Disclaimer: I do not own Ace Lightning… I do however own my poster of Lord Fear which I unashamedly use as target practice for rolled up balls of paper, and for flicking because we all know Lord Fear's a fool- and deserves to be flicked.

Chapter Ten

Future Shock

"Chuck… after all this time I still use your name in this journal- I guess it's my way of remembering how you kept me sane back even when you didn't know the truth. I wish I could have been there in time"

-Mark 'Prophecy' Hollander, five years from present date.

Conestoga Hills, Present Day

Sam now knew why Mark did homework, whenever the group was all watching movies, out for pizza or doing anything really. Because when you were fighting against carnival misfits and weird programmers from the sixth dimension… schoolwork fell to the side. She had been finishing the Math homework at the last minute thanks to Distortion and Lord Fear who had tried to attack the Thunder Tower last night. She jammed the folder in her bag and ran after the bus, trying to in vain to catch up.

It rounded the corner, and Sam groaned. It didn't stop again for another three blocks… she was going to be really late.

She started to walk along the footpath, and barely started when Ace Lightning dropped in besides her. "Don't you have school?"

Wrong thing to say. "Yes, but I missed the bus, we mortals have to walk…" That came out a little harsher than she had meant it to, and Sam winced. "Sorry, it's my own fault for leaving this homework for a week"

"It's okay, I've seen Mark have trouble at times… frequently by being grounded- which means being confined to his home and not to the ground"

Ace Lightning really did seem to get a lot of human terms- long term exposure to Mark was Sam's guess- the only superhuman she knew who was better was Illusion, but then she could change her appearance… which made Sam feel better. Mark had never really eaten a plastic spider. Speaking of Ace and Illusion… "Sorry if it's too personal- but why do you and Illusion do that sparking thing when you touch sometimes… oh my god it was too personal…"

"No, it's okay" Ace said kindly. "It's a sixth dimension thing- actually it happens in all the dimensions it's just you can't see it most of the time. It's a current- an energy connection between two beings it's rare, most never find that other receiver"

"Why not"

"Because it only happens with one other… in all the dimensions and realities, when it first happened with Illusion I was shocked… according to old legends from my dimension it had to do with a being's other part"

Sam stopped, and blinked. "Do you mean a soul mate?" she asked. "That makes no sense- I don't mean to be rude but Illusion could have stayed evil- why would it happen like that?"

"It just does- most never find the other part, and it doesn't mean that any relationship would work… it first happened with Illusion in a watery dimension- with her trying to send me to Oblivion"

It was insane- a fluke or something or other. She was fifteen, soul mates and all that stuff happened in college, as an adult. It seemed crazy to think that Mark was anything but a guy she had a crush on despite knowing better. Besides Ace had just said himself- that it didn't mean that it would happen… Sam changed the subject. "So have you found Random yet?" she asked.

Random Virus had been missing for almost two weeks now. The problem was they couldn't be sure that Chuck's ex boss was involved- Random's evil side could have taken over and gone somewhere.

Ace was looking worried now. "There's no sign of him, this is my fault- I should have been watching out for him"

"You can't blame yourself I mean it's not just up to you to take care of Random" Sam felt slightly guilty at this. Random had been level headed, and good with explanations in the weeks after finding out the truth about this game. But the second he had gone crazy- he had gone on a backburner in her mind.

The day was very overcast, and suddenly the spot they were at just got darker. Kilobyte swooped in from above. It still was weird to Sam- that the giant killer wasp was called 'Fred'

Ace charged up a blast. "Sam- find cover" he said and she nodded, ducking behind a tree.

Kilobyte laughed. "Still protecting the mortals…it almost makes the hunt too easy to enjoy but I'll still know your destruction"

What was it that Mark and Chuck said hurt Kilobyte? Sam wracked her brain for the answer as Ace began to weaken… even looking completely human he seemed to flicker in place. Sam looked around as she remembered the creature's weakness. She needed light and fast. Sam started and went through her backpack- feeling the overly large torch that she had used the previous night when her bike's light had stopped working. At the time she had cursed its size… but now…

Sam lifted the light and shone it straight into Kilobyte. Kilobyte lifted his tentacles to shield his face, and got back onto his pet. "This isn't over Lightning,"

Of all the villains and Evils… he looked the creepiest out of the lot of them.

She ran over to Ace. "Are you okay- you don't look so hot?"

"It's okay Sam; I'm at 47 percent… I just need to power up" And as the superhero walked over to a car, Sam smiled. There were many times the knights headquarters were too far away- there was no guarantee that Kilobyte wasn't just waiting for round two. The local paper called it a 'weakness in car battery design' as to why so many cars all of a sudden lost all charge and refused to start.

A small old lady, Mrs. Taggerson had been walked slowly, with the help of her cane, down the street. And for a moment it almost seemed like the man from her bathroom, the shy one that had run the second he had seen her was on the street with a young girl… she had her glasses on today.

But then, inside the blink of the eye- the air began to warp and shimmer. One moment they were there and the next they weren't.

Ace turned around rapidly trying to get his bearings- most of the houses were gone but it was the same street – it had the same power lines, and shape. But it had changed. He quickly checked to make sure Sam was okay and switched his vision to analyzer mode- that was when it got strange… for a moment there was a reading, but it quickly became out of focus… so that was out of the picture for determining what had happened.

"Where are we?" asked Sam.

"I'm not sure" Ace replied. "A moment ago, I thought I saw the old mortal who sounded like Lord Fear and then… this"

In the distance there was a bright blue flare and the sound of electricity charging through the air, accompanied by energy discharges. Ace was faster, but Sam knew he was slowing his speed to let her keep up… and she was glad. She didn't want to get lost in, whatever they were in.

They made it to the main road, and a girl was standing right in the middle of it. She looked about sixteen… familiar almost. She had long brown hair, and on her arm was the lightning canon Heather used- but it looked so aged.

Ace and Sam followed the girl's gaze to where a figure in a long dark cloak was charging up some kind of green energy blast… and Ace was poised to interfere rather than let this mortal knight take the hit.

And then a blast disrupted the charge from the sky and a woman landed in from of the girl. Her head was to the back to them so they couldn't see the new figure.

The cloaked figure seemed to laugh, the laugh was low and gravely. "Sentinel Lightning" The woman turn to face the cloaked figure- and Sam started… Allison? But she looked older and far different from the girl she knew.

She didn't respond, instead draining power from the overhead power lines and aiming it towards the cloaked figure- who was there one moment and then gone the next.

Sentinel/Allison lowered her arms and turned to the girl. "What were you thinking- leaving the Tower without back up Ashley?"

Sam did a double take- Ashley… as in Mark's nine year old cousin, Ashley? How was that even possible? She got up from their hiding place and walked out to meet the two, Ace followed slightly behind.

At first Sentinel seemed just guarded but inside of a moment the lightning lance had appeared in her hand and Ashley had raised her arm to aim straight at them.

Sentinel looked at Ace and then Sam. "What kind of trick is this?"

"It's no trick"

A metallic sound came from Sentinel and she took a few steps back. "Keep the canon locked on them…" For the next moment Ace and Sam just stood there as Ashley kept the canon aimed at them, arm never shaking. It seemed like Sentinel was talking to herself but then Ace caught sight of the communicator when she turned and yelled 'You did what?' into it.

Finally she put the communicator away and rejoined them. "They're safe Ashley… we better be getting to the Tower before we attract any more Evils"

The strange little group started walking. To Sam's confusion- Ashley kept looking back at them. "What?"

"Sorry… it's just I haven't seen you in awhile that's all- what with the Sixth-" Ashley shrugged. "It's just been awhile… and here you are looking no different than when I was a little kid"

Sentinel sighed. "It's because she is still fifteen… it's time travel, can't believe he got permission from headquarters to do it"

This older Allison wasn't even looking at Sam or either of them anymore for that matter but when she did she seemed to be avoiding looking at Ace for some reason.

"So what's with the whole Sentinel thing?"

"It's my call sign… some pick theirs as children, I didn't pick mine until I was a fully fledged lightning knight, I know that this is all unexplained at the moment Sam but until we get to the Thunder Tower I really can't explain much else"

Ace walked closely with Sam, explaining quietly. "If the headquarters- the ones in charge of the knights decided to allow time travel it means that there is something that has to be changed- but all approved time travel has to be processed following the Code very closely"

He lost her about time travel- when it came to the Lightning Knight code it seemed while all knights followed the 'Do right and fear not'- most hadn't actually read the whole Code. Sparx had mentioned once how it was a whole shelf in the archives in the sixth dimension. Ace Lightning was one of the few knights that had apparently read the entire thing.

If this was Conestoga Hills in the future… it didn't look so much a wreck or futuristic compared to its state of desertion- it almost seemed like it was a ghost town.

And between the main town and the Thunder Tower, was a field of greenery that had become overgrown, almost like a deep forested area. The road would have been a more direct route but Ashley and Sentinel had even stayed out of sight from the main road. After almost an hour- they reached just outside the observatory turned Thunder Tower, and the changes were immediately apparent- there was some type of structure now built into the observatory in four places that expanded outwards.

But they still entered through the front- but the modifications were even more clear. The inside of the Tower now closely resembled the inside of a Thunder Tower base of the sixth dimension.

Sam found it colder somehow… and she noticed how at home Ashley seemed all of a sudden. How long had Ashley been living here?

The observatory's dome began to open and the Lightning Flash flew in. But Sparx wasn't on it. Instead Brett Ramierez got off. He was decked out in a costume that he himself would have mocked once. It was a knight's uniform- without the jacket. Instead there was a fine metal lattice that ran down both arms- as a metal like harness on each arm.

Now that Sam looked at Sentinel more closely- she wore the same type of armament- except without any bulky side packs- lightning canons.

Brett looked at Sam and Ace- as if it was them who were out of place.

Ashley sidled up to him, seemingly eager to share. "They're from the past… Mark is dead for not sharing- I'm gonna go find him!"

Instead of saying even hello, Brett stepped next to Sentinel. "Is this for real?" he muttered and the female knight moved away with an annoyed look across her face for his proximity.

"Where's Sparx… she would never let someone else ride it without her"

"In Oblivion" Sentinel said, her tone biting and she left the main area without any kind of explanation.

Brett winced and by the way he turned to them a moment later, he seemed to be putting his own issues aside. "Sorry about that- most of that's on me- a few weeks ago Sparx got attacked by T- an Evil with a power boost and it didn't just stop with sending her to the sixth dimension"

"Why would her issue be with you?"

That got a reaction, but it was small… it made Brett look really uncomfortable. "It's nothing… I haven't seen you in a long time Sam- no" he shook his head at her reaction. "You're not dead- you just are in the sixth dimension at the moment- you don't visit much" He looked at Ace. "I know this was what Mark was hoping for but… I remember, I know what you were like just don't push him over all this"

Ace didn't know what he had expected when his sidekick finally emerged… but Mark had changed. Nothing so as radical as the evil version- he just seemed really disconnected in the way reality was around him. He had seen it before- in Mirin Prophecy when the visions became too much. He recalled it only happened because she had chosen to let them. What could have forced Mark to make such a choice?

"I suppose I owe you an explanation for this" Mark said, his eyes going past where Ace was but still talking to him. A scar ran though his left eyebrow all the way down to his jaw- and it was far from neat. "It is eight years from the day you left from- and if I remember right, Random is missing- it was the Master Programmer"

Ace frowned. "Why would that be important enough for HQ to allow time travel… it is a last resort Mark"

Mark smiled grimly after a few minutes, like a delayed transmission. "They told me that… it's only now they've let this happen. The Master Programmer for a guy who wants to control every dimension, it's weird he hates the Amulet so much… instead he tries to figure out dimensional coding in order to manipulate it using science. Six years ago- he manipulated it into sending the amulet into a world where it could be forgotten, but somehow seven lightning knights were sent there as well – us. In a world where we couldn't possibly exist… while it was only seconds here it was decades there being told we were insane, that our world, our lives didn't exist… we made it out and set everything right. That was when the Master Programmer unleashed the original Evils on Earth"

"The original evils"

"It was part of a legend" Ace explained, "Originally there were several ultimately powerful knights and equally as destructive Evils… they were meant to be wiped out eons ago"

Mark smiled wryly. "Apparently not- the original problem for 'Rick' was the original Evils were disembodied- unable to leave the dimensional wells- until Rick planted all of them within cybernetics inside of a technopath… that's the evil within Random Virus"

"That's impossible" Ace said, "They would have over powered Random permanently a long time ago"

"The reason they haven't is because they are confined inside technology that they shouldn't exist in, in the first place… and they are Evils- for one to have permanent dominance the rest would have to sacrifice themselves" Mark didn't need to elaborate on that further- it was a well known fact that the Evils never sacrificed themselves for anything- even to further their own twisted causes. "The Master Programmer released them and we have these Evils with god complexes wreaking havoc on Earth and the Sixth dimension… even if we manage to defeat them there is nothing to stop him from manipulating the coding further and causing more harm…"

Sam had been following all of this. "So it's a warning- stop Chuck's former boss and we save everything?"

"Not exactly" Mark said and turned to Brett or his direction. "It's time to call that favor in- Fear and his ally want this as much as we do"

Ace wondered what possessed the kid to make such a bad move as to trust Lord Fear and Mark looked at him. "Don't worry… Fear, let's just say it's in his best interests- just get them to the Carnival and back with the package… Sam is the only one she would give it to,"

The code words seemed just as confusing to Ace as they were to her, Sam was relieved to notice.

Brett nodded and then paused. "What about Sentinel?"

Mark shook his head. "You know how 'she' and Sentinel act like when they are in the same area- it's like Sparx and Lady Illusion… this is too important"

He turned away and left the main area without so much as a 'good luck'- like it had taken a lot just to focus on this time and place.

Holding onto Brett on the Lightning Flash as they moved towards the carnival, Sam remembered how normal life used to be before Mark. She had been friends with Brett as long as Heather- it had only seemed right to be 'boyfriend and girlfriend' once they had outgrown cooties. Brett had been reliable and always there… and now it seemed he had fully embraced something he had once used to try and pull her away from Mark.

As they reach the front of the Carnival, Sam was not surprised to see it boarded up the way it used to be. At least if Lord Fear really was still hanging around here- no one else was being lured into working for the Evils. Brett glanced at her. "I have to warn you… what you are going to see in the Haunted House- it's going to be really hard to take in"

"I get it- so you have the metal work- I don't suppose I get a weapon?"

Brett smiled uneasily. "For the purposes of this, it's better if you don't"

Brett led the way and Sam followed right behind Ace. She still didn't understand why she had been brought with Ace to this future world. They entered the Haunted House. Sam had only been through on rides but the ride part of the House had been disabled.

Inside a central room was the organ. There was also a familiar horrific voice- singing. Sam remembered Lord Fear had crashed the play, and she could hear his Staff simpering on about how talented he was and Sam wondered if Lord Fear lost his most devoted fan… if that would make him stop trying to take over the world.

But when the organ came into sight it was the figure standing nearby that made her realize what Brett said it would be 'hard'. Heather was hardly dressed like Distortion, in fact the smart business suit undercut the almost vamp like make up.

Heather's red lips drew into a smile and Sam could see Ace's look of shock. Of course he was shocked- Heather was apart from compassion problems… very into being a knight. But something had gone wrong down the line, very wrong.

Brett interrupted before she could talk. "We had a deal Heather, she's the one who collects it and we both get rid of the uber computer geek before he does the damage"

Her best friend's eyes cut to Brett and Sam could just see the cold contempt in Heather's eyes. She couldn't help herself. "What happened to you?"

"Figured out people aren't worth saving and I love power" Heather's smile was brittle. "It's that simple"

Sam almost gagged as Lord Fear stopped playing the organ and stood behind Heather a bony hand on her shoulder. "And she's very loyal… Lightning I understand why you recruit the mortals"

She could see Brett moving to break the conversation but Sam beat him to it. "Is this all it is Heather- a chance to gloat, you've had your fun and I'm not crying… so whatever this deal is I'd hold up your end"

"Has anyone told you why you aren't on Earth anymore… that you can't stand it after what happened on that other Earth…Sam I don't hate you, and one day you'll get all this" Lord Fear had opened the organ and Heather took out a small black box. "You see I think you can stop the Programmer, but somehow I think it'll all happen again… you ran away from Earth because you couldn't stand to protect it anymore after what they did to you, to all of you"

Heather sneered. "And still the Lightning Knights fight to preserve this world" She handed Sam the box and left the room.

Sam slowly opened the box and frowned. A small shard of a dark stone lay at the bottom- it just looked like some kind of black quartz. She frowned. "What is this?"

Lord Fear wasn't laughing, in fact this was the most calm she had seen the walking skeleton. "That is the last remaining fragment of Vierdtral, mortal"

"It's the only substance known to permanently erase a superhuman"

"Do you mean to oblivion, or dead 'dead'?" Sam asked.

Ace shook his head looking at Fear. "It destroys the very matrix- once hit fatally- it's over. The amulet of Zoar cannot set back time to save that moment… there's nothing for the Amulet to save… it used to be more common" He regarded Fear. "Why haven't you ever used this on me, your revenge?"

"Lightning- my goal has always been to send you to Oblivion and leave you there to suffer, there would be no suffering… besides this has only fell into my power because of the original Evils- if time changes, I will never get my hands on this again" Lord Fear smiled and Sam tried not to shudder just thinking about the time the future Heather spent with Fear. "Besides… I can never rule this world as long as the Master Programmer exists, and Random has imparted something far beyond what I could ever do to you… true betrayal"

"Random Virus… he wouldn't betray me… not unless his evil side made him"

It wasn't just Fear's laugh that made Sam think otherwise- it was how Brett was looking anywhere but at them.

"Mark… I don't understand you"

Mark found Sentinel intense at the best of times- and he looked over her shoulder and then on her face. "The Code is quite clear, I can't tell them about what happens with him"

He used the Code to justify shutting everyone out but the future. Even Ashley- after she had lost her parents, and needed her cousin 'Marky Mark' he couldn't be that person.

Sentinel frowned. "He was your best friend Mark… if you just took the chance to undo that- it would change you for the better, maybe that thing with the other Earth never would have happened… maybe my brother would never have been vulnerable to it… remember him, my brother… to Oblivion with the fact he was your father… he was your partner- you two were a team and it was what made you give into the visions losing Ace and your Chuck-dude"

"Ace isn't lost" Mark said seriously. "When they get back through time- that will change… it will all change-"

"But Chuck was the start of it…" Sentinel frowned and looked behind Mark. "Ashley- what's wrong?"

Ashley kicked something and ran behind Mark and Sentinel as Ace Lightning or rather the most powerful of the original evils that now inhabited his matrix stepped in.

"You used too much power with your time trick… you've compromised your protection-"

Sentinel blasted him, and glanced back. "Go Mark, if time doesn't reset you are the only one who stands a chance of saving everything- go!" Mark grabbed Ashley's hand and ran from the tower, eventually spring boarding into the air, holding her as he flew away.

Back in the now deserted Tower, the empath fell to her knees as her form flickered. "You will never get Mark… I promise you…"

"You are right, I need Mark" The Evil said without much worry. "Much more than I need your poor brother… you know he begged me to take him over- for the release of never having to be the hero after the torment he suffered at the hands of mortals"

Sentinel smiled. "I know Ace, and he's a hero, even when he shouldn't be… does knowing that we've kept Mark from you really get to you, I mean I can sense Ace screaming in there but you… there's this need, like you are fading without him-"

The next shot of pure energy made her vanish, and the Evil frowned. "It's fascinating- he is just one lightning knight but all these people care so much for Mark Hollander, and fall for him… what a disappointment Fear is… not to have seen the threat from the moment he interfered with the sixth dimension"

In order for the original evils to be released, the Master Programmer had needed to get Random. And according to Fear, Random- with a clear mind, the cybernetic components removed- had aligned with evil- everything that had happened in the future to the knights, because Random had joined with the Master Programmer.

It didn't matter that the Evils would be restrained in the removed cybernetic systems or that if he ended the Mater Programmer- they would never be free. It was that Random Virus hadn't picked evil after time like Heather had. It was that on the day he had flown down to greet Samantha- his friend had already changed sides. And this time there was no evil side for Ace to excuse. He did not know why Brett did not just confirm it- instead of refusing to discuss the subject because it violated the Code to tell him anymore.

They had returned to the road that they had arrived on and Ace could see Mark and Ashley approach.

"What happened- why are you outside the Tower?" asked Brett.

"It got in" Mark seemed to be played with a piece of paper in his hand and he seemed to initially hesitate. And then he handed the folded piece of paper to Sam. "Don't open it until you're back in your own time… and that should be in a few minutes"

Ace turned to Mark. "Why did Random… did he get corrupted by the evil inside him?"

"He had a weak moment- and the Master Programmer exploited it, if you get him back Random should still be Random and not the person that 'we' know as a villain" Mark frowned. "I can't tell you anything else other than the questions you must ask yourself- how much does your best friend mean to you, who you know Random is and you'll have your answer"

One moment they were on the ghost town's road and the next they were back in their Conestoga Hills, and Sam looked around, and read the note. Ace Lightning was gone by the time she looked up but she grabbed her cell out of her pocket. It might be too late for Random Virus but it wasn't too late for Heather.

But right now she and Mark had to get to the Carnival and save Chuck from getting himself killed.

Chuck will try something from the game in the Carnival at 9:47 am today- Kilobyte's there confronting Fear- he'll get caught in the crossfire.

---To Be Continued---

I'm sorry for the time travel, right after the alternate characters but there was no other way to get this plot forward… and Once Upon a Time isn't a cute fairytale name- it actually always had a meaning.