A/N - Here it is, the longest chapter I've ever submitted to this site. It's also the last, before the epilogue. I hope you all enjoy!

"Dead?"

"From that height, his vertebrae would've shattered and his spinal cord would've been severed," Sam explained quietly.

Fetch kneeled on the ground as tears flooded her eyes. Around them, the others held their heads low and Eugene's eyes began leaking as well, tears rolling down his cheek.

"No! No, you're not dead! You can't be!" Fetch shouted.

"Fetch…" Sam began while standing back up, "I'm sorry…"

"No!" she shouted again while holding his face, "You… you need to come back! Please!"

Everyone else watched as Fetch grieved.

"You're an idiot," she whispered between shallow breaths, "I told you… I told you we needed to stop. Why? Why didn't you listen to me?"

Sam, his attention drawn towards an explosion in the distance, remembered they had a job to do.

"We need to stop her," he spoke, looking at Bentley. Before taking a second to look at Delsin, he nodded in agreement. Sam then looked at Fetch and noticed that she was in no state to fight.

"Eugene, Jessica, you can't get anywhere near Penelope without putting yourselves in danger. That doesn't mean we can't help get everyone else to safety."

"What about Fetch?" Jessica asked.

"Give her some time. Right now, it's just you guys. You two are the only ones with powers who could help."

"We'll try," Eugene stated, wiping away tears

"That's all I need. Let's go."

And they took off with Sam taking the lead. Bentley made one final at Delsin and Fetch as the others ran ahead. He sighed, feeling slightly responsible. He understood what he had to do and ran after them. Eventually, they caught up to Penelope as she continued her rampage.

"What's the plan?" Jessica asked.

"We need to keep her distracted while we get everyone else out of here," Sam reminded, "Eugene, how many angels can you create?"

"Not enough."

"You're our heavy hitter and we don't need to worry about hiding right now. Create as many angels as you can and keep her distracted yourself as they get everyone else out of here."

Eugene nodded.

"Jessica, you're our last hope. I need you to get as close as you can get while she's distracted and—"

"What?! You expect me to try to calm her down? She'll kill me!"

"I know you're scared, but we need you."

"I… I can't… I can't do it!"

"You're our only chance at stopping her!"

"No!"

"Delsin's dead! So are Mark, Lynne, and Sarah!" he shouted while grabbing her by the shoulders.

"What? Did Celia—"

"Yes! Because you were too scared to help!"

"Sam," Bentley spoke.

"Do you really want their blood on your hands?" Sam continued.

"I'll go."

Sam turned to look at Bentley, his statement settling in

"What?"

"Give me one more chance… to make things right."

Meanwhile

Fetch refused to move from Delsin's side. She did nothing but cry into his chest and think of what she could've done differently. Her biggest fear had come true. After losing her brother, she decided to not create attachments to anybody. But Delsin came along and she opened her heart to him, only to have it be shattered once again. This time was different though. When Brent died, she was filled with anger, rage, and a burning desire to kill the one ultimately responsible. She didn't feel any of that this time. She only felt pain and despair. She didn't have the same hatred towards Penelope that she had towards Shane.

When she lifted her tear-ridden face from Delsin, she looked at the pale face she'd come to care about, the same face she'd come to love. He was gone, and there was nothing she could do about it. She combed her hand over his forehead, wiping the hair away from his eyes. Just as she found herself beginning to calm down, she broke down in tears again, unable to contain the veritable flood erupting from her eyes. She then looked up towards where the others ran off to, knowing that she had to help them. But she couldn't. She couldn't move. As her grieving continued, a red light appeared behind her, causing Fetch to wipe away her tears and look behind her. Her heart sank.

She saw John White walking towards her and she immediately stood up and held a neon-cloaked fist at him. He stopped and Fetch had a good look at him. In a word, he looked tired.

"What do you want?" Fetch asked through tears.

"I can help him," he replied.

Angels swarmed to local area as they were instructed to carry citizens to safety. Eugene was able to create a small army, but it wouldn't be enough to grab everybody. When the last of the angels were digitally constructed, Eugene took a second to catch his breath. He would need to rest before he could take on his angel form. Bentley had one last chance. With a quick inhale and a quicker exhale, he made a dash for Penelope and called out to her when he got close enough, with his hands behind his back. When he got to her, she was draining the electricity from a radio tower.

"Penelope!"

She looked down to the one calling her name. When she saw Bentley, she lowered herself until she was back on the ground.

"Bentley…"

"Penelope, are you okay?" he asked.

"I'm… better than ever."

"That… that's good. I was worried about you."

"This power… is incredible."

"Listen… I don't know how or when… but I can fix this."

"Fix this?"

"Isn't that what you wanted?"

"All I wanted… was you. I wanted to change, for you."

"You didn't have to. Conduit or not, I still love you. I have so many regrets, but you're not one of them."

She wanted to put her hands to his cheeks but stopped short, knowing that she would hurt him otherwise.

"I can't live without you," he added

She leaned in closer and right to his ear.

"Then why are you trying to kill me?"

She created a cloud of static and Bentley yelped in pain as he dropped what he was holding behind him: a 9mm pistol, now smoldering. Bentley gulped. She then firmly planted her hands to his cheeks and kissed him, all the while sending an electrical current through his body. She then pulled back and looked him in the eye.

"Good bye… Bentley."

She amped up the current and Bentley disintegrated, transforming into a pile of ash that blew away in the wind. From a distance, Sam watched the whole thing unfold, and he fell to his knees. Eugene on the other hand found an unknown source of adrenaline coursing through his body and he shot himself into the air and assumed his angel form. He projected a beam of light at Penelope, and she found herself being pushed back by the force of it. She soon countered by deflecting his attack with her own, creating a beam of lightning the held Eugene's at bay. The two were at a stalemate.

"You can't do anything!" Fetch snapped at John, before letting her voice drop slightly, "He's gone…"

"No… he's alive. I can feel it."

"Feel it?"

"His heart is weak but," he began while casting a red glow over Delsin, creating an x-ray, "It still beats."

When Fetch looked, her own heart skipped a beat. Delsin's was pulsating, even if it was slightly so. The x-ray vanished and she looked back at John.

"Can you really bring him back?"

"Yes… but I will be consumed in the process," he explained.

"And you're okay with that?" Fetch asked, wiping away the tears.

"I'm… so tired. I had my mission years ago and it's over. All I wanted… was to cure the Plague… and now that's done."

She looked at Delsin. She ran her fingers through his hair as she stared at his blank face. She yearned for the cocky smile that once took its place.

"Do it," she ordered, taking another look at Delsin before facing John, "Bring him back."

He nodded in understanding and Fetch backed away. John then held his arms out and his eyes turned white. His molten form appeared even more so as reddish mist left John and travelled to Delsin's limp body. It entered through Delsin's mouth and eyes and his body began twitching slightly. The small movement started at his fingertips and slowly worked its way through the rest of his body. Seconds later, his head began shaking as John's form began to disappear.

The slight shaking became a violent convulsing that wracked his whole body. Delsin opened his mouth, but the only noise made was a throaty scream. At that point, Fetch realized her mistake and went to push John away. When she turned to him though, the remainder of his form had disappeared. She turned to look at Delsin as the remaining of the mist was absorbed by him. When it was, the shaking stopped. Fetch simply looked at Delsin for several seconds. It was as if nothing changed.

"Delsin?" she whispered, hoping to get a reply. She walked up to him and examined him, specifically his face. For a split second there was nothing, but then Delsin's eyelids burst open, displaying the crimson orbs that had replaced his eyes. She backed up as his laying form began to levitate off the ground. When he was high enough, he positioned himself to be standing upright, though he remained hovering. Fetch wanted to feel joy, but the only thing she felt was fear.

"Delsin?" she repeated. He looked over at her blankly before looking in the direction of Penelope and Eugene. He lifted himself further into the air and launched himself forward, projected by thrusters emanating from his hands and feet.

Eugene was slowly losing the battle. Penelope's stamina was proving greater than Eugene's and, as a result, was beginning to be overtaken by Penelope's beam. It wouldn't be for long, however. Just when Eugene was on the verge of being cloaked in electricity, Delsin flew in and latched himself onto Penelope. He then dragged her directly into the ground. The two made a small crater in the concrete. When the dust settled, Eugene was the first to see his rescuer.

"DELSIN!" Eugene boomed in his angel form. However, when Delsin turned to look at him with the same cold stare he had given Fetch, he suddenly felt uneasy. Delsin hovered over Penelope who stood back up and looked at the man she thought she killed.

"How?" she questioned.

"You can't hurt me," Delsin replied before launching a molten red stream at her. She countered with an electric one, but Delsin's powered through hers and nullified it. Sensing the danger she was in, she transformed into a cloud of static and flew off, with Delsin in hot pursuit. Meanwhile, Fetch zoomed towards the group in a purple flash and arrived just in time to see the two titans chase after each other. Eugene then lowered himself to the ground and returned to his normal form.

"Was that Delsin?" he asked.

"Yeah," Fetch replied, suddenly finding words difficult.

"What happened to him?" Jessica asked.

"He absorbed John."

"What?" Eugene exclaimed.

"Sam, what do we do?" she asked, seeing Sam stand up on his feet.

"She killed him…"

"Who?"

"Bentley…"

Fetch suddenly had a noticeable lump in her throat.

"Sam I… I'm so sorry. But we need to stop her."

"There's nothing we can do Fetch. If what you said is true, only Delsin can stop her now."

The two super-powered conduits flew around the city at incredible speeds. All the while, Delsin had Penelope in his sights. He launched fireball after fireball at her, but each one merely passed through her ethereal form. He needed to get closer. With a burst of speed he shot himself forward until he was inside the static cloud. He then pushed his arms outward and a blast of red energy escaped Delsin's body and dispersed the static. It then transformed back into Penelope and she fell to the ground towards a building.

She crashed through all the way through to the bottom floor and Delsin lowered himself to her level. Meanwhile, people around them ran and screamed, Eugene's angels having not reached them yet. When Delsin touched down, he stared at the building Penelope crashed into. He walked towards it before being interrupted by an electric beam striking Delsin in the shoulder, disintegrating the shoulder of his vest and jacket. He reared back ever so slightly and looked at the scar. He then looked at the attack's origin. Penelope could be seen leaving the rubble, occupied by a slight limp.

"I don't know how… you got this power… but it won't be enough…"

With a scowl, Delsin blasted Penelope back into the building she just crawled out of, adding to the buildings deterioration. She blasted her way out of the rubble and launched a barrage of small electric bolts at Delsin. He simply took the first several shots as if they were nothing, only leaving holes in his clothing. He then dashed forward and engaged in hand-to-hand combat. His strikes were hard and fast, and Penelope could feel them. Delsin then picked her up by the neck and threw her to the ground, pinning her. Desperate, Penelope shot her hands outward and the sky grew dark as a giant lightning bolt struck down on the two of them.

The strike went on for several seconds and Delsin eventually let go. He backed up, feeling weak from her attack. However, the attack seemed to take its toll on Penelope as well. She struggled to stand up, her eyes focused on the new iteration of The Beast. For several seconds, they merely stared at each other. Penelope was clearly weaker, though she had one last trick up her sleeve. Delsin took a single step forward and Penelope charged up another beam with the intent of taking away Delsin's powers.

It surged towards Delsin and he held out his hand. When the beam made contact the weather began to change. Heavy clouds rolled in and the air gained a reddish hue. Thunder loomed above and Penelope saw this as incentive to keep pushing. The two seemed to be at a stalemate, and Penelope was starting to lose steam. When the stormy weather was at its peak, Penelope was forced to stop. She crumpled to the ground, exhausted. Delsin, on the other hand, was standing tall. His torso was singed and bore tattered clothing, but he didn't feel a thing. He did nothing but stare at the hand he used to stop her attack. He examined his fingers, watching as the blue lightning that snaked around his hand turn black with a white outline.

Penelope looked up and was horrified. In front of her, Delsin stood, his entire body cloaked in black lightning. The bolts grew stronger and began striking the ground around him with a heavy crash. The thunder above grew louder and more frequent, with a black lightning bolt streaking across the sky.

"How is this possible?" she asked.

He turned to her and his electric cloak transferred completely to his arm. He outstretched it and she attempted to run at him. A black lightning bolt struck the ground with such force that a shockwave was emitted, strong enough to break glass within a five mile radius. Seconds later, the bolt dissipated, releasing a loud cackle of thunder as it did. It took close to a minute for the dust to finally settle, but when it did, a crater the size of the blast zone in Empire City was left, and Penelope was nowhere to be seen.

Delsin watched as the storm began to dissipate. He once again looked at his hands. He saw electricity snake through his fingertips and Delsin was suddenly filled with something he could only describe as hunger. Delsin looked around, seeing that nobody remained in the local area. Everywhere he looked, he saw destruction and carnage. It filled him with satisfaction, knowing of the power he possessed.

"Delsin!"

He looked in the direction of the one calling his name. Out in the distance, he saw Fetch. With a quick glance he looked, before turning his attention away from her. Fetch then used her powers to dash towards him until she was right behind.

"Delsin!" she called again, forcing him to turn around. Though when he did, Fetch's heart stopped. He looked at her for several seconds with his glowing red eyes. That's when she knew Delsin wasn't completely there. Something else was taking over.

"Delsin, please! Snap out of it!"

He ignored her plea and turned around to walk away. After taking a few steps, he hovered into the air and held his arms out. As he did, the world around them began to shake and vibrate. Then, he started charging his powers. He drained electricity from street lights, neon from busted signs, video from nearby televisions, and smoke from chimneys and destroyed cars. He even absorbed pieces of concrete from below his feet. Fetch watched helplessly as the rest of the group arrived in time to witness the spectacle.

"My god…" Sam whispered.

"What do we do?" Jessica asked.

"I don't know. He won't listen to me," Fetch stated.

"Can't Jessica put him to sleep or something?" Eugene asked.

"Not while he's like this. He's way too powerful for me to use that on him. The best I could do is make him hallucinate. And even that's risky."

"It's a risk we have to take," Fetch stated.

"What?" Jessica exclaimed.

"If you really want to come clean, now's your time to shine."

"How?"

"If he won't listen to me, there may be only one person he will listen to."

Within moments, Fetch's plan was put into action. She walked up to Delsin and called out to him as before, yielding the same ignorance. She walked around him, dodging the shards of concrete and rays of neon he was absorbing, until she was in front of him.

"Delsin! Stop!"

There was no response.

"DELSIN!"

No response.

On the other side, Jessica was slowly walking towards Delsin. Her hand was outstretched as far as it could be from her body.

"Delsin! Please…"

No response.

Jessica kneeled to the ground and prepared to jump.

"Delsin…"

Jessica leapt into the air, projected upwards by her powers. Once she was at the same level as Delsin, she threw her outstretched hand onto the back of Delsin's head. A red mist encompassed it as she sifted through his memories. When she found what she was looking for, she initiated her hallucination and the sudden surge of power threw her off balance, tossing her back towards the ground. Delsin reeled in response, the environment around him no longer affected by his absorption. He tried desperately to shake off the feeling he was experiencing. When it proved fruitless, he turned around and faced his attacker. Jessica stared directly at Delsin, fear enveloping her.

"Delsin!" Fetch called out as Delsin began hovering towards Jessica.

"Delsin!"

Nothing.

"DELSIN!"

He stopped. This time, it wasn't Fetch who spoke. It was a voice that would make his heart sink some days and soar others. He turned around and Fetch's form was replaced with a tall male's with short black hair.

"Reggie?"

"Hey… buddy."

"But… how? You… were…"

"I'm here."

"Reggie…"

Delsin stopped for a few seconds before continuing.

"I'm scared."

"I know. But everything's gonna' be okay. Trust me."

"It hurts. And I need to drain to keep the pain away."

Suddenly, Delsin started convulsing, showing how hard he was fighting inside.

"Listen, I know you can fight it. This… thing inside… it isn't you."

"I'm… one of them," he said through gritted teeth.

"You're my brother. And that's all that matters. I don't care if you have powers or not. I still love you."

Delsin started groaning in pain.

"C'mon buddy! Fight it!"

Delsin started lowering himself to the ground.

"That's it. You can do it."

"I… I…"

Behind him, Jessica was starting to look fatigued, seeing that she was keeping a hallucination on such a powerful conduit. There wasn't much time left.

"C'mon…"

Delsin finally lowered himself onto the ground and Reggie slowly walked towards him. The super powered conduit appeared to regain his previous composure. His skin was transforming back to his usual form, though still keeping traces of cracks and burns throughout his body. When Delsin began to collapse, Reggie rushed in and grabbed him before he had a chance to fall. Delsin's eyes began to change back to their normal form as well.

"It's okay. I got you."

"Reggie…"

"Delsin… I…"

Jessica could no longer hold her grip on Delsin and she cut off her connection. As she did, the hallucination wore off.

"I love you," Fetch stated as the illusion of Reggie faded away and Fetch took his place.

"Fetch," he said while putting his hand up to her face.

"Delsin," she replied through tears.

"I… I love you too."

Fetch immediately pulled him in for a kiss. For several seconds, they just sat there, in the midst of the rubble. When she pulled away, she smiled at him, and he smiled back. Above them, a helicopter roared into the area, followed by two others. All three of them began circling the two. Each one had a sniper inside, aimed at the two conduits. On the ground, several APCs rolled into view. Sam and Eugene were forced back and Jessica ran out of view. When they pulled into the area. Soldiers poured out of the vehicles and formed a perimeter around Fetch and Delsin. Every single one of them had their weapons aimed, ready to shoot at a moment's notice.

"Wait, stop!" Sam shouted.

"Sir, stand back!" one soldier commanded.

"No, you don't understand!"

"I said stand back!" he repeated, this time, pointing his gun at Sam. Doing as he was told, he took a step back with his hands in the air. The soldier then returned to pointing his weapon at Fetch and Delsin.

Fetch took a long look around them, first at the soldiers on the ground in front of them, and then at the circling aircraft above.

"Fetch? What's going on?"

"I don't know," she whispered.

"Ma'am!" a soldier with a megaphone called, "Please step away from the bio-terrorist!"

"No, he's not going to hurt me! He's not going to hurt anyone!"

"Ma'am, it's for your own safety!"

Fetch looked at Delsin with longing eyes.

"You should go…"

"No… they'll kill you."

"They'll kill us both if don't do what they say…"

"I can't live without you…"

"On the count of three!"

"Go…"

"One!"

"I can't."

"Two!"

"Fetch, please…"

"Three!"

With a loud bang, and the sound of a bullet flying through the air, it was done. Fetch looked down and saw a bullet hole in Delsin's head. His powers had no time to heal and he was killed instantly. Fetch thought her heart couldn't shatter any further. Tears flooded her eyes as she looked at the one she loved, at the one who loved her. Suddenly, she was greeted by the same rage she was familiar with. Her body began to glow a bright purple.

"She's a bio-terrorist! Open fire!"

Every single soldier released a barrage of bullets at Fetch. She was able to take the majority of them as she prepared for a large energy burst. Before she could release it though, she was hit in vital areas and she collapsed on top of Delsin.

"No!" Sam shouted, causing the soldiers to turn around with their weapons drawn. In a single movement, Eugene grabbed Sam and shot into the air, taking on his angel form as he did. The two sped away even before the helicopters had a chance to process what was happening and they disappeared.