14 Months Later

"This is no one's fault but your own. You do understand that."

"I understand that I had a brother once: a boy named Alex. A boy who used to play games with me, and go skating with me, and watch scary movies with me. I understand that Alex is dead now."

"I am no longer bound by "life" or "death," Dana. I've moved beyond that. Heller has as well. He just doesn't realize it yet."

They stared at each other as Dana registered his words. Since when has her brother turned so… cold?

"No," she thought to herself, "This isn't my brother. He's dead. Alex… is… dead." She closed her eyes as a single tear escaped from one of them. She snapped them open once she heard him chuckling, and more tears came as she realized he was laughing at her. He looked at her, grinning.

She walked up to him in rage, pointed toward his face and nearly screamed, "You, MONSTER! You deserve to die! Rot in hell!" She couldn't stop the tears streaming down her delicate face. He stared at her. Gawked at her like she grew a second head. Then he raised his hand to hold her neck, and lifted her a good two feet off the ground. She gasped and writhed against his powerful grip. He chuckled darkly.

"It's a shame you'd say that, Dana. Especially to your own brother. Y'know, I thought we had a special little bond, you and I. So, if I do go to hell," his opposite arm formed into his infamous blade, shone against her neck, "I guess I'll see you there."

He pulled the blade closer to her neck, enough to draw blood. She resisted the urge to gulp down her fears in the fear that she'd make the cut worse. She was afraid of him, but she would never, NEVER, show it. He chuckled once again and released her, causing an audible thud to echo around them. She held her neck as she looked into those once familiar eyes, the ones that protected her when no one, not even her mother did; the ones that showed just how much she meant to him. Those eyes were now replaced with an red-ish hue. One that was emotionless and hard.

He grinned, turned away from his now former sister, and left her.

She remained in the same position when he'd dropped her. She pulled herself to lean her back and head against the wall a little ways behind her. She didn't know how long she stayed like that, apparently holding her breath. Uneven breathes strode out from her mouth. She turned to her side, still leaning herself on the wall, and cried. Cried like she never had; like she never thought she would. She couldn't believe that the brother she loved, the brother that protected her and cared for her… was really gone.

"Alex…" she whispered. She repeated his name like a mantra. She had to wake up from this nightmare. She clutched her head now aching from what had happened. She felt something moving in her sweatshirt pocket. Getting out of her trance, she stuck her hand inside and pulled out her phone.

A call from Heller.

"Hello? James?" She questioned shakily.

"Dana? Are...are you alright?"

Heller was obviously surprised by how Dana had sounded on the other line. It sounded as if she was crying, but this was Dana. And Dana never cried.

"Yeah. Just... what's up?"

"I have news on Mercer. Thought you'd like to hear it." He stated bitterly.

She paused.

"Ok... What is it."

"The bastard killed Guerra."