[center][img]http://i.imgur.com/yKiyn0i.png[/img][/center] [center][img]http://i.imgur.com/ead8BTk.png?1[/img][/center] [i]They’re stalling. We need to end this now before Diplodoc can do whatever it is he’s intending to do.[/i] Lyger thought to himself just as the Silver Sorceress caught his eye. She was again chanting, while focusing on a small ball of energy. “Oh, no you don’t.” Lyger said under his breath as he made a straight line for her. However, as he got closer to her, he was suddenly bathed in a bright white light. The light was so intense that it caused a searing pain in his eyes, and when the light passed, he couldn’t see, at least momentarily. When his eyes cleared from the sudden illumination, he knew something was wrong. He was no longer in West Virginia battling against the Pax Metahumana terrorists, he was instead back in Lost Haven. To his astonishment, he was in his civilian clothes, yet that wasn’t what took him by surprise. It was exactly where in Lost Haven he was. He found himself walking down a lonely side street that he had traveled down numerous times. [i]I know this street.[/i] Kyle thought to himself as he realized that he was not alone. “Yeah dude, you’re like my brother and I love you, but you’re a fucking mess. You need to figure out what it is you want.” He paused, before adding. “Both of you.” [i]No, not again.[/i] Kyle found himself walking along the dark stretch of road that led from Bogart’s back toward campus with Ronnie and Sam on either side of him, and for a moment, he was happy. For an instant, that terrible night hadn’t happened, and he was with his friends, if only for one last time. But then he saw it. Seemingly in slow motion, a black Cadillac emerged from the shadows and approached them. Kyle watched in horror as the car pulled up beside them, and a face leered at them. The face was one that had haunted his dreams every night for weeks, the mop of dirty blond hair whipped in the wind even as a shotgun was drawn from one of the windows. “No, not again.” Kyle whispered to himself as he dove out of the way of the blast, grabbing Sam and throwing her to the ground with him. Then the car sped off, Kyle watched in agony as the tail lights vanished from view. “Ronnie.” Kyle said as he went over to his friend, laying facedown on the ground. Kyle reached out to his friend, and turned him over onto his back, only the face staring back at him wasn’t that of Ronnie. Instead, Sam gazed at him with a pained expression, and as he jumped back in shock, he saw that she was bleeding all over the street. “Why didn’t you save me, Kyle?” She asked weakly. “Because he couldn’t save you. Just like he couldn’t save me.” Ronnie’s voice came from behind him. “Ronnie…” Kyle said as he looked to his friend. Though it was Ronnie standing just behind him, he was different. His eyes were sunken and lifeless and he was several shades paler than he had been in life. “He might have chosen you over me that night, but he didn’t save you. He only put off the inevitable. Everyone around him dies…his mother, me…and now you.” Ronnie paused before turning toward Kyle and pointing an accusatory finger. “You let it happen, Kyle. You might as well have killed me yourself.” He said, and then he was gone, leaving only Kyle and Sam. “Kyle…?” Sam said, her voice getting weaker. “Oh Sam…please.” Kyle said as took her head and cradled it in his lap. “Don’t leave me Sam, please don’t go…Please don’t leave me like Ronnie. Please Sam, please…don’t go.” Bast saw Lyger dart towards the Silver Sorceress, even though the oversized sharkman, named Jaws, had been pursuing the two metahumans. “Wait, what about...?” Bast protested as Lyger ran off. However, almost at that same moment, someone knocked Jaws off his feet and sent him flying out of the facility, giving Sammy enough space to collect herself and get a bearing on her immediate situation. She assumed that one of the superhumans that Boom brought with her had attacked Jaws, although she did not know which one did it because it happened so fast. “Well, I guess that solves that.” Then it happened. A bright light blasted in the two metahumans’ direction Sammy was momentarily blinded by the Silver Sorceress’ magical attack. However, a few seconds later, her eyesight returned. She saw Lyger sprawled upon the floor, muttering something. Bast figured that whatever happened to Lyger did not affect her because the Moly that she had taken just a few weeks ago must still have been giving her some immunity to the Silver Sorceress’ magic. “Come on, Lyger. Snap out of it!” Bast shook the metahuman a little. She then looked around the room. This was definitely not the place for someone to be knocked out, or at least incapacitated, as Lyger was. Therefore, Sammy decided to drag the downed hero out of the line of fire. Even though she struggled to pull him to safety, Bast had the luxury of other allies to distract Diplodoc’s minions. “He’s heavier than he looks.” Sammy muttered out loud as she tried to catch her breath after she had dragged Lyger out of the frontlines. When she took a seat next to Lyger and leaned her head against the wall behind her, Sammy could more clearly hear what Lyger was muttering. [b]“Oh Sam…please.”[/b] She heard Lyger plead. [b]“Don’t leave me Sam, please don’t go…Please don’t leave me like Ronnie. Please Sam, please…don’t go.”[/b] Sammy was taken off guard by what she had heard. She had introduced herself as Sammy, so unless it was just a coincidence, Lyger must have been referring to someone else. However, she could tell that Lyger was distressed by whatever he was experiencing. “Don’t worry, Lyger.” Sammy calmly said to him, “I’m here. I won’t leave you.” Kyle could feel Sam grow weaker with each instant that passed. Her breathing grew fainter and she struggled to speak. Kyle knew that it wouldn’t be long before her body gave out. “Kyle…?” She said weakly, gasping as she said his name. “Save your strength Sam, it’ll be alright. Just hold on, I’ll get you help. Please Sam, don’t give up. Don’t leave me too.” Kyle pleaded, knowing deep down that it was for naught. He held her tightly in his arms as her blood covered him, the warm, sticky fluid soaking his clothes as her breathing continued to grow weaker, and her heartbeat grew fainter. “Please Sam, stay with me. I can’t do this without you. Please.” He begged as Sam barely clinged to life. Bast could tell that whatever the Silver Sorceress had done to Lyger, it did quite a number on him. He grasped the thin air as if he was trying to hold onto someone. He kept making desperate pleads to someone named ‘Sam’, which hinted at this woman being important to him. Therefore, Bast knew she had to do something to help him. Just speaking to him did not seem to be cutting it. She then took a deep breath before she leaned back into Lyger’s arms. Bast placed herself so that she would be in the same position where Lyger thought his ‘Sam’ was lying down. Then, she peered up at Lyger and placed her hand on the side of his face. “I’m safe, Lyger. Your Sam is safe. I’m not going anywhere.”