~ True Despair? (Part 1) ~

Al is at the hospital Drake and Mike were before, where they fought Asmodea for the last time. Her wounds aren’t critical, but she was losing a lot of blood at that time. Thankfully, together with the mansion guard, Sam managed to bring her to the hospital on time before any complications happened. Mike, together with Clem, was with her right now. They hastily went to the hospital as soon as they heard the news from Sam himself. She was never in critical condition and is recovering from her wounds immediately as they gave her the fast regeneration medicine, the same medicine they took the last time. Sam told them the whole happening from the beginning until they got into the hospital, never knowing what happened to Lez and the rest of the team.

Lez, on the other hand, went back to the mansion together with her mom and Heather, using a cab along the way to get more men and equipment for the search of her father. She left her mother back at the mansion as she went together with Heather and five other mansion guards into the maple tree area, for she thought Ethan would be there together with her dad. Unluckily, they found no one there and returned to the mansion sobbing. She went directly into the basement and into the Lab, where Drake lies in his bed, still in a weak condition. Drake hasn’t escaped the hell-loop that Ethan bestowed on him.

“Drake?” Lez called as she opened the room door.

“Ma’am.” Both Nicole and Jef greeted as they nodded their heads.

“We’ll be just outside the door if you need our help, ma’am,” Nicole said to Lez as they walked out the room as Lez nodded in response.

She slowly sat on a chair and grabbed his hand while crying.

“Drake? Wake up. Please, I beg you to wake up.” She said as she placed Drake's right hand on her right cheek.

“I need your help, Drake. Please. If you can hear me. Dad needs our help right now, and Ethan took him.” Lez told Drake her troubles.

“I don’t know where to look for them. I need to find my dad and save him before something terrible Ethan might do to him.” Lez desperately asked Drake’s help to save her father.

“I know you can help me find them. So please wake up. I’m begging you, please.” Lez just wept while looking at Drake but got no response from her boyfriend.

Slowly the room door opened as someone went inside.

“Mom? Nana?” The teary-eyed Lez called.

“Oh, sweetie.” Mrs. Anderson hastily went to her daughter and embraced her as they both cried.

“Hello, my sweet little lady, how’s my boy doing?” Nana Doris asked Lez.

“He’s hasn’t woken up yet until now, Nana. We are just waiting for his recovery, but he’s not recovering as fast as he supposed to be.” Lez replied to Doris.

“And how about you, my dear. I know you are troubled by the happenings lately.” Nana Doris worriedly asked.

“I’m fine, Nana, it’s just, I can’t help myself from being sad. I felt unreliable and worthless to all the people I loved. First, to our friends, now to my father, and even to the person I loved the most, I couldn’t help them. I just stood and watched them being harmed. I don’t even know what to do anymore.” Lez sadly told them as she kept on crying, blaming herself.

“I know what you feel right now, sweetie. We both do feel the same way too. I know it’s hard to think that your father is safe, but I just hope he does and nothing bad was done to him by that demon. All I can do for now is pray for his safety. But as for Drake, I know he’ll recover sooner, but for now, we’ll just have to wait.” Mrs. Anderson told her daughter to ease the pain she felt inside her heart.

“I know Drake would never have second thoughts upon helping you with this problem, my dear. But Drake needs to help himself first before he can do that. We all know how much weight in his heart Drake is carrying now. He has never recovered from the death of her mother, even for the years that have passed. And now, he lost most of his closest friends in just one night. He could never bear the burden inside his heart that I think is the reason that hinders his fast recovery. He needs to accept reality for him to come back to us. I am just hoping not to see him having more burdens to come, but I cannot be sure of what future lies ahead. I want him to know that I will always be here for him, always no matter what may happen. I wish he could share with me to carry the weight he felt inside.” Nana Doris sadly said as she wept in front of Drake.

“Nana.” Lez stood up and embraced Nana Doris together with her mom.

An unfortunate Saturday evening inside the mansion, but a glorious night for the demons as Ethan flew on a dark cloudy night that storm may fall sooner as he landed his feet under the maple tree carrying the unconscious person with him.

The portal opens once again as a demonic form comes out from the Netherworld.

“Welcome to the human world, brother! Beelzebub!” Ethan greeted his demonic brother in a demon voice.

“Leviathan, good to see you, brother. And what is that human beside you? Is that for me? My welcoming meal? I Beelzebub demon of gluttony pangs of hunger for human flesh right now, and I thank you for your gift.” Beelzebub said to Ethan as he reached for Mr. Anderson.

“No, brother!” Ethan swayed Mr. Anderson’s unconscious body away from Beelzebub. “I am sorry, brother, but this is not a gift for you,” Ethan said to Beelzebub.

“What? How selfish of you. You have that human for yourself?” Beelzebub angrily said to Ethan.

“No, brother. This human is the sacrifice we need to obtain the Key for our master’s release.” Ethan replied.

“Oh,” Beelzebub smiled while looking at Mr. Anderson. “I know that, and that’s a good thing,” Beelzebub said as he laughed menacingly.

“Wait for me here, brother, and I shall go and look for my host for now. I will come back after I fill my belly.” Beelzebub told Ethan as he transformed into smoke and flew away.

“I will wait for your return, brother.” Ethan sinisterly smiled as he reached for his phone to call for someone.

…..

Ring! Lez’s phone started to ring as someone called with only a number on its caller ID.

“Hello?” Lez answered.

“Hello there, my princess.” the caller replied.

“Ethan? Where is my father, you bastard?” Lez angrily asked as both Nana and her mom started to worry while Lez moved away from them.

“Chill out, my lovely princess. He’s here with me right now, unharmed.” Ethan replied.

“Listen to me, you asshole, if you harm my father, I promise you I will burn you to hell.” Lez threatened Ethan.

“Geez, will you relax, won’t you? I was planning to eat your father’s soul so I could finally be complete, but I can’t. He’s the essential subject of my plan. Without him, it will all be for nothing. So I can’t harm him yet.” Ethan said as he laughed in the end.

“Damn you asshole, if I’m going to find you, I burn you to ashes. You hear me!” Lez rages with her emotions as her eyes flickered in flames.

“No need to search for me, princess.” Ethan teasingly said at Lez as he laughed.

“What? What do you mean?” Lez calmed down as the flame in her eyes vanished.

“Meet me at the portal, princess. You know where it is. Bring your mother with you. If I can’t see her with you, then say goodbye to your father. You can bring anyone you like. The demon inside me hungers for more souls.” Ethan said as he laughed in the end.

“Why you…. Hello? Hello? Damn it!” Lez angrily said as Ethan cuts their conversation on the phone.

“Sweetie? Is that who I think it was?” Mrs. Anderson asked as she moved closer to Lez.

“Yes, mom, it was Ethan,” Lez replied.

“Well, did he say something about your father?” Mrs. Anderson worriedly asked.

“He wants me to meet him, mom, and he wants you to come along. He threatens dad’s life if he couldn’t see you there with me.” Lez explained.

“Then I’ll go with you.” Mrs. Anderson said as she placed her hands onto her daughter’s cheeks.

“But it’s too dangerous for you, mom. I know what Ethan is planning for, and I can’t put you in danger by coming along with me there.” Lez implied.

“But we can’t let him do any harm to your father, sweetie. I must go with you, or your father might die. I can’t bear to do that, and I will risk everything to save your father.” Her mother replied as she cried.

“I know, mom. But I can’t take you with me and risk losing you both in the process. I can’t bear to see that happen, mom. I must go there by myself.” Lez said before she left the room.

“Sweetie, wait!” Mrs. Anderson shouted outside the room as she followed and watched her daughter walk away.

“What just happened, ma’am?” Nicole asked, for both she and Jef got confused about the happening and wanted to know about it.

“Please! Help my daughter. She’s going to meet with the demon.” Mrs. Anderson explained.

“Okay, we’re going after her for support. You stay here, ma’am.” Jef replied.

“Please, I want to come with you.” Mrs. Anderson insisted as she followed them.

“No, ma’am, please. It’s too dangerous for you, and we can’t put you in danger, so please stay here. Don’t worry; we promise to protect and bring back your daughter safe.” Nicole said as, together with Jef, they left, not noticing that Mrs. Anderson secretly followed them.

Lez went off with Heather and the five men he gathered before fully equipped towards their destination, the maple tree.

Meanwhile, Jef and Nicole prepared themselves as they both went to the Tech room first.

“Nate?” Jef called as he and Nicole came in at the Tech room.

“Have you done working with the enhanced stun gun V2?” Jef asked.

“No net yet. I mean, yes, we are done with the enhancement and trials. The V2 can launch and discharge a voltage of 100 000 000 volts at ten amps and the same time limit at thirty seconds before it shuts down with a distance of 20 meters at max. It has only two charges this time, and we want to create another third one, and that’s what we are working for right now.” Nate explained.

“Nope! Well, we need it now, so we’ll take it. Is this ready for use?” Jef asked.

“Yes. It is good to go.” Nate replied.

“Then, thank you,” Jef said as he passed the prototype to Nicole and grabbed the V2.

“Now, this badass is mine,” Jef said.

“Let’s go!” Nicole said as they moved out of the room, holding their own stun guns.

They directly went to the garage and drove one car out, not noticing that Mrs. Anderson already was in another vehicle, and followed them.

Meanwhile, Ethan was hovering in the air as he waited and saw two cars approaching the area.

“Hmmm, finally, they’re here.” Ethan slowly descended and landed his feet on the ground when the cars stopped in the distance. He quickly pulled Mr. Anderson, who is now wide awake, and covered himself behind him.

“Stop right there!” Ethan commanded as he placed his left arm around Mr. Anderson’s neck.

Lez, together with the five mansion guards, stopped at a distance when Ethan told them to do so.

“Dad? Did he hurt you?” Lez asked her father as the team pointed their stun gun at Ethan.

“No! I’m fine, sweetheart!” Mr. Anderson replied with a scared voice.

“What took you so long? And where is your mother?” Ethan asked Lez in a pissed-off manner.

“Oh, why doesn’t anyone listen to any words that I say?” Ethan shouted in annoyance.

“Say goodbye to your father then.” Ethan angrily said as he turned his right hand into an icy blade.

“Heather now!” Lez shouted to Heather, who was hiding inside the car, aiming her sniper rifle at Ethan.

Bang! The sniper’s bullet went straight into Ethan’s head and knocked him on the ground before he could stab Mr. Anderson.

“Dad, run!” Lez quickly shouted as she ran towards her father.

Lez hid her father behind her and started to instruct him.

“Dad, get inside the car with Heather. Go hurry!” Lez said as Mr. Anderson quickly ran towards the car while Lez ignited her blazing hands.

“Oh no, you won’t.” Ethan quickly flipped himself up as the guards fired their stun gun at him but swiftly swiped the needles with his wings and dashed towards them.

The guards began to panic as Ethan got near them so fast and started to stab one guard. The guard blocked Ethan's icy blade attack and got his hand pierced instead as he screamed in great pain. Ethan kicked him as he fell onto the ground.

The other guards started to pull their handguns and started shooting at Ethan but got blocked by Ethan’s wings.

Lez released her torch towards Ethan while the guards kept firing at him, but Ethan was unfazed by Lez’s flame, for it was not as hot as before.

Ethan charged at her while covering his whole body with his wings as Lez got thrown away into the ground. He then spun and spread his wings that hit all four guards and knocked them on the ground.

Ethan hastily walked towards Lez while grabbing the black knife by his side and quickly grabbed her by the neck.

Bang!

Ethan got hit by the sniper bullet on his wrist that made him release Lez from his grasp. He turned his head and looked at the car where Heather was hiding together with Mr. Anderson and released a very loud scream.

Lez ignited her flaming hands and started to torch Ethan again. Ethan got more annoyed but unfazed as he turned back at Lez, grabbed her by the neck, and threw her far away as she bumped on the maple tree so hard that it dazed her for a long moment.

One by one, the guards quickly stood up and tried their best to fight against Ethan, but they were outmatched against him as they got kicked, punched, swiped by his wing, thrown away, and one got killed as Ethan twisted his neck.

Bang!

Heather took another shot from her sniper rifle, but Ethan evaded it as he expected that to happen.

“Let’s get out of here!” Heather panicky suggested Mr. Anderson as they moved out from the car and started to run on the street on the way back to the mansion, away from Ethan.

Ethan chased them, dashing with his icy blade hand while gaining on them.

Lez regained herself and quickly stood up and ran after them.

Heather stopped to aim her rifle one more time just to stop Ethan on his way while Mr. Anderson went for his escape.

Bang!

Ethan parried the bullet with his icy blade hand and was about to stab Heather when suddenly Heather heard a rushing car behind her as the headlight shone on them and quickly evaded it.

Crash!

Ethan got knocked out for a moment as he crashed between the car and the mountain rocks when the car hit him at full speed.

Heather saw two persons jump out at the car before it crashed on Ethan, so she went to help them.

“The cavalry has arrived!” Jef proudly said as both he and Nicole stood back up.

“That was close. I thought it was the end of me. Glad you guys came along.” Heather gladly said.

“Jef? Nicole? Glad to see you guys here.” Lez said as she pants after the sprint. “Where is dad?” she then asked.

“He ran ahead of me as I was stopping Ethan along the way. He might have run a distance now.” Heather said, but suddenly, another car came shining its headlight towards them. Two persons came out of the car and ran towards them.

“Mom?” Lez said as she was surprised to see her mother in that place.

“Sweetie.” Mrs. Anderson said as she hugged her daughter.

The other four mansion guards arrived on the scene.

“Mom, what are you doing here? And how did you get here?” Lez asked.

“I followed Jef and Nicole on the way here. Glad to see your dad unharmed on my way here.” Mrs. Anderson replied.

“Come on! We have to get away as far as from here.” Lez hastily moved after what she said.

Crash!

Ethan threw the car that crashed on him into the car Mrs. Anderson drove.

“Oh, no! You don’t! You fucker!” Jef pulled the trigger of the v2, but Ethan just swiped away the approaching needle by his wing.

“Oops… I forgot he could do that. I just wasted one charge from this baby. Onto the cars, run!” Jef said that as they all ran towards their first cars, the mansion guards stayed and shot Ethan their pistols to give them more time to escape.

One by one, the guards fell as they each tasted the icy blade of Ethan.

“Get in the car now!” Nicole instructed as she moved into the driver’s seat.

But before the car had moved forward, Ethan dove in front of them from above, landing and crashing the car’s hood and engine as they all screamed. Ethan then made his icy blade longer as he stabbed the vehicle in the middle, which Jef and Nicole evaded in front but hit Mrs. Anderson’s left arm as she screamed in pain.

“Sophia!” Mr. Anderson shouted while Lez shouted, “Mom!”

Nicole quickly grabbed her handgun and started to shoot Ethan multiple times but was blocked by his wings.

Heather instantly aimed her sniper rifle at Ethan as soon as she regained her stance after rolling from her evasion. She made sure to penetrate Ethan's wings and hit his head to stun him before she pulled the trigger.

Bang! The bullet went straight, piercing Ethan’s wing and into his head as he wobbled around.

Jef aimed his last charge for the v2 as Mr. Anderson pulled his wife out from the car.

“Game over, you mother fucker!” Jef pulled the trigger and hit Ethan on his head as the 100 000 000 volts quickly shocked him as he squirmed.

“Yeah!” Nicole shouted as Jef finally had a successful shot over Ethan.

“Look!” Heather pointed out as Ethan opened his mouth as smoke gathered inside, preparing for its escape.

“Oh no, you won’t, you demon,” Nicole said as she grabbed the prototype from the car and aimed towards Ethan’s head, preparing for the smoke to come out.

Honk!!!

All of them looked behind and quickly evaded as soon as they saw a huge incoming truck rashly come crashing their cars and threw away Ethan in the distance, releasing him from the shock.

Meanwhile, back at the mansion, which happened a while ago, Nana sat down on the chair beside Drake while holding his right hand. She overheard a call for help from her radio. One of the guards called Allen earlier requesting some backup as they had overwhelming difficulty fighting the demon at the maple tree at that moment. She moved her head close to Drake’s ear to tell him this.

“My boy, if you can hear my voice, then you have to act right now before it’s too all too late. The lovely young lady Lez really needs your help. They are waging war in your mother’s favorite place which we aren’t sure to win. Without you, my boy, their chances of victory are dire thin. So please, my boy, wake up and help them. They need you. Lezlie needs you, Drake.” Nana Doris cried as she whispered those words to Drake.

She slowly stood up while watching Drake, still with a weak heart rate as it beeped slowly. A tear fell onto Drake’s hand before she slowly moved out the door.

Suddenly, the heart rate monitor beeped faster as Nana Doris slowly turned around, and Drake was never there.

Drake was seen on his way to the maple tree, riding his bike and wearing his usual outfit, jeans with a jacket on and a straight face.

…..

“Shit! What just happened?” Jef shouted as the truck suddenly stopped a distance away from them.

Ethan slowly got up from a distance as he regained his posture. At the same time, the silhouette of a fat male truck driver approached from a distance.

Ethan dashed towards them as he popped his neck while running.

“Damn it! I’m out of charge!” Jef shouted.

“Let’s go! Run!” Lez shouted as they ran the other way towards the mansion route.

“I’ll cover you. Just go!” Heather shouted as she aimed her rifle at Ethan, but he instantly vanished from her sight.

“Damn!” Heather uttered as she quickly wore her heat vision goggles, but it was too late. Ethan was in front of her already, punched her in the guts, and kicked her butt as she was pushed forward to bump on the fat male truck driver.

“She’s all yours, brother,” Ethan said as he moved forward to chase the others.

“Meat! Thank you, brother.” Beelzebub smiled as she grabbed Heather with his two hands, holding her arms on her waist like a giant hamburger. He opened his mouth as it expanded surprisingly more extensive and bit Heather’s head as she screamed in fear. He then sat down the streets to enjoy his meal.

“Oh my God! What is that thing? It chomps Heather’s head off.” Jef got terrified of what he saw.

“Lez! Go ahead. We’ll cover you.” Nicole shouted.

“No! I’m going alongside you guys,” Lez said as she ignited her flames on her fists once again.

Flash! Thunder! Droplets of rain started to fall from the sky.

“No! Damn rain!” Lez whined.

Jef and Nicole used their handguns against Ethan. But every shot they made was got parried by Ethan’s blade.

“Shit! We’re in very deep shit.” Jef uttered. “Here goes nothing!”

Jef threw his gun at Ethan while Nicole dropped hers as it was out of ammo and grabbed their knife on their side for close combat while Lez tried her flames, but it didn’t spark due to rain pouring harder by a minute.

Jef charged at Ethan and swung his knife while Nicole followed to stab Ethan from the side, but every time they attacked, their assault got parried, blocked, or avoided by Ethan.

“Really, guys? You're going into knife combat against me. Ghost Blade? Remember?” Ethan said as he smirked.

“Mom! Dad! Go now! Run!” Lez shouted as the couple ran away while Lez, together with Jef and Nicole, charged at Ethan at the same time.