Chapter Twelve:

Kayce

After several hours of kicking ass and getting my ass kicked, I could still only imagine what my older self had gone through when fighting Garyn for fifteen years straight. Whereas I was caught by surprise a few times, Joan knew his movements, and could counter just as well as he could against her. Eventually, Joan and I were panting behind a bookcase, getting ready for another onslaught.

"We… We have to keep going!" she gasped. "We can't… lose!"

I nodded. "Yeah. But… let's try not… to die, okay?"

Joan rubbed her injured arm, where Garyn had dislocated it. "Put my arm… back in place!" she ordered suddenly.

I was going to protest when I realized that I would want the same thing (… duh). I took her to the corner of the bookshelf and got ready.

"This is gonna hurt," I told her.

"Stop stating the painfully obvious and do it!" she ordered.

I nodded and slammed her shoulder against the bookcase without so much as a warning. She gritted her teeth and grunted painfully, but it wasn't in yet.

"Again!" she commanded.

"Already on it." I smashed her shoulder against the bookcase a few more times before we heard the satisfying (and sickening) sound of an arm returning to its socket. Joan cried out in pain, but managed to muffle it.

"I thought you said you were slightly immune to pain?" I asked.

She shook her head. "Not when it's the first time my arm's been dislocated, I can tell ya that!"

"Are you two finished?"

I whirled around and tossed a fireball at Garyn, but he melted into the shadows and dodged it. It enraged me that he had Alec's power, but unless I killed him I couldn't do anything about it.

"I remember when you dislocated my ribs," Garyn said. "One by one."

"You deserved it!" Joan spat.

I nodded. "Nice…"

I attacked, grabbing onto his collar and slamming him to the ground before he could react.

"I'm done! I'm not waiting to hear to speak anymore!" I growled.

Garyn smiled and spat out some blood. "Well, well, well. All-out, is it?"

"Hell yeah, you son of a bitch!"

Even I was surprised as I looked up and saw both Lances, with guns galore. I jumped out of the way, just as they fired. Garyn sunk into the floor, but I had no doubt that he'd been hit.

"Lance!" both Joan and I cried.

Both Lances waved lamely. "Yo!"

I paused. "Too weird…"

Lance hurried to where I was (my version, anyway. The older one went to Joan). "You wouldn't believe how cool I am when I get older!" he exclaimed.

I facepalmed. "Lance, we're trying to decide the fate of our timeline. Can we not do this right now?"

"Oh, right." Lance reloaded his SMG and smiled. "Don't worry. We'll help out!"

I brought my fire to my hands. "Just be careful. He's good. He'll catch you when you're not—."

Garyn's arm wrapped around my throat and I was lifted from the ground. I kicked out, but I didn't get him. Lance jumped back and aimed at his head, but it looked like he either didn't trust his aiming abilities, or the SMG's.

"Well, this… is ironic!" I gasped as Garyn really started to crush my windpipe. "Lance, shoot!"

"I can't!" he said.

"Shoot!"

Garyn was probably hiding behind me, using me as a shield. "Jo no one can hit him!" Lance's older self said.

"I said shoot, dammit!"

Lance was going to say "no" again, but his eyes turned to surprise (along with Joan's and the older Lance's) when the door behind us suddenly closed loudly.

"STAY AWAY FROM MY MOTHER!" Kayce roared, and kicked the back of Garyn's knees.

Garyn grunted and went down on one knee. I used that advantage to bring my leg up behind me and kick him where it hurt the most. He released me to hold that particular spot, and Kayce brought her fist into the side of his face, sending him sprawling to the ground. He quickly disappeared into the shadows, no doubt to plan another attack.

"Kayce…" I said, almost not believing that she was there.

Kayce smiled at me weakly. "I owed you for saving me," she said. "And I never did get to tell you why I was in detention." I gave her a confused look, and that's when she smiled and said, "Fighting."

I grinned and hugged her. "That's my girl!"

"Excuse me, but she's my girl, and I can't say I'm too impressed about that 'detention' thing," Joan said, crossing her arms. "Kayce, you've got to get out of here!"

Kayce shook her head. "Mom, Jo, I can help!" Kayce looked at her father. "Dad! Please!"

He shook his head. "I agree with your mother on this one. She didn't go fight this guy for fifteen years straight to protect you just to see you hurt now."

"Took the words right outta my mouth," Joan said, smiling at him. "Kayce, I can't let you get hurt!"

"But I can really help!" Kayce argued.

I smiled. "What can you do, Kayce?"

Kayce saw my smile and seemed to know it was a challenge. "I… I never told anyone before, because I was afraid…" She took in a deep breath. "But now… I know my mom's a Conduit, and I'm not afraid anymore. I want to be brave like my mom and dad!"

Joan's arms suddenly dropped to her sides. "Y-You mean…?"

"When people get… afraid, it feels like I get stronger," Kayce said. "It's weird, but it helps in a fight. Especially against boys."

"Can ya prove it?" I asked.

Kayce nodded. "Garyn's kinda scared right now. I can… I can feel it. And I know he's coming in a few seconds, so be ready!"

We all tensed as we waited for Garyn's next move, and then he jumped out of a shadow and tried to grab Lance.

But Kayce was already on him. I could've sworn that she could do more than feed off of a person's fear, but I'd have to ask her later. She leaped on him and started punching him out, and soon her fists went so fast that it was only a blur. Garyn couldn't even bring his head back up. He latched onto her and dragged her into the shadows.

"Kayce!" we all yelled, but it seemed useless.

Kayce and Garyn were popping in-and-out of the world of light and the world of shadows. She was still punching him out, but he was a stubborn bastard. Eventually, they came to a place where Joan and I grabbed onto him and were dragged under as well. I set myself on fire, and saw Joan doing the same. Whenever we would pop up out of the shadows, Lance and older Lance would fire at Garyn as best they could, taking care not to hit us.

"You're doin' good!" I told Kayce as I helped beat the living shit outta Garyn. "Glad you're on my team!"

Garyn punched back and hit Kayce in the face, but besides hesitating to continue her onslaught she wasn't at all affected. I'd have to make a list of the things Kayce could do so I could deal with it later in my life! (Hopefully, anyway…)

Eventually, Garyn was finally knocked out. We appeared back where Lance and older Lance were, exhausted from the fight and the stress.

Joan helped Kayce to her feet. "I shouldn't be happy after what you just did, but…" She smiled. "I can't really find any other feeling."

Kayce smiled half-heartedly. "I didn't wanna be a freak…"

"Pfft! We're not freaks!" I said. "Just normally-challenged!

That helped her smile a bit more. I looked down at Garyn just as Dana came in, panting heavily.

"Is he…?"

I shook my head. "He's all yours."

Dana put on a brave face and put her gun up against Garyn's forehead. I helped Joan cover Kayce's eyes and ears as Dana shot him in the head repeatedly, and then a few times in his heart. She may have been strong, but not for that image.

Quinn, Dilyn, Viveca, Cass and Rhea came in then. I could tell that Kayce was a bit surprised by them (we left her eyes alone after Dana dragged Garyn's lifeless body away).

"Is it over?" Dilyn asked.

I nodded. "Done like dinner."

Rhea smiled. "Well, that's that."

Viveca nodded. "Yeah…" she said quietly.

I looked at Lance, but he wasn't there. The older Lance could see my confusion.

"He just… disappeared," he said.

I was going to ask how when I saw my hands. They were disappearing too. I smiled.

"Looks like my time here's done. This part of the timeline must be repairing itself," I observed.

Cass nodded, and saw that they, too, were disappearing. "We're heading back to our re-made timelines again."

Kayce looked at me sadly. "Am I ever gonna see you again?" she asked.

I smiled. "Hey, the timeline is repairing itself, not being destroyed!" I gave her a thumbs-up. "Of course you'll see me again! Just not in the way that you might think. And don't worry," I added slyly, "I won't leave."

"Oh, thanks," Joan muttered.

"Well guys, it's been fun," Quinn said, "but I'm off to a gloomy New Marias. I can't miss out on it!"

I shot her a "look". "Oh, and if I ever see you again, I'll make sure that you won't ever get that shuriken back."

"You can try!" she shot back, smiling.

They disappeared before I did, but when I did, I found myself back in the living room, sitting on the couch with Lance.

After a few moments of silence (because I was unsure if I'd come back to my time), Lance said, "Let's never do that again, okay?"

I nodded. "Even though, in the end, killing Garyn was surprisingly easy."

Cole came in then, and frowned at us. "Why aren't you guys heading to college yet?"

I smiled. "We're going now." As we headed out the door, and glanced back at Cole and winked. "By the way, there's two thugs getting ready to mob a woman in about… three minutes? You'd better hurry. Just follow us."

Cole looked at me curiously and followed.