Chapter 5

Almost seven months later, Helen and Michael were in the hospital. Neither was injured, they were there for Helen's very last ultrasound. As they sat in the waiting room, the started talking about whether they would learn the genders of the babies or not. Michael wasn't sure one way or the other, and Helen was torn between surprise and curiosity. "Well, think about it. There'll be no surprise if we learn the genders now." Helen's belly had grown large, and she often needed Michael's help getting around. Michael finally made up his mind. "I don't want to know. If you want to, go ahead, but don't tell me." Helen smiled, and gripped her husband's hand. "I won't find out. We'll both wait. It won't be long now anyway." Dr. Iuzumia entered the waiting room. "Mr. and Mrs. Samson, let's go." In a minute they were looking at the large screen they'd first seen more than half a year ago. As the doctor scanned down, they both averted their eyes. "I assume this means you don't want to know the genders?"
"You assume right." After a few minutes of humming, the doctor clicked off the screen. "Alright, they both look perfectly healthy. I think we can safely say that you will soon be giving birth to two happy, healthy babies." Michael held Helen's hand the entire time. Occasionally her grip tightened, which Michael knew meant that one of the babies had kicked. Michael and Helen had both changed in the months since their wedding. Michael had found himself much more at peace, and Helen felt this change and had followed suit. Michael had started to teach Helen French, and she was almost fluent. It was aggravating for their friends however, because they would often talk to each other in French. Their friends, especially Allen, always assumed that they were making fun of those present, but in reality they simply spoke about the same thing they had been discussing in English. Michael did this to help Helen gain fluency. Jana had started to learn it too.
Three days after the ultrasound, Helen went into labor. Michael felt helpless, but stayed by her side, in spite of her grip crushing his hand. Michael, though his inhuman power, felt Helen's strength draining. His heart turned cold, and using his power, tied his strength into hers, giving his power and strength to her, and he, in turn, took her pain. It shot through him, burning at his mind, but compared with what he was doing it for, the pain was more than bearable. The first baby emerged. "It's a girl!" shouted a doctor. The pain didn't let up, but Michael continued to give Helen his strength. Then her voice spoke in his mind. "Thank you." These two words gave Michael more strength than he had ever known, and in return he gave that strength back to her. The second child was birthed easily, and Helen was at last able to rest. Michael still held her hand, but severed the supernatural link he had forged. He felt tired. She looked at him. "You helped me." Her voice was horse and weak, and Michael kissed her to keep her from speaking more. The doctors took both children from the room. Michael backed up from Helen, and collapsed into the nearby chair. "I did. This power of mine, I used it to take your pain, and give you my strength."
"I know. I was so afraid, afraid I was going to leave you and the babies."
"I swear, as long as even a single breath dwells in my body, I will always protect you and the babies, and everyone else too." The doctors returned a minute later with two little bundles in soft blankets. They laid both babies next to their mother, and their father pulled his chair close. "So, have you two though of any names?" Michael and Helen smiled at each other. She nodded to him, giving him the go ahead to speak. "The girl, Jennifer Christine. The boy, David Matthew." The doctor wrote both names down, adding the Samson surname. Both infants had their father's hair, light wisps of silver on their newborn heads, but their eyes were like those of their mother, in both color and shape, green gems set into their innocent faces. Michael marveled at how quiet they were, and how they seem to know him, even thought they'd never seen him before. The only way her could tell Jennifer from David was that David was in a blue blanket, while Jennifer was in pink. He smiled down on his daughter, who smiled up at him. A familiar, and unwelcome, voice spoke. "Cute kids." Michael stood up and faced Wrath, Envy, and another demon man, who stood at the forefront. Michael didn't need to ask, he knew who he was looking at. "Sin." Sin's human form was that of a businessman. This man had gray skin, and yellow eyes. He wore a black suit, and had black hair cut short to his scalp. "Hello, Michael."
"What do you want? We still have three months."
"Yes, you do, but I can extend that to three years, for a price."
"What price?"
"Your daughter..."
"Fuck off.”
"Please, hear me..."
"I said fuck off. I swear if you so much as step to close to either of my children, my wife, my sister, or any of my friends, I'll break you in half."
"If you would just listen..."
"You will never take my daughter from me. Never, do you understand?"
"It isn't your daughter we want. It's her power we want. Just give us that, and you can live free for three years." Michael didn't speak this time, but smashed his fist into Sin's face. Wrath reacted a second too late, reaching out for Michael's arm, and only got Michael's shoe planted in his face. Both of them stumbled back. "I'll assume that's a no." Sin said holding his bleeding nose. Wrath didn't say anything, but rushed towards Helen and the babies. Michael was in his and on him in less than half a second. Michael drove his knee into Wrath's gut, and then rammed his head into the floor. Michael kicked the bent over form of Wrath with enough force to slam it into the wall next to Sin. "Get out." Sin started to speak again. "I said get out. Send you worst, and make sure their affairs are in order." Michael voice was cold as ice, and sharp as a blade. He spoke slowly, to make sure his words were heard, and calmly, to make sure they couldn't be misunderstood. Sin failed to retort, and all three demons vanished. Michael collapsed in the chair next to Helen's bed. His every muscle ached, he had used his powers too much in too short a time. Helen grabbed his hand. "You know, maybe we should have..."
"No. I was willing to take on Sin to earn us this rest, but I won't make a decision for my daughter. Besides, Sin already got something he wanted today."
"What? What did he get?"
"He pushed me, and found my soft spot. He knows he can hurt me though you, and I wouldn't put it past him to take advantage of that. The last thing he needs is Jennifer's power too." Michael was fighting to keep his eyes open. He watched, as if in a dream, as Helen fawned over their children. She let a little hand, David's, grip her index finger. Michael reached out, and let Jennifer take hold of his finger. A sudden surge of energy flooded his mind, like electricity filling his veins. The world went black. For what seemed like an eternity he floated in darkness. Then he heard Helen's voice, "Michael, Michael, are you okay?!" Michael opened his eyes, and Helen was leaning over him. Her hospital gown was hanging in a way that forced his attention to areas other than her face. She saw where he was looking, and said, "Pervert. I just gave birth and you mind is still in the gutter." Michael was on the floor. He sprang to his feet, and pulled Helen to him, kissing her. She was startled, but didn't draw away. After a few minutes, they parted, and Helen's face was tinged pink. "What was that for?"
"Because. Does a man really need a reason to kiss the woman he loves?" She looked away from him, but glanced coyly out of the corner of her eye. "I guess not." Then she threw herself into his arms, and kissed him. After they parted again, Michael asked, "How are the twins?" She batted her eyes. "I was little more worried about you. A nurse came in and gave them both bottles of formula. I thought you'd fallen asleep, until you fell on the floor. What happened? You looked burnt out, but now you look fine."
"I'm still burnt out. When little Jenny touched my hand, I think whatever power she has reacted to my power, and kind of shorted out my brain. So, you decided to go with the formula?"
"Yeah, they get the same nutrients either way. Can you believe that women didn't have a choice back in the day? God, that had to suck." She giggled at her own pun. Both babies were sleeping, still wrapped in their blankets. Michael sat back down in his chair, and Helen got back into bed with the babies. In a few minutes they were fast asleep.
Michael woke up early the next morning. Helen was still sleeping, and a nurse was trying to slide the babies from under her arm. Michael helped her, and the nurse took the babies for more tests, and a feeding. Michael stepped out of the room. The professor was in the hall talking to Dr. Iuzumia. "I see, so they do have powers. Have you told Michael?"
"Told me what, that my son and daughter have powers?"
"What, oh Michael, it's you, wait, how did you...?"
"Know? Because when Jennifer grabbed my finger she shorted out my head. I was knocked cold."
"Really? What do you think caused it?"
"I assume that she had a nine month build up of energy, and it reacted to my powers, kind of like a static charge." The professor nodded in agreement. "It would follow our understanding of these powers. May I go in, I'd like to see how Helen's doing." Michael lead the both of them in. Helen was still asleep. Michael kissed her gently on the cheek. As if in a fairy tale, she stirred, and sat up in the bed. Seeing the professor and doctor, she immediately asked Michael, in French, "What's going on?" Michael didn't know why she didn't want either the Hanson or Iuzumia knowing what they were saying, but he went along with her anyway, speaking in French. "They want to see who you're doing."
"Why? What's wrong?"
"Nothing, nothing, it's just that our children have powers like mine. I'm running under the assumption that they were worried that these powers might have had an adverse effects on you, just like me." Helen understood, and turned to the two professionals. "I'm just fine, I feel great."
"Alright, alright. I suppose I should have quashed my curiosity. Well, from the looks of things, the four of you will be going home. I heard your sister is watching your home?" Michael smiled. "Yeah, and Jana too. They really hit it off." They had. Jana had begun to look to her older sister-in-law as the end-all, be-all of role models. She imitated everything that Maria did, said, and even tried to imitate her new big sister's thoughts, with limited success. As far as Michael was concerned, she was now as good as a teenager. Now that she was twelve, she acted like she was fifteen. Michael thanked god that, if this trend continued, in a few years she'd be acting like an adult. Helen loved to rib him about it, but she was always careful to avoid touching on Michael's own childhood, which had definitely been cut short. After a few more words with Dr. Iuzumia and Professor Hanson, a nurse entered the room with the twins. She handed Jenny to Michael, and David to Helen. Why, Michael did not know, but he didn't argue. The darling little girl staring up at him consumed his attention, blocking out anything and everything. The only things that escaped the universal block out were David and Helen. Everything else was forced into blurred obscurity. "So," Michael said, "this is what it's like to be a dad." Helen looked at her husband, holding their tiny daughter in his seemingly massive arms. Then she looked at her son, a calm, handsome little boy, who's emerald green eyes almost glinted in the light. Michael was just as transfixed by the eyes of his daughter as he was when he looked into those same eyes that belonged to his wife. "You know," said Helen, "I always wondered what it would be like, to be a mother."
"Yeah, I wondered too." She looked at her husband quizzically. "I mean I wondered what it's be like to be a dad, just like you wondered about being a mom." Helen smiled, and Michael realized she had understood, and had looked at him to mess with him. "I have to admit, for all my day dreaming, it never imagined feeling this, well, great. I don't think there's a word to describe this feeling." The professor started to laugh. "I hate to burst your bubble, but there is. What your feeling is true, and complete happiness." Michael looked at the professor, not as the wise older man who was his superior and teacher, but as Jonathan Hanson, the person. It dawned on Michael that he, and Iuzumia, and Kalasdozki probably all had families of their own. It hadn't occurred to him until know that they had probably already been through the very same things that he and Helen were going through right now. This thought sparked a question in his mind, and before he could even register that he had thought it, he asked it. "Where's your family, Professor Hanson? Dr. Iuzumia?" The professor's old eyes closed, and he suddenly seemed so much older than he had been just moments before. Iuzumia, usually optimistic, suddenly seemed tired, almost dead on her feet. The professor rubbed one hand with the other, namely his right hand's ring finger. "I suppose this conversation was inevitable. I can't blame you for wondering, considering that you yourselves have begun on the same journey. The simple truth of it is that my family is dead." Helen let a slight gasp escape her lips. "What happened?"
"The same thing that happened to your parents, Michael. The gate opened, and my family died. Just as you've come to terms with your parents' deaths, I've come to terms with the deaths of my wife and children, and my grandchildren." Michael's spine chilled again. "You, you were a grandfather?"
"Yes I was. I was one of those things that defined me, and changed my view of the world. I can't describe a moment like that, but hopefully you'll have the opportunity to experience it yourself." Helen looked at Iuzumia. "What about you, doctor?"
"I only had my husband, before the gate. I didn't need anything more."
"What do you mean, you only had your husband, didn't you have any children? Didn't you want any?"
"Oh, we tried, but..."
"But? But what?"
"I, I can't have children, I..." Helen suddenly understood. "You were infertile. Oh, Ms. Iuzumia, I'm so sorry for you." Michelle Iuzumia held up a hand. "I accepted it a long time ago. I suppose that's why I adore children, and why I feel so protective of you pilots. But, then the gate opened, and my husband died. I've come to accept that too, but that doesn't make it any easier to talk about. Than again, I suppose it could be worse. Poor Ivan."
"Wait," Michael interrupted, "Poor Ivan? What happened to Kalasdozki?" Both Iuzumia and Hanson looked suddenly, extremely uncomfortable. "I'm not sure it would be right to tell..." said Iuzumia. "After all, it isn't our place to..." Michael leveled his gaze, that sharp, piercing gaze, at them. Somehow, Michael still managed to look intimidating even holding his baby daughter. "You know he'll never tell us, and, quite frankly, I don't like the thought of my wife working under someone I barely know anything about."
"I suppose you're right. Like me, most of Ivan's family was killed by the demons. The exception is his daughter. She was about ten when the gate opened. Ever since then she's been in this bizarre waking coma."
"Waking coma?"
"She is awake, in the sense that her eyes are open, and she appears to be aware of her surroundings, but beyond eating, breathing, and, well, you know what, she's completely helpless. I swear, it'd be easier on him if she had died, but he doesn't blame her." Michael felt better, knowing that the ever-intimidating Kalasdozki was human after all. The professor and doctor excused themselves, leaving Michael, Helen, and the babies. Michael, still cradling Jennifer, sat down on the bed. Helen scooted across the bed to lean against him, and as she did, he leaned into her. David cooed as he looked at his parents, and Jennifer followed suit. Michael smiled at them, and they both giggled. "You know, it never occurred to me that I'm not the only person who lost people to the demons. I never thought about it, to be sure, but you'd think I'd have realized that by now." Helen snuggled in, closer to him. "I guess I was just fortunate. I didn't really lose anyone. Sure I lost a few friends, but my family was unharmed, well, almost."
"Almost?" Michael shifted to look at her, and saw a tear in the corner of her eye. "My brother, James. Almost two years ago now, he had a fiancée. They were so happy together, it was like a fairy tale, but I guess not everyone gets a fairy tale ending, do they. She was killed by a demon, she was in a bridal store, getting fitted for her gown. The demon appeared, and crushed the store flat. I was there."
"There?! How?"
"I wasn't in the store, you doofus. I had gone with them, I was going to be one of the bride's maids. Dumb luck saved me. One of her friends asked me to run down the street and get drinks for everyone. I was on my way back when the demon appeared. I remember not being able to move, and then collapsing as it started walking my way, then I was saved."
"Saved?"
"Yeah. At first I didn't know what to make of it, but a little while after I joined Project Sword, I found out it was a prototype of the White Sword that saved me. Funny how luck works, huh?"
"Fortune or fate."
"Fate? Don't tell me you believe in fate! How can anything be predestined? If it was, what would the point be behind choice and free will?" Michael lifted her chin with his free hand, and brushed away the tear that had stopped on her cheek. After a single, gentle kiss, he spoke. "I don't believe in fate, but I don't traffic with fortune either. I find it hard to believe that everything is determined by luck, by a roll of a die or the flip of a coin. From your reaction to fate, I assume you lean towards fortune."
"Yeah, what of it?"
"Nothing, nothing at all." Michael kissed Helen again, and the babies giggled and cooed. "I suppose I should get dressed so we can go home. What do you say, dear?" Michael snarled playfully as she passed their little boy to him and got up off the bed and stepped into the small bathroom attached. She came out a few minutes later in the clothes she had arrived at the hospital in, which now looked impossibly huge on her. She also had two baby carriers, which had been given to them by her parents. By the time she came out of the bathroom, both of the babies were fast asleep. With Helen's help, he got both babies into their carriers without waking them up. After dealing with some paperwork, they started on their way home. After turning down several halls, they came face to face with a person. This person was familiar, and unwelcome. It was Wrath. Michael set down the carrier he had, and slid it slowly back to Helen, who picked it up and started slowly backing away. "I'm not here for the brats, I'm here for you, jack ass." He pointed at Michael. "What do you want with me?"
"I want to kill you. I owe you that much." Michael was confused. "You're going to disobey Sin, you're going to break the deal?"
"You already broke it! You broke it when you attacked me!"
"I defended myself and my family. It was your side of the bargain to give us reprieve, I fulfilled our side when I fought Sin."
"Fuck it then! I'll break it, and I'll kill you!" Wrath rushed at Michael, but was in turn rushed by Allen, who came out of an adjacent hall. Allen pinned the demon to the wall, and signaled to Michael with a jerk of his head. Michael ran up to them, and kicked Wrath as hard as he could in the head while Allen got out of the way. Wrath fell to the floor, dazed, and Michael and Allen both slammed him down, Michael dropping a heavy axe-kick, Allen executing a powerful pile-driver. Wrath spat up blood. Before Allen or Michael could do anything else, Envy appeared over her brother. "Enough! Sin will have enough punishments for him as it is, leave him be!" Michael was surprised to see actual emotion on Envy's face. She was actually concerned for her brother. They both vanished. Michael leaned against the wall to catch his breath. "Thanks man." Allen was leaning on the opposite wall, and only nodded his response. Helen ran up to them with the babies in their carriers. "Michael, are you okay?"
"Yeah, I'm fine. Wait, Allen, what are you dressed up for?" Allen was wearing a clean white, button-up shirt and black trousers with a thin black belt. He gave them a guilty little smile, and said, "I'm on my way to a date with Hisana, at her place."
"A first date at her place?" Allen looked confused for a second, but then his face cleared. "No, not the first date. Didn't you two hear? We've been dating for the past month. We haven't even slept together or anything...not that there's anything wrong with doing it on a first date or anything like that." The speed with which Allen amended his sentence clued Michael into the fact that he'd been following his and Helen's relationship a little too closely. "No, no there isn't." Michael chose a tone of voice calibrated to perfectly express an unspoken sentence, which clearly said, "You will shut up about other people's relationships, or you will die." This sentence was not lost on Allen, who visibly swallowed a hard lump in his throat. Helen was much more interested in hearing the details of Hisana and Allen's blossoming relationship, but Michael reminded her of the two infants, and she reluctantly agreed to set her inquiry aside for the time being. Allen glanced at his watch. "Oh, shit! I'm so gonna be late! Ah, fuck! Sorry guys, gotta go, shit!" Michael gritted his teeth, making a mental note to beat Allen later for his coarse language around their children. This note was pushed to the back of his mind by Wrath. Michael was confounded, and very, very angry. He had been promised a year, and Wrath, and by extension, Sin, had broken that promise. Not that Michael had actually expected them to hold up their end of the deal, every day that they didn't break it had surprised him. For the past nine months he had lived in a state of constant fear, adrenaline, and paranoia. Even now, his entire body was ready, expectant, on edge, just waiting of a demon to appear, waiting for Wrath, or Sin himself to attack. Michael was pulled out of his thoughts by Helen leaning into his chest. The paranoia, fear, and strain all evaporated the instant she leaned into him, as if he had a pressure release and only she could hit it. This always happened to him, whenever he had a chance to be near her. He may have acted like it was she who needed him, but in truth, he needed her just as much, and she knew it, it was why she could put up with all his posturing. Michael took Jennifer's carrier from Helen, and As they started walking home, Michael started talking about vacations with Helen in French, and Helen, happy to see him acting like his usual self, talked back with enthusiasm.
Maria had to hold Jana back from the front door, so that she didn't knock Michael or Helen over while they were carrying the babies. After they had set the twins down, Jana was allowed to jump onto her brother. Michael staggered as the twelve year old girl hit him full force. The very first thing Helen did after giving her sister a hug was make a bee-line for the shower. Michael walked into his living room and quickly found the remote. Michael dozed in front of the T.V. He was roused a little later by Helen. She nudged him and said, "Wake up and help me feed the babies. Here, you take David and I'll take Jenny. Here, take the bottle." Michael took the bottle and his son. Still half asleep, he need Helen's help to know just what he was doing, but once David started feeding, it was a simple matter for Michael to hold baby and bottle. Still slightly groggy, he turned his head and looked at Helen and Jenny, and found himself even more in love with the woman how was his wife and the mother of his children. In his mind, it had been impossible for Helen to be anymore beautiful, but, once again, she had defied his mind, and found yet another way to seem even more amazing. Smiling down at their infant daughter, her face was a serene picture of ultimate happiness. If the was a heaven, this, surely, was the closest any living person had ever come to it. David finished feeding, and then belched. Michael was surprised that such a tiny thing could produce such a loud noise. David giggled at his own burp, and this laugh carried over to his father. While he was laughing, Michael caught a whiff of an unmistakable odor. "Uh, Helen, I think David needs a change." Helen looked up from Jenny. "Well, you're a grown man, and you took care of Jana, didn't you?" Michael sighed, he had hoped he could bluff his way out of it, but he hadn't. Helen watched as Michael walked into the bathroom with David and a fresh diaper. She looked back to Jenny, who was still feeding from the bottle Helen had given her. The nurse had told her that David fed faster than his sister, but she hadn't told her just how much faster. David had drained the bottle in a couple of minutes, but Jennifer was just barely past the halfway mark. But what really got Helen was her daughter's eyes, almost luminous green orbs staring into space. Jennifer finally finished her bottle, and after a slight pat on the back from her mother, she released a burp that was more like a slight sigh. 'Finally,' Helen thought, 'a way to tell them apart. He eats fast and burps like a air-horn, she eats slowly and barely burps at all.' Michael returned with a now fast asleep David in his arms. Michael sat down, and laid his son in his lap. After a few minutes, Jenny was asleep too. Michael and Helen got off the couch and went to their room, where Michael had set up a pair of cribs. After tucking both babies into the folds of the sheets in their cribs, both parents slid quietly out of the room. Michael checked his watch. "Almost seven. Now what do we do?" Helen didn't have any ideas either. Jana and Maria were playing some game in Jana's room, so Michael and Helen decided that time in front of the T.V. was as good as anything. An hour later, they both heard crying from their room. It was Jenny, and it was now she who needed a change. Helen took Jennifer to the bathroom, and returned a little later with a much nicer smelling Jennifer. The little girl was already more than half asleep by the time Helen tucked her in. Michael was amazed his son had slept though his sister's bawling. Michael suspected that the little boy would probably sleep through anything. The small child rubbed an eye with a tiny fist, and yawned. For a moment, Michael panicked, afraid he was about to wake up, but David simply let out a long breath, and relaxed further into his blankets. Michael and Helen decided to go to bed as well, and after changing into bed clothes, crawled into bed.
Three hours later, Michael and Helen were awoken by the loud cries of their children. They both sat up, a said in unison, "No way." After a few more minutes of bawling, they both got out of bed, and each picked up one of the babies. They checked their diapers, and both babies needed changes, so they changed them. The babies continued crying, so they fed them. The babies stopped crying, but didn't look like they were going to sleep. Michael and Helen returned the babies to their cribs, and climbed back into bed. Another three hours later they were up again. In Michael's mind the phrase wash, rinse, repeat came forward and stuck to his every thought. After the babies were again quiet, the couple returned to bed. Michael and Helen woke up just three hours later. "Please tell me this ends soon." Michael said. "I don't know, honey, but until it does we'll just have to put up with it. Okay?" Michael hugged Helen to him. "Alright, as long as you can handle it, I can handle it." This pattern repeated twice more through the night. The babies persisted in their pattern through the day too. During one of their three hour naps, the phone rang. "Hello?" Michael's heart stopped when he heard Sin's silky, cold voice through the earpiece. "Michael, we need to talk."
"About what?"
"I first want to extend my apologies for Wrath's actions, he is being thoroughly punished. Second, my congratulations on your young ones, I failed to express them at our last meeting. On that note I also wish to apologize for my actions then. I overstepped my bounds, I should have known you’d be defensive of your infants. I also wanted to reassure you that you still have three months of peace, and I will admit to strongly considering adding a few more months for Wrath's actions."
"That can't be your only reason, what are you planning?"
"Now, now, I can't tell you that, it'd ruin the challenge. But know that, while I too am taking advantage of this rest, I am not extending the time for my advantage. My race is one of honor, on and off the battle field."
"Honor? You call killing innocents honorable?!"
"Your kind killed our innocents first." Michael knew instinctively that Sin was not lying. "What...what do you mean? You're kind opened the gate, and attacked us!"
"I will not deny that we attacked you, but it was in retaliation and revenge. We did not open the gates."
"Gates?! There's more than one?!"
"Were, there were more than one. The first gate closed after we killed the first ones you sent through. Then the large gate opened, and we saw our opportunity to avenge the innocents that died. Little did we realize that we were avenging innocent by killing innocents. Once we realized the truth, we retreated back behind the gate."
"Wait, the first ones?"
"Machines, like yours but much less advanced. They were weak once we began to fight, but they caught us by surprise, and killed many."
"Who sent them, maybe they can be brought to justice."
"I would tell you if I knew, but sadly even if the ones responsible are brought to justice, this can not end in peace. Our two worlds are corroding each other, and the gate must be closed to save them. Unfortunately, as far as we can tell from this end, there is a force keeping the gate open. Until the source is determined, we have to keep searching, and you, in turn, will have to fight us. This is the way of things, my race has no caring for yours and if left alone in your world will cause death and damage. I fully understand your races need for self-preservation, and if you can kill them, then they were fated for death. This is the way of things. Goodbye, I will inform you if the rest is extended." Sin hung up. Michael put the phone back on its rest, and returned to Helen in the living room. "Who was it?"
"Sin."
"Sin?! What the hell did he want?!"
"To apologize, and talk, funnily enough."
"What did he talk about?"
"He told me he might give us more time to rest. He also admitted that he was using this time to his own benefit. He also told me that the gate above the city wasn't the first."
"What?! What do you mean wasn't the first?!"
"According to Sin, it's the second, and if it stays open, both our world and theirs will be destroyed. For some reason the door isn't closing, and they're searching for the reason."
"So, we've been killing creatures who were trying to help?"
"No. They're just demons sent to our world to find the source of this, this thing keeping the gate open. He told me we have full license to kill them, because they'd do the same to us. He called it fate." Helen leaned into her husband, and as she did, a siren, familiar and hated, sounded. Michael stood slowly, and nodded to Helen. She called her sister, who had agreed to take care of the babies when Michael and Helen were on missions. After the call was made and finished, the two of them left their home, and the peace they had known for nine months, behind them, not knowing if they'd return.