Lights

"Why?"

I hear Claire say softly.

"What do you mean?"

I ask and stand up, before looking around Lightland and see Claire.

"River..... I don't know if I can bring you back this time."

She says with a sad voice.

"Is Sydney safe?"

I ask and look at her.

"What? You need to focus on yourself."

She says and looks at me confused.

"Is she safe?"

I ask again.

"Yes... They're back at the house."

She says and looks at me.

"Jakes trying to save you."

"Can you let me talk to him?"

I ask and look at her.

"I suppose, but why?"

She asks and looks at me.

"Just do it."

I say and close my eyes.

"WOAH!! River?"

I hear Jake's voice and I open my eyes.

"Jake, stop trying to save me."

I say and look at him.

"No... Are you crazy?"

He asks and looks at me.

"No, but you need to leave and go protect the girls."

I say and look into his eyes.

"No.... You made a promise and I'm not letting you break it."

He says and looks back, before stepping forward and getting in my face.

"I'm not worth it, go save them."

I say and look at him.

"River, don't say that again."

He says and turns around.

"I'm not, go save them."

I say and step forward.

"BOOM."

I see stars as he right hooks me.

"YOU'RE NOT DYING."

He yells and picks me up.

"Jake, stop."

I say sputtering blood.

"ARE YOU REALLY GONNA GIVE UP AND LEAVE HER?"

He knees me in the stomach, before throwing me face first into the ground.

"No."

I say and feel internal bleeding.

"GET UP AND FIGHT."

He yells, before kicking me across the void.

I slowly get up and look at him.

"If you're not gonna let me leave, then I'll force you out."

He yells and charges me, before spearing me to the ground.

He grabs my neck.

"I'm sorry, Boss."

He says, before snapping my neck.

"WOAH!"

I yell as I wake up in Lightland.

"That went well."

She says and looks at me.

"Can you help Jake save me?"

I ask and look at her.

"I might could, but if I leave you then you die.

I'm your life support right now."

She says and looks at me.

"Do it."

I say and close my eyes.

"Do you not understand what I just said?"

She asks me like I'm stupid.

"I'm dead anyway, if you don't do this."

I say coldly and look into her eyes.

"You have to fight, or this is gonna be useless."

She says.

"Don't worry. I will."

I say and look at her.

"Ok, bye."

She says, then everything goes black.

I can hazily see Jake, but it's kinda just bits and pieces.

"WHAT DO I HAVE TO DO?"

I hear Jake yell, as he tries healing the wound.

"WHAT? LET YOU TAKE OVER?"

He yells confused, then everything goes black...

I come back slowly and see Jake standing a few feet away.

"HANG ON BOSS."

He yells, then I watch as he starts to glow a bright white.

"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH."

He roars as it looks like he's cooked alive, then I black out again...

I wake up slowly and can feel that this is the last time, but I try and hang on as I watch a glowing white Jake approach.

"River, close your eyes."

I hear Claire's voice through Jake's body.

I close my eyes, before feeling Jake's hands on my head.....

I feel an immense power flow through me, and it's almost like I'm in pure bliss.

It's so hard to explain, but I could feel the wound heal.

It healed like nothing was ever there, and my organs were all fixed.

"Open."

I hear her voice.

I open my eyes and look at Jake, but it's Claire inside of Jake.

"How?"

I ask and stand up slowly.

"Pure Light.

Now, take Jake home and keep him in bed. He'll need time to self repair."

She says sadly.

"What do you mean?"

I ask and walk towards her.

"I took over Jake and by doing so it broke Jake. Physically, mentally, and spiritually.

He needs time to self repair and no-one else can do it."

She looks at me.

"I can't help him at all? Will he even make it?"

I ask and look away.

"I don't know, but he knew what this entailed when I did it. He chose to anyway."

She says softly.

I nod and look at her.

"I need to leave so I don't damage him anymore. I don't know how bad it is, but be ready for him maybe not able to walk."

She says and looks me in the eyes.

I nod again, then watch her.

"Bye, River."

She says sadly, then Jake's body goes limp and he crumples.....

"JAKE... JAKE."

I run up and start smacking his face softly.

"WAKE UP."

I say louder.

He gasps and swings.

I duck under the punch and grab his shirt.

"JAKE, IT'S RIVER."

I yell and hold his shirt, while looking into his hazy, confused eyes.

"Boss?"

He says softly.

"Yeah man, it's me."

I let out the breath I didn't realize I'd been holding, then stand up and help him to his feet.

"She... She saved you?"

He says and looks around.

"No... You did."

I say and pat his back.

"Do you need any help walking?"

I ask and look at him, but he seems pretty sturdy.

"I feel great actually."

He says and looks at me smiling.

"Good."

I say and pat his back again with a smile.

"RIVER!!"

I hear Claire's voice in my head.

"Yeah?"

I say back.

"You have to take your mom's void and fully destroy the body."

She says.

"What are you talking about?

I did fully destroy the body, that's why I can't take her void."

I say back confused.

"No, your eyes played a trick on you from the light.

You thought she was fully evaporated, but she was actually blasted back.

She's laying in a cell, dead, but The Darkness could bring her back again.

And you need to even out the amount of Pure Void in your body."

She says hurriedly.

"Ok... Ok... I get it."

I say in my head.

"Jake, keep me cover."

I say aloud and turn around.

"Yes sir."

He says and turns to the door, then scans the room.

I walk to a cell and see that the bars are broken inwards, then I step in and see my mom laying there.

No life. No emotion.

Nothing left.

Just dead.

I walk up and change my arm into a blade, before jamming it into her chest.

The effect is instant...

"RAHHHHHHHHHHHHHH."

I lean my head back and roar, as I'm filled with Pure Dark.

It feels so good that it's making me want to kill more....

I stand up and look down at my mom's body, but I feel no sadness or grief.

Even as I raise my hands and disintegrate the body, I can't feel anything but happiness.

Because I know that I've ridden one of a thousand new evil soldiers.

"You think you're any better than her?"

I hear The Darkness's voice in my head, as I look down at the ashes of my mom's body.

"No."

I say coldly, then reach over and grab a plastic bottle.

"Why kill her then? She was still your mother."

He says with a smile that I can hear in his voice.

"No, she wasn't my mother."

I say and lean down, then start scooping up ashes.

"What are you doing?"

He asks confused.

"I made a promise to my mom, but that's none of your damn business."

I say and fill the bottle up about halfway.

"You Betas are pathetic."

He says laughing.

"Says the person who uses pawns to fight.

Don't get me wrong, it's a good strategy.

A true leader fights his own battles though."

I say and put the top on it, then slide it into my pocket.

"A true leader? Is that what you're calling yourself."

He says with a snarl in his voice.

"No, I'm not a leader."

I say and look around.

"I know, that's why I'm always gonna be stronger."

He says again.

"You're stronger, but you have to use my own mother to try and kill me."

I laugh slightly.

"I can't wait to kill you."

I say laughing.

"You still think you can?"

He says with a smart tone.

"If I couldn't, then you wouldn't be hiding and stalling."

I say with a smile.

"I'm not hiding or stalling."

He says defensively.

"Ok, keep lying to yourself.

Get out of my head, or I'm forcing you out."

I say coldly.

"Fine, I'm gone.

Maybe one day you'll come to your senses, but maybe it'll just require taking something else....."

He says wickedly.

"Come near Sydney and I promise you'll see true Darkness."

I say snarling, as my hand clenches into a fist.

"We'll see."

He says happily.

"I warned you, I just hope you warn whoever you send."

I say coldly.

Silence.

"Boss? You ok?"

I hear Jake's voice behind me.

"Yeah, I'm good. Is everything good?"

I ask and look at him.

"Yeah, but I've been thinking about something."

He says and looks up at the lights.

"Yeah?"

I ask and walk out of the cell.

"We were hit with an EMP, right?"

He asks and looks at me.

"Right."

I say and look at him confused.

"How do they have lights?

I know this isn't a giant faraday cage, because I've already checked."

He says and points up.

"Good point."

I say and look around.

"What's the only thing that could do this?"

He asks and looks at me.

"An Alpha."

I say simply.

"Exactly."

He says and looks at me.

"We didn't encounter an Alpha with electricity powers."

I say and look at him.

"YEAH, BECAUSE I'VE WAITED FOR MY MOMENT."

I hear a voice boom from all around us.

"Shit."

I hear Jake say, as he starts looking around.

"Back to back."

I say and turn around.

Jake follows suit and puts his back to mine, as we move to the middle of the room.

"You won't find me."

The voice says again.

"Boss, how do we handle this?"

Jake asks quietly.

"Just wait."

I say and look around.

"You shouldn't have questioned the lights."

The voice says again, then I watch in front of me as a figure forms.

It's coming out of the lights, but it's being formed by electricity.

"Jake, my side."

I say and back up slightly.

Jake spins and faces my direction, before his mouth drops slightly.

The figure forms and it's a college guy.

White, like 5'11, 150 lbs, and kinda nerdy.

"Nobody will ever bully me again."

He yells then his palms go up, before current shoots from his hands.

I tackle Jake as the first line flies by us.

"Boss, I'm not liking this."

He says as I roll off and we get to our feet.

"Just be smart and ready."

I say and look at him.

"Yes sir."

He says and watches the guy.

"HEY. WE'RE NOT TRYING TO HURT OR BULLY YOU."

I yell and walk towards him.

"I KNOW. I'M TRYING TO HURT YOU."

He yells and his hands go up.

I drop my hands and let my tendrils carry me into the air, then move around the line of electricity.

"STOP OR YOU DIE."

I yell from above and look down at him.

"FUNNY."

He yells and moves his hand, so the stream of current moves towards me.

I use my right hand to raise my right side, then basically barrel roll.

I flip in the air before putting my hand back down and catching myself.

"BOOM."

Echoes around the room, as Jake football tackles him.

"Silly brute."

He says as they fly into the wall.

I watch as he begins to radiate electricity.

"AHHHHHHHHHHHHH."

Jake screams as he begins getting cooked, but he can't get away because he wrapped his arms around him.

I reach up and use one tendril to hook onto the ceiling, then use my other to grab Jake's ankle and rip him away...

The shock goes through my tendril and I feel it, but it's almost as if the electricity feels good.

"Awwww, guess you're not as strong as you thought."

He says with a snarky smile, as he raises his hands to me.

I swing and let go, then use the momentum to keep going.

"It actually worked!!! I yell and keep swinging, then look down.

"This is fun."

He yells and tries to hit me again.

I swing over the stream, then let go and fall as it disappears.

As I fall I put my hands down, then use my tendrils to launch me forward....

"BOOOM."

Is the sound it makes when we slam into the wall, and put a dent in it.

"RAHHHHHHH."

I roar and right hook him, before boot kicking him in the chest.

I swing again, but he grabs my arm and I feel a burn.

"AHHHHHHHHHHHHH."

My powers fade away.

"Oh yeah, did I forget to mention that I'm the genius behind the chips?"

He says with a laugh, before kicking me ten feet across the room.

"Smart move."

I say through a gasp as I try to get air back in my lungs.

"I told you, I'm a genius."

He says and walks towards me.

"You look like a scrawny, little bitch."

I say with a smile as I stand up.

"FUCK YOU."

He yells and punches me in the face.

"There ya go.... Let that rage out..... But you were too scared to with the bullies."

I say laughing and stand up again, before spitting out blood.

"RAHHH."

He roars and swings again.

I duck and uppercut him, before grabbing his head and kneeing him in the face.

"AHHH!!"

He yells and looks at me with a bloody nose.

"COME ON BOY. GET MAD."

I yell with a smile and ready myself, then I look behind him at the door.

I see Rachel standing there.....

"RAHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!"

He roars and charges me, but he's fighting with blind rage now.

I duck and sweep his legs, then watch as he crashes to his face.

"I'M DONE PLAYING GAMES!!"

He yells and gets up.

"Bet you've never said that before."

I say laughing.

He turns around and puts his hands up, then I watch as electricity grabs me.....

"AHHHHHHHHH!!"

I scream as I feel it course through me, and I begin getting cooked.

"NOW."

Rachel already knows what she has to do.

She raises her hands, then watched as the water from every sink and toilet comes out.

She pushes her palms to the middle of the room, then soaks the electricity guy.

Using the water as a conductor, so he cooks himself...

I fall to the ground as the stream of current is blocked, then I watch as he cooks himself and is shocked to death.

"RIVER!"

She runs up and grabs my face.

"I'm ok, just go to the bathroom and break the mirror or I'm dead."

I say and feel my insides still burning, because I can't

self-heal.

"Ok... Ok."

She runs to a cell, then I hear a mirror break.

I hear her as she approaches, but I can feel my body shutting down.

"RIVER!!!"

She yells and smacks me.

"CUT THE BRAND OFF."

I yell and raise my arm, then black out.

"AHHHHHH."

Rachel screams and takes the shard of glass, then drags it down my wrist.

She watches as the skin peels back from my arm, then she fully cuts it off and throws it....

I open my eyes, as my body started healing.

"SHIIIIIIT!!!"

I say and look down at my arm.

"Go help Jake."

I say and lean back.

"Yes sir."

She says and I hear her run over to her.

I get up slowly and look at the body, then I feel the thirst for blood kick in.

I pounce onto the body of the electric man, then change my hand into a blade and jam it into his heart.

"YESSSSSSSSSS."

I say in my head as I feel the compatible void be taken, then I feel the spark inside of me.

All of the void that I've taken is finally kicking in, and I feel GREAT.

I stand up and look at the lights, before raising my hands and thinking about extracting the electricity....

Lines of current shoot down to my hands, then everything starts going dark.

As I drain any electricity he ever gave this building.

"RAHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!"

I lean my head back and roar, as I'm filled with electricity.

"BOSS!!"

Jake yells.

I lean my head forward and open my eyes before stopping.

"Yes?"

I say and look at him.

"Are you ok?"

He asks and looks at me confused.

"I'm great."

I say and smile, then open my palm and watch a ball of electricity form.

"Woah... That'll come in handy."

He says and stares in amazement with Rachel.

"Let's go.... I have to let Sydney know I didn't break my promise."

I say and close my hand, then take off walking towards the door.