Chapter 12

"My mother used to work with you?" As if Zoey was shot by a tranquilizer, her rabid seizures suddenly stopped. "Stop lying! That can't be true!" She yelled.

"Now now shut up and just let me tell the story." Will stated. He telekinetically pinned Zoey down. "Just stay put child."

Zoey tried to get up but she was glued to the ground.

"Now where shall I begin?" Will began. "Oh I know. It all began during the fall of our kind, the last war, about more or less half a century ago." He smiled. He gently floated and sat on the air. He crossed his legs in front of her and started telling the story. "After the last war when the demon king perished, our kind returned to the Netherworld scared, like little lost sheperdless lambs. Now you would think what humans had that would make us lose the war right?" He asked.

Zoey grunted, still trying to push herself up.

"They had their champion, a powerful human with a holy ability. He single handedly defeated us. Squashed like insignificant bugs." Will grunted.

"But let's not dwell on that, this is about your mother after all." He followed. "We retreated back to Netherworld. No one continued ruling the Netherworld for a couple of years, allowing some devils to take advantage of others and creating chaos. Some devils even tried escaping to the human world to avoid the conflict and the struggle that we used to experience. That's how devastated we were by the last war."

Zoey stopped struggling. It was no use, she was helplessly pinned down. She tried to calm herself and just listen.

"Thankfully, before the emperor perished, he left us his four royal children. Though they were still young, the eldest and only daughter of the demon king took over. There was no other choice. At such a young age she was very capable. At that time I was just your age and had just started working in the council." Will cleared his throat and continued. "One day she gathered us all and announced each of us specific roles to try and regain peace and control over our beloved world. And that was when I met your mother for the first time." He grinned at her, edging him to continue.

"What are you smiling about?!" Zoey angrily shouted. "Continue!"

"We were scattered throughout regions with our own designated tasks. I was tasked to regulate the peace in Sinnoh Netherworld, apprehending and even killing stupid devils trying to take advantage of the other. I was trying to stop our kind from self-extinction." He breathed in deeply before continuing, he raised both his pointer and middle finger up. "Anyway, there are two reasons why devils escape to the human world. The guilty ones escape from my persecution. And foolish ones escape for love."

"Love?" Zoey echoed. "You mean devils falling in love with humans?"

"We hate humans and humans hate us. So it's only natural to try and kill each other. Unfortunately, falling in love with the other race is not impossible, it had happen a lot of times already. Even the last devil emperor had his share of this greatest act of sin." He continued. "Anyway, just because it can happen, it doesn't mean it should be tolerated. This is an unforgivable sin! These sinners deserve nothing but death!" He infuriated. "And that was the job of your mother."

"Your mother McMillan. Your mother was a murderer."

Zoey's breath got caught in her throat. She choked at the words Will threw at her.

"You're lying! That can't be true!" Zoey raged, trying to break free from his telekinesis again. "You're lying! My mother didn't hurt anyone! Stop lying!" She clamped her ears in attempt to block his words from her earshot. "Stop lying to me!" She cried out.

Will only laughed at her anguish. "Didn't hurt anyone?" He laughed harder. "Marilyn was perfect for the job! Too perfect!"

Zoey's eyes trembled, she just couldn't believe everything she'd been hearing from Will. It didn't make any sense to her. Her mother, Marilyn, was the kindest person in her life. Marilyn taught her how to love and to hope. Marilyn was not the type of devil who ran on bloodlust. Someone that would wake Zoey up early in the morning so she could have her milk and breakfast would never be the one who knew how to slay.

"She was cold, heartless and sinister. She was so powerful in fact that she was regarded as one of the most highly skilled devils in the council. She used to be more powerful than I was. And most importantly, she held a deep-rooted hatred for humans. She killed a lot of devils and humans McMillan. And she didn't shed even a drop of sympathy to those hundreds she killed." Will added.

"Bet you don't know how your mother did her job. I'm gonna explain it to you so at least you won't die ignorant to your mother's sin." Will smiled. "Marilyn didn't kill her targets immediately. She always leave warnings to her targets. Before assassination, she would always leave pieces of her cerise hair on her target's pillows letting them know that she's watching them. After a day or two, if that unfortunate fool doesn't stop nor penitent his sin of falling in love with the other race, he won't wake up the next morning.

"Pretty ghastly if you ask me." Will added. "Hence her title, 'Red Nightmare'."

Zoey was speechless, her mind stopped working. She was too dumbfounded to verbalize anything.

'Mother couldn't have killed anyone.." She thought. 'It's impossible..'

"My mother didn't kil-".

"Your mother didn't kill anyone?! That's a laugh McMillan! She did her job with incomparable passion!" Will cut her off.

An awful realization beached over Zoey.

Humans might call us monsters, but just because we are doesn't mean we don't have a heart. I know that there are kind humans out there just like there are kind devils out here. Use the birth stone and survive. I love you. Your father and I love you.

Her mother had been in the human world. Her mother told her stories about the human world. It was the reason why she dreamed of being here in the first place. But she didn't know why her mother wouldn't tell her anything about herself going to the human world. And when Zoey asked her why, Marilyn would only smile at her. And now that she heard Will about this, she was slowly absorbing it all.

Will smiled darkly.

"The birth stone..." Zoey whispered to herself.

"BINGO!" Will's voice thundered in the gymnasium that even got the listening audiences in surprise. "The birth stone! Now you know why she had that."

"A ticket.." Zoey's voice was filled with remorse. "A ticket to the human world.."

Will laughed for the umpteenth time. "Assassins tasked to kill outside of Netherworld were all given birth stones by the council. It is only logical for your mother to have one."

Zoey lost her strength. She didn't want to believe about everything Will said but a huge part of her clung to those words. Even without proof she knew that there was a shred of truth to them.

"But her bloodlust didn't last long." Will interrupted her thoughts. "She soon fell to the same pitiful and pathetic path she had always detested."

Zoey looked up at him, wanting him to continue.

"She fell in love with a lowly human. I honestly don't know how it happened but she did." Will answered Zoey's look at him. "Who knew, the feared cold hearted killer would fall to the same path as those devils she mercilessly killed. Beautifully ironic, isn't it?"

"That was the start of her demise. And the most awful thing was, they were mutual, this human also fell in love with her, despite them being of opposite race. It was disgusting." Will made a mocking cringe before continuing. "Marilyn knew her duty so well and despite that she still went out with this guy. She even used her position selfishly. And when the council knew of her irresponsibility and betrayal, I was the one tasked to handle it." Will grimaced. "I killed that guy and Marilyn was detained and punished for ten years."

"And it didn't end there." Will cleared his throat. "When her ten years of torture was about to end she went missing. She left the council without notice. And then I was tasked again to find and seize her."

"Listen to me Zoey, listen carefully. Devils from the higher council are here and they're after everyone We'll take the back door and ran away from here. You understand me?

What about father? What is really going on outside? What does the council want from us?

Your father is protecting us, don't worry about him. He loves us so much. We just need to stay safe and get away from here. Okay?

"So the reason you raided our village was because of my mother?" Zoey questioned.

Will thought for a while. "Partly no, partly yes." Will replied. "I gave up on that mission after failing to find her for nine years. Back then I was reassigned to do scouting on surrounding villages to recruit our growing army. And while I was searching for potential villages to raid, I've heard stories of Red Nightmare residing somewhere in Twinleaf. It was a perfect coincidence."

Zoey thought about everything she could remember about her mother. Her kind and warm smile, her long flowing red hair, her fair white skin, her beautiful face that seemed to defy aging, her silhouette by the front porch drying clothes in early summer morning, and most of all, her selfless endeavors towards her and Zoey's father.

Zoey balled her fist hard.

"My mother was kind, she made me happy and father happy, she was always working with her best when it came to our happiness. Your story can't be true." She replied. "And even if it is my mother was trying to redeem herself! And you ruined it for her!"

Will jumped from his position in midair and landed on the ground. He walked towards Zoey and looked down at her. "Redeem herself? Are you hearing yourself McMillan? Are you really serious with what you're saying right now?"

"I honestly was shocked when I saw your mother again. The rumors were really true that she was residing in Twinleaf. I couldn't believe that she was trying to live a new life. It was outrageous! Washing dishes, clothes, sweeping etcetera. The infamous Red Nightmare, lying on the couch watching butterflies mate in her garden as she braided her hair. Can't you see how crazy and laughable that is?!" Will laughed hysterically. "Living the same kind of life the devils she used to slaughter mercilessly! I can't even believe how she managed to do that! And you call that redeeming?" He asked disbelievingly. "It was a selfish brazen act of her to do that!"

He bent up and shouted to the audience.

The audience gave an approving roar. He looked down at her again. "Marilyn thought she could leave her past behind and rebuild her life by having her own family. She thought that she could redeem herself by forgetting all those people she killed. And she was expecting a happy ending after all those gruesome killing she did?" He leaned closer and crouched down. Zoey could barely see Will as the spotlight behind him darkened his whole body. "Guess I know where that stupidity of yours came from." He stood up and continued laughing.

The audience hollered after Will.

Zoey was so angry. She didn't even know which made her angrier, Will making up stories about her mother or Will making fun of her mother. She was so mad that she wasn't able to articulate any retort. All she ever wanted was to strangle the life out of the bastard laughing in front of her. She wanted to rip Will apart.

"Speaking of stupidity." Will thought. "When I attacked your village ten years ago, your mother was fighting against Johnny. Your mother was in full metamorphosis at that time, it was really nostalgic seeing her in that form. And if I wasn't there Johnny could have lost more than his horn. That was really a touching reunion for the two of us." Will nodded at her. "That answers your question why he pissed himself. You reminded him so much of your mother who almost skinned him alive. He taunted you so I guess you could say he got what he asked for."

"See what else you two had in common?" Will amused as he stepped on the platform again. Zoey felt the pressure disappear on her. She slowly got back up. "Johnny only did the finishing touch to your mother. He was pathetic to be honest."

Two figure dropped from above and landed on both of Will's side.

The platform slowly rose back up again. "I've talked too much. I'll be late, I don't want Prince Lance to wait. You two know what to do. And don't forget about her friends." He gestured at his two henchmen. "And Karen, let's go. I'll be late for the meeting." He turned his head to the spectacled lady. Karen pushed her thick-framed glasses up and showed an approving nod. The platform rose and disappeared at higher altitude.

Steve grunted in his position. He removed his black blazer and white tie. He threw them behind him. Compared to Johnny, he was shorter and more round. But it didn't make him look any less intimidating, his bald head paired with his murderous look was enough nightmare fuel for anyone in the school. He gave another animalistic grunt before crackling his knuckles.

Will and Karen looked one last time at Zoey. Karen clapped her hands, she and Will were covered by a blanket of darkness before disappearing in a snap. Zoey guessed that it was part of Karen's ability.

And finally, the fourth henchman Zoey hasn't met yet. He slowly stepped into the light and looked at her with his sharp and unamused eyes.

"So it is you.." Zoey grunted.

He was in the same black formal suit. His chiseled face scowled at her as if this was going to waste his time. His long legs reminded her of that encounter she had with him ten years ago.

"Why am I not surprised?" Zoey followed.

Zoey stood her ground in a defensive stance. The audience roared as Steve circled around her. After Johnny, she was going to face Steve, and as if it wasn't enough she also has to face him with the most powerful devil of his henchmen – Koga Strike.

Even with her half-metamorphosis, she admitted that it was going to suck for her to battle against them. But she had to try. She still hadn't got her revenge for her mother.

"Master Will didn't say it." Koga spoke. "But the reason he kept you alive all this time is because he believed in you. That you might have something inherited from your infamous mother. But I guess we were wrong.."

"But you know what else you and your mother had in common?" He followed, his deep monotonous voice sent chill down her spine.

Zoey only raised an eyebrow.

"You are both a lost cause." He calmly said as he kicked the dirt towards her. Zoey's eyes stung from the dust. She wasn't able to evade Koga's powerful right kick hitting her side.

Zoey flew across the room and rammed into the wall. She coughed painfully and staggered getting up. The wound on her side smoked and quickly healed.

"I refuse to believe everything I heard. My mother loved me and she would never hurt anyone." Zoey murmured to herself. She spat blood and wiped her cheek. Her slit pupils blazed as she looked fiercely at Koga and Steve. "If she was anything, she would be anything but a lost cause!"

She jumped up. It was too fast that it seemed that she disappeared in a blink. She landed behind Steve. And before Steve could react, Zoey spun around, hardened her tail and smacked Steve like a baseball ball. He flew across the gym and burrowed through the thick walls of cement. The whole gymnasium shook at the impact as the audiences swayed from the shock.

"Don't you ever make fun of my mother!" She gnashed, her body rabidly shaking in bloodlust again.

Chapter 12 End: Red Nightmare