Retreat

Benjamin slowly opened his eyes. The place where Jackie had hit him felt like he had been hit by an iron fist.

He sat up and blinked. The area around him had been destroyed. Smoke rose from a smoldering crater in the distance. He tried to get up but found that his head was pounding.

He instead crawled over to Corey and shook him. Corey coughed, then sat up.

He had bruises on his face and looked like he had taken a beating. "What happened to you?" BenJamin asked, worried.

"Jackie's stronger than she looks," Corey replied, still coughing. Benjamin looked around again. In the distance, Benjamin saw a figure laying on the ground. He slowly walked over to it.

Upon reaching the figure, Benjamin realized it was Xavier. Benjamin shook Xavier.

Xavier groaned in pain. Benjamin and Corey began questioning Xavier about what happened. All Xavier could muster up the energy to say was "antimatter" Slowly Benjamin realized that Xavier was attacked.

He then realized that If Xavier had been attacked then maybe Velena was in danger as well. "Corey, go find the others," Benjamin said, fear thick in his voice, "I'll go find Velena." Corey nodded and stood up. He opened a portal to the city center to find Evan and Lennox. Benjamin ran through the destroyed city streets, praying that Velena was okay.

He then saw the red, rubbery flesh that had attacked Velena and Jackie. Fearing the worst when he reached the military outpost, all he could do was stare at the huge mass of flesh that had covered the outpost. Two creatures lept from behind barricades at him.

Benjamin slashed at them both with his sword, Broken War. They immediately began to decay until they turned into nothing but bones. Benjamin caught a glint of something in the remains. It was a keychain belonging to a soldier at the outpost. He shivered, now uncertain of what he'd find here.

He reached the main building and radio tower, both of which had been completely assimilated by the red mass. He stepped inside, Broken War drawn.

Looking around several creatures jumped out to attack him. Bellowing "Arise," Benjamin summoned the two creatures he had killed earlier.

They burst into the room distracting the creatures attacking Benjamin. He looked around for an escape. Seeing the hole in the ceiling Benjamin made his way around the battling creatures.

He hoisted himself up onto the roof of the building. Velena was lying unconscious. Benjamin rushed over to him, panicking. He shook him awake.

"Velena", he yelled, "Velena!" Velena opened his eyes and began to sit up. "Oh thank god," Benjamin said, a wave of relief crashing over him.

He hugged Velena as the creatures below them screamed. Benjamin picked up Velena and ran as fast as he could away from the outpost.

    Corey and Xavier had so far found Evan, Lennox, Isaiah, and Miles. The six of them sat inside the remains of the city center. Lennox asked, "What the heck was that thing?" "I don't know," Isaiah replied solemnly. All of them were nursing injuries.

Isaiah was clutching his ribs which had burn marks on them. "What do they want," Miles asked. "All we know is that they have been setting up charges all over the city," Isaiah replied.

"Honestly I'm still confused as to why they're bringing that machine here." Xavier thought and then said, "The way they were just sitting there behind the fabric of reality, it's almost as though they were already trying to get into our reality." They all looked at each other, troubled. "We won't know until we can get our hands on some concrete evidence, however," Isaiah said coolly, trying to diffuse the situation.

"I don't know Isaiah," Xavier said. "That creepy Jackie clone asked if I liked watching realities burn." Isaiah thought for a second. "If you're saying that they want to destroy our reality then I'm worried.

We might not have the power to stop them." "Cut the crap Isaiah," Evan said. Evan, who had been unusually quiet the entire time said, "We'll take the fight to them and beat their asses.

They'll never get the chance to destroy our reality." They all looked at Evan with skeptical looks on their faces. "Where's Benjamin," Corey asked, worried. "He should have returned with Velena and Jackie by now."

"I'm sure they're fine Corey," Miles said, the worry still evident in his tone. They all looked out at the horizon, scanning for any sign of Benjamin, Jackie, or Velena.

    Benjamin stopped running to catch his breath. He scanned the horizon still holding Velena. There, under a light pole, was Jackie.

She was awake but nursing a head injury. Benjamin called her name and ran over to her. "Jackie," he said upon arrival, "are you okay." "I'm fine," she replied, "my head just hurts." Benjamin gently set Velena down. "What happened to you," Benjamin asked. "We were attacked by some kind of red flesh that Velena couldn't control," Jackie replied.

Benjamin nodded and swallowed hard. Maybe that's why she won't wake up, he thought to himself. He began tending to his wounds when he got the idea to contact Corey.

Picking up a piece of glass from the shattered light above them he spoke Corey's name into it. Almost immediately he got a response. "Benjamin!" Corey said, overjoyed to see his friend again.

"Where are you?" Corey asked. Benjamin replied, "Somewhere North of the military outpost, you?" Corey answered, "I'm at the city center with everybody else." "Is everyone ok?" Benjamin asked worriedly. "Everyones fine," Corey replied.

Corey then turned the mirror to show everyone else who either nodded or waved. Benjamin breathed a sigh of relief and said, "We'll be there as soon as we can. The only problem is Velena won't wake up and it'll take too long for me to carry her all the way there. Corey thought and then said, "Try to create a solid surface with a glass of some kind big enough to fit you. Then I can portal you here."

Benjamin nodded and put the piece of glass down. He and Jackie started arranging the glass together like a puzzle until they had one large piece. "Alright, we're ready," Benjamin said.

Corey nodded and opened the portal. Through the glass was another dimension. Jackie jumped through first. Benjamin picked up Velena, inhaled deeply, and stepped through.