Dreams of love and happiness washed over Kel as he slept. This was a very rare occasion. The mental imagery went on for what felt like forever…then he woke. He sat up, only to find that Dark Samus was nowhere to be seen. He looked around the now more brightly lit room in search of an exit. Across from him there appeared to be some kind of door formed of turquoise flesh and plant life shielded by some kind of thin force field. He looked around, noticing that the walls were made up of the same organic material, pulsing with bright blue veins.
"Interesting…"
The young man felt like he was filled to the brim with power, like someone had jabbed a pipe into his heart and pumped the sun into it. He looked down at his arms. His veins were a much brighter blue than usual. Strangely enough, his arms seemed a little more muscular than he last remembered… He looked down and noticed that his legs had seemingly gone through the same transformation. He lifted up his shirt only to realize that his chest muscles had become more defined aswell.
"Well, this is…intriguing." He murmured. He felt as though there was some kind of controllable energy coursing through his blood stream. He held out his hand, almost instinctually compelling the energy inside of him to form into his palm. In a split second, bright turquoise flames sprouted from his hand. The bottom of the flames themselves appeared to be composed of some kind of liquid, which was eternally igniting itself in an on-going rotation of fusion and chemical reactions. It was beautiful.
"Wow…" he uttered in amazement.
This has to be some kind of acid-trip dream…
It quickly became clear that the dream was over…and that this energy spout in his palm was, in fact, quite real. He stood in complete awe of the power display before him. He turned towards the door and released the mass, watching as it manifested into a powerful blast of the energy, shattering the cover with ease. To Kel's surprise, there was very little recoil from the blast; in fact, there was almost nothing there in terms of a returning force. He closed his hand, and the flames dissipated. He then started for the door, and exited the room.
A long, dimly lit hall sat before him, emanating a dark green-turquoise hue. As he walked down, he noticed a thin sheet of crystal covering the wall. He looked into his reflection and immediately jumped back. He looked…different. Newly jet black hair accentuated the demonic cherry red flowing through his irises, contrasting greatly with his clear, snowy flesh. He eyed himself in partial shock,
Good Lord…what is this?
He tore his gaze from the frightening reflection, resuming his walk down the hallway. The air felt fresh, not unlike that of a lush meadow. The somber walkway came to a sharp corner, ending with a single door.
Alright, this time, try not to completely wreck it…
Kel raised his hand towards the door, willing a smaller amount of energy into his palm before unleashing it. The thin beam shield covering the door retracted and released the clamps. The swiftly door opened, revealing a somewhat small room centered by a large hole artificially dug in. The cavity sat filled with phazon. The ground had become softer, almost squishy in composition, pulsing with the same blue-turquoise veins running through the walls. Cautiously, Kel made his way over to the pool, setting eyes on Dark Samus who laid completely exposed at its center. She looked as though she were at peace. Ironic.
She moaned quietly, smiling sweetly as she opened her eyes, "You're awake."
"What happened to me? What did you do?" the young man demanded, "Why the hell is my hair black? And my eyes, what's going on there? …and furthermore, what is this stuff?"
He quickly upturned his hand, allowing the blue flames to form once again.
"That, my love, is phazon." The dark angel replied.
"What? How? How is this possible? Where did I get the ability to control phazon?"
A curious little smile spread across Dark Samus's pristine face, "Me. I gifted it to you."
Kel's expression contorted into a glare as he remembered the kiss from the night before, "You didn't… You dripped that venomous essence down my throat didn't you?"
The Dark Hunter smiled, "You're a smart one…"
She slowly rose, approaching Kel from across the pool of blue, "I like that. It's comforting knowing you surpass others intellectually."
"Well, I wouldn't say that…" Kel replied humbly, trying his hardest to ignore the fact that the dark angel wasn't wearing anything.
"And why is that?"
"Well, I'm not the smartest person around…I mean, who is?"
Dark Samus lifted his chin to meet her eyes, "Oh come on, you're clever…"
"Clever…not smart; there's a big difference."
"True, though that's beside the point. You and your friend…your strategic skills as a team are incredible. You're smart enough to think of creative ways to take down your foes, and your partner executes them beautifully."
"…you really think we're that good?"
"No…I know you're that good. That's why I see such value in you; you're just the kind of fighter I need: Quick and cunning."
"But why? What is it that you so desperately need to accomplish?"
"Not accomplish…acquire."
Kel leaned in, stroking the side of her pretty face, "What is it? Please tell me."
The black skin tight suit reformed around the Dark Hunter's gentle frame, "Power, control…dominance; they're things I can't live without. Aid me, and that power can be yours too. Think about it…everything you've ever wanted to do, everyone you've wanted to pay back…it can all be brought to life."
Kel thought hard for a moment. He was well aware of what was right and what was wrong…but he simply couldn't help but love her idea. All of those who had wronged him…they would finally pay.
A curious look spread across Dark Samus's face, "Also…I've been watching your society, observing its awkward development. So many flaws… It preaches acceptance, yet hates you for believing in a higher power, yes?"
A glimmer of sadness flashed across Kel's eyes, "That's the nice way of saying it, yeah… I won't lie, it hurts, it really does. I've tried so hard in my life to be a good person and to love those around me; just as my people are taught to do…but the world despises me nonetheless. I'm not a bad person."
Dark Samus caught herself as her heart began to feel heavy. Was she actually feeling sympathy? She wiped the lone tear from the young man's eye, pulling him close, "I'm sorry…I didn't mean to dig deep."
She held him for a moment, contemplating the new emotion she had just felt. It was so alien, but in a strange way, was almost…beautiful.
"All things aside, you understand my proposition, don't you?"
The Dark Hunter pulled away, only to be startled by the horrendous grin on Kel's face. The red in his eyes had noticeably lit up.
"You know what?" He murmured, sprouting an equally deep and sinister tone, "You're right; I could finally pay them back- I could pay them all back! You hate me for what I believe?"
Massive plumes of phazonic flame erupted from his hands, "I'll send you straight to hell!"
The young man suddenly became engulfed in a tornado of blue fire, laughing maniacally as the energy coursed through him.
This is insane! Dark Samus thought, I've never seen a human act like this before!
The vortex of turquoise poison became larger. Kel's anger and anxiousness increased at an exponential rate. The tempest then opened up, revealing his upper torso, his eyes overflowing with crimson light. It had become very clear to the Dark Hunter that his power level was beginning to overload. If left unchecked, he could overtax his system, most likely resulting in an internal explosion, destroying him in an instant.
"Stop!" the dark angel cried in an attempt to save the young man and herself.
"Why should I?" Kel shouted, "This is amazing! Never in my life have I ever felt such power!"
"If you wish to live and feel it again, then stop! You're overloading your body; it's going to kill you!"
Almost immediately in response to her statement, the red in Kel's eyes snuffed out. The aqua tornado instantly died down, allowing his frame to drop to the floor,
"Whoa…" he uttered, clearly in a daze, "Got a little dizzy for a second there..."
Dark Samus let out a giggle, smiling as she approached.
Kel looked up, raising an eyebrow, "What? What's so funny?"
"Oh nothing… Just you." the dark angel replied, landing a kiss on his lips.