The second chapter of my fanfic has now been modified for this website, so here it is.
CHAPTER 2: QUESTIONS WITHOUT ANSWER
The nighttime sky glittered with the stars above, and two of Rados' moons shone down on the Realm. Down in a grassy glade, Crea was lying on her back, looking up at the moons. Nothing could be heard but the sound of the wind. She raised a hand to block one of the moons from shining down into her eyes and sighed.
Crea had been thinking a lot recently about the dreams she was constantly having. They weren't getting any clearer in meaning to her, but she knew they had to have some significance in her existence. The Megalith, the Di-Gata Defenders, the four white stones; all of them had something to do with who she was, but she didn't know what. How was she connected to them? Did they have anything to do with her powers? Why was she dreaming about them every night? These questions and more continued to spill into Crea's mind, but she found no answers to any of them.
She then asked herself aloud the big questions: "Why? Why am I here? What is my purpose?"
--
The next morning, in the nearby woods, Seth and the other Di-Gata Defenders were in the middle of packing up their camp, keen to move on. They had just lost the Ogama Pure Stone to Brackus, but in the process obtained the Key. But what was concerning Seth was the possibility that the Order of Infinis may be trailing them, and that they might not be far away.
He turned toward Erik, who was tuning the Sigil Cycles, and said, "Erik, I want to get moving as soon as possible. How are the bikes?"
"Everything's great, Seth. All of the bikes are working at full capacity. They just need a little more time to charge, and we'll be good to go."
"How long will that take?"
"About thirty more minutes, tops."
"Good."
Seth turned his head and looked toward Melosa, who was in the middle of packing up her bag. While she was doing this, though, she pulled out a small canister. Seth knew well what it was: it was the container of the Dako Pure Stone. It was also a worry to Seth; every time he saw Mel holding that canister it made him fear that something may happen to her. Something bad. The first time Mel even touched the Pure Stone, the Megalith possessed her. She had still not fully recovered from it, as well.
As Seth continued to think to himself about that, suddenly Mel's arm started to crackle with a strange blue energy. She gasped from the pain of it and dropped the canister, clutching her sides. Seth quickly ran over to her side.
"Mel, are you okay? Mel?!"
The Wizard energies soon subsided, which stopped Mel's pain. Amid heavy breathing, she said, "I'm okay, Seth."
"These attacks have got to stop," Seth said with a sigh.
"I know. I… I just wish I knew what was happening to me. How I could stop these attacks. I just… feel so helpless right now."
"You're not helpless, Mel. You battle as well as any one of us. That and you deal with the burden of your Wizard powers so well. I'd hardly call that helpless."
Mel smiled, comforted by Seth's words.
Erik suddenly interrupted them, "Speaking of the four of us, where's Kara?"
"She decided to go look around for a bit," said Seth. "She said she'd be back in a few minutes."
"That's good. We've got a lot of ground to cover today, especially if the Order of Infinis is following us."
--
Elsewhere in the forest, Kara walked into a small clearing. She looked around for a moment, when the sight of a small rabbit-like creature caught her attention.
"Aw, how cute!" Kara sighed.
Kara obviously frightened the rabbit, as it turned tail and starting running away. Kara quickly began pursuit.
"Hey, wait! Come back! I'm not going to hurt you."
Kara followed the rabbit through a set of bushes, but then suddenly stopped.
"Huh?"
Kara's mind had completely forgotten the rabbit at this point; what she was seeing now was much more curious. About five meters in front of her was Crea, her hand glowing up against a thick tree that was covered in Sigils. After a moment, Kara then remembered Crea from the Ban Yo swamp. She slowly stepped toward the strange girl.
"Hey, it's you," Kara said, "from the swamp. So… I wasn't imagining it when I saw you."
Crea said nothing in reply, not moving from her stance.
"So, what are you doing with that tree?"
Again, Crea said nothing.
"Okay," Kara said slowly, "not the talkative type, are you?"
At that moment, Crea's hand stopped glowing, and she removed it from the tree. The Sigils on the tree then faded away, and its leaves and branches began to fall to the ground. Kara could scarcely believe what she was seeing. It was almost as though the girl had sucked the life out of the tree.
"Wha- what did you just do?" Kara said nervously.
"Only a necessity for my survival," Crea said. "That tree's energies now flow through me, to be used for my survival." She then turned toward the young Defender and said, "You are Kara, yes?" Kara nodded. "I thought as much. You are one of the Di-Gata Defenders. Your comrades are Seth, Mel, and Erik, correct?"
"Yeah. Well, Erik is actually my big brother."
"I see."
"So… what's your name?"
"Hmm? My name? It's… Crea."
"Crea, huh? That's a nice name."
"Hmph."
"So, why were you doing that to that tree? Look at it. It's dying."
"Such a thing does not concern me. I was merely using the energies within the tree to sustain my own life."
"But why? Why would you do that?"
Crea sighed, and then said, "That, even I am not entirely certain of the answer. I only know that it is necessary."
"Huh? What do you mean?"
"You would not understand."
Kara stood there for a moment, staring at Crea.
Suddenly, Erik's voice sounded off in the distance, calling "Kara! Kara, where are you?!"
As Kara looked off in the direction of Erik's voice, Crea turned in the opposite direction and said, "Return to your friends, Kara. There is nothing more for us to discuss."
As Crea started to walk away, Kara turned back to her and said, "Huh? Hey, wait!"
Kara tried to stop Crea from leaving, but as she stepped toward the girl, several strange glittering blue lights began to surround Crea. They massed around Crea, and Kara had to shield her eyes from the light. When Kara opened her eyes, Crea was gone, with nothing more than a few blue lights left over.
"Whoa," Kara uttered, "that was weird."
"Kara!" Erik then emerged from the trees behind her and said, "There you are. We've been waiting for you back at camp for a while now. What are you doing? We gotta go."
"Huh? Oh, Erik. Sorry. I was just thinking about something."
"About what?"
"Nevermind, let's go."
Erik stared at his little sister in utter confusion as she walked off into the woods. He then followed her after a few seconds.
--
High up above a set of roads, the scientist Flinch watched on as Malco, his juggernaut partner, moved several large boulders to the edge of the nearby cliff-top, aided by a couple of Order of Infinis lackeys. The boulders lay positioned above a relatively small road, where there was little place to run. As Malco placed the last of the boulders at the cliff's head, Flinch walked over to them and started placing small charges beneath them. After he placed the last one, he tapped several buttons on his gauntlet, and on each of the charges, a light started blinking, and each charge starting beeping.
Flinch chuckled to himself and said, "Excellent. Everything is ready. Those bratty kids won't know what hit them."
Something then caught his attention. He walked up to the nearby cliff and pulled out a set of binoculars, and peered down the road. Sure enough, he saw four bikes coming up the road. It was surely the Defenders.
"Well, talk about good timing," Flinch said. He then turned to the Infinis soldiers and said, "The Defenders are on their way. You know what to do. Move out!"
The soldiers all nodded and took off to a set of Sigil Bikes parked nearby. As they mounted up and sped off, Flinch looked back at the road, watching the Defenders as they approached the ambush site.
He then said, "I'm such a genius. They'll never escape! This plan of mine is brilliant."
Obviously, this gloating didn't sit well with Malco, who quickly grabbed his weaker partner's shoulder sharply and growled.
Flinch quickly realized his mistake, and said to Malco, "Oh, I mean our plan, of course. I couldn't have done it without you, Malco. After all, you're the brawn of the operation."
Malco grunted once, and released Flinch's shoulder. Flinch took a short step away from his partner and sneered at him. The two never liked working with each other, but despite their differences, it could not be denied that they were dangerous together. Flinch placed his hand to his gauntlet, his finger hovering over a flashing red button.
--
Down below on the road, the Defenders continued to speed down the road, Seth in the front. Behind him, Kara was not entirely focused on the road. Her mind was concentrating on her earlier encounter with Crea. She still could not understand the girl. Who or what was she? Whatever she was, it made Kara feel uneasy. After a moment, Kara increased her speed, and moved her bike up beside Seth's. Seth looked on as Kara moved up beside him.
As she did, she called out, "Seth?"
"Yeah?" Seth replied.
"There's something I need to talk to you about."
"What is it Kara?"
"Well, I—"
Before Kara could continue, however, a blast whizzed by them, startling the Defenders. They turned to see a number of Infinis riders pursuing them.
"We've got company!" Erik yelled.
"Try to outrun them!" Seth shouted, as he hit the accelerator.
The Defenders increased their speed, but as they did, so did the Infinis soldiers. The soldiers continued to fire on the Defenders, though at such a speed, their accuracy was something to be desired. The Defenders quickly made it to the road by the cliffs.
Erik looked back for a moment, and noticed the Infinis soldiers were far behind them. He shouted gleefully, "HA! Slowpokes! They'll never catch us now!"
He was cut off when an explosion went off above. The Defenders looked up to see hundreds of rocks barreling down on them.
"AVALANCHE!" Seth shouted. "Look out!"
The Defenders did their best to avoid the boulders, but the road was narrow, and there wasn't much room to maneuver. Kara had it worst off; her bike was too close to the cliff. A boulder landed in front of her, too close for her to dodge it. She shrieked as her bike slammed headlong into it, sending her flying over the handlebars. She landed in a heap at the bottom of the cliff wall.
"KARA!!" Seth cried out, fearful for her safety.
He then saw a boulder flying from above straight for his head. He swerved away from it, but did not account for a nearby set of trees. He yelled as he ducked, a large branch barely missing his head. The remaining three Defenders sped into the forest, dodging the trees for dear life. Mel got separated from Seth and Erik by a cluster of small trees. Shortly behind them, the Infinis soldiers sped in after them.
Behind Melosa, two riders began to open fire on her. One shot barely missed her. She looked back at them and cast a spell. Snow Blast! The ice ball flew at one of the riders and hit him in the head, blinding him with snow. His cycle flew out of control and smashed into a nearby tree, the rider falling out before impacting.
Mel then said, "Ooh… that had to hurt." She sped onwards as the second rider continued firing.
Elsewhere, five riders, their staves firing inaccurate shots at the two Defenders, were chasing Seth and Erik. Erik readied his tech gauntlet and aimed it at the soldiers. Singeing Spar! A firebolt flew at the soldiers, hitting one of the bikes, and causing it to burst into flames. The soldier screamed as he abandoned his bike, which shortly afterwards exploded. One of the riders behind him ran into the explosion, which blinded him, and as he came out of it he hit a tree branch. The soldier crashed to the ground, while his bike hit a tree and exploded.
Erik then turned back to Seth and shouted, "Seth! Go back to the road and find Kara! I'll take care of these clowns!" Seth hesitated, but Erik said, "Go! I'll be fine! We'll meet back down the road!"
"Alright," Seth shouted back. "Be careful."
"You know it!"
Seth then banked away from Erik. One of the Infinis soldiers then turned to chase Seth, while the other two went after Erik. Seth sped on while the lone rider chased him. A blast nearly hit Seth's shoulder.
Seth looked back and said, "I really don't need this right now."
At that moment, Seth heard the sound of a drake's cry, and looked to see Melosa's guardian, Draykor, swoop in on his pursuer. The ice drake latched its claws onto the rider and lifted him screaming off the bike. The bike crashed, while Draykor released the rider, causing him to hit a particularly thick tree stump. The man fell to the ground unconscious.
Seth swerved to a stop as Mel's bike approached him. She stopped as well.
"Nice save, Mel." Seth said.
"No problem."
"Erik's got two guys on his tail that way," Seth said as he pointed into the forest. "Go help him."
"What about you?"
"I'm going back for Kara."
"Okay. Be careful."
"You too."
Mel sped off into the woods, Draykor in tow, as Seth turned his bike and sped off to rescue Kara.
--
Back on the road, Kara lay on her side, dazed from the crash. She opened her eyes slowly, but could not see straight. She slowly pushed herself up, sore all over, her whole body shaking with pain. As she got to her feet, she pulled off her helmet, which was cracked, and dropped it to the ground. Her head then began throbbing with pain, and she clutched a hand to her forehead.
"Uhh… My head…" Kara said weakly.
As Kara held her head, her Power Boots began to crackle and spark violently. They were badly damaged by the crash. Soon, their lights gave out. Kara, unable to walk without them, lost her balance and fell to the ground.
"Oh, great," Kara groaned. She pushed herself up against the cliff wall, but had to remain seated since her legs would not work now. She cried out, "Erik… Mel… Seth… Please, help…"
At that moment, a shadow began marching toward her. She couldn't tell who it was; her vision was completely blurred.
"Uhh… Erik?"
The figure came into focus as it approached, but it wasn't Erik. Kara could only look on in horror as the vast form of Malco walked steadily toward her.
Flinch quickly walked in from behind Malco and said, "Not quite."
Malco laughed as he extended a hand toward Kara. As he did, Kara screamed as loud as her lungs could allow.
Back in the forest, Seth heard the sound of the scream.
"No! Kara!"
Seth gunned on the accelerator and sped through the woods. As he reached the edge, he saw Malco and Flinch on the road, with Kara barely struggling in Malco's gigantic hand. Seth, enraged at seeing his friend in the hands of the juggernaut, pushed his bike to full speed and it careened right at Malco. Malco quickly reacted by thrusting his free hand forward, and caught the bike as it hit him. Malco skidded back a few feet, but stayed standing. Seth then realized he was in trouble. Malco heaved and tossed the bike aside, Seth with it. Seth fell off the bike as it crashed to the ground. Seth was not badly hurt, but he wasn't worried about that. He was worried about Kara. He threw off his helmet and faced Malco.
"Let her go," Seth said angrily.
Flinch laughed in his throat before saying, "Sorry, Defender, but the only place she's going is with us." He then shouted to Malco, "Malco! Crush him!"
Malco roared as he charged at Seth. Seth wasted no time, and cast his stones. Dark Anarchy! A dark wave of energy flew right at Malco, who raised his free arm in front of him. Malco roared as the spell impacted on his natural shield. The spell did some damage, but Malco still had plenty left. The giant quickly fitted a pair of stones into his free hand and cast them. Meteor! A large flaming stone flew at Seth, who quickly ran to the side. The meteor began to chase the Defender, however. Malco cackled as it did.
Seth took a quick look back at the meteor close behind him, and looked forward at the set of boulders in front of him. Seth ran fast at the boulders and began zigzagging through them. The meteor did not, however, and crashed through rock after rock, weakening with each impact. Soon, Seth ran behind the last nearby boulder, and the meteor, which was now much smaller, smashed into it and exploded. As the debris cleared, Seth looked on at his enemies. He had to get Kara away from Malco.
Seth pulled out his guardian stone. Kragus, take form! The earth shook as Seth's guardian took its massive form. The stone giant let out a tremendous roar.
"Kragus, rush 'em!" Seth shouted.
Kragus roared as he charged headlong at Malco. The two met in a gridlock, though Malco was at a disadvantage, having only one hand with which to hold back the guardian. Eventually, Kragus began to overpower Malco. Malco roared, and tossed Kara back toward Flinch.
"Malco, what are you— AHH!" Flinch shouted, as Kara impacted on the scientist.
Malco, now with both his hands free, continued to wrestle with Kragus, and began to turn the struggle in his favor. Behind him, Flinch wasted no time in wrestling his arm around Kara's neck to restrain her. Kara was too weak to do anything about it.
Soon, Malco began to push Kragus back. Seth knew he had to do something quick. After all, now he could attack Malco without risking Kara. He pulled out another set of stones.
"Spinning— AGH!"
A bolt of energy had struck Seth in the back, causing him to drop his stones. He fell to the ground.
"Seth!" Kara cried weakly, while Flinch laughed.
Down the road, ten Infinis riders sped toward the battle scene. Malco roared as he then shifted hard forward, and brought the massive form of Kragus above his shoulders. He then threw the guardian to the ground on its back, and in a quick movement, brought his two massive fists down on Kragus' chest. Almost instantly, Kragus vanished, returning to his stone form.
As the soldiers arrived, they dismounted from their bikes. Seven of them ran over to Seth, who was trying to push himself up, while the others ran over toward Malco and Flinch. One of the men around Seth brought the rear end of his staff down on him, knocking the Defender back down.
Flinch laughed at the abuse Seth was taking, and said, "Excellent. Excellent!" He then turned to the soldier closest to him and said, "You! Watch her." Flinch pushed Kara toward the soldier; she nearly fell to the ground, but the soldier caught her and hoisted her limp body onto his shoulder.
One of the soldiers surrounding Seth then turned toward Flinch and Malco and said, "What about this one?"
"Get rid of him," Flinch said grimly. "Lord Nazmul only needs one of them."
The soldiers aimed their staves at Seth, who once again was trying to get to his feet.
"Nazmul…?" said a young girl's voice.
The Infinis agents looked around them for the source of the voice. Soon, Flinch found it. Sitting cross-legged on a nearby boulder was Crea, looking down on the Infinis agents and the Defenders. Seth also looked up at the strange girl. He didn't know who she was, but something about her made Seth uneasy.
"Who is this Nazmul?" Crea continued. "His name seems so familiar to me…"
"And who are you, child?" Flinch barked. "A friend of the Defenders, I'll bet."
"The Defenders are no friends of mine. I hold allegiances to no one, little man."
"What did you just call me, you insolent little brat?!" Flinch shouted angrily.
Crea laughed softly, and then said, "That is what you are. But then again, all of you humans seem so very alike." Crea uncrossed her legs and took a deep stare at Flinch. She then cooed softly, "Such weaklings…"
Flinch growled furiously then shouted, "You won't live to regret those words, child! Shoot her!"
The soldiers around Seth quickly turned their staves at Crea and fired a volley of energy blasts at her. Crea smirked as she quickly sprung off of the boulder and landed neatly on the road, the blasts missing her entirely. She then turned toward the Infinis group.
Crea made a condescending sigh before saying, "Wow, that was smart. Now you've got my attention. Ah well, might as well have some fun."
Crea raised a hand toward the Infinis group and gestured them to try and attack her. Malco took this challenge very seriously and roared as he cast a spell at her. Shield Breaker! A series of jagged knife-like rocks flew at Crea. She did not move, but laughed briefly. As the spell flew at her, a glowing energy dome appeared around Crea. The spell struck the barrier, but per their function they did not explode, instead sticking themselves into the barrier. The breakers then started flashing quickly; as the flashes became rapid, they exploded. The blast seemed to envelop Crea and created a massive cloud of dust and smoke. When the dust finally cleared, Crea was no longer there.
Flinch grinned and then said, "So much for that pest. I—" Flinch stopped when he noticed Malco reaching a hand at him and quickly said, "I mean, you showed her, Malco. Yes, excellent shot."
Just then, the distorted sound of Crea laughing echoed through the area. Flinch practically jumped on the spot then quickly looked around the area, as did the other Infinis solders and Seth. Crea was nowhere in sight, but her laughter continued. Seth, still on all fours, looked at the soldier holding Kara. Seth wanted to do something to save her, but in his predicament he was left with few options.
Suddenly, Seth noticed number of flickering blue lights converging on a spot near Malco, by the side of the cliff wall. One of the Infinis soldiers noticed Seth, and turned to see the shimmering lights.
"Over there!" the man shouted.
The others turned to see the lights combining together. In a short flash of light, Crea reappeared, seemingly materializing out of thin air. She was completely untouched by Malco's last attack.
"Was that supposed to be threatening?" Crea taunted with a smile.
Malco roared furiously at this insult and charged headlong at Crea. As he did, he raised one of his giant fists, poised to crush the girl. He then swung hard at her, but Crea hopped back a short distance and the blow missed her. Malco took another swing at her with his other arm, but she seemed to slide sideways, without moving her feet. Malco missed again. Malco continued to swing at Crea, each time missing, while Seth and the Infinis group watched in amazement.
Seth could scarcely believe his eyes. Malco was a truly dangerous opponent to him and the other Defenders, but this girl was handling him like he was nothing.
Malco, now truly infuriated with Crea, thrust a fist at her, but she slid to the side and the blow struck the cliff wall behind her. She then smirked at Malco and readied a hand at her side. It quickly began to spark with magical energy, which enveloped her whole hand. She then lunged forward with her palm at Malco's chest. As it hit, Crea's hand released a powerful energy burst. Malco flew back, his natural shield preventing the blast from destroying him, and crashed to the ground several meters away from where Crea was standing. Malco groaned in pain as he lay on his back.
Flinch gaped at the scene for a moment, but soon stopped hesitating and looked on at his men. They were all staring in awe at what had just happened.
"DON'T JUST STAND THERE, YOU FOOLS!" Flinch shouted. "BLAST HER!"
The soldiers stopped staring and quickly aimed at Crea and fired. She leapt to the side, the blasts missing her. The soldiers turned to fire at her new position. As they did, she pushed off in the opposite direction and then began to float a few inches above the ground, moving sideways all the while. As she glided to the side, the energy blasts from the Infinis soldiers missing her, she raised a hand, palm facing down, and swept it to one side. As she did, several small energy pulses appeared and flew at the Infinis group. Two of the soldiers took the attack and were killed instantly. The other men took cover behind their bikes, but some of the vehicles exploded as Crea's attack hit them. A couple of blasts nearly hit Seth, but he ducked under them just in time. Seth looked up at the girl as she continued her attack; it occurred to him that she wasn't concerned for his safety. To her, he was probably just an obstacle.
All five of the remaining Infinis soldiers got onto the remaining bikes and sped off to attack Crea. She continued to float around, dodging the blasts. She fired a blast at one of them and hit the bike's engine. The bike exploded just as its rider attempted to jump off.
Another rider fired at Crea, but missed. She then put her middle and index fingers together on one hand and moved her hand upwards. As she did, a glowing yellow thread began to extend from her hand. As it did, she began to wave her hand, causing the thread to move. One of the bikers came at her, his staff facing forward like a lance. Crea moved to the side and swung the thread like a whip at the man's bike. He passed by; at first, it seemed like there was no damage, but then the front section of the bike broke off, sliced in two, and the rider crashed. Crea's hand withdrew the thread and she turned to look at the other remaining riders. She scoffed at them then jetted towards them, her hand glowing.
Back on the ground, Seth looked up and saw the three soldiers holding Kara prisoner; he had to save her. Thankfully, he still had a good amount of energy in his Di-Gata Stones. He quickly got to his feet and sprinted toward the men. They obviously noticed him, for the two guarding Kara's captor turned their staves at Seth. He quickly cast a spell. Twisting Chaos! Two dark spirals flew at the men and struck them, wrapping their bodies in chaotic energy. After a moment, they left the men, who fell to the ground, and returned to Seth, where they merged with his body. Out of his back, four black tendrils sprouted, and Seth's eyes began to glow. Seth raised a hand to the last man and one of the tendrils flew forward, wrapping around the man's neck.
Seth looked right at the man and said, "Don't be stupid. Let her go."
The man hesitated for a moment, but obeyed and put Kara down gently. As he did, the tendrils lifted him into the air. After a moment, Seth waved a hand to the side and the tendrils tossed the soldier aside. Seth then knelt over beside Kara and wrapped his arms around her.
"Kara? Kara?! Are you alright?" Seth cried. Kara said nothing, but moaned in pain. "We've gotta get out of here."
"Not so fast, Defender," came Flinch's voice behind Seth. The scientist was behind Seth, his stones in his hand. He then laughed and said, "Two birds, one stone!"
Flinch raised his hand to attack Seth, but as he did, Mel's voice sounded from the side. Blizzard! Flinch looked and screamed as a flurry of ice struck him, freezing him in place. Seth looked to the side to see Mel and Erik riding toward them.
"Thanks for the save." Seth said to Melosa.
Erik quickly dismounted his bike and ran toward Seth. "Kara! KARA! Is she alright?!" Erik said in a scared tone.
"I dunno. I hope so." Seth replied.
"Uh, guys?" Mel said nervously. "Who is THAT?"
Seth and Erik turned to see Crea dodging Malco, who was once again swinging at her. All the Infinis riders had been taken out, and Crea was still effortlessly dodging the blows, while Malco continued to become enraged with her. Malco then roared furiously and raised both his hands above him to crush Crea. She did not move this time, but stood still. The Defenders looked on as her arms then began to glow with several streams running up them. As Malco swung his massive hands down at Crea, she raised her arms and caught the blow. The ground around her cracked, but she stood strong.
"Whoa…" Seth said in astonishment.
"How did she do that?" Mel gasped.
Malco was also surprised at this, but recovered and attempted to push down his arms on Crea. Crea held the giant back, but it was taking a large effort. Malco was a strong opponent, and Crea knew she couldn't just hold him forever.
Crea smirked and said amidst grunts, "I have to admit, you're quite a strong opponent. But you're still…"
Before she finished, a surge of energy flowed through Crea's body, causing it to shine a bright light. She suddenly thrust her hands up and sent Malco stumbling backwards. She then jumped at Malco and delivered a solid spin kick to his head. He stumbled back from the blow, tripped, and crashed to the ground right next to Flinch, whose icy prison shattered. Flinch fell over with a panicked yell. Crea landed neatly on the ground a few meters from the two.
Crea then walked forward and finished coldly, "only human."
Malco and Flinch got to their feet. Flinch looked around at the destruction Crea had caused and made a panicked yelp as she approached him and Malco.
"LET'S GET OUT OF HERE!!" Flinch squealed as he quickly tapped away at his gauntlet.
A green portal soon appeared behind Flinch and Malco. Flinch moved for the portal, but Malco stood his ground.
"WHAT ARE YOU DOING, YOU IDIOT?!" Flinch screamed. "RUN AWAY!" Malco did not move, but growled at Crea.
"You should listen to the little man, giant," Crea said confidently.
She then spread her arms and two orbs of energy quickly appeared in them. Crea quickly brought her hands together in front of her and, as she did, the orbs merged into a powerful sphere. The sphere and Crea's hands crackled with energy and her eyes began to glow.
"If you run," Crea said, and then in fury continued, "you just might live!"
The sphere then surged forward in a stream of energy. Malco raised his arms to block the attack, which struck him. He flew back, colliding with Flinch, and both flew into the portal. The portal shut behind them.
Crea then lowered her arms and sighed, "That's too bad… He was actually pretty fun."
The Defenders looked on in astonishment, and Crea turned to face them. As she did, Kara slowly opened her eyes; Crea was the first thing she saw.
"Uh… Crea…?" Kara said weakly.
"Crea?" Mel said with surprise.
"She's referring to me."
"How did you do all that? It was unbelievable!" Erik exclaimed.
"Heh, you know, even that is a bit of a mystery to me."
"Huh?" Erik said.
"Maybe your friend could tell you more. If she lives." Crea then turned her back on the Defenders before continuing, "For the record, I only fought them for me. Not for you."
Shimmering blue lights then surrounded Crea. As they immersed her body, there was a flash of light, and then Crea was gone.
The Defenders then turned to Kara, who was still weakly looking at where Crea had once been.
"Uh, Kara?" Seth said. "Was she what you wanted to talk about?"
Kara did not answer, but just stared at where Crea once was. Before, Kara had thought Crea was just plain weird. Now, Crea scared Kara. She had seen most of the fight, and what Crea could do was scary.
--
Elsewhere, by a set of forest cliffs, a cluster of blue lights appeared and merged together. Crea then appeared from the lights and looked around.
"Hmm… GAH!—"
Suddenly, Crea's body began to crackle with electricity and she felt a searing pain wrack her entire body. She fell to her knees, gasping in pain, and clutched one hand to her chest, the other hand holding up her body. She knew what this pain was; she had felt it before. Though she did not know why she kept feeling this pain, she knew what it meant: she had used up too much energy in the battle.
Crea looked around, before settling her eyes on a large rock covered in Sigils. She urged her body forward stumbled over to the rock. Once she reached it, she knelt for a moment; the pain was unbearable. Then, fighting her pain, she screamed as she thrust her hands at the rock, causing it to crack as she struck it. Her hands then began to glow and the energy within the rock began to stream into her body. She breathed heavily as the pain continued to course through her. As she continued to absorb the energy, the pain began to subside. Soon, the pain left her, and the rock had turned dark. She was still panting heavily, however.
She placed one hand to her chest and said, "Damn it… Why does this keep happening to me? Why am I plagued by this weakness?! WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH ME?!"
At this point, Crea was truly frustrated and she swung her hand into the dark rock, which broke to pieces as she struck it. As the shards fell to the ground, she continued to breathe heavily in frustration.
"Still so many questions, and still no answers… how long must I continuing searching?!"
Crea clenched her hands in fists and almost brought herself to tears over her anguish, but she did not cry. Soon enough, her anger left her, when something occurred to her.
"Nazmul… that name… so familiar… who is he? How do I know his name?"
Crea then turned and looked toward the sunset. Whatever her connection to Nazmul was, she believed that it might give her some answers. Perhaps someday, she might be able to meet him, and maybe she would get some answers.
END OF CHAPTER 2
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