POV : Yamamoto Ren (Arcane Master)

"Behind you !" Hearing Natalie shout, I instinctively punch back. My elbow lands perfectly on the terrorist's nose, crushing it with terrifying force. In pain, the guy falls down while clutching his broken nose, issuing muffled curses.

His chain of verbal insults is, however, cut short by Natalie as her shuriken finds its way deep into the terrorist's throat. Eyes widened, the guy touches his throat as if to confirm something and falls backwards like a stringless puppet.

I take glance at the surrounding, littered around us are corpses of ten terrorists. Even in death, these bastards still glare at us using their soulless haunting eyes, but this doesn't have much effect on us as both me and Natalie have killed far more today.

It is to the point where we can casually flirt while slaughtering terrorists left and right. Even I must admit this is kinda fun. Watching your preys scream in terror as they run for their lives, begging you to let them go is surprisingly... Adictive.

Shaking my head, I shudder at the thoughts. Despite knowing I shouldn't have this kind of mindset, the instinct inside is too strong ! It keeps on whispering in my ears, guiding me towards what it calls 'the only option', murder. This isn't the first time I killed someone, so why now ? Just what is happening to me ? I-I...

"Are you alright, darlin' ?" Natalie voice breaks off the dark train of thoughts, pulling me back to reality.

I look at her, rubbing my head, then smile tiredly and answer. "It's nothing..." What a joke, even I don't believe such a cheap lie, not to mention a sharp woman like Natalie. But despite my half-hearted answer, Natalie surprisingly stops asking.

We walk in awkward silence for a few minutes when she suddenly turns back, her fragrance assaults my nostrils as she kisses me. "You, darlin', are the one I've chosen to give my virginity to, and despite how I look or act, my virginity was actually very valuable to me..."

She stops midway, looking at me in the eyes, that sad smile and the tears at the corner of her eyes make me feel like an asshole. "... And I gave it to you, because I'm helplessly in love with you, Ren, whether you know it or not. I've been for a long time and I just wanted you to know that I'm always here with you for as long as you need me. Okay ?"

I nod, feeling thankful towards Natalie, but also cursing myself for not noticing her feelings sooner. "So, want to tell me what's weighing down on your mind, Ren ?"

After a minute of hesitating, I answer. "It's killing... Don't be mistaken, I'm not like those old school heroes, who absolutely despise killing, but I've also never taken joy in taking lives either. Yet now, I feel excited watching they run away from me, begging me for their lives... A-Am I going crazy, Natalie ?"

It's true, I've never enjoyed killing, in fact this is the second time I'm forced to kill someone. That's something I only do when there is no other option left, yet I feel thrilled, excited even, when I'm reaping countless lives today, the terrorists are bad, yes. But did I really need to wipe every single one of them out ? I doubt it.

And with every kill, I can literally picture myself gradually slipping further into that eternal darkness as the evil part in me feed on those emotions, growing stronger with time. To be honest, I feel like the 'me' now will cease to exist if that 'thing' is fed enough, and the thoughts terrifies me.

"No, Ren ! Look at me." Natalie says. "You're not going crazy. Having people lives in your hands makes you forget about the problems you need to face in real life, it makes you feel powerful, superior. Everyone, villain or hero, has this problem, even me. What truly matters is how you deal with it. You can either go along with your feelings or fight back against it, but whatever your choice may be, please know you'll always have my full support." She squeezes my hand.

I stay silent, deep in thoughts, then nod my head and kiss her, saying. "Let's go, we have spent too much time on this." The two of us have been taking out the patrol teams for almost three hours, the reason is simple, we don't want to be stabbed behind our back when we are fighting on the roof.

Beside, we saw some terrorists trying to rape a girl awhile back so we want to handle them first before anything like that can happen. This is already the last group so we will be going up and take out the last of them. I doubt it will be easy considering those on the roof are basically the boss of this map, but we will improvise somehow.

Yeah, I know I know. Brainwash and all, but there's a way to brainwash people, there must be a way to turn them back, while things like virginity can't be taken back if lost so we put our priority on other schoolmates. Almost everyone in the school is freed already, there are only those who were called up on the roof from before so we need not to worry.

The others are staying still in their classes because I told them to do so, apparently being a celebrity in school makes people trust me much more easily, the fact that Natalie in her Void Cat identity is here also helped quite alot. Of course, some people also tried to come with us, but they quickly gave up after we convinced them - Fighting is hard enough, I don't want to babysit at the same time.

As for the guards of our school, they are being kept at the school yard and the place is infested with terrorists, going there now is basically suicide so we ignore it for the time being. After we get our abilities back, those can be easily taken care of anyway.

"So, are you ready, Cat ?" I ask, turning to Natalie. The girl smiles mischievously and replies. "I've never been more ready."

"Then let's go kick some asses together."

..........

POV : Narrator

Valjean Eckert used to be a normal business man, he had a small family of three, him, his wife and his daughter. They weren't rich by all mean, but they were a happy little family.

It was the day of his daughter ten birthday, they had just watched a movie together and were going to the mall to buy her what she wanted. The first few hours were normal enough, that, however, all changed when a upstart villain tried to blow up the mall.

Everyone was scared out of their wits, until a man with white wings suddenly came, smashing down on the villain. That man was Archangel, the number one hero in Paris. Needless to say, the two fought, leaving a long trail of destruction in their wakes.

But it was all good, there wasn't any casualty at least. It was only when he was conered, the villain started to release more power than he should. The guy's ability was to create a sphere of energy ball and anything that touches that ball will blow up.

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Such a ability when lost control can destroy half of the city. Forced, Archangel chose to sacrifice the people left inside the mall. Unfortunately for Valjean, his daughter got lost while they were trying to get out.

The desperate father begged for Archangel to lower his energy shield, but the hero refused, saying he can't put million of people in danger just to save one. The result was the mall blew up with Valjean's daughter still in there.

Under that terrifying force, the mall collapsed, completely destroyed, leaving nothing behind, not even scrap metal. Devestated by their daughter's death, his wife buried herself in alcohol and they soon divorced.

And so in four long years, Valjean lost his wife, he lost his job, from a sucessful man, Valjean turned into a man who had nothing. He was about to kill himself when the Anti-Powered group came to him, they said they understand how he feels and asked him to join them.

Valjean, drowned in grief at the time, immediately accepted their offer. From then on he had killed all kind of people, but now he was hesitating. This place, although full of ability-users, it was also a school where many normal young people go to.

The Anti-Powered policy said they can't kill or hurt normal people, yet he still saw his fellows people raping others, completely normal girls. It made he think is it really a good idea to join the Anti-Powed ? Did those girls really deserve this ? Most of all, did all ability-users really deserve death like he had always thought ? Most of them were young kids, probably his daughter age if she was still alive.

"Should I really be doing this ?" He asked himself, looking at the group of laughing people before him.

Confused, the man left his post, not that he was really needed there anyway. Taking out a dusty cigeratte in his pocket, Valjean stood leaning against the wall. Once in awhile he would take a deep breath to calm himself down. Shaking those thoughts out of his head.

That's right ! It's because of these bastards that his daughter died such a violent death. If they hadn't existed, his daughter would still be alive and well, he would probably be celebrating her birthday with his wife by now. Thinking about his daughter, Valjean eyes reddened as he took her picture out from his pocket.

In the picture, a little girl about nine years old, blonde hair and blue eyes was standing in front of a white wooden swing. Her had this beautiful smile on her face that seemed to brighten Valjean's world. That loving expression on Valjean's face soon turned into determination and hatred as he glared at thin air.

"That's right... They deserve to die ! ALL of them." Valjean spat out the words viciously, grinding his teeth. Anyone could tell from the look on his face that he's seething with anger at the moment.

Suddenly, loud music was turned on by the lousy bunch of terrorists. They were enjoying themselves as much as possible because they all knew, even thought this was a great plan, casualty is inevitable. Some of them will definitely die whether they like it or not.

"Lousy bastards..." Valjean glared then walked towards the door leading to the roof, it was hidden behind the walls andthe sounds were less loud over there.

What he didn't expect was to meet two intruders. Before Valjean could start screaming, the woman in the black nano bodysuit with cat ears threw the crowbar in her hands at him. It struck him in the head and Valjean stumbled backwards awkwardly, holding his bleeding head.

The other guy who was in a nano bodysuit, probably taken from one of Valjean's fellow, walked over, he kicked Valjean in the gut when Valjean was about to stand up and pulled him near the door. Staring at the two, Valjean gritted his teeth and demanded in his French accent. "Kill me..."

The two looked confused for a moment, then the man asked. "What ?" Valjean asnwered, almost screaming, but the bunch of idiots right next them were too damned occupied by the music and, unfortunately, didn't hear him. "I said KILL me !!!"

The man brought the gun in his head, putting it against Valjean's head, but didn't pull the trigger. "... No" He said simply and pulled the gun away. "I can't do it, Cat. The voices are talking again." He mumbled with cracking voice.

"Can't do it ? Stop being a hypocrite ! All of you freaks are muderer !" Valjean snarled. This earned him an angry look from the woman, but it didn't scare him and he screamed loudly. "THEY'RE HEREEE!!!" That was definitely heard by his friends as they made a ruckus, putting on their gears and all.

Although he succeeded in warning his friends, Valjean wasn't able to enjoy his victory for long as this time he really did piss off the woman. She glared at him with 'you're dead' eyes and clawed his face with adamantium claws. Before his mouth could even widen into a smile, Valjean felt pain and his head splitted to six pieces. Yet despite all this, Valjean felt relieved and happy because he could finally be with his daughter once more in the garden of God.

'It's been a long ride...' Valjean thought in his head, but then realized he didn't have a head anymore. This, however, startled him. It made him more confused and scared rather than happy. "How am I still alive ?" He asked, looking at his almost transparent hands. Then he looked up, seeing the two intruders ran away, taking cover behind a walls as his friends rained bullets while cursing, all kind of foul language were being thrown around all over the place. Yet despite the bullets penetrating both his physical and astral forms, Valjean could still think, which meant he was still alive.

"What the fuck ?" Valjean yelled, but unfortunately for him, his voice reached no one other than thin air and God... May be the author and readers too ?

..........

POV : Natalie Norman (Void Cat)

"Ren ! Can you hear me !" I scream at Ren, trying to reach him, but he still looks really out of it. "Fuck ! Okay... Ren ! I need you here for me, okay ?" I asked again, slapping lightly at his face.

Damnit. Just what's happening to him right now ? We're being attacked by over thirty heavily armed terrorists and *Puff* he zoned out just like that. "Please ! It's me Natalie and I need you ! Answer me, Ren !" I plead, hopping for an answer, but get none.

Fuck... Being one of the non-combat ability-users, I've to work the life out of me and train in all kind of martial arts, I'm proud of how good I'm at it, but being gunned down by thirty heavily armed man is still a little too much, even for the oh-so infamous Void Cat. Though I can still manage if I were alone, I've been in worst situation after all, but having Ren here changed everything. I can't protect him and fight at the same time.

"Fuck this ! If I die then so be it !" I grumble and yank the ability-disruptor gun out of Ren's hands. "Gun blazing time !" I say, give Ren a deep kiss and peek out of our cover, raining hell upon the terrorists.