Fear Itself

  # # #

  Deadguy walked for what felt like forever until he found himself on familiar terrain. “Hey, I'm about a mile from work,” he remarked. He started walking until he saw smoke coming from a place he really didn't want to see smoke coming from. He ran to the source of the smoke to find the Office of the Professional Heroes in flames. The bodies of Kiri and a strange woman in a black cloak laid in the parking lot. Further ahead, towards the entrance, Jill was laying face down. “Jill,” he exclaimed, rushing to her side. He cradled her in his arms.

  She slowly opened her eyes. “Deadguy,” she asked weakly.

  “Yeah, it's me,” Our Hero answered.

  “Were have you been?”

  “I was...we were in that place. With the doors, remember?”

  “That was months ago,” Jill wheezed. “We thought we lost you after...” He voice started to fade off as she closed her eyes.

  “Jill? Jill! Don't go out on me,” DG pleaded. “Who did this,” he questioned, trying to shake her awake. He was suddenly grabbed and thrown across the parking lot. He rolled into a kneeling position. A pale bald man clad in all black with black sunglasses walked out of the blaze. “Who the hell are you,” he growled.

  “You do not remember me,” the man's voice boomed. “That will lead to your friend's demise.”

  Kiri's heart was racing as she narrowly avoided the attacks of her former clan. They were faster than she remembered. Each move, each blade swipe, each strike drew closer to her. Harder to miss.

  “What the hell,” she asked as she dodged a knife to the eye. 'When did they get faster?' She stopped thinking and just let instinct take over. Fluid motions evaded the attackers. One lashed out. She grabbed his arm, breaking it in one pull, then snatched the dagger before it even left his hand. With a lighting quick spin, she slammed the blade into his side.

  One of the other attackers went for her, but was met with a palm to the nose. The force shoved the nasal bone directly into his brain, killing him instantly. The third combatant tried to attack from behind, but Kiri launched her elbow into the attacker's throat.

  The attacker tried to breath, but Kiri was too quick, grabbing the head and snapping the neck. Kiri's mind refocused just as she saw Jill's body fall to the floor. “B-boss,” she stammered. She looked around. Deadguy's body laid out, blood streaming from his nose. Valkadaidan was crumpled with his sword stabbing through his midsection.

  “No,” she whimpered, tears starting to stream down her face. She ran to Deadguy's body. “I know you can't die,” she pleaded, shaking him. “Wake up. Wake up, damn it!” She started to cry. “Please...”

  Jill groped around the object that she had rammed into. It wasn't a stone pillar, but a human. Or at least human-shaped. It felt cold. “Okay, focus,” she said to herself. “Fear can be rationalized. There is nothing wrong with being afraid, as long as you don't let it control you.”

  “Is that so,” Valkadaidan growled. The figure turned to face Jill. It was Valkadaidan, but his skin was covered in dragon scales. His eyes burned a deep red. “Then why did you lead all of us to our demise?”

  “What? I didn't-”

  “Kiri was the first to die,” he continued, cutting her off. “Deadguy is lost. It took the destruction of my humanity to just get out alive. You failed us.”

  “Yes, that's what I was afraid of,” she said softly with downcast eyes. She looked back up to this visage of Valkadaidan. The sum of her fears. “Was. But I know for a fact that my team will pull through this. And I also know that Valkadaidan would never blame me for it if it did happen.”

  The image of Valkadaidan shifted. In his place stood her mother. “Your team,” she stated. “It's always been about you, hasn't it? You never cared anything about this family or all that we have done for you.”

  Jill was taken back. “Okay. Wasn't ready for this yet.”

  Valkadaidan came out to find he was back in the Office of the Professional Heroes. The others were sitting at their desks. It was strangely quiet. The smell of blood filled his nose. He rushed to Jill's desk, only to find her throat slashed open. He looked over. Kiri had met with a similar fate. He glanced towards Deadguy, only to see that his head had been removed from his body.

  His mind and senses went into overdrive. Who did this? Why couldn't he pick up the scent? Was he the only one in that nightmare realm? He heard a familiar voice cackling. He turned to see a man with long, wild white hair standing at the entrance, laughing at him.

  “Shin,” he roared. “What have you done?”

  Shin continued to laugh as he bolted out the door. Valkadaidan attempted to follow, but ended up running back into the darkness.