Hello everyone, Lazersword88 here. School has been pretty crazy lately, so sorry I haven't been updating as often. In order to get chapters to you at a quicker rate, I've decided that I'm going to publish medium length content more consistently and avoid longer updates that eat too much time. Remember to review, vote in my poll and check out any of my other stories. This chapter will bridge the gap between the storyline 2 ½ years before Z-day and Z-day itself. A good bit of this chapter will be third person exposition about the events that happened during the time skip (from 2 ½ years before Z-day to 2 months). If I did all of this in second person, it would be another 3 chapters before zombies rather than one.

I like it when you guys speculate as to what might happen when you leave your review. Either way it is always good to know what you guys think will happen and every so often you guys have an idea so awesome it might get implemented somewhat.

So I'll admit that the writing of this story has been a learning and growing process that has both helped my story creation skills and my writing abilities in the real world, which I'm thankful for. Here's a quick list of the top five things that I learned while writing the first arc of Dancing through Flames.

5) It's far easier to reject characters that you're not sure of from the very beginning then it is to give them fitting deaths and waste plot development on them.

4) The best writers treat their settings as characters in their own right.

3) A good story needs a delicate balance of good narrative, character development and action to be successful.

2) The ability to see past the initial appeal of a character is critical for selecting good characters.

1) You can't make everyone happy with your work, but always make sure you're pleased with it.

I really appreciate you all for sticking with me this long. It's almost been a year since I started this story hasn't it? Man time flies…

Let's jump into the story before we get too sidetracked…

Though the bloodshed of the day had ended, the ramifications of that bloody spring night would be felt for weeks after the last life was lost. Due to the internal corruption in the police force, the force was at the weakest it had been since its inception. However with the criminal underworld crippled or broken up by the violence of the night, the real threat became the protestors. On top of the hundreds of police officers, corrupted agents and gang member that had lost their lives during the night, around a hundred teens lost their lives. The disturbing part was that most of them were not killed as collateral of the fighter, but rather in the twisted experimenting of the corrupted force. Riots of parents looking for answers crowded the streets around the police offices around the city despite the force's best efforts to classify the evidence. Interviews with teens who survived their horrid experience ignited a massive movement that threatened to overthrow the entire police force as whole and it wasn't until the National Guard intervened again that the situation was contained. Despite the riots ceasing for the moment, it didn't change the fact that the people wanted answers.

Phil was conflicted about what he should do. He felt the people of the city still needed someone to watch over them during this intermediate period, since a new gang could easily cease the opportunity to gain a permanent foothold in the city. However after experiencing firsthand how corrupt an organization like Group 781 could be become, another group like it would not be the answer. Phil knew he would have little say in what happened, but still worried about the aftermath of the events regardless. Phil was also very worried about Maris, who was still missing in action despite Horus' claim of killing her. Maris' time with the group had been very short lived and Phil still was curious as to her exact origin.

Phil and Lane recovered quickly from their injuries from the night and were able to start attending school again after in reopened from a two week hiatus. Soon after, Phil received an invitation to a meeting between all the surviving members of 781 which was going to mediated by Major General Thomas, the man Phil had met earlier.

Phil readied himself to see his old teammates again as he walked towards the meeting place. He hadn't seen any of them since the night everything went to hell. Lane walked beside him, holding his hand as her long light brown hair blew behind her in the surprisingly cold spring breeze. Lane wore a grey scarf and a maroon colored light jacket along with typically colored jeans and plain brown colored boots. A smile was on her face but Phil could detect worry in her expression.

"Something wrong Lane?" Phil asked. Phil wore an unzipped light forest green coat, teal jeans, a striped green polo shirt and running sneakers.

"I know we've been over this, but I don't want you making any stupid decisions at this meeting" Lane said, confident as ever. Phil always envied her ability to be confident and speak her mind in situations where other girls would get emotional.

"I know you don't want me to sign up to be this cities guardian but who will defend this city while it rebuilds if I don't?" Phil said with a grin. "Is there some heroic guy you know that I should?"

"I doubt any of them would have your credentials, or be as cute" Lane said flirtatiously.

"Yes, because cuteness is a deadly weapon" Phil muttered to himself, laughing under his breath.

"But in all seriousness, you've done more than anyone can expect you to do about the city" Lane said. "It's time for some new heroic souls to rise up and take the place of the old guard".

"So do you seriously condone a bunch of police agents or mercenaries running around keeping the city safe?" Phil chimed. "That's vigilantism you know".

"Jeez you make it sound as if what we've been doing is a crime punishable by death!" Lane exclaimed, laughing out loud. "But if that's what it takes to keep the city safe then so be it".

"You really want to keep me safe, don't you?" Phil said as Lane wrapped an arm around him as they walked. "You know how hard it is for some who is conditioned to battling to stop fighting?"

"Who said anything about that?" Lane with excited eyes. "You may have come a long way and even made yourself a competent fencer, but I won't be satisfied until you're as good as I am. I'm sure all the training we will do will satiate your need for battle".

"I think I've had my mind made up ever since that fight with that giant spider thing" Phil started. "I feel like when I was with 781 and fighting to protect all the other people in the city, I took for granted the danger I was putting those close to me in. I treasure the time we've spent together over the 6 months I've known you Lane and I…"

"Stop your rambling…" Lane said, pulling Phil in closer. "I already know what you're trying to say".

Phil and Lane embraced and shared a kiss, with no concern whatsoever about who was watching. Time seemed to stop as Phil only cared about the girl in his arms. It all just seemed right to him.

"I love you Lane" Phil said after they finished their kiss. "Hundreds of thousands of years from now, that fact will not have changed".

"I knew you were special ever since that day 6 months ago" Lane said. "I'll follow you wherever you go, no matter how dangerous".

"You know you don't have to" Phil muttered. "I've made some dangerous enemies and I don't want you getting hurt because of it".

"I'm fine with whatever happens as long as I get to be with you" Lane replied softly while gripping Phil tightly. "You're the only person I know who can see past all the artificial things and truly understands the true me, faults and all".

"Faults? I think you're a beautiful person" Phil said. "Plus, the physical beauty helps to".

"You always find the time to be a wise ass" Lane whispered happily. "Speaking of the time, you should really get a move on to your meeting".

"What will you do while I'm there?" Phil asked.

"I'll head back to your apartment and wait there" Lane said with an eager smile. "I'll have a surprise waiting for you".

"I'm looking forward to it" Phil said before departing the girl's company.

Phil ran along the busier late afternoon streets and entered an unremarkable building. Once inside he walked down a long hallway and entered the third door on the left. The room was a large conference room, which seemed eerily vacant with only three people inside.

"Phil!" Yasuga screamed as the short girl hugged Phil vigorously.

"Nice to see you too Yasuga" Phil said, patting the girl's back.

"Good of you to be on time" Alistar said as he and Phil exchanged an understanding nod. "However, we are still waiting on two more to show up".

"Rikio and Hanniel right?" Phil asked. "I'm assuming we didn't invite Sophia here?"

"We shouldn't start this meeting until they are here" Thomas said, sitting at the center of the table as Phil sat in the seat in between Yasuga and Alistar. "As for Sophia, she wasn't working with you to stop 781 in the end, so we all feel she doesn't really have a say in all of this. Besides, no one even knows where to find her these days".

"Hanniel won't be coming" Yasuga said. "He's gone back to the ruins his old village in Europe for some soul searching".

"So that just leaves Rikio" Phil noted. "How long should we give him till we start the meeting?"

"He has 5 minutes to get here" Thomas asserted. "If he's not here by then, it's his loss".

To everyone's surprise, the five minutes passed by without Rikio turning up.

"It's his loss not being here" Alistar said. "That chap has never been the most organized, but I doubt he'd forget something this important.

"Let's get this meeting started then" Thomas began. "The first order of business is to decide whether or not Police Group 781 as a whole disbands".

"All in favor of disbanding raise your hand" Phil said, raising his hand as Yasuga and Alistar followed suit.

"Alright, that was easier than I thought it would be" Thomas said. "Ok, so our next order of business may not be entirely in your control, but I would value your input on how much of the truth is revealed to the public about the incidents of the night you fought against Cooper and Brown".

"I feel that the public should be entitled to the entire truth" Alistar stated boldly.

"I like the idea Alistar, but I think we should keep the names of the surviving members anonymous" Phil said. "While we might gain some short term fame if we revealed ourselves to the masses, it would only increase the number of people hunting us for information, services or our lives".

"That's a good point Phil" Alistar said. "I would want another psychopath extorting my services through my sister again".

"I still don't think we should tell the media about that spider thing or the reanimated corpses" Yasuga suggested. "We don't want to cause any more mass panic".

"Don't you think that puts everyone in even more danger?" Phil asks, rubbing his chin.

"But what could the people do even if they had that knowledge to better prepare themselves?" Alistar asked, trying to prove a point. "It's not like every stay at home mom can cure newly discovered diseases. As long as the higher ups in the chain of command know about this then I'm sure we will be fine".

"So you all suggest we disclose all relevant information, minus your names and the mutation business?" Thomas asked, raising a brow. "I'll see what my superiors think. Lastly, my superiors were thinking of constructing a new team to defend the city like 781. It will be more closely monitored and will directly answer to the superiors in the National Guard. Would any of you be interested in joining?"

"I'm going to pass mate" Alistar said, getting up from the table and walking to the door. "I've got my job as a mechanic and my little sister to look after. I doubt she would forgive me if I ran off and got myself killed on some job".

"I'm also going to have to decline your offer" Yasuga said, much to Phil's initial surprise. "My mother is the only one out of my entire family not to be murdered on the night I lost my eye and she has been having poor health lately. I have to be there to care for her or I may have more regrets down the road. Plus, my mind has been clouded by vengeance and violence over the last few years. I want to move past that and experience new things and spend time with friends".

"That is all very understandable" Thomas said. "You two may leave".

"I'll wait for you outside" Yasuga said to Phil as she walked by.

Alistar and Yasuga left the room, leaving just Phil and Thomas. "Surely you would be interesting in this new program Phil" Thomas said. "It's not like you to turn a blind eye on the city".

"Actually Thomas, I'm going to have to refuse your offer too" Phil said, going straight to the point. "Sure, I do care about all the people of the city. But recently I've realized that I have way too much that's important that I shouldn't risk by always putting my life on the line. I want to spend more time with my girlfriend Lane and all my other friends by living a normal life for once. Besides, I'm not even sure if I'll being going to college in the city once I get that old".

"Are you sure you aren't making a mistake?" Thomas said as Phil walked to the door. "You and I both know you're not one to walk away when something unjust happens".

"You can call me in if we face another dire city wide emergency" Phil said. "But until then, you'll have to rely on a new generation of operatives to carry out your deeds".

Phil walked out of the room without even looking back to see Thomas' reaction. He was ready to leave his past behind and embrace whatever the future held for him…

3 Months before Z-day… A week before school starts

Over two years have gone by since the day Phil decided to leave behind the life he had been living for good in favor of a more normal one. Phil spent much of his time training or traveling with Lane, who had been Phil's faithful lover for almost 3 years now. Phil and Lane spent time traveling the world together during breaks in school using the money Lane's parents gifted to her. While on their travels Phil and Lane would participate in national level fencing tournaments and both of them would make a name for themselves amongst the highest tier of the fencing community. Phil's fencing had seen the most drastic improvement over these two years, as he was now as good as Lane in almost every technique possible.

Over time Phil was welcomed more and more into the Easton family, spending about an equal amount of his time back in Philadelphia at the Easton manner as he did back at his own apartment. Phil and Lane were the captains of the boys and girls fencing teams at East Pen High and both looked primed to make runs at the state and national championships. Phil also managed to get a job as a cook at an Italian restaurant that the Easton's owned where Lane happened to work as a waitress.

Phil and Lane were practically inseparable everywhere they went. They trained together, worked together, traveled together and for the most part lived with each other. Some kids at the high school joked that it was as if they were already married, but ever since Phil gained the Easton's family's respect it didn't seem like an impossible possibility some time down the road. But what really mattered to Phil was that was by the far the most peaceful and happy time of his life.

Phil still spent a good amount of his time during the school year with Sora, Yasuga and Alistar. After being abandoned by her foster family, Sora was able to get on her feet again and works as a waitress at the same restaurant as Phil and Lane. After crashing on Phil's couch for a few months, Sora was able to lease an apartment a few steps away from Phil's. Sora was quite grateful for the help of her two friends and spent a good bit of her free time over with the dating couple. Sora couldn't help but be a little jealous of Lane though…

Yasuga too would compete for what little free time. Phil had met and spent a bit of time around Yasuga's ailing mother, which pleased the black haired eye patched girl. While Yasuga made her crush on Phil no secret when she was around him, Phil didn't have the heart to crush her feelings even though he was committed to Lane. He knew that Yasuga was a troubled girl, having watched the death of everyone but her mother first hand and now watching her mother's health slowly wither away. If he could help her find happiness, then he felt it was something that he should do. He just hoped that someday Yasuga might find someone who could always be there to make her happy.

Alistar was the only other member of the now disbanded Group 781 that Phil still talked to. Whenever Phil wanted someone to chat with, he would walk over to Alistar's workshop and talk to his old friend. Every now and again, Phil would practice fence with Alistar when Alistar came over to his place, since Alistar used to fence a bit himself. However it was more for fun since Phil's skills with a blade have greatly exceeded even the best Alistar could muster. The two would occasionally go out for some food back at the old dinner near the police station, but it never felt right with just the two of them there. Ever since his sister Akane had been released from the hospital with the mechanizations to her arm, Alistar has made it a constant project to continually enhance and upgrade the arms functionality. Alistar is always one of the first people over whenever Phil hosts a dinner, bringing an enthusiastic Akane with him.

Neither Sora nor Phil saw much of Layla Witherspoon after that fateful day over two years ago. The long black haired girl was the only one of the three to still be living at the orphanage. She was never adopted because of her anti-social behavior and since the day off Brown's plan she seems to be avoiding Phil and Sora. For someone who wanted Phil to stay at the orphanage so bad, this behavior appeared irregular and surprising. Phil and Sora know at the very least that least that Layla is still volunteering at the hospital, but whenever they try to visit the young girl just hides from them. Phil was able to eventually track Layla down and talk to her about Thomas' program, since he had heard about Layla's combat abilities from Sora. Phil hoped she could meet some new friends in this program.

Alice White spent months in a depressed state of grievance due to the deaths of many of her good friends from East Pen's Disciplinary Committee. The whole year before the Brown incident was tough on Alice, who had also lost her dad and was alone with no family. Thankfully Rexen Tsuki, a close friend of Alice's, took her in. After Alice started to return to her everyday existence, a relationship began to bloom between her and Rexen. However, there was an ever present apprehension surrounding the two whenever they tried to be intimate, almost as if they both had something they want to communicate to the other but didn't have the courage to try to. The two of them lived together like family in Rexen's apartment which despite being a fairly short walk to Phil's apartment, never saw the two groups spending much time together. Rexen's mysterious past and fighting style still bugged Alistar, who spent some of his free time looking for possible leads.

Unlike Aito Hakagame and Alice White who both sought psychiatric help after the events of the night but were released, Korina Adachi was locked away in a long term insane asylum due to the numerous murders she caused. The doctors at the center told her brother Ikki that whatever experiments were performed on her caused massive psychological damage that could become dangerous at any time should she not be contained. Ikki visits his sister every day, but her parents never visit her due to them being disgraced by her unintentional murderous actions.

Korina's once light blue dyed hair has reverted back to its natural strawberry blond color and her pale colored skin almost blends in to the white facility garments she wears. Despite the facility workers claims that his sister is insane, Korina always seems to be her overly protective mother like self whenever Ikki comes to visit. As Ikki's first day of high school quickly approaches, he talks to his sister about what to expect of it. However Korina doesn't really have a lot of advice, since she never finished her last 2 years due to being locked away in the asylum. All she can really tell him is to find somebody that is a good role model and to follow in their footsteps.

Unable to sit still due to growing anticipation, Ikki decides to tour around the school grounds. The school was empty aside from a few roaming janitors and faculty scrambling to ready the school for the start of the year. However as Ikki roamed the halls, a distinct sound of metal hitting metal caught his attention. Opening the door he saw a tall young man in full fencing gear sparring with a girl of similar height whose long brown hair ran out of the back of her fencing helmet. Ikki watched in awe as the two franticly yet methodically exchanged strikes and parried, neither giving an inch. After a heated exchanged where the taller man knocked the girl's blade off target, the girl dashed back and quickly rebounded, charging the man with blinding speed. The man unflinchingly stood his ground and met the girl's blade, pushing it narrowly aside. The girl withdrew her lunge and lunged again while the man also lunged forward. Both blades struck the other's fencing jackets simultaneously and Ikki couldn't tell which strike landed first.

"Your defense is worlds better then when we started" the girl said, removing her helmet.

"I can't say it's getting any easier guarding you" the man said, taking off his helmet and excitedly smiling at the girl. "We still have a lot of work to do if we want to win nationals this year".

"Here, drink up" the girl said throwing the boy a water bottle and taking one herself. "We still have a lot more practice to get through, so keep you energy up".

"Thanks" the man said, catching the water bottle and simultaneously seeing their observer out of the corner of his eye. "You know you can come in right?"

"That was so cool!" Ikki said, running over to the two. "How did you guys get so good?"

"We've been fencing for a long time" Lane said. "What are you doing here before school starts up again?"

"This is actually going to be my first year" Ikki explained. "I was so excited that I couldn't wait for the first day to start exploring the building".

"Jeez I wish I could keep that enthusiasm every day I came here" Phil said laughing. "Have you ever fenced before?"

"No, but it looks really cool" Ikki said. "I wish I could try it".

"Then come out for the fencing team!" Phil said, trying to match Ikki's excitement.

"Ok I'll remember to try out" Ikki said. "What are your guy's names?"

"I'm Lane and this is Phil" Lane said.

"Cool, I'll see you at the first meeting!" Ikki said running off.

"Well, he's just one ball of energy" Lane said with a smile.

"Our team could use more of that" Phil said, getting up to fencing again.

"Come on, we lost valuable time there" Lane said with a slightly sinister smile. "We still have over 100 points to go before practice is over".

"Man you sure know how to work me hard…" Phil said, readying his stance.

"Is that a complaint?" Lane asked, gearing up before lunging at Phil.

"No, I wouldn't have it any other way" Phil said, with a smirk Lane could see through his helmet…

Aito Hakagame still struggled to cope with the death of his closest friend Saya. The two young men had been nearly inseparable since their childhood days back in Japan, making Saya's death world shattering to Aito. He spent many weeks in a state of lifeless depression before finding purpose again. While at Saya's gravesite, he was confronted by a group of robe wearing men who said that their gang had a connection to Saya. As it turns out, before he joined 781 Saya was a member of the Astral Gang, a gang that seeks religious unity amongst the territory it controls and is willing to use violence in order to spread their faith. After giving Aito considerable proof of Saya's involvement with the group, Aito pledges to join the gang is branded with the crescent moon symbol on the back of his left hand. Aito initially starts as just a plain enforcer for the game, fighting for territory when necessary with the skills Saya taught him. However over time Aito became more and more spiritual as he learned to cope with the passing of his friend. Aito rose through the ranks of the gang and looked highly likely to the eventually leader of the expanding gang. With a power vacuum caused by the crippling effect the violence of the night of Brown's plan, Astral Gang became the most influential gang due to their non-aggression. Now that the time was right, Astral gang sought to spread their faith all throughout the city with Aito near the helm after two years as a member.

Another more reluctant member of Astral gang is Zola Adeen. Still coping with the disappearance and apparent death of her brother, Zola seeks the answers where her ability to see people's memories came from and how she could reverse the process that gave it to her. While she did find her newfound ability to be sometimes useful, she felt underhand looking into everyone's darkest secrets and learned that sometimes it was better not knowing the things that other people knew. Zola privately sought out help by looking into the memories of strangers she came across in between her time studying and hanging out with her friend Kimino. Eventually she found someone named Phil Angelo, at her school of all places, who had many answers. Zola felt she could trust Phil and a fledgling friendship formed. Zola asked Phil if there was any way that she could suppress her abilities, but Phil knew the only way he could think of would be difficult…

2 ½ months before Z-day…

Phil stood in the back alley where he made his fateful encounter with mother years ago alone. He stood there for a few minutes alone, figuring that it may take some time for her to know he was there. In his peripheral vision, a hooded figure slowly lurked towards him.

"You shouldn't be here…" the calming voice Phil now knew to be his mother's whispered.

"What am I not allowed to take a stroll here when I want to?" Phil asked sarcastically.

"If he finds out we're speaking like this…" Helen whispered, looking down the other alleyways worriedly.

"Who's he?" Phil asked.

"Never mind that" Helen asserted. "Why are you really here?"

"A friend of mine was experimented on during the Brown incident and wants the powers forced upon her to be suppressed" Phil whispered back, taking into account his mother's caution. "I was wondering if you could cook up something to do that".

"Well I could do something like that…" Helen started. "But what would I get in return?"

"I thought you could just do it out of motherly compassion" Phil replied, still sarcastic. "But if you can think of anything I could take care of, then I guess we can make a deal".

"There's been a sniper who has been trying to kill me for a few weeks now" Helen stated. "If you can eliminate or dissuade my stalker and find out who hired her, I'll make your suppressant".

"We have a deal then" Phil said, walking away. "Meet me back here in three days".

"Tomorrow afternoon at 1:30 I'll be at lunch with an old friend on Continental Avenue" Helen said. "That should be should be your best time to snuff the sniper".

Phil walked out of the alley, deep in thought. He was going to need some help if he was going to find the sniper, seeing as he didn't have any long range rifles nor was he any good with them. He didn't want to involve Lane of Alistar, so that meant he had to find a mercenary that owed him a few favors. A small smirk graced Phil's lips as he thought of just the right person…

Phil knocked twice on the apartment door of a room just a few floors above his own. As he heard footsteps grow closer to the door, Phil gripped the handle of the fencing saber he was now carrying.

In the blink of an eye, the door flung open and a pistol was pointed at Phil's face. Simultaneously Phil angled his saber and lightly pressed it into the neat back haired man's head.

The two stood there for a moment before the man with the pistol whipped the pistol around before holstering it. "Oh, it's you…" the shorter of the two young men said with a voice that sounded both irritated and indifferent.

"What kind of welcome is that for an old friend Taks?" Phil asked, addressing Taki by the nickname only he used.

Phil stepped inside the neatly kept but basic looking apartment and sat on the couch.

"So why the hell are you here?" Taki asked in his usual tone. "I thought you were done with your whole underworld vigilantism deal".

"I'm a job to help a friend and since you owe me a few favors, I thought I could use your help…"

The next day…

"Remember, we're not trying to kill the sniper" Phil said through an earpiece. "We just want to sedate her for long enough to set up to interrogate. Are you in position?"

"I'm ready to go" Taki said, pulling the bolt back on one of his suppressed scoped rifles on the roof of a nearby store building. "This is the strongest sedative that I have".

"Good, let's get this over with" Phil mumbled. "Alright I see the sniper's target now".

Helen walked down the street in an unremarkable hoody and jeans, fairly good attire for someone not wanting to be spotted. She walked into the restraint and sat with a friend who welcomed her quietly on the patio.

"I have eyes on her" Taki said softly.

"You're supposed to be looking for the assassin…" Phil grumbled.

"No, I'm talking about the target" Taki whispered, his sights trained on her. "She looks to be our age, with wild albino hair and short stature".

"Oh shit…" Phil stammered as he realized who it was. "Take the shot now!"

Two shots could be heard simultaneously, one of them not suppressed.

"Taki are you all right?" Phil asked after a moment of radio silence.

"Yea I'll be fine" Taki said. "Her bullet just grazed me. I hit her, but it wasn't clean center mass. You better move your ass or she'll get away".

Phil didn't hesitate for a moment, running across the street and against the traffic of people fleeing the gunshot. "Where is she at Taki?" Phil yelled urgently.

"Third floor of the apartment across the road" Taki began. "Fourth room from the right".

"Got it!" Phil said as he frantically scrambled up the stairs.

After reaching the room, he violently kicked the lock in. Sprinting into the room, he unsheathed his saber and lunged just in time to knock a pistol that was being drawn by the white haired girl.

"Of all the people to intervene, why the hell did it have to be you?" Sophia growled angrily.

"It's been a while Sophia" Phil said, picking the smaller girl off the floor by the collar of her shirt. "I want some answers, and you're just the right person to give them to me".

"Oh wow what are you going to do, kill me?" Sophia said mockingly. "You don't have the balls".

"You want to bet?" Phil said, walking out of the main room while taking a ski mask out of his pocket and putting it over his face.

"You can't be serious…" Sophia muttered.

Phil dragged Sophia out onto a balcony and held her by her shirt over the edge.

"Oh come one, give me a break" Sophia laughed. "You're too naïve and innocent to ever really go through with this".

"You better start talking" Phil said, holding onto the small girl's collar with one hand. "My arm is starting to get tired".

"I won't tell you shit" Sophia said, actually starting to worry now as she starts to hear the near silent sound of the shirt's fabric stretching. "I'm a member of Thomas' new team now, so if you kill me he'll send his entire team after you!"

"Phil, you only have a few minutes before police respond to the gunshots" Taki said through the earpiece.

"I guess we don't have time for the games then" Phil said, taking his fencing saber and slowly slicing into the shirt's fabric with it. "Start talking!"

"Ok, ok fine I'll talk" Sophia said urgently. "The man known as the scientist hired me to tie up loose ends".

"What loose ends?" Phil said, still holding her over the edge. "I'm running out of patience here!"

"Apparently the scientist rescued her from some sort of exile and then she worked with him before the night of Brown's plan" Sophia admitted. "But since she came into contact with you, the scientist doesn't trust her anymore and hired me to eliminate her".

"Just who is the scientist?" Phil asked.

"Even I don't know" Sophia said. "I just took his money for the job. I didn't ask any more questions due to the professionalism of my job".

"I'll let you live if you swear on your life to stop hunting her" Phil said as the fabric began to tear a little.

"All right, I promise!" Sophia screamed. "Just let me down!"

Just then the fabric snapped and Sophia started to fall. However her fall was broken by Phil grabbing hold of her long white hair. Phil struggled for a bit, but eventually managed to pull Sophia up and over the railing.

"You *huff* just couldn't *huff* let me fall, could you?" Sophia said, breathing heavily.

"You should know that it's never my goal to kill people for no reason" Phil said, also breathing a bit hard.

"That's funny, because it seems like you would have plenty of reasons to want me dead" Sophia laughed.

"I still have some faith that you can be a good friend" Phil mumbled.

"Can you cut it with your friendship crap" Sophia yelled. "I never want to be friends with a goody like you".

"Alright then, I guess you just owe me a favor" Phil said walking out of the room. "By the way, you're on your own getting out of here".

"I really hate you" Sophia mumbled as she lay on the floor…

Two days later…

"I took care of the hit on you" Phil said, back in the same shadowy alley with his mother standing nearby. "Now you uphold your end of the bargain".

The cloaked woman handed him a small case. Inside of it was a large syringe with a green looking liquid.

"It's designed to stay in the bloodstream and negate any conscious use of abnormal abilities" Helen said, observing Phil looking at the syringe. "As long as these antibodies stay in your friend's blood stream, she shouldn't have any trouble with her abilities".

"I have one more question before I go" Phil said, turning to leave the alley. "Just who is the scientist?"

Phil was jolted to alertness by a surprise hug from his mother. "Believe me, you're better off not knowing anything about him" Helen said in a regretful tone before letting go and sprinting off into the dark…

Phil walked through the crowded halls of East Penn High School, filled to the brim with overly energetic freshman still struggling to find out where everything was in the building. Phil stood head and shoulders above the rest of the crowded mass that slowly pushed through the school's halls with his lanky 6'4" frame. He thought it felt good to be back in school.

As he turned the combination lock on his locker, Phil thought about how different the school looked after the renovations it went through this summer. East Penn was an open campus, meaning students were free to leave the building whenever they pleased. However, the campus exits were monitored by full time staff to make sure students didn't leave and unwanted visitors couldn't enter. East Penn was built in the southeast part of the city and was within about a twenty minute walk of the city's professional sporting complexes. The school was built on a rectangular plot of slightly rolling and unbuilt grassland before the city government decided to make it into a school ground. The school building itself was positioned near the northeast corner of the rectangular grounds and was two stories tall not including a basement. Maintenance was carried out in the basement, which was also where one of the school's two gymnasiums was located. The first floor contained the office, which was located right inside the main entrance of the school. The hallway paths formed a rectangular shape, with the hallways containing some student's lockers and the entrances to classrooms on the exterior of the rectangular path. On the interior of the rectangle was the second gymnasium and the cafeteria, each taking up about half of the available space. The second floor was entirely dedicated to class, with a slightly different layout to that of the first floor. While classrooms branched out of the exterior of the rectangular hallways, the interior contained two hallways that spanned from two of the outside halls, running parallel to the hallways it didn't intersect with it. Like the first floor, where there weren't classrooms there were lockers.

The roof was really not much to write home about. Despite the fence that kept students from jumping off obstructing the view, you could see a great deal of the visually pleasing rolling hillside the school was situated on. The building has two hallways that extend from the first floor halls that extend out in opposite directions. Out of the east side of the school a hall led to the music room and opposite of it a hall led to the lap pool along with the locker rooms.

Outside of the building were the athletic facilities of the school. Almost right next to the offshoot to the pool and locker rooms was a set of tennis courts meant to be easily accessible from said lockers. Across the street or parking lot depending on where you cross was the football field, which was circumscribed by the school's track. A variety of practice fields were in close proximity to the main football complex for a variety of sports along with school staples like a baseball and softball diamond.

A variety of paths and trails wound around the expansive areas of the school's property, much to the delight of the school's cross country team. A bit removed from the school was the plant science greenhouse, which sat beside a small natural creek which calmingly ran through the southeast section of the rectangular lot. There at the foot of an old degraded brick footbridge sat Zola Adeen.

Zola didn't care very much for the frantic social nature of the school's cafeteria, so she decided to use her lunch time to eat and then read at the foot of this call creek. Living alone had done a lot to isolate her, with her brother's frantic and sometimes reckless nature keeping in the social spheres while he was still around. The very dark skinned girl pushed her circular glasses up to the bridge of her nose and let her straight shoulder length raven black hair cascade along the grass as she lay back and continued to read.

"You know you aren't going to make any friends alone out here" Phil said, with a tone that could be mistaken for mocking had someone not known him.

"Whoa! Why are you here?!" Zola said, bouncing up with a start from Phil's surprise appearance.

"Jeez, do you always react this way when someone surprises you?" Phil snickered playfully.

"No, it's just not every day that a captain of a sports team interrupts you while you eat" Zola replied back, a bit uptight and annoyed by her ever sarcastic friend.

"I mean, if you don't want me to give you what I found, I could just walk away" Phil said.

"Ok sure, what did you get?" Zola asked curiously.

"This serum should suppress those abilities you got two years ago" Phil said, revealing the needle. "However, know that if you use these, it would be difficult to get those powers back again".

"I'm ready to move on" Zola said, looking away from Phil in thought. "These 'gifts' have been a curse for me for long enough now. But…"

"What's wrong?" Phil asked casually.

"…I'm not a big fan of needles…" Zola muttered nervously.

"Oh come on!" Phil yelled excitedly as he stealthily uncapped the needle. "Don't feel bad! No one likes needles. If you liked needles I would be worried!"

"Haha… oh…" Zola said as Phil pushed the needle in ad injected its contents. "What are you doing?! You should have given me time to get ready!"

"I just wanted to get it over with before you complained more" Phil said slyly. "It couldn't have been that bad".

"Oh shut up!" Zola said, slapping Phil lightly. "Wait, how did you get this? Not that I distrust you or anything…"

"Maybe its best you don't know" Phil said now more serious. "I'll see you back in class".

As Phil ran off Zola flopped back down on the grass with a bounce and closed her eyes, finally at peace…

Even with the amount that had changed in the years following the Brown Incident, a few lives had not changed much in that time. Mark Kuzen returned home to the west coast again to continue living with his family. Kimino Tomokichi recovered quickly from her injuries on that fateful night and returned to her gymnastics and tae kwon doe. She was the star of the East Penn gymnastics team and gained great popularity through that. However, just when she thought her one stalker was dead, a new one comes out of the woodwork. Back when she lived in Japan, a boy named Saya had inadvertently caused her mother's death when he tried to help fight against a home invasion. Because of this, that Saya jerk would always try to watch over and befriend Kimino, despite her not wanting any part of it. Now the best friend of Saya, a goon named Aito, is constantly trying to convince her to join this Astral gang thing so he can 'protect her'. She wishes these weirdoes would stop following her and she has had to call the police multiple times to get them to stop following her. However, along with her best friend Zola, Kimino has got to know Syth better. Syth was very human and grounded for someone who was a mercenary, as Kimino always found him fun to be around. Also Syth never brought up what happened that night, which Kimino was thankful for. She didn't want to feel indebted to anyone.

The defeat of Cooper and the majority of the cities gangs left a major power vacuum that Astral Gang took advantage of. However, that didn't stop other gangs and mercenaries from filling the void left by that night. The word on the street was that there were a new collection of dangerous mercenaries, who while not affiliated with each other, were collectively known as the Deadly Seven.

The first of these seven mercenaries was an eye patch wearing vigilante who was said to have a very strange sense of honor and justice. The second was said to be so ferocious that his eyes glowed red and he left entire rooms soaked with his victim's blood. Rumors swirled about his intentions and whether or not he was even human, but the facts all agree that he only cares about being feared and strong. The third of the rogues gallery was a marksman who was said to never miss her mark. The fourth of these dangers of the night was a silent denizen of the shadows. Carrying a mysterious aura of dread, this white haired fiend's knowledge of where practically anyone of interest is located is only rivaled by her remarkable ability to escape into the shadows. The fifth of the bunch was a trigger happy mercenary who usually thinks that a wall of bullets is the best answer to any problem. As long as the money is green, this mercenary will take any job. However, if you value your life, make sure to not rub his abrasive personality the wrong way. The sixth of these feared individuals was a man whose accuracy with a thrown knife was legendary. However, his morals are not as easily known as his feats are. The final of these seven mercenaries was said to be the personification of death itself. If you see this scythe wielding man running your way, running away in fear will do you no good.

Combating these threats was a just desperado who came to the aid of those who needed help. Carrying a deadly arsenal and a wit to match, this dark hero was revered by the people for his fairness and the lives he has saved. However the police don't really appreciate his vigilantism and treat him as just another threat.

As much as Phil wanted to help sort out this new problem, he had made a promise to Lane to lead a normal life…

2 Months before Z-day Abandoned Graveyard ?

The eyes that had been closed for so long slowly opened. As her vision became unclouded and slowly adjusted to the dim moon light, she slowly rose to her feet. Her muscles felt weak and body frailer than ever as she stumbled upon reaching her feet. A weird pain of hunger coursed through her, causing her to fall to her knees again. As her hair cascaded around her, the girl found a small pool of water. After hobbling to it, the girl scooped some of it up and attempted to quench her tremendous thirst. However, the water didn't seem to taste right at all. Spitting it out, something dawned on the girl. She slowly turned towards the pool, scared of what her appearance might be. When she finally turned and saw it, she let out a shrill scream.

"Calm down, sister" a man's voice said as hands gently caressed the disheartened girl's shoulders. "There's a lot that I need to explain to you…"

A few days later Fencing Team Fall Tryouts

"This year's crop of new fencers is the largest we've ever had" Lane commented enthusiastically to Phil during water break.

"I know! This will be great for the program in years to come" Phil said with a smile.

"You want to do the honors?" Lane asked.

"Alright, circle up!" Phil yelled out as the large amount of fencers who were both new and veterans gathered around him. "Now we've been fencing with each other at practice every day for about a week. I hope all of the rookies here have used the time wisely to start orienting themselves with all of the parries, footwork and lunges we've cover so far, because tomorrow is the start of something really big for you freshman. Tomorrow marks the beginning of the rookie ranking ladder tournament. Tournament will be double elimination and will decide where you start on our ranking ladder and which group you practice in. Once this tournament is over, we will explain the ranking ladder in more depth. To make a long story short, the higher you are on that list the greater your chances of going to meets and invitationals are. For many of you, this will be your first taste of true fencing competition. I wish everyone the best of luck tomorrow. But in the end, know that luck tends to favor the overly prepared. Veterans, I'm looking for a group of volunteers to judge the matches tomorrow. Those of you who do not judge are still expected to be at practice for more drilling. Practice is over for today everyone, but if you want to stay for a little bit after and free fence, some of the other vets and myself will be staying for a bit after to do that".

The group disbanded and most of the fencers went home. Phil grabbed his saber and helmet to fence again, most likely against Lane, but before he could a new opponent stepped before him.

"Hey Phil, could you please practice with me?" Ikki said the strawberry blonde, smiling excitedly yet anxiously.

"Weren't you about to fence with me?" Lane asked Phil, walking up to the two boys. "No offense rookie, but you aren't going to be able to keep up with him unless he goes easy on you".

"Come on Lane, humor him a little" Phil said to ease the tension. "Besides, it wouldn't be good for your fencing if you never practiced with anyone but me. Isn't part of the fun of being captain helping out all the newcomers?"

"Alright Phil, you can have your fun" Lane said, pouting a little before laughing at Ikki. "Just don't complain to me tomorrow rookie when you're spent before your first match even begins".

Lane walked away to fence against another one of her teammates as Ikki stared nervously at Phil, who smiled normally back.

"She doesn't mean that, does she?" Ikki muttered nervously, worried Lane might hear him.

"No you're fine!" Phil laughed. "She just looks forward to the extra practice she gets from fencing me. It's not that she doesn't like you, it's just important time to her".

"I'm sorry to get in the way" Ikki said, looking down. "I didn't know that was so important to her".

"It's good for her to fence other people" Phil said. "Speaking of fencing, we aren't here to stand around and chit chat".

Phil and Ikki began to fence, but it soon became apparent that Phil could easily win any given exchange even when he was holding back. Phil took his helmet off and a visibly tired Ikki followed suit.

"You're being way too aggressive with your lunges" Phil said sternly. "You are never going to get anywhere against anyone who can parry strikes. You see, just like chest but in the physical sense, fencing is countering game. You watch what your opponent does and then counter it, before they counter you and the cycle goes on. Rushing in without a plan won't get you anywhere".

"Thank… you… for the advice" Ikki said, breathing heavily.

Rather abruptly the doors to the gymnasium burst open and everyone quickly turned their attention to the source of the sound startled.

"Phil! You want to come here quick mate!" Alistar yelled, panting a bit from running.

"What's wrong man?" Phil said, running to his old friend as Lane followed behind him.

"I've got some bad news" Alistar muttered with a nervous expression. "Sora is in the nurse's office and she's not in good shape".

Phil, Alistar and Lane all ran through the halls of the school, bobbing and weaving past the students who were staying after class for various reasons.

"What the hell happened, Alistar?" Phil asked with a worry stricken face.

"I just happened upon her on my way out of the school" Alistar started, knitting his brow. "It looks like someone beat the poor girl fairly badly".

"I'm just happy nothing worse happened to her" Phil said with a nervous laugh. "I swear that girl will never walk away from a fight".

"It's not just that though" Alistar said nervously.

As Alistar pushed the nurse's office door open, Phil's eyes grew wide.

On the stand that sat next to the bed where a battered Sora rested lay a sharp looking kitchen knife. Phil panicked and rushed to the bed to check the girl's pulse, much to the nurse's shock. Phil let out a sigh of relief when he heard the smaller girl's heart beating at a steady pace.

"I'm sorry to startle you" Phil said to the nervous looking nurse. "She's a good friend of mine".

Phil then turned his attention to the knife on the table. When he saw blood on the knife he looked back at Sora to see that the knife had been slightly dug into her cheek.

"Not to sound morbid or anything but why did this person beat up Sora, only to do this to her face with a knife?" Lane asked.

"I think the better question is how someone got a knife into the building, which is constantly monitored" Phil said. "Have the police been contacted?"

"Yea, they should be here any minute now" Alistar answered. "The scariest part is that the bloody muppets who did this left this lovely display of affection".

Alistar handed Phil a note that read 'watch your friends die', written entirely with Sora's blood.

"Whoever did this is sick…" Lane muttered.

"I think we all know who they're gunning for "Alistar said, looking at Phil. "You two should ride home with the police and stay inside until they can track down these punks".

"I'm waiting until Sora is ok to leave" Phil said insistently. "She lives right above us, so we can look out for her tonight. Make sure you make it home safe Alistar".

"Will do then" Alistar muttered, heading for the door. "Do try to stay alive, alright?"

After Alistar walked out, Phil heard a murmur and knelt by the bedside as Sora awoke.

"Hey…" Sora whispered, her eyes adjusting to the bright light of the setting sun that came through the windows despite the curtains being down.

"Hey…" Phil whispered back. "Are you feeling alright?"

"I'm just happy you're safe" Sora said, grabbing one of Phil's hands softly and slowly pulling it to her chest.

"You didn't really answer my question silly" Phil said with bright smile. "I've got to make sure you aren't a goner or anything".

"I feel ok…" Sora whispered. "It's certainly not the worse beating I've ever taken in a fight".

"Don't even remind me about that one time" Phil laughed quietly. "You got hit so hard you were unconscious a whole day".

"Good times… don't you remember what woke me up?" Sora asked in response.

"You can just never get enough of my home cooking" Phil said joyously.

"So really… how's my face?" Sora asked as Phil stirred in a container on a nearby shelf.

"You still look great" Phil said, putting a bandage over the small cut on her face.

"Lair…" Sora said, with a slightly pouty look.

"It doesn't look super serious" Phil said. "The worst that might happen is you get a small scar. But honestly, scars just make you look like you hold your own more".

"You wouldn't mind if I stay over with you guys for the night again, would you?" Sora asked.

"I wouldn't mind looking after you a bit" Phil said enthusiastically to lift Sora's spirits.

Phil, Lane and Sora soon were driven by a police car back to Phil's pad. Phil cooked a rousing meal and soon after Sora tuckered out, crashing on the couch in the main room of the apartment. Lane went to shower, not having been able to with all the frantic commotion of the day. The shower itself was peaceful enough, however something felt off. Phil and Lane were intimate enough at this point that they occasionally showered together. However not only was Phil not in the bathroom with her, but she couldn't hear him at all which worried her. Lane scrambled out of the shower in a worried fret in nothing more than a towel, only to find that Phil was missing. Panicking, she grabbed her cell phone and dialed Phil's number.

"Why did you leave the apartment?" Lane asked when she heard him pick up the phone. "Is everything all right?"

"I'm sorry Lane" Phil said regretfully.

"Sorry about what?" Lane asked concernedly. "Where are you now?"

"I'm about ten blocks north on South Central Avenue" Phil explained. "I'm to find more out about whoever attacked Sora".

"What?!" Lane screamed as her heart rate increased dramatically. "Phil… you promised me that you wouldn't do any of this stuff anymore. What happened to trying to live a normal life?!"

"I'm sorry… I just can't sit around as my friends get hurt or killed one by one and pretend nothing is happening" Phil said regretfully. "I'm sorry I couldn't have told you. I knew you would have tried to stop me if I had".

"Phil, listen to me…" Lane said, tears flowing from her bright green eyes. "Just turn around and come back home. We can talk this through".

"This is between me and whoever it was that attacked Sora" Phil said. "I don't want to get you involved".

"Come on Phil, I'm your girlfriend" Lane said. "Of course I'm going to get involved. Don't you trust me?"

"Of course I trust you!" Phil exclaimed. "There is and never will be any doubt about that. I just don't want anything to happen to you. I wouldn't be able to forgive myself if anything did".

"I don't want anything to happen to you either!" Lane cried out. "I'm not going to lose you. I'm getting dressed and I'm meeting you out there".

"Ok, just don't do anything crazy" Phil said, hanging up and turning around.

Lane scrambled and threw on the most easily obtainable outfit she could wear out in public. She burst out of the apartment without even locking it and flies down the steps. She sprinted through the crowded urban blocks, pushing and knocking people around her as she scrambled desperately to get to Phil.

At last she sees him on the other side of the street waiting to cross over. Lane's tears finally stop and her eyes are wide and full of happiness. Phil too sheds some tears in relief, thankful that she was ok.

The light turned red and the crosswalk symbol shone white, eerily illuminating the street that was otherwise only illuminated in the yellow shade of the street lights. Lane took a step forward, excitedly moving towards Phil. However when she took that step, something felt very wrong. Her eyes grew wide and the smile that had been gracing her attractive facial features was wiped in the blink of an eye. Her momentum carried her forward into the road, yet she couldn't move her legs to make the next step. As she began to topple into the street she tried to move her hand to brace her fall but they too locked into place. All she could do was watch helplessly as the joy from Phil's face was erased as she plummeted towards the cold macadam.

Time seemed to move in slow motion for Phil.

"Lane!" he screamed, sprinting towards the road.

Then he saw it and his heart sank. A large SUV was careening through the intersection despite the red light, with the driver appearing obviously drunk. The truck was able to dodge the other cars as it barreled through the intersection, but was headed straight for Lane as she fell.

Phil ran as hard as he could towards the road, subconsciously making the decision that he was about to die for the sake of saving Lane. However as Phil entered the road, he was beamed by a driver turning right on red, knocking him off his feet and on to the pavement.

All he could do was watch in horror as the SUV plowed into Lane. As she fell, Phil thought he saw Lane mouth, 'I love you' to him before she was slammed into by the speeding truck.

Lane's body bounced off of the street numerous times before sliding into a ditch. The car that hit her careened out of control, slamming into a nearby building and exploding. Anyone inside that car was likely dead on impact.

"Lane! God dammit no!" Phil said, crawling up from the macadam and running through traffic to Lane.

Phil pulled Lane out of the ditch into so nearby grass. She looked to be in horrible shape. Her right arm and left leg looked twisted grotesquely out of place, there was a large contusion on her chest and her head struck the concrete multiple times as she flew from the point of impact into the ditch.

"Hang on Lane! I'm calling an ambulance" Phil said, pulling for his phone.

However, a soft and weak grip opposed his arm. Phil worriedly looked down and met eye to eye with Lane.

"It's… ok" the dying girl said weakly as tears began to flood from Phil's eyes.

"No Lane, I'm going to get you help" Phil screamed. "You're going to be ok!"

"Not… this… time" Lane said, trying to push past the pain to give Phil a smile.

With some of the last of her strength, Lane weakly pulled Phil down into a hug and their lips met as Phil's tears dripped onto Lane's face. Slowly, Lane released the hug and her breathing became labored.

"Tell… my parents… I'm sorry" Lane wheezed before breaking into a fit of coughing.

"Please, don't go…" Phil bellowed. "You can't fucking go!"

"I'll… always be… with you and… love you…" Lane finally said, gripping hold of Phil's hand weakly.

"I'll always love you too…" Phil whispered, the realization that this was that last he would hear from the girl he loved causing him to break down.

Lane tugged at her belt, eventually managing to draw her fencing blade. As she drew the blade, Phil saw that blood coming from her stomach had seeped through her holster and had colored the blade a crimson orange.

"Take… this… and fulfill… both our… dreams…" Lane said, handing the blade to Phil before finally giving up the ghost.

"Lane…" Phil muttered repeatedly as he wept, kneeling in front of his now gone lover.

Hours had passed since Lane had been hit, yet Phil still knelt there on the side of the road. Random pedestrians had come to see what had happened, with one of them being so sympathetic that they draped their jacket over Phil. However, nothing could soften this for Phil. The police had come and collected witness information, including Phil's. Yet Phil just didn't move. The car had been removed, the fire it caused put out and Lane's body taken to the morgue. Yet Phil felt nothing. Phil saw nothing. His whole world had been shattered in a single moment. Every memory of the over two years that Lane had been an integral part of his life rushed back to him, as if to tease him with what he could never experience again.

The hours ticked by. Nothing changed. Phil just sat there, alone and trapped in his memories and regrets. The few people who walked by him at this time of night paid him no mind or were frightened away by the deep red bloodstains on his clothing and hands.

However, a pair of hands almost as cold as his skin touched his shoulders. Yet Phil didn't even turn to meet his visitor.

"I heard about what happened…" Yasuga said softly and sadly. "We need to get you home".

"She can't be gone…" Phil muttered as he shivered. "When I get to school tomorrow she'll be right there…"

"She wouldn't want you to live like this Phil!" Yasuga screamed. "Wake up!"

Realization snapped into Phil's mind. What was he doing? Lane would still want him to live, even if he's mourning her.

"You're right, let's go" Phil said as Yasuga helped lift him up.

Phil and Yasuga made it back to Phil apartment uneventfully. As they entered, Sora stirred a little bit before returning to sleep. She was sure in for a surprise tomorrow. Yasuga ushered Phil into the bathroom and urged him to shower up to get all of the dried on blood off of him. Yasuga exited the bathroom and sat on Phil's bed. She heard the shower turn on and she let out a sigh of relief. Yasuga looked around the bedroom, which she had never been in. The walls were painted a dark gold and illuminated by lights definitely picked out by Lane. Some Italian stylized art was hung from the walls, along with a variety of pictures. The majority were medium sized framings of pictures Phil and Lane had taken together from their various travels around the world. Occasionally there would be a picture of Sora and Phil or the three of them together from their time hanging out or on the rare occasion Sora would accompany the now former couple on trips. On the nightstand there was a picture of Phil, Lane, Sora, Saya, Alistar, Rikio and herself all together at a burger place that they all used to go to. Yasuga remembered that day when Phil was telling a hilarious story and was having a great time, which starkly contrasted his behavior at the moment. Then Yasuga stared at the wall near the door and her eyes grew wide. All of the pictures on that part of the wall were of Yasuga and Phil together. Yasuga shed a few tears, realizing that Phil really not only cherished the time he spent with Yasuga, but with every friend he has. Yasuga had made up her mind.

Yasuga entered the now steaming bathroom and closed the door silently behind her. She stood there for a moment, watching Phil scrub the same part of his arm repeatedly with soap as if there was some kind of filth there that he couldn't just wash away. She silently took off her clothes and laid them against the wall before tip toeing to the shower door. As she opened the door, Phil turned to her and looked stunned.

"You look like you could use some company" the pale black haired girl said with a sympathy in her pale green eye as she untied her hair and removed her eye patch.

After closing the shower door and dousing herself in water she sat down next to Phil. She wrapped an arm around Phil and leaned her head into his shoulder.

"She's really gone, isn't she?" Phil asked, looking into Yasuga's eye. "I'll never be able to wash this blood off my hands…"

"How about I help you rinse it all away" Yasuga insisted, taking the soap from Phil.

Yasuga was thorough, doing this not out of romantic aspirations, but out of a sense of almost motherly compassion. After she finished she put the soap back on the shelf and sat down next to Phil as before.

"If you're done do you want to dry off?" Phil asked lifelessly.

"No" Yasuga whispered, gently forcing Phil to lay down on the shower floor as she lay beside him and wrapped her arms around him as strongly as she could. "Don't worry, I'm right here".

Yasuga planted her lips against his as he did nothing to acknowledge or resist the advance. Despite the dead feeling of the embrace, Yasuga did everything she could to make it lively.

"I want you to always know something" Yasuga said, looking straight into Phil's eyes. "I know you may have a hard time moving on or loving anyone for a while, but just know that I'll be there for you. You've always been watching out for me, so now it's my turn to return the favor because… I love you Phil Angelo".

They lay like this together in the shower for what seemed like hours. When they eventually got out and dried off, Yasuga led him to the bed and tucked him in before getting in bed with him. With her arms wrapped around him, Phil fell to sleep quickly. Yasuga smiled contently to herself before passing out herself…

1 ½ months before Z-day…

The half of a month that had passed by had been the gloomiest of Phil's life. Lane's funeral had come and gone. Phil gave a speech there that was slightly moving to the public, but the Lane family responded hatefully towards Phil. They partially blame him for the death of the daughter and Phil doesn't have the heart to say anything to deny their claims. In her will Lane left Phil most of her most prized possessions, including her fencing equipment, childhood keepsakes, a few pairs of her favorite clothes and a sizeable portion of her inheritance. All of this angered the Easton family to the point of cutting off all ties to Phil and moving out of the city. The only noteworthy thing they left behind was their yacht in the harbor, since they couldn't find anyone rich enough to buy it that was interested.

The times weren't any easier for some of Phil's close friends. Yasuga's mother, the only other survivor of the fateful night Yasuga lost her eye, passed away. Phil made sure to constantly be by her side as she traversed the difficult and emotional time in her life. After all of her mother's former accounts were settled, Yasuga moved in with Sora a few floors above Phil. The two girls were almost always around Phil when they weren't busy, which was slightly helping Phil's recovery. Phil was enough of himself to go to school and practice fencing, but both his competitive spirit and personable personality were yet to fully return.

Phil spent many hours alone by Lane's grave, seemingly unable to come to terms with her being gone. In his day to day life, someone who didn't know him wouldn't think anything was wrong. However, Sora just didn't see the fire in his eyes anymore. Phil was also liable to lash out any anyone who talked badly about Lane. In one such case, Alistar had to jump in and hold Phil back to keep him from beating some deadbeat senseless.

Phil wasn't completely despondent or locked within himself since he knew he had too many people counting on him to stop trying. However, everything he did seemed to have less meaning without Lane there with him…

1 month before Z-day Phil's apartment

It was the weekend, so Phil was sleeping in after a long night. Sora and Yasuga had dragged him out to see a movie that wasn't half bad and after they had gone back home Phil went out to spend an hour at Lane's grave. Usually Phil didn't sleep this well recently, but comforting warmth lingered over him which helped him rest.

Phil opened his eyes as the sunlight pierced through the closed curtains on the windows and stretched his arms out, releasing a deep grunt. However, he stopped in a fit of panic after something in his peripheral vision caught his eye. Turning slowly, tears ran down his face as he saw a familiar face he thought he would never see again.

"Lane…" Phil muttered, breaking down into emotional joy.

Lane 'sat' in a chair in the corner of the room, looking at Phil with her ever sharp green eyes. She didn't seem to touch anything, but rather float slightly over top of it. She wore a nearly form fitting spotless white gown and a bright white aura seemed to surround her.

Phil got up and ran to hug her, but crashed into the wall instead.

"So you really aren't here…" Phil muttered disappointedly.

"Of course I'm here you big goof!" Lane exclaimed much to Phil's surprise.

The phantom reached and placed a hand of Phil's cheek, but instead of physical contact Phil felt comforting warmth.

"Is it really you Lane, or are you just a figment of my memories?" Phil said, the tears of happiness flowing now.

"It's really me Phil" Lane said, hugging Phil and engulfing him in her warmth. "I've been with you the whole time".

"Who can I see you?" Phil asked, confused.

"I'm not sure, but it just seemed like you really needed me so I came" Lane said. "I missed you".

"I'm sorry about what happened…" Phil said regretfully. "If I hadn't been so rash, you would still be…"

Lane shushed him quietly and shook her head. "Don't blame yourself for anything" Lane began. "The years I spent with you were some of the best of my life".

"Will you stay with me?" Phil asked.

"I'll always be there when you need some company or love, but I obviously can't always be there" Lane started. "However I will always be here, watching over you" she said as she pointed at Phil's heart.

"Thank you Lane… for everything" Phil said, giving her his first smile in a long time.

"There are a few things I want you to do for me though" Lane whispered. "Make sure to be good to Sora and Yasuga for me. They've been so caring of you, so they deserve your love back".

"Wait, I'm still happy with your love" Phil said worriedly.

"But you need to move on" Lane responded. "Even if you're content, you have the power to make someone else happy. Even though I'll always be there, I want you to have a full and meaningful life. Also, you still need to go out and fulfill both our goals and aspirations. You're never going to do it if you're constantly moping over my death".

"To think that you had to come back from the grave to make me realize something so simple…" Phil muttered. "I know what I need to do now".

"Good. Now get up and get to work you lazy oaf" Lane said with a slight giggle. "We have a lot of work to do".

Phil got up and started to take care of all the things in his apartment he had let lax while in his depression. Lane 'stood' beside him, her reassuring smile and words of encouragement lifting Phil's spirit.

Suddenly, there was a knock at the door. Phil turned to where Lane was, but she had vanished. Phil opened the door and Sora was there. As Phil opened the door, Sora was surprised to see Phil awake this early on a weekend. Even more surprising to her was the smile that graced his face, a smile that she had not seen in a long time.

"I heard a loud bang from upstairs, so I came to see if you were alright" Sora said in a tone the bordered both stunned and worried.

"I'm fine" Phil said laughing. "I guess I just knocked some sense into myself".

"You seem… happier than usual" Sora said, stepping into the apartment.

"I just wanted to say thank you, Sora" Phil said, hugging the short girl.

"For what?" Sora asked. "It wasn't like I was about to let you ruin your whole life in with your sadness. Isn't this what friends are for?"

"Still though, thank you for everything you've done for me" Phil said, digging through his dressers for some nicer clothes.

"What are you doing?" Sora asked curiously.

"I doubt it will even begin to repay you, but let's go have a good time on the town!" Phil said excitedly. "We can grab something to eat, and then maybe go shopping if you'd like".

"Are you sure you're up for this?" Sora asked, surprised by Phil's sudden behavior.

"Of course I'm sure!" Phil exclaimed. "We should go get Yasuga and call up Alistar. I heard from a guy I know on the track team that there's a party on…"

A smile grabbed at Sora's face. She was glad that her friend was finally back to his old self…

That night… Abandoned Warehouse

A few armed thugs dragged a limp gang member before a man with sweeping black hair who sat on a throne made of various scrap metal.

"Yo boss, we think this guy is the snitch" one of the goons caring the man said.

"Drop him and leave the room!" the man on the throne snarled, his eyes glowing an evil looking red.

The thugs complied and the medium height man rose from the throne and drew a blade stained with the crimson blood of countless victims.

"You must be out of your mind to cross me" the man said, taking his sword and stabbing it through the man's foot as he wallowed in agony.

The victim stumbled and fell to the ground as the pale skinned man knelt on top of him and started to pound his face with his fists.

The beating lasted many minutes until a white haired girl with a smaller stature emerged from the shadows.

"That's enough!" the girl yelled as the man landed one more punch to the clearly unconscious man's face before getting up and turning to the girl.

"For the last time Emiko, stay out of my business!" the man yelled, slapping Emiko hard across the face.

"You know what, screw you Rikio" Emiko yelled. "You can't say I haven't tried to keep you from becoming a monster".

"You need to learn to shut your mouth and go back to being the quite little nerd that no one likes!" Rikio said, trying to slap at her but being blocked this time by Emiko's arm.

"What happened to the Rikio that I knew?" Emiko asked bitterly. "The one who was compassionate and cared about his friends?"

"Ever since I lost to the no good transfer student Rexen a year ago, I realized that in order to be truly powerful you must throw away those weak emotions" Rikio growled.

"This isn't right" Emiko said as Rikio drew his sword of the man's foot and pointed it at Emiko. "I bet you can't do it".

"Talk all you want, because those words will be your last!" Rikio said, swinging his blade at Emiko.

However, the tiniest thread of conscious stopped him in his swing.

"I'll leave you to think about what you're becoming" the smaller statured girl said, turning her back to Rikio and walking away. He was no longer the boy who had saved her a year ago.

Rikio turned back to the man wincing in pain on the floor and let out a roar of anger as he began to chop and mutilate his body, continuing even after his victim's pleas for mercy had stopped. Then he went back to sit on his throne, all alone and covered in blood…

That's it guys! Make sure to leave a review for this chapter, since it was a lot of work. Also be sure to favorite or follow if you have not already. It really helps the story out. Until next time, Lazersword88 signing out!