23. Rue

Rue

The first building went quickly. It didn't take long for the nightmare, Ryker, to stretch out. The wolves and the rest of the demons spread around the building, waiting for its inhabitants to pour out.

They did within minutes. I heard the banshee's screams, and the sound chilled me to my bones. The roof of the building came off entirely, and we were looking inside from above, as if this were a model on a computer screen.

The terror. The shots that came back at our guys.

But it was short-lived. Ryker ingested the entire thing in a black mass that eventually sunk into the ground. Anyone stupid enough to rush outside, thinking they could get away, was dealt with by one of our monsters.

All that was left was a massive black patch. It reminded me of Koa's void. But when it pulled back, there were monsters and women and children huddled on the ground. Looking around, startled. Mortified.

There were no beasts, but there was definitely an army of hybrids that the nightmare consumed.

Then we moved on.

The second building was much the same, though this time the Darkyns and Igarashis with some of the children, who ran between their legs so they wouldn't be left behind, headed out once the security system was disabled.

This one was almost peaceful. No one came outside as our guys surrounded the building and the oni covered it in shadow. When the shadow pulled back, the building was still standing, but everyone inside was gone.

A handful of our storms went inside. When they came out, there were more monsters that followed, though like the last place, they looked worse for the wear.

"They were prisoners?" I asked.

"Yes. They were there for experimentation," Javan said. "If you'd like some nightmares, you can ask Cobalt and Ady all about it. They have firsthand experience."

I shuddered.

The third building was also a peaceful takedown, with the Nereuses and Kallans flooding the entire place until there was water seeping out of its cracks and seams. Once again, the victims lived and were taken in.

The fourth building was a bloodbath. Just as we took over the system, the alarms went off and people started to flow outside. Hybrids. A handful of creatures.

This one was for the Agnis and the Aves, as well as whatever kids wanted to go out. I felt wrong letting them go, but it was a choice they were making. More joined when they saw there was retaliation by Silence.

They wanted to return blood with blood. The children weren't kind. They weren't soft. And they weren't forgiving. The deaths they delivered were harsher than the ones the adults did. They had a very short lifetime, filled with horrors that they wanted to exact revenge for.

It was our longest fight. More of our friends joined in when it carried on. Hours went by. It was dawn by the time that the only thing left standing was a building in ruins, still smoking and smoldering .

There were survivors, but many had perished in the flames before we could get to them.

However, by the time we made it to the fifth facility, it was clear that our secret was out. There was an army of people outside. Waiting. Watching. They'd been warned, and they were expecting us.

They knew when we were here, even though they couldn't see the compound. The building was surrounded by beasts, by hybrids, and also by monsters. These were the operatives of Silence. The directors, the masterminds, the worker bees, the agents. These were the people who needed to die.

"Is it worth trying to get to the mainframe?" someone asked.

"Yes," Koa said. "If we can tap in, then at least half of that mess is offline and not a threat."

"I'm surprised you don't want to eat them," someone teased.

"I'm going to. But it doesn't mean they aren't still a threat," Koa answered.

"Astro? Silver?" Iker asked. "How do you feel about trying to get in?"

Astro, still in his dog form, looked up with rainbows in his eyes. "Yes. I didn't truly fully conceal myself before since it wasn't necessary." He looked at the little girl. "Silver?"

Silver nodded. "Yes. Let's go."

"Such a brave girl," Astro cooed.

Silver rolled her eyes as she climbed on his back, taking one of the metal contraptions out of the basket on the way. "These fuckers created me to kill, not expecting to be on the receiving end."

Astro gave us a wolfish grin before bounding off the side of the wall. This time, there wasn't a rainbow trail telling us where he was. And this time, more people were crowded around Koa as he stared at his phone.

"Should we be concerned with her language?" someone mused .

"Honestly, she's seen more death and horror than we have. She can say whatever she wants. She's earned that right."

I stared out at the individuals crowding around the building. There were masses of them.

"There's the unicorn," Calix said, pointing. "Green hair. See her?"

"The question is—is she a mindless drone or a co-conspirator?"

"There's more than a handful of witches there, too."

"But interestingly, not a sorcerer from what I can feel," Torin said. "And not a witch stronger than one of mine. No royal blood here. There are going to be some questions we're left with after this, I fear."

"Koa?" I turned to find Calix cupping the side of Koa's face, his thumb brushing his cheek. "Think you can just eat the living, conscious people and leave everything else standing?"

"Even the hybrids and beasts?"

"That depends. If they're attacking us, eat them. Otherwise, let them be."

"Why?" I asked.

"Curiosity, more than anything. But I'm definitely not opposed to killing them if necessary. Even a hint of their retaliation makes it necessary. But the hybrids… if we can disassemble Silence, maybe we can give them their lives back. I have a feeling they didn't ask for this."

"To be controlled like a marionette? I don't know; I'd totally sign up for that," someone said sarcastically.

There was a shift below us and there was a collective inhale.

"Get ready, Koa," Javan said. "Might need a quick unleash."

Koa nodded. He handed his phone to Iker, turning his full attention to what was happening below.

"Just so I'm clear," Iker said. "You have someone else working on these connections?"

"Yes," Koa confirmed. "My entire company's sole focus is right here. "

Those that were alive, I mused. Koa employed a lot of people off site and I think he told me at one point that he employed something like 40% humans.

"Green," Iker said, turning his phone in our direction. "Time to feast, void. Make us proud."

Koa smiled, his eyes already an eerie matte black.

"Wyns and Terras, stay back and keep your strength for the last facility. Anyone else, have a field day. Remember that we want to keep this building and tech intact if we can. If we're going to find answers for anything, it's going to be inside."

"Are we leaving anyone alive?" I asked.

"No. Kill on sight."

I didn't see anyone from my family, but I couldn't help but wonder if they'd be here. If we knew about all their facilities or had some gone under the radar.

"Let's go," Calix said. He took my hand and pulled me toward the stairs.

It was only supposed to be our family and the small three-woman family of Taru. But more joined us.

"Ryker, don't bury the building, bub."

The nightmare sighed.

"Wanna cry, Bael?" the oni asked as he fell into step beside Ryker with a child on his hip. Based on his size and that of Little Koa when he was inside his monstrous void, I assumed the child was five or thereabouts. Probably could walk on his own.

"Yes," Bael said.

I was disturbed to find a whole array of children following us, too. As they cleared the tight quarters of the stairs, they let their monsters out. One girl grew spikes along her spine and a wicked spiked tail. A little boy looked like a pincushion with shards sticking out of him. Another was smoking, leaving charred footprints as he walked.

More and more and more children bared their beasts as we left the protected, invisible perimeter of the compound.

The hybrids came at us first, then the monsters. We were already prepared that their attacks would be a distraction because they didn't have weapons other than what they were born with or knives. The real threat were the assholes behind them.

I stared at the big monster directly in my path as it came barreling toward us. Tularoo. That's what it was. Shivering, I brandished my sword, the blade glowing a haunting white, and readied myself for impact.

It didn't come. The beast jumped over me entirely, bypassing me. Leaving me completely startled. So much so that I almost left myself wide open for a hybrid shifter to plunge a knife into my neck. Fortunately, my echoes can work independently when necessary, and two stepped out of my body, one from each side, and intercepted my attacker.

With the hybrid down, we were faced with another creature that also moved around me. Uh… us—me and my echoes.

"This is weird, right?" I asked. Both nodded. They weren't individuals, but they could think and speak independently when out of my body. Yes, it was a bit of a mindfuck.

Out of curiosity, I ran toward one of the beasts trying to pick off a group of children and stood between them. The creature stopped entirely. It looked at me, tilted its head, and then tried to move around me.

"Stop," I ordered and to my utter amazement, it froze. "Don't move."

The creature stilled as if it were a statue.

"How did you do that?" Maryn asked.

"Don't take this the wrong way, but I think only I can do this," I said. "Time to let the echoes out." Ten more duplicates walked out of my body and fanned out with our assignment.

"That's wild as shit," Maryn mused, watching with an impressed expression. I had a feeling it took a lot to earn that from her.

My breath caught as one of my echoes spotted my father. "Excuse me," I said and headed that way, trying to avoid any of the weird magic fire and shit flooding the air until I planted myself in my father's path.

He froze, eyes wide. The relief on his face made me feel sick to my stomach.

"Ruri," he said, taking a step closer.

"All this time," I said, shaking my head, "you've been lying to me."

He sighed. "I didn't lie to you."

"Lying by omission of this magnitude is most certainly lying."

"I tried so hard to make you see the beauty of what we're creating," he said sadly. "I told you stories and encouraged your creativity, ensuring that it would serve us well."

Bile rose in my throat. Fuck, he had told me that!

"Please, Ruri. Reconsider. Call off your attack."

"You're joking right now, right?" I ask, taking a step back. "You killed the entire human world, Father! You really expect us to just… accept that? You've been trying to kill these monsters for generations. You think they should just accept their deaths?"

"Yes," he answered simply. His mouth opened to say more, but an enormous shadow fell over us both. He looked at it, and took several slow steps back. "How can you not see how dangerous they are?"

"And you think you have a right to decide who should exist and who shouldn't," I continued.

He sighed. "No. I mean… No, no. We're making room for the new golden age where peace will be the only thing that anyone has to worry about. Can't you see that, daughter? Where does this thing fit into that?"

"You're failing to see that we've been trying to live in peace for ages. They have been trying to live in peace, but you keep trying to kill them off! Why?"

A massive black claw stepped out of the shadow behind me. Koa had arrived. His growl filled the air.

My father swallowed. "Evolution got away from itself," he said .

"You—" I blinked, unable to believe what I heard him say. Just now. "You've got to be fucking kidding me!"

Koa's second paw stepped out and his shadow above us expanded as the first glimpses of his black monstrous face revealed itself in the early morning light. He was so dark, so deep, that his abyss sucked all the light inward.

His teeth were as big as my arm. His big, black eye stared down at my father.

"You killed our family," I accused.

"Well, yes," he said, eyes never leaving Koa. "They didn't understand. They didn't get on board."

"When were you going to kill me?"

Koa's snarl intensified at my question.

My father looked at me with horror. "Never! You're my baby girl. I hope that you'll eventually understand and forgive me."

Something bright and whistling like a missile came streaming through the air, directly at Koa. My breath caught in my throat as my big beast ducked and the projectile disappeared inside the massive void he stepped out of.

"Koa?" I asked, horrified, gripping his paw.

My echoes were suddenly there, surrounding my father as he tried to get away. But that was the last I saw of him. Koa dove, snatching his body up with his mouth. I heard the crunch of his bones and looked away.

Right into the bloody scene that played out in front of me where Bryn and some of our friends—the kids—were trapped inside a net, their bodies being fried alive.

I screamed.