Number 7

Marcus awoke with a sudden jolt, breath flooding back into his lungs as he panted heavily.

Looking around, the first thing he noticed was the red haired man - Bradley Vendetta.

Yet despite his previously playful nature, right now the man had an extremely serious expression.

"I've allowed you to peek into this much of my life. Any further and I'll have issues. After all, this is already quite the invasion of my own privacy, don't you agree?"

Looking next to him, Marcus immediately took notice of Sylvia, who was staring forward with thinned eyes.

"Fair enough. I'm sure you have your reasons and your secrets, just as we do."

Standing up as if unphased by the pure amount of absurdity which they had just witnessed, the woman dusted herself off without a tinge of concern.

"Therefore, we can come to an agreement not to pry any further, no?"

"I see that you're quite reasonable, woman. So, what about you, businessman? Still wearing that suit in this day and age... haha, well I suppose these colors fit me a bit better than those, don't you think?"

The red haired man motioned to the orange prison jumpsuit which he currently styled, at which Marcus stood up from the floor with a chuckle.

"So you were betrayed... and because of that you started killing people. Or more particularly... taking revenge on people.", Marcus commented as he fixed his own tie.

"It looks like you get the point.", the man answered.

However, within the next moment, the red haired man found himself face to face with the black haired businessman.

"Then why the hell didn't you take revenge on the scientist who performed those experiments on your beloved woman in the first place?"

And with hatred boiling over in his tone, Marcus spoke in a manner which he never before could have imagined himself doing - with anger for the sake of Number Seven and the other experiments.

Grabbing the man by the collar of his jumpsuit, Marcus didn't hold back as he criticized the man.

"Why were you hanging around in jail if you cared so much about this Lady of yours? Even if you went around performing that demented form of justice, if you have the ability to enact Revenge then why didn't you use it for that purpose?"

As he dropped Bradley from his collar, Marcus motioned to the piles upon piles of undead bodies that surrounded them in that warehouse.

"If you had done something to stop him, then perhaps the world wouldn't be in this state."

However it was in the next moment that Marcus felt a hand around his neck - and within that instant, he felt himself choking as the grip tightened.

And looking directly in front of him, he witnessed it.

Eyes of madness.

"That doesn't seem to be a criticism of me... but rather of the LADY, who holds the ability of Revenge. Am I incorrect in thinking that?"

As the serial killer made this statement, a sensation which Marcus was all too familiar with engulfed his entire being.

The sensation of impending death.

"Are you going to kill me again?"

Yet this time, something changed.

In the way he carried himself, in the way he opened his eyes as he faced yet another man who threatened without bluff to slaughter him.

And the vast conviction in his voice was enough to stop even the serial killer in his tracks, to which the man loosened his gaze.

"I was going to keep the details to myself... but I suppose since you've seen as much of my past as you already have, it only makes sense that I should inform you of the reality behind this ability."

Taking his right hand as he aimed it towards the floor, a burst of flesh shot out of it, forming a chair which Bradley sat upon with a heavy sigh.

"You already know about the Reawakenings, so I'll skip that part. And you already have seen my memories, so you should already understand that Revenge allows its user to create a fated event in which Revenge is obtained."

Shooting his hand around as numerous more chairs formed from his own flesh, each of the five people present soon found themselves sitting down in the grotesque seats.

"This fated event is dependent on the action for which Revenge is being taken for. If the offense is small, the repayment will be small. If the offense is large, the repayment will be large. However there are a few conditions."

Raising a finger, the man continued his explanation.

"First, Number Three - the owner of the ability - has to witness the actions for which Revenge are being taken. Meaning anything which she hasn't seen with her own eyes is not an event which Revenge can be obtained for. Of course, if she takes control of someone's mind and views things through their eyes, there's no issue, which is how we were able to operate over the years."

"Bradley... What is a Reawakening?"

Suddenly, another voice entered into the mix - that of the Police Officer who had accompanied Bradley to this place.

Looking over to the policeman, who was merely staring at Bradley with an expression of shock, Bradley paused for a moment.

"Ah... I showed you my past as well, so you must be more confused than anyone. The abilities, the experiments... all of that stuff is something you knew nothing of. Well, just think of it as-"

"What have you been dealing with your entire life, Bradley?"

Turning to the man with a saddened expression, the policeman seemed to look to the criminal not with fear, but rather with pity.

"We all have our problems, don't we?"

Yet the cold words of Sylvia cut into the conversation like a knife.

At which, the policeman laughed.

"Hahaha... I suppose we do."

Closing his eyes, the policeman motioned for Bradley to continue.

"Don't think I'm too stupid to understand something like this, Bradley. It may be insane, but I've been dealing with insanity as well all my life. I'll just keep on listening and try to piece things together."

"Very well."

Moving on without a concern for the policeman, who was clearly containing his shaken demeanor, Bradley raised his second finger once more.

"The second condition with Number Three's ability is that it cannot be applied to things that have happened before she obtained the ability. She obtained the ability right before she escaped the experimental facility - so I'm sure you understand exactly what this means."

Thinning his eyes as he spoke, the criminal spoke with so much hatred in his voice that Marcus could feel it seething out of the man.

"Even though she may have every reason in the world to take Revenge on that man and his colleagues... her actual ability to do so is ZERO."

Raising a third finger, the man didn't stop his explanation.

"And finally, the third condition. Depending upon how much she can relate and sympathize with the person which Revenge is being obtained for, the magnitude of the Revenge will increase."

"Ah. So that's why you two merged with one another.", Sylvia commented, placing one hand to her chin in thought.

"You're quick on the uptake. Exactly. You two are Hosts as well, so I'm sure you understand to an extent, but do you understand the difference between a Host and a True Host?"

"That was something which she mentioned when she offered to merge with you completely.", Marcus noted.

"Indeed. When it comes to these experiments, they can take anyone as a Host, however they can only take one True Host. It takes time for the bodies to merge with one another, but most important is compatibility and acceptance. So let me ask the both of you."

Standing up, the man gazed into the eyes of Marcus, then Sylvia as he made his assessment with a laugh.

"Haha... I see. That makes a lot of sense, my Lady."

"What did she-"

Marcus spoke up to question as to what Three had told Bradley, however the red haired man interrupted before he could finish his question.

"Have you actually accepted your parasites, or are you still at odds with them? Because if so... then you'll never truly merge."

At that moment, Marcus felt as if his very existence was being analyzed.

He felt as if he were being judged - and right now his sentence was flying towards one of 'Guilty'.

Yet what exactly was he guilty of?

"So you're telling me that I should accept everything about Number Seven, and become nothing more than his slave? Sorry to disappoint you, but I've already accepted his will."

"I'm saying that you need to accept one another fully. Meaning that you cannot be his mere slave. Your wills must ALIGN. You must wish for the exact same thing. You must desire exactly the will of the other. And if you cannot do that, then you will never completely merge."

"Is there any reason why we would want to merge?"

The one asking this time was Sylvia, who spoke with suspicion, at which Bradley froze.

"Ah, I suppose that's right, isn't it. You two aren't like me. Your hosts... have different goals than you do."

With a nod, the man merely smiled as he sat down once more.

"But even so, merging will become a liberation. You will become an extension of one another - you will be the same, yet different. Everything you do will be fully aligned with the parasite within you, and there will be no fight over control. Is that not something which you desire?"

As he was questioned, Marcus recalled his memory that Seven had shown him.

The memory of his failure to protect someone which he had promised to protect.

His failure to remain by that girl's side as danger approached.

His failure to fight.

"I... want to fight for my own goals. Yet... I do not despise Seven's goals either. Although to say that I fully understand them or agree with them would be a lie."

"I suppose that would be the first step then, no?"

Folding his hands as he placed them on his knee, Marcus witnessed the very businessman who was present in those flashbacks from long ago as the man flashed him a knowing smile.

"First understand what the thing inside of you truly desires... and then achieve it."

"You're certainly generous, giving me all this advice."

Looking to his own hand, Bradley gently gripped his left ring finger with fondness as he spoke.

"As a fellow Host, I suppose it saddens me to see someone who doesn't understand the worth of their parasite."

Looking up to the others, the man then stood up as he cracked his back, stretching his shoulders.

"Now then... I believe there is a goal which we can agree upon for now. And it involves that particular girl. She is a subordinate of the Stirling Family, no?"

"Ah."

Looking over to Isabella, who had been calmly and quietly listening, Marcus realized that the girl was present for all this conversation.

Of course, she had already been exposed to so much - so he didn't particularly feel horrible for anything she had seen here.

"That's right. We were going to take them down, weren't we?"

"There was that man who killed us before. He seemed to be one of their members.", Sylvia noted. "The man with the revolvers."

"Oh... you've met him? He was on my list of targets before I went on vacation, you know. The Lady was real insistent, she said she wanted to take a break from all the work, so we took a real long vacation. Free of charge, too."

Plucking his jumpsuit with a grin, the man spoke in a manner that baffled everyone present - most particular the policeman.

"Eh? You... you considered that cell to be your own personal version of a vacation?"

"Well of course. I was free of having to see human society for a bit, I could rest and live without issue, and I had all the time in the world to be with the Lady. It was what she wanted, so I gave it to her."

As the man made this ludicrous statement, Marcus, Sylvia, and George could do nothing more than chuckle.

It was madness, yet it fit so perfectly the insanity of their situation - and of a man who had been overtaken by one of them.

"Surely... there is nothing normal about any of us.", Marcus sighed with a chuckle. "Ah... but you know, there was something interesting that I noticed in your memory. You called yourself Host Number Three. Which means that you... take pride in being a Host."

"Absolutely."

The man responded with firmness, not hesitating for an instant.

And as he did this, Marcus too nodded.

"I see. Then I suppose I had better introduce myself."

Standing up, Marcus held his hand out, looking down upon the red haired man with a crooked smile.

"Host Number Seven. Marcus Coran."

As Marcus stated this, Bradley stood up, gripping his hand firmly with a similarly businesslike smile.

"Host Number Three. Bradley Vendetta."

"We have two goals. The first is to take back a girl who is currently with Experiment Number Two... and she is likely on her way to become a Host. And the second is to take down the mafia which destroyed this girl."

Looking at Bradley as their hands interlocked, Marcus spoke as the two didn't budge a single centimeter.

"Will you work alongside us to achieve these goals?"

"What do you think, Three?"

The man posed his question to the woman within his head, and after a few moments, he nodded as he closed his eyes.

"I see."

Then, opening them, he looked to Marcus as his smile deepened - his eyes filling with madness as his demeanor shifted to that of a crazed businessman.

And with proper words, yet insane excitement in his tone, the red haired man uttered his next statement.

"I look forward to working with you."

----

"I know a bit about the Street Rats myself. You see, I became quite acquainted with gang violence after I started my new business. The Street Rats... they were involved in a number of excessive operations. And it appears that even if it is a distant one, this very warehouse is one of them, no?"

Motioning around him, Bradley took in the scenery of the warehouse immediately - however his gaze quickly fell downwards.

"It would seem that there were some demons within this place."

"Eh? How would you know what is down-"

"I don't know. However, Marcus... do you actually understand what a reawakening truly is?"

Thinning his eyes, the man spoke with a serious tone once more as tension filled the room.

"When one is Reawakened... their very essence becomes that of the rule which they inherit."

"So… the concept becomes a part of you?", Sylvia questioned.

"That's correct. But back to your question, Marcus. Why did I know that there was something down below this level? It's simple. Number Three's ability is Revenge - which means her entire essence has become merged with the very concept of Revenge. And since I have merged with her, that means that I too have become the very incarnation of Revenge."

Cracking a smile, the man gazed upwards as he spoke lightly.

"Well, to put it simply, it's almost like I can sense the 'energy' of vengeance. And below us there is an immense concentration of that energy."

"That's how you were able to conduct your business so flawlessly. Am I wrong?"

With a sharp tone, Sylvia continued to investigate the man.

"Exactly. But enough about myself. Well, back to the Street Rats... without doubt, they were villains who were involved in all sorts of horrible things. That girl there is from the 3rd Branch, you said - which if I recall correctly was focused on child related crime. As for the others... well, there are five branches."

Holding up a hand, the man began to inform the others as they looked at Bradley with great interest.

"The first branch... led by the Young Master of the Stirling Family is the branch responsible for fraud. Scamming people, trapping people with threats and ensuring that rebellion against any of the branches is quelled. This branch is the one that heads all deception necessary for the other branches to properly function."

Cracking his knuckles as if preparing himself for a fight, the man seemed to be itching just talking about such things.

"The second is the gambling branch. Led by the older brother of the Young Master, this branch is one which controls numerous casinos and other underground gambling rings - ranging from illegal fighting to cards to dice games."

[Ah... so that man must have been involved with them.]

In that instant, from a mouth which formed from the hand of Marcus, Number Seven spoke up.

[The father of that girl was a victim of the Second Branch.]

As Seven made this statement, Marcus tightened his expression.

Receiving information from Seven was certainly suspicious and unexpected, but in this case he would welcome it.

"You already know about the third branch Led by the younger brother of the Young Master, a branch focused on child trafficking, child labor, and even raising children to become assassins. I presume that girl is one of them then?"

Looking to Isabella, Bradley posed this question, to which Sylvia and Marcus both nodded firmly.

"Haha... I see. So that is why her fighting ability is beyond... human."

Placing his hand to his chin, the man nodded with understanding.

"Although, to be merely beyond human doesn't mean much when faced with myself and the Lady."

Moving on as he waved his own words off, the man continued.

"Yes, yes. I know. Oh... is that so? Well, if you say so. Ah, where were we? Yes, the fourth branch. This one is led by the uncle of the family. The fourth branch is focused on prostitution... and if I recall correctly, there is a particular facility which is under the guise of a hotel where women are forced to use their bodies either to pay off debts or because they are merely slaves of the gang itself."

"Slaves... eh?"

Sylvia spoke this word with a bitter smile, looking at Isabella with a sort of fondness.

'I wonder just how much worse I am than those people?', she wondered.

"And finally, the fifth branch. This is the assassination branch. Led by the father, who had grown quite old in years, this branch is one of the most typical that you would expect from a mafia related gang. The father takes on requests to murder in exchange for payment. I suppose you could call it one of my business rivals... however I wouldn't exactly consider them to be much competition."

With a chuckle, Bradley thinned his eyes as he laughed to himself.

"After all, my services are extremely specialized."

"You've given us quite a bit of information on them. Thank you.", Marcus stated.

"No no, as a partner in business, it will benefit us all to share what we know. You should understand this already, Marcus. Ah... but the other issue... regarding that girl... that one does seem to be more pressing than the Street Rats, no?"

"Wait just a minute. I understand everything else, but before we end the topic, is there any actual proof that any members of the Street Rats are still alive? I personally witnessed their Young Master quite recently, as he was imprisoned in our jail before the cataclysm occurred - so I can say with certainty that he is still alive. But how do we even know if the other branches still exist?"

Speaking up this time was George - the policeman who had been patiently listening the entire time.

[Oh, they’re all alive, alright.]

Suddenly, Marcus spoke with a slightly different tone of voice, at which the whites of his eyes became black.

His pupils becoming red, Seven had taken over for just a brief moment to make this statement, ensuring those present of this fact.

Yet within an instant, his presence faded, and Marcus returned to normal.

"I see... then carry on. What about the girl?", George asked, slightly shaken at the appearance of the creature.

"Indeed. Tell us more about this girl.", Bradley stated with the motion of his hand. "What is the situation with her?"

"Right... Amy..."

Speaking this name with gentleness, Marcus spoke with lament in his tone as he looked up to the two with sincerity.

"I suppose I should tell you everything from the beginning then."

----

Marcus and Sylvia informed the two of everything.

From their initial entrance into this world, their discovery of the experiments inside their minds, to how Sylvia met Amy and Shaun.

About how Amy had ended up killing Marcus in his provocation to make the children stronger, and eventually to how she herself was killed by Number One, only to be made into a temporary host and zombified in the process.

From their experience at the school with Larry Pertan to their meeting of Gordon and Stella, and eventually the appearance of Experiment Number Two.

[Ah... Two was always quite strange. But to think that he would do something like that... haha...]

Three had seemed to be very amused as Marcus and Sylvia informed the others of their experience with Two.

They had gone on to note that Two stated he was taking Amy as the Host of Experiment Number Five, and they continued telling their story from there.

How they had gone out to gather supplies and eventually been killed, and then captured by the Third branch.

How they had met Isabella and slaughtered those of the Third branch, and how Seven had overtaken the leader of the Third Branch in order to control the girl.

Of course, they had asked Isabella to leave to prevent her from hearing such a thing.

And finally, to their fight in this place with Randov - also known as Redirect.

[If Number Two is trying to make the girl into Five's Host, then he would be headed to the place where the experiments took place.]

However just as they had finished their explanation, Number Three had spoken up with this piece of information.

"How would you know that?", Marcus asked - hope evident in his tone.

[I can't tell you.]

However he was met with a brick wall in Number Three.

"Why not?", Sylvia pressed.

[Well, let me explain something, since you two clearly don't understand. I've revealed my Reawakening to you for two reasons. The first - we're working together, and it will benefit you all to know my abilities.]

As Three spoke, her tone became sinister as arrogance filled her voice.

[The second - because even if you were to turn against me, what could you possibly do to someone who gains power from being harmed?]

With a laugh, the woman - who had taken over the face of Bradley - continued speaking.

[But think about it. There are many Reawakened alive in this world, including the unnumbered. Soon enough the Reawakened will become unmatched in this world, and those who are not Reawakened will be subject to their power. As a result of this, only the Reawakened will be able to rule. However when compared with one another, the abilities can be countered and defeated.]

As Three spoke, Marcus and Sylvia slowly came across a realization which they had not even considered.

Soon enough, a new order would set itself into this world - one focused on the Reawakened.

[Therefore, hiding one's abilities will become crucial to survival in this world. So tell me.]

Lowering her tone, Three spoke with abhorrence in her voice.

[Why should I betray the trust that Five has for me and tell someone she has never even met what her ability is?]

"But what does her being at the experimental facility have to do with her ability?", Sylvia asked.

[Just know that due to certain circumstances regarding her ability, I am almost certain that she is currently located at the place where the experiments were performed. However, where that place actually is... well, I don't even know how Number Two could know, as none of us knew when we left that place.]

"You left it but you don't know where it is?"

Things were becoming more and more mysterious.

[That's not something you need to know for now. And especially if Seven and One haven't revealed it to you... hah... who am I to butt in and interrupt your progress as their Hosts?]

With this statement, Marcus and Sylvia realized that while Three seemed to be more of an ally than even One and Seven, that she would not go against them.

She would not say anything that they did not permit, and would ensure that any information revealed to Marcus and Sylvia regarding them was done on their own schedule.

'Shit...', Marcus thought. 'Why don't you just tell me this, Seven?'

[I have my reasons. Be patient.]

"Fine then. If you don't know where the experimental facility is, then that's no good at all, is it? Is there actually anything we can do about it at this point?", Marcus asked, looking to the others to see if anyone had any ideas.

However, not a single person spoke up.

"Without a location, even if we have a hint, it's a shot in the dark. It could be anywhere in the world, and searching is pointless. Although... I suppose we can narrow the search to Forgestaria, since that man had a Forgestarian accent.", Sylvia noted.

"Well, he could have been from Forgestaria and living somewhere else. However the fact that he was producing weapons for the war... well, I suppose he probably would have been on the side of his own country, unless he was a traitor."

Marcus let out these thoughts, however all of this was merely speculation.

[Oh, no.], Seven stated. [Without question, he was a Forgestarian. I will tell you that much. As for the location of experiments... well, I don't know where it was. But I highly doubt that it was somewhere that the Forgestarians didn't have control over.]

"Still, it could have been an outpost in an allied country such as Joraten. There isn't enough information to determine if it really was within that country.", Sylvia noted.

The group came to a standstill.

To put it simply, there wasn't enough information.

They could probably narrow some possibilities by taking in all the things that had been revealed, but at the end of the day right now it was merely guesswork.

"We need to find out more.", Marcus stated. "So for now... we'll put that on hold. If enough time passes... then I suppose Amy really will become Five's Host."

With this statement, Marcus remembered the girl.

He recalled her playful nature, but he also looked to the relationship that Three and Bradley had.

While it was without doubt demented beyond belief, there was an undeniable respect there - a bond which surpassed anything else.

And having come to understand Seven and One a bit himself, Marcus began to wonder if allowing Amy to become a Host was truly such a bad thing.

'Of course, we've suffered greatly... and I don't think she would be spared of that suffering... but at the same time...'

Recalling how Amy seemed to become so desensitized to pain, Marcus wondered if even this was an unreasonable concern.

Everything felt wrong, but logically it didn't seem all that bad.

'Well, whatever. I'll consider that when I am able to do something about it. For now...'

"For now, we should center our focus on the fourth branch."

His facial structure returning to that of the red haired male, Bradley spoke up for all others to hear.

"I happen to know the location of the Hotel, and it's pretty close by. It was a potential target just before my vacation, so I think it would be the next step in achieving our goal of destroying the Street Rats."

Looking around, Bradley spoke with confidence.

"Do I have any objections?"

As he gazed at each person, he was met with a series of nods as everyone made it clear that there was no objection.

"Very well."

And as he said this, every person present at that location stood up, smiles of madness slowly creeping across the faces of all except the policeman.

"Then our objective is settled. Let's move."