I will strive beyond this cursed bloodline!

He got another call from Mother asking him to drop by.

 

That wasn't good, she hadn't called him back in quite a long time, the last time was to give him a surprise party for getting his current position. And if that wasn't an awkward party...He didn't know what would qualify as one. Either way, he didn't have any option but to go, Mother would get annoying to deal with if she thought he was ignoring her. The last thing he needed was her messing around in some way to make a confrontation happen, so after ending his current work he would go and pay a visit to that woman.

 

"[Thank you for your assistance Officer. I will leave this to you.]" He said to the pale man who was trying his best to not run away.

 

This one at least wasn't trying to arrest him, he could understand from where they came when they tried, but it still annoyed him, it wasn't a good look for his [Caste] that the one that was supposed to be an example of control was getting arrested...Not that the officers had any chance of succeeding, very few people could truly contain him. Thanks to Mother's insistence he had learned a skill that would make it almost impossible to contain him.

 

Not impossible, since true monsters walked this planet. He was sure at least a few of [The Twelve] had the means to contain him, albeit for some time. This didn't include Catherine or Jack of course, he wasn't sure how that man did what he did, but he always knew when he was near. And Catherine would probably just stuff him in a pocket plane and call it a day.

 

"I-I-It was a pleasure, sir..." Said the police Officer while stumbling his way and leaving a wide berth to him.

 

They always seemed to think that being near him while leaving would infect them or something, he didn't mind that of course, it was easier to keep his [Fame] this way, and it certainly made it easier in some aspects of his life. But it was still unnerving in some aspects, he had spent almost 10 years already in this area, living among the Zarevia populace. One would think they would get used to him already, but no. They still left him mostly alone, a few news channels would pester him from time to time for interviews, but beyond that nothing.

 

So he pretended to not notice and just searched an empty alleyway to walk into and once inside he used the stupid skill his Mother stuck him with "[Shadow Delve]" and once more he was surrounded by shadows, he never could get used to the feeling. It was like the shadows wanted to devour him whole and then spit him out. The world inside the shadows was a reflection of the real world, only instead of a sun in the sky, there was a blue moon. And the city was covered in a dark fog.

 

There was also the [Pull], but since he was ready for the pull, instead of being distracted he picked up one of the highways in this world covered by twilight and sped in the direction of his base. Without more than mere reflections of the inhabitants of the real world in his way he could travel using the full strength he was able to have, most of those reflections wouldn't be affected by him unless he started channeling his [Unique Skill] anyway, so he sometimes even used them as a springboard. Granted they would wake up with a migraine the next day...But it was a sacrifice he was willing to make.

 

After a few minutes of running nonstop, he picked up the telltale of his base in the distance, the bright blue mana dome keeping the shadows away and the building that was assigned to him by his boss. "Welcome back [Shadow Pact], you have 2 unread messages." Welcomed him back the AI assigned to him. As his form was pulled from the shadows, the shield worked both as a way to prevent the influence left by [The Stygian Bane] and to prevent other [Shadow] based powers from sneaking into his base.

 

"[Are both sent by Mother?]" Best to get that out of the way first. The AI seemed to know that since it answered "Indeed, do you want me to play them?"

 

He just let a sigh escape his mouth while he started walking to his room, he needed to change if he was going to go and visit Mother. "Check the messages sent to my personal Phone, if they have the same content then delete them, if not play them while I prepare to visit Mother...And start linking the needed [Teleportation Nodes] so I can get there in one go." Said the man, finally taking off his mask and looking at the reflection that welcomed him into his room.

 

 

His changing room had a couple of mannequins dressed in different styles of suits and masks ready for him, most followed the same style he was using right now, a black suit with a few red and golden finishing, the masks however... They mostly depicted images of demons and devils with red finish, and the eyes all shined red when he stood near them. A nice gimmick made by [The Tinkerer], they all reacted to the [Shadow Essence] he emitted. It made it easy to detect other [Shadow] based powereds...

 

And to fish out [The Tainted] from people who were pretending to be normal. Of course, it also worked as insurance, should he ever fail to [The Madness] that dwelled in the shadows.

 

"Teleport link established, we await for you [Shadow Pact]." Called the AI, bringing him out of his musings, he left the mask he was currently using and changed into a more normal suit, this was one you would find an office worker using, it made him look... Normal, no one would link him with the member of [The Twelve]... Nor with [The Demon in the shadows], he still found it funny that they called him that.

 

There were true demons in this world, and he wasn't one of them...Not yet anyway.

 

"Please don't call me unless something truly urgent comes." He said to his AI while going to the teleportation room, he turned off the link that would allow members of [The Twelve] to come into his base, then turned off the ones that allowed outside access from the government. And he moved across the room turning others different links to other parts of the world. Until he finally arrived at the end, where a sole teleportation array stood alone.

 

"Define [Urgent]." Came his AI, that thing knew what he referred to but still asked the little bastard.

 

"Unless [The American Crusader] or [The Stardust Explorer] ask, no one is to get access to me, tell them that I am working in something [Private]." He said while walking into the teleportation array and fueling it in his shadows.

 

The array turned from a normal teleportation pad into something closer to what you would see in the basement of a cultist, a complex mandala filled with figures similar to monsters from ancient times, they all turned to him, gauging him, smelling him, glaring at him...Then they sank back into the array.

 

He hated this aspect of his Mother's power, even after all this time he couldn't get used to it. "[Teleport]" He said suffusing his words with shadow essence, and he closed his eyes. No matter how many times he used it he still rather not see the next part.

 

He of course knew, the stupid AI had shown him the video before, and would probably show him it once he returned...

 

The holographic representation of himself being standing alone in a normal teleportation array, only for it to start being corrupted by shadows and slowly turn into the maw of what could only be described as a reptilian mouth...And then slowly ever so slowly the mouth grew vicious-looking teeth that would close over his body and so, he would disappear from the base without even leaving a drop of blood behind.

 

He of course was safe and sound and would appear in a hidden room without doors or windows, he wouldn't be able to leave this unless he used his skill once more...So after stopping thinking about the identity behind the way this particular teleporting array worked, instead, he allowed himself to sink into the shadows and into the twilight reflection of the world, he didn't mind doing so here, in the city his Mother guarded.

 

Here usually the shadows were more tame, the key word here being [Usually]. When he shifted into the shadows the first thing that hit him was [Madness]. Pure and unadulterated [Madness] radiating from the decontamination pods, followed by [Righteous Fury] and a small tint of [Calmness]. He of course rushed into the decontamination pods as fast as possible.

 

He checked his phone while rushing and sure enough, the messages from his Mother didn't say anything of any emergency, only that he needed to come by to see something interesting. "What is happening here?!?" He said while materializing out of the shadows in the decontamination chamber, he saw only a pod in use with a small girl that looked no older than 12 years.

 

In the controls was [Hephaestus] the [Tinker] under his mother, and in front of the pod four persons turned to see him, the [Lackeys] of his mother, they each represented one of the different stages one could end if [The Madness] got out of control... And as such were always under the close watch of his mother...But also served as her lieutenants.

 

First was Pyronix, a young woman whose skin had turned purple and had yellow eyes and horns coming out of her head, he had no proof but he was almost sure she had made a contract with some demon to get her [Madness] under control...At least until Mother came and finished the work. He wasn't sure how [The Medic] allowed her to stay around here, but Mother was if nothing else someone you wouldn't want to piss off.

 

Then we have a man with a tuxedo and a black nondescript mask, he had seen the photos of what he did or how he looked while in combat... And that was the stuff of nightmares, he wasn't sure what was his powerset if he was powered or a mage. But somehow, he could manifest [Hunger] with shadows.

 

Much like how Pyronyx manifested [Rage], he manifested [Gula], and the photos of a vicious maw on his mask and how he created tendrils of shadows to bring things near himself to eat was...The stuff of nightmares, he would never admit that the reason he didn't like to come around was this man.

 

"Oh Hello, Max. Long time no see." Waved at him in a friendly manner the man, he seemed to think that he was a friend since he also liked to wear suits...

 

But he used them since the PR team of [The Twelve] had told him that it was the right way to sell his appearance of being in control.

 

So he just waved back "Hello Nyctophagia... What happened?" He asked to no one. He hoped someone else would answer.

 

His prayers were answered as the only normal one of the four answered, the girl had dark raven hair and purple eyes "One of our new prospect workers needed a purge." She said while pointing at the girl in the pod.

 

The girl was the cause?

 

"You are saying a twelve-year-old girl is the reason for the disturbance?" He asked looking again at the girl.

 

She looked as if she hadn't exercised a day in her life, granted he could feel her [Weight] in the [Shadows], but even so that would put it her at maybe a High E-Tier?

"What Nyctoxix didn't deem to say was that this girl had two or three [Episodes] since she came to the city." Said the fourth and final member of the group of lieutenants.

 

A small kid-looking guy, he couldn't be taller than a five-year-old, but even so, was among the most dangerous powereds he ever encountered.

 

Chimera.

 

As his monicker stated his skill was centered around manifesting and absorbing the appearance of monsters, you could start fighting a midget and end against an eldritch combination of your worst nightmares.

 

People liked to think that [The Twelve] were the only ones at the Apex of power... And in a sense they were.

 

But the world was a dark place.

"...She had three [Episodes]?" He asked recalling what he said.

 

The girl didn't seem injured, and he didn't get any reports of mass destruction in the city when he arrived...Nor did he get any ping for help from [The Traveler].

 

"And she is okay?" He asked once again

 

"Well of course she isn't okay, she is in a pod and her mana is being purged, filtered, and shoved inside her again." Said a soothing and angelical voice from behind him.

 

"Mother." He didn't even turn back, only his mother would try to prank him like that.

 

And she was also the only person that was able to sneak on him.

He instead started walking closer to the pod, once he started looking closer at the girl he started noticing something...Weird.

 

Not the fact that the girl it seemed had several [Madness Induced Episodes] and was fine, that could be excused if her [Skill] was either a passive or nonphysical one.

 

No, the problem was the appearance. She...

 

"Say Mother, when did I get a sister?" She looked too much like his mother.

 

This was what he would expect a daughter of his mother would look like. "Yes, I'm fine too son of mine...Thank you for asking" Said his mother while dismissing her minions only leaving them and [Hephaestus] on the other side of the room.

 

"...What?" That wasn't good, she usually didn't hide anything from his minions, and if they knew already then there was no reason for them to leave the room.

 

"That is Elizabeth Starbright, the daughter of your [Boss]." She said with one of those smiles she used when seeing something interesting.

 

"Impossible," I answered in an instant, she instead only smiled more mischievously.

 

"This is the mana sample you gave me." She brought a test tube with a blue liquid in it.

 

It was indeed the sample he had gotten of Elizabeth when he saw her at the school, Catherine had pestered him for a week for being a pervert and stealing it from Elizabeth while she was asleep.

 

"And this is one of the samples recently taken from this girl...[Alice], or at least that is how she named herself to Zoe." His Mother pushed a button and another sample was brought from the machine, she then walked to another machine and put them both to check their compatibility.

 

It was a common way to distillate the corrupted mana, to use another's one and dilute it.

 

The machine gave the result after a minute or so of analysis.

"...Impossible..." He said once more, he fully focused his [Senses] on the black-haired girl, he didn't have any sensory type skill. Since he used subordinates and [The Twelve] information-gathering powers. But he still could [Feel] the mana of others.

 

Not like the more [Talented] could, like how his mother that could [Taste] it, his senses weren't tied to that. But he still could feel it like most [Shadow-based] powereds.

 

And he didn't even get the same feeling from the girl, Elizabeth's mana was controlled, mechanical...With an undertone of [Madness] in the background.

 

This girl? She was closer to how Jack felt, fluid and free...With some small touches of how her Mother's mana felt, soothing. She was taking in the [Shadow Essence] and turning it into a soothing feeling.

 

"She is purifying the [Shadow Essence] and using it to deal with her [Madness]?" He asked while turning to his mother.

 

"Yes, that is how she survived with her [Will] intact after so many [Episodes] in a row." Answered back his mother.

 

"...She doesn't feel like Elizabeth at all, are you sure the machine is right?" He asked while dodging a flying wrench thrown by [Hephaestus].

 

"Yes. I called in Jack to confirm that his daughter was in the city, and sent him one of the analyses of her mana, he confirmed it was his Daughter's mana." Answered his Mother while showing another matching test.

 

...Did they have an affair?

 

"I wouldn't be alive if I had an affair with Jack." Said his mother as if she knew what he was thinking.

 

That was true, Catherine wouldn't let his mother live. "Jack might be my first love, but he chose Catherine over me. We both moved on." Right...

 

"Did you test her mana against yours?" But this was a bizarre situation, the looks spoke volumes if nothing else.

 

"..." His mother didn't answer.

 

"Mother?" She instead turned off the machine and looked for [Hephaestus].

 

"Purge all data about Alice having those episodes from all databases we have access to, this includes our own." Hephaestus only grunted and moved from the room.

 

"Mother?" He didn't even have time to turn back and look into the machine.

 

"I checked yes, but like I need to make sure you understand this. Elizabeth Starbright is the daughter of Jack Brighton and Catherine Starlight." She said while turning to the black-haired girl in the pod. "And while I would have loved to have a daughter with Jack...I only sired a child, and that is you. That girl...I don't know why she looks like that."

 

And wasn't that a headache in the making. "So ask Jack what the hell did they did to their daughter..." Oh...Crap.

 

"And tell him that if I find anything unsavory..." The shadows all over the room started shaking, and he could feel thousands upon thousands of eyes on him, every single one coming from a shadow in the room. "We will bare our [Fangs] into the world."

 

In front of him wasn't his mother anymore, gone was the Asian-looking woman with a mischievous smile and lime eyes...Instead, it was [Echidna] the Mother of Monsters and S-Grade villain at the helm of [The Hydra's Fang].

 

He didn't turn his eyes away from his mother... From the [Villain], so he could feel her eyes starting to tinge red ever so slowly...And in turn how all the eyes in the walls, floor, and ceiling started turning more vicious.

 

And so he did what he had learned from years of doing the dirty job for [The Twelve], he stood tall and proud "Yes Mother." And pushed a secret button in his bracelet, he hoped this wouldn't turn into a fight between the two organizations.

 

He liked what his mother had going here...And doubted any other hero or villain could take her spot...

 

But then again, she was an old friend of Jack...So maybe she could survive the encounter?

 

He could only hope.