"Am I saving the Plateau, or destroying it?" Veronica shouted into the burning air. No answer came besides the increase of burning in her palm as the pendant emitted an even brighter stream of light. Despite the golden, fiery glow, the metal of the pendant remained cool, so cool that it tingled all the way up her arm. It wasn't painful, but uncomfortable, causing her to gasp.

The light doubled, blinding her to all else. Even the cold of the pendant took her attention as it spread through her body, chilling every bone. It was powerful. It was baffling. It became all she could remember, all that ever was and ever could be for her.

Suddenly, a noise drew her attention. It sounded like a man screaming. Veronica opened her eyes and looked around, unable to see even her own legs through the light. She strained her ears, hoping to identify where the scream had come from, but something else interrupted it and brought Veronica back to herself.

The light ahead of her parted for a moment, a clear image of Finn appeared. She was sitting on a gravel road, a car speeding up to her, close to running her down.

At the last moment, she dove to the side and took off running. She ran until she entered a stone and glass city unlike any Veronica had ever seen. The car pulled up behind Finn and herded her down a street, the men inside the car hollering all the time.

Another man appeared on Finn's right from an alley. Too late she noticed her danger. He blindsided her, knocking her to the ground. In less than a second, one of the slavers from the vehicle had jumped out and together they managed to tie Finn's hands and feet. She struggled, but the bonds were tight.

"Finn!" Veronica shouted, but Finn couldn't hear and Veronica knew it.

The sight of Finn being carted off was replaced with a jungle scene. Roxton kneeled between two trees. He looked battered and tired. His eyes were calm, stony even. Veronica felt a shudder at the look.

Several men in Metal armour and colourful clothing came up from behind Roxton, their weapons trained on his back.

"Roxton," Veronica moaned. "Run."

But Roxton didn't run. There was nowhere for him to go. He was completely surrounded and outnumbered. As a hunter, Roxton would fight until his last breath, but he also knew when the fight was over. He raised his hands in surrender.

A gunshot rang out and Roxton fell to the ground, his eyes open and staring into oblivion.

The image faded and another took it's place. Challenger lay on a white table, in a white room. A pale, bald man stood at Challenger's head, a shining knife in his hand. As Veronica watched, the pale man began to cut. Challenger screamed. It was the same scream Veronica had first heard and it tore at her heart.

"Challenger." The name was a moan of grief on Veronica's lips.

The third image faded as well. The sound of Veronica's sobs filled the void as Challenger's scream died away. Despair filled her, made her wonder what the point was. Why should she save the Plateau if all her friends and family were going to die?

Ned Malone's voice echoed around her. "Veronica."

"Ned?"

"You have to hold on."

"Where are you?"

"You have to hold on."

"Why?"

"These things can change. Hold on."

"I can't. I don't know what I'm doing!"

"You're a channel. You just have to hold on."

"Okay." She took a deep breath and tried to calm her pounding heart. "I'll try," she whispered.