Chapter 2: Two Little Girls

"Just stay at home, please."

Brandon knew why Mika said that over and over again throughout the evening. His wounds hadn't closed properly; if Douglas hadn't applied necrolyzation serum on them, they wouldn't have stopped bleeding. However, he wasn't a frail man. His lean, muscular body could easily trick people into thinking him a professional athlete.

Well, he didn't sprint around the parking basement and do push-ups for nothing every morning, lost limbs be damned.

Sitting still in his van with Albert, his personal driver, he looked at the surroundings. The street lights glowed in the dark, helping him to spot any possible anomaly. Necrolyzed beings – be they hellhounds, green-skinned giants, or overgrown humans like him – would never have the chance to harm Albert.

Twenty minutes passed in silence. Not that Albert was a quiet guy; instead, the driver had found it tiring to talk to him. For the first five minutes, Albert had suggested that he stayed at home and slept, but his words were only met with silence.

Brandon was like a statue, except that he breathed and would readily move at the sight of a suspicious thing.

The van halted. With a twist of his key, Albert shut the car down. They had arrived at Bernard's house, the crime scene, their destination. Men in black suits and body armor – standard Millennion agents and Anti-Necrolyze gunmen - roamed the porch. Some of them talked, while others examined the fallen door and chairs under the gleaming hanging lamp.

Brandon opened the car door and stepped out. He approached the porch without a word.

One of the agents glanced over his shoulder. "Mr. Brandon? Why are you here?"

"To lend a hand," he replied, walking past the agent and hunching over to inspect the timber door. Claw marks littered its smooth surface, as though some animals had just used it as a scratching post.

"The hellhounds may be behind this," the agent said, "or not. There are some strange things inside."

With a nod, Brandon stepped into the house. All the lights were on, revealing the chaos inside. Footprints, both coming from paws and shoes alike, stained the white ceramic floor red. Further ahead, a huge puddle of blood lay in front of the stoves and cupboards. A group of Anti-Necrolyze gunmen stood around the crimson fluid, talking to each other.

Hmm, no corpse? Also, from the footprints alone, Brandon could tell that something else accompanied the hellhounds. Necrolyzers, he concluded after comparing the size of the footprint with his own foot.

He approached the men in body armor and a toolbox, drawing their attention with his heavy footsteps.

"Mr. Brandon? Are you helping us?" one of them began.

Brandon nodded.

"Great!" The agent rubbed the back of his neck. "Honestly, this case is driving us nuts. This puddle of blood and the footprints are the only clues. The murderer didn't even leave a corpse."

"We've done some tests on the blood. It belongs to a human and the type matches Christina's. Also, judging from the size of the puddle, it's likely that Christina dies soon due to blood loss."

"No eyewitness?" Brandon asked.

The agent shook his head. "Not even their corpses, Sir." He paused. "So, what can you tell from the blood and the footprints?"

"A necrolyzer carried the corpse out of here," Brandon declared.

"How can you be so sure?"

"Hellhounds carry things with their jaws. The corpse won't be far above the ground, so it'll leave long trails of blood." He placed his foot beside a footprint and pointed at it. "Moreover, no human's foot is this big."

"Then who's behind this? There must be a Millennion scientist involved. Or at least a former Millennion scientist."

"Maybe another mafia organization," another agent responded. "They can just hire a former Millennion scientist."

Brandon nodded slightly before turning around, knowing that he wouldn't get any additional clues here.

Bernard. Then Christina, Bernard's wife. Brandon rubbed his cheek with a finger as he left the scene. Such a pattern. I bet their daughters and William will be the next target.

It took twenty minutes to reach William's home by car. Brandon thought this was a good thing; if William had lived too close to the crime scene, he'd have died.

Ears perked up, Brandon walked along the stone path and towards the porch. Leaves rustled in the howling wind. Thunder rumbled in the flickering night sky. Fortunately, he had Albert by his side; the driver had brought an umbrella with him. Having a huge fan of outdoor activities around was really beneficial after all.

"I knew it'd be raining when we arrived here," Albert commented from behind, popping the umbrella open. "Anyway, you still won't consider going back?"

Brandon shook his head.

They'd arrived at the porch when drops of water pelted the earth and the roof. However, the strong wind blew the liquid darts towards them. Albert tried to cover Brandon's back with the umbrella, but the necrolyzer simply said, "Protect yourself, Albert. I can't catch a cold."

"But it's still uncomfortable to be all wet, Sir."

Luckily, William opened the door almost immediately after Brandon knocked on it. "Get in! Quick!"

Luminescence and warmth greeted Brandon and Albert when they dashed into the house. The drumming noise from the rain dissipated once William closed the door. Now, Brandon only heard kids' chattering.

Kids? William didn't have any, did he?

An old woman sat on a couch in front of a TV, knitting a sock. Two blond girls stood around her with their focus fixated on the piece of fabric. Then they shifted their gaze to Brandon, and after staring at him for a few seconds, they cried and cowered behind the granny's seat.

Hmm, those kids looked like Christina's daughters. How did they survive the murder?

The granny - William's mother - looked at him before telling the girls, "Nancy, Nina, it's Mr. Brandon."

"He's a necrolyzer, Grandma Whitney!" shouted Nina, the one with slightly bigger eyes and a fatter body in the twins.

"A good one." Whitney put down the sock. "Come on. Say hello to him."

"No!" Nancy screamed. "Necrolyzers are bad! They kill people!"

"It was a necrolyzed dog that killed your parents, dear."

"Mr. Brandon is still a necrolyzed man!"

Whitney shrugged. "I'm sorry, Brandon. These are just...too much for them."

Brandon nodded, approaching at the terrified kids while silently wishing that they would come close to him. He offered his hand with a smile, but they only screamed.

"It's worsened by the fact that they know how their grandparents died," William suddenly spoke. "Necrolyzers pulverized them before these kids were born. Their mother saw it with her own eyes and had nightmares for a long time."

Brandon turned to see William and Albert walk towards him.

"You're here to ask about Christina's murder?" William asked. "I'm sorry, but I don't know much about it. Luckily, these two kids were with me when the murder happened."

"Why did you bring them with you?" Brandon asked.

"Christina asked for my help," William answered. "Earlier today, these two kids begged their mother to take them to the mall."

Brandon only nodded.

"Christina said she'd got a lot of work at home. Because they were too noisy, she asked me to take them there." William looked down. "Then, when we were at the mall, she called me. She wanted to know if the kids were okay." He looked up, revealing the tears in his eyes. "But suddenly, she screamed. I heard barks and growls before the phone went off."

Hellhounds did that, Brandon concluded. But who created them? Why did they target William's family?

"Excuse me, Doc," Albert chimed in, poking William's shoulder with a finger. "Do you feel like you've offended another crime organization here? Like the Lazaro Family or maybe the Corsione?"

"I don't think so."

"Doc, there seems to be a pattern in this case," Brandon warned. "First Bernard. Then Christina. Don't you think that the culprit may move onto you? Or even-" He resisted the urge to mention the girls' names. Don't terrify them.

After a few seconds of silence, William walked past Brandon and towards the two little girls. Hugging them, he said, "Nancy, Nina, listen to Uncle. It seems like some necrolyzed beings are targeting Uncle. Are you afraid of them?"

The two girls returned William's embrace while screaming, "Yes!"

When Brandon approached them, Nancy and Nina struggled to break free from William's hug. He remained silent because he didn't want to further frighten them, but in his heart, he wondered if he were that big, bad, and scary.

"Don't be afraid of him. I've been his personal doctor for a year and can never be his good friend if he's evil," William told them. He then looked at Brandon. "If you don't mind, can you take care of these kids for a few days?"

Brandon nodded, reaching out his hand to the kids. However, Nancy and Nina only pulled away. They'd have fled if William hadn't held them tightly.

"He'll protect you." William kissed each of them on the forehead. "Trust Uncle, okay?"

"No!" they screamed. "Necrolyzers are bad!"

"Please. There are bigger and scarier necrolyzed beings out there, and they're all targeting Uncle. Go with Mr. Brandon. He'll protect you."

Nancy and Nina looked at Brandon for a while before nodding hesitantly. Once William released them, they walked towards Brandon. They wouldn't hug him, but Brandon didn't mind. He only needed them to follow him, although through their eyes, he could see intense fear.

"Kids, pack up your stuff first," William suggested.


Before heading home, Brandon visited the mart; aside from treats for Mika, he'd bought some sweets and milk for Nancy and Nina. Fortunately, William had given him some money. "They're still my family," the doctor said. "Spend this money on their daily needs. If it turns out that I've given you too much, just keep it for yourself. Consider it as my gratitude."

Putting down the grocery bag, Brandon knocked on the door before picking it back up again. A few seconds later, the door opened with a click. Mika stood on the ledge, smiling at him. "You're finally back!"

Brandon nodded, stepping aside to reveal the two girls behind him. The kids hopped onto the ledge in an instant, laughing and calling Mika "Big Sis" as they stood around her. It seemed like seeing another human girl, especially the one they'd once met, made them feel safer.

"Um, aren't they Dr. William's nieces? Why did you bring them along?"

"Since the criminal is targeting the doctor, it's too dangerous for them to stay with him." Brandon stepped into the trailer. Approaching the desk, he put down the grocery bag.

The door closed gently, and a click echoed along with laughter. Brandon turned around to see Mika playing with the kids. He grinned at this; it seemed like his child had gained the ability to nurture the young from him, although she was more of an extroverted person.

I can entrust them to her.

Still smiling, Brandon walked towards his wheelchair and sat on it. As he wheeled himself towards the bins of clothes, he took off his greatcoat and t-shirt and tossed them into the box with the label "Dirty." Then he headed to the bathroom, picking up a set of clean clothes and his towel from the rack at the entrance.


There was nothing wrong with asking Mika to help scrub that sponge against his body; back when he'd just lost an arm and a leg, with William's guidance, she gave him a bed bath everyday. However, he wouldn't know where to hide his face if Nancy and Nina found out that he needed a kid to help him take a bath.

He decided to keep quiet instead of calling out to Mika. It saved his pride, although he had to find a way to wash his good arm. His teeth could work, but it also meant he'd end up with a mouthful of soap water. How disgusting, even for someone whose sense of taste had long died.

Before leaving the bathroom, he stopped by the washbowl to rinse his soapy mouth with a glass of water. The bandage should've covered my whole arm, so that I'd have a reason not to wash it.

Wheeling himself out of the bathroom with his prosthetic leg on his lap, he put his towel back on the rack and tossed his worn pants into the bin of grimy clothes. After putting away his prosthesis, he looked at the wall clock. Ten o' clock. Time for the kids to sleep.

As he moved towards Mika and William's nieces, he overheard their conversation. Fussing over a place to sleep, he thought. Sometimes, he wondered if he should renovate the trailer so that a real bed could fit in. Unfortunately, he had spent too much money - even more than his earnings - for his medical care already. Even if he asked for Biscoe's help, the mob boss would use the same reason to brush him off.

"Sorry, I don't think we all can sleep together here," Mika told Nancy and Nina, who had put on pajamas. "Let's think of another way."

Brandon raised his hand, drawing Mika's attention. With his child looking at him, he pointed at the bench.

"B-but it's so cramped for all of us!"

"Would you rather have them sleep on the floor? It's hard and cold." Brandon grinned. "You sleep on the outer side, so that they won't fall. Pad the ground with some towels and cloths so that falling down won't hurt that much."

"Hmm, okay." Mika looked at the girls. "You two don't move too much, okay?"


The next morning, Dr. Zach came to check Brandon's injuries. Like usual, Zach ended up quarreling with Mika. "You can't change fate," he said. "If these kids are going to die, no matter how hard you try to protect them, they'll end up dying anyway."

Luckily, Brandon stopped Mika from kicking the doctor in his shin.

After the visit, Brandon set off to William's house. He'd thought of setting up an ambush throughout the night. If the culprit truly targeted William, his plan would succeed.

As William opened the door, he asked, "Mr. Brandon? Mr. Albert? Why are you here? And what's with that spear?"

"Let's talk inside." Spear in hand, Albert walked into the house with Brandon. "Afraid there are ears everywhere out there." Once William closed the door, Albert told him, "We'll stay here for a few hours. The criminal was probably targeting you, right? If that was correct, then our ambush would work."

"I don't know whether the attackers come in a swarm or not," William replied, "but from Christina's murder yesterday, I thought they mobbed her." He placed a hand on Brandon's shoulder. "I doubt Brandon can handle them by himself."

"There's also me, Doc." Albert chuckled, spinning his stainless steel spear above his head before pointing it at William. "I have this."

Brandon smiled slightly. He appreciated Albert's eagerness to help, but he thought his driver had better stay behind him. Albert might know some martial arts, but a human wouldn't last long in a melee combat against a horde of undead.

"Okay." William motioned them towards the living room. "By the way, Mr. Brandon, how are Nancy and Nina doing?"

"They're fine," Brandon replied. "They're still afraid of me, though."

William stopped in his tracks and glanced over his shoulder. "Well, I guess they need more time." He continued walking. "Mom, we've got guests!"

Brandon saw Whitney stand up and heard her say, "Oh, I'll make some tea."

A few hours passed with everybody sitting at the living room and watching the TV . However, the news report spoke nothing about necrolyzed beings. Maybe Biscoe had bribed the press to keep their mouths shut. He understood why; whenever necrolyzed beings appeared in the town, everybody would blame Millennion. "Only Millennion knows how to reanimate corpses!" the citizens of Billion always said.

Another hour passed, and William asked, "Are you going to spend the whole day here?"

Albert pointed at Brandon. "It depends on him."

Suddenly, Brandon's phone rang. He picked it up and heard Mika's quiet sobs.

What now?