Grayson, Kellin, and Reyna walk back into the theatre. Grayson, with my gun. Kellin, with Reyna's crowbar. Reyna, my knife. They must've found the weapons that the killer took when they knocked us out and brought us here. 

"Where's Maren and Makai?" I ask, searching their faces for answers.

"Dead," Kellin answers, shooting lasers into the masked man's eyes. "Both of them."

"An eye for an eye," the killer chuckles. They walk past me and to Reyna. Using the tip of the knife, Ghostface harmlessly brushes a tear on the edge of Reyna's jawline away.

"Why don't you try to kill me?"

"Answers," Reyna growls. "I want some answers."

"Only if you hand me your weapons."

The three of them exchange glances before Reyna nods. Reluctantly, Grayson's hands the killer his gun. Kellin extends the crowbar their way, wanting as much distance between them as possible. But Ghostface doesn't collect my knife from Reyna. "What, the knife not good enough for you?" 

"I think a duel between us would be thrilling if you're up to it," the killer chuckles, laughter chortled and aggravated in the voice changer. "But for any of this to make sense,I suppose it's time for the grand reveal, yes?"

My heart pounds against my chest. Yes. Show me your face so when I escape, I can mutilate it accordingly.

Deliberately, the figure's fingers curl under the mask. Bit by bit, they pull it over theirhead. And once the mask is totally off, I'm totally speechless. This man that I'm lookingat...this creature who manipulated me, attacked my friends and I, and killed mymother...is my father. 

And the craziest thing: I'm not surprised. Just angry.

"You killed your own wife?" Kellin roars. "You slashed your own son?"

"With good motive," Ezio King assures.

"Why don't you untie me so we can settle this once and for all?" I yell, trying to hop out of my chair somehow.

"Can you set aside your hobby of abusing people for a moment so we can find out thereason we've all lost people?" Reyna snaps at me, cheeks hot and grip tight on the knife. 

 A flood of anguish takes over my body and suddenly, my murderous father isn't even here right now. The only thing I want to do is take back what I did, or steal Rey'smemories, or just find a way to make everything up to her. If I could just reach out and hold her hand...

"Alessa gave birth to two very premature twins," Ezio starts. "During a developmentalstage, their arteries stretched and ruptured rather than grew. Once they began bleedingout, they needed blood. The only problem was that they had the rarest blood type in theworld. Neither I nor Alessa had the type they needed, and we assumed a very distant ancestor gave the recessive trait of a cursed type. When they needed blood, no one was readily available to give it. They died on the table of my brother's office."

"We know that," I snap. "So you just broke and killed him?" 

"I wouldn't have if he had donated his blood," Ezio meticulously says, very calm withhow he goes about. "Our dearest Giovanni King had the blood type of AB negative, but hefound it unsafe to donate his own blood while performing a touchy procedure."

"Probably because he's not a braindead asshole like you are," I grumble, also very calmwith how I go about. Two can play at that game – after all, he's the one that gave me theability to do so.

"So I started to figure out what he valued the most," Ezio barrels on. "And that wasyou," he points to me and tips my chair back. "My flawed, demented, manipulating son." 

 "Your plan sucked," Desk Guy includes. "Giovanni wasn't here to witness any of this." 

"The plan quickly focused on Enzo when I realized that Giovanni wasn't the only onewho had the type. But you did, Enzo. We had you tested for the blood type right when youwere born and Giovanni replaced your test results with false ones because you didn't havethe ability to donate enough blood and he knew we'd take the risk anyway. Then I killedhim out of anger. I had to find him first, at his hideout of 4512. It was only after I realizedI didn't cause him pain that I started to put resentment on you. You, Enzo, were mystupid brother's greatest creation. He took the monster you are and masked you innormalcy. It was the best I could do to make you feel an incredible pain I felt at losing mytwins and having my brother betray my trust. Now, you know how it feels to betraysomeone you love, just like your uncle did...don't you?"

I feel a hot tear start to race down my cheek, but get caught in the gash my father left on my face. I remain silent. If I say anything...if I give in to the hollowness Ezio wants meto feel, then he wins and I lose. Ezio lowers himself next to my face before screeching:"Don't you?"

I stay silent, body numb and itching to move. I can't sit like this; I can't sit still and letthis bastard scold me for being born. I must've not even been a few months old for this tohappen to me. But I don't have a choice right now. I'm forced to be still as everythingaround me seems to be moving in violent motions. The only thing I have control of right now is myself. 

 "I might have been offended, Ezio," I seethe. "If your opinion mattered to me. But you were never a father to me – that was Uncle." 

 There's movement behind the trio of my friends and the door to the theatre slams shut. The three of them flinch at the sound. "Shit," Kellin whispers. "We forgot one thing..." 

 "They always come back," Maren growls, voice guttural and ferocious. "You think a few hits with a crowbar will do the trick?"

 "It worked with Freddie," Reyna answers, whirling around.

 "Maren," Ezio nonchalantly orders. "Do you mind taking our guests out the door?"

 "For what?" she snaps. I notice that her pupils don't respond to the light normally – it'slike she has head trauma or something. Her balance is unsteady and her stance wavers. She holds up a double-sided blade that has already been stained with blood. "For some fun?"

"Just get them out of my sight," Type/Ezio demands. "But leave Reyna. She is going to be my daughter-in-law...we have some family matters to settle here." 

"What if we don't want to leave?" Grayson inquires, lip quivering in fear despite his efforts to be brave.

Maren steps forwards and presses a blade to Kellin's neck. "I dare you, bitch," Kellin threatens, tilting her chin up.

"We'll be on our way," Grayson promises, grabbing Kellin by her wrist and pulling herback towards the door. "Come on, Kellin." 

Maren looks back at Ezio. "How long will you be?"

"Long enough," Ezio bites. "Now leave."