ear. He suddenly placed his hands on her hips, holding them closer together. "I see that you have plenty of guns, but that don't mean a thing. You talk the talk, but you can't really fight back, can you?"

The man decided to move even closer. His hands trailed downwards, grabbing onto AJs rear, and squeezing. Still, AJ did not move a muscle. Her hat hung in front of her eyes, and her arms dangled loosely at her sides.

"The boss doesn't know you've arrived," the man added, his head right next to AJ's ear. "None of these guys will help. Who needs to know that you showed up fifteen minutes early?" The man wrapped his arms around AJ's chest, and pulled her into him, nearly crushing her.

AJ grinned. In a flash, she drew out her machete, and, without even looking back, impaled the man in the groin. He screamed and stumbled backwards, falling to his knees. The seven men gathered around the television were shocked into an alert, and hurried to pick up their weapons. AJ moved fast; she leapt off of one of the boxes, and fell down with her knife extending through a man's head. Someone else had managed to pick up a gun, and took several shots in her direction. With haste, she scooped the body into her arms, and used it as a shield as she dashed towards the shooter.

But then, she felt someone take ahold of her arm. And then her other arm. And then another arm wrapped around her neck. The next thing AJ knew, she was being held down by three men, her machete fallen to the floor. She flailed her legs wildly, but couldn't get free. The man she had previously stabbed marched towards her. AJ struggled harder.

"You cut my fucking balls off!" he screamed at her. He angrily picked her knife up off of the floor. Blood ran down from his pants, creating a puddle underneath his feet. AJ's eyes widened in fear. She couldn't shake herself free. The machete was mere inches from her face, and she could barely do anything to stop it.

"Hold her still," the man declared. "I'm gonna make this one slow."

At that moment, a ferocity awoke inside of AJ that she barely knew existed. She had come too far to die. Answers were right in front of her face, and she refused to let them escape now. She was better than these men. She knew it. She would not go quietly into the night, and she was about to prove it. AJ closed her eyes, anticipating each movement her enemy could make. She felt a sudden rush of energy, hearing the rapid attack of her foe.

When the man jutted out his arm, AJ shot her eyes open. She launched herself in the air, and wrapped her free legs around the man's arm. She twisted around, hearing the crunching of breaking bone. The man was thrown of balance, and was dove towards the guard holding AJ's right arm. The blade struck the unarmored flesh, cutting a deep wound into his chest. Before he even had time to react, AJ had freed her hand, unsheathed her other blade, and stabbed it through her attacker's neck, the steel breaking through the top of his skull.

AJ slipped out of the grasp of her other two captors, and sliced at their legs; only one of them was knocked off balance. The other charged at her, and she cartwheeled away from his kicks. In her peripheral vision, she saw another two men coming at her. Out of the ten men in the room, two lay drugged in the corner, one lay dead, and two were wounded.

This was where AJ got to shine.

AJ's hand slipped down to her belt, and she unhooked a grenade. She charged at the two soldiers, causing them to briefly panic. In that short amount of time, AJ pulled the pin out of her grenade, and placed it into one of the man's grip. She reached for his arm, and slammed him into his comrade, causing them to slide to the door. Someone tried to throw her with them, but she used them as a springboard, launching her to the other side of the room.

BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM

Limbs flew across the room in a shower of blood. AJ shook her head as she rose from the floor. She had cut it too close; she felt the flames on her back. All she could make out was white noise. She hoped that luck was on her side, and the soldiers in the room were just as dazed, if not more. Next to her, Jerome and Anwar covered their ears.

"Man, its loud in this bitch," Anwar muttered to himself, unaware of the danger present. AJ paid no mind to him, however, and focused on the others in the room. The blast had been effective, but she was in no mood to replicate such an attack. AJ pulled her pistol out, and took deep breaths to steady her hand. It was difficult to aim when the entire world was rotating beneath her. AJ knew that firing randomly into the darkness would be the most effective way of taking down threats. Unfortunately, she also knew that the less gunshots she had to hear with sensitive ears, the better off she would be.

Why does this place have to be so damn dark? AJ thought angrily. She couldn't make out any movements among the shadows. All she could think of was the potential of someone about to kill her. For all she knew, there could be a man two feet in front of her face, about to cave her face in. She sighed, and realized being careful with her aim was no longer an option. AJ threw the pistol to the ground, and whipped out her machine gun. Using her left hand to cup her ear, AJ held out the gun with one hand, and sprayed it around the room. Her teeth clenched tightly together as the weapon shook violently, bullets bouncing off of the walls like rubber. Someone cried out; maybe a flesh wound, or perhaps a kill. AJ couldn't tell.

Twenty seconds passed, and AJ removed her finger from the trigger. Everything was deadly silent. Finally, AJ could stop stuttering, and open her eyes. It was still dim, but at least she could make out the forms of her foes. Aside from the one killed by her blade, and the chunks of the grenade victims, there were two dead littering the ground, one of them having suffered a previous wound to the chest. The other three men were keeping low to the ground, trying to regain a sense of their surroundings.

These guys just don't quit, do they? AJ cursed in her mind.

Her blades had scattered across the room from the explosion, both of them falling behind the enemy. Furthest to her left, one of the goons noticed the weapon, and turned to run for it. He immediately became the target. AJ sprinted after him, covering the many yards in an instant. By the time the soldier had crawled his way to the machete, AJ was right behind him. She pressed onto his back with her palms, and front-flipped over him, landing with her foot planted firmly into his outstretched hand. She turned around quickly, booting the soldier in the head. A bloody tooth popped out of his mouth and sailed through the air. Without losing momentum from the kick, AJ spun again, scooping her foot down, and kicked the blade into the air, which she easily caught. She dove onto her target, planting the steel into his chest. More blood poured from his mouth as he gagged and gurgled in his final moments.

Out of the corner of her eye, she spotted movement; a man rising to his feet. AJ casually looked at her weapon. She was no longer playing around; almost all interest in fighting eluded her. It was almost comical how quickly her mind had changed. In a flash, she had decided to change from fighting to for revenge, to fighting to see the blood pour from her foes' wounds. In a way, she was almost more pleased with her actions than before, if only on a deeper level. Maybe this was a very bad thing for her psyche. Or maybe she was always fighting for the sake of it, and prior to this moment, she was just seeking an excuse. Either way, she had two more men to kill. One of them was lying on the floor, and the other was just standing there, ripe for the picking.

AJ glanced back and forth between the man and her blade. Then, she yanked the machete out of the bloody flesh, and threw it towards her newest victim. It spun wildly through the air, eventually connecting the man on his right shoulder, where the steel embedded itself. The man yelled out in agony before he was brutally punched in the face. AJ forced him back, landing blow after blow to his already weakened body. She brought up her knee, striking him in the jaw. He fell to the floor with a thud, and groaned.

Still, AJ would not let up. She grabbed him by the arm, pulling sharply upwards while bending at an opposite angle. She planted her boot into the crook of his neck. She heard him scream in agony, and then the calming sound of tearing muscle. With one final tug, she broke his elbow, and dropped his limp arm to the ground. But it still wasn't enough for her. Her body craved more. She justified her actions by claiming that this man worked for a terrorist, and it calmed her mind enough for her to stop thinking she was a psychopath.

"Please, no more," begged the man, lying pathetically on the ground. AJ knelt down, took him into his arms, and began to choke him. He clawed desperately at her forearm with his last good hand. He made a terrible wheezing noise in protest, but AJ only squeezed tighter. Finally, his pained breaths slowed, his eyes rolled back into his head, and he stopped fighting back.

"Oh God, you killed him!"

AJ turned towards the last man alive. His knee was cut up; having no means to stand, he crawled backwards away from the lone P.O.N.Y, trying his best not to show his fear. He was failing miserably at it.

"Just… just let me go. I beg you," he whimpered. AJ removed her machete from the corpse, and advanced.

"Why should I let you live?" AJ spat at him. "After the shit you've done, I should make you suffer."

"I-I have a f-f-family," he cried. "I just want to s-s-s-s-see my l-l-little girl ag-again."

AJ sighed. For a but a moment, an image of a crying young girl appeared in her mind. She was crying over the fact that she was an orphan, the fact that she was all alone in the world. But to AJ, the poor, tearful blonde in her head was just a shadow, nothing to pay mind to. And so, she took another step forward.

"You held me down and tried to let one of your friends have their way with me," AJ stated. "To me, there aint no excuse to help ya."

"C'mon, please!" shouted the man. "You're just a kid! You don't have to kill me."

"I need to do my job," AJ said, raising her machete for one final strike. "And executing targets is a part of that."

"I promise I won't do anything bad again!" the man shouted louder than ever, raising his hand in a futile attempt to shield himself. "I'll change! I can change! Just have mer—"

SHLK

The steel penetrated the man's neck, causing blood to spurt from the wound. His tongue fell out of his mouth, hanging there as if he were a dog. His eyes were wide, big blue orbs gazing at an unimportant spot in the sky. AJ sheathed the blade, causing the man to collapse to his back. He stared at the ceiling, struggling to get air into his lungs. AJ walked past him. There was no point in trying to save him; nothing she could do could stop the bleeding. Besides, she had no incentive to save him. He was a crook, a thief, and probably a murderer. Probably, was what AJ was telling herself.

"Shit, it just got real quiet man," Jerome sighed. AJ recollected her weapons, which were scattered everywhere and soaked on assorted blood. Her machetes were attached to her hip, and her pistols were back in her hands, resting comfortably in the groves of her palms.

"Man, I think everyone is dead," Anwar said, looking around. "I don't see any fucking people here."

"You think this bitch knows what happened?" Jerome asked, nodding in AJ's direction.

"Ask her, nigga," Anwar sighed. He shifted around to make himself more comfortable.

"Okay, okay. Chill, dog," Jerome said. He waved at AJ. "Yo, you know why everyone is laying around n' shit?"

AJ just stared quizzically at the drugged man. She was not in the mood to be wasting her time with them. They couldn't possibly pose a threat; they could barely stand up. With a groan, AJ walked towards Jerome, and put the gun to his forehead.

"Shut the fuck up!" she yelled harshly. Jerome backed away in panic.

"Oh fuck me," he muttered. "Look, we wasn't doin' nothin', alright? Chill the fuck out."

"You work for the person who stays here?" AJ asked accusingly.

"That creepy mothafucka?" Jerome asked. "Yeah, me and my boy here just started two weeks ago. Sonuvabitch said he could supply us with some ample shit, so we signed on. Been sitting here for two weeks doing nothing, I'd say."

"'Cept smoking," Anwar chimed in.

"Yeah, woman, cut us a fucking break," Jerome said. AJ with little thought or effort, flipped around her pistol so that she held it by the barrel, and smacked Jerome with the handle. He fell back into his chair, rubbing his head and cursing away. Some part of AJ's mind told her to waste him, but she suddenly remembered why she was on a mission in the first place. The Unknown was waiting for her.

With a sigh, AJ walked towards the stairs, and ascended into the ceiling. Once she was at the top, she came to a single hallway, with a single door at the end. The hall had just been refurbished; everything was made of calming wood instead of rusty steel. There was even carpeting lining the floor. Something about the carpeting seemed so familiar to her, but she couldn't put her finger on what it was. Same with the walls; something was innately charming about them, and it brought a sense of happiness to her heart. But as for why, AJ had no idea. All she knew was that everything seemed far too familiar for her own good.

AJ took a step forward, keeping her pistol trained on the door. He would burst out and attack her any minute, she just knew it. Yet the door was still. Was he waiting for her to open it? Should she even take the risk? No, she had to go in there if she was to succeed. She was just psyching herself out, that was all. Nothing was overtly familiar about the hallway; she was just nervous about what lied ahead. The door got even closer, inch by inch. Her hand was trembling. She remembered Vitrumia; she couldn't beat him in hand-to-hand combat. She could die right now, if she wasn't careful. No, she had to say confident. She was only making things worse by thinking like that. Everyone was counting on her. Celestia, Tara, P.O.N.Y, Mac; she needed to make them all proud. It was her mission. It was her duty. It was her life.

The door was now directly in front of her. On the other side, she would have to face The Unknown. AJ took a deep breath, and steadied her weapon.

No fear, no worries, no regrets, AJ told herself. No fear, no worries, no regrets.

AJ reached out towards the door. Her palms were sweating.

No fear.

AJ touched the handle; the metal was cool against her skin.

No worries.

AJ took another deep breath. Time seemed to slow down. Every aspect of her thought focused in on her, this door, and what was on the other side. AJ closed her eyes.

No regrets.

AJ's eyes shot back open. With all of her strength, she kicked down the door. In one fluid motion, she rolled into the dark room, sprung back to her feet on the collapsed entrance, and pointed her weapon into the darkness.

All that was present in the dark room was a round table. It wasn't a fancy table, made of any rare materials. Just simple lumber, from an unknown tree, from an unknown place. But it was a very important table. For at this table, far back in the room, was a man. This man had his back faced to the doorway, and he stared at the opposite wall. AJ noticed that there was, in fact, more to the room than she noticed. On the back wall, opposite from the door, was a wall covered with six television monitors. Every single one of them displayed a different news station, which the man watched with great interest.

But the man sitting at the table attracted more interest from AJ. He wore a black suit, shirt tucked neatly into his pants. He tapped the ground with his shoe in a steady rhythm, hitting the ground every ten seconds. Black, leather gloves fitted perfectly over his hands. A black hat rested comfortably atop his head. His hair was an unknown color, as were his eyes, as was his skin, as his face was blanketed by a mask of pure white.

He was The Unknown, and he was certainly not afraid. In fact, AJ wondered if he even noticed her presence. He didn't make any sudden movements towards her. All he did was stare endlessly at the television screens. They news displayed reports of the Vitrumia incidence, WMH Eterprises, overall output of oil by the United States, all of which must have held some vital importance to the terrorist. But AJ knew it wouldn't matter. It was over. All she had to do to end it all, and bring peace to her life, was pull the trigger. He couldn't fight back. He wouldn't fight back. She could do it so easily. She could make everyone proud by firing a single bullet.

AJ would have smirked if she were not so determined. She locked in on The Unknown's masked head. He still didn't move; however, his foot had stopped tapping. AJ placed her finger on the trigger, and began to pull, began to end her grand crusade.

But, all of a sudden, she stopped dead in her tracks, finger stil on the trigger, when The Unknown finally said something:

"You're going to die."

AJ paid no attention to what he had to say. Like a machine, she automatically began to shout at him.

"Don't move!" she screamed. "Don't you dare fucking move."

"You're going to die," The Unknown repeated, this time with slightly more force.

"By the decree of the government of the United States," AJ said angrily. "You're under arrest on accounts of mass murder, conspiracy against the law, and crimes against—"

"Stop rambling for one moment, and listen to me," The Unknown said, clearly more annoyed. "You are going to die."

AJ had no idea what the man was talking about. She was pointing a gun at his head, and somehow, she was going to die? She tightened her grip on her weapon, and took a step forward.

"Shut up!" AJ shouted. "Stop talking right now! You don't have the right to talk after everything you've done!"

"Will you listen to me for once?" The Unknown sighed. He stood up, and slowly turned around. AJ kept her pistol trained on his head.

"Listen to you!? Why the hell should I even keep you alive!? Do you even remember all of the danger you've put countless innocents through? All of the people you harmed? 'Because I do!"

"Put the gun down," The Unknown said calmly. "Calm yourself, Miss Balle. I don't want either of us to make a rash decision."

"Make a rash decision?" AJ said harshly. Every second she spent in this room boiled her blood further, increased her drive to an insurmountable level. She took the high in full force, and was expelling it as strong as she possibly could. "The only decision I can make is to end you now, or let you rot in a cell. There ain't no thought to that. Now get on the goddamn ground, put your hands on your head, and—"

"I'm trying to help you," The Unknown said suddenly. AJ stammered in place, momentarily speechless. He wasn't supposed to say that. He wasn't supposed to "help" her. He was the enemy, and the enemy could provide no help. She shook off her confusion, and gripped the gun even tighter, her knuckles turning white.

"Help me?" AJ asked skeptically. "Help me? Why would you ever want to help me? Better yet, why should I even trust you for a second? You sent over a hundred innocent students to their deaths. You've sent assassins after my friends, mercenaries after my family, and God knows how many times you almost ended my life. Because of you, everyone I know is suffering. Because of you, friends have been forced to leave their families behind, and put their lives on the line everyday just to keep this world safe. As far as I'm concerned, you're the one responsible for everything in my life getting fucked up. All you do is try to hurt people, and now, as you're threatening me, you say that you want to help!? I may not know much, but I sure as hell know who's on my side. Now, get down!"

The Unknown stood perfectly still, staring AJ head on through his white mask. He seemed to stare at her accusingly, as if she were the one who had caused so much pain and misery.

"You didn't listen to me," he finally stated. "I never said I was going to kill you; I just told you that you were going to die."

AJ blinked. She cocked her head to the side, curiously gazing at the man before her.

"What…" she asked softly. "What the hell are you talking about? You can't lie to me; I know your game. If you aint gonna kill me… who is?"

The Unknown bowed his head, and sighed heavily. From what AJ could tell, he was disappointed in her, as if she was supposed to hold the key to some great riddle all knew the answer to except her.

"Anna," The Unknown said. "I'm sorry that you don't know."

AJ took another step forward. Her finger itched; her body was yelling at her to just take the shot, and be done with it all. But something guided her, like a gentle whisper in her mind. Something within was telling her to sit and listen to the man who had been trying to kill her for six months. And for whatever crazy reason, she did.

"What don't I know?" AJ asked. "What are you hiding from me?"

"February 13th," The Unknown stated, clear and confident. "Mount Elbrus. You were hunting down two Russian mercenaries to locate your former general. The mission ended in failure, with Anthony Wilson turning up dead."

AJ was stunned. "How… how do you know that?"

"On your way to infiltrate the Korbalovs' hideout," The Unknown continued without missing a beat. "You accidently came into contact with a Molecular Adjustment for Continued Evolutionary Reform Device Module. The Device was triggered, giving you full contact exposure to the radiation it produced, severely altering your DNA."

"That's a lie," AJ stated with the utmost certainty. "That MACER Device may have given everyone else powers, but to me, it did nothing. It failed."

"The MACER Device has never failed," The Unknown said sternly. "It's impossible that it failed, especially since it affected everyone else in the vicinity. No… your DNA was altered. You just didn't know."

"I would know—"

"You wouldn't," The Unknown cut her off almost instantly. "All DNA is unique. Everyone is affected differently. When you're allies were altered, their powers could be controlled, or were triggered by a specific contextual action. But there are plenty of others who have been altered passively, on a genetic level alone. People who would never even know they've been altered at all, until that new mutation takes effect… like it has started to in you."

"Take effect?" AJ asked. She couldn't help but glance down at itself, already knowing that she would see nothing. Quickly, her eyes shot back up, just in case The Unknown had tried to do anything sneaky. But he hadn't; he just stood there, "helping" her.

"That's how you're dying, Anna-Jean," The Unknown sighed. "Genetically, you've been altered. It cannot be undone. In time, you will truly see the effect of your mutation. Would you like to know what it is?"

No, AJ thought to herself. She would have preferred to ignore his words all together. He had to be spewing nonsense by this point. There was not a chance in the world that she was dying. She was in the perfect physical and mental condition; a soldier trained to be strong, resourceful, durable. Besides, she wasn't even a MACER. The Device failed, and she was not affected. The Device failed, and she was not affected.

The Device had to of failed. She was not dying. It was as simple as that. And yet, The Unknown, seemingly unaware of this truth, continued to talk to her.

"I've seen your blood," he said dryly. He sounded almost saddened to talk about such a thing, which was yet another thing AJ found surprising. He should have been telling her this news with great excitement, and yet, he remained somber throughout, as if sharing her pain. AJ took another step closer, trying to reclaim a strong presence that was briefly lost.

"My blood? How did you even—"

"When Chrysalis infiltrated your base," he stated. "I discovered that you were to take blood tests. A safety protocol, not that it should be unexpected by the likes of your leaders. Chrysalis, despite her worthlessness, was able to send me some rather clear samples through the computer. It only took but a few hours for me to understand what had happened to you… your cells are dying prematurely."

"That's… that's impossible," AJ reassured. "How the hell is that even—"

"Please stop interrupting," The Unknown groaned. "Listen… do you know why humans grow old? It's due to our cells running out of vitality, and newer cells cease to replace them. Stem cells get shorter, skin cells stop dividing, and in the end, you age and die. When you were hit by the MACER Device, the process that occurs in every human being increased its rate of production."

"Do you want to know how you'll end up dying?" he continued coldly. "It won't be a sword through your guts, or a bullet through your skull… in the end, your body will kill itself. Its subtle now, and for some time, it will stay that way. You'll barely notice anything until your mid-twenties. By then, the process would have begun to rapidly increase. You'll get older and older as each year passes, your youth blowing away into dust. Eventually, you'll be physically twice your age, old and useless due to the cruel weaknesses of your own body. You'll die a withering husk, scraggly, unable and pathetic, while everyone you know continues to stay young and strong."

AJ stared at The Unknown, trying as hard as she could to hide her sense of horror behind a cold stare. The Unknown sighed, saddened.

"Your life is on a timer, Anna-Jean," he stated. "Honestly, I doubt you'll ever make it to forty."

"You're lying," AJ snapped. "I'm not dying. I would know if I'm dying."

"You can refuse your fate all you wish, but it won't change anything," The Unknown stated. "You were exposed to the MACER Device, and now, you pay the price for it. As does everyone, I suppose."

"Just shut up, will ya!?" AJ screamed. She felt her control on the situation loosening. No, she felt control on her life loosening. Despite her constant hope that she was being tricked, she could see that she was being told the truth. She could easily tell when she was being lied to; and unfortunately, The Unknown seemed to be entirely honest with her. She was starting to feel it as well. Deep down inside, she could feel her body wasting away. All at once, she seemed to grow old and frail. Her skin turned pale, and her muscles atrophied so badly that she could barely stay balanced. Wrinkles covered her body, and her hair turned white, growing longer and longer. Her imagination ran wild, out of her control. Against her will, she pictured herself aged and alone, wheezing terribly in a chair, trying to catch her breath to stave off her inevitable demise, which only grew closer and closer. In a single moment, she felt all of the worst feelings she had ever experienced: terror, shame, inadequateness, self-disgust; all things AJ had never even known she feared until this moment.

"I'm just trying to help you understand," The Unknown sighed. "Just in case any of those psychopaths you work for try to convince you that being hit by the MACER Device was something good. After all, they did fail to inform you about your condition."

"Don't talk about them like that," AJ growled. "You don't understand them. You don't understand anything. I'm sure they know what they're doing. Hell, maybe they don't even know. Maybe there is nothing to know. You go on and tell me about bein' a Macer, an' yet you don't understand any of it yerself!"

"Of course I understand what I'm talking about," replied The Unknown. "Why shouldn't I know how the MACER Device works… I'm the one who built it."

AJ froze. It couldn't possibly be true. He was bluffing, playing with her mind, just like he had been when he told her about her DNA. But as she struggled to comprehend his statement, something suddenly clicked in her mind. She recalled words from her superior, many months ago, about who built the MACER Device. She very specifically remembered how that man had apparently gone crazy, selling his tool for good to criminal forces out of personal vengeance. And, perhaps more importantly, how he had died of cancer many years ago.

AJ failed to hide her surprise well. With her mouth askew, she barely managed to breathe out her next few words.

"Dr. Murphy," she whispered. At the sound of that name, The Unknown tilted his head, saying nothing. "You're… you're Murphy… the man who created the MACER Device fifteen years ago."

The Unknown stared her down. Suddenly, with his identity revealed, he seemed to grow less frightening by the second. Slowly, AJ got back her resolve, and began to wield her weapon more confidently. How tame the threat seemed to her now. In fact, she felt stronger than ever; she had finally figured out who was underneath the mask. This, to her, was a major victory all in itself. When The Unknown finally did speak, it was in dismay.

"Anna-Jean," said The Unknown. "I don't—"

"Don't you dare try to play dumb with me!" AJ shouted, stepping even closer to the terrorist. She was less than ten feet away now, and began to spew forth everything she knew about the man before her. "I've been told all about you, and your machine. I know about your terminal cancer; how you tried to alter yer DNA to save yer own life. I know it failed, and you went so goddamn crazy that you sold all yer tech to every psychopath you could find. You almost cost a lot of good people their lives with yer stupid selfishness, and even when you had a chance to redeem yourself, you refused, like the scum of the earth that you are. I don't know how you survived, or how you escaped from such tight security, but I won't let you cause any more trouble like that again. Now…" AJ smirked. "Tell me how fuckin' wrong I am."

Silence filled the room. AJ could feel her heart beating in her ears. It felt like she was beating down a giant, crunching the once monstrous entity into nothing. Her hand trembled against the grip of her pistol, blood racing through her veins in what could have been one of the greatest adrenaline highs of her life. She could feel his shock at her knowledge; she could see how nervous he appeared just standing before her. It was truly a tremendous feeling, one that she certainly needed to ride out.

But suddenly, AJ's grin vanished, as The Unknown began to laugh. It started as a low chuckle, before he burst into a mad fit of laughter. He crossed his arms over his chest, and shook his head in disapproval. AJ kept her gun trained on the man's head, pondering if he had just lost his mind.

What the hell are you laughin' about? AJ coulnd't help but wonder. As if reading her thoughts, The Unknown straightened himself out enough to speak.

"Dr. Murphy?" he asked aloud, almost insultingly. "Cancer? Black mark— What the hell are you babbling about? I mean, I understand that you've been lied to your whole life, but to be told an entire fable about the past… those men will do anything to make themselves look good."

"Are you trying to psych me out?" AJ asked. "Cuz it aint working. I know what I've been told."

"Oh, AJ," The Unknown sighed. "Would you like to know what really happened, instead of being told this censored, self-righteous nonsense of fiction? Do you want to know what actually happened during the development of the MACER Device?"

AJ remained silent. Like before, she felt as if hearing what he had to say would only damage her further. She already had enough lies to deal with. However, also like before, some part deep in her mind instructed her to listen to every last detail, as if, somehow, it was something she needed to know. And so, AJ did nothing except keep the gun trained at her enemy's head.

"It was really just about fifteen years ago," The Unknown began. "I had spent my entire life studying the genetic code of human beings. It was quite a fascination to me. The vastness of possibility that lied in the genome amused me so much. However, more than that, I was amused by the amount of empty space; the great gaps left for evolution to fill. I dreamed of what could possibly be our next stop. What new talents would human beings developed as they evolved further? It killed me inside knowing that I would never be able to see it. So, one day, I decided that I would rush along the process. If I could trigger something in the human body to speed along the course of history, then I would finally be able to see the greatness of what humanity could be."

"Unfortunately, I was not in a position to make my dreams a reality. Not only did I have a wife and child to attend to, but I couldn't fund the machine itself, let alone build one. I lacked the resources, and the talent. I proposed my idea to every major research firm in the country, but was always rejected. They said it was a scientific impossibility. Some argued that it went against all ethical codes. I was running out of options, so I turned to the last people I thought could help me: the government. It took me months to finally propose my theory. I was sent to meet some people, and I went into great detail about the metaphysics of such a device, and how, if it were to work, it could provide fascinating advancements in medical research. I've only seen a face as happy as those one other time in my life."

"Within the year, research started. It was a simple deal: I would tell the engineers what to build, and they would build it. Once they closely heard what I had to say, they worked as fast as possible. My overseer was a woman named Celestia, who seemed gentle enough for a political operative. She told me how much hope she had for the project, and in some ways, it gave me the confidence that I could actually succeed. She told me that I would be in charge of where to take the team, and that they should listen to everything I say. It seemed almost too good to be true."

"Before I knew it, we began human testing. We started with those who were terminally ill, just to see if anything would happen to their bodies. Quickly, we received hope that the MACER Device would work: one of the patients of miraculously cured of her HIV. Out of a dozen tests, five of them showed remarkable progress in ways we couldn't even fathom. Unlimited stamina, quickened reflexes, a remarkable resistance to high voltages; people were evolving right before our very eyes. Unfortunately, that was also the time we realized our mistake. Since everyone was different, no one could keep track of what mutation would occur. One of our test patients was instantly turned into a gelatinous mess after exposure. To me, the MACER Device was already a failure. If I couldn't guarantee its safety, then I saw no point in continuing research on the project. If I had my way, then it would have ended long ago."

"But my peers had other ideas. They marked off the disastrous failures as 'glitches', demonstrating their carelessness. To them, if they could just find a way to stabilize the Device, there wouldn't be a problem. I knew it was impossible, but to them, the MACER Device was far too… marketable, to be a failure. Celestia told me to keep developing the project. Though I didn't want to, I needed the money, and as I saw it, since no one truly was hurt who already wasn't on death's door, it wasn't entirely unethical. So we continued, except this time, we began to experiment on anyone we could find. They said they needed to determine whether normal individuals could handle exposure to the device. However, sometimes I noticed that they were attempting to sabotage the tests, wanting to see the full consequences of failure. I soon realized why they wanted to continue testing; to weapon-ize the MACER Device. Imagine an entire military force comprised of Macers, or imagine what could happen if a Device went off at an enemy base, set to malfunction so to corrupt the DNA of all inside. I realized this far too late, however. Nothing could stop the testing. Even Celestia's sister was exposed to the Device accidently, and yet this did not dissuade her. In fact, she went on as confident as ever before. But I was growing sick of it all, and was considering leaving, finding work elsewhere."

"The final straw for me came one day a few months later. Without my knowledge or permission, the United States had secretly sent out files pertaining to the MACER Device to England, Russia, and China. For profit. Celestia personally told me that it had been a leak, and the government had not intended to sell such information. But I knew better than that, and she was a terrible liar. I decided to leave, and she even confessed to me that the money gained by selling such information could be enough to sustain my family for the rest of their lives. I promptly resigned, defeated and ashamed of what became of my greatest work. I went to work elsewhere, but I managed to keep track of what had become of the Device. England was using it to secretly develop new medical benefits for their military forces. Russia used it greatly as a means of punishment for federal prisoners, hoping that it would cause them insufferable pain. In China, they took apart the entire Device, and reassembled it into something known as the LN-772, a slow, painful procedure that was intended to give its subjects intense mental and physical powers. And if it wasn't inhumane enough, all ten of its test subjects were young boys, no older than five. That was what became of my precious MACER Device in the end. The community in which I placed all my trust had sold my gift away for top-secret pacts, and money, and fame. They enjoyed a life of luxury as the subjects had their live altered forever."

The Unknown tipped his head, and sighed.

"One month later, they finally realized the error of their ways. A series of unfortunate accidents took way which they could have never expected. In America, a soldier who had been exposed to the MACER Device went mad, found an old sword, and butchered thirty-two men using his powers before disappearing into the night. In Russia, two prisoners were exposed to the Device, and given unbelievable strength and durability. They destroyed the entire prison, killing everyone inside, and then went marching on a mad rampage throughout the countryside. In China, the LN-772 process proved to be too much for the young children, and they used their incredible talents to tear apart the facility. Several had to be shot down, while the others escaped. And this wasn't all. All around the world, these incidents broke out, costing hundreds their lives. News about the MACER Device threatened to seep out into the world, inciting mass panic."

"The blame shifted immediately to the United States. They were accused of being careless with the Device, giving the secrets over to other countries before it had even been tested properly. Some claimed that this was intentional, as if the States had wanted other countries to be blamed for such madness, while the government could look like heroes for cleaning up the mess. Blame was passed back and forth for weeks, as each nation tried to figure out what to do. It was unanimously agreed that all MACER Devices should be disposed of, and that America should be the one who has to keep them in storage. All testing had to cease immediately, and all Macers needed to be rounded up as fast as possible. Our government was still receiving the blame. No matter what they did, no country could trust their decisions. It was decided upon that something needed to be done, the blame needed to be passed to someone, anyone else in the world. We told the other countries that they were not to blame for such horrible mistakes, and that someone else had been manipulating their decisions with incomprehensible greed. Even though the others accepted this excuse, how were they supposed to trust us anyway? What if we were working with the true evil of this problem? There was only one way that the government could save their own hide, and tie up all loose ends."

The Unknown spoke very softly now, his head aimed at the floor. AJ stared him down across the length of the barrel intensely, hanging on every last word.

"I remember the day so clearly. The sun was shining brightly that day, and I could finally send some free time with my family. We went out that day, my wife and my children happy as could be. Everything was so peaceful, calming. I had not a care in the world. When I got home, I played with my children, as a good father always should. And then, before I knew it, everything ended in a flash… with my daughter having to watch her family die right before her eyes."

The Unknown looked up at AJ.

"Tell me, Anna-Jean..." he said. "Have you ever wondered what a coincidence it was that MacDonnell Clive just happened to be driving by your home that day as it burned to the ground?"

The question hit AJ like a ton of bricks. Her eyes went wide and her mouth ran dry. She wasn't sure whether to feel confused or terrified.

"How…" she stammered out. "… how do you know that?"

"Have you ever considered that maybe he was there not by fate, but because he was ordered to be there?" The Unknown asked further. AJ aimed down her sight at the man before her.

"How do you know that!?" AJ shouted, starting to shake.

"And maybe, just maybe, your house didn't get destroyed because of a gas leak, but by C4 planted throughout the structure?" he said further. "What if, by some chance, you weren't meant to survive that explosion, and it was just a fluke that you happened to be outdoors?"

"What… what the fuck are you talking about!?" AJ yelled. Why did her know so much about her family, she wondered. What sort of cruel joke was he playing on her?

"Maybe," The Unknown said sternly. "Maybe you were just another loose end to tie up, another witness to eliminate, even if you didn't understand anything going on around you. Maybe, an agent was sent to your home to slaughter everyone you knew, and leave you for dead. Maybe, perhaps, the man felt guilt at the very last moment, and couldn't handle leaving a little girl to die. So he went back, and tried to save the innocent, knowing how much his bosses would despise him for it. And so, he took the very last thing that was ever held precious by me… you."

"You're… you're lying…" AJ said angrily. She could feel her voice starting to break apart, as she slowly became more hysterical with each passing moment. "My family died in an accident. Mac would never—"

"He tried to do all he could to remain ethical," The Unknown sighed. "He had no problem with murdering those unworthy, but to him, a little girl was going too far. But his superiors were furious at him. You weren't meant to survive that day. Most likely, Celestia would have just shot you in the head and be done with it. But Mac persuaded her that you had other uses, and you could still be of value to them. So the government did the second best thing to you, which was the exact same thing they did to everything else… they weapon-ized you."

"That can't be… you don't know anything…" AJ said in a harsh whisper. Her words were getting lodged in her throat. He was lying to her, like always. He had to be.

"Do you want to know what the true torture was?" The Unknown asked. "It wasn't finding the body of my wife in the rubble. It wasn't having to live with the knowledge of my failures. It wasn't having to crawl my way back up through the criminal world just to discover what had been done to the last person I cared about. No… it was having to watch you turn into a killing machine against my will, knowing nothing could be done to save you. Your childhood was stripped away from you, AJ. Can't you understand what they did to you? A five-year old kid, taught how to take people's lives away from them. You were indoctrinated by them, giving you an unbreakable addiction to violence and bloodshed. You can never get away from it. I've seen you in combat; it consumes you, takes over every thought and action you have, twisting you into a psychopath."

"Shut up…" AJ said sacredly. "You don't know anything about me… you couldn't…"

"I spent the next eight years of my life trying to figure out a way to save you. I went to every criminal organization in the country, selling my services in exchange for government secrets. Slowly, I learned what had happened to you, in the most basic details. I discovered where you were, and who had taken you away. Through the grief of my life, I put together a plan to save you. It all relied on one crucial piece of information, which I was on my way to retrieving. All I needed to do was negotiate with a crime family, and be on my way to saving you. I was at the meeting with the Fuccio crime family, negotiating the price of what I thought to be the last bit of necessary information. And then, the unthinkable happened: you burst through the window, and began to kill everyone in the room. You worked like a machine, executing every last human being with ruthless efficiency. I hid under the table, horrified to watch what had become of you; I had no idea that this was what you were mutated into by those monsters. When you had finally finished, you pulled the gun on me. It had been so long since I had last seen you, but I never expected you to be so different. You walked around like a soldier, showing no care for the dead, and you spoke in that damn accent… it made me sick. And you… you didn't even recognize me…"

"Stop acting like you're my father!" AJ shouted as loud as she could. Her eyes were getting hot, and her hands were trembling so terribly that the gun was pointed towards the floor. "You can't be him! He's dead! You're lying to me!"

"I can only thank God that you let me live that day. I was so glad that you still had some humanity left inside of you, because I could finally put that piece of information to use. The plan had changed. I knew I couldn't undo all of the damage that had been done to you, make you unsee all of the horrors you've had to witness. I realized you weren't the priority anymore. It wasn't just about saving you… it was about making them pay for everything they had ever done to us. We needed to make sure nothing like that could ever happen to anyone ever again. And to me, the best place to start was with the man who stole you away from me. Thankfully, I had just discovered his address…"

AJ was furious. AJ was heartbroken. AJ was terrified. AJ was a bundle of every emotion of the spectrum clustered into a large, convoluted mess. She didn't know what to feel about anything anymore. The pressure was just growing and growing, and she felt like she was about to burst. She closed her eyes, and looked away, somehow hoping that she could block out the steady stream of information.

"I only wish it gave me pleasure to kill MacDonnel Clive," sighed The Unknown. "It was an easy enough task. He was resting comfortably in the dark, and all it took was a single flashbang to take him out of order. At the time, all I could feel was rage as I slowly beat the life out of him. He had taken so much away, and it only seemed fair. Now I wonder if he really deserved to suffer that long. He did save your life, after all. But that could never make me forgive him. In the end, he ended up taking a bullet through his head, and all evidence of murder was covered up. That was the start of all of this. Over the next five years, I constructed my final plan to bring closure to it all. It wasn't an easy process. I went around the world, recruiting all of the men and women I could find, whether it be psychopaths looking for a chaotic world, or an assassin looking for money, or a wealthy prince trying to help his nation. We put everything into motion months ago, but they are long gone. They were the ones who began my cause… but you can be the one who helps me end it."

"Help you!?" AJ shouted in rage. Her body was shaking uncontrollably, and she felt something hot and moist run down her cheeks. "Why would I ever help you!? Why should I believe anything you say! All you've done is try to kill me! How could you help me by trying to end my life!?"

"I saved your life!" The Unknown responded. "At every turn, I've done my best to make sure you survived. Back at Ymerton, when everyone around you was dying… you were to stay alive. They were ordered to bring you back, unharmed. When you were hunted by Discord's top soldiers, one of them nearly sniped you from behind. I saved you then by tackling him to the ground. When you were pinned down in the morgue, I was the one who reflected light off of Moon's gun to give away her position. When Chrysalis invaded your base, I instructed her to leave you, and all of your friends, unharmed. Sombra was ordered to keep you and your friends captured but uninjured. And… during each and every time we've encountered one another, including now… I could have killed you without a moment's hesitation. But I could never do that… we need each other now."

"Stop… lying…" AJ spat, her chest rising and falling with each heavy. The Unknown sighed, and took off his hat, placing it on the table.

"Anna-Jean, put the gun down," he said softly. "You don't need to do this. You're just as much of a victim as I am. You know that I'm telling the truth. Those people… those monsters don't care about you. Once you've outlived your usefulness, they'll cast you aside. They're heartless, Anna-Jean. They stole your family, your free-will, your life away from you. I've waited so long to see you again. Too long. And now, we have a chance to end it all. We can take back everything that was stolen from us. I'm begging you… help me fix this."

The Unknown gently reached towards his head, and began removing his mask. AJ's instincts told her to fire when she had the chance, but she couldn't. Tears were streaming steadily down her cheeks, and her throat knotted up. No matter what she did, she couldn't stop trembling, and she couldn't figure out why. AJ looked on with a sense of dread as The Unknown took off his mask, and laid it on the table. She could see his face from the dim light of the hallway. His blond hair was thin and unkempt, extending out in every direction. His face showed an unmistakable age, heavily layered with many years of sadness and brutality. He looked on at her nearly heartbroken, a man who had been through too much and retained too little. He looked at her gently, like she was the last innocent thing in the world.

He had her eyes.

"Please…" he spoke once more, barely above a whisper. "You're all that I have left."

AJ was overflowing with emotion. It was too much for her to keep inside. She felt so angry and sad, but she didn't know at whom. She was furious with Mac for stealing her, enraged at Celestia for lying to her about her past, irate at her family for abandoning her, sorrowful at the life she never got to have, jealous of her friends who had something to go back to, and so, so hateful of the man before her. Why was he telling her these things? Why would he have to take everything she knew and tear it all down? Why did everyone in her life have to keep lying to her? Now she just a useless, bundled-up pile of rage and discontent, and she didn't even know who was to truly blame. AJ couldn't take it anymore. Her body was a wreck, her mind was a wreck, her spirit was a wreck, and she felt like everything was out of her control.

And it was all because of her man in front of her. AJ clenched her teeth, lowered her weapon, and with trembling lips and tear-shedding eyes, lunged forward with all of her might.

"You liar!" was all AJ could shout as she swung the weapon at his head. Immediately, he came to life. He grabbed onto the gun, tore of the barrel, and shoved AJ back. AJ shot out another wild fist towards his head. Her hand was tossed away, and the next thing she knew, she was flying towards her enemy. She panicked, unable to save herself in time.

But suddenly, AJ felt herself get pulled into a soft embrace. She felt two strong arms wrap around her shoulders, holding her up gently. AJ was too stunned to move; her hands dangled loosely at her sides, still clutching a useless gun, while AJ rested her head on the man's shoulder. For a few moments, everything was still in the dark room.

And then, AJ began to sob. She broke down entirely, reduced to a mere child in his arms. The tears flowed freely now, burning AJ's cheeks as they went. She brought up her arms, and wrapped them around his back. She buried her head in the crook of his neck, allowing her body to be racked with tearful cries of anguish. The two stayed like this, motionless, with only the cries of the broken girl to fill the room.

It was now midnight. The date was March 18th, 2016. A father and daughter were reunited once more.

To Be Continued…