CHAPTER/two: SHATTERED/revival

They stand around him, ghosts of his life. A life he left behind, a life he gave up, a life he never wanted to remember again. Emir Parkreiner gazed over all of them, still in disbelief. He sat in a bar stool, his golden revolver and silenced handgun laying on the bar counter, just barely out of his immediate reach. All seven of the faces he once wore were staring at him.

There was Kaede, the lone female. Brown haired with pale skin, she wears a white dress splattered with her own blood, a reminder of her cowardice after running from Emir. Coyote was leaning against a wall. The badass Hispanic street punk with jet black semi-curly hair with a modified revolver and knack for getting though even the most complex locks. Con was lying on the floor, and even though he was blind, Emir could feel him staring straight at him. His red bandana covered his eyes and he was twirling his automatic pistols, one in each hand. Dan, the 'Hellion', was sitting in a bar stool next to Emir, dressed in his classic blue suit and holding his Demon Gun revolver over his shoulder. Mask de Smith, the muscular masked wrestler, was leaning against a pool table in the back, tinkering with his dual grenade launchers. Emir almost forgot about Kevin, the silent shirtless albino. He was standing behind the bar, messing with the empty cups. His black sunglasses reflected what little light was in the bar, and Emir knew his signature throwing knives were stashed somewhere.

And of course, there was Harman Smith. Sitting in his wheelchair, staring silently at Emir.

"You explain what the fuck is going on." Emir demanded, facing Harman. "I killed all of you once, and then got rid of your fucking ghosts from my body. That should have been it."

"Garcian, you are-" Harman began.

"Fuck you, I'm Emir Parkreiner." The African American man interrupted with a stern voice.

"On the contrary – you are Garcian Smith, just as before. Look at your clothes." Harman calmly said, pointing at Emir's body. Emir glanced down to find the black suit was now white, just as it had been during his time with the Smiths.

"Wait, no. NO! I'm not a fucking Smith. I'm not with you anymore! I'M EMIR-FUCKING-PARKREINER!" Garcian yelled out, standing up.

"Oh shut the hell up, you pussy." Dan exclaimed, pointing his gun at Garcian's head. Garcian turned to face him, starting to sweat.

"Go ahead – fire. Pull the fucking trigger. It won't do a damn thing. You're DEAD!" Garcian yelled, moving his head closer to the barrel. "You're not real, you're ME!"

"I don't who is more annoying, him…or you, Dan." Con said with a smirk.

"Oh shut the hell up, punk." Dan announced to Con, and then grinned at Garcian. "You want me to shoot? Fine." His eyes lit up as he pulled the trigger of the revolver, sending a bullet streaming through the air directly towards Garcian's head. Garcian made a split-second move and dodged the bullet, but the projectile grazed him on the cheek, taking a chunk of skin with it. He fell to the floor. Dan got up and stood over him, returning the gun behind his head. "Still think you're invincible, shithead?" Dan mocked.

'How-? That's impossible!" Garcian cried out as he got back on his feet. He felt his cheek to find that there was indeed blood seeping from the minor wound.

"Garcian, stop being so rash." Harman spoke, wheeling towards him. "We are not part of you anymore. You killed us and in turn, adopted our identities as your own. After your rebirth to Emir, we remained dormant inside you. We haven't merely dissipated. We are free spirits, but are still bound to one entity…you. We cannot go where you do not."

"But…I killed you…all of you. Back at the Hotel. I assumed your identities…" Garcian said, trying to wrap his head around the events.

"Yes, you did. You developed disassociative identity disorder. But you were able to become us because we still lived inside you. We never really died, Garcian. When you made the decision as Emir to try and kill yourself, creating Garcian Smith, all our energies, our personas, were tethered to you in that one moment. We have willingly manifested now, because your new reformation as Emir has purged us from your body finally. We are not physical, per se, but because of the weapons of ours you kept, we can use them." Harman explained.

"So…you're all just like Mills…" Garcian muttered.

"Yes, we are like Christopher in that regard. You carry us with you, but we can physically manifest. You can destroy us, but we will become re-absorbed into your being. You can't truly get rid of us. Not that easily, at least." Harman told Garcian. Con yawned.

"So I'm back to being Garcian, cleaner of the Killer7?" Garcian wondered. He didn't really want to know the answer.

"Sí, amigo." Mask chimed.

"I hate it as much as you, buddy." Dan commented.

"Goddammit, why can't you all just LEAVE ME ALONE?" Garcian cried out.

"Because you killed us, jackass." Coyote said, an annoyed tone in his voice.

"We will always haunt you, Garcian. It is your burden." Harman calmly told him. "And now, we must interfere in the world's events again. You have caused a chain of destruction. One that we have to stop."

"Fuck off. I'm done being a pawn." Garcian shot at Harman. "It doesn't matter if you keep haunting me, or you kill me. I'm done being used. I'm done doing shit for other people."

"Good enough for me, can we shoot him now?" Dan asked, prepping his Demon Gun.

"Garcian…I have the power to make sure you never see any of us again. If you do this, work with the Killer7 once again, I can tell you that we will be gone for good." Harman said.

"How? How the fuck can you do that? You just said you were all tethered to me." Garcian asked in disbelief.

"Garcian, I am your mentor. I trained you to become the killer you are today. I possess more power than any other personality within you. I have the ability to dispel our residence in your soul." Harman offered.

"God damn it." Garcian sighed. He put his head in his hands, then stared straight at Harman. "If you get the fuck out after this shit is over, I'll help you. I won't like it, but I'll help you."

"It's a deal." Harman declared. All of a sudden, the Killer7 members burst into white fragments and rushed into Garcian, being absorbed into his body. Harman stayed behind. "Now Garcian, like most other missions, this one starts with a politician…" He grimly started, smirking a little.