iCarly: iMeet the Relatives, Chapter 18: Déjà vu

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Chapter 18: Deja Vu

Jillian collided with a surprised Devlin, and the two began a knock-down slug fest. Jillian stabbed with her trident; Devlin caught it and blocked the blow. She swiveled in place, swinging the trident around, forcing him back, and on the defensive. She launched a kick that he expertly blocked, but then swept his feet out from underneath him, dumping him onto the floor. Only his own superhuman reflexes allowed him to roll out from under her trident when she brought it down, spearing the spot where he used to be. Jillian was no slouch when it came to the infighting, and wasn't holding back one little bit, while Devlin was mostly on the defensive, blocking her blows and kicks. They slammed each other back and forth across the room, their battle threatening to demolish the apartment, when Grif interjected himself between them. "THAT'S ENOUGH!" The force of his voice caused the apartment to shudder.

Jillian turned to him. "'Enough? Enough? You have no idea what he did to me!"

"Well, I certainly do," responded Devlin. "You were breaking the law. What did you expect me to do?"

"Oh, I don't know. Mind your own business, maybe?" Jillian's words were dripping with venom.

"You were stealing from WorldCorp. That is my business. Was I supposed to just overlook that?"

"I was not stealing from anybody! There's nothing that says we can't communicate with mortals! In fact, we're supposed to, you, you-*"

"I said that's enough!" Griffin's voice cut through the two shouting at each other. "All that's ancient history, as of now!" They both stopped their argument, and turned away from each other, still clearly angry. "Now look. I'm sure you've both noticed that we seem to be in the Darkness. That takes precedence over any personal disagreements you may have. Jillian!" The demoness turned her attention to him. "Have you been able to contact any of your people? Either of you? No? Well, neither have I. Which means we're on our own. We don't need any infighting here. Once we get out, you two can go at it all you want, for all I care. But now is not the time. Understand?"

They both grumbled, but agreed. "You don't seem very surprised to see me, angel," said Devlin.

"I'm not, really. I saw enough of you in Sam and Carly's mind, not to mention Spencer's, to put two and two together."

"And you didn't say anything?" This from Sam.

"What would I have said, that you'd have believed? But if he'd been hurting you, then yes, I would have."

"Well, anyway," said Devlin, "Now what? From what I'm sensing, we're the only living beings in this whole city."

"Freddie!" gasped Carly. "Where's Freddie? And Gibby?"

"I can't sense them. But if they're here, we'll find them. Now. Let me concentrate. I've got to reach Uncle Jemiah, to find out what's going on."

But concentrate as he might, he could not reach Jemiah or Adriel. It was as though something were inhibiting his communication.

Nor were the two demons having any better luck. Normally, communication between dimensions didn't pose a problem, but now they seemed to. "I just had a thought, "said Devlin

"Be gentle with it," Jillian spat. "It's all alone in a very strange place." He ignored her.

"I know an investigative team from my world was supposed to be examining the site of the explosion of Mt. Adams. If this…area…extends that far, they may have been caught in it, too. If so, that would give us additional, well, 'signal strength.' I guess you'd say."

"That's a good idea. But first…let's check on Freddie and Gibby."

Grif led the way to the apartment Freddie shared with his mother. At the door, he paused, as though listening. "I don't sense anyone inside, but we have to make sure. Anybody got the key?"

"I do," said Devlin, moving up to the front. He placed the palm of his hand up against the door and gave a sudden push. The heavy, solid-wood door splintered down the middle, the pieces falling inward. At their looks, he shrugged. "It's a universal key."

They went into the apartment. "Freddie! Freddie! Are you in here?" Both Carly and Sam were busy searching the rooms, and coming up empty.

"In here," said Spencer, standing in front of the main bathroom. He led them in, and they saw a supine Freddie, lying in the bathtub, fully clothed, his hands folded across his chest, his face relaxed. He looked frighteningly as though he'd been deliberately composed for a coffin. Sam ran up to him. "Freddie! Freddie, wake up!" She listened for his heartbeat, and checked his pulse. "He—he's breathing, but just barely. And, and his pulse is really slow."

"Let me see." Grif shouldered his way to the bathtub. He passed a hand over Freddie's face, moving downward on his torso. He shook his head. "He's barely alive. You others….see if his mother's here, somewhere." Carly and Sam both ducked out; Spencer remained with the group. "So…what's wrong with him? Why isn't he, like, conscious? Or something?"

Grif shook his head. "It could be shock, from the transition, but that wouldn't account for him being in the bathtub, fully clothed. And I can't understand why he's like this."

"Let me see," said Devlin, moving forward, and kneeling down beside the bathtub. Like Grif, he passed his hand over Freddie's unconscious body. "I'm not sensing his emotions. Except for a very, very small amount, that is. It's like something's drained him of all feeling. I've never encountered anything like it before."

"Isn't that what you do?" asked Sam.

"Not really. We absorb emotions that sentient beings radiate. We don't drain beings of their emotions any more than green plants drain the sun of its energy. Though we can provide an…outlet, I guess you'd call it, for built-up, pent-up, or repressed emotions." He looked up at her. "As you had occasion to find out, yourself." She looked away.

Grif thought. "Spencer, can you bring him to Carly's apartment? I don't think it's a good idea to just leave him here." Sam and Carly rejoined them. "Grif, we can't find any trace of Freddie's mom. All her stuff's here, but…"

"Okay. Spencer? You and Jillian get Freddie back to Carly's place. Now. Where does Gibby live?"

It rapidly became apparent that Gibby, too, was among the missing. And, as with the other missing people, there was no sign of any sort of voluntary departure.

Back at Carly's place: "Devlin, you spoke about this group from your dimension. Can you contact them?"

"I can try." He stood in the middle of the room, closing his eyes, an expression of concentration evident on his face. Finally, he said, "I….can sense an…afterimage, I suppose you'd call it, of three of them. More like a shadow than a presence. They were to investigate a Drs. Phillips and Weston, who themselves were investigating the eruption of Mt. Adams. Among other things." He looked pointedly at Grif. "It seems they were first attracted to the matter by a certain bomb that failed to explode."

Grif nodded. "Are they still there? Here, I mean?"

"No. Nor are the people they were interrogating, the Drs. Phillips and Weston. They, too, appear to be missing."

After a moment, Grif spoke up. "Alright. It appears we're the only ones here in the Darkness. I guess that's the good news.

"But that's also the bad news."

"But, but how can that be?" Jillian had put Freddie on the couch, and Sam was bending over him, clearly concerned. Devlin noticed and tried not to be jealous. This was just normal human behavior; it didn't have anything to do with his and Sam's relationship. Which, he admitted to himself, was probably over with anyway.

So much for style. He shrugged. It was a learning process, he supposed. And it wasn't like he didn't have time, time to learn and refine his techniques.

For him, and beings like him, what humans called "Forever" was just… an episode.

He had really wanted Sam to be his first. He was coming to realize just how much he'd been counting on that, and how unlikely that was looking as though it would be.

"I've a hunch: Seattle isn't really here. We are here. My forays into the Darkness indicate that living beings that wind up being trapped there imagine their surroundings, making them real, at least temporarily. It's like…there's no reality here, so we sort of bring our own. Like, well…like a space suit. It has a limited supply of air and water. So here we are, imagining Seattle as we remember it. Sort of. Why us, that I don't know. But one thing I do know: if we don't get out of here, and soon, we'll all cease to exist."

Seattle: The Earth realm: Jemiah had felt the earthquake-like force that had torn through the city, demolishing buildings, cutting off traffic, and producing severe power outages. A very bad combination. {{Adriel!}}

{{I hear, Exalted One.}}

{{I think it common knowledge that that was no ordinary earthquake. I need you to personally look in on my nephew and his group. I cannot sense them.}}

Moments later: {{They are not to be found, Exalted One. I have checked the Shay's apartment, and, in fact, the entire building. Gryphon, Carly, her friend Sam, and her brother Spencer are among the missing.}}

{{Did you think to check-*}}

{{I also checked on the demoness, Jillian Adara. She, too, is missing, as is this "Devlin BenDarian" of whom you informed me.}} Another moment. {{But I can sense no other disappearances that might be linked to these.}}

Jemiah closed his eyes in pain. It was happening all over again, just like last time…. {{I need you to make a personal report to High Command. Tell them what has happened, and request reinforcements. I've a hunch we'll need them.

{{Yes. I've a strong hunch we'll need them. Badly.}}

Hell, in the innermost circle: the City of Dis: Darian BenDarian stood before the Black Throne, having just finished up his report on the recent event. {{That is as much knowledge as we have at this time, Your Excellencies. Evidently, two of our demons in the Earth realm, those most closely associated with Gryphon Stryder, have vanished, presumably into the Darkness. And our agents tell us they are picking up indications of the Darkness's increasing strength.

{{Just like last time.}}

The Black Throne rumbled, the reverberations passing from one side of the room to the other. Darian BenDarian waited patiently.

He had learned patience long, long ago, even as demons measure time.

Finally, the "sound" came once again to his mind, {{It is to be fervently hoped that what transpired the last time this happened will not happen now. But hope alone is insufficient to ward off disaster. We will issue the investigation team we assigned to Earth new orders. They will be to locate the nexus from which these incursions are coming. And…though it pains us immensely…we will also inform the angels of our actions. You will take a prominent role in this. You will contact this Jemiah St. Clair, and arrange for the coordination of our two teams

{{For you may be sure they will send for their own team.

{{Perhaps…just perhaps, by working together, we can prevent the end of this particular Earth, along with its associated dimension.

{{This time.}}

To be continued….