(The emotions abound…)

Darkest Nyx-Chapter Fourteen

Nyx kicked and yelled curses as she was dragged by the scarf up the stairs by Jek, who was giggling insanely. She punched him hard in the knee, but he didn't stumble, only tightened his grip on the strip of fabric.

"You demon-ass little effing bitch! Let me go!", she roared. However worried for herself she seemed, Nyx was more concerned about her friends-also being forced up the stairs.

"Oh, shut up!", Jek snickered, opening a door by placing his hand on a scanner. Nyx tried to scramble away when he loosened his grip, but he just yanked the scarf in response, making her choke.

"I swear to any damn god there is, I'll kill your crazy ass!", she coughed, rubbing her neck.

"Silence!", he ordered.

The doors slid open, and Nyx and everyone gasped in horror and awe.

The room was made of a strange, see-through material that almost resembled glass. It was huge. Cavernous, even. Milling about were several shadows with huge glowing eyes-no living creatures, though. The air was charged with an unnatural energy that made everyone's hair stand on end.

But what really scared them was sitting in the middle of the floor.

A giant machine was there, buttons glowing ominously. It took up half the room, and had a table in front of it, leather straps hanging down from the sides. The sight of it made Nyx's skin crawl.

The doors slammed shut, and the shadows slid out through the bottom. Zane leaped over to Val and held her, while Zell comforted Mi. Kat stared helplessly, confused. The other warriors stood and stared, equally powerless.

"Well," Jek said with a broad smile, "It's time to meet your doom, Nyx!"

They stared at each other-Nyx incredulous, Jek beaming-not speaking.

"You've gotta be kidding me.", Nyx mumbled, turning to the door. Jek's anger frothed over and he howled a battle cry.

His shadow whipped out from behind him and seized Nyx by the waist, pinning her to the ground. Kat yelled and launched herself at it, her own green-eyed shadow whipping around her. Jek flicked his wrist, and something impossible happened.

A knife flew through the air.

Kat yelped and attempted to duck, but it struck her in the shoulder. With a howl of pain, she fell to the ground, blood making the floor slick.

"KAT!", Nyx gasped, but the shadow slammed her head into the floor.

"Any more objections?" , Jek said with a wicked smirk.

The team stood frozen absolute horror. No one dared to move, in fear that the demonic Irken before them had more weapons. Kat made growled, holding her shoulder, glaring up at Jek.

"Good.", he said simply, then snapped his fingers. The shadow lifted Nyx off the ground, then laid her on the table. Cyrus reached for her, but Jek held his hand out threateningly, never losing his even stare. Cyrus lowered his hand with a lost look.

"I'll never surrender.", Nyx whispered. The shadow slammed her head once again into the table. Val gasped, and Nyx slid into unconsciousness.

"What is wrong with you?", a voice whispers. Nyx stares around, blinking in confusion. That voice…it's strange, unfamiliar-a man's voice. "Who are you?", she calls. "You may know my name. I'm Varacosa.", it murmurs, and Nyx stumbles remembering what Kasario had said. A human's form appears, and he stares seriously at her. "Wake up. You have to end this-end what I started. Wake up."

Nyx jerked awake, then realized something-she was strapped down to the table, and her friends were fighting Jek. She groaned, looking to her left, where the machine was. It was powered up, she realized with a jolt, and the ceiling had a hole in it.

Why a hole in the ceiling?, Nyx wondered. Jek yowled like a cat, and Nyx whipped her head (with a great deal of pain), and saw him getting punched repetitively in the face by Mi. Zell was behind him, attempting to restrain him. Suddenly, Jek punched Mi so hard she screamed and stumbled backwards.

Zell gasped and ran after her, attempting to steady her, when Jek did the unthinkable.

He ripped a sword out of his belt, one that had been concealed by his red cape, and stabbed downwards.

Time slowed. Screams of Zell's name were howled. His eyes closed. He shuddered, then slumped onto Mi.

Mi stood, not comprehending what had just happened.

Jek laughed a freakish, maniacal laugh, and it settled in.

Zell, the warrior, the seemingly invincible one, was dying.

"Remember…all that time ago…", he whispered, breaking off into bloody coughs. Mi clutched him close, sobbing. Jek stared, smiling demonically.

"…w-when I told you…I'd always protect you…" he mumbles. Mi stroked his face, sobbing uncontrollably.

"I…I'm glad I could…save you…one last time…", and then, the yellow-clad warrior died.

Mi stood like a statue, staring down at him, then tipped her face, ever so slowly up.

Her huge black eyes were spilling tears, and Jek was smiling cruelly back at her. "You know, if you hadn't fought, he could still be-"

"SHUT THE FUCK UP!", she screamed. She pounced, Zell's gun in one hand, roaring curse after curse, beating the shit out of Jek. He yowled and fought back, but she pounded his face harder and harder, wailing and sobbing, but somehow keeping herself in control enough to attack.

"YOU BITCH! YOU GODDAM SON OF A BITCH!", she howled. Jek tried to stop her fist, but she grabbed his hand and bent it back, cracking it. He wailed, but was interrupted by something even worse.

Nyx was screaming. Long, ripping screeches that made her body shake. Everyone stopped, even Mi, to see what was happening.

And instantly they regretted it.

The machine had powered up, and was working its horrifying magic. Nyx screamed again, a sound of utter agony, and something floated out of her. A shadow, it looked like.

Except it wasn't a shadow.

It was the Darkest, and it was being loosed to wreak its ungodly havoc.

(Wow…just…wow. I can't believe I just did that…I'm so sorry Zell! *sobs uncontrollably*)