Chereads / Rebirth of Artemis / Chapter 38 - Bipolar Nightmare

Chapter 38 - Bipolar Nightmare

Amelia woke up in the morning. Was that Constantine thing just a dream? She certainly hoped it was. She was back at home. In her bed. She got up and looked around. Being back at the bar made her think about Millie. Maybe she could fix things. Maybe everyone could be happy. She took a deep breath. She won't mess up. Not again. She would go back and return to her present. Amelia got up and started running back to the moment she changed time. She just needed to stop Ivan. Maybe that would fix things.

Amelia: Let's just...go home. I'll run you all there.

Donny: Okay…

Ivan's voice came from behind.

Ivan: Crafty. You broke out. We've been observing you for ages. And you could never phase.

Amelia: Well now I can.

Maybe if she just. ran. But she couldn't get everyone at the same time. Looks like it was becoming one by one. She grabbed Donny, then Millie, Then Leon. She came back for Terra. And brought her home. She didn't have time to worry about talking to them. She ran forward in time to where she left. She got a very bad headache. So bad she fell to her knees. After a couple minutes it went away. She had two memories of last night. She thought about meeting Constantine. But she also remembered she met with Millie last night. She started getting even more and more terrible headaches. She sped right over to the bathroom and tried taking some medicine to slow down the pain. But it did nothing. She ran over to her couch and laid down. Hopefully it will run its course.

- - - - - - - - - - - -

Donny and Terra walked in the door to the house.

Donny: Looks like she can't take care of herself when I'm gone. Amelia!

Amelia yelled from the other room.

Amelia: I'm in here.

Donny and Terra came over to the other room. Amelia was laying on the couch. She had drunk tons and tons of water.

Donny: Jeez

Terra: What happened Amelia?

Amelia: Just a headache.

Terra: JUST a headache?

Donny: Must've been a really bad one.

Amelia: Yeah, a really bad one.

Terra: What did you and Millie do last night?

Amelia: Uh….Let me think…

Donny: How do you forget something you did yesterday? You can't even get drunk!

Amelia: Speedster brains are weird, okay?

Donny: Alright then...I'm going to walk Terra home, okay?

Amelia: Wait a sec! How was the weekend?

Terra: I've never seen anything like it! Donny picked the best places!

Amelia: And the comedy show wasn't shit?

Terra: I don't know what you mean. It was awesome.

Donny: Yeah. It was pretty cool. Most of the jokes went over this one's head.

Terra: Hey! No they didn't!

Amelia continued lounging. Her headache had just faded away. She thought about yesterday. It was like she had a hangover and forgot most of what happened the previous night. But instead it was three months. Donny returned after about an hour. He teleported into the house. And came over to Amelia to check on her.

Donny: Alright, number one. Are you okay?

Amelia: Y-yeah.

Donny: Well, you're always so organized. The house looks like I stayed here by myself on the weekend. You've been having random weird moments for the last few months. A headache so bad you drank ALL the water in the refrigerator.

Amelia: Well then what's number two?

Donny: What the hell are you talking about?

Amelia: You said number one a second ago.

Donny: ...WELL, what is wrong with you? You just forgot you hung out with Millie last night. Which is weird too.

Amelia: Why don't you just get off my back? Why does it matter that I forgot a little thing such as hanging out with Millie?

Donny: Because you were telling me all about it before I left. You seemed pretty excited.

Amelia: Well maybe I got drunk. Or really wanted to forget the night.

Donny: You can't get drunk! I thought we decided we would be open and honest with each other!

Amelia: I...I just need some time to think.

Donny: Think now! You're hiding something! Talk to me!

Amelia thought. How was she going to get out of this? Amelia stood up and literally ran out of the house. And into the timestream. She ran a couple minutes into the past.

Donny and Terra walked in the door to the house.

Donny: Amelia!

Amelia yelled from the other room.

Amelia: I'm in here.

Terra: What's going on Amelia?

Amelia: Oh not much. I'm just chillin.

Donny: Yeah right.

Amelia: How was the weekend?

Terra: I've never seen anything like it! Donny picked the best places!

Amelia: *sigh* And the comedy show wasn't bad?

Terra: I don't know what you mean. It was awesome.

Donny: Yeah. It was pretty cool. Most of the jokes went over this one's head.

Terra: Hey! No they didn't!

Donny: Either way we're just checking on you. I'm going to walk Terra home.

Terra: I can walk myself home!

Donny: Well you can walk me to your house.

Terra: That works.

Donny: Did you survive the weekend Amelia?

Amelia: Yeah. It was great.

Amelia realized she had her coat on. And it wasn't covered in blood. The last night had fallen into place. But she only remembered killing them before talking to Millie. She did a quick scan through Hell's Kitchen. She came to the black coat's base last. She saw Fleet and the group walking back into the base. She'd just snap their necks. It'd be quick. She came behind Mary and snapped her neck. But she came behind Fleet and thought about how it might've been for the blue coats in her original universe. She stabbed both her hands into him. Rising him into the air. She ripped him in half. Tess was shocked with a rush of fear. Amelia took one of Fleet's swords and stabbed it into her. And tackled Tess to the ground. She took Fleet's sword and stabbed Tess over and over. Pushing the blade into her chest, and out again. Her screams get more and more violent. She stopped herself. And threw Fleet's blade away. She leaned to the side and started crying. She felt like a monster. But on the other hand, it felt relieving. Better than last time. What if she killed Ivan? And then Integer? She could fix everything. Nobody would ever have to die ever again. She knew exactly where Ivan lived. She stood up and ran across the country to California in an easy 30 seconds. She blew past where she knew Ivan's house to be. And turned around to run. But Ivan was just standing in front of her.

Ivan: Hello Amelia.

Amelia stared Ivan in the eyes. She thought about the fact that he killed her brother before she ever had the chance to make up for her sins. The fact another time he killed Millie. He caused the deaths of the blue coats, every last one of them. She was the reason she and Donny were enslaved for years. He was the reason for everything wrong in her life.

Amelia: Did you also see what I did to your shadow squadron?

Ivan: …

Amelia: Nothing to say?

Ivan: You killed them three times. Three times. Getting revenge once is enough. Isn't it? I'm sorry for killing your friends and brother in that other timeline. But it was necessary for my plan to work.

Amelia: Stop telling yourself that! Donny wasn't supposed to die back then. And you just killed the blue coats because you thought they were a threat!

Ivan: Well they were.

Amelia: And...wait a second. How do you know I killed them three times?

Ivan: I'm not just someone who knows how to travel through the astral plane. I'm from there.

Amelia: You're from the astral plane? Don't things from there not look human in the slightest?

Ivan: This body isn't what I really look like. But creatures from the plane are nigh-omniscient. I know many things. If I wanted to look at another existing timeline, I could. And you took the bait I gave you. Now it won't be long until-

Amelia: I can still stop you. I am now an arbiter of fate if I want to be. You can't hold me back anymore!

Amelia ran straight past Ivan. And back into the past. She ran back in time to where she changed it all. The source. She went just before she attacked Riley and ran away.

Donny: Amelia! Where the hell are you going?!

Amelia ran into the other room and vibrated her hand right through Ivan.

Ivan: ...Good Job.

Amelia brought her hand out and left Ivan to die. She ran back into the future. A future with no Ivan. Integer was nowhere to be found. A future where Amelia was an arbiter of fate. When someone got on her case she just changed the timeline. Or killed them. She took one day and sat down in the house. She was just wearing her black shirt and new pants. Downstairs all her other clothes reeked of bleach and other cleaning products. From all the blood. And her once tended too and vibrant blue hair was now dark and hanging down. Messy. Donny and Terra came into the room and sat next to her and watched the tv. Donny had his arm around Terra.

Terra: Hey Amelia. We should go out looking for some new clothes at some point. You've just always been wearing that black shirt.

Amelia: Eh, I like this shirt how it is.

Terra: What happened to your other clothes anyway?

Amelia: Ugh.

Amelia stood up and ran right out of the house. She ran down her normal route. The portal to the timestream opened up. She went to run in but just ran into the portal like it was a wall. She couldn't go through.

Amelia: What the…

She tried to stick her hand through. And when she tried she was electrocuted. She tried to run in. But she just ran into it like it was a wall again.

Amelia: No. No this is wrong.

Donny teleported next to her.

Donny: Amelia! Why'd you run away?

Terra: Better question. What is that?

Terra looked at the portal.

Amelia: It's. It's um…

Donny: Amelia. Is there something you aren't telling us? What is this?

Amelia: It's…

Terra: Come on! There's something you're hiding. What!? You've been acting weird Amelia. And this tops everything! What is it?!

Amelia was being suffocated by Donny and Terra's continuous pleas.

Donny: Amelia! Come on! There's something wrong!

Terra: Talk to us!

Amelia screamed and vibrated her hand. It was almost in slow motion. She stabbed her hand straight through Terra's chest.

Donny: AMELIA?!

Amelia was breathing heavily. Almost hyperventilating. She just ran away. Onto a building. She out her hands on her face and cried into them.

Amelia: What have I done?

The portal that Amelia had generated got even bigger. Donny was forced to take Terra and teleport away. A bunch of streaks of lightning came out of the portal. Two speedsters appeared in front of Amelia.

Speedster 1: Amelia. You have committed numerous crimes against the laws of the speed force. This timeline is being destroyed.

Amelia: Wait. Destroyed?!

Speedster 2: Yes.

Amelia: But, what about Donny. I have to talk to him!

Speedster 1: You made it so talking to you is the last thing he ever wants to do. You caused so many problems even the speed force can't fix! So we are sending you back to you're main timeline.

Amelia: No! I have to talk to him! I can't let this end the way it started!

Speedster 2: You will no-

Amelia vibrated her hand and stabbed it through Speedster 2. She kicked Speedster 1 off the building and to his death. She got up and ran down to where Donny was.

Donny: Amelia…

Amelia: Donny! I-I'm sorry! Talk to me!

Donny: Don't throw that shit onto me! You talk to me! Why?!

Amelia: I learned how to change the timeline.

Donny: Change the timeline? What the fuck are you talking about?!

Amelia: Stop yelling! Listen to me! I'm from a timeline where you died in the first fight against Ivan. And I brought you back!

Donny: You sound insane right now.

Amelia: But instead that time Millie died instead. So I came back and changed that. And then I changed the timeline and killed Ivan. So nothing would ever happen!

Donny: What the hell?! You can't play god like that Amelia! Even I know that! You aren't a god! If you got over my death you would be way happier than you are right now! But why did you do this?! Why did you kill Terra...?

Amelia: I...Don't know. It was just my instant reaction.

Donny: What? You're instant reaction?! What happened to you? What went wrong?

Amelia: I just want to be happy. I want things to be like they always used to be.

Donny: That's why we move on! And you clearly can't. And I don't know if I can either. But I'm obviously not going to be around for long. So I hope you get what you deserve.

Amelia: So you said if I got over your death I would be happier?

Donny: Amelia. Don't.

Amelia: If things are ending. Their ending on my terms.

Amelia laughed. She ran at Donny but fell on the ground. She felt her speed being syphoned out of her by the speed force. She was back to her regular speed.

Amelia: I don't need this speed to do what I'm about to do.

Donny: Amelia.

Donny was welling up with tears. While Amelia was welling up with confused tears of hatred, but also love. She ran at Donny. And he teleported out of the way.

Donny: Amelia. I'm not fighting!

Amelia ran at Donny and punched him to the ground. She kicked him over and over again. Until Donny caught her leg and got up and pushed her to the ground. Amelia's once brown eyes turned into a vibrant red. She vibrated her body and got up through Donny. She kicked him in the back and to the ground. She put her leg on his back. He teleported behind her and kicked her in the head. Amelia dodged under and uppercut Donny into the air.

Amelia: Don't worry Donny. I'm going to kill you!

Amelia punched Donny in the stomach, blasting him through the window. She ran up to him and stood above him.

Donny: For what it's worth. You're still my sister. And no matter how much of an asshole you are. I love you.

Amelia: Shut up, Shut Up ,SHUT UP!

The timeline shattered around Amelia.