Disclaimer: This chapter has been co-written/co-authored, which ever you prefer, with A.p.R. Enjoy! Also, despite the fact that you already know, or should have gotten the idea by now, that I don't own anything except my own chars I created. I'm going to start putting quotes here starting now.
"Don't move...don't even breath. Nice and slow or you'll be takin' your meals through a tube." -Bishop to Batman
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Without a second thought, Marc walked up to Volt and told him to drive to the address written on the mysterious paper. Volt grabbed the paper and looked it over thoroughly. Wondering what the meaning of this was. Finding no way to figure out its meaning he nodded in agreement. Both of them giving on last look at Des before of heading towards the car.
A half an hour later, Volt parked near the curb and the two got out. Before them stood a steel gate Marc reached out to push it open but it swung open on it's own. They cautiously entered through the gate and walked across the yard to an empty swimming pool.
"Well what do we do now?" asked Volt, looking around the property. Marc climbed onto a diving board and looked down into the unfilled pool. "I guess take the plunge."
Volt's eyes widened. "Are you crazy?!" He knew that no one would dive into an empty swimming pool unless they were crazy. Not even he would do such an insane stunt like what Marc was about to do. Marc shrugged and took a few steps back. "A little…you may be about see something a little painful." he said then ran and dove into the empty pool.
Then passed through some sort of portal just as he was about to hit the bottom. He landed on his back in an octagonal room. "Ah, Marc…nice to see you here." An old man in a butler's uniform greeted. Volt materializes and helped Marc from the ground.
"Who are you?" Marc asked, dusting himself off. "I am the being that will grant the second chance or James for short." he replied. "All you have to do is pass three tests."
"What kind of tests?" Marc asked evenly. James smiled. "Tests to prove whether you are worthy of receiving this gift."
"What's the catch?" Volt asked. Not liking how it sounded to him. "There is no 'catch' there is only a price. If you fail…her soul will be lost forever." James said nonchalantly.
"I'll do it." Marc replied, immediately. "What do I do?" asked Volt, wanting in on this to help out Marc.
"You may help yourself to a cool beverage in our waiting room." James said and Volt dematerialized and then re-materialized in a room with a one sided glass window so that he could see the action but no one could see in. Volt did see that one coming and felt bad for Marc to do these trials on his own. "If you don't mind me asking, who are doing this for?" James asked, curiously.
"The love of my life." Marc said taking off his shoes, socks and shirt in preparation for what lies ahead of him. James nodded. "I see. Since you appear to be ready go ahead and enter through those doors." As he said that, a dungeon door raised. James stayed in the same spot and Marc entered. "Okay what do I have to do?"
"All you have to do is get from one side of the room to the other and once you do the next door will open, there will be some surprises though." James explained. Marc nodded. "Can you give me any clues?"
"Sorry sir, no I can't." James stated, calmly. "Okay then can you tell me what's the next test then?" Marc asked and the door that he entered slammed shut. "I wouldn't know…no one has gotten further than this."
Marc carefully made his way out to the center of the room. He heard a clanking sound and from behind a pillar a large, fat, green demon appeared. The creature held a big axe in one hand and two chains in the other. It charged at Marc and swung the axe at him. Marc kicked him but the demon wrapped the chain around his foot and tripped him then drove the axe down aiming for Marc's head. Marc rolled out of the way and rose to his feet then was met with a huge slash across his chest.
He cried out in agony as the blood began to drip down to his abdomen. The demon butted him in the face with the handle and sliced Marc's back open. Marc managed to kick the axe out of its hand but then it wrapped the chains around his throat and started punching him in the face repeatedly.
Volt watched this as James entered the waiting room and stood next to him. "Such a pity, I had a good feeling about him." James said. "I thought you'd want him to fail?" Volt questioned in confusion. James shook his head. "On the contrary, I am unbiased as to who I want to win. Would you like some company here?" asked James, but before Volt could answer; Des, Wanda, and Delano appeared in the room with him.
Marc flipped the demon over his shoulder picked up the axe and sliced the creature in half. Marc stood there breathing heavily then dropped the weapon. He walked over to the other side of the room where the identical door was located. It wouldn't open. "I passed open the door…open up!" Marc shouted and shook the door by the bars.
Behind him the upper half of the demon was crawling towards the lower half. Marc turned around and watched as it merged and became whole again. Marc ran at the creature and leapfrogged over it picked up the axe and cut in half again. He grabbed one chain and tied the upper half's arms together and then tied the bottom half's legs together. He then dragged each to opposite sides and tied them to pillars. The next door opened.
"Impressive." James said to the group in the room with him. Volt nodded in agreement. While Wanda and Delano were mildly confused to what was going on.
Marc stumbled into the room and the eerie, pitch black, darkness surrounded him. The sound of rocks sliding caught his attention; the roof was opening, showing the moon and letting in a cold breeze.
The revealing glow of the moon exposed the rooms' true colors. Marc looked around the room. The walls were covered with ice as well as the entire ground. It was like a long hallway from hell to him, jagged icicles spiking out menacingly. His knees went weak at this sight; he felt the chill, the icy wind stabbing him like thousands of daggers.
He gulped, sizing the room up. There was a deep basin on a pedestal marking the halfway point of the long hall. He took on set, feeling the terribly cold ice, searing at his feet; he jumped back. Apparently, someone knew that Marc was incredibly vulnerable to the cold. It made him weak, it hurt him, and it could end his life if it was too cold. "This…sucks."
"Why don't you just kill him?" Delano said, glancing back at James, eating a cookie from the waiting room table. "We do not want him dead; it is all about the journey in this place. Where it may lead is not our concern." He replied.
Suddenly, rain poured from the sky into the open roof. Freezing rain and hail pounding down upon his bare chest, scorching him. Marc took a deep breath and ran as fast as he could down the corridor. The hail under his feet caused him to slip against the wall, burying a razor-sharp icicle in his thigh, skewing it.
He cried out in immense pain. Several of the other icicles scratching at his skin. He pulled away, and continued down the corridor, the hail coming down harder, as if slowly breaking his will.
He got past the basin, he was half was there, giving it a passing glance. He stumbled and slips, landing full length on the iced floor, screaming as the ice burned his bare chest. He pushed himself up with his hands, still panting in pain. His chest and abdomen was burned and bright red from the searing to his skin, his leg was bloody, and his hands and feet just as bad.
Everyone in the waiting room winced, except for Des of course.
Marc made it to the door, it was lock, and he banged on it in frustration. He looked down at the door, there was a keyhole; the then looked at the pedestal filled with a clear liquid. He passed it for water.
He limped back over to the pedestal. At the bottom of the deep liquid in the basin was a silver key, reflecting in the moonlight. He plunged his arm right in and screamed a pitiful scream that would chill the coldest heart. The liquid was liquid hydrogen and its coldness was boiling around his arm.
His fished the key out and held it up, his arm and hand looking like raw meat. He staggered to the door, shoved the key in the hole and unlocked the door.
"He is remarkable." James said, looking at his watch.
Marc entered the third door and nearly collapsed. He moved, slowly and wearily, to the center of the room and restraints appeared and latched around his wrists and ankles. So, that he would be positioned in the center of the room. Hundred of steel spikes peeked out of the walls and were ready to shoot out at him. James walked into the room. "What the hell is this James?" He questioned.
"The final test." James explained. "To give a life one must be taken, it's just how things work." He walked over and stood in front of Marc. "It's your choice." "Choice?" Marc asked, grimacing. James nodded. "Yes, it is your choice. You may choose to die to save her or you may choose to just walk away." He explained to Marc; then Marc was about to respond but was cut off by James. "Before you make your decision, think carefully. Marc I know that you are a hero, or will become one some day. You will save many innocent people who, without you, will die. Once you are gone those innocent people are as good as gone."
"James I think you know my decision." Marc said, darkly.
James sighed. "Indeed sir, it's a shame that you must die, you were beginning to grow on me." "Then why not just let me go and heal her?" "If it were up to me I would, alas it is not my rule…you are a better man than I Marc. Just say the word when you are ready." And with that James exited the room.
A tear ran down his cheek. His life would have been over and she would live on if he said yes; Des would be gone forever if no. Why was this so difficult? He thought he knew what to say but the words wouldn't come out. He was actually undecided on his choice and he hated it. There was good cause to make either decision. He opened hi mouth to speak. "…do it."
The spikes retracted and shot out at Marc at a high speed; though everything seemed to be in slow motion. A billion thoughts crossed his mind but he knew it wasn't going to matter, for death would soon be upon him. He closed his eyes and clenched his teeth in anticipation for it; a brilliant white light was all he saw before…
Marc opened his eyes, he was fully clothed once more and everyone that was in the waiting room was around him. The restraints were gone and they were in the same room as they were when they arrived. Including the body of Des. "Wh..wha.." Marc said, wobbling in the center of the room.
James walked out of a dark area of the room, clapping. "Bravo, Marc, bravo…though you are the only person who has ever made it this far I doubt anyone would have done what you did." "What…happened?" Marc asked, weakly. James smiled. "You have sacrificed your own life for another. When you said 'do it' you completed the final test. One selfless act."
"Now keep your end of the bargain." Marc said then doubled over and coughed. He nodded. "As you wish." James walked over to her and place his palm over her face; his hand and her body began to glow with a white shimmer. Des's eyes began to slowly open…
They suddenly appeared back outside in the yard by the pool. Delano whooped in a joyous fashion when he noticed that Des is alive again. He grabbed the nearest person into a bear hug, which happened to be Wanda. Worst mistake ever and he found himself a few feet away. The others couldn't help but laugh at his misfortune.
To Marc hearing Des laugh was simply amazing almost like an angelic voice in a ways. He went to help her up. "I'm so glad that I was able to save you. That words can't describe how I feel right now." He said with utmost sincerity in his voice. "Dude, that was deep." Delano said with a nod as he walked back over.
"Ok I can officially say that this has been the weirdest night of my life. Well besides the mall incident." Wanda proclaimed. Volt nodded in agreement to Wanda's comment. "Now let's get going."
Delano jumped on his brother's back as he was heading to the car. "Yay we're a family again." He said rather happily. "Get off!" Volt said while trying to get him off without much success. Wanda, Marc and Des laughed at the sight of Volt trying to get Delano off only to have him hold on tighter.
"Aw but I thought you loved me." He said with a fake sniffle. "Yeah like a hole in the head. Now get off!" Volt yelled, which that tone of voice made Delano let go and get off of his back very quickly.
Marc chuckled. "You have a weird family, Des." She nodded with a smile. "Yeah but you learn to get used to the weirdness."
Wanda rolled her eyes and made her way over to Volt's car. Getting in on the passenger side and waited for the others wanting to go home now. Volt and the others got the idea. Delano went and jumped into the backseat when Volt opened up the door. Before Des could even head over to get in. Marc grabbed her gently by her arm and spun her around to face him.
"Before we go. There's something I've been meaning to tell you." He said, shrugging off the nervousness. Des arched a brow in question. 'Well this is now or never.' Marc thought while taking a deep breath. "I love you." This shocked her that he would openly say that with her oldest brother nearby. But taking a quick glance back and not seeing Volt do anything about it. Relief spread over her and she smiled at Marc.
"I love you, too." She replied not denying that fact. Like there was a reason not to deny it seeing as that's how she felt the first time she saw him. Kind of like the saying 'love at first sight' happened between the both of them. They gave each other a kiss before going over and getting in the car before they got yelled at to hurry up.
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A/N: Oh yeah this idea was from an Angel episode called "The Trial." So, we just altered it from the original idea to make it fit.