A/N: I hope you enjoy this next part! I love reviews, so let me know what you think, and don't forget to subscribe so you don't miss the next part when I publish it!
We were soon joined by our fellow officers, as well as paramedics and fire fighters, who aided in our search for any survivors, but I fear that there were none. To be
honest though, I felt that maybe that was better than living through that hell only to be disabled and in constant pain for the rest of their lives… though it didn't help to
rid my mouth of the unpleasant taste harboring it.
A barricade was set up all around the perimeter of Central Park, with no one allowed to enter it, at my recommendation. I could feel that Eve was definitely in there,
along with that "barrier" that she uses. I've learned in my encounters with her that she emits a kind of… "aura", I guess we can call it? Anyone who comes in contact
with this aura instantly burns to flames. From what I learned from Dr. Klamp, all I can guess is that the aura she emits somehow activates all mitochondria in the area
all at once, causing spontaneous combustion. I also realized that she can somehow control this aura and the mitochondria it affects. That's why those animals in
Carnegie Hall and the sewers didn't burst into flames; instead, they mutated. And she can clearly control the size of the aura she emits since Central Park is vastly
larger than Carnegie Hall, and everyone outside of the Hall during the incident wasn't affected. Of course, this can also mean that instead of having control over it, it's
merely growing stronger on its own. If that's the case, I'm afraid it won't be too long before all of Manhattan becomes an inferno…
I shook my head to clear it of those thoughts. I shouldn't jump to conclusions like that if I don't have enough information. What concerns me right now is why Eve
decided to come to Central Park in the first place. Is there something here that she needs? I can't picture her coming here for a simple stroll. "Hey, Aya. You okay?"
Daniel's voice spoke out to me. I looked up at him slowly, nodding my head. "Yeah…" I muttered, looking down at the pavement beneath our feet. I'm sitting on the
hood of our squad car, Daniel standing in front of me, behind the barricade to the Park. The burned corpses that littered the street were cleared off, cars honking and
people yelling as they were forced to detour away from the park in the distance. I noticed some reporters from different stations standing at different spots around the
barricade before me, informing their viewers of what they knew about this incident, which wasn't much since the Chief isn't saying much. All they really know was the
spontaneous combustions and the possible link it has to the Opera Theater Incident.
My thoughts shifted over to that press conference just hours ago, and wondered what they were doing with the truth I gave them on Eve. Did they believe me, or are
they trying to make me out like some crazy person, or even a suspect like the Chief said? Sighing out, I leaned back slightly as I lifted my feet onto the bumper of my
squad car, hugging my knees to my chest as my mind wandered. I can't do anything until the Chief gets here, so I can't just charge into the Park after Eve. Besides, I
don't even know where to start looking. My sense of Eve can only go so far as to tell me that she's somewhere in Central Park. I can't get more accurate than that,
and I think it's because of that aura. When I'm in it, it literally feels like she's everywhere at once…
Daniel decided to leave me be for a while, speaking to some nearby cops. I didn't mind this; I'm not exactly in the mood for small talk right now. It just irritates me on
how little I know of what's going on. No matter how I look at things, nothing makes any sense at all. But at the same time, I don't feel like Eve is just doing random
things for the hell of it. She definitely has some kind of ultimate goal that I can't comprehend yet…
I remained seated on the hood for a few more minutes, when I noticed some of my fellow officers stop what they were doing to salute someone. I quickly followed
their gazes to see that Chief Baker was making his way over to us, followed by two more cops. I slid off the hood, landing on my feet, saluting him as well. He made
his way over to where I stood, Daniel making his way over as well, the two of us facing him, along with several other officers. The Chief gave out a heavy sigh,
shaking his head with his right hand clamped on the bridge of his nose between his eyes, as if he was in pain. "To think something like this happened again, and on
Christmas no less. So, Aya, you say that this is the work of Eve again?" he spoke, asking me his question as he looked at me. My face felt slightly, my eyes lowering
as I nodded my head. "Yes. There's no doubt." I replied. "I see. I wonder if this has anything to do with that…" the Chief muttered in response, to which I looked up at
him again in confusion. "To what?" I asked curiously. "Well, apparently Melissa Pearce was supposed to have a solo concert today after the play, but since she died in
the incident yesterday, it was cancelled. However, in spite of this, many people who bought a ticket still made their way over to the Central Park amphitheater where
the concert was supposed to be held. I was informed just before this incident occurred." he told us.
My jaw hung open when he told us this. Why would those people head over to the amphitheater if they know that Melissa is dead? Daniel voiced out my concern as he
questioned the Chief. "Huh? Why would they do that? Don't they know she's dead?" "It was publicly announced that she died last night, so it's no secret. I'm just as
baffled as you, and with Eve skulking around in there, we have to get them out before more people die!" Chief Baker replied, some of the other officers talking
amongst themselves in response to this new information. As they spoke to each other, I bit my lower lip in passing, thinking on what this could mean. Is Eve
responsible for this too? But, if they're in there, they would all be burned, right? So…?
As my mind raced, I involuntarily stuffed my hands into my pockets, before a burning sensation suddenly filled my left hand, an image of Eve flashing across my
mind. I yelped out in surprise, withdrawing my hand from my pocket, everyone's eyes on me as I looked at my hand to see that it wasn't burned or anything. "Aya!
What's wrong?" Daniel asked me worriedly, but I didn't answer him. Instead, I replaced my hand in my pocket and took hold of what burned me and pulled it out, the
concert ticket that Ben threw on the floor a few hours ago clenched in my fingers. The ticket felt strangely warm, and an image of Eve came back into my mind, but
not like when I was thinking of her. No, it's more like someone pasted a picture of her in my head. In that moment, a gust of air blew out from my mouth when a
thought suddenly occurred to me, my teeth starting to clench. "It's Eve!" I shouted, looking over at Daniel and Chief Baker. They both looked at me in confusion, and
then looked at each other. "Aya, calm down. What are you talking about?" Daniel asked me lowly. I shook my head hurriedly as I lifted up the crumpled ticket in my
hand for them to see it. "This! The concert tickets! Eve is calling those people! Or rather, she's calling the mitochondria of the people who hold a ticket! She's drawing
them into the amphitheater!" I exclaimed, the two of them looking shocked. "How do you know this?" the Chief asked, but I shook my head furiously. "I don't know
how, but it's true! I felt it when I touched the ticket in my pocket! I don't know why, but she's definitely calling them!" I responded to him quickly, but then Daniel
suddenly gasped out, causing us to look at him. "BEN! LORRAINE!" he shouted out. It took me a second before I also gasped, realizing it as well. Ben and his mother
also have tickets! They must be in there! Realizing this, Daniel quickly ran over towards the entrance to Central Park, forgetting about what that meant. "DANIEL! NO!"
I shouted out as I sprinted after him. I flung my arms around his large waist and tried to pull him back, but I simply wasn't strong enough to stop a man his size. I was
quickly joined by two more officers, one who ran in front of Daniel, and another who threw his arms around my much smaller waist, the three of us stopping him, but
he kept struggling regardless. "LET ME GO! MY FAMILY'S IN TROUBLE!" he shouted out as two more cops ran over to help. I was amazed that it took this many of us to
stop him, but I quickly pushed my amazement aside as I tried to calm him down. "Daniel, if you go in there you're gonna catch fire! You'll die!" I shouted as I
struggled to pull him back. "I DON'T CARE! I HAVE TO SAVE THEM!" he shouted stubbornly. Growling, I quickly lifted up my right foot and kicked him behind his knee.
Daniel stumbled from this, so I pulled on him for everything I was worth, dragging him down on his back, the other officers backing away to not get dragged down as
well. I then walked over him and sat down on him, straddling his large waist, glaring down at him while he looked up at me in shock. Growling angrily again, I lifted up
my right hand and swiftly slapped him across his face!
Mutual shock reverberated across the area, all eyes on us. Even Chief Baker did and said nothing as he watched what was unfolding before him. Daniel's head turned
as I hit him, his mouth slightly open, but he did nothing in response. He slowly looked up at me, a prominent, light red blotch plastered on his dark cheek, his eyes
widening slightly. I kept glaring down at him, angry tears running down my cheeks, my shoulders shaking slightly. "…don't ever say that again… Don't ever say that
you don't care about dying!" I shouted out shrilly, this time lifting up my left hand, slapping him on his other cheek. "You jerk! What can you do if you die?" I
continued, slapping him again with my right hand. "You can't do anything! You can't save Ben and Lorraine! You'll be gone! You don't get another chance! Don't treat
your life so lightly! What will Ben do if you die now! Don't you get that he needs you! Don't be so selfish that you forget about your own son, you big jerk!" I kept on
shouting out, my hands alternating as I continued to slap him, my hands screaming out in protest for me to stop as a searing pain ran through them.
No one did anything. No one said anything. They just watched as I slapped Daniel silly while crying my eyes out. After about a minute, I lowered my hands, grabbing
hold of Daniel's shirt, my lower lip quivering, my hands shaking. Daniel looked up at me again, both of his cheeks bright red and slightly puffier, his eyes free from
any shock or anger or joy. Instead, they were full of regret. "…please… don't make me watch you die as well…!" I sobbed out as I looked at him, my tears blurring my
vision slightly as they fell on his chest. His eyes widened slightly when I finally said this. These past two days, I was forced to watch as people died all around me,
forced to live with the fact that I couldn't do anything about it, and forced to accept that it might happen again. If Daniel were to die as well… I…
Daniel gave out a small sigh as he leaned up to sit. I slowly pushed myself onto the pavement, sitting opposite him, my knees closed together on the street, both of
my legs lying down beside me on their respective sides. I sniffed a few times as I wiped some of my tears away, Daniel sitting cross-legged in front of me, his head
lowered slightly as he looked at me. "I'm sorry, Aya… You're right." He muttered. I sniffed again, looking up at him angrily. "Of course I am, idiot…" I muttered back,
lowering my hands onto my lap, my breathing finally evening out. We simple stared at each other for a few moments, before I lifted up my hands again, grabbing onto
his. "I'll go find them in your place, Daniel. Them and everyone else." I told him. I expected him to protest, but he only breathed in deeply and closed his eyes,
nodding his head. "You're the only one she can't get to, right?" he asked, opening his eyes to look at me again. I slowly nodded my head, to which he gave a small
smile. "I understand. I want to go in there with you, but that's just not possible. You're the only one who can fight that monster, Aya." He told me, his grip on my
hands tightening slightly. The look in his face then changed from contentment to slight desperation. "Aya, please. Please save my family. Please save all those people.
Don't let her have her way! You're the only one who can stop her!" he pleaded with me. A painful prang gripped my heart when this large man, who five officers had
difficulty containing, pleaded with a smaller, weaker woman to save a family that he was unable to protect. In that moment, I felt like I came to understand Daniel a
little more, and how much it must be hurting him right now to ask me this favor. I felt like I wanted to cry again, but I fought back those tears as I smiled up at him,
nodding my head. "Count on it. I won't let her do as she pleases. I'll stop her." I promised him.
Slowly, the two of us stood up, releasing each other's hands as Chief Baker walked up to us. "Aya, you're the only one who can stop her. It irritates me that I have to
send you in there alone, but you're the only chance we have. Go in there and apprehend that lunatic! Don't let any more people die!" he told me, somewhat
passionately. I was slightly surprised by this, fully expecting him to chew me out for what I did, but he didn't mention it at all. Smiling, I saluted him. "Yes, sir!" I
shouted, turning to face the Park's entrance. It seemed almost eerily dark, but I didn't care. Only I can do this, so I need to toss out any fear I have. I turned to look
at Daniel once more, who smiled and nodded. "I'll be waiting for you, partner." he told me. I nodded my head at him, reaching into my jacket, pulling out my
handgun. I checked my ammunition and, giving everyone a final nod, I sprinted forward. I instantly felt the warmth of the aura enveloping the Park, the feeling of Eve
intensifying. Once again, it felt like she was right in front of me, but I knew better than that. She's at the amphitheater.
