Monster

“Fifty years ago demons infiltrated the world… and people cowered. Here were the destroyers, the beginning of the end. They would wipe out the human race as we knew it. Death would reign eternally. But then, out of the darkness, the fear, and the desperation, the Vengeance was born. A force of elite warriors who sealed the demon portals, eradicating their filthy race once and for all, and provided us with the lifestyle we live today. So, on behalf of Junebug High school, we thank our Vengeance members.”

The intercom cut out with a screech as a deafening cheer overcame the auditorium, the Vengeance members assembled beaming like the angels they were. Emmi slammed her hands together, again and again, until they were sore, cheeks aching from smiling. Eventually, the cheers faded, the bell rang, and the high schoolers stumbled home. Another day, another closing assembly. But today was different. Emmi’s head buzzed as she flew past the turn to her house, driving until at last the recruitment center sparkled in the distance, a paradise wrought of steel and glass, all angles and cool confidence. Fifteen. The magic number. Emmi could finally join the Vengeance. Once the central invasion had been thwarted, the Vengeance had dedicated themselves to hunting down the tears between worlds that allowed demons to enter Earth, protecting the innocent civilians. Emmi’s mother had been killed by a demon when she was a member of Vengeance. Now, it was Emmi’s turn to be the hero. A wave of air conditioning slapped her in the face as Emmi stepped inside, marveling at the uniformed officers, a silver victory emblem across their breast pocket. Once, she may have hesitated to sign up for the most dangerous line of work in the country, but those days were long gone. This is what she was meant to do. Emmi smiled, signing the paperwork with an exaggerated flourish. She walked to the interview room, not for a moment second-guessing herself.

Three years passed in a blur of back-breaking training and field missions. By now, Emmi’s soft child fingers had thick calluses, her innocent mind filled with the blood and death cries of demons… and humans, lost to a never-ending battle. But, every death, she repeated to herself, a constant mantra, was worth it. It was worth it. It was worth it. She was strong. The monsters would not slay her, their needle-sharp fangs and twisted horns would not be her fate. Her lip rolled in disgust just thinking about them. Cruel, selfish brutes. They would die, and at the end of the sword that cut them down would be her grinning face, immortalized in the flickering eyes of death.

Emmi walked into the training room, bouncing on the balls of her feet. She felt the comfortable thrill of adrenaline as she stepped into her familiar battle sequence. The room was silent, minus the sound of her fists hitting the punching bag, so when the door slammed into the wall across from her it was all she could do to not flinch. She knew better, though. Flinch, and you were one of the weak ones, and everyone knows that the weak ones die.

“X47,” Captain barked, his suit coat a disturbing blood red. Emmi knew he had memorized her name, but for the sake of his ego, he called all of the Vengeance associates by their numeral codes.

“Sir,” Emmi addressed, giving the commander a sharp salute. Her stomach rolled as she felt his eyes rake over her body, shining with a wild hunger. He seemed a bit dejected as he tossed a manila folder containing a case assignment to her, absently running a hand through his greasy hair.

“X47, the administration has been pleased with your recent demon eradication efforts.” Emmi nods at him, but wishes she could scream. “Eradication” is such a pretty word. Nothing like the reality. A reality wrought of snapping bones and pools of black blood, soulless eyes going glassy under the bitter chill of moonlight. Emmi didn’t doubt for a moment that the creatures deserved it, but it was not a pleasant fate. “You have been assigned to a duo mission.” Emmi grinned. A duo mission proved that management trusted you with an operation the rest of the program couldn’t know about. “Anywho,” Captain continued, checking his watch with an exasperated flourish. “Debrief is in twenty minutes. Room 643.” He ambled out of the room, shooting a longing glance behind him before disappearing down the corridor. Emmi let out the breath she had been holding, closing her eyes for a moment as she pressed her fear into the bottom of her gut. She turned into the hallway, case assignment clutched between white knuckles.

When each seat in the conference room had been filled, the Presence took her place at the head of the room. The woman was old, but not the kind of old that gives someone soft edges and smile lines. She was sharp, her wrinkles indistinguishable from the hundreds of scars that streaked her face. In her three years of receiving almost weekly addresses from the Presence, never once had Emmi seen her smile. Regardless, the Presence remained the most important officer within the Vengeance ranks.

“X47,” she drawled, her voice like sandpaper. “You will join X28 on this assignment.” Emmi froze, scarcely believing her ears. X28 was the most accomplished field operative in the program. To work with him would be the biggest break she had ever received. The Presence began droning on about gear assignments and weaponry, but Emmi couldn't concentrate. Here it was, her big break. She would finally be able to climb the Vengeance ranks… but only if she aced this mission. The thought snapped her back into reality.

“Operatives, you will be taking down the most recent threat to our organization. A threat no one can know about. Do I make myself clear?” The Presence didn't wait for a response. “Lovely. You will be eradicating a unit of demon-spawn. These will be your targets,” The Presence scowled, pushing the button on her slideshow remote as if it had personally wronged her. Emmi froze. She had heard of demon spawn, of course. The children of demons and humans, the result of a Vengeance operative failing to take out their target. She just hadn’t expected them to look so very human. A little girl sat on the swings, pigtails bouncing behind her. A little boy grinned at the camera, hands covered with mud. The slideshow progressed, and a sick feeling seized Emmi’s stomach. She glanced over at X28, but he was glaring at the kids, an expression of pure hatred on his face.

Emmi shook herself. How could she be so stupid? These kids may not look it, but they still had the blood of demons running in their veins. By noon tomorrow they would just be another tick mark on an ever-growing chart, a few more lives closer to ridding the world of demonic influence. As night fell, Emmi grabbed her twin pistols and the simple black gear all operatives wore on missions. Black was the best color, after all, to hide the blood. Emmi squeezed her eyes shut, trying to block out the kid's faces. The monsters faces, she reminded herself sternly, loading her pistols with a practiced flick of her wrist. X28 waited for her at the entrance, glaring. He didn’t say a word as they climbed into the battered sedan, but the car was filled with the whine of metal as he slowly sharpened his daggers, the look of hate on his face never fading. Emmi remembered her past missions, the ones where she was excited to wipe out a unit of demons, but this time was different. This time she just wanted the operation to be over. Four targets. That was all, she reminded herself. Only four.

They pulled up to the house at dawn, kneeling just outside the white picket fence. For three hours they sat there, the only interruptions to the silence an occasional birdsong or shriek of delight from the monsters within the house. Then, the monsters came out, smiling as they sat on the swings. Smiling as they played in the dirt. X28 cocked his gun, and Emmi followed suit. The metal kissed her cheek as she took aim, watching the monsters play as if nothing in the world could harm them. She watched as X28 eased his finger onto the trigger as if time itself had slowed.

A gunshot ripped apart the fragments of laughter, scattering them to the wind like ghosts. Screaming took their place. Emmi stood from her place behind the fence, lowering her pistol with a shaking hand. Blood had been spilled…

But it was not the monsters. No. Not monsters. Children. X28’s body slumped to the ground, the bullet hole in the back of his head glaring up at Emmi. The only monster here was the one lying at her feet.