Chapter Four: The Truth about Sonika (Part One)

At Central Square, three cops are blocking the way of the grey echidna. "How many times we have to tell you!! We've blocked this road!! You can't even find a cat on the sidewalk." Said the cop. "And I've told you also that I've contact the police about this matter." Said the grey echidna. "Wha…?!" Said the cop. "I'm not good with my English." Said the echidna. "You Chinese?" Asked the other cop. "No, I'm Japanese." He answered.

"Nanda, nihonjin desuka?"

"OH YES!! You can speak Japanese?"

"Chotto dake Ne. Daredesuka?"

"Itako Maeda…Japanese…er…arrggh!!!"

"Hey, if ya can't speak the language, go back to your own country." Said the cop then laughed. He suddenly felt his body about to burn. He started to scream. "Calm down." Said the other cop, "Take it easy. Remember your heart condition?" "It's not that," He said, "my feels like it's on fire." He screamed again then he started to burn. "I guess it's now or never." Said Maeda. He ran off away from the three then headed to the streets. As he looked back, he was interested. "Spontaneous combustion." He said to himself, "I believe that correct…" He kept on running away from them.

From the flashback of Sonika, she suddenly saw a hallway from a familiar hospital. "Do I know this place…?" She said to herself in her thoughts. Then it changed to the costumer service at the familiar hospital. "Where is…" She said until it changed to the entrance of the hospital. " Zerica Hospital…?" She said. It suddenly turned bloody red.

At the old apartment, Maeda was watching a little TV. Sonika woke up then sat up. He suddenly noticed then turned around. "Oh, you're finally awake." He said, "I'm so glad to see you…awake that is…" She looked at him. "Who are you…?" She asked. "My name's Itako Maeda. I'm a Japanese scientist." He answered. "So, you must be the one from the phone Vincent called. I'm Japanese also." She said. "Really huh?" He said, "Well, this green hedgehog found you then he took you here." "Green hedgehog…?" She repeated. The door suddenly opened then the green hedgehog went inside. "Jerick!!" She shouted. She went near to him then hugged him. "C'mon Sonika, stop it. You're making me blush." He said. She stopped hugging then sat down on bed. He went near to Maeda then sat down. "There's no one but cops…it's already a ghost town." He said, "Except for the residents in Thorndyke Estate." "My friends and family lived there." She said. "I guess Vincent is going to your home to tell them to evacuate." He said. She suddenly remembered something. "Where's May?" She asked, "What happened to everyone at the amphitheater at SS Central Park?" "My kids are alright…" He answered, "But everyone just…just…disappeared." "Disappeared…?" Maeda asked, "You mean that they weren't ignited?" "They all melted into jelly-like slime then created in a big mass." She answered. "That's something new." He said, "Nothing like that ever happened to Japan." "Why's that?" She asked. "A similar incident happened in Japan fourteen years ago." He answered, "Although it wasn't as grandiose in scale as this one." "What do you mean?" She asked. "Please sir, give us more details about the incident in Japan." Jerick requested.

"I'm only twenty-nine." Maeda said, "You're like thirty-one and Sonika is…"

"Twenty-seven in Japan, twenty-six in right here in Station Square…"

"Since when are you born?"

"The year 1990."

"But you're supposed to be forty years old when you're born and raised in Japan and must be thirty-nine."

"I know, but my age didn't change, also my friends, when I had my Ashley inside for thirteen years."

"Thirteen years?! Oh my god!? Really!? Tell me please!"

"Guys, you're changing the subject." Jerick called out.

"Sorry…" They said.

"Alright…" Maeda said. "Before I was careered to be a scientist, a scientist's, from the lab I always worked, wife was involved in a car accident. He tried to culture her liver cells in order for her to be alive. He named those cells…May…"

"May?!" Repeated the two.

"The liver cells multiplied and her mitochondria eventually took over her physical body. After acquiring his sperm, May tried to give birth to the ultimate being."

"Ultimate being…?" She repeated, "What kind of 'being' is it…?"

"'She', the being who mutated from her liver cells, couldn't maintain her body for long. I forgot to mention before the car accident occurred, she was registered to have her organs donated. So after the accident, her kidneys were transplanted to a young girl…and May implanted a fertilized egg in the young girl who gave birth to…an ultimate being. I was extremely interested in this then went to his lab so I could continue my research. After hearing about this incident, I had to go here to do my research and theory."

"Can you tell what the hell is going on HERE?!" Jerick shouted.

"I wish I could explain more…"

"Sonika is something wrong? You okay?"

"Yeah…I'm fine…"

"I thought that monster had gotten a hold of you! Thought it was too late…"

"When I felt May…something inside of me felt like it was being…"

"You felt you were about to be ignited, correct?" Asked Maeda.

"No she's…well, she's the only one who wasn't affected." Jerick answered.

"Wha…?! I…I don't understand…"

"I think I'm a monster…like HER!" She said.

"What?! Why are you saying that?" Jerick asked.

"I don't know." She answered, "What if…what if I end up killing you, my friends…or even my family?"

"That's not true…!"

"Please Jerick! I don't know! I just don't know anymore! Please go away…! Stay away from me!!"

"Sonika…"

"Please…go away…"

"I understand…" Maeda said.

"H, hey! Where do you think you're going?" Jerick asked.

"Even if I'm a monster…I don't ever want to kill you, Jerick…please…leave…I can't forgive myself if I kill you or anyone I know…"

"Sonika…you're not a monster to me…you're still my partner, my best partner. Sonika Jenita, I'll always be at your side…"

He walked away then closed the door. She went to bed then lay down. Then a thought appeared. "When I touched May…" She said softly, "That feeling…was it Jinita…? But she was murdered when I was ten…it just couldn't be!" She suddenly felt her eyes went heavy then went to sleep peacefully. "Jinita…" She said once more.