Chapter 13 - There's Something About May

Two happy high-spirited teenage girls walked arm in arm after cheerleading practice. Their conversation was lighthearted and involved much giggling and laughing. The events from the aborted football game that afternoon were the main topic of conversation.

May was leaning on her best friend's arm. She could not keep the smile from her face. This was one of the reasons why she loved her friend so much. Tracy always seemed to be in good spirits. What had happened in gym class today only served to fuel her natural enthusiasm. "Tracy, did you see the look on Jim's face as they practically dragged him away?"

Tracy laughed at the memory. "Yeah! Serves him right! Who does he think he is?" Tracy's face suddenly frowned at an unpleasant thought.

May caught the emotion right away. "What's wrong? What're you thinking about?"

Tracy looked sidelong at her friend and grimaced. "Damn, there's no hiding anything from you, eh? That's the problem with having an empath for a best friend!"

May laughed in derision. "It's much worse being the actual empath! Don't change the subject. What's wrong?"

Tracy sighed and looked straight ahead. "Oh, nothing really."

May stopped walking and pulled on Tracy's arm. "Tracy Adams! You're not thinking about what that jerk said are you?"

Tracy's head snapped back to May. "You going telepathic on me, girlfriend?"

May tried in vain to suppress a shudder down her spine. They used the term girlfriend quite easily, but every time Tracy used it on May, May couldn't help but to feel a slight thrill. "I don't need telepathy to read you like a book, girlfriend!"

Tracy sighed again. "You're right. I don't know why but it bugs me to think that guys think I'm easy. I try to live my life with no regrets, but, sometimes, things like this are like a slap in the face."

May pulled her taller friend into her arms and tried to project comforting emotions to Tracy. "Tracy, you have to ignore jerks like that! They're just morons!"

Tracy pulled back and looked May in the eyes. "May, you don't think I'm cheap and easy, do you? I mean, sometimes I wonder if maybe I am. George called me a tease on our first date when I wouldn't sleep with him that night. Even though I went down on him, he still wanted everything by the second date." Tracy's eyes began to water as the unpleasant thoughts flashed through her mind.

May's only response was to pull Tracy back into her arms. Tears began fall down Tracy's face. "I don't know why this is bothering me all of a sudden! I mean, I like sex and I'm not afraid to admit it. Geez! Look at me! I'm a mess." The tears gave way to gentle sobbing as Tracy buried her face in her friend's shoulder.

You are in love, thought May, but she didn't voice this out loud for fear that Tracy would just scoff at the idea again. Instead, she projected the feelings of love that she felt for her friend, over and over until Tracy's crying began to subside.

Tracy finally pulled her head back and wiped her eyes with her sleeve. May wordlessly handed her a Kleenex from a pack in her pocket and Tracy accepted with a grateful smile. "You probably think I'm just being silly, don't you?"

"Actually, Tracy, I think you're the most wonderful and beautiful person in the world!" said May truthfully.

"Aw, May, you're so sweet!"

"And Tracy, for the record, I've never thought you were cheap. After all, thanks to your stories, I know what to expect when I finally go all the way with a boy!"

Tracy laughed and said, "Don't take those stories to heart, May. I'm sure that not all boys are as clueless and hopeless as the ones I've been with."

May arched an eyebrow. "How about George?"

Tracy snorted. "Him? Hah, he was the worse! Why do you think I wanted an 'open relationship'? It's funny, for a boy who can more than hold his own on the football field, he's got a surprisingly lack of endurance and stamina in the sack! Double D is welcome to him!"

"So, what did you ever see in him?"

Tracy started walking forward again. Her expression was thoughtful. "You know what? I don't know anymore. It couldn't have been the status. I've never really cared about that kind of stuff. Maybe at the time he seemed more mature? But now when I look back he's nothing when compared to..." Tracy broke off suddenly. Her eyes had a faraway look.

May looked over at her friend. "Compared to who?"

Tracy shook her head and said, "Oh nobody. Forget I said anything!"

May, however, would not let it go. "Compared to Michael?"

Tracy looked at May with narrowed eyes. "You sure you're not telepathic too?"

May laughed. "Relax. I've told you in the past. It's only one gift per psion! My mother is the telepath in the family."

Tracy sighed again. She seemed to be doing that a lot lately! "I guess in my mind I've been comparing every boy I've ever dated to Michael. It's crazy! I've only known him for a short time!"

May frowned and said, "Tracy, maybe you should go out with him this Saturday."

Tracy's expression turned determined. "Absolutely not! I want him for you, May. You deserve someone like him."

May suddenly jerked to a stop. "Tracy, stop that! I don't deserve anybody more than you!"

"It's not that!" protested Tracy. "I don't think I'm good..." She trailed off with a sad look on her face.

"What, good enough?" scoffed May. "Tracy, you're the most wonderful, fun-loving person I've ever met. And you know what else, I think Michael thinks the same thing. I read his emotions, you know."

"Really?" Tracy looked interested. "What's he like?"

May's looked thoughtful. "I think you're right. I think he was honest when he called you a free spirit. I don't think that he thinks you're cheap or easy at all! Besides, I had to stop him from running to your rescue today."

"Really? I didn't notice."

May nodded emphatically. "He was ready to pound Jim into the dirt. It was all I could do to calm him down."

Tracy smiled at May's comments. "That's nice to know. One boy out of the whole school!" Tracy's expression suddenly turned impish and playful. "You called me beautiful earlier. I think there's someone you need to meet!"

"Who?"

"You'll see. Come on!"

May smiled ruefully as she allowed her friend to pull her along. Tracy seemed to be utterly unable to remain in a sour mood. She was always living for the moment and absolutely refused to dwell on unpleasant thoughts for long. Her motto in life was simply to be happy.

The streets zipped past until Tracy led May to an unfamiliar neighborhood. Still arm in arm, Tracy marched purposefully to a specific house that was virtually indistinguishable from its neighbors. The only memorable feature was that the second floor window was missing and in its place was a sheet of plastic. Tracy rang the doorbell, and several seconds later; a beautiful woman opened the door. Tracy could feel May's grip on her arm suddenly tighten and she laughed inwardly. Outwardly, she smiled at the beautiful woman and said, "Hi, Serena! Remember me?"

Serena smiled back and greeted Tracy like an old friend. "Of course! Tracy! How are you?"

"Just great, Serena. This is my best friend, May"

Serena looked at May and held out her hand. "Hi, May, it's very nice to meet you. Are you a friend of Michael's too?"

"Uh, yyyeah," stuttered May as she cursed herself for her inability to speak legibly in front of this vision. She quickly shook Serena's hand and then dropped her hand back down to her side.

"May's going on a date with Michael this Friday!" said Tracy brightly.

Serena's face brightened. "Really? That's great! I can't wait to tease my brother about the two girls he's seeing!"

"Oh, no, wait, you've got it all wrong, Serena. Michael and I aren't seeing each other!" stammered Tracy.

"Really? Well he seemed pretty flustered after you left yesterday. Anyway, if you're here to see Michael, I'm sorry, but he's not home right now."

"Oh, that's too bad!" Tracy did her best to hide her disappointment and fervently hoped she succeeded. "Where did he go? Maybe we can catch up with him."

Serena smiled and said, "I'm not sure. When he got in, he flung his backpack on the ground and simply said 'I gotta fly' before taking off. You're welcome to come in and sit for a while if you want."

Tracy said, "That's ok, we better get home and take a crack at our homework!"

"I'll let Michael know you dropped by. It was good seeing you again, Tracy, and nice to meet you May!"

Tracy and May waved their goodbyes and Serena closed the door behind them. Tracy looked over at her friend who still seemed to be in a state of shock. "So, what do you think?"

May turned to look at Tracy and exclaimed, "What do I think? What do I think?! I'm gonna kill you for not warning me ahead of time! Who was that anyway?"

Tracy laughed so hard that she almost doubled over. "Sorry sweetie. I couldn't resist the temptation. Imagine how I felt when I met her yesterday! Anyway, that's Michael's sister. Adopted of course."

"Of course!" May looked thoughtful. "She's truly beautiful. Maybe I am a lesbian after all."

"May, I know for a fact that I'm not, and I still find Serena attractive. You know, it's ok for girls to find other girls attractive and still be straight."

"Really? Isn't that weird?"

"Not at all, you silly goose! Besides, even if you are gay, you'd still be my best friend!"

"Thanks, Tracy!"

Arm in arm once more, the two friends walked until they reached their neighborhood. They reached Tracy's house first and after one last hug, Tracy headed into her house. Still in high spirits, May whistled a toneless tune as she made her way to her house. When she opened the front door, she called out, "Mom, Dad, I'm home!"

There was no reply. May frowned. Usually, her parents were bustling with activity. There was something in the air inside her home, and, for a split second, she thought it might have been a gas leak. It took her several moments before she realized that the tension in the air was more of a feeling rather than something physical. There was a dark foreboding emotion permeating her house. With great trepidation, she made her way cautiously deeper into her house. The feeling grew stronger when she approached the kitchen. In the kitchen, she found her mother and father standing next to a young man in his early twenties who was sitting on one of the chairs. They both looked very concerned and they both looked up as May came into the kitchen. The young man was wearing tattered and bloodstained clothes, and, from the bulge in his left shoulder, May surmised that it was heavily bandaged.

The young man on the chair spoke first. "Hello, May, long time no see." Despite his attempt at a light tone, his voice was hoarse and he sounded extremely tired.

"Brandon? What're you doing here? What happened to you? What's going on?" This last question was directed at her parents.

"May, please remain calm and have a seat. Brandon needs our help right now," said Stella Li in a reassuring tone.

May, however, picked up on the main emotion that was heavy in the room. It was grief. "What's wrong? Why is everyone so sad? Why're you hurt, Brandon? Who hurt you?" Suddenly, May realized what was wrong. "Where's Jared? Why isn't he with you?"

Edward Li took a step towards his daughter. "May, please, maybe you should sit down first."

"No! Tell me what's going on! Where's Jared! Brandon, he was part of your stupid little group. Where my cousin?" demanded May.

When he next spoke, Brandon's voice was weak, but heavy with emotion. In a detached part of her mind, May was shocked that the strong, athletic Brandon could sound so weak. "I'm sorry, May. Jared's dead."

"NOOO!" cried May in anguish. As a young child, Jared was May's best friend and confidante. He was the only person May could really turn to for help with her gift. Like May, Jared was an empath. Grief and sorrow washed over her and she fell to her knees. "When? How?" she managed to gasp out her questions in between sobs.

"Last night," said Brandon weakly. "May, listen, I know this is hard for you, but I need your help. The Children of the Night need you."

"NO!" screamed May. "Tell me about Jared! How did he die? Why didn't you protect him?"

Edward touched his daughter on the arm gently. "May, please..."

Suddenly angry, May wrenched herself away from her father and stormed towards Brandon. "What happened to Jared?"

Feeling the full brunt May's anger and grief, Brandon found himself leaning back, almost as if the emotions coming from May were a tangible force. With an effort, he forced himself to resist the backward movement, even though it caused him pain. "Please, May. Tone it down a bit!"

May's face was pinched in fury. "Did you let him die in one of your little games?"

May's question sparked Brandon's own anger. "Jared believed in them as much as I did. I know you're upset May, he was your cousin and you loved him. But he was my lover! I loved him just as much if not more!"

The backlash from Brandon's outburst stopped May in her tracks. She covered her face in her hands and a waterfall of tears burst from her eyes. Stella moved quickly and slipped a chair behind May before she fell backwards.

Edward, Stella and Brandon watched compassionately as May sobbed her heart out. They had all loved Jared in their own ways, but Jared was more than just a cousin for May. He was a friend, mentor, coach and tutor. He was the one who finally managed to help May begin to understand and accept her gift. In the world of psions, empaths were surprisingly rare, and empaths of May's caliber were even more rare. The three of them exchanged wordless glances. Jared had often reported that May was a particularly strong and gifted empath. Now they could feel the truth of his reports. May's grief was projecting out like tidal waves, and even though none of them were physically touching her, they could feel her grief wash over them and add to their own. Soon, they were all crying. Stella and Edward moved together and supported each other. Brandon wept alone in his chair. The pain in his shoulder was overshadowed by the pain in his heart.

May cried for what seemed like forever. When she finally had control of her sobs, she cleaned herself up with a napkin from the napkin dispenser on the kitchen table. She took another minute to compose herself and when she finally looked up at Brandon, her eyes were red rimmed, but her voice was steady. "Alright. Tell me what happened."

Brandon ripped another napkin from the dispenser and wiped down his face as best as he could. He grimaced every time he felt a spike of pain from his shoulder. When he was ready, he met May's eyes and spoke in a soft but steady voice. "First of all, please understand that the work Jared and I do is not considered a game. To think of them as such would be a dishonor to Jared's dreams."

May nodded her acceptance and Brandon continued. "About 2 years ago, Jared's sister Jade hit puberty. As you may remember, the power of the gift tends to spike during puberty before leveling off."

May nodded again, but this time at the memory of her own trials when her power of empathy threatened to drown her in overwhelming emotions. Jared had come for one of his ever-increasingly rare visits to help her through it. That was the time she had to confess her power to Tracy, who instead of laughing at the idea of ESP powers, had become a firm supporter. That was also the time when she thought she was in love with Jared, and when she confessed these feelings, Jared had taken her aside and patiently explained to her his own tendencies. Rather than embarrassing both of them, she and Jared had formed and even stronger bond that was akin to sibling love.

Brandon continued on with his story. "Well, as your father can confirm, many clairvoyants often have powerful dreams at this time. Though it has never been concretely proven beyond doubt, many of these dreams come true - depending on your own interpretation, of course."

May looked up at her father for confirmation. Edward wrapped his right arm around Stella and pulled her close. "I dreamt that I would meet and marry the most beautiful woman in the world and escape the arranged marriage my parents set for me," he said. May have her father a small smile and nodded towards Brandon again.

"Jade woke up screaming one night. Jared happened to be in the next room and went rushing in. When he got there, Jade was sitting upright, her eyes were wide open, but when he waved his hand in front of her, she gave no response." Brandon took a deep breath. "According to Jared, Jade spoke a real prophecy. He said that he could feel no emotion from Jade as she spoke, and the timbre of her voice was unlike any he had ever heard. Although he only heard it once, it was imprinted into his memory."

"What was the prophecy?" asked May.

Brandon closed his eyes and recited:

"From Demons home comes an Angel wreathed in light

With the Demon Lord the avenging Angel will fight

The Angel will banish the Demons from the Earth

And lead us to a world not of our birth

From the Angel's hands, an Empress is crowned

What was once lost will then be found

From his own ashes, the Angel will be reborn

Rise like the Phoenix of yester' morn

The Demons return from the depths of hell

The child of the Empress must be guarded well

Or else the Demons will prevail and all will be lost

Beware the coming of the Demons; beware of the cost"

When the last word was complete, May felt a shiver run down her spine. "Did Jade ever remember anything of what she said?"

Brandon shook his head. "After she spoke the last word, she suddenly gave herself a shake as if she were dowsed in cold water. The she proceeded to kick her brother out of her room."

May smiled briefly at the thought of the fiery little Jade waking up and finding her brother in her room. She could almost picture the scene where she threw him out. May blinked back some more tears and said to Brandon, "Ok, fine. Jade made a prophecy. What does that have to do with Jared's death?" May almost choked on the word death. She still hadn't fully accepted that her beloved cousin was dead.

Brandon grimaced and took a deep breath. "That may very well be my fault. As I said, the interpretation of these prophecies is often up to the listener. Last year, while writing my term report on the gangs of Toronto, I came upon the Demons. They're a gang that is reputedly based in Toronto, and according to the talk on the streets, is quickly swallowing up all the other gangs. When I told this to Jared, he became convinced that the Angel in Jade's prophecy would come from them."

Brandon's voice was becoming more and more hoarse as he spoke. Stella grabbed a glass from the cupboard and poured out some water from the filter at the sink. She handed this to Brandon who nodded appreciatively and drank deeply. "It took us over half a year, but we finally managed to infiltrate the Demons. Jade kept a close watch over us with her power. My friend, Leigh Adams - a strong telepath - provided the communications."

"So what happened last night?" asked May.

"Last night, the leader of the Demons, an egotistical megalomaniac who calls himself Diablo, ordered an attack on a small rival gang. It didn't make any sense. I mean sure, the area was pretty prime real estate, but over the last couple of years, the Demons stopped concerning themselves with shady neighborhoods. Diablo claimed that it was good practice for his gang. The fight was going pretty smoothly for Jared and myself. We would raise our guns and fire blindly into the night. We were actually beginning to enjoy ourselves when Jared suddenly threw his body on top of mine. I was about to cuss him out for getting frisky when his body slumped lifelessly on top of mine. I didn't even feel myself get shot." Brandon paused again. This time overcome with emotion. It was evident to the Li family that Brandon blamed himself most of all for Jared's death.

"So you never saw who shot you?" asked May. Much as her heart went out to Brandon, she was determined to hear more.

Brandon took another sip from his glass before speaking. "No, the shots came from behind. Judging from the number of times that Jared was hit, I'd say it was one lone gunman with an automatic rifle."

May jerked back in surprise. "From behind? But that would mean that someone in the Demons shot you! Did someone have a grudge against you?"

Brandon shook his head. "We pretty much got along with everybody. However, every time we were at the headquarters, Jared kept saying that he could feel the presence of another psion nearby."

May gasped. "Another psion?"

Brandon nodded grimly. "You know that the mandate of the Children of the Night is to find wild psions who may have come into their power on their own. We believe that the gift may not always be genetic, and may in fact be the next evolutionary step for humans. Because of this, Jared kept finding excuses to visit the headquarters."

May looked thoughtful and then asked, "So, did Jared ever pinpoint this wild psion?"

Brandon shook his head. "No, whoever this person was, Jared wasn't strong enough in his power to pinpoint the person. However, judging from what happened last night, I can deduce who it might be."

"Who?" asked May fiercely.

"Diablo, the leader of the Demons. Only he could have ordered someone to kill Jared and myself." said Brandon grimly.

"But why would he do that?"

"The only thing I can think of is that he found out about Jared and myself."

"Found out? You mean that you were frauds?"

Brandon spoke his next words with deadly certainty. "No, I think he found out that we were psions."

May looked incredulous. "How can that be? The only people who can sense other psions is -- oh shit!"

"Is an empath." finished Brandon in almost a whisper.

May was stunned. She had only met one empath in her life, and that was Jared. Some of the things that Jared taught her about her gift made her swear that she would never misuse it. Some of the things that a fully trained empath could do made the abilities of the other gifts seem like pranks. A telepath had the ability to read active thoughts and memories. No known telepath had the power to do more that that. A telekinetic could move objects with his/her mind, but the strength of the power depended on the possessor. A clairvoyant could find and see the people that he/she loved or were close to, but was limited from spying out strangers. A clairvoyant had to know someone very well before he/she could see him or her. All these gifts were similar in that they worked one way. A telepath could not implant thoughts (or at least none with sufficient power had been found to date), a telekinetic could only move things in visible sight, and a clairvoyant could not make other people see him or her. An empath, on the other hand, could feel and project emotions. Even the weakest empath had this ability to a certain degree. Perhaps this was the cosmic reason why empath were so rare.

"We need you, May." Brandon's soft voice broke May out of her reverie.

Unreasonable anger flashed in May. "Why, because the Children of the Night needs an empath now that Jared's dead?"

Brandon bristled. "That's not what I meant, and you know it! Don't forget, I loved Jared too!"

Feeling ashamed, May turned and looked away. It was no secret that Brandon wanted May to join his group. All May ever wanted was to live quietly with her gift and not brandish it like it was some kind of weapon. Jared had always understood her feelings. "Where are the rest of the Children?" she asked.

Brandon sighed and slumped back into his chair. "Jade's still safe in her home. Leigh managed to get away. He never came close to the firefight. The others have fled to safe points."

May gasped at a sudden thought. "Oh my god, Jade! Does she know yet? What about Uncle Steve and Aunt Julie?"

Edward spoke up from where he was standing. "They know."

May felt tears begin to stream down her face again. "Oh no..." She put her face in her hands and wept.

Brandon cleared his throat and gently said, "May, I'm sorry to ask this of you, but we need you. If Diablo really is an empath, we need to find out for sure. May, you're the only one we can turn to."

May stopped crying and looked up. "You want me to get close enough to see if Diablo really is an empath?"

Brandon nodded gravely.

May stood up. "He's the one responsible for Jared's death?"

Again, Brandon nodded.

Coming to a decision, May said grimly, "Fine. Looks like I'll put all that training you, Jared and Sifu Chang put me through to good use! Wait here, I'll be right back." May turned on her heel and ran up the stairs.

Once on the second level, she hurried to her room and shut the door. From the back of her walk-in closet, she pulled out a large black trunk. Keeping the trunk secure was a large padlock with a black filmy screen where a keyhole should have been. May pressed her thumb to the screen and the lock popped open. May opened the trunk and looked inside. Her earlier determination was being weakened by doubt. Could she really pull this off? When Brandon gave her the trunk last year, she swore that she would never use it. To her, the antics of the Children of the Night seemed foolish, like something out of a comic book. The training she received, however, was anything but foolish. May closed her eyes and allowed herself a few minutes to reflect.

For as long as she could remember, probably from the time she was five, May spent every summer at a very special school. It wasn't until much later that she began to question the training she received there. An old Chinese man whom everyone affectionately called Sifu Chang ran the school. When people were not feeling affectionate, they called him Lau Tō, which meant 'old man' - or more literally, 'old head'. There were no marks given, no credits earned, and no certificate of completion. It was not that kind of school. The main focus of the school was to teach young psions about their gifts, ensure that they never misused them and made sure that the psions could protect themselves if the need ever arose. Sifu Chang taught survival and self-defense skills in the form of martial arts. Some of the older students would tutor the younger ones about psion powers and the proper use of them. Brandon and Jared were a couple of the more senior psions at the school and would often take an active hand in the training as they got older. May had always suspected that they used the school as a way to scope out candidates for the Children of the Night. She also suspected that Sifu Chang knew about their activities, but for whatever reason chose to stay out of it. Instead, Sifu Chang spent most of his time teaching martial arts to the more physically inclined students. Some of the students, like Brandon, got very good. Good enough in fact, to compete in various tournaments around the world. However, in the ten or so summers that May attended the school, she never saw anyone get the best of Sifu Chang. He would take on any challenger, or challengers and soundly trounce anyone who dared to challenge him. Not even Brandon came close. This was an amazing accomplishment, considering that Sifu Chang was blind.

May opened her eyes and allowed herself a small smile. She could almost hear her old master criticizing her technique from this afternoon. Sifu Chang did not teach his students any formalized martial art. Instead, he taught something that he called the JKA style. Whenever asked what the initials JKA stood for, he would laugh heartily and say, "Just Kick Ass." He taught that it didn't really matter what you used, as long as it was effective. It was certainly not an original concept, but it worked for his students. The only thing that Sifu Chang did not like was flashy airborne type moves like the kick May had executed today. He claimed that if people were meant to fly, then wings would have been part of our evolution. Every time a student tried some aerial move they had seen in a movie, he would swat them out of the air like a fly. May loved the freedom of moving in mid-air like a dancer and would purposefully aggravate Sifu Chang by using airborne moves against her sparring partners, but she never used them when sparring against Sifu Chang himself. She was too smart for that!

May pulled out a midnight black outfit from the trunk. It was similar to the outfit that Michael wore last Friday except that unlike Michael's cheap imitation, this one was meant to be worn. It was made from a tough tear resistant fabric, and as she changed into it, it clung to her like a second skin and allowed her complete unrestricted movement. Next, she pulled out a black padded vest. The vest afforded her a certain degree of protection without constricting her movement. It wouldn't stop a bullet or a purposely thrust knife, but then again, she didn't plan on being a target. Soft leather gloves and boots completed the basic outfit. Next, she pulled out two black cylindrical rods. She pressed hidden buttons on both and they flicked open to about 20" in length each. She retracted both batons and slid them home into her boots. The next thing to come out was something that was made by her beloved cousin. Jared had taken a high-end paint ball pistol - the kind that used tiny air canisters instead of the more common bulky bottles - and converted it into something else. The air canister was mounted on the side of the gun and it was good for only about ten shots. That was fine because the modified magazine could only hold five tranquilizer rounds. May had asked Jared once why he went through all the trouble to make the gun when he could have purchased one on-line. Jared had explained that due to the tough gun policies in Canada, getting a firearm of any type was fairly tough. Then, he added with a sardonic grin that, mostly, he just liked to tinker. May strapped the holster to her waist and slid the gun home. It had an effective range of only about fifty feet, but May was pretty sure that she could outrun anyone with a fifty-foot head start. May reached into the trunk one last time and pulled out three objects. The first was simple black shoe polish. The second was a utility belt with several pouches. They contained, among other items, extra rounds and canisters for her tranquilizer gun. The last object was another modification of a regular item. This one, however, had Brandon written all over it. Brandon had taken an old hockey helmet and painted it black. Next, he mounted a swiveling hinge with a pair of night vision goggles attached. The goggles had cost a pretty penny at the army surplus store. The wearer could swivel the goggles up and down as needed. May took the shoe polish to her private bathroom and applied it to her face. She almost couldn't recognize the grim, blackened face staring back at her from the mirror as her own.

When she went back downstairs, no one looked surprised at her attire. Brandon took one look at her and said, "Looking good. How's the fit?"

May grimaced before answering. "Everything fits perfectly. Look, Brandon, just because I'm wearing the outfit you gave me doesn't mean I'm joining the Children of the Night."

"I understand," said Brandon. "Be careful, May. All you need to do is confirm if there is in fact a psion at the Demon's headquarters. Don't try to get any closer to Diablo. Once I recover, the Children of the Night will avenge Jared and wipe the streets with the Demons."

"I know," said May quietly. "Where is the headquarters?"

"On the second floor of a strip club called Filmore's, downtown." answered Brandon. “Do you know where it is?"

May shook her head. Edward stepped forward and said, "I know where it is. I can take you as close as you need."

May looked at her father incredulously. He looked abashed and said, "Hey, I only said I know where it is. I've never been in it!" He cleared his throat and jingled his keys meaningfully. "Come on, it should be sufficiently dark by the time we get there."

May turned to follow her father to the garage, but Brandon stopped her. "May, wait a second. There's something else you should know."

May paused and looked back at Brandon. His face was pale and he looked as if he were about to faint. "Something stopped the fight last night and chased away the Demons. I saw it."

"What was it?" asked May.

When Brandon next spoke, it was almost in a whisper. "I think it was an angel. It flew down from the sky and it took out the Demons just like that. I was still in shock but I swear I saw it glow blue in the night."

May was about to scoff at Brandon's words but something stopped her. She picked up on the emotion that was coming from Brandon. It was awe. "You think this was the angel in Jade's prophecy?"

In response, Brandon's head slumped forward. He had finally passed out. "I'll keep an eye out for it." said May quietly. She gave her mother a hug and headed for the garage. Edward popped open the trunk and May climbed in. Shrouded in darkness, May closed her eyes and meditated on her plan of action for tonight.