The Sentinels were walking through a small neighborhood.
James: It's just a couple houses down.
A random guy laughed at all of them.
Random Guy: Hey! You guys must've missed halloween! Where's your bags?
Sky: Hey, Freya. Can you do the thing?
Freya nodded and walked over to the random guy.
Freya: Do I look like I need candy?
Fire engulfed Freya's body and the Random Guy stepped back. Freya stepped out completely different. She had big wings and her eyes were blood red. She had two horns coming out of her head. She had spikes coming out of her shoulders. Her skin had a hard texture to it. She was now all grey and had a fire burning out her heart. The Random guy was startled and ran in his house.
Random Guy: You're some sort of freak!
Freya: Yeah yeah.
Freya walked back down.
Sky: Ha! I got her to do it!
Freya: Yeah, that's my devil tr- I mean Indura form. It's my Indura form.
Sky: Indura form? That is so cool!
Freya tried to hide her smile.
Sky: See look! I made her smile!
Lionheart: Woah..I thought you were a robot for a while.
Cyrus: A really bitchy one.
James: Alright. That's enough. We're here.
Everyone looked at James's small, homely home.
Kara: Wait….
Cyrus: Yeah Wait. You have like millions from hero stuff. AND YOU LIVE IN THIS TRASH HEAP?
James: This trash heap is my home. I love it here. My wife is out and my kids are at school.
Sky: Wait, you have kids?
James: Not young ones. By school I mean college.
Sky: Oh. That makes sense.
Kara: If you don't mind me asking, how old are you?
James: 57. Here. Let's get in. I have a teleporter that is sealed off.
James led the group around his house. Sky was looking around like she was in a museum.
James: We have to go downstairs.
There was a lightswitch next to the stairs. James flipped it in a certain rhythm until the lightswitch opened up a keypad. James then input a code. They all heard something fire on downstairs.
Lionheart: Is that the space device?
Cyrus: It's a teleporter…
James: Here, let's go. We shouldn't spend much time here.
Everyone walked down the stairs and went into a room to the left with a locked door. Which james input another code to get into. There was a big machine that almost looked like an elevator shaft.
James: Alright. Everyone in.
Everyone entered the teleporter. James pressed a big red button and the machine started to light up. They reappeared in another teleporter. They all stepped out and saw the technological space of B.L.A.D.E.
Cyrus: This is your basement again.
They saw James's basement again.
Cyrus: Clearly your teleporter is ineffective!
James: It lit up and everything….There's no way we can teleport to where we just were.
Kara: Alright, everyone calm down. Let's just go upstairs and see what is happening.
Everyone walked back up the stairs.
Lionheart: How would stuff have changed?
Kara: I have some suspicions but there's no way I can be sure about them.
Everyone looked around the upstairs for anything out of the ordinary.
James: I don't know. Let's just try it again or contact B.L.A.D.E.
Sky: Hey, guys. Look outside.
They all went outside and looked in horror as they saw the block devoid of life.
Kara: What the...
Freya: Sky, go to the city and see how it looks.
Sky lit up and flew off. She flew to the city in seconds and came to a halt when she saw buildings broken down into pieces and other buildings still standing and lined with vines. There was a constant dust cloud beating down on the buildings. There were decomposed bodies of humans and feral cats running amok in the streets. Sky flew back.
Lionheart: What did you see?
Sky: ...I think I'd rather you guys see for yourself...
Everyone ran over to the city. Some faster and slower than others. But once everyone got there they saw the destroyed city.
Kara: ...Is this some sort of bad future?
Cyrus: I don't know, but whatever it is it has to be stopped.
Freya: That's odd coming from you.
Cyrus: Oh, so I can't be concerned about the future of humanity.
Kara: Do you think this could be Yuri?
James: There is no way of knowing.
Kara: The future isn't really that linear. It is all dependent on what choices we make. But it's impossible to see forward in the future. Only certain people have fate. If that makes any sense.
Sky: Wait, really? We have control over our fate?
Kara: I guess so. What should we do though?
James: Maybe tell B.L.A.D.E?
Everyone continued trying to find out a solution. Lionheart looked around and focused on something in the sky.
Sky: Hey, is something wrong?
Lionheart pushed everyone out of the way. He held his hands out and took the hit of a huge black energy blast.
Lionheart: Our eyes are deceiving us. There is evil in our midst. I have to get rid of it.
Freya: This is an illusion.
Kara: You really think so?
Freya: Yes. There was just a huge energy blast that we almost died from! There is someone else here.
???: Ding ding! This is my game!
There was a voice coming from all around them. But nobody could be seen.
???: You are two smart ladies. Freya. I've been meaning for us to have a rematch.
Freya: Lady Darkness.
Cyrus: Who the hell came up with the name Lady Darkness?
Lady Darkness: So. How do you all expect to get out of my game?
The ground under everyone broke into pieces and shattered like glass. Everyone was sent somewhere else. Into their own illusion.
- - - - - - - - - - - - -
James fell in front of his house. It was on fire.
James: This isn't real...Don't let your senses fail you James.
Lady Darkness: Is that right?
James looked and saw Yuri standing before him. With James's wife in a chokehold.
James: ....No.
Yuri: Looks like you were too late James.
Yuri snapped his wife's neck.
James could only watch. He grabbed Yuri by the neck and started punching the shit out of her. Until he fell down and couldn't breathe.
Yuri: What's wrong Jamesey? Fate wasn't on your side this time.
James started to be pulled into another illusion.
- - - - - - - - - - - - -
Freya was in her own illusion. She was back in hell, but she was younger. She was standing with her father, Aeacus. They had just killed her first demon.
Aeacus: You did great.
Freya was crying from the brutal kill she had just secured. The demon next to her looked identical to Dradado. Freya was in her current age and looking down at this memory. Lady Darkness appeared physically behind Freya.
Lady Darkness: He's not gone. In fact he might be your biggest challenge yet.
Freya turned around and punched Lady Darkness in the face. She shattered into pieces.
Freya: Show yourself you coward!
Lady Darkness: I'd rather continue being a coward. Thanks. But listen me out. Dradado isn't gone. Take a look.
Lady Darkness showed Freya a flashback to when James fought Dradado.
Freya: He's not here, he's gone! I killed him!
Lady Darkness: Sadly for you, that's not the case.
Freya held back her emotions.
Freya: You are lying.
Lady Darkness: Am I?
Dradado appeared behind Freya and shot a blast at her. She dodged out of the way and threw her sword at him. But it went through him. Lady Darkness stabbed Freya with her own sword from behind. Freya fell to the ground with her own sword in her stomach.
Lady Darkness: I would love to sell that sword at one of my auctions! It would be great!
Freya: Would it?
Freya stood up and pulled the sword out of her and slashed the head off of Lady Darkness. She broke into glass and so did the illusion around her.
Lady Darkness: What?!
Freya: Didn't expect me to do that? Huh? Do your research!
Freya was back in the wasteland earth. She saw all of her fellow sentinels uncounsious. She realized Lionheart was gone.
- - - - - - - - - - - - -
Kara was way back in the past. She had already been through multiple illusions. She looked around and felt her hair. It was all black instead of half white.
Kara: Hey, I remember! I've heard of you before.
Lady Darkness: Of course you have. You've been around for thousands of years. I like those odds.
Kara looked behind her and saw a woman with blue hair, a plain white shirt and some sort of blue tunic hanging from her waist.
Kara: Amala? No, you aren't real…
Lady Darkness: But is she?
Amala: Well look at that. Now we're both cursed with immortality. Helluva mother you turned out to be.
Kara: Amala-
Amala: I don't want to hear any of your petty positive shit! I'm leaving.
Kara felt like she had no control over her movements.
Kara: No you aren't. We can do this together! Listen to me!
Amala: I'm done listening to you.
Amala drew her sword. Kara had no control over her body. She drew her staff.
Lady Darkness: This is how you used to be! Isn't it nice? Please, let me enjoy this show.
Kara swung her staff at Amala and they clashed. Amala ducked under Kara and slashed her on the leg. The blood that was drawn came out as a projectile and stabbed into Kara. Kara did a double roundhouse and let herself go to the ground. She swiped Amala's leg. Amala fell down. Kara went to take out Amala. Amala made a scared face. Kara stopped herself. Amala took this chance to stab her sword through Kara.
Kara: ....You would really do that to your own mother?
Amala shed a single tear.
Amala: If it means you aren't going to keep me cooped up anymore, then yes.
Kara grabbed Amala's sword with one hand and pulled it out of her. Her regeneration wasn't kicking in. Kara swung at Amala with her own sword. Amala dodged the best she could until Kara caught her by surprise with her staff. Kara knocked Amala into a tree. She went to stab her and stopped herself again.
Kara: ...no
Kara slashed her sword right through the tree and Amala at the same time. The illusion shattered.
Lady Darkness: No fair!
Kara woke up to see Freya had just woken up.
- - - - - - - - - - - - -
Cyrus was sleeping on the job. He awoke suddenly. He had a homely smile to himself.
Worker: Sleeping on the job again?
Cyrus: You got that right. I was tired!
Cyrus jokingly laughed at his worker.
Cyrus: Hey, drinks later?
Worker: After a good day's work, sure.
Cyrus got up out of his chair and looked out the window of his company.
Lady Darkness: This company is the only thing in life that matters to you, isn't it?
Cyrus felt his head in pain.
Cyrus: You...Where am I?!
Lady Darkness: Where you want to be. Your home, your business. You humans are so interesting.
Cyrus: So you put me in an illusion of my normal life? Why are you even considered a threat?
Lady Darkness: This business means a lot to you. Right? You spent your entire life building it up. Right?
Cyrus: Yeah. This is my home.
Lady Darkness: How about this then?
A missile came out of nowhere and destroyed Cyrus's building. He fell out of the building.
Cyrus: HEY! WHAT DID YOU DO?!
Cyrus ran up the side of the building and started helping all the people in it out.
Lady Darkness: Wow, so heroic. Only towards your employees? You need to be taught a lesson!
Lady Darkness started killing Cyrus's workers.
Cyrus: STOP!
Cyrus ran up and punched Lady Darkness. She shattered right into glass. Cyrus fell down the floors of the building and landed right next to an old apartment complex. He watched his parents inside the house, yelling at a young Cyrus.
Cyrus's mother: Seriously?! Everyone did great and you just have to be the failure! Go to your room.
All of Cyrus's siblings laughed at him as he walked somberly up to his room. A gigantic energy blast came through the house and knocked Cyrus on his back. He went sliding across the ground. He was getting pummeled by a bunch of thugs.
Thug: This is what I have to say to your own business you shithead!
The thugs walked away. Cyrus turned to his stomach and saw a rock sitting on the ground. He grabbed it and his skin turned to rock.
Cyrus: HEY!
Cyrus ran to attack the thugs. He was dragged into another illusion.
- - - - - - - - - - - - -
Sky: Mr. Kunai, Isn't it dangerous to go there?
Sky's boss was in front of her. He had long hair and a nice tuxedo.
Mr. Kunai: Of course it is! Just get the job done and get out of my sight!
Sky walked away. The real Sky was watching her old self. Lady Darkness was next to her. Sky was breaking down.
Lady Darkness: Wow, you are so easy! Here, check this out.
The ground broke under Sky. She tired to fire on her powers but she failed to. She hit the ground hard.
Lady Darkness: You wouldn't want to become like the rest of your beloved hero friends.
Lady Darkness showed James in a fight with Yuri. And behind choked to death.
Sky: ...stop, please!
Sky couldn't even bring herself to attack Lady Darkness. A burly man appeared in front of Sky. She was curled up in a ball on the floor.
Sky: ...dad
Sky's mother appeared behind her.
Sky's mom: Stop! She's not to blame!
Sky's father raised his fist and grabbed Sky's mom by the hair and threw her to the ground.
Sky's father: You raise your voice at me?!
Sky: STOP!
Sky summoned her power and shattered the illusions. Sky's father was on the ground and bleeding.
Sky's father: Why...your own father? Why would you do this to your own father?!
Sky fell to the ground and held her hands on her head and screamed as she fell into another illusion. She was watching her fellow team members on the ground and at Yuri's feet.
Yuri: What will you do, little sheep?
Sky couldn't move. Her tears wouldn't stop flowing.
Yuri: Ugh, you cry ugly!
Yuri shot a blast at Sky and obliterated her. Sky fell into another illusion.
- - - - - - - - - - - - -
Freya: Kara? You are seriously the only one that broke out?
Kara: Yeah. But what about Lionheart?
Freya: Maybe this is his illusion? Get up. I'm going to find him.
Kara imitated Freya
Kara: Maybe a "get up please. Let's go find him."
Freya: That's asking too much. Come on.
James sparked awake.
James: What the hell...
Kara: Woah, was that a bad word from you?
Freya: Don't be a child.
Kara helped up James.
Freya: Well at least there's half of us.
James: We can't just leave Sky and Cyrus here.
Freya: Yes we can. We'll have to deal with them later. They obviously haven't gotten over whatever illusions she's throwing on them.
James: I guess there is nothing we can do...But one of us has to stay behind. There's no telling what will happen.
Freya: She may be able to be in multiple illusions at once but she can't be in the same illusion twice. She is definitely messing with Lionheart right now. We have to find the dummy before something bad happens.
James looked at Sky and Cyrus
James: Fine. Let's go find her.
Freya: Good choice.
Everyone walked together.
James: We could use this to find him.
James took out his tracker.
Kara: Awesome! Let's follow it!
Everyone started walking in the direction of Lionheart
James: So, explain to me how you get out exactly.
Freya: You have to do something she would never expect you to do. Her illusions are large scale. But they are also predictive. Maybe you got out by killing someone. I got out because she was stupid.
Kara: I was in some sort of flashback. She was controlling my body. I had to fight to regain control....
Freya: Yeah. I've doubt with her before. She pisses me off.
Kara: What, cause she's a coward?
Freya: Yeah.
Kara: So that means that Sky and Cyrus can't escape their illusions? How do we get them out.
Freya: 2 choices. They are able to muster the will or find out what they have to do and break out of the illusion. Since they are new to this shit i'm not surprised. Sky has some learning to do and so does Cyrus.
Kara: I wonder what they're going through...
- - - - - - - - - - - - -
Lionheart was walking through the city.
Lionheart: Dang! Where's the exit?!
Lady Darkness: There's no exit dumbass! It is funny though. You had to stay here because I couldn't find any valid memories at all!
Lionheart: I don��t understand your puny magic. And it's broken! Because I have a wealth of memories.
Lady Darkness: Well, from what I've diagnosed. This is your worst nightmare.
Lionheart: Someone really evil must've done such a thing. It has to have been Yuri. She must be eradicated.
Lady Darkness: Is that right? As a child your dad wanted you to be a hero. You didn't want to. Until he died in your arms from his sickness.
Lionheart: ....you don't have to remind me. So you know this? Why would my memories not be valid?
Lady Darkness: Because those memories are completely fabricated.
Lionheart: No they aren't! I was a child. I grew up and everything.
Lady Darkness: No you aren't. You are fake.
Lionheart was starting to be shaken.
Lionheart: I. Am. Not. FAKE!
Lady Darkness: Those memories are fabricated. Covered by the real ones.
Lionheart fell on the ground.
Lady Darkness: You were made by heroes who needed someone who saw the world as black and white. Good and Evil. You are a machine.
Lionheart: I AM NOT A MACHINE!
Lady Darkness: Stop lying to yourself. All your bonds are fabricated. Your father, your family is fabricated. And now, your team won't be around for you to make memories with. You will be scrapped. Thrown into the junk pile.
Lionheart: ....no. You will be thrown in the junk. YOU ARE EVIL TRASH!
Lionheart did something that made the entire illusion around them break into pieces. The team was in the city. People looking at the heroes like they were lunatics. But they were also hiding from Lady Darkness. Who was on her knees. James, Freya and Kara arrived in time.
Lady Darkness: I make all this money for what reason? Why? Why would I throw my life away?! You, please...end my pitiful existence.
Lionheart: You are the kind of evil that should do it yourself.
Lionheart threw a knife on the ground.
Lady Darkness looked at Lionheart with a pleading look. Like she was begging for mercy. Like the real her was trying to break out. She grabbed the knife, held it out and sunk it into her neck. The life faded from her.
Lionheart: Evil like you deserves such a fate.
James: ...Lionheart.
Lionheart: Oh, hey guys! I beat her!
James: I'm sorry. But that is not how we do things.
James flew off. Freya looked at him and then Lady Darkness. She walked away.
Lionheart: Did I make them mad? What did I do?
Kara: They don't understand you. Your mindset. Come with me. I'll take you there. We can't just leave you.
Lionheart: I still don't understand what I did.
Kara: Just come with me.
Lionheart: O-Okay.