Persona - Mask of Origins

"Eventually. It's a slow process."

 

He shivered, the whispers were starting to bother him. "Is that it?" Glancing around, he tried to find the source of the whispers. Nicholi was dead, according to his father. Zero whispered back to the whispers, "Nicholi...where are you?"

 

"Come on, let's get out of here."

 

Reluctantly, Zero followed him, "O-okay..." Staring back into the other rooms, he could've sworn he saw Nicholi. His need for his brother forced him to stop and turn back around, dashing off after a shadow, "Nicholi! Wait!"

 

Toji went after him.

 

The figure stopped in a darkened corner of a room and Zero slowly moved toward it, "Nicholi, come on out of there. There's nothing to be afraid of little brother. It's me, Zero. Remember?"

"Tressssspasssserssss....!" a barely distinguishable voice hissed from the corner and Zero edged closer, greeted with another hiss. "Stop hissing at me, brother. I could kick your **s for that."

 

"That's your brother, Zain?"

 

Zero frowned, he was still staring into the darkness, trying to see the face, "I'm not sure. His voice sounds....somewhat similar to what I remember. Oh, when I was first recreated, I saw my brother. He still looked human to me, but then I heard a baby crying. I've no idea what my brother really sounds like or what he looks like as we both actually died inside mother. But since being recreated...I feel that this person is my brother Nicholi."

The voice hissed at them again, "Go away...! I don't want to sssssee you!" Zero growled, stepping closer to the darkness, "Nicholi, this is no time to be foolish!"

 

Toji stood back, keeping his eye out for any guards.

 

Growing impatient with the supposed Nicholi, Zero reached into the darkness and grabbed what felt like an arm and pulled him into the light. Zero immediately dropped the arm and stared at his brother. Nicholi was deathly pale with silver hair and blood red eyes that dripped blood as if he were crying blood. His lips cracked with a snake-like tongue flicking in and out of his mouth, "Sssssalaud!" Zero looked up for a second, "Is that french? When...you speak french little brother?" Nicholi covered his pale face with equally pale hands. Showing them nearly every vein visible against his skin. He wore a thin white t-shirt and white pants, like those of a mental patient's.

 

Toji looked like he was going to be sick.

 

Zero swallowed back bile that rose in his throat, "Brother....Father said...he told me he killed you." Nicholi trembled, still sheilding his face. He peaked out between his fingers at Toji's horrified expression and let out an anguished cry. "Don't! Don't look at me!" he backed into the darkness where he could hide and answered a bit calmer, "Father....he killed one of the failuresss. He kept making me! I don't undersssstand! Why would the doctor make more of me! I'm disssgussssting! Hideoussss! Don't lookit me!"

 

"I see now. Father is trying to mass produce shadows as weapons."

 

Zero lowered his gaze to the floor, "I could'a told you that. It's the reason I was made the way I am. Purely weapon. All I know is how to fight. Being civil isn't...something that comes naturally to me. But...Nicholi...what weapon is there in him?" Nicholi seemed to be simply whimpering in the corner, hiding from them.

 

"There's no telling. Whatever the case, we may have to dispose of him."

 

Zero stepped in front of Nicholi, glaring at Toji, "Dispose of my brother?! No, I can't let you do that! He's...he's family, recreated or not, he's family." One of Nicholi's pale, veined hands came out from the darkness and gripped Zero's shoulder, "Why do you defend me? Zero...you know jussst asss well assss I do that father will not accept me like thissss. I'm a creature that should be put out of it'ssss misssary." Zero growled, lightly touching his hand, "No. I don't believe that. C'mon out of there brother. Let me see you again. It's been so long since I've seen your face." Hesitantly, Nicholi stepped out of the darkness, his eyes closed, but blood still leaked from his eyes.

 

"Do what you want, then. If he gets hostile though, then I'm disposing of him."

 

Zero nodded, like the good soldier he was and tugged his brother toward the exit, "C'mon Nicholi. We're getting you out of here. You can prove to father that you're not useless. You're a good boy, Nick." Nicholi let him pull him toward the exit, "But the doctor...he'll get mad if I jusssst leave like thisss." Zero snarled, "He won't miss you." To anyone else it would've seemed that Zero was more weapon than Nicholi.

 

"Trust me, the doctor will be fine without you."

 

Pulling Nicholi outside, Zero sighed in relief, "I hate that place."

"You should. It was the place they recreated you and killed your mother." Callen leaned against the fence, he looked pissed. "Why did you choose to escort Toji here Zero?" Before Zero could answer Nicholi peaked out from behind Zero's shoulder, "Father....hi." Callen jumped and shivered, "You are not my son."