Alright, for this one, Scar's gonna make an appearance. And Jean is gonna master something...;) Enjoy! Disclaimer: I don't own TFA...but if I did... Left In The Dust; Chapter 21: You Can't Runaway
Jean lied on her bed, staring up at the ceiling. Thoughts danced around in her head: why was this happening to her? What was going to happen? Was it really the end of humanity? All these questions rolled around in her mind, but, whenever she closed her eyes, her mind fell to an image of the red crystal that was in one of her flasbacks. She remember that black dragon on it...it seemed so...real.
She sighed, rolling on her side. "I wish," she whispered, "that I knew what to do." She didn't want to be Joyox, but another side of her wanted to be Joyox. It was the dragon side of her that wanted Joyox.
She turned on her other side-and felt a sharp pain. She grunted, sitting up, and the pain stopped. She blinked, reaching to her side, feeling...something. She reached into her pocket, feeling something she never felt before, it felt like a...jewel. Which was strange, since it wasn't there earlier. She pulled it out-and saw the crystal. The red crystal she saw in her 'flasback', the one that she remembered taking...she gasped. She examined it closer; the black dragon's body wrapping around the jewel like a snake, its mouth open wide. She now notice that that anicent R was on the jewel, too.
She gripped it, trapping it in her hand, wondering why she would take it...she sighed. "I'm never going to get any answers!" she mumbled. Then, she thought of something. "But..I have to protect everyone...from Scar..." She looked at the jewel once more, unwrapping her fingers, then tighting her grip on them, closing her eyes. She made up her mind: She had to go away, to protect them.
About an hour later, she had some things packed in a bag. She was going to stop Scar...and she actually had a plan. She was going to go and master her powers; go to every singel Midnight World hang out that Alexis told her about, find out out as much information about Scar and the Redfern's and Slay that she could gather, find where the Midnight Circle was, and take them down, by herself. She knew she shouldn't be doing it alone, but she couldn't risk her friends' lives, not for her past, not because of her. Not after all they've done for her: they gave her a home, a life...love. She wasn't going to risk their lives, not after all they have done for her.
Especally Optimus.
She sighed, walking towards the door. She closed her eyes, an image of a red dragon appearing in her head, she opened her eyes, shaking her head. She walked out the door, walking towards a secret entrance that she witnesed Prowl use many time when to either escape from Bumblebee or be alone, which was pretty much all the time, unless Paige was around. She snuck towards it, not wanting to see the Autobots or Sunlight, she unhooked a hatch on the cellar-like-door, when she heard a voice above her say:
"What are you doing?"
She spun around, seeing Prowl tower over her, a questioning look in his face plates. "P-Prowl?" she sputtered, almost jumping out of her skin. "Jean," he said, "where are you going?" He pointed at the secret door that led outside, the questioning look glued on his face. She pursed her lips together, looking at the door, then back at Prowl. "I," she said, "was just going out for a while. Nothing major." That was the frist time she ever lied. Well, as far as she could remember, anyway. Prowl seemed to see right through her lie, because he said, "Then why not use the main entrance? Instead of sneaking around?"
Busted, she thought.
"Um..." Jean bit her lip. "I was-" Prowl suddenly pointed at Jean's back-pack. "...Why are you packed?" He stepped a little closer, causing Jean to wince slightly. "I'm..." she sighed, looking away, unable to face him. Prowl raised his optic ridges, saying, "Jean...are you...leaving? Us?" Jean sighed through her teeth, closing her eyes, seeing Slay. "Only to protect you," she whispered. "I'm sorry."
"Jean, you can't leave!" Prowl stated.
"I can and have to."
"No. What about Optimus?"
Silence, then, "I'm protecting him, too."
"Proecting who from what?"
They turned to see Optimus.
Jean looked away, Prowl sighing. "...What's going on?" Optimus asked. Prowl looked down at Jean, whom was glancing up at Prowl and the cellar door. "Optimus," Prowl said, "Jean's leaving." Optimus looked at Prowl, then Jean, whom was staring at him. "I," she said, "am going so I can protect you all." Optimus' optics widened in surprise, shaking his helm. "No," he said. "No. You can't go! Not after Scar, not by yourself!" Jean closed her eyes, seeing that image of Slay, why did that keep poping up in her mind? She wondered. She opened her eyes, looking straight at Optimus, whom looked sparkbroken.
"...Jean?" Optimus said quietly. Jean forced herself to look away. It was almost painful to looked at his optics, which were full of pain, right then. It was hurtful to look into them. "Please..." Optimus walked closer to her, kneeling down in front of her, Jean looked at him.
"...I'm sorry." She said, opening the last hatch. Jean, once the cellear-like door was opened, ran out. "Jean!" Optimus called after. "Come back!" Prowl called as well. "Slaggit." Optimus hissed under his breath. "-Optimus! Can you hear me? Prime!-" Ratchet's voice came from the com-link. Optimus cursed again, pressing his com-link button on the side of his helm. "Yes, Ratchet? What is it?" he asked. Ratchet sighed on the other end, saying, '"-There's a strange singel coming from where one of the Omega Surpreme clones crashed, could you check it out?-" Optimus rememebered that, after they got to Earth, and met Jean, they cleaned up all the Omega clones and all of the damage in the city.
"Alrght, I'm on my way." He said.
Once off the link, he bolted after Jean. "Jean!" he shouted after her. "Jean! ?" He caught sight of her, running towards where the Omega Clone had landed last time. "Jean!" he shouted. Jean turned, fear glazed over in her eyes. "Optimus! No!" she yelled back, running faster. He ran faster, also.
"Jean! Please! Come-!"
BOOM!
Scar popped out of the ground, rocks flying everywhere, people running and screaming from the scene, leaving the street. Optimus stared in horror, as did Jean, her puplis shruken. "Oh God no..." Jean whispered. Her worst fear had came to life, right before her very eyes. She stepped back, fear engulfing her. "Jean! Run!" Optimus yelled, but Jean couldn't hear him-Scar was already talking.
"Joyox," he uttered, "come and join me...you are the dragon..."
"Never!" Jean spat.
"Very well..." Scar lifted up his hand, a red sphere growing in the palm of his hand, then his eyes glowed red, rocks started flying everywhere, almost like a rock wave. Jean gasped, turning and running away, Optimus' optics glazed in fear for Jean. "Jean!" He yelled. Suddenly, the rock wave hit her, sending her flying. She landed in front of a store, creating a small creator in the ground, she groaned in pain, trying to get herself up.
"Je-!" Optimus was cut off when Scar hit him with one of his red orbs. He grunted in pain, falling to the ground, Scar hovering over him on a big chunk of rock that was floating, glowing red. Optimus got up, taking out his axe, he swung it at Scar but missed. Scar smirked behind his mask, shooting an orb at Optimus, sending him flying. Scar chuckled as Optimus yelled in pain, crashing on the hard ground, creating a a creator in the ground, he groaned, getting up. Scar chuckled darkly, the chunk of rock he was standing on floated over to the Prime. "Do you honestly think you can this?" Scar asked. Optimus smirked. "Yes," he grunted, gripping his axe, swinging it at Scar, but, once again, Scar dodged him. Optimus cursed, taking another swing, after swing, at Scar.
Meanwhile, Jean tried to pull herself up off the ground, pain coursing through her like a knife, sending her back down. "Damn," she hissed. Suddenly, she felt...power flow through her, taking over her. Her eyes flung open, glowing a bright white. She picked herself up off the ground, glaring at Scar, whom was towerng over Optimus. She stood, a chunk of rock breaking under her, glowing white, floating up.
"Scar!"
Scar and Optimus glanced up at Jean, her body glowed white, hair effortlessly flying. "Jean?" Optimus rasped, on of his optics dimming, injuries taking over his systems. Jean nodded at Optimus, returning her attention to Scar. Scar looked at her, smirking again under in mask. "Joyox, you are mastering your powers...I am impressed." He said. Jean glared at him, white orbs glowing in the palms of her hands. "Take this, you son of a bitch." She hissed, throwing the orb at him. Direct hit. Scar was knocked off his rock, sent flying. He landed on the ground with a grunt of pain, getting up. "Clever, Joyox." He mused. Jean growled at him, creating her own rockwave, knocking Scar. He yelled in agnoy, landing further away. Optimus got up to his feet, gripping his axe but Jean stopped him. "He's mine." Jean stated, another deeper voice edging at her voice. Optimus nodded, stepping back. Jean, on the rock, floated over to Scar, whom was struggling to get back up.
Jean lifted up her hands, white orbs forming. She fired them at Scar, sending him flying again. Scar touched the ground, glowed red, and sunck into it. "Oh no you don't." Jean growled. She lowered her hand, making a fist, glowing white. Then, she raised her hand, Scar coming out of the ground, eyes wide. Jean smirked, unfisting her hand, sending Scar flying and crashing into a near by building. Optimus watched the scene in awe, never could he have imagined that Jean could be so...powerful. Scar emegered from the rebble, injured and weak. "Yo are more powerful, Joyox," Scar rasped, trying to rise.,"I'm impressed." Jean glared at him.
"My name is Jean!" she hissed.
Before she could do anything, Scar glowed entirely red, a flash of light, and he was gone. Jean cursed, jumping off her rock. She stopped glowing, the rock slamming onto the ground. Optimus blinked, taking in what he just saw: Magic. It was like nothing he ever seen before.
Jean closed her eyes, sighing. "Well," she said, turning around, "I guess..."-she sighed again-"I'll be staying." Optimus perked. "What made you change your mind?" he asked. Jean smiled. "Because of today," she said, "I see that I can protect where I am, right here." She took a step over to him, taking his hand. "With you." She added. Optimus smiled, transformed, letting Jean in. "Um," she said, "what about the mess...?"
"Fanzone can take care of that." Optimus repiled.
Jean smiled, sitting back. Then, she realized that, the whole time, she'd been wearing the necklace. She looked down on it, taking it in her hand. It felt, in some way, warm in her palm. Which was strange, since she couldn't understand why it would be warm. She guessed it must be the fact that she fought Scar and it got hot, somewhere along the lines. She put her head back on the seat, sighing, keeping the crystal in her hand. "What's that you got there?" Optimus asked. Jean leaned up, saying, "Its a crystal." She looked down at it.
"Where did you get it?"
"I don't know."
A pause. "What do mean?"
"I mean," she said, "that I don't remember."
He took a silent agreement to this, driving in silence. Jean leaned back, closing her eyes, wondering what kind of power lied beneath her skin. Right now, it would remain a mystery. Before she knew it, Optimus parked in front of the base, letting Jean out, and then tranformed. He began to walk to the base, stopping when Jean didn't follow. "I," she said, "am going to go through the hatch again."
"Are you sure?" he asked.
"Positive."
Optimus stared at her for a moment, before nodding and walking into the base. Jean watched him leave, then, once he was out of sight, she walked towards the hatch. Once she was through it, she went straight to her room, locking it. She lied on her bed, simpley thinking. She sighed, sitting up, bringing her knees up to her chest. She pursed her lips together, closing her eyes.
She opened her eyes-and saw the R.
She gasped. It was on her hand, then it glowed on her arms, ran down her legs, her chest. It seemed to be crawling everywhere, glowing violently. She shrieked, hearing Scar's laugh all around the room, and he kept chanting: "You can't runaway, Joyox...you can't runaway...you can't...there's no way you, Joyox...you can't runaway..." She covered her ears, shrieking, falling off her bed. But it didn't matter.
Scar was in her head.
"Get..out...of my...head..." Jean rasped.
The laughing continued.
She shut her eyes tightly, still covering her ears, trying to get Scar out of her mind. "You can't runaway..." He keep chanting, over and over. The R's kept glowing and spreading, now all over her face and hands. Suddenly, her eyes snapped open, feeling like the wind was knocked out of her, she fell backwards. She shrieked in terror, clutching her chest, the laughing and chanting getting louder. Everything ws blurring before her eyes: memories. Nothing made sense anymore. Her life suddenly had no meaning-just ending the world. Was that the only reason she was alive? The only reason she was born?
The pain returned.
Just like that, the pain, that was once thought cured, was back, and worse. She groaned, but it was muffled, since her throat felt like someone had stuffed a cinder block in it, clogging her air. She was gasping for air, like a swimmer trying to reach for the surface of the water, but, for Jean, she couldn't get there, and she was running out of air, and time to get there was, also, running out. She couldn't breath, was the bottom line. She tried to scream, but nothing but a hoarse croak came out. She tried to yell help, but only sucessed in coughing up blood. Then, she suddeny realized that she was lying in a pool of blood. It had just appeared, out of aboslutely nowhere. She had no cuts or anything. She couldn't breath: she was bleeding-somehow-the pain returned and Scar was in her head.
What else could go wrong?
Oh right...
She was dying.
For the second time.
She sputtered up more blood, adding to the pool. She had to find a way to survive, and fast. She looked all around the room, her vision blurring with grey dots. Then, she saw a phone. It was right there, on the night stand. She, very weakly, reached up to the phone, only knocking it down. She cursed, crawling over to the phone, she dailed Alexis' cell phone number, surprisingly. It rang, and the chanting grew louder, so did the laughter.
"You can't runaway! You can't runaway!"
"Hello?" Alexis' vocie said.
Jean's eyes were shutting, her body was weak, her air was gone, but yet, she had the strength to rasp: "Help...me...please..." She collapsed into the pool of blood, giving one last groan untill darkness. Scar's laugh haunting her and Alexis' voice:
"Hello? Jean? Is that you? Jean? Jean? Jean? ! Jean! JEAN! ! !"
Dear God! O_O JEAN!
Okay, let's review what happened in the story:
1) Scar's back
2) Jean has mastered her powers
3) Jean kicked Scar's ass
4) The pain returned
5) Jean is dying...
AGAIN!
Primus, so intense! PLEASE REVIEW!
XD