All their plans weren't crumbling into nothing just yet. After the emotional stress Zack and Rachel endured, sense of thinking finally came back, there were still one final backup plan to fall back on - Gray.

He still needed to talk to Rachel. There was still hope.

"Mh…"

Ears were ringing with the sound of crunching leaves, there was a faint draft blowing all around, but also a warmth being pressed against. Rachel had been sleeping a moment ago, her eyes sleepily opened to see she was in a forest of some sort, and she was moving. She was puzzled for a moment until her senses began to situate her that she was being carried off.

It was a familiar scent, a cozy one that made her feel safe. It was Isaac that was carrying her through this area.

"Where are we?" she sleepily asks.

"Oh, you're up…" Zack mumbled, "...cutting through one of the parks right now."

"We left the church?"

"Yeah...sun's about to get up and don't want people catching us in there," Zack replied.

"I thought it was okay…"

"It is, but we're still on the run, and we need a better roof over our heads til' this blows over," Zack said, "...I gotta give Gray a call."

Rachel wished she had her phone on her, but everything she had, was left behind at her old home, Danny was too quick to haul her off and abduct her to his place of residence. She still grumbled at the thought of it, but at the same time, she recalled what some officers use to track missing people - cellphone activity from tower pings. It would've been like a tracking device.

"I think there's a payphone still around," she mumbled, "I think near the historic section of town…"

"That's not too far off then...keep resting a bit, kay?"

"Mmh...okay," Ray said, snuggling against the man's shoulder.

Zack glanced at her in the corner of his eye, his gleam had fondness in them, as he cracked a soft grin. He was glad that she was safe, from Danny and her parents. Even though he still shared some faint guilt for what he had done to her father, she had forgiven him. Rachel has no home to go to, but he knows one will be offered through Gray. She had a future to be built.

It may still be the sleepy hours of the morning, but there was still some fair activity of the authorities patrolling the area, Zack made sure that where he travelled wasn't a hotspot to be detected or at least draw suspicion. As soon as he made it towards the oldest section of the city, he could already spot the familiar booth of a payphone. He opened the sliding doors, letting out a swear from it getting stuck in the tracks midway, and used his brute strength to force it open. The phone was still attached, much to his relief, and even had a dial tone when he placed it to his ear.

"Alright...gonna set you down for a bit…"

"M'kay…" Ray whispered.

"Heh...you are beat…"

Isaac felt Ray slip off his back for a moment, only for her to sit down and lean her head against his leg, she really was tired. He couldn't blame her, she had one hell of a stressful day, then again, so did he - the relentless slaughter he went through just to recapture her again from danger. Not to mention, the two also had the emotional stress on them as well. If Isaac had the stress of what he had done, he could only wonder what Ray went through when in the clutches of Danny. Then there was Ray admitting her feelings for him. Zack's heart thudded hard for a moment, but the man needed to keep his composure, he held the phone, dug in his pockets for some change to feed the machine, and began to dial the number on the pad. A few rings and he heard the click of the phone answering.

"Hello?" a voice answered.

"Hey, old man...it's me…"

"Isaac? Goodness, you are alright…" Gray said, "I've been watching the news all night and have been worrying myself sick. Is Rachel with you?"

"Yeah, she's here...she's fine too. We're both kinda laying low for a while, we camped out at a church for a bit, but now we kinda need a place to stay for a while, just until the heat dies down," Zack said, "we're on our way over to you, but there's too many cops, y'know?"

"Well, clearly...the crimes committed are too high," Gray said, "but I can help you with some shelter…"

"Zack...Zack...what about Bastet?"

Isaac felt the young woman tugging at his pant leg, with sleepy, but pleading eyes - he couldn't resist them.

"Hey, old man...how's the Princess doing?"

"Oh, the cat? She's doing quite fine here...I can see you've taken care of her quite well," Gray said with an amused chuckle, "she does live up to her nickname. You spoil her, Isaac."

Zack lightly rolled his eyes, it's not just him treating the cat like royalty, it's Rachel's doing as well. Like the two of them want the absolute best for something that was living.

"Yer' kitty is doing fine, Ray."

Zack had arranged to keep Bastet somewhere safe before he began his rampage, she felt a wave of relief knowing that Zack did consider Ray's life wasn't just valuable to him, but Bastet's as well. She tiredly smiled as she leaned against his leg once again, "That's good…"

Zack brought a hand down to gently ruffle her hair.

"Okay, I have a room booked for you two. It should be a few days to help avoid police suspicion. Just talk to the attendant, the room should be under the name 'Zack and company', since you prefer that name above all else…" Gray replied, "they'll be under the assumption that it's another one of my charity work...so, if any other evidence you have of your crimes...better dispose of them now before going into the hotel…"

"Y-Yeah, I'll get on it…"

"Also, Isaac...if anything gets tense, do not hesitate to call on me...I know you want to lay low, as to not get me too involved, but I will come over there to help you both out…" Gray said.

"I know," Zack replied, "...just until the heat dies down a little, we'll head on over to you...Rachel is gonna need your help big time…"

Gray quietly sighed in a worried tone, "I know she will, they broadcasted the casualties…"

Zack growled to himself, "...Fuck…"

"You can explain yourself later, for now...please, stay safe...the both of you…"


"Mr. Dickens, please. You need to stay here and heal! "

"I told you, I'm fine...my body armor took the bulk of the damage…it's not the first time I've been assaulted," Danny argued, "I'm suffering with nothing more than just a massive headache right now. I just want to go visit a colleague…"

Daniel had indeed survived the attack, he did have a long line of stitches across his chest, with wrappings to keep them from getting snagged. He even had to have a couple on the back of his head, due to his fall from the stairs.

"Whatever your intentions are, we advise against a discharge this early…"

"I do have my right as a patient to discharge when I'm feeling better...and I do feel better, I'm already up and walking. I'm alive. Just a few painkillers to combat the headaches will suffice," Danny said, "now, I'll be discharging and be on my way."

Danny wasn't going to take a no for an answer. Rachel had been taken away by who knows what, and he wanted her back immediately. First, he needed to make himself calm and composed, he was desperate, but he needed to not show it. The doctors had no other choice but to file the paperwork for a medical discharge, letting Danny sign whatever was needed, cover costs, and eventually be on his way.

The man checked the calendar, and was shocked that he was out for a couple of days since the attack.

"I was out that long?"

"Well, yes, you lost a good amount of blood, and that blow to the head left you unconscious," the nurse said, "you're very lucky to survived both a serial killer, and a nasty fall from a flight of stairs!"

' Fuck...fuck! Finding Rachel will be much more difficult now even with help ...'

"I see...well...I'll be on my way, then…" Danny bluntly replied.

He had been given a new set of attire to wear, since his were torn and bloody from the attack, just a simple white shirt and gray sweatpants. Danny wasn't going to complain, he was going to change out of it once he returned home to redress himself. He needed to look much more official for whom he was going to visit.

After much preparation and mental ranting, Danny fixed himself into a new suit, a new false eye, and tidied up his hair, before heading to his car. His home was strewn with police tape, and he knew that his place would've been investigated after his body was discovered, but he was always smart to cover up his misdeeds. Now, if only they could find the damn killer that attacked him.

As he turned on the car, he switched the radio to the news with the hopes of any information regarding his attack. He pulled out of the driveway, and drove down the streets, knowing exactly what location he had in mind.

"Police still haven't located the missing girl, Rachel Gardner, aged 17. She was last seen being taken into Children's Protective Services, according to neighbors. While being processed into the foster care system, the officer in charge, Daniel Dickens was attacked - possibly by the unnamed serial killer, known for other brutal past slayings. Authorities are trying to tie the crime as being calculated, due to the savage death of Officer Gardner, but other officials are saying that bludgeoning does not fit the M.O. of the killer. Not only that, officers are dealing a massacre in the Asian district of the city, with one body identified to be the other notorious Twin Lieutenant."

Daniel froze for a moment, he knew it was the serial killer, after all, he took out the previous twin in such a cruel manner, but with the case of Rachel's father - it was a crazy coincidence. However, it did leave Rachel with no other alternative to go home to...except for one.

Outside of town, far from any piece of civilization, Danny pulled up to a gate, with guard booth included.

"State your business."

"I'm just here to visit an acquaintance of mine," Daniel replied with a cheery grin.

"Who are you here to see?"

"Her name is Lucy, she had been admitted her after surviving an attack from a serial killer," Danny said.

The security guard paused with concern, "...Uhh...are you sure?"

"Is there a problem?" Danny asked.

"You can say that...ever since coming here she's been...difficult…" the guard muttered.

"Oh dear, well I do appreciate your concern, I think lack of a familiar face is what's making her so testy, I assure you, I'll be fine."

"...It's your funeral, pal," the guard said, "I'll radio in the head office...go on in…"

The guard headed back in the booth, pressing a button to open the gate as he sat down and radioed Daniel's arrival to the building. His destination was the psyche ward, knowing all well that Lucy wasn't the right state of mind, but he didn't even know just how broken she really was. It was something he wanted to see for himself.

Apparently, ever since being admitted to the hospital, her behavior escalated, Danny had known her to be the brute muscle of Cathy's interrogations, but he never expected the degree her violence shifted to.

"Please understand, once I take you to her solitary confinement, we need to have an armed guard nearby for your safety."

"Mind filling me in with what happened during Lucy's internment?" Danny asked.

The head doctor of the facility appeared strained as he recalled the memories.

"She was withdrawn for a few days...did a couple therapy sessions to break her out of the trauma…" he said, "She never opened up once. Well, during meal time, there was a loud commotion."

"The bitch snapped, that's all you need to tell him, doc," one of the guards interrupted.

"...That's...a way of putting it…" the doctor mumbled, "even with plastic utensils, she managed to find a way to assault all the other patients there. Some suffered minor injuries, while others had deeper lacerations and were even bludgeoned with one of the chairs."

"She had this creepy laugh too while doing it, I tried tasing her, but it's like it didn't even phase her one bit," the guard said, " it took a whole bunch of guards to force her down while the docs sedated her. So, we threw her into the Hole."

" Solitary confinement ," the doc sternly corrected. "Again, you may be a colleague of hers, but I cannot guarantee your safety."

"I'll take my chance...maybe someone recognizable will be good for her…"

The doctor seemed unsure, but had no other choice, "Alright...we'll follow you in. I'll have the guards ready in case you feel unsafe, and I'll be here to sedate her again."

"Do what you need to do."

The doctor lead the way, using his keycard to open the security locks heading to the solitary confinement cells, a room painted a sterile white with cell walls lined with tempered, bulletproof glass. Designed to keep inmates in, while doctors spoke with and studied the more unstable patients. Kept in the very back, was where Lucy stayed, she sat there on the bed, with it's metallic frame welded onto the floor to prevent inmates from using the bed as a weapon.

"She's right here…"

Daniel quietly approached the door, and lightly knocked on the glass, catching the woman's attention. She picked her head up to see who was there, and the look in her hollow eyes showed that of faint recognition.

"Hello, Lucy...it's been a while."

The look on her face, it appeared like she wanted to talk, but only whimpers and grunts came out. She slowly got up from the bed and approached the glass.

"Doctor, if you may...can I see if I can approach her?"

The doctor glanced at Lucy, seeing that non-hostile response towards Daniel, but was uncertain. He glanced to the guard, knowing that there was muscle nearby, but he knew he couldn't be sure if any one of them would come out of it unharmed. The doctor took a deep breath as he approached the metal door and pulled out a universal key to open it, reluctantly opening it to allow Danny inside. The man quietly walked in, and opened up his arms to a friendly gesture. Lucy just stared Danny, unsure what to do, like the thought might be there somewhere in her broken mind, but it slipped through the cracks to attempt to act on it.

"It's okay, Lucy...just walk up to me…"

Using his own knowledge of dealing with broken children, he knew the exact words to gain her trust, and watched the woman approach him. Once she was within a close distance, he slowly closed his arms to pull her into a gentle hug.

"See? It's okay...you remember me, right? You and Cathy always treated me like your little bag carrier…" Danny said with a soft chuckle.

Soon, he heard a whimper, followed by sniffles, he knew the woman was quietly sobbing as memories slowly returned to her.

"...This never happened before...how on Earth?"

"I've worked with plenty of clients like this…" Danny replied, "perhaps she needs to be under better supervision. Someone who can help her really open up and conquer her past trauma. I would like to take her home with me, and give her a better environment to recover."

"Bad idea, no way...she'll break out. There will be two serial killers on the loose this time!" the guard argued.

"So, the better plan is to leave her here to rot, and let her consciousness stay this way forever?" Daniel said, "I've worked with tons of children that have gone through all sorts of abuses. I am trained for this kind of behavior, I can undo it...if you just let me."

The doctor wanted to object, but, given Lucy's behavior towards Daniel, compared to everyone else, maybe he was onto something.

"...We'll...we'll try this idea of yours...however it will not be without supervision," the doctor said, "I want one of our doctors to come in and visit. We would like to check on your progress to make sure she's doing better."

"Understandable," Daniel said, "I can even start a video chat if visitation days aren't convenient."

"Alright then...let's settle with the paperwork," the doctor said, "first...we need to take her to where she can't see the other patients. We don't want her set off again."

Last thing Danny wanted to do was more paperwork, but if it meant having Lucy freed, then he may as well comply. After a short detour through the staff-only halls, the doctor lead the small group to his office, where he began to type up a lengthy email to his colleagues of the situation, along with making copies of him and Daniel's agreement. Once the paperwork was all signed up, the guard removed the shackles from Lucy's wrists, freeing her into Daniel's custody.

"Better hope you got her under control."

"I believe I do. She is still a person, and not an animal," Daniel retorted.

He gently guided Lucy out from the building, and into his car, letting her take the time to situate herself in the front seat, while he buckled her in. She was silent the entire time, while Danny sat himself into the car, he pulled out of the property of the psyche ward and drove a good distance, so Lucy couldn't look back on it anymore. As soon as he entered a more civilized area, he pulled off to the side - where he and Lucy could speak.

"You miss Cathy, don't you?" Danny asked, resting his arms at the steering wheel, "I know what happened to both you and her was horrible...very. It must hurt to recall those memories every day..."

He heard her uneasy whimpers, "M-Monster…"

"Yes, he was...that monster attacked me not too long ago," Danny replied, "you and I are both survivors of this beast, and you never did anything wrong to deserve being locked up like that...so I want you to look me in the eyes when I ask you this…"

Lucy slowly turned her head toward Danny's direction, seeing that serious expression on his face.

"Do you want revenge? Make that bastard suffer like how he made you and Cathy suffer?"

A grin grew across Daniel's face just from the thought of it, while Lucy stared at the man. She was incapable of cognitive speech with her fragile mind, but somehow, she seemed soundly aware of the man's proposal. To have that vicious killer at her mercy, just like he did to her that day, she wanted it to come true.

Danny could see the woman's hollow eyes light up a little.

"Yeah, you do...avenge Cathy however you want to do it...but first...we need to pay someone else a small visit, and I need your muscle to help me out," Daniel said, "who knows, we might encounter our mutual friend…"

Daniel may no longer know Ray's whereabouts, but he never forgot the young woman's insistence in a possible adoption - a priest by the name of Gray. Either Rachel was there or not, he'll have to find out, even if he had to resort to harsh methods to figure out where Rachel was.


Isaac and Rachel were in their last day of staying in the hotel provided for them, they were both wary, but they still lived comfortably like they had back in Zack's apartment. However, they did have to make a couple extra preparations during their stay. Isaac went out and stole some extra clothing for Ray, while Rachel made sure to visit ATM's as far from the hotel as possible, as to avoid police finding where she was.

Their interactions though, have changed, ever since coming to terms with their feelings for each other. Their expressions towards each other was much more tender, and they both had this gleam in their eyes whenever they saw each other. It was this sense of their bond solidifying itself into something more, something permanent. Aside from their obvious affections for each other, they still kept a sharp eye out the window, and watched the news to get information on the situation they were in.

However, one piece of information disturbed the both of them.

"Attempted murder of a public servant…" Ray repeated. There was no way it could be her father, with all the blood on Zack's hands, and how he described the killing - there was no way in hell a man could've survived that. The only other person to think of was…

"Danny…" she murmured.

"What?"

"...Danny's still alive…" Ray said.

"Are you fuckin' for real? I slashed him good! Kicked him to make sure he was dead!"

"I-I don't know how he's still alive...but I'm sure he's going to be very angry and will do anything to try and get me back…" Ray replied.

Zack let out a huff, "I'll cut that fucker up again...what's his huge deal with you anyway? I just killed his trafficker!"

"Eyes...he was obsessed with my eyes…"

Isaac suddenly remembered the boy amongst the littered bodies of slaughtered thugs, Danny's previous victims.

"...Right...I remember now...but why yours? He stole tons from other kids!"

That thought made Ray's blood run cold, "...I-I know...you must've seen them too...all those jars of eyes. Those are all from his past victims."

"But what makes yours so different, why he's bustin' his ass so hard for? Why does he need eyes anyway, is it some sick fetish or some shit?"

Rachel was trying to think of an answer, but then she recalled Daniel's earlier visits, his sob story that he told her to try and sway her decision to stay home, "...He said something about being born flawed, he was missing an eye. The reason he wants my eyes so much is because it reminds him of his mother's…"

There was more than that, she felt goosebumps rise within her skin as Daniel described his mother's eyes - ' The look in her peepers changed, it no longer broke my heart to see them...I guess there was that little glimmer of free life that returned once she approached death - a combination of life and death meeting as one. I know it's strange to say that...but there was just that odd beauty...that window into one's soul...she must've seen something pleasing during her final moments.'

'Has anyone ever told you that you have pretty eyes? '

"...Ray?" Zack beckoned.

"That mix between life and death...his mother killed herself and he became attracted to her eyes at that moment…" Ray muttered, "I must've had that same look when I was at my lowest..."

"...What in the fuck …" Zack said, having a faint look of disgust, "he wants your eyes cuz it reminds him of his mom's dead eyes? That's fucked up, he gets some sort of hard-on with that?"

Rachel shuddered from the thought, "Y-Yeah...now that I think about it, he must have sort of creepy Oedipus complex when it comes to eyes…"

"Eddie-what?"

"Oedipus complex. An attraction to one's own mother...I'll explain it when we have the time," Ray replied. Then immediately thought of something else, "Eddie...now that you said that name...he must be freaking out about everything."

"Eddie...oh, that red-headed brat? I thought you weren't close with him," Zack said.

"I know, we're friendly, but not entirely close...still, I feel bad to leave him panicking," Ray replied, then gave Zack a slight smirk, "...are you jealous or something?"

Zack sputtered, feeling his face grow hot underneath his bandages, "W-what? No! Why the fuck should I be jealous? Y-You already said that shit back in the church...you better not be lying to me, woman! Ya' know I hate lies."

Rachel let out a giggle, watching Zack squirm, and hearing the stutter in his voice. It was amusing, but to prove her feelings were true, she wrapped her arms around Zack and nuzzled against his chest. Isaac froze for a moment, then brought his arms up to hug her back, and pressed his lips on top of her forehead. Then, he gently pinched her cheek, feeling her flinch.

"That's for teasin' me."

"S-Sorry!" Ray said, feeling Zack let go. "...I'm still worried though...Daniel showed that he is willing to take to the extreme to get what he wants. It's his fault my parents turned on me. Everything would've been peaceful again, but he ruined it all…"

"Wait...back when you saw me kill a guy?"

"Y-Yeah...my parents were just about to turn their lives around, but that...that…" Ray said, struggling to say the next word.

"Bastard, Ray...you can say whatever is on yer' mind, y'know?"

Ray felt the corners of her eyes sting, " Bastard ...that bastard influenced them to turn against me…"

"Ray...that guy is far scummier than you can imagine," Zack replied, "he had alot of shady connections than any one of us could ever think. That fucker sent that Yakuza twin to follow you in order to find out who you were friends with...and that bitch who attacked me in my apartment, he knows her too…"

"Cathy?'

"Yeah...that sadistic cop bitch…" Zack replied.

Catherine was indeed a cop, stationed in the same area as her father, where he turned in the bloody evidence of that day, if Danny had connections with her...then…

"...It really was all his fault for this…for every kid he's worked with...he must've taken the same kind of measures..." Ray murmured, clenching Zack's hoodie, "...if he's still alive...god, who knows what he's going to do…"

"Jack shit, Ray...I killed everyone who associated with him," Zack grunted, "if he even dares to try, I'm gonna slice him into bits."

Rachel hugged Zack again for mental comfort, she knew what Zack was capable of physically, but she still worried about other strings Daniel could be able to pull. She just wants to live her life, she wants to live with Isaac, and of course, their little cat, somewhere that no one could cause them any trouble.

"Hey, Ray…"

"Hmm?" the young woman hummed.

"...If there really was that chance for your parents to turn around...will ya' miss your dad? I can't really undo what I did...but still, I kinda want to make sure you get some sort of closure," Zack said.

Rachel quietly put some thought into it, that one chance was there, both parents would've been those nurturing protectors they were supposed to be, but even with one shred of doubt, they were undoubtedly quick to revert. It did break her heart a little that Danny did something so cruel in order to maintain the broken home environment - she even thought of jumping out of her window because of it. Then again, she wasn't entirely sure how long her father would've even stayed in such a new behavior, he didn't hesitate to change back to his ways, and even become more vicious in his attacks towards her. Ray even remembers that painful sucker punch to the stomach, she could feel that faint ache as a reminder. Her father was her family and a piece of her life, but they lost their chance to be a part of her life the moment they laid a hand on her.

She probably did miss him as soon as news of his death reached her ears, but for now, she did not. Her father was not a man worth grieving over, and she was not going to let her life revolve around the past. The present, and the future was more important. Zack was part of her life now, as was Bastet, and even the priest, Gray.

"No...I don't miss him, Zack…" Ray replied, "that chance has long since gone, and you already knew what my father has done to me. I don't need to mourn him. You're more important to me, Zack...you're more family to me than anyone could ever be…"

Isaac was quiet for a moment, then brought his hand to let his fingers run through Ray's golden hair. He's never felt that odd connection of being as a family before, he never grew up to know it, thanks to his mother's emotional disconnection. With Rachel though, he could somehow feel it, that comfort they had when they lived together. Even now it could be felt. It's always been there, before their romantic feelings were starting to bud - possibly it all started as soon as he invited Rachel to sneak into his place that night.

"Yer' family to me too, Ray...so is that spoiled brat," he said with a light chuckle.

Hearing that made Rachel feel a comforting warmth inside, she quickly stood on her tiptoes to sneak a quick peck on Zack's lips, just to see that startled reaction on his face. He's really going to need some time to adjust to this new situation. Still, Rachel was amused by his reactions.

"Christ, Ray...w-word of warning next time…" Zack sputtered.

"Where's the fun in that?"


Gray knew he was expecting visitors, but he never expected to encounter those with foul intentions. He patiently stood at the altar, waiting for any signs of Zack and Rachel, but he never expected a woman to enter his church. She had hollowed eyes, just like Rachel's, so he assumed the woman was indeed of some spiritual help. After all, that's what a man of God was for.

"May I help you, miss? Are you here to pray or confess?"

The woman apparently wasn't alone, right behind her was a man, brunette, sharply dressed, and with a deceiving gentle expression on his face. However, something else irked the priest. It was the man's eyes, one appeared normal, but the other was obviously false, for the irises were unnaturally off colored - green and red, fused into something sinister.

"You wouldn't happen to be Reverend Abraham Gray, would you?" the man asked.

Gray seemed wary, standing firm and undaunted, "May I ask who you are? What is your business within the House of God?"

"Right, awfully rude of us to not introduce ourselves. My lovely companion here is Lucy...and for myself, my name is Daniel Dickens, or you may refer to me as Danny, if you so choose to be casual," the man replied.

Gray's eyes widened a little, he's heard the name before, from both Zack and Rachel. The supposed servant of Social Services, and from what he's heard from Isaac, this man had much young and innocent blood on his hands.

"...I think I may know why you are here," Gray muttered, his voice stern, "...even bound and broken, I will not cave to your threats."

"Oh, so you have heard of me...this will make interrogations much more interesting," Danny said, "don't get the wrong idea. I'm simply doing my job, and I have a young girl missing who needs to be taken back into safety."

"...So you can take her eyes? Much like all the other kids you've taken in?"

Daniel paused, then felt his blood boil, "...That's a dirty secret no one else is supposed to know…"

He snapped his fingers, signalling Lucy to subdue the priest. The woman suddenly let out a crazed cackle, which caused Gray's blood to run cold for a second. How the woman laughed, and how wide her insane grin was, it almost emulated Isaac's - his vision quickly replaced the woman to an image of Zack, bathed in blood as he laughed maniacally.

This gave Lucy an advantage, she charged towards the priest, grabbing at his throat, and shoving him to the ground. Gray was knocked back to his senses and grasped at Lucy's hands, slowly prying them off his neck. He was ready to kick her off of him, but heard the click of a gun.

"Not wise for you to struggle, Reverend…" Danny said, in a low and sinister voice, "We're here for information, and nothing more…"

Gray glared at the man, he wasn't to give anything up. Even he didn't know Rachel's exact location - given how nomadic Isaac was, but unfortunately, he knew that they were going to head right towards him, and there was no way he could relay the message of danger to the couple.

"I'm going to ask you this one question...what brought you into desiring to take Rachel in?" Danny asked.

Gray felt stubborn to answer, but felt the muzzle of the gun push against his head, "...My son has told me of her."

"Son? What a scandalous lie. In your religion, men of the cloth are forbidden to marry," Danny sneered.

"I'm well aware of that, but that does not disallow me from watching in the young in need of a home to call their own," Gray retorted.

"Hmph, that's my job, old man...you have no business butting in…"

"That's where we differ, Mr. Dickens...I do help the children, I am a man of charity. The lives of children are not to be a business," Gray snapped. "As with my son, so shall Ray find a better life. She will never be your asset."

Daniel growled at the man's response, "How about I relay to the police that you're an associate to Rachel's kidnapping?"

"You have no proof, Mr. Dickens...even if you try and shovel it out like you've done to so many others," Gray said, "According to an agreement I made with your superiors, she is to be in my legal custody the moment you took her, you're the kidnapper here…"

"You really think I'm going to let you take Rachel into your care? I don't care what my office says...she's mine . I've lost everything to get my hands on her...and you don't know how desperate one can be when they have nothing left to lose...take Lucy for example. She just survived a fucking serial killer and watched her beloved get butchered in front of her…" Danny spoke, "she's completely broken, can't even function like a normal human being anymore. Nothing left to lose...so think about what she can do to you if I gave her the signal."

Gray growled, "...I do not fear death. If you think reclaiming her is easy...think again."

Danny raised a brow, then uttered a chuckle, "I see...well, seeing she's so bent on being adopted by you...she's probably on her way here."

"How are you so sure if she's still alive? There's still that serial killer on the loose," Gray jeered.

"She's already eluded him once, and judging from your voice of confidence, she is still alive."

Daniel knelt down, and reeled his arm back. He held onto the butt of his gun tightly and smacked it upside the priest's head as hard as he could, knocking him out. Even though the priest refused to give information, he was still important - he was to be bait.

"Tie him up, trash the place if you want. I want Rachel to be distracted with investigating the place," Danny commanded.

Lucy dragged the unconscious priest off the altar, and pulled him into a closet where she could tie him up. All the while, Danny kicked over pews, idols, and whatever wasn't nailed down to draw attention to anyone who dared to enter. Once Lucy was finished binding the priest, she glanced at the many different items strewn upon the church to symbolize lives of a humble life - carpenter tools like chisels and hammers, along with farmer's tools, like a hoe and even a sickle. Lucy stared at the sickle, transfixed on the hand blade, then suddenly had the image of the massive scythe Isaac wielded. A wild grin creeped upon the woman's face as she reached up and grasped the tool, choosing it as her weapon.

Daniel turned his attention back to his female companion to see her running her finger along the edge of the blade to test for sharpness, then heard that mad chuckling again.

"You're choosing that as a weapon? I gave you a gun, Lucy…" he muttered, then saw the woman's hands shaking with delight, so he let out a faint sigh, "...whatever, as long as you're happy…"

The woman continued to feel the blade, sensing that sense of bloodlust to test the weapon right away.

"I'm going to search the rest of the church and keep watch, anyone else who enters in here...you're free to do what you like," Danny said.

He left the main hall, leaving to investigate the upstairs, and other areas of the church, making sure if he needed to take in more hostages or not. On top of that, he wanted to keep guard, to make sure that Rachel was coming, so he could call off the hostile Lucy. He stared out of the window, getting that strong sense of anticipation as he waited.


"...So, once we meet up with Gray...I think it's best I come up with some sort of alibi as to how I wound up in Gray's place," Rachel said, "...after all, I'm still considered missing…"

"Yer' gonna lie?"

"Well, yeah. I have to, otherwise the police would be livid if I told them the truth. Oh, a deranged social worker, who is heavily involved with child trafficking and mutilation with the Yakuza kidnapped me, but don't worry, my serial killer boyfriend came to rescue me ," Ray responded sarcastically.

Isaac let out a snort, amused with Ray's response, "I think that'd be a more interesting story, to be honest."

"Remind me to write it down then, maybe we'll have a movie made of it," Ray teased, then felt the man gently bop her head.

"Heh...smartass," Zack chuckled, "do what ya' need to do, I guess. I just gotta hide for a while until Gray gives me the all clear."

"I still wonder what Gray wants to tell me...I hope he manages to take me in before Danny resurfaces…"

"He told me a good bit, before everything became all fucked up," Zack replied, "can't really remember much of the convo, but I think the key thing he was pointing out was, yer' gonna be your own woman, once everything is settled."

Rachel glanced at the bandaged man with an awed expression, to be her own person, no one to tell her what to do, or what's for her own good. She could make her own decisions and live her own life. Sure, she was one more year away from that, but to get that kind of freedom so soon, and for her absolute safety, it was like a dream come true.

"My heart's actually racing from the thought…"

Zack smirked, and brought a hand up to ruffle the young woman's hair. He had that sense of excitement too, to have someone finally get that liberation from those who wronged her, something he's never had before. It felt relieving that someone like him - a killer, helped her go down a different path, when they were under the same circumstance. Then again, she helped him too, Zack may have a long history of bloodshed, but she made him feel like something more than just a killer, she made him feel human again.

As Zack gazed at Ray, he did notice the young woman often wore her hair up during their time hiding out. It would make sense to disguise one key description of herself, but since their need to hide is almost coming to an end, he ran his fingers up to gently pull the hairband off, letting her golden locks flow freely again.

"That's better, you should keep it that way…"

They decided to head to Gray's church in the cover of night, sneaking around with a large scythe was going to be difficult in the daytime, especially with police still scouring for Rachel's whereabouts. Once they left their hotel, the couple collected their things and wandered off into the back alleys, the streets weren't as chaotic like they were a few days ago, but there were still the higher number of officers scanning the area for suspicious activities. It also meant they were too busy making more arrests during their proactive behavior, Zack and Rachel quietly walked by as they picked up any dealers or the like spotted on the streets out of mere chance. Isaac kept Ray close, not wanting anyone else to spot her, or even dare to cat call - who knows if Zack could ease his temper around strangers. Rachel didn't want to cause a commotion either, and wrapped an arm around Zack's waist, making her disinterest in any stranger's attention obvious. All that was important right now was going to Gray's church, hear what he has to say, and make the final preparations for her to be freed from Danny's eye. Not only that, there was still the authorities to deal with, now that she has to resurface.

As they left they alley, Zack could spot the bell tower in the distance, with the cross standing out to display it was a building of religion. He pulled Ray close as they quickened their pace to the church, they were getting so much closer now, their troubles were going to be put far behind them. Something seemed off about the church though, as Zack glanced at the stained glass windows, he noticed they weren't as inviting as they often were when he came to pester the old priest. He stopped in his tracks, and halted Ray from continuing any further.

"Hey...hold up…" he muttered.

"What's wrong?"

Zack didn't answer for a moment, staring at the building, and getting that odd, ominous feeling in his gut.

"...Th' lights are out...that's not a good sign…" Zack said.

"...You think Gray isn't there?"

"Even if he isn't, he always leaves his church welcome to visitors...somethin's not right…" Zack mumbled, "...we should keep on our toes and see what the deal is…"

The two quietly approached the steps of the church, with Zack slowly opening the doors to take a look inside. He could see the church was trashed inside, which startled the man.

"...Old man's gonna be pissed," Zack said, "...pretty sure some punk-ass kids trashed the place…"

He held open the door for the young woman to follow and motioned her to sit within the corner to stay out of sight. He wanted her safe as he quietly investigated the area. Pews were toppled over, statues and icons were thrown about and broken, even a couple bibles were ripped to pieces, but one caught his eye. Zack knelt down to pick one up, and saw that it had been sliced in half with one clean cut.

Suddenly, the church doors slammed shut, with the sounds of a lock being secured tight. Then all of the lights flashed on without warning, temporarily blinding Zack for a moment, and flinched from the sting of his eyes trying to readjusting to the lighting.

"F-Fuck...is this a setup?" Zack growled to himself.

He slowly opened an eye to see a woman standing right in front of him, clutching a sickle tightly, as she trembled in an unnatural manner. Zack blinked a couple times to regain proper focus, then noticed something about the woman, a very strong familiarity.

"...I thought I fuckin' killed you…" he growled.

Lucy stared at Zack with a crazed expression on her face, almost appearing shocked to see Isaac yet again, right before her, scythe and all. Then, she slowly began to erupt into laughter, having that insane ear to ear grin as her laughs grew louder. Such a laugh made Rachel frightened, she recognized that type of laughter coming from Zack, and immediately got flashbacks of watching him murder a man in front of her.

"Quit, yer' fucking laughing, bitch! What's so damn funny, huh?"

Lucy quieted down, then swiftly pointed the sickle right towards the man.

"Monster…"

That word, that same fucking word directed towards Isaac the night he butched Cathy. Hearing that word again made his blood boil, he shrugged his scythe off his shoulder and clutched it tight within his hands.

"...So, ya' wanna copy me? Got tired of breakin' into people's homes to beat the shit out of them?" Zack mocked, "...or maybe yer' lookin' for payback for what I did to that cackling sado-maso woman that was with ya'."

Lucy let out a silent chuckle, the sickle wasn't exactly clean either, with the lights finally shining the building, he could see splatters of blood on both the blade, and on parts of Lucy as well. Isaac could feel a pit form in his stomach from a thought.

"What the fuck did you do to the old man? Spill it!"

Lucy didn't answer, letting out more frenzied giggles, before sputtering the word monster again. Zack was starting to get agitated, and braced himself as he watched the woman slowly approach him like a predator stalking prey.

If she wanted a fight, then Isaac will give it to her. Won't be the first time he beat her down before.

Rachel watched on as the two were approaching each other, weapons clutched tight, and their eyes refusing to leave their targets. However, it was Lucy that charged first, even Isaac was surprised by her sudden burst of speed, she was never this quick the last time he confronted her. Zack held his scythe up to block the woman's attacks as best as he could, but as soon as he'd blink, Lucy was somewhere else to strike. The woman cackled insanely, slashing away at Zack at every chance she could get, she managed to nick away at some of the man's hoodie, but had yet to draw blood. Zack often shoved or kicked Lucy back for some distance before swinging his scythe at the woman, only to watch her dodge his brutal strikes. She was inhumanly agile, quick, who knows what else - it was as if he really was fighting someone mirrored to Zack.

"Stand fucking still, you bitch!" Zack snarled, reaching to grab the woman by the collar of her shirt.

Lucy shot Zack a glare and dug the blade into Zack's arm, hearing him let out a growl of pain before being shoved back. Rachel was filling up with anxiety as she watched the two battle it out, and seeing Zack in pain was stressing her out.

Zack glanced at his wound, then smirked to himself, "So, you do have some fuckin' fight in you this time...where was this when I chopped that other whore t' bits?"

"Monster...monster... monster! " Lucy hissed.

Isaac charged at Lucy this time, swing his scythe towards her and slicing one of the pews in half. If the blade didn't cut her, then the shrapnel from the wooden pews did, Lucy emitted a pained yelp before jumping at Zack, toppling him down to the ground, and raising her sickle up to slice him. Isaac growled as he reeled an fist back and punched her right across the face, toppling her off his body, and getting up to cut her while she was down. Again, her unnatural agility got her right back up, and into the face of Zack, swinging savagely at the bandaged man, now tearing away at the wrappings on part of his hands and face, as he dodged and shielded himself defensively.

Zack could feel his natural skin coming out again, growling angrily, grabbing the woman by the face and slamming her onto the ground. He watched her writhe and struggle to get back up, as he felt his adrenaline pump through his veins. Lucy dug her nails through the patch of exposed skin to the point of drawing blood, then wriggled herself free. Zack was not going to let her escape his clutches unharmed, with his other hand free, he swung his large scythe and managed to get a good slice along her back. Lucy emitted a excruciating shriek, faltering in her steps a little, but this only fueled her anger more. Isaac was feeling his own anger rising, along with his bloodlust, the metallic scent of their wounds bleeding was filling his nostrils, and making him think back of the many killings he committed time and time again. Not only that, Lucy's smile was infuriating to him, how gleefully she smiled, and even dragged her tongue along the blade to sample his own blood. He wanted to shred those lips that curved her smile into ribbons. Zack's vision was starting to haze, just continuing to stare at her was making him think back on that day, how Cathy and Lucy stripped him of his bandages, exposing his scars to the world. His own bandages are slashed and tattered, showing some of his skin before the woman. How smug Cathy looked at him, while Lucy had disgust, all the while Zack felt helpless and bare during it all...but also vengeful .

She's laughing at him, calling him a monster, actually put effort into harming him, and who knows what she could've done to Gray. Isaac began to see Lucy less and less of a threat, and more as prey. Lucy noticed that familiar gleam in Zack's gold colored eye again, that predatory glare that could pierce through any shadows of darkness, and instill fear deep into one's soul. Lucy shuddered for a moment, her traumatic memories flashing within her mind for a few seconds, but Danny's words repeated in her head, she wants to make Isaac pay, for everything he did to her.

There was that strong desire for blood in the air, even Rachel could feel it, she gazed at Isaac and saw in his eyes that his sense of consciousness was glazed over. She's seen that look in his eyes before, only briefly, as he was butchered the thug that attacked her, and eyed her as the next in line. Isaac and Gray have told her how bad the man is capable of snapping, but this is the first time she'll ever see that beastly side he's tried to hide from her. Isaac's breaths weren't even simple puffs of air anymore, instead, faint growls rattled in the back of his throat as he panted, and he bared his teeth a little more, as if he really was some sort of beast.

Those familiar dark thoughts swirled through Zack's head, he wants to kill. That need repeated over and over, only adding more fuel to his savage drive.

The two stood there, unmoving, staring each other down to dare each opponent to make the first move. They were like statues for a few seconds, until both crazed opponents charged towards each other, their weapons swung about and shattered the environment around them. Rachel watched in shock, they were both attacking and dodging with inhuman speed, even Zack was fighting much more savagely than he was prior, he was attacking in a feral manner. He treated every slash from Lucy's sickle like it didn't even phase him, grasped the woman by the throat and threw her across the halls of the church whenever he could. If his scythe missed its strikes, then nothing stopped Zack from resorting to other methods of attack. He would kick, he would punch, trading one of her slashes with a devastating strike of his own. The impact of their weapons meeting steel, wood, and stone was showing signs of wear as well, with cracks, and chips forming at their blades. Even furniture was being thrown back and forth like they weighed nothing. Neither killer was showing signs of backing down. It really was as if both of them were fighting on an equal level.

As soon as Lucy dug her sickle into Zack's shoulder, he uttered a vicious growl, and sunk his teeth deep into the woman's hand. Lucy struggled to get free, even getting to the point of kicking and clawing.

Isaac refused to let go until he felt a couple snaps in his mouth and watched the woman recoil her hand. Blood puddled at her feet as she glanced at the damage. Zack felt something in his mouth, rattling it about with his tongue to spit it out at Lucy, he had bitten off parts of her ring and pinky fingers. Lucy glared at the man as he began to emit his trademark cackle, now that he's tasted blood, he wants more of it.

Rachel knows even if Lucy did fall to Zack's blade, he would want to do it again, and again - just like the massacre he committed prior.

Isaac stared at the woman before his feet, and lifted his massive blade up, ready to strike her down. Lucy gripped her weapon tightly, the blood from her missing fingers made it hard to keep the hilt secured, but she focused her attention to something new - an opening. Lucy grinned wildly, holding her weapon in a striking position, and dashed right at Zack.

"Zack! Look out!" Ray shouted.

Isaac snapped out of his crazed state, hearing Ray's voice quickly sparked back that piece of humanity in him. He was supposed to be dealing with a threat, not simply murder. However, before he could even realize the position he was in, he felt Lucy's blade slice along his belly. Zack stumbled back, grasping at his stomach, and felt droplets of blood filling his mouth.

"F-Fucking bitch…" he growled.

Ray saw the grave wound given to Zack, and gasped in horror. This elated Lucy, laughing much more delightfully to watch Zack falter, and lower his scythe. She was ready to slice him up again, nice and slow this time. With Zack weakened, she could take her time to savor her vengeance against the disfigured man. Zack couldn't pick up his blade, the free flow of blood was weakening him to be unable to lift his powerful weapon. He growled as he stared at the woman approaching him, whatever intent she had, he needed to think quick to subdue her before he could pass out.

"Monster…" she muttered in a pleased tone.

Isaac wasn't exactly going to be her first victim, now that he was snapped out of his savage haze, can he now see the what Lucy had done while inhabiting the church. Hidden amongst the tattered pews, Lucy had apparently stashed away bodies of her previous curious victims, only then could he finally see them littered about. It explains why she had blood on her being, and why he didn't see it earlier - make the horrors less obvious until it is too late. Men, women, and even one child fell to her blade, and that pissed Zack off.

It's not just vengeance for Lucy. She had become so broken from reality, that she aimed to become him once he's slain.

Rachel knew better though, there was something more about this situation besides a madwoman being one of Zack's previous victims. Just her being here was too much of a coincidence, Zack needed help and he needed it fast. Just as Lucy was ready to carve into Zack's flesh yet again, something tackled her to the ground. The man was just as stunned to see the woman topple to the ground, he struggled to get up, but winced from the gash in his gut. From the corner of his eye, Zack saw that it was Rachel that tackled Lucy to the ground, and inhaled a sharp gasp, knowing that she just put herself in huge danger.

"R-Ray!" he grunted.

The young woman realized what she was doing, but had this sense of relief that Isaac was no longer in huge danger like before, however, she did notice Lucy's focus was directed towards her now - she was her new prey, her new threat. Rachel stood defensively, she knows Lucy was armed and eager to kill, but running really wasn't an option, it would've left her an open target. Lucy picked herself up, and uttered a crazed cackle, Rachel swallowed nervously as she kept a sharp eye on the woman. In a flash, Lucy charged toward Ray, gripping the sickle tight and swung it right at her. Ray could feel adrenaline pump through her veins, her mind was thinking much quicker than normal, and her instincts guided her to use every bit of knowledge he learned from Isaac.

Rachel dodged the swing, and brought her foot forward to kick the woman in the gut. Lucy hunched over in slight pain, but she seemed more annoyed than harmed. She reached out to Ray, grabbing her by the shoulder to dig her sickle into her.

' She's gonna die! F-Fuck! ' Zack swore to himself, struggling to get back onto his feet.

The sickle stopped in its path, just inches away from piercing Ray's body, she had caught Lucy by the wrist and tightened her grip as hard as she could. The man woman grit her teeth, her attack may have been halted, but she was not going to be stopped for long. Rachel could feel the woman push her weight on her, and kick at her heels to trip her up. Ray struggled to stay on her feet, going as far as to smack the glasses off her face to disorient her. It didn't work, it only agitated the crazed women further, she felt Lucy kick at her feet much harder underneath her, and her stability slip, both women toppled to the ground. However, Lucy managed to maneuver herself on top of Rachel to gain the advantage of attacking her. Zack finally got back up to his feet, but he could feel blood pouring out from his wound, he winced again, but struggled to shuffle his way over to Rachel as quick as he could.

Ray herself knew that she was in a bind, one that could mean life or death. She had to think quick, her eyes darted all over the area for some sort of shield or weapon to use to fend the woman off, the sharpest shards of wood was just beyond her reach, and the closet ones she knew would splinter underneath Lucy's sickle. Panic was threatening to set in, but she had to remain calm and collected, otherwise she would surely fail - don't give into despair. Lucy starts to lower the blade, making a clear aim for Ray's throat, the girl's eyes focused on the mad woman, and noticed her top shirt was covering a bandolier. She knew well it was a pistol bandolier from seeing it on her father so many times. Instinct screamed her her - 'Go for it, NOW!'

The young woman ripped open the top layer of clothing and grabbed at the holstered weapon, her thumb pressed at the safety lock on the pistol, and her hand pressed the firearm right at Lucy's chest.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Zack froze from the loud sounds echoing the building, his heart almost stopped from anxiety rising within him. He watched the two women on the floor, with both Lucy and Rachel frozen in place. Ray stared up at the crazed woman, seeing the expression was complete shock on her face, then watched as blood started to escape her lips. Lucy coughed and sputtered as the sickle fumbled from her grasp, she picked herself up from Ray to look at the damage done to her. 3 bullet wounds in her chest, puncturing her lungs, and possibly hitting other vitals. She was getting that cold sensation of death creeping up on her again, just like in Zack's apartment, and just like in the dumpster where Zack tossed her like trash. Tears were welling in her eyes as she recalled that day, that unbearable dread, while the butchered corpse of one most precious to her laid on top of her body. Just for this fleeting moment, the smallest sliver of sanity returned, Lucy knew she wasn't going to survive this.

"C-Ca...Ca-thy…" she sputtered. "I...I'm…s...sorry…"

Isaac approached the two women, grabbing Rachel by the back of her shirt to slip her away from Lucy. He stared down at the woman, watching that light of life starting to grow hazier with each passing second, until she could cling to life no longer. Lucy sat there for a moment, then collapsed to the floor, and sighed out her final breath.

The two stood there, deathly quiet as they stared at the dead woman. Ray breathed a sigh of relief, then suddenly felt a harsh smack uptop her head.

"Idiot! You could've gotten yerself killed!" Zack growled.

Ray winced as she rubbed her head, "Same goes for you, Zack...look at you now...you're still bleeding!"

Zack glanced at his stomach, blood was still seeping out, but be let out a faint grumble, "I-It's nothing serious...it's just a flesh wound."

"Nonsense, go lay down and I'll patch it up."

"It's fine, Ray," Zack argued.

"Go lay down."

Her voice was firm, she wasn't going to take any protest for an answer. Isaac grumbled again, shuffling to a safer area, and laying his body down, while Rachel looked around for a first aid kit. No matter the location, one was always needed in case of emergencies. Ray managed to spot one hanging up on the wall just near the exit, she opened the container, pulling out gauze, wrappings, disinfectant, and even a suture kit. The young woman returned over to Zack's side, kneeling down to open the man's hoodie and pull apart some of his wrappings.

She grimaced a little, "This wound is very deep...you're lucky it didn't tear open your insides…"

"I've had worse injuries…"

"I'm sure you did, but this isn't something to shrug off," Ray said, "alright...I'm going to start cleaning the wound, better find something to bite down on."

"Tits on Christ," Zack growled to himself, grabbing at part of his hoodie and sinking his teeth into it.

Rachel got the disinfectant, pouring some onto the gauze to help clean off most of the areas, then she could hear an annoyed and pained grunt from Zack, he's already feeling the sting. She knows he's going to bleed again, but that's fine. She just needed the area clean to have a better view of where she needed to work on, before applying any coagulants.

"I-I've mentioned once before that I'm good at sewing...I'm just going to stitch up your wound, and hopefully that'll take care of it until we find Gray," Ray said.

"God, ya' don't need to be doing this for me...my gut's already gross enough as it is…"

"I want to, Zack…" Ray muttered.

Watching her thread the needle with a sanitary filament, he placed the fabric back in his mouth again, knowing he was going to be in a world of hurt for a while. He tried so hard not to wince with every poke of the needle going through him, and over time he can feel his skin starting to tighten from the thread pulling it closed. He's a man that can often shut off his ability to feel pain when in his frenzied state, but right now, his stomach felt too damn tender.

"N-Not so hard...sh-shit…" Zack grunted.

"Sorry."

With the last bit of stitching done, Ray tied it off and snipped the thread, giving Zack one more run of the disinfectant to ensure proper healing. The woman nudged him to sit up so she could start wrapping his belly.

"Heh...kinda like deja vu, right?" Zack chuckled, "Errand Girl."

Ray softly smiled at the memory. It's what brought them to get to know one another, all from her need to help a man she thought was in trouble.

"Yeah, except this time, you really are hurt."

"Hey, I've gotten cuts and scrapes from that scuffle," Zack said.

"Nothing you needed spools of bandages for," Ray replied, then pulled back. "There we go…"

Isaac got back to his feet, and glanced at Ray's handiwork. His belly was a bit damp from the disinfectant and bits of blood, but it wasn't unbearable, the wrappings would do its work to keep his belly protected. He focused his attention back to Ray, then brought an arm to pull her close, and kissed at the spot her bonked her on.

"Sorry for the smack."

"It's fine, I did do something stupid," Ray said, "I'm the one that should be sorry."

"Nah...ya' meant well...that bitch woulda put me six-feet under, if ya' hadn't jumped in…" Zack replied, "Ya' know I can't stay mad at you."

Rachel picked her head up to look at Zack straight in the eyes, and gave him a soft grin, watching him give one in return. Before they continue their search for Gray, she just wants to give Zack a quick kiss, just for everything - for being there when she was feeling low, for being her closest friend, for helping her in every way he could to get her out of her troubled home, and for saving her. Isaac noticed that adoring glimmer in her eyes he's seen time and again, then smirked to himself, their relationship really has changed alot over time. The man leaned down to meet her reach, feeling her tiptoe up to meet him halfway.

Bang!

Ray gripped onto Zack's hoodie, a pained expression creeped upon her face, and she immediately felt her strength being sapped from her. Panic began to overcome Isaac as Ray faltered onto her knees, he reached to catch her, but felt something damp soak into his wrappings - blood. Zack's heart was pounding hard in his chest, his breathing was becoming erratic, and his hands began to tremble. Where was she hit? Was it vital or non-vital, his hands go to feel for the entry wound until he heard another bang, followed with a burning pain in his shoulder.

They were both on the floor, doubled over in pain by whoever shot at them, Zack let out a growl as he tried to find the shooter.

"Should've kept that bitch on a shorter leash…" a voice mumbled. "Absent-minded me forgot about the side effects of letting a monster roam freely…"

"Show yourself, ya' fucking prick!"

He held Rachel tightly preferring to use his body as a shield to keep her safe. He could hear footsteps coming from the upper levels of the church, slowly making their way down to their floor, with the creak of a wooden door opening, did it reveal the person behind the gun.

"I-It's...it's Danny…" Ray sputtered.

Zack was more wary than ever, growling angrily as he shot the man a glare. Daniel seemed more amused by the sight than intimidated.

"Looks like I finally get to meet my attacker in the flesh, and judging by how Lucy reacted, you must be Cathy and Shin's killer too," Danny said, keeping his weapon drawn at the couple, "huh...this is starting to make a little sense as to why you killed the other twin too...a serial killer befriending a little girl."

"Open those fucked up eyes of yers', dickhead...she ain't a little girl," Zack snapped, "and she isn't for the taking. She's not some fucking doll to pull apart as ya' please."

"Oh? And someone like you knows better when it comes to human lives, Mr. Serial Killer?" Danny jeered with a grin, "it's kind of funny how a sad girl found happiness in a man that brought misery to others...pretty sure this supposed relationship is forbidden too...I mean, after all she is 17...and you're how old?"

Daniel could see he obviously struck a nerve with Zack, watching his hand grasp his scythe, and stumble to get up to his feet. Isaac just had about enough with that same fucking song-and-dance belittling of him and Rachel's bond, and was ready to shut him up. Danny halted the wounded man by shoving the muzzle of the gun right at his forehead, watching him freeze in place to prevent any further action.

"Quite the temper, as to be expected of a monster…" Danny said, "Heh...you almost managed to do me in too. Luckily, I had my body armor on to take most of the blow. You've been an obstacle long enough, no more running away like some sort of couple eloping. I'm taking those peepers back."

Click.

"Stop! Please! Don't kill him!" Ray begged, "I-I'll go...I'll go with you...just don't kill Zack…"

"Ray, don't do it…"

"...I have to, Zack...please...I don't want you to die…" Ray pleaded.

Danny grit his teeth as he watched the two, how their glances were tender, yet concerned for one another. It even angered him to recall all those sessions he had with Rachel and how fondly she spoke of her supposed friend - of Isaac. He could kill him right now, it would be easy, and he wouldn't have to worry about Zack retaliating. However, there was also Ray to be concerned about as well. Taking her from her home was already a struggle, even wounded now, Danny sensed Ray would put up one hell of a fight if he did kill Isaac. It could damage her eyes, his prize.

The man yanked the scythe from Zack's grip and stepped back for a moment, he could spot the damage done to the blade from the battle against Lucy, which made it all the more perfect for what he was going to do next. Danny swung the blade with a free hand, striking the stone ground a couple of times until he watched the blade break into several pieces, rendering the blade useless.

"Can't have a repeat, now can we?" Danny taunted.

With Zack disarmed, he yanked Ray by the collar of her shirt and dragged her out from the man's arms. Isaac growled as he tried to grasp Ray's wrist, only for the pistol to point right at him again.

"Consider yourself lucky the girl spared your life...I'm going now, and her peepers will be mine," Danny said, backing away to the very door he came out from. "Don't worry, you can have her back when I'm done with her."

"You fucking bastard," Zack snarled.

Just the smile on the man's twisted face, accompanied by that freakish eyeball he was wearing, he knows damn well he was going to render Rachel blind, even if it killed her in the process. Isaac growled as he got back up to his feet, Daniel dragged Ray through the door and slammed it shut just as Zack began to charge. Isaac hit the door with a massive thud, wincing from agitating his bullet wound, and to throw salt on it, Danny had loudly locked the door.

"You sick fucker!"

He slammed his fist against the door, forming a couple cracks in it, but the door didn't budge. He had to think quick before Daniel made his escape out of the church with Ray, and he'd have to hunt until the ends of the Earth to find him - god knows where he'll slink off to next.

Suddenly, he heard a loud banging sound from the other side of the church, he flinched for a moment, and realized it was the sound of a pounding door. Curious, Zack followed the sound and noticed a closet had been barricaded shut. Using his best arm, he pulled off the debris off the door, and opened it, revealing the priest on the other side.

"Old man, yer' still alive."

"Y-Yeah...that man and woman threw me in here," Gray grumbled, as he was pulling off some of his binds, "...y-you're here...is Rachel with you?"

Isaac growled under his breath. Gray glanced at the man's appearance, and saw he was covered in blood and scratches, even noticing the fresh smell of blood coming off him.

"...I see...so that fiend made off with her…" Gray said. "They tried to get information out of me...but I refused to tell them a thing... ngh ...my head..."

"That bitch Danny was with is dead, Ray's wounded, and Danny just took her through the other door...do you know another way to get him?"

"Yeah, this place isn't without its shortcuts in case of emergencies...get your weapon, and I'll help you cut the man off," Gray said, kicking off the binds off his ankles.

"That asshole broke my scythe."

"Was the woman armed?"

Isaac raised a brow, then glanced over to Lucy's corpse. She still had the sickle on her, it may not be like his scythe, but it'll definitely do the job, especially with his arm a little gimped. He gazed at the weapon and swung it to get a good feel, it was no wonder Lucy was a formidable foe to him, she had traded brutal strength for a more agile killing. Gray walked up to Zack and saw the horrors committed during imprisonment, he was appalled.

"These poor souls...even children…" he muttered, "...I failed them…"

Zack glanced to Gray, studying the look on the man's face. It's the first time he's ever seen it - had the priest made this exact look whenever Zack went out to murder? That sense of failure to try and sway his homicidal ways? He sighed to himself for a moment, but right now, it was no time to talk, Ray was in danger.

"That bitch killed 'em...and now she can rot for it," Zack muttered, "call the cops as soon as you show me the way to Danny. He's gonna pay for settin' this all up…"

"What about you, Isaac? Surely the police will question you as well…"

Isaac stayed quiet for a moment, "Prisons are made for escaping, I'll figure somethin' out. After all, monsters aren't meant to be kept in cages…"

All that mattered was Rachel, her safety and her future. Gray let out a sigh, and lead Isaac over to the altar. Almost all of the idols had been tossed about, except for one, the idol of the Virgin Mary. The priest grasped the idol and proceeded to turn it around, and the two men could hear the sound of a crank, Zack glanced over to the source of the sound and saw a bookcase slowly turning to reveal an open passage.

"Given the dangerous times we live in, I made sure that every one of my churches had an exit for a safe evacuation, use this to your advantage to catch the fiend. Bring her back safe, I'll be with you momentarily," Gray said.

Isaac gave the priest a tap on the shoulder before going on through the newly opened passage.

"By the way, Isaac…"

Zack stopped to glance behind himself.

"A couple days ago, a young man came to one of my churches asking for shelter...that was your doing, wasn't it?"

The man stayed quiet for a moment, he knew exactly what Gray was talking about - Danny's previous victim, and the last one standing among the massacred gangsters. So, the boy did take his advice after all, looks like he was starting to do more saving lately. He'd rather let his silence answer the priest, and walked through the passage.

The hallway did have its own exit, but he can see that it did cut through to the other side of the hall through doors disguised as one-way mirrors, Isaac could spot trails of blood where Rachel had been dragged off, even an occasional smear from her putting up a struggle. Zack grit his teeth from the sight until he could hear the faint sounds of Ray writhing to get free.

"If you don't stop moving, it's your feet I'm shooting next," Danny threatened.

Zack growled as he kicked at one of the glass exits, startling the man. Daniel froze in place for a moment, then immediately pointed his weapon.

"You just won't fucking quit, will you?!"

Isaac heard the click again and jumped for cover back in the other hall, then heard the sounds of gunshots following, with bullets striking the stone and wood along the church halls.

"You don't know me very well, do you?" Zack taunted, "I never lose sight of what I want."

"The feeling's mutual," Danny replied, backing away slowly, getting ready to fire, "but Rachel's peepers are mine for the taking. You don't know the beauty she has in them, I can put them into better use than have you taint them."

"Yeah, yeah...I'm already aware of your hard-on for yer' mom," Zack mocked, then heard more gunfire, knowing he struck a nerve.

"You don't know shit! "

Soon, glass shattered right behind the man, Zack was ready to slash at the man, until Danny held Rachel right in front of him as a shield, Isaac froze, then felt another bullet strike him in the cheek.

" Zack! " Ray screeched.

The man winced, and saw the gun aimed at him yet again. Ray gasped, using every single second to think, she grasped Danny's hand that dragged her and sunk her teeth down on him as hard as she could.

Zack was alerted by the sound of a pained scream, Danny yanked his hand away from Rachel's bite, and backhanded her to the ground. Isaac let out an enraged snarl and swung his weapon towards Daniel. The man panicked as he directed his hand towards Zack, it wouldn't be hard to shoot a target so up close. In the corner of his eye, he saw the sickle coming right towards his direction, and collided with his gun. The weapon was knocked out of his hands, Danny needed distance now, and kicked Zack away, he grasped at Rachel again with one hand, while he searched for another means to protect himself. On the wall, was a sconce, lit by multiple candles, all he cared was that it was metal to block further swipes.

Daniel grasped the metal sconce from the wall and held it in front of the man, the candles were almost literally in the man's face. Rachel saw Zack freeze, his eyes showing an expression she's never seen before on him - fear, absolute fear filling his entire being. Just staring at the flickering flames was making the killer tremble.

"So you do have a weakness after all," Danny said with amusement, then jabbed his hand forward to thrust the flames closer to him.

Isaac stumbled back, his eyes locked onto the flames right in front of him, and his heart pounded hard against his chest. Zack's memories were locked on the day he was burned. He'll burn again, he's going to burn again, and it scares him. Danny has the advantage now, looking at everything flammable around them - the tapestries were looking promising, so he shoved the candles onto the fabric and watched them come alight. Zack stood there, unmoving as flames were surrounding them, while Danny smirked, knowing he had the upper-hand now. He took the chance to use the man's fear to slink away, with Rachel.

Ray's heart twisted to see Zack's expression - he shouldn't be sad, he shouldn't be upset, and he should never be afraid. Just his trembling figure made her wish to comfort and soothe every fear he had, only Danny was dragging her farther and farther away.

"Zack!" she shouts, "Zack, snap out of it! You're stronger than this!"

Isaac's eyes showed some recognition.

"You've lived through fire before, you can beat it again!" she continued, "I know you can stop Danny!"

Reality was slowly coming back to Zack.

"I love you."

Zack blinked a couple times, he was surrounded by flames, but his focus locked onto Danny hauling Rachel behind him as she struggled to get free. The man grit his teeth in anger, furious over everything this bastard had done now - he wasn't going to let him get away, he was going to slit his throat.

Daniel felt Rachel thrash even harder in his grip, as if the gunshot at her hip wasn't hindering her anymore, he growled to himself, wishing his pistol wasn't smacked out of his hand. At least he had a new weapon to gain himself some distance - or so he thought. Footsteps followed right behind him, Danny huffed as he reached for another flammable object, he let go of Rachel temporarily to grab the tapestry and coil it around the sconce, watching smoke rise from the fabric, then a raging fire. Zack was right behind them, gripping his weapon tight and hellbent on stopping Danny in his tracks. Ray was about to get up to join Zack, but felt her captor shove her back to the ground.

Isaac was ready to swing the sickle again, but Danny shoved the wild flames in his direction, he stumbled back for a moment, but furiously swiped it away.

"I ain't fallin' for that shit again!"

Danny's heart stopped for a moment, realizing that the man was no longer immobilized from the sight of flames - clearly Isaac's need to protect Rachel had helped overcome his phobia. Daniel grit his teeth and swung the fiery weapon at the man, watching him reel back from being struck or set alight. He must get hold different weapon, and quick, he just needed some extra seconds to dig through his coat. The flames on the scone was growing bigger, enough that he could feel the heat on his skin, he grumbled for a moment and threw the burning item at the man, before making a run for it.

Rachel was tempted to slip free from her shirt as a means to escape, but Danny's grip on her collar was tight, she couldn't pull her head through if she tried. Her hands grasped Danny's in an attempt to dig her nails into the man's skin, while she kicked and dragged her heels to slow him down, anything to try and get Zack to close the distance again. Daniel growled to himself, trying to blow it all off in his mind. The exit was close, and he just needed to shift through his coat to check for a backup weapon. He felt metal for a moment, a small backup pistol he had tucked away in a lining pocket, he grasped the weapon and swiftly turned around. Isaac saw the man holding a small revolver in his grip, pointed right at him again. Before he could think, the halls echoed with multiple shots.

Zack struggled to hold himself up, the bullets struck him in the legs, the hip, his side and his arm. He panted heavily, groaning in slight pain, but he refused to show any sort of submission to the man, he fired 5 shots already, he had one more left, and Danny knew it as well. Watching Isaac stumble towards Danny, bleeding and in pain was filling Rachel with so much distress.

"God, you are a monster, a normal person would've caved already…" Danny growled, "no matter...I won't waste the last bullet on you…"

He felt Rachel attempt to bite at him again, he yanked her up, and coiled his arm around her neck in a choke hold. To show he meant business, he pointed the muzzle of the pistol right at the back of Rachel's head.

"I've had enough. Don't make anymore stupid moves. At this point, I could care less if the girl dies," Daniel chuckled, "it's just her eyes that I want anyway."

"Yer' a sick bastard, ya' god damn eyeball freak…"

" You're the one with the moral high ground here?" Danny laughed, "a serial killer in some sort of forbidden love with a girl much younger than him? I'd beg to differ. You're a predator...that's what you are, no matter what the victim is."

Isaac grit his teeth, his bond with Rachel is nothing like that, nor would it ever be. To constantly be mocked and criticized about it made his blood boil.

"When I get my hands on you, I'll rip out that fucking tongue of yours once I slice your throat."

To further taunt the bandaged man, he slid his tongue out at Zack, showing he'll spew out whatever he pleased - he was in control, he had the gun.

"I'll be leaving...you're free to watch and take the blame for all the bodies here," Danny said, backing towards the exit.

As he inched closer to the exit, the door behind him opened. Danny turned his head slightly to glance from the corner of his eye, through the light of the outside, he saw a figure standing there - was it a police officer or someone else?

Suddenly, his shoulder was in unbearable pain, and Zack could see something sticking out of the man's body. It appeared to be some type of arrow. Taking this chance, Rachel slipped her head from Daniel's grip and quickly limped over to Zack's side. Danny panicked as he tried to grasp Ray by the leg to prevent her escape, but watched Isaac motion her right behind him, keeping a murderous glimmer in his eyes.

"Do what you will, Isaac...I'm not letting this fiend escape…"

With the outside glare fading, it appeared to have been Gray that shot the arrow - a bolt, to be precise, as he was wielding a crossbow. Danny was stunned to see the priest had been let out.

"No, no, no, no, no, no! " Daniel hissed.

Isaac wasn't going to hear anymore of the man's voice and charged towards him, bringing a hand up to yank a tuft of Daniel's hair and force his head back to expose his throat, while he brought up the sickle to pin the blade against his neck. One swipe to end it all - no more of him tormenting Ray's bid for freedom, no more child mutilation or trafficking for selfish desires, and no more manipulation to cover his tracks.

One bullet left.

Zack felt something press against his abdomen, before he could look down, a loud bang echoed his surroundings, and his body was filled with a searing pain. Ray had the look of horror on her face as she saw blood spurt out from Isaac within those short seconds. More of the crimson liquid was trickling out of Zack's mouth, while the wound slowly felt like it was burning his insides. Daniel used his final bullet to shoot the killer in front of him - if he was to die now, he sure as hell was going to take Rachel's precious friend away.

The bandaged man glared at Danny, noticing the sly smirk on his face, that same exact fucking smile that fueled his drive to kill. He gripped the sickle's hilt tightly as he dug the blade deep into Danny's throat, and dragged it across his skin, watching blood spray out, and splatter onto him. He could care less if Danny was still alive or not, he wanted him as good as dead, and heard him start to choke on his own blood. Isaac wanted to make good word on his earlier threat, his fingers dove into the gash in the man's throat and grasped his elongated tongue, then pulled it out from the gaping wound.

Zack felt the dying man clutch onto his hoodie, but he coldly shoved him onto the ground to let him lay there and die. He let out a pained groan from the pain in his stomach and stumbled onto his hands and knees. Gray rushed up to his side, while Ray limped over, they were both worried for Zack's well-being. He was covered with various wounds - slashes, bullet grazes, even burns, it's a surprise that Zack had managed to hold up for so long.

"Hang on, Zack," Ray pleaded.

"The authorities are on their way, we'll get you both to a hospital as soon as possible…" Gray said.

As they carefully left the church, it was only a matter of time until the faint sounds of sirens could be heard, slowly closing in on the religious building. With a wave of relief washing over Zack, he eventually closed his eyes for a short rest, knowing Ray was finally in safer hands.