With her jacket tied around her waist, her hair pulled back into a ponytail, and her purse on her back, Melanie stood in front of a line of houses in front of multiple lines of houses that stood in front of the beach.
These houses belonged to the island's original inhabitants and despite their age were surprisingly well-kept. The homes were colorful and postcard-perfect with flower boxes in the windows and around the homes, reminiscent of homes Melanie's family had driven past on their trips to Mexico.
Around the homes were shops and restaurants and businesses that were all small and locally run. All of them were overlooking the beach with its boardwalk and walkway leading down to the sand and water. Day-trip tourists and locals walked around Melanie leisurely and happily with no reason to question if anything was wrong.
It was the kind of place where Melanie would love hanging out with her friends. She had passed through here on the way to the beach with Flug, Demencia, and 505 the day before, but it was only now that she was getting a good look at it since it was this place that Black Hat wanted her to destroy.
Black Hat, Lord Reaper, Demencia, Flug, and 505 were standing behind the teenage girl and watching her expectantly.
Melanie felt her stomach drop and her dark skin go pale.
"How much do I have to destroy?" Melanie asked sheepishly.
"The whole street, dear," Lord Reaper said, putting his hands on her shoulders and towering over her supportively. "Go ahead and do it, darling. Start with the first house and the damage to the rest will follow."
Melanie stood there wondering what she should do when she got an idea. It was a terrible idea, but it was the only one she had. She closed her eyes in a quick prayer and approached the first building.
Once she reached the first colorful building on the corner, Melanie summoned her scythe, took it in her hands, and started hitting the building feebly with her scythe over and over again.
The others watched in astonished silence that only broke when Lord Reaper asked, "Melanie, what are you doing?"
"I'm destroying the building," Melanie explained between swipes of her scythe. "The process is slow, but I'm destroying it. This is what you wanted, right?"
"No!" yelled Flug before he pressed down the button, shocking Melanie much to Black Hat and Demencia's delight.
Black Hat laughed at her pain before walking over, staring her down, and saying, "How about you try that again?"
"You said to destroy it," Melanie said, sitting up on the ground. "You didn't say anything about how."
"You're stalling," Black Hat chided with an angry scowl. "Cut it out and destroy these houses effectively!"
"But..." Melanie protested as she got to her feet.
"Why don't you use your fire, dear?" Lord Reaper asked gently.
"I don't like using my fire," Melanie argued. "It's dangerous."
"That's the point, idiota (idiot)!" mocked Demencia.
"But I have been summoning the fire by accident. I don't know how to summon it," Melanie said in half-truth.
"You've been able to summon fire when you're under a heavy amount of stress," suggested Flug.
Lord Reaper summoned fire in his hand and said, "I can summon it without a problem. Sorry about this, Melanie. Black Hat, can you think of anything to upset our grandchild enough to summon fire?"
Black Hat flashed a malicious smile as he caught onto Lord Reaper's train of thought.
"What the hell are you thinking?" cried Melanie. "What are you going to do?!"
"Just encourage you, of course," said Black Hat, circling around her and walking onto the boardwalk.
"You're gonna hurt Sadie again. Aren't you?!" snarled Melanie.
"Your shapeshifting friend is the obvious answer. Isn't she? Perhaps I'd like her better as deep-fried chicken," Black Hat said with fire crackling through his teeth. "Is that what you need?! A proper example of fire?!"
"Maybe I should just set you on fire instead," Melanie spat back.
Fire began to crackle at Melanie's fingertips, prompting Black Hat to keep pushing.
Black Hat paused in front of Melanie and said, "Although I don't normally feast on human flesh, it is fun to indulge in it every so often. Creatures like us can do that, Melanie. Most villains have never seen me do it, so perhaps my fellow villains would like the presentation."
"If you do, amorcito, can I have some?" asked Demencia.
"I suppose," Black Hat said with an eye-roll.
Flug and Lord Reaper moved over next to them.
Flug felt like he should join in, but he couldn't bring himself to do it. Instead, he looked away awkwardly tugging on the collar of his shirt.
"Melanie, I know you don't want this to happen, but we need you to work with us," Lord Reaper pleaded. "Please."
"I don't want to hurt anyone," Melanie retorted angrily. "Why can't you pendejos understand that?!"
"Your friend was so weak!" Demencia teased. "Even with her flying, shapeshifting, and summoning animals, she was no match for us. She's so weak she doesn't deserve to live!"
"Take that back before I burn you alive, you putain de pouffiasse!" Melanie shrieked.
Fire consumed Melanie's hands which prompted Flug and Black Hat to push her further.
"The weak die and the strong live, Melanie," Flug said coldly. "That is why your friend was captured. That's why she couldn't just break in and free you. Not to mention the fact that she couldn't even think through a good plan before she struck. The best thing that you can do for her is comply. Honestly, your friend is sitting in a cage rooting for you and you're just being an immature brat."
"You're not strong either," Demencia teased Flug.
"I'm strong in the brain, menso (idiot)!" retorted Flug.
"So, what will it be, Melanie?" asked Black Hat cutting through the bickering. "Will you let your friend suffer for the sake of your pride? I wouldn't mind if you did. After all, there's so much we can do with fire to end her."
The fire traveled up Melanie's bare forearms and she screamed, "Over my dead body!"
Melanie was making progress. One more insult was all it would take to push her over the edge.
"You mean over her dead body," Black Hat said cruelly.
Melanie saw red. She growled lowly, noticed the fire on her arms, and shot a huge blast towards the quartet of people making her miserable.
Everything happened in a flash. Lord Reaper flew out of the way. Black Hat raised his hand, the fire now going around him as if it were being deflected by a force field. Demencia scrambled behind Black Hat as did Flug, the latter patting out a small fire on his satchel as he did so.
In her fury, Melanie didn't notice that Black Hat had redirected the fire to the wooden boardwalk and the wooden steps going down to the beach and continued her blast mercilessly.
Black Hat smiled as the beachgoers, locals, and tourists ran away in a panic.
Melanie blasted away for about a minute before her arms fell in exhausted exasperation.
Black Hat clapped his hands and said, "Good work, dear! Or, I guess I should say evil work! I knew you had it in you!"
"Meh," Demencia said, leaning onto Black Hat who quickly pushed her off. "Your fire was okay. I guess. But hot stuff over here can make way better fire and cause much more destruction."
"Destruction?" Melanie muttered out loud as she tiredly looked up.
When she looked up, Melanie saw in horror that she had set the stairs on fire, much to everyone's delight.
"No! No! No! No! No!" Melanie yelled in terror. "I'm sorry! I didn't mean to!"
Melanie looked back at her fingers to see that her fire was still burning on her fingers, so she summoned her wings to fly to the ocean only for Flug to shock her again.
"Stay down!" Flug said. "We're trying to send a message to your sensei."
The cambot flew in closer as Melanie writhed in pain on the ground.
Black Hat then walked in front of the camera, making a 180 turn to a camera looking, straight at it and said, "Do you see this Kasumi? You've led her so far astray that trying to fix her only hurts her further. Your other sister Sadie is also left in misery, and it's all your fault. Your hard-headedness against the inevitable keeps these two in pain. It's time you came back and time you played your part. If you give yourself up willingly, I'll let the shapeshifter go and I'll be more lenient towards Melanie."
"He's lying!" Melanie yelled, noticing the camera. "He is never going to…Aaaaaaahhh!"
Flug pressed the button, shocking Melanie, and yelled, "HUSH!"
"Kasumi? She sounds lame!" Demencia added as she slunk into the frame. "Come out of the showers and fight me, you coward!"
"This won't be enough," Black Hat lamented. "It'll most likely take more than this to get her attention."
"The video's still on, jefe!" Flug called out.
"I know," Black Hat said, looking back into the camera. "I do suggest you come as soon as you can. The longer you wait, the more suffering will be brought down upon her."
"Lucy, they're going to brainwash you…AHhhhhhh!" Melanie said getting to her feet and collapsing in pain again at being shocked.
Lord Reaper turned away as Flug pressed the button and yelled, "What part of shut up don't you understand?!"
Lord Reaper joined Black Hat, glared at the camera, and snarled, "Perhaps you know who I am. I'm the great-grandfather you've turned Melanie against. My granddaughter has so much power inside her and so much potential, but she has turned her back on all of it and hates herself and us because of it. You should have left her alone! She was perfectly happy before…"
"I WAS NOT!" Melanie screamed through her pain. "I hated my life! I was lonely! I hated myself and everything you and my family forced me to be a part of! I never thought I would be happy! Lucy helped me find my Father God, a new family, and a life I could be proud of! That's something you can never make me ashamed of! Ahhhh!"
"That is my offer, Kasumi. If you think she was unhappy then, you have no idea how miserable I can make her now," Black Hat said. "We'll wait for your reply."
"I won't stop fighting, Lucy!" Melanie yelled. "You can't stop fighting either! That is one of the biggest things I've learned from…Owwwww! Will you cut that out?!"
"And cut," Flug said, simultaneously ending the transmission and getting his finger off the button.
Demencia cracked her knuckles and asked, "Can I teach her a lesson?"
"No, take her back to the manor," Black Hat said, admiring the fire she created and the amount of destruction it caused. "We're done here."
Melanie looked around in sadness and her face fell as she fought against the weakness, pain, and exhaustion she was feeling that was making her struggle to stand on her feet.
"Let's go so I can draw you a healing bath," said Lord Reaper, wrapping an arm around Melanie's shoulders.
"Come on, let's go," Flug said, walking over to take her other arm.
Melanie glared at him, shot fire next to him, and snarled, "Don't touch me!"
"Melanie, you're worn out, please," Flug pleaded.
"I don't care!" Melanie spat back. "Don't touch me!"
"You know I could just shock you again," Flug warned.
"That's not necessary," replied Lord Reaper.
Melanie flipped Flug the bird, so he pressed down on the button which brought Melanie down to her knees as he said, "I think I beg to differ."
"What's your problem?" Melanie snapped back as Flug took his finger off the button.
"I want you to stop disrespecting me," Flug replied.
"Mon Dieu, aide-moi (God, help me)," Melanie said in exasperation. "Listen, I'm sorry for trying to burn you! I was trying to burn Black Hat and lost control!"
"Melanie!" yelled Lord Reaper. "What have we told you about praying to God?!"
"And about apologizing?!" Black Hat added.
"What do I care?!" Melanie snarled back. "Neither of you is my family. Why should I care what either of you says?!"
"Melanie…" Lord Reaper tried to say. "We're…HEY!"
Black Hat grabbed Melanie's face and said, with his form growing larger and more aberrant with each word, "Heh. I will say that is one thing we have in common. We hardly care about family. But you should understand that the reason you should listen to me is that I can ruin every facet of your life! YOU ARE A WORM COMPARED TO ME AND YOU SHOULD BE GRATEFUL I ALLOW YOU THESE MANY CHANCES!"
Black Hat then threw Melanie to the ground and started walking away.
"Oh, yeah?" Melanie called back from her spot on the ground. "If I'm such a worm, why waste your time on someone like me?"
Lord Reaper scooped up Melanie and said, "Because you are a part of our family and our organization. He doesn't care, but I do. If you want your little friend to get out of this alive, you need to do what I say. Understand?"
"Do what you say?" asked Melanie. "Isn't that what a good girl would do?"
"You know what I mean, Melanie," said Lord Reaper with a sigh.
Melanie glared at him and looked away.
"Well, at least I know you'd rather have your granddaughter do what you say, than have her be happy," Melanie said sadly, refusing to look at her Papi.
"It's only temporary, dear," Lord Reaper said. "Now, let me get you healed, cleaned up, and into bed. You can stay there for the rest of the day and dinner will be brought to your..."
"I want to eat it with Sadie," Melanie interrupted. "Can I eat it with Sadie please?"
Lord Reaper paused, turned to Flug, and asked, "What do you think? Is this a good idea, doctor?"
"I suppose so, it seems like this will all be coming to its climax soon," said Flug with a shrug.
"It seems to be so," Lord Reaper said. "I'd give it a few days at most for Kasumi Yamaguchi to reach our destination."
"If she shows up at all," Melanie said angrily. "How do you know your stupid camera footage will even make it to her? She might be hiding in a place without the Internet."
"That's the Hatbots' job. And if it doesn't reach her directly, I'm sure a Nun-ja will be more than eager to share the information," Flug said.
"I pray she never sees it," Melanie said tiredly with tears. "She made her dream come true for the past 20 years. She escaped the nightmare. What you're asking her to do is unbelievably cruel."
"It's hardly a request, it's more of a demand," Flug corrected.
Melanie looked at Demencia running up and down the beach, at Flug standing in place with his cocky eyes, and finally at her own grandfather and said, "Do whatever you want. Even if by…whatever the opposite of a miracle is, happens, and I become a villain, I will never be happy. Black Hat's minions might not care, but I know you will, Lord Reaper."
Lord Reaper looked aside to hide how hurt he felt and tried to offer some comfort.
"Melanie…" Lord Reaper started to say.
Melanie glared and interrupted, "You know, there's nothing I want more than to watch you guys burn, but the weird thing is that I'd rather pray for your souls. If nothing else, that would piss you off more!"
Flug shook his head and said, "You still fall short of being a hero."
"What do you mean?" asked Melanie.
"You use your anger and still wish to harm others," Flug argued.
"There's a difference between wishing for it and actually inflicting it," Melanie spat back moving her head closer to his.
"The difference between those actions is only a matter of will," Flug argued back doing the same.
""Yeah, the will to control yourself or let yourself run wild like an animal," retorted Melanie.
"Break it up, you two," Lord Reaper said, walking away with Melanie.
Melanie looked away and started to tear up again as her Papi tried to comfort her.
Meanwhile, Flug reached into his bag and pulled out a dart.
Melanie saw Flug out of the corner of her eyes while she was praying for forgiveness and thought of an idea. It was terrible, but it was the only one she had. She shut her eyes and allowed her soul to fall backward out of her body. Then when no one was looking, she dashed across the road and through the walls into one of the houses.
Lord Reaper looked back at Melanie and noticed she was hanging limp but not like she normally would. Her body weighed less than normal, and he quickly found out why. Her soul was missing.
Lord Reaper's eyes flashed in a panic as Flug approached him.
"Is something wrong, Lord Reaper?" asked Flug.
"Her soul is gone!" Lord Reaper cried out. "Did you do this?! Is she dead because of something you did?"
"No! No! I swear! I haven't done anything!" Flug yelled defensively.
Lord Reaper held a hand over Melanie's body and said, "If you're telling the truth, then…"
Melanie's body glowed for a second and then went back to normal.
Lord Reaper allowed his hand to drop to show he was done feeling the body and said, "You're right. Her body hasn't died. Her soul has departed from it. I hate when she does this. Black Hat! Where are you?! We have a problem!"
Black Hat appeared and asked, "What is it?"
"Melanie's soul is not in her body!" Lord Reaper explained. "She has gone missing!"
"Where could she have possibly gone in the minute I was gone?!" Black Hat asked in exasperation.
"I don't know!" Lord Reaper retorted. "I can't track her! There are too many souls on this island! It's like looking for a person in a crowd. You must let me cross some of these souls over!"
"You can't be serious!" Black Hat returned.
"Do you have a better plan?!" Lord Reaper asked sarcastically.
Black Hat scoffed and said, "She thinks she can escape spiritually. Well, game on, child! Go ahead, Lord Reaper."
"On it," Lord Reaper said, summoning his scythe, slicing open a portal to the hereafter, and focusing his energy as he cleared out a bunch of souls at once.
"Blending in must have been her plan," noted Flug out loud.
"I see a clearer path, but it's still too crowded!" Lord Reaper complained, having finished his work. "You have to let me clear out more!"
"You've gotta be kidding me!" Black Hat protested angrily causing the fire around him to blaze higher which in turn made the tourists and locals scream louder.
"It's not my fault you have so many souls crammed on this island," Lord Reaper argued. "Finding Melanie is going to take forever unless we clear them out!"
"Don't bother!" Demencia yelled causing everyone to look at her. "She's probably going to help her little fairy friend!"
"It could be that or she could be up to something else," Flug said scratching his head. "Is there a way you can force her spirit back into her body, Lord Reaper?"
"If I could do that, don't you think I would have done that by now?" Lord Reaper snapped. "Melanie has already gone too far. I cannot retrieve her from this distance. But I think Demencia's right. We should search there first."
"Quite right," Black Hat said. "Reaper, you heal your granddaughter's body, clean her up, and bring her body down to the lab. Demencia, go to Sadie's cell and keep the girls from escaping. Flug, walk with me. I have an idea."
Everyone then rushed off to do what they were told except for Flug who stayed behind. Flug looked around at Melanie's destruction and looked back towards the house, feeling a twinge of guilt that he was trying to suppress.
"Flug, I said let's go!" Black Hat yelled shaking Flug from his reverie.
Flug rushed over to Black Hat's side and said, "Yes, sir?"
"Walk with me, Flug," Black Hat said, walking ahead besides the burning boardwalk. "I need to talk with you."
Flug gulped and said, "Yes, sir?"
"That whelp has caused me enough trouble," Black Hat explained. "The bursts of anger and violence are pleasing, but still too spirited against me. I want you to make a new strain of medication so that she'll be more compelled to follow orders. Is that understood?"
"Yes, Jefe," Dr. Flug said, ignoring the pangs of guilt that he was feeling. "I'll start working on it as soon as we catch Melanie."
"Good, make sure you find a way to medically justify it to her parents," Black Hat said. "They've been calling us non-stop. I'll never understand why parents make things so dramatic."
Flug paused to look at a group of lost children who had just found their parents. The kids were dressed in colorful beach clothes, meaning they had been on the beach when the fire started. The parents had been calling their names frantically and desperately, clearly scared to death after the fire started. But somehow, the young group of friends had found a way back to their parents and were back in their arms crying happy tears and laughing.
Flug looked away from this happy group as Melanie and 505 inevitably washed over his mind and lied, "I don't either."