All assembled on board the mighty Phoenix, Anderson explained to the team what they were facing. His audience was a tense and vaguely antagonistic one. He decided to play this very carefully.
"The archaeological dig on Orion major was a major scientific discovery. We know now that it is also potentially a threat as big as Spectra."
"How so Chief?" Jason asked, listening intently. "And what does this have to do with Mark?"
"Something from that temple is killing of the science team?" Princess hypothesised. "Something using Mark as a host."
Anderson nodded. "The temple was surrounded by a powerful shield. Power of that kind can hold the likes of Spectra out, but more importantly, it can hold what it imprisons in."
"You knew this at the time?" Jason felt anxious. He feared what he may learn from the Chief and how that may affect his opinion of the man. After all, how much did the Chief keep from them?
"No, not at the time. The team hadn't finished the translation. All we knew was that the temple inscriptions were a warning of some kind. That's why I went there. To access the temple's threat level."
Jason shifted uncomfortably. "So how did it get Mark?"
"Zoltar's mechanical Wasp was extremely powerful. It had weakened the temple's shields enough to make a breach. Mark's collision in the Phoenix took out the Wasp and sliced through the hole in the field."
"So much for the temple with the power of a thousand suns." Jason smirked.
"Yes, well that was a mistranslation on the science teams part that somehow got back to Zoltar."
Jason smiled, Anderson didn't like mistakes and he looks distinctly uncomfortable with that one.
"What did it say?" Keyop asked.
"It was a contextual mistake. The science team later decided it was a reference to a solar calendar It would remain powered for over a thousand solar years."
"It was a Typo?" Jason remarked with surprise. "All this has come about because of a tiny clerical mistake?"
Anderson shrugged. "This is the hand we've been dealt, now let's deal with the consequences."
"Okay, so Mark's processed by this creature?" Tiny asked as he was piloting the craft. "How do we get him back?"
Anderson took a deep breath and rubbed his temples. It was becoming a regular mannerism. "It doesn't work like that. The inscriptions tell of a race that is pure evil from outer space. It's malicious - with no morals at all. It can jump bodies making it very hard to locate. As soon as it takes a body - it consumes the soul."
"So what you're saying is that Mark's gone." Whispered Princess.
"That's why I kept this from you." Anderson could feel the tension rising in the control room. "It was for your own good. Grieving is a natural process, I could only see this hindering any recovery you made from this tragedy."
"So why is it killing the science team? And why is it keeping Mark's body?" Jason didn't like the direction of this conversation.
"I don't know why it's attacking these men. I don't believe it needs a reason. However, it's very resourceful. It can remain hidden for long periods of time. It kept Mark's body alive until it could get to Earth. I believe it knows that Mark processes super human powers."
"But he has no bracelet to tap into them!" Princess remarked.
"That's true," Anderson agreed. "I believe the alien taps into his cerebonic implant much like his bracelet does. It's using his skills and powers on top of it's own. Its appearances are getting more frequent - and more deadly. It must be stopped. Now."
Jason felt that sinking feeling. "Chief you remember when we lost Princess? You asked us to bomb those monster flowers she was captured in, knowing she was there! It only made matters worse! The problem escalated and innocent people died. I should have refused to carry out your order then, and I certainly am now! No go Chief. I won't kill Mark!"
"I'm not asking you to." Anderson lowered his head, this schism between he and his team eating away at his conscience.
"You won't kill him. I will." He looked up and caught Jason's angry gaze and matched it. "Remember, this isn't Mark. This is Mark's body. Mark died when the creature took him."
"No it didn't." Princess whispered meekly, as if trying to convince herself. She got up. Firm and focused. "He's alive in that. thing. I saw him. It was Mark, but just for a second. He warned me."
"Princess.." Anderson interjected but was cut off.
"That's why it follows me. It's him, not the creature. I think he still has some control left! I'm sure of it!"
"This creature kills its hosts! It's hunted and murdered all the scientists on the expedition. That is not the actions that Mark would submit to. If it follows its pattern it will be after Tiny and myself next - then it will continue. It won't stop. The race that imprisoned it couldn't kill it. It was against their code of life, but we must. It must be stopped!" He stepped closer to Princess but she backed away. "Its power is still growing. It is an invisible killer. We have to destroy it."
"Destroy it?" Jason asked. "How?"
Anderson pulled the metal device out from his coat. "The translations say the creature's physical body is weak to the cold. We'll use the Frigid Midget - the ice bomb that Zark invented for your battle against the Sea Dragon. It's been customised to confine the spread of its affect. This device will stop it transferring to another body. It will die within the frozen host."
"No way!" Exclaimed Princess. "Mark is in there."
"Impossible." Growled Anderson.
"What if, somehow, the cerebonic implant is protecting Mark? It could also explain why the creature has not jumped. Perhaps it can't! Perhaps they are both trapped." Her mind was racing. How could it be stopped?
"You can't know that. It's likely it hasn't jumped host simply because it doesn't need to. Mark is an excellent source of power - thanks to the cerebonic implant."
Anderson handed the bomb to Keyop. "Keyop, go and load this into the launcher. Once we locate the Alien we'll destroy it with this."
Princess remained silent. She pulled out the bracelet that Keyop had found. She knew Mark wouldn't want her to try and save him. He was very much like Anderson in that way. The galaxy comes first.
She was not Mark, and she would readily sacrifice herself to bring him back.
"Chief, let me try and stop it first. I think I might be able to get Mark back."
"No Princess. That's an order." Anderson gripped her shoulder. "This has all gone on far enough. We can't get sentimental. Mark's gone!"
She pulled herself from his grip. "Mark's in there! I believe I can get him out! We owe him that! This is not girlish sentiment! I won't let this go!" Anderson stepped back. Princess continued. "If Mark was dead, I would readily kill this creature. I would do it with my bare hands - but I know Mark's in there. You have to trust me!" She paused before continuing. "If I fail, you can do what has to be done."
Anderson stood mutely. Unsure how to proceed. The group hung heavy in the tense atmosphere. Prince took a deep breath and continued her plight.
"Chief, I won't disobey you. If you order me not to, I will follow your orders. We're G-Force. We are a team, but please let me do this. I know I'm right!"
Anderson slumped into the nearby chair. Could he send another to their death? Could he be sure Princess wasn't right? How ready was he to kill this thing if Mark was in there? Jason was right, he'd made these choices before, but that didn't make this one any easier. He'd almost killed Princess then. Ordered the team to destroy the follows that held her. The plan had failed. The Flowers multiplied as a result, and Princess could have been killed by his order. Did he want to make the same mistake?
He felt Jason place a gloved hand on his shoulder. "Chief. We're not kids. I believe in Princess. She knows her duty. If she believes there is a chance, I will back her all the way."
"Sharp mind!" Keyop bleeped and tapped his helmet. "Devious."
Anderson sat and stared into the distance. They know their duty. What right had he to expect them to fight and die for the Galaxy if could not show trust in them? Faith.
He slowly glanced at the remaining three. They stood, still waiting for his orders, regardless of the situation. They may argue with his orders occasionally, but when it came to it, they were G-Force. Like Mark, unswervingly dedicated to the future of the Galaxy. He was so proud - of them all.
***
It hated him.
The fact that the soul was still there had at first shocked the Alien. That it too, was trapped within this body as prisoner with its original host, increased it's loathing for it's companion.
He felt its hate.
It would hurt him.
Torture him.
It took pleasure in all these things. It spent the time systematically killing simply to hurt Mark.
It told him it would kill all the people who were there at its prison. It had made him watch as it slowly killed off the scientists - using his body and then gloating on his agony.
He could feel its power.
It was growing. Soon there would be little left of him - but there would always be just enough to make it's life miserable, to slowly drive it crazy. It may have a strong and powerful body at its disposal, but it was trapped. Even if he failed to escape its control, Mark knew he would have the last laugh. He could feel it's physical presence deep within his stomach. He recalled the pain - and fear - when it had entered him. Trapped in the energy field, it's purple cactus like body surfing the streams of energy, dancing before him. Caressing his face, before slowly forcing itself down his throat. There it hid. Undetected. Its power was incredible. It could heal his body as if by magic. It could remain hidden from detection. It escaped the notice of the medics - but he could always feel it. It's distended weight gorging on his fluids. Like a spider in it's web. It spent much of the time asleep; it's only escape from the small confines of his body. That gave him his time in control of his body. Not much, but just enough to move around. He had to be delicate - as it slept lightly, listening for any disobedience.
It mocked him for these pathetic attempts to regain command of his physical body. If Mark could, he'd have ripped open his own belly and throttled the creature with his own hands. It had too much power over his motor functions to let him do that. He could walk, and occasionally muster the ability to say simple sentences, but essentially he was a puppet on a string. It was the master and next it intended to kill his friends.
Mark sat a distance from Princess' home base on a nearby rooftop. She owned rooms in a small wooden building within the city. He was looking down on the building from five stories up. Rain spluttered down on the long coat that shrouded his body. It suited his mood.
He studied the building. No lights were on. She wasn't there. He watched as he did most nights, hoping that creating a slight pattern, a definable trail - may make him easy to locate. He masked this thought from the creature with all the willpower he could muster. Clouding his true intentions with feelings of blind hope and feeble need. It genuinely believed that his attention to Princess was some longing for love, for contact. Stupid human desire. There was some truth to that - Mark knew that.
In the end though, he hoped that his movements would give his friends the opportunity to stop the beast. In a silly way, he hoped that if he were to be killed - to stop this evil creature, it would be Princess who delivered the final blow. Ending his misery, she would be the last sight he would see, and he couldn't think of a better one.
But it was powerful. It was far more powerful than G-Force probably realised. He couldn't warn Princessr, he couldn't help her. It knew that he had told her to flee when it killed Cronus' men. It didn't care. It had made a good job killing those people - it was satisfied. Besides, it wanted to prolong Mark's agony.
Her day will come, it told him. Nevertheless, it tortured him for his actions.
He felt something touch his back. It felt so alien to be touched. His senses went into overdrive, exploding with recognition. That perfume. The stroke of the hand. He didn't want to look, indulge in her beauty. He wanted to cry but he was too impotent for such actions.
"Ru-n" He stammered.
"No," came the firm voice. "It ends here."
Mark's face suddenly grinned, and with a faint hiss began to giggle. The alien reawakened, gleefully aware of the implications of this encounter, tensed its muscles. It wanted to play with this one. It knew how much pain that this would cause the host.
"Mark. I lo-" It swung round and caught her chin; she somersaulted and landed on her back, hard against the gravel-covered roof. She screamed in pain. Her arm was painfully dislocated. She dragged herself backwards away from the beast. The rain pounded against her cracked visor. Before she could go for her weapon, it pulled her up of the dirt and threw her across the rooftop. She collided with a protruding skylight, smashing through the window frame and down to the floor below. With a jubilant hiss, it followed her.
***
"We have to do something!" Tiny set the burners for maximum and yanked at the thrust control. He could no longer watch the scene on the monitor. He began the ship's descent from its hiding place high above the clouds.
"No." Anderson ordered, his hands pressed together. He was deep in thought, sitting next to a nervous young Keyop.
"What do you mean, no?" Tiny ejaculated. "He's killin' her!"
"I said we would play this her way. There's nothing we can do in time. We play this her way or not at all. Zoom in Keyop."
"No good." Keyop gripped. "Can't get picture."
Anderson turned to face Jason. Jason nodded solemnly and placed his hand over the weapon controls. "Activate the frigid midget on my signal."
It was Princess choice to set herself up like this. She would either save Mark, or sacrifice herself carrying the ice bomb. The rest sat waiting for the small glimpse of eternity to pass.
***
Princess yelped as she tried to move. She had a busted rib. Broken glass cut into her skin. She seemed to be in an old warehouse storeroom. It was littered with dusty boxes. Her head was spinning in the dark. She could hear the hissing giggles of the creature.
"Mark?" she called out weakly.
She screamed.
Something had sliced through her arm. She felt herself lifted once more and then been carried in the air, held by her neck. She fought feebly as it savagely drove her into the wall. She looked down at her arm. A piece of splintered wood hung deep below her elbow. She numbly felt out for its arm. His arm. The creature was making a sort of choking sound. Laughing. She looked directly into its eyes. Mark's eyes, yet not Marks.
"Mark." She uttered weakly. She felt his wrist. Still there. Things were getting dark. She was about to die. She let the word play on her lips. But no sound came out.
A prisoner in his own body. He screamed and attacked the empty, non-existent walls of his cell. It laughed in return. It let him watch as it strangled the last breath from her body.
Her lips.
One word.
He felt her hand on his arm. He could do nothing as he killed her.
Her lips.
One word.
No sound.
His wrist.
Pressing her hand on his wrist.
***
"Activate Jason." Anderson commanded. Jason paused. Another member of G-Force would be dead. Once again, it was he who had to follow the orders and effectively send one more to their death.
He pressed the button.
***
His wrist.
Pressing at his cold wrist.
Her lips.
Uttering what?
It laughed.
***
Jason sat there mutely. "No signal."
"What!" Demanded Anderson.
"It must have been damaged in the fight."
It had all gone very wrong. Anderson's soul hung heavy. "Prepare to take us down Tiny."
***
It showed him the future. All the possible circumstances he could have had. It showed him the past.
All the possible chances he had missed. She was his lynchpin. She was his sacrifice for the good of the Galaxy. It showed him the present. The last breath leaving her slender body.
Her eyes rolling up into her head.
Her mouth.
The silent word.
His wrist.
The word.
His body.
His Galaxy.
His girl.
It was about to take everything.
Anger boiled.
His wrist.
What was on his wrist?
Mark exploded.
***
The creature yelled in surprise as it was flung back from the girl in a gigantic physical spasm. The girl slumped against the wall and slid to the floor.
Princess tried to catch a precious piece of breath. She wanted to throw up. She looked at the creature's eyes. They were firm and familiar. Mark.
"Mark?" She asked gently.
The man clutched at his belly in a violent mix of pain and anger. Those eyes returned, briefly and then were replaced with Marks. She noticed a stream of blood start to stream out of his right eye. She saw him shaking.
Fighting.
"T..tt.. t" He began to splutter.
He's fighting it. He's making one last stand. She reached for her belt. She had to stay conscious for a little longer.
He said the word but no sound came out of his mouth.
T
You can't say what I don't want to.
It tickled him with pain.
Tr
You and your body are my prison.
I am your prison. You can't fight me.
Tra
Not for long, Mark told it.
I don't need to fight you for long. Just for one word.
Mark did something he had not done in a long time.
He won.
***
The figure stood like a manikin in front of Princess.
There was no longer any outward physical sign of a struggle. Then, she noticed a stream of blood bulge out of his mouth.
Blood was suddenly pouring from every orifice. A battle waging from within. The eyes opened.
"Transmute!" He demanded.
The voice activated the bracelet.
She had carefully palmed it onto his wrist whilst on the rooftops.
The spare bracelet.
The room seemed to explode into light and fire. S
he watched in horror as his body squirmed, fighting the transformation. His stomach writhed and he screamed in fury and agony.
His clothes began to form their birdstyle effect and then with a final cry he began to spit something large and unholy out of his mouth.
Something.
Pinkish green, it had tiny needles protruding out from its sides covered in mucas. They cut into the sides of Mark's mouth as it was forced from his body.
It began to wither and pulsate as it fell onto the floor.
With all her effort, she pulled herself off the ground and hobbled towards Mark.
She hurled the Frigid Midget at the creature and pulled Mark away in the opposite direction.
Semi conscious, Mark instinctively began to force himself to follow her pace, still holding her arm.
"Need pick up. now!" She stammered into her communicator. She ran for the nearest window, they were too high up to survive a fall in their present state but that compared to-
The midget exploded into ice. The room and its contents were transformed into a frozen garden just as the two bodies collided with the window
Control had never been a problem for Mark, but after weeks of being imprisoned, he felt like a baby taking his first steps.
As fast as thought travels, it seemed an eternity waiting. Waiting for his body to pick up and execute his new commands.
Run.
The window broke and they began to drop.
He commanded his arm. Move.
It moved.
Slowly and without finesse, it grabbed onto the window ledge.
He gripped it tightly with one arm and held the now unconscious body of Princess with the other. His fingers could feel the pain of the ice-cold room beyond.
He looked down at the girl in his arms. She never gave up hope on him. She fought to the very end. He smiled. He was the luckiest guy alive. Then he let go.
"The archaeological dig on Orion major was a major scientific discovery. We know now that it is also potentially a threat as big as Spectra."
"How so Chief?" Jason asked, listening intently. "And what does this have to do with Mark?"
"Something from that temple is killing of the science team?" Princess hypothesised. "Something using Mark as a host."
Anderson nodded. "The temple was surrounded by a powerful shield. Power of that kind can hold the likes of Spectra out, but more importantly, it can hold what it imprisons in."
"You knew this at the time?" Jason felt anxious. He feared what he may learn from the Chief and how that may affect his opinion of the man. After all, how much did the Chief keep from them?
"No, not at the time. The team hadn't finished the translation. All we knew was that the temple inscriptions were a warning of some kind. That's why I went there. To access the temple's threat level."
Jason shifted uncomfortably. "So how did it get Mark?"
"Zoltar's mechanical Wasp was extremely powerful. It had weakened the temple's shields enough to make a breach. Mark's collision in the Phoenix took out the Wasp and sliced through the hole in the field."
"So much for the temple with the power of a thousand suns." Jason smirked.
"Yes, well that was a mistranslation on the science teams part that somehow got back to Zoltar."
Jason smiled, Anderson didn't like mistakes and he looks distinctly uncomfortable with that one.
"What did it say?" Keyop asked.
"It was a contextual mistake. The science team later decided it was a reference to a solar calendar It would remain powered for over a thousand solar years."
"It was a Typo?" Jason remarked with surprise. "All this has come about because of a tiny clerical mistake?"
Anderson shrugged. "This is the hand we've been dealt, now let's deal with the consequences."
"Okay, so Mark's processed by this creature?" Tiny asked as he was piloting the craft. "How do we get him back?"
Anderson took a deep breath and rubbed his temples. It was becoming a regular mannerism. "It doesn't work like that. The inscriptions tell of a race that is pure evil from outer space. It's malicious - with no morals at all. It can jump bodies making it very hard to locate. As soon as it takes a body - it consumes the soul."
"So what you're saying is that Mark's gone." Whispered Princess.
"That's why I kept this from you." Anderson could feel the tension rising in the control room. "It was for your own good. Grieving is a natural process, I could only see this hindering any recovery you made from this tragedy."
"So why is it killing the science team? And why is it keeping Mark's body?" Jason didn't like the direction of this conversation.
"I don't know why it's attacking these men. I don't believe it needs a reason. However, it's very resourceful. It can remain hidden for long periods of time. It kept Mark's body alive until it could get to Earth. I believe it knows that Mark processes super human powers."
"But he has no bracelet to tap into them!" Princess remarked.
"That's true," Anderson agreed. "I believe the alien taps into his cerebonic implant much like his bracelet does. It's using his skills and powers on top of it's own. Its appearances are getting more frequent - and more deadly. It must be stopped. Now."
Jason felt that sinking feeling. "Chief you remember when we lost Princess? You asked us to bomb those monster flowers she was captured in, knowing she was there! It only made matters worse! The problem escalated and innocent people died. I should have refused to carry out your order then, and I certainly am now! No go Chief. I won't kill Mark!"
"I'm not asking you to." Anderson lowered his head, this schism between he and his team eating away at his conscience.
"You won't kill him. I will." He looked up and caught Jason's angry gaze and matched it. "Remember, this isn't Mark. This is Mark's body. Mark died when the creature took him."
"No it didn't." Princess whispered meekly, as if trying to convince herself. She got up. Firm and focused. "He's alive in that. thing. I saw him. It was Mark, but just for a second. He warned me."
"Princess.." Anderson interjected but was cut off.
"That's why it follows me. It's him, not the creature. I think he still has some control left! I'm sure of it!"
"This creature kills its hosts! It's hunted and murdered all the scientists on the expedition. That is not the actions that Mark would submit to. If it follows its pattern it will be after Tiny and myself next - then it will continue. It won't stop. The race that imprisoned it couldn't kill it. It was against their code of life, but we must. It must be stopped!" He stepped closer to Princess but she backed away. "Its power is still growing. It is an invisible killer. We have to destroy it."
"Destroy it?" Jason asked. "How?"
Anderson pulled the metal device out from his coat. "The translations say the creature's physical body is weak to the cold. We'll use the Frigid Midget - the ice bomb that Zark invented for your battle against the Sea Dragon. It's been customised to confine the spread of its affect. This device will stop it transferring to another body. It will die within the frozen host."
"No way!" Exclaimed Princess. "Mark is in there."
"Impossible." Growled Anderson.
"What if, somehow, the cerebonic implant is protecting Mark? It could also explain why the creature has not jumped. Perhaps it can't! Perhaps they are both trapped." Her mind was racing. How could it be stopped?
"You can't know that. It's likely it hasn't jumped host simply because it doesn't need to. Mark is an excellent source of power - thanks to the cerebonic implant."
Anderson handed the bomb to Keyop. "Keyop, go and load this into the launcher. Once we locate the Alien we'll destroy it with this."
Princess remained silent. She pulled out the bracelet that Keyop had found. She knew Mark wouldn't want her to try and save him. He was very much like Anderson in that way. The galaxy comes first.
She was not Mark, and she would readily sacrifice herself to bring him back.
"Chief, let me try and stop it first. I think I might be able to get Mark back."
"No Princess. That's an order." Anderson gripped her shoulder. "This has all gone on far enough. We can't get sentimental. Mark's gone!"
She pulled herself from his grip. "Mark's in there! I believe I can get him out! We owe him that! This is not girlish sentiment! I won't let this go!" Anderson stepped back. Princess continued. "If Mark was dead, I would readily kill this creature. I would do it with my bare hands - but I know Mark's in there. You have to trust me!" She paused before continuing. "If I fail, you can do what has to be done."
Anderson stood mutely. Unsure how to proceed. The group hung heavy in the tense atmosphere. Prince took a deep breath and continued her plight.
"Chief, I won't disobey you. If you order me not to, I will follow your orders. We're G-Force. We are a team, but please let me do this. I know I'm right!"
Anderson slumped into the nearby chair. Could he send another to their death? Could he be sure Princess wasn't right? How ready was he to kill this thing if Mark was in there? Jason was right, he'd made these choices before, but that didn't make this one any easier. He'd almost killed Princess then. Ordered the team to destroy the follows that held her. The plan had failed. The Flowers multiplied as a result, and Princess could have been killed by his order. Did he want to make the same mistake?
He felt Jason place a gloved hand on his shoulder. "Chief. We're not kids. I believe in Princess. She knows her duty. If she believes there is a chance, I will back her all the way."
"Sharp mind!" Keyop bleeped and tapped his helmet. "Devious."
Anderson sat and stared into the distance. They know their duty. What right had he to expect them to fight and die for the Galaxy if could not show trust in them? Faith.
He slowly glanced at the remaining three. They stood, still waiting for his orders, regardless of the situation. They may argue with his orders occasionally, but when it came to it, they were G-Force. Like Mark, unswervingly dedicated to the future of the Galaxy. He was so proud - of them all.
***
It hated him.
The fact that the soul was still there had at first shocked the Alien. That it too, was trapped within this body as prisoner with its original host, increased it's loathing for it's companion.
He felt its hate.
It would hurt him.
Torture him.
It took pleasure in all these things. It spent the time systematically killing simply to hurt Mark.
It told him it would kill all the people who were there at its prison. It had made him watch as it slowly killed off the scientists - using his body and then gloating on his agony.
He could feel its power.
It was growing. Soon there would be little left of him - but there would always be just enough to make it's life miserable, to slowly drive it crazy. It may have a strong and powerful body at its disposal, but it was trapped. Even if he failed to escape its control, Mark knew he would have the last laugh. He could feel it's physical presence deep within his stomach. He recalled the pain - and fear - when it had entered him. Trapped in the energy field, it's purple cactus like body surfing the streams of energy, dancing before him. Caressing his face, before slowly forcing itself down his throat. There it hid. Undetected. Its power was incredible. It could heal his body as if by magic. It could remain hidden from detection. It escaped the notice of the medics - but he could always feel it. It's distended weight gorging on his fluids. Like a spider in it's web. It spent much of the time asleep; it's only escape from the small confines of his body. That gave him his time in control of his body. Not much, but just enough to move around. He had to be delicate - as it slept lightly, listening for any disobedience.
It mocked him for these pathetic attempts to regain command of his physical body. If Mark could, he'd have ripped open his own belly and throttled the creature with his own hands. It had too much power over his motor functions to let him do that. He could walk, and occasionally muster the ability to say simple sentences, but essentially he was a puppet on a string. It was the master and next it intended to kill his friends.
Mark sat a distance from Princess' home base on a nearby rooftop. She owned rooms in a small wooden building within the city. He was looking down on the building from five stories up. Rain spluttered down on the long coat that shrouded his body. It suited his mood.
He studied the building. No lights were on. She wasn't there. He watched as he did most nights, hoping that creating a slight pattern, a definable trail - may make him easy to locate. He masked this thought from the creature with all the willpower he could muster. Clouding his true intentions with feelings of blind hope and feeble need. It genuinely believed that his attention to Princess was some longing for love, for contact. Stupid human desire. There was some truth to that - Mark knew that.
In the end though, he hoped that his movements would give his friends the opportunity to stop the beast. In a silly way, he hoped that if he were to be killed - to stop this evil creature, it would be Princess who delivered the final blow. Ending his misery, she would be the last sight he would see, and he couldn't think of a better one.
But it was powerful. It was far more powerful than G-Force probably realised. He couldn't warn Princessr, he couldn't help her. It knew that he had told her to flee when it killed Cronus' men. It didn't care. It had made a good job killing those people - it was satisfied. Besides, it wanted to prolong Mark's agony.
Her day will come, it told him. Nevertheless, it tortured him for his actions.
He felt something touch his back. It felt so alien to be touched. His senses went into overdrive, exploding with recognition. That perfume. The stroke of the hand. He didn't want to look, indulge in her beauty. He wanted to cry but he was too impotent for such actions.
"Ru-n" He stammered.
"No," came the firm voice. "It ends here."
Mark's face suddenly grinned, and with a faint hiss began to giggle. The alien reawakened, gleefully aware of the implications of this encounter, tensed its muscles. It wanted to play with this one. It knew how much pain that this would cause the host.
"Mark. I lo-" It swung round and caught her chin; she somersaulted and landed on her back, hard against the gravel-covered roof. She screamed in pain. Her arm was painfully dislocated. She dragged herself backwards away from the beast. The rain pounded against her cracked visor. Before she could go for her weapon, it pulled her up of the dirt and threw her across the rooftop. She collided with a protruding skylight, smashing through the window frame and down to the floor below. With a jubilant hiss, it followed her.
***
"We have to do something!" Tiny set the burners for maximum and yanked at the thrust control. He could no longer watch the scene on the monitor. He began the ship's descent from its hiding place high above the clouds.
"No." Anderson ordered, his hands pressed together. He was deep in thought, sitting next to a nervous young Keyop.
"What do you mean, no?" Tiny ejaculated. "He's killin' her!"
"I said we would play this her way. There's nothing we can do in time. We play this her way or not at all. Zoom in Keyop."
"No good." Keyop gripped. "Can't get picture."
Anderson turned to face Jason. Jason nodded solemnly and placed his hand over the weapon controls. "Activate the frigid midget on my signal."
It was Princess choice to set herself up like this. She would either save Mark, or sacrifice herself carrying the ice bomb. The rest sat waiting for the small glimpse of eternity to pass.
***
Princess yelped as she tried to move. She had a busted rib. Broken glass cut into her skin. She seemed to be in an old warehouse storeroom. It was littered with dusty boxes. Her head was spinning in the dark. She could hear the hissing giggles of the creature.
"Mark?" she called out weakly.
She screamed.
Something had sliced through her arm. She felt herself lifted once more and then been carried in the air, held by her neck. She fought feebly as it savagely drove her into the wall. She looked down at her arm. A piece of splintered wood hung deep below her elbow. She numbly felt out for its arm. His arm. The creature was making a sort of choking sound. Laughing. She looked directly into its eyes. Mark's eyes, yet not Marks.
"Mark." She uttered weakly. She felt his wrist. Still there. Things were getting dark. She was about to die. She let the word play on her lips. But no sound came out.
A prisoner in his own body. He screamed and attacked the empty, non-existent walls of his cell. It laughed in return. It let him watch as it strangled the last breath from her body.
Her lips.
One word.
He felt her hand on his arm. He could do nothing as he killed her.
Her lips.
One word.
No sound.
His wrist.
Pressing her hand on his wrist.
***
"Activate Jason." Anderson commanded. Jason paused. Another member of G-Force would be dead. Once again, it was he who had to follow the orders and effectively send one more to their death.
He pressed the button.
***
His wrist.
Pressing at his cold wrist.
Her lips.
Uttering what?
It laughed.
***
Jason sat there mutely. "No signal."
"What!" Demanded Anderson.
"It must have been damaged in the fight."
It had all gone very wrong. Anderson's soul hung heavy. "Prepare to take us down Tiny."
***
It showed him the future. All the possible circumstances he could have had. It showed him the past.
All the possible chances he had missed. She was his lynchpin. She was his sacrifice for the good of the Galaxy. It showed him the present. The last breath leaving her slender body.
Her eyes rolling up into her head.
Her mouth.
The silent word.
His wrist.
The word.
His body.
His Galaxy.
His girl.
It was about to take everything.
Anger boiled.
His wrist.
What was on his wrist?
Mark exploded.
***
The creature yelled in surprise as it was flung back from the girl in a gigantic physical spasm. The girl slumped against the wall and slid to the floor.
Princess tried to catch a precious piece of breath. She wanted to throw up. She looked at the creature's eyes. They were firm and familiar. Mark.
"Mark?" She asked gently.
The man clutched at his belly in a violent mix of pain and anger. Those eyes returned, briefly and then were replaced with Marks. She noticed a stream of blood start to stream out of his right eye. She saw him shaking.
Fighting.
"T..tt.. t" He began to splutter.
He's fighting it. He's making one last stand. She reached for her belt. She had to stay conscious for a little longer.
He said the word but no sound came out of his mouth.
T
You can't say what I don't want to.
It tickled him with pain.
Tr
You and your body are my prison.
I am your prison. You can't fight me.
Tra
Not for long, Mark told it.
I don't need to fight you for long. Just for one word.
Mark did something he had not done in a long time.
He won.
***
The figure stood like a manikin in front of Princess.
There was no longer any outward physical sign of a struggle. Then, she noticed a stream of blood bulge out of his mouth.
Blood was suddenly pouring from every orifice. A battle waging from within. The eyes opened.
"Transmute!" He demanded.
The voice activated the bracelet.
She had carefully palmed it onto his wrist whilst on the rooftops.
The spare bracelet.
The room seemed to explode into light and fire. S
he watched in horror as his body squirmed, fighting the transformation. His stomach writhed and he screamed in fury and agony.
His clothes began to form their birdstyle effect and then with a final cry he began to spit something large and unholy out of his mouth.
Something.
Pinkish green, it had tiny needles protruding out from its sides covered in mucas. They cut into the sides of Mark's mouth as it was forced from his body.
It began to wither and pulsate as it fell onto the floor.
With all her effort, she pulled herself off the ground and hobbled towards Mark.
She hurled the Frigid Midget at the creature and pulled Mark away in the opposite direction.
Semi conscious, Mark instinctively began to force himself to follow her pace, still holding her arm.
"Need pick up. now!" She stammered into her communicator. She ran for the nearest window, they were too high up to survive a fall in their present state but that compared to-
The midget exploded into ice. The room and its contents were transformed into a frozen garden just as the two bodies collided with the window
Control had never been a problem for Mark, but after weeks of being imprisoned, he felt like a baby taking his first steps.
As fast as thought travels, it seemed an eternity waiting. Waiting for his body to pick up and execute his new commands.
Run.
The window broke and they began to drop.
He commanded his arm. Move.
It moved.
Slowly and without finesse, it grabbed onto the window ledge.
He gripped it tightly with one arm and held the now unconscious body of Princess with the other. His fingers could feel the pain of the ice-cold room beyond.
He looked down at the girl in his arms. She never gave up hope on him. She fought to the very end. He smiled. He was the luckiest guy alive. Then he let go.