“You guys don’t know how to go gentle on a little girl?” Luluwa muttered, she attempted to heal herself as she kneeled and clutched her wounds. She didn’t have the slightest advantage against these detectives, it was a beat down like none other for her.

  She didn’t have the Potentia Historie to defend her either, it was a battle she was meant to lose.

  “You’re no little girl, you’re murdering monster,” Detective Screen said harshly to her, her stare mean as she looked down at Luluwa. The other detectives stood by her side in silence, respecting her rage.

  “Once again, I didn’t mean to kill him, I just defended myself!” No matter what, Luluwa didn’t want to see herself as evil. She was just doing what she believed was right, for her mother and brother. “I am not a murderer… But I am a monster!”

  “What’s the difference?” Detective Screen held up her finger and a strange formation channeled at it. “You're Jason's kid, I will finish your bloodline.”

  “That’s pretty hilarious, considering my brother is your prodigy,” Luluwa somehow found humor in her words, despite death being at her secret door.

  “Goodbye, Mauter!” Detective Screen was about to release her attack but, it was interrupted. A menacing, black, gigantic centipede defended the attack for Luluwa.

  The beaten-up girl looked up to a rooftop and saw familiar faces. She knew exactly how they were related to each other but, she didn’t want to face them so soon.

  “Bryant! What are you doing!?” One of the detectives, being a bulky man with a lot of facial hair shouted at Bryant. Confused why one of the detectives-in-training was amongst monsters, “You need me to teach you a lesson, fool! Am sure Count Earl would allow me!”

  “Good thing the best detectives are disgusting goons of Count Earl, or else I’d feel guilty for killing you all,” Bryant responded. They were persons of unmentionable crimes that the Confederation covers up due to their contributions to the government. Bryant frowned, “Except for you Ms. Faulkner, just leave and keep quiet. You’re the only good person here.”

  “It’s not the time to be a rebel, Bradley. We already have to deal with your brother,” Carla was shocked by this. Why was this change happening now, why not sooner? “I will get my revenge.”

  “Enough!” Able refused to stay quiet any longer. He was angered seeing Luluwa in such a condition. He couldn’t contain his amalgamations of undead any longer, they tried to escape his skin. “Split them up according to your groups! They might be too strong for some of you all, work together!”

  In flash moment, Able surged forward using his wings and an accumulated energy. Grabbing the neck of a detective and flying off to deal with him, “You’re coming with me!”

  “Detective Loud! Dammit!” The bulky detective went to help seeing that Able was a formidable monster.

  Peaches was going to intercept the interceptor but, Heart stopped him, “It’s perfect for me since he is away. I will deal with him, I don’t want my powers to harm you all.”

  She walked off in silence, they respected it and allowed her to go.

  “Kick ass! Big sis!” Logan cheered for her and Eden also clapped in his shyness.

  “I can take on one by myself too, you guys need to work together,” Peaches said to them as he departed on a large snowflake, “Remember, the mission is to save Luluwa and remove all witnesses.”

  “You confident fuck! I’ll ask Count Earl to turn you into my slave after I am done with you!” Another detective, a woman, yelled at Peaches. Offended by how lightly they were taken, “You’re a pretty boy after all.”

  “Watch it!” Evelyn said sharply at the audacious woman.

  “Or what!? Is he your boyfriend, little monster? Too bad!” The Detective taunted her. Evelyn clutched her fist, she can’t fight like the others. There’s no way to defend herself.

  Matter of moments was what it took Peaches to surround the detective in sharp icicle blades, making sure not to kill her. He smirked at Evelyn, “Don’t worry, princess, I will defend your honor.”

  “If you want to take me from her, you have to defeat me!” Peaches lured her away using a barrage of attacks while escaping.

  Logan bounded off the building, his confidence is too much. He punched at one of the detectives but he dodged, Logan leaving a crater in the ground from his strength.

  “Logan! You can’t just move like that! What if something happened to you!?” Eden exclaimed, descending down on a strange creature that disappeared after being summoned. He realized that he rose his voice and then immediately became meek.

  “What is it, fool? Can’t handle a punch from a little kid!?” Logan ignored Eden and taunted the detective. He isn’t stupid, he knows how to lure someone away.

  “As if a punch from a puny brat like you can harm me,” Flames erupted in the Detective’s hands and he glared at Logan with glowing eyes, “I will feed you to my dogs while you’re still alive.”

  “Let’s see about that,” Logan moved quickly, pushing through the Detective’s flames and punching him with such force that the Detective was sent hurdling through several buildings. Successfully being displaced.

  Logan was burnt up but, he trusted Eden to heal him, “Eden! Let’s go! We got a monster to kill!”

  The word ‘kill’ made Eden hesitate. He nodded bravely even so, “O-Okay, let’s go.”

  “Do not hesitate to be one with your true nature,” Tristan said to the Nishizawa sisters, as they were in his groups. He sent Extalis Pendra to attack one of the remaining detectives, a scrawny looking man wielding dual scimitars. The Detective defended against the centipede and then rushed towards them.

  “On it!” The sisters responded in unison.

  “Torii!” Evelyn opened a portal and displaced the Detective. Opening another to carry herself, Lauri and Tristan to him.

  “Detective Lift! Detective Chase! Detective Ignite! Detective Whirlwind! They are trying to split us up and kill us! Are you deaf!” Detective Screen tried to reason with them but, they were already split up. She glared at the two that remained.

  Bryant looked down at Carla, with Emilia being his teammate since Carla was the most powerful there, “I guess it’s you and me.”

  “Why did you decide to be the change now? Bradley,” Detective Screen said with an aching heart. She knew her duty was to kill them but, somehow she was questioning it, “Why couldn’t it be sooner.”

  “I am sorry for your loss, Ms. Faulkner,” Bryant frowned.

  ~//~

  “You guys certainly are Minohwa’s best, speaking that is since Terrence isn’t here,” Able spoke coldly. His grip pressed into the detective’s neck as he bled profusely. “If you didn’t get so lax by Count Earl’s favor, you would have given me more trouble.”

  “You bastard…. Do you think you’ll get away with this-!” The Detective was weakened, he couldn’t resist Able’s great strength for his size or disastrous powers.

  Amalgamations of dead flesh and fingernails erupted around Able, he was the medium of the undead! His sclera turned black and his irises glowing bright red. His angered smile made his image more chaotic.

  “I know I will get away with this,” Able applied more strength to the detective’s neck and slowly started crushing it. “It’s a new era. The King of the Damned’s.”

  Suddenly, the detective’s eyes widened. As if he picked up an important piece of information from Able’s pheromones. He spoke before his trachea was crushed, “Zyglifth!”

  Able crushed his neck so firmly that it looked like a wet paper straw. He didn’t care for flesh and blood that spilt around/on him, his abnormal powers would eat it clean either way.

  “I don’t know who you’re referring to,” Able shrugged it off. He is a monster from outside the walls, taking a life was normal to him. Wings exited his back and he prepared to leave, using the amalgamations of dead flesh and fingernails to devour the corpse. Leaving no trace behind.

  “I have to save Luluwa.”

  ~//~

  “You know, the ice really brings out the colour of your eyes,” Peaches taunted the Detective that was trapped within his frost. Unable to move, perhaps unaware of changes in the world. Attempting to escape but with every push of power, the ice regenerated quickly. “Look who is pretty now.”

  “You guys are certainly no jokes but, I am sure that Able took no damage,” Peaches walked away from Detective Chase with a certain atmosphere around him. The atmosphere of a king.

  “So I won’t lose to a harbinger of war,” He snapped his fingers and instantly, the ice exploded. Erupting in blood crystal snowflakes, falling slowly to the earth.

  "As I am an emperor."

  ~//~

  “Stay away from me!” Detective Lift, the bulky man with lots of facial hair, screamed at Heart. He was seemingly undamaged but, he was terrified of her.

  Realizing that running away would kill him faster, he moved carefully and slowly. His eyes bloodshot and near to bawling, “I said stay away!”

  “You made yourself an easy target since you separated yourself from your allies,” Heart also moved carefully, making sure not to kill him faster. A pleased smirk was on her face, “You’re simply a moth to my flame.”

  “I am begging! I will do anything! What do you want! Money? Power!?” Detective Lift backed himself into a wall and realized he didn’t have a proper escape route unless he moved fast. Which he couldn’t risk. “Jesus Christ! I can even give you a limited edition Stanley Cup from 21st Century! Just get away from me!”

  “Did you assume I would want one of those because I am a woman?” Heart stopped in her tracks and asked him, a brow raised.

  “Yes?” Detective Lift said haughtily, believing that he won her over.

  “No. What I want to see is where your particles will go?” A strange power came to her palms. The very matter of the surroundings were beginning to evaporate. “Elysium? Or the Seven Circles of Tartarus?”

  ~//~

  This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author's consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.

  “Are you girls ready? He is going to break through Extalis Pendra’s exoskeleton at any moment,” Tristan spoke in his usual cold and nonchalant manner. As if these situations wasn’t anything stressful to him. It seems like Extalis Pendra was his only familiar.

  The girls on the other hand were stressed out. This was the most powerful opponent they faced, the Detectives-In-Training cannot compare to this man.

  “Ready!” They said in unison, although Lauri was quite nervous.

  Detective Whirlwind slashed through Extalis Pendra, who were having a head on collision, “Finally!”

  The centipede dissipated and returned to Tristan. Tristan now, prouder of Extalis Pendra’s defensive capabilities.

  “Torii!” Evelyn opened portals, displaced the Detective into the air as they planned.

  But the Detective was ready for this, sending a flying wind blade after them using both scimitars, “Monsoon!”

  That’s why Evelyn opened several portals, they knew the detective would adapt to her tricks. His projectile attack went into a portal and delivered back to him, while Evelyn and Tristan made distance.

  “Lauri! Hit him with your special move!” Evelyn was beaming with excitement, she felt like she was in a shounen anime action sequence.

  The detective was already bleeding heavily due to his own attack and was on the ground trying to recover quickly. Lauri exited from a portal above him, she was terrified being the only one so close to him

  She generated serpents of different shades out of her body, they coiled around each other and opened their gaping mouths sourcing an accumulated energy, “Gnostic!”

  Despite only becoming a monster recently, Lauri is one of the heaviest damage dealers in Zebra Effect. The beam of pure stimulus tore into the detective and a massive dust cloud erupted.

  The dust settled, Tristan and Evelyn descended to see the aftermath.

  Lauri stood before the Detective. He was still alive, a deep garnished through his torso. No person would live past it but, the detective was somehow regenerating. Lauri having a quivering face and terrified expression.

  “Why didn’t you kill him?” Tristan slowly marched up to the defeated detective.

  “I- I don’t think I am deserving of taking a life,” Lauri admitted. Evelyn also froze at the notion, unconsciously to her it was just fun and games. Truly, it was a matter of life and death. They were in a situation where they were capable of choosing if he could live or not. They didn’t feel that was right.

  “He wouldn’t hesitate to kill you,” Tristan held the detective’s chin and brought his face up to view. “Intelligent creatures are vengeful; he would come to kill you if you spared him.”

  “I know I am a monster now but… I would like to still value a life,” Evelyn argued, unlike her sister she was brave enough to say her thoughts. Lauri was trying to accept it.

  “Value a life that value yours,” Tristan said to them. His fingernails grew longer and he stabbed them into the side of the detective’s face.

  “Yes…! You’re the missing ingredient!” Tristan had emotion in his voice, which was odd to the girls. A slight smirk on his face, he slashed the Detective’s throat opened and pluck out his heart.

  “That’s so gorey, you already slashed his throat why take out his heart?” Evelyn flinched, so did Lauri. Tristan killed him so casually. They squirmed away from the blood.

  “The throat slash was to introduce trauma, it wouldn’t kill him fast enough. Taking out his heart was to end him immediately,” There was a science to it that Tristan would have to teach them one day, for now they had to stick to the mission.

  Tristan stabbed his fingers into the man’s face once again, “Purge.”

  ~//~

  “Eden! Get ready!” Logan yelled at Eden, who nodded in response. He was a charred up but, Logan wasn’t going to give up. He defended Eden from most of the damage since Eden couldn’t take hits like he could.

  “Let’s do this!” Logan punched the Detective into the air.

  “You brats!” Detective Ignite choked up, he defended against another punch. Logan’s strength is no joke. He was getting tired, taking too many hits from the boy. He was the weakest of the sent detectives but, his power was nothing to be underestimated.

  “Genesis!” Eden opened the thick book in his hands and began scribbling. From his book emerged monstrous doves that kept pushing the detective further into the sky.

  “You think you’re taking me out! A prodigy! Embers!” The detective bellowed flames at them, that the monstrous doves Eden created withstood in their place. Eden stayed on the ground while Logan floated through the defense of the doves.

  “Dammit!” The detective’s stimulus was depleted, he used too much trying to heal himself from Logan’s attacks despite not being a healer.

  “This is it!” Logan pulled back his fist and prepared a blow using all his might!

  “No it is not! Disasters!” Detective Ignite released flames around him of intense heat, so incredible that he stayed afloat and the flames turned white.

  “Genesis!” Eden scribbled in his book again and released a massive golem like creature. That clasped its large earth-like arms in front of Logan to defend from the deathly flames, “Logan! The flames will kill you!”

  “I got it! Sophax!” Logan released boulders of black sharp stones at the detective. Carried by dust, winds and magnetism, they surged through the magnificent heat. Reducing in size, they survived and collided into the detective. Hitting like a truck, the detective was stunned and released his attack.

  Logan punched him in his chest and the detective’s torso exploded! Blood and flesh splattered over Logan and the ground. The detective didn’t get a chance to give any last words, the boy’s strength was incredible.

  “Yeah! We did it!” Logan celebrated, dancing around in glee. He still had critical burns, Eden had far fewer. Logan turned to see Eden’s depressing frown, “What’s wrong?”

  “Logan… You just killed someone,” Eden didn’t want to look at the corpse and yet he still did. He swallowed his vomit. Seeing the bloody figure gave him flashbacks that he couldn’t understand.

  “I guess I did,” Logan said casually, looking at the corpse and then back to Eden. His expression didn’t change, he was unfazed.

  Logan then smile brightly and charmingly, as he always did. Which made Eden conflicted. The optimistic boy spoke, “It was for the greater good.”

  Eden hesitated, “The greater good?”

  ~//~

  “Why did you go easy on us?” Bryant looked down at Detective Screen, Carla Faulkner, with a frown.

  Emilia and Bryamt hardly took any damage. Yet, she was also hardly beaten. Her hair was a mess and her make-up ruined by her tears. She stayed on the ground, resting on her knees unable to control herself.

  “I just can’t anymore, Bryant, you kids are so precious,” Carla felt so bitter. So angry. And nothing seemed like it could solve it. “Why did you kids choose to fight back the system now? Why not earlier? When Gisseupe was alive…”

  “I am sure he would have helped you! I would have too!” Carla bawled heavily, holding back a worse mental breakdown.

  Bryant had no response for her, he didn’t know what to say. Emilia stayed quiet, since it had nothing to do with her.

  “I guess it’s wrong for me to question time’s passage, it would have happened eventually,” Carla held her gut as she kept crying. “I guess this story wasn’t meant for him…”

  “Carla…” Bryant was usually an emotionless man, who cared only for his lust. But, these melancholy emotions that Carla was invoking was too much for him.

  “Bryant, are we going to kill her…” Emilia asked. Knowing that it was the wrong time to. Still, she couldn’t risk more detectives coming. She could already sense that the others defeated their foes and were taking Luluwa away from there.

  Carla looked up Bryant with bright teary eyes, wondering what the boy’s decision will be.

  “I don’t know….” Bryant was so confused of what do in that moment. Her teary eyes were breaking his heart. Carla, Gisseupe and Kayne were the only ones he favored from the Confederation. “I don’t want to….”

  “You can’t kill her, Bradley,” A familiar voice made the situation more intense. Descending with his large wings was Kayne, who originally came to save Luluwa after hearing news at quarters.

  “Kayne!” Emilia was excited to see him, running towards him and embracing her. Kayne was surprised but, did the same.

  “Are you unharmed?” He held her face and examined her. A gentle giant he is.

  Emilia rolled her eyes and nodded with a smile, “Yeah, she went really easy on us.”

  “So that’s the little girlfriend that’s been distracting you,” Carla teased Kayne, starting to control herself.

  “Carla… You haven’t been answering my calls,” Kayne grimaced, seeing the state she was in was more heartbreaking for him.

  “We’ve all been going through something,” Carla responded in a depressed tone, avoiding eye contact from the only boy he could call her son.

  “You just made things more complicated, Kayne” Bryant said sternly. He knew that Kayne already witnessed their actions, on several missions. Still, this moment was different. Since they have killed many detectives, he didn’t know how the stone cold killer Kayne would respond.

  “Bryant, I already know what you guys are. And I’ve kept quiet about it,” Kayne said sternly towards Bryant, unlike his meek self. He didn’t want to lose Carla after losing Gisseupe. “But, I can’t allow you to kill her.”

  “Why not?” Bryant sensed his pheromones and saw that he was being honest. Emilia stayed quiet, standing behind Kayne.

  “Sense her pheromones,” Kayne responded. Bryant did so, and then his eyes became wide and teary. Kayne frowned, “She’s pregnant with Gisseupe’s child.”

  “How long did you know?” Carla spoke up, she thought she hid it well. A bittersweet smile on her face.

  “For awhile now,” Kayne reciprocated the bittersweet smile. “I knew you and Gisseupe wanted it to be a surprise so…. I stayed quiet.”

  “I… am so sorry,” Tears ran down Bryant’s face, a stoic man ruined into a emotional mess. He fell to his knees and embraced Carla.

  “It’s not your fault,” Carla embraced him and Kayne, both bawling into her arms. She couldn’t hold back her tears either, “It’s… the Confederation’s….”

  Emilia couldn’t ruin the moment, she knew it wasn’t her place. Bryant and Kayne both had been through a lot, she knew their stories. To almost kill someone so important to them once again, would ruin them forever.

  She could see Carla whispering in their ears about something, Emilia assumed being the evils of the Confederation. Kayne and Bryant’s eyes widened at the knowledge. Soon, they separated. Their emotions controlled and knowing what to do.

  “I will stay quiet and retire from being a Detective, since I have a reason to now,” Carla held her abdomen and slowly stood up. “Am sure Diane will take me in.”

  “As long as you’re okay,” Kayne responded with a fear in his heart. “I cannot lose you too.”

  A blue giant dream catcher rushed in-between them, moving at an incredible speed. It sliced one of Carla’s arms off but, Kayne prevented the attack from killing her. The abruptness was shocking. For a moment, everyone froze. Carla didn't even realize what happened. How did an attack like that slip between their senses and damage so quickly? As large amounts of blood splattered on them.

  “Arabella,” The perpetrator of the attack spoke, having a sick grin on his face, “Oopsie, I was sure that would I kill her.”

  “You bastard!!!” Kayne and Bryant became enraged. They couldn’t contain their emotions and so their stimulus was going berserk. Turning them into incredible monsters as they attempted to withstand it. Recognizing the evil that did this immediately.

  “Kayne! Bryant! Calm down, I am still alive!” Carla tried to control them, despite her arm bleeding out very quickly. Biting her lip to withstand the pain and trying to stop blood loss.

  “Not for long! Tame Impala!” The attacker shredded his obscure guitar and an arrow of strange materials zoomed to Carla once again. It penetrated her eye and was going to kill her but, Bryant snapped back into his sense and caught it.

  “Kayne! Wake up!” Emilia slapped Kayne and he roared, about to attack her until realizing it was her.

  He calmed down, “Bryant! Emilia! Get out of here, carry Carla to someone to who can heal her!”

  “But!” Emilia was going to argue that they could help.

  “I am begging you! Please! I don’t want to lose her too!” Kayne spoke with so much emotion, it wasn’t often that you could hear him raise his voice. Almost shaking Emilia as he spoke

  They nodded and escaped with Carla. Bryant seared her wound shut with his pink fumes, to stop more blood loss. Carrying her gentle full speed ahead. Bryant texted the other members of Zebra Effect to stop and meet them so they could heal Carla.

  “Icarus! Why are you doing this!?” Kayne knew this man, the son of the Representative. Bryant’s elder brother. Icarus Bradley, the spoilt prince of the settlement.

  “Well, I came here because Jason said I could see something interesting, to which I did,” Icarus wanted to kill her, to make their pain more intense for his enjoyment. It wasn’t the first time he killed a pregnant woman. “But, it looks like I bit off too much than I can chew.”

  “Arabella! Heart-Shaped Box!” He shredded his guitar and sent multiple dream catchers after Kayne, Icarus escaped since he knew Kayne would dodge them than block.

  “You’re not going anywhere!” Kayne chased after Icarus. For a man who couldn’t fly, he sure escaped quickly. Kayne soar overhead but, the distance was getting greater.

  Kayne then came across a van of Alkonost, the anarchist group that Icarus leads. Carrying their music equipment, band members, groupies and believers.

  “Shit! What are you doing here!?” A woman leading the crew spoke in shock, she saw Icarus quickly go into the van but, she didn’t know why.

  Kayne recognized the woman, she is Erica Blanka, lead female singer of Alkonost. She quickly moved to attack him and so did the other goons.

  “Yue!” Kayne called for his ;Requiem; and the flame salamander chirped at his call, emerging from his body as intense fire. The salamander charged a concentrated flame at its mouth, “Beak of the Heat!”

  Kayne killed all over them instantly, the environment that survived his power was stained dark red by flesh burnt to crisps. The Alkonost van was flipped over, somehow surviving his flames. Fires engulfed the whole area in red and heat, personifications of Kayne's rage. Only judgment was on his mind.

  He went to it and tore it open with his bare hands. Metals weakened by the heat and forced further by his rage. Reaching to deliver his punishment.

  Icarus jumped out of it, along with two other individuals. Using his obscure guitar, he played a slow but difficult riff while staring at Kayne.

  “You and I both know you can’t kill me,” Icarus spoke up, unfazed by Kayne charging another concentration of flames. He was confident in his privilege.

  “You are working with Jason, that’s enough reason,” Kayne will always be a stone cold killer. For the ones he love.

  “The Confederation is centered on prejudice, it works by favor. My father owns all power inside of Minohwa,” Icarus declared with great pride towards Kayne. “You know what happens when his precious son is harmed? Right?”

  “Much less killed? He will hunt you and everyone you adore,” Icarus revved his guitar and span around, his two other executives proud of his chaotic behavior.

  Kayne gripped his hand and trembled. Knowing what more important was that Carla survived, he controlled himself. He prepared to leave, “Harm anyone I love and I will be the cause of your death, Bradley.”

  Icarus stared into his eyes with no fear, “Should I remind you of your last name?”