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The Southwind Community centre was overflowing with life, as sleepy-eyed residents huddled up inside its brick walls, trying desperately to wait out the chaos which raged throughout the city, in hopes that their small pocket of Santa Somabra would miraculously remained untouched. 

Men women and children, carrying what little they’d been able to scavenged from their apartments, were pressed together in a claustrophobic nightmare, distracting themselves from the horrors of reality with half-hearted attempts at small talk. 

At about five minutes past midnight, Persephone's baby sister woke up and started crying. 

“Someone shut that thing up!” Bellowed a heavily-tattooed man from across the hall, shooting Persephone the mother of all seething looks. 

“Shhhh now, come on.” she cooed, gently bouncing the baby up and down and pressing it against her chest as she tried hopelessly to calm her little sister.

Nethertheless, it kept screaming.

“I said, shut it up!” The man roared, slamming his fist against a wall.
 
A few of the other refugees gave Persephone sympathetic looks, but no one seemed to want to speak up in her defense. Most just stared awkwardly at the ground, trying not to make eye -contact.

“Please, Prina,” Persephone pleased with her baby sister “please, stop it.” 

“That fucking does it!” 

The man was up in an instant, pushing his way through the crowd and storming over to Persephone. He grabbed her by the scruff of her neck, lurching her up off of her feet in a brutal display of strength. In that frantic burst of movement, she nearly dropped Prina.

“Listen here, you little cunt-” 

“Let her go, asshole.” 

The giant man turned, spinning to face the olive skinned figure who had emerged from the crowd.

“You wanna play the hero, little man?” The brute sneered, slowly letting go of Persephone. 

“Someone has to.” Agent Voss said with a shrug. 

“Alright then, lets-” 

[b]*CLICK* [/b]

All the colour drained from the big man’s face, as Voss reached into his jacket pocket, and pulled out a 44 magnum, cocking back the hammer with the press of his thumb.

“You were saying?” He raised an eyebrow.

“P-please, man,” The big man stammered “I just,” 

“Shut up, and sit down,” Voss instructed him “You so much as sneeze, and I’ll put a hole through your head.” 

The big man went stomping off back into the corner, whilst Voss moved calmly towards Persephone and her sister.

He ran one hand over the baby's forehead, the air crackled with a blue hue, and then she went straight back to sleep. 

“Thank you,” Persephone said, teary-eyed “Thank you so much.” 

“You can thank me by handing over your key.” Voss said coldly.

Persephone’s heart sank into her chest. 

“Please, you know I-” 

“That shit that’s happening out there,” Voss lowered his voice to a soft hiss, pointing one arm at the door “that’s because of you people. You’ve brought the Lich here, and he won’t quit fucking shit up until he has the keys.” 

Voss holstered his hand cannon, slipping it back inside his suit jacket.  

“I can do a much better job of keeping it out of his hands then you can.” He said firmly “Now. GIVE. ME. THE. KEY.”