They stood there, staring at the limp body of Jonas. Corrin's mind was elsewhere. Grange was keeping something from him. He knew there was no one he could trust more than the Martian. Something must have been troubling him. Something Jonas had said…but what? "Grange…" He said quietly. The Adept tilted his head to the side. "Something's wrong, I know it. We can't start keeping…"
"Corrin," He said alertly, "someone's coming." Corrin quietly grasped his las-pistol. Grange was right. The snow crunched softly at the approaching steps. They spun as one and fired. An Imperial, clothed to the toe in snow white armor, fell dead. More crunching began, faster and harder. They pivoted about. More and more Imperials converged on them in a circle.
Eventually, the two stopped firing. Twenty or so Imperials stood before them, guns trained. A man stepped forward. His sword was covered in saber-like teeth. His pistol was splattered with red paint to represent blood. His face was scarred and heavy. He slowly opened his mouth.
"Put the gun's down boys. You're going to be with us for a while." He smiled.
Grange threw a hateful glance at him. "Captain Sefron…"
"Grange! Haha, when I heard you had escaped I wasn't surprised. I raised you well!" The man laughed.
"Shut up you Imperial. You were the reason I was tortured day in and day out!"
"Only to strengthen you. I…" The Imperial stopped and looked at Grange in horror. Corrin turned to him as well. He buckled down and fell to the floor. Corrin looked into his eyes. They flashed with a terrible whiteness Corrin knew all too well.
"No!" Corrin cried, tears welling in his eyes.
"What's happening Merican? What's he doing?" The Captain yelled. Corrin was sobbing. He couldn't bare it. "Quit your weeping! What's going on?"
Grange looked up. His eyes were blank. His teeth were gritted in rage. He leaped at Corrin. Corrin moved to the side, barely avoiding the man's massive cyber-hand. The Martian slid across the ground. He convoluted.
His eyes returned to life, hating and angry. "I will not!" He roared, almost to himself. He jumped at the surprised Imperials. His hand formed into a massive blade. Blood splattered the shining sand.
"Sir! What the Frak is going on!" An Imperial squealed. They had begun to loose morale. The insane Adept halted, breathing heavily.
"Kill him, someone!" Another soldier yelled.
"Wait! Shoot him and you're dead!" The captain ordered. "There's something about him…" Grange turned back to Corrin. His hand had formed into a massive drill.
"If you do not see the true light," The color faded from his eyes once more, "You will die!" He moved at amazing speed. Corrin caught the drill by it's roots and pushed back. He felt the machine begin to push harder. "You are a fool Corrin. Why do you not see?" Grange said questioningly.
"You are not yourself Grange. Fight it! Don't let it take you!" Corrin said pleadingly. He could not let another friend slip away. Grange stumbled backwards. He crouched down and pounded the ground. The Imperials didn't think to react.
He spun on them again, and then turned back. He was in a mortal combat, with himself. "I won't give in! I can't give in!" He fell to the floor. The Imperials had lost all interest in Corrin as they all crowded Grange. "I will not!" He bellowed with such force, the snow fell from the trees. Corrin's ears echoed the enormous voice.
Grange raised his Plasma Cannon with amazing speed. Corrin dove backwards. The Imperial's weren't as fast. He watched in terror as they were incinerated on the spot. The blue flame disappeared as quickly as it had come.
Grange lay there. His eyes flashed into emptiness. He stood. He faced Corrin. He raised his bolt-gun shakily. His eyes exploded to life. He tilted his head. His was a look of pleading. "I…will…fight it!"
Before Corrin could respond, the Adept was gone, and he was alone. The forest seemed more alive than ever before. Sounds and roars echoed through his head. Scratches came from behind every bush. He had been fighting in war for three years, and for the first time he was truly and completely alone.
The forest buzzed by quickly. Corrin had decided to keep the events in Jonas' camp out of his head. He instead focused on the mission at hand. If he could kill Riktus, Johnson and Grange would be free again.
He stopped dead. He heard a whisper. The forest was silent. It came again, louder than before. It was his name. Or, that's what it sounded like. His name whisked across the leaves of the trees and through the ground. The voice was Johnson's.
Gradually, more voice joined the choir. His name resonated across the massive wood. The earth rumbled. Sweat beaded on Corrin's forehead. He was terrified. Trees fell around him. A storm of lightning and thunder rained from the sky, all echoing his name. "Corrin, Corrin, Corrin."
He began to run again, faster than he knew he could. The name followed him and blended with the blurred trees. It grew louder and louder. It blasted through the sky.
People began to appear, hundreds of them, all around him. Their eyes were blank, dead. They stood limp. Their faces were fixated on him. "Corrin, Corrin, Corrin"
He felt something under his foot. There was a bang. He fell. The crowded around his fallen form, their eyes burning on his face. "Corrin, Corrin, Corrin." There was another bang. "You will die…" They were gone. The sight before him was hell.
The forest had broken, revealing an open plain and a massive city. Thunderbirds and A-36's battled in the sky. The towers of the metropolis smoked. Roares and screams erupted from the city constantly. He had arrived. This was Mason.