Chibiyu: I missed writing this. I curse all of the computer viruses! (and bless all of the back-up methods for documents).

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Nick looked up to her, finger's slowly twitching as he tried to get them to open and release the Four's chain. His hand also rose so it was tugging on the dove around his neck.

But they wouldn't have it.

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No one saw this coming. Not even Nick.

The Normal, though not ignorant to all of the chances, had hoped that this fight would be avoided. Hoped that the everything would go according to plan. But the Bane had been right before - he wasn't ready for this. He couldn't hold it all back. He just couldn't take it.

His fingers were forced open, but the cruel coldness of the chain was no longer felt in his hand. He could only let out a breathless scream when it closed around his neck and flooded his mind with its influence, with the power he so desperately desired. He begged for it to stop, but he knew that his pleas would do him no good.

I can help.

No. Not yet. This isn't t-the right t-time.

Even his thoughts shook at the effort of him creating them.

You can't do this.

Nick forced his breathing to stop as he looked over the bloodstained landscape before him, not seeing the faces of those cowering. His fingers dug back into the dirt as he pulled his focus from the images of his own perfect world, from the feeling of undeniable want; from the way to obtain it all. Instead he focused on the way the dirt slipped through his fingers, how the rocks scratched at his palm, and how his nails turned black from the grime. He focused on steadying himself so he could breathe again.

He can do this. He had a plan.

"I won't be a puppet," Nick hissed out, words only heard by the ancients around his neck.

'You have no choice.'

His attention was turned to the hole in his shoe as the Four again stabbed his mind with the sweet reality of what it could make for him. Nick wriggled his foot, his toe getting caught in the slight tear. He watched his sock show through and began to count the loose stretch that covered the hole.

He vaguely felt the warmth of pride blossom from what he assumed was the Bane and a flick of anger from the Four.

He is smarter than you thought, the Bane taunted as Nick looked down to the white dove. One cannot get pulled in by your mutiny if their attention is not on you.

The Four was silent for a moment as Nick flicked a pebble out of his shoe.

'No,' it whispered with a pleased voice, 'He is exactly what I thought.'

Nick nearly let out a cry of relief when the oppressing pressure and the alluring images left. He looked down towards the black pendant and allowed his shoulders to relax, though his guard did not drop.

That was all...a test?!

The Four chuckled, the sound for once not making the wearer flinch in pain. 'I had to be sure.'

Of what?

The Four offered no explanation, but it didn't matter for Nick already knew. The Four can influence and use it's wearer, just as it wearer can it. If one side can prevent such a shortcoming, then the other can as well.

'You are not the only one who doesn't want to be a puppet.'

Nick closed his eyes and let out a long breath and moved his hand to rub his temple as the spirits on his shoulder faded to nothing.

Such a force cannot leave without causing damage, Nick mused as the dull throb in his head steadily grew.

"Nick?" someone hesitantly called out.

The Normal lifted his head and met the wide eyes of his family. He gave them a small smile, hoping that that would be enough. He doubted he had the mentality to do anything else.

"The Four has betrayed us," a Villain breathed from behind. Nick turned his head and stared at the red-haired girl with hatred. "You have betrayed me, Normal brat. I did what you asked and now you have the Four. Use it like you told me you would!"

Nick pulled himself together and smirked. He pointed to himself and managed to say: "Villain, remember?"

Florice gave an unearthly shriek and stomped her foot in a tantrum. "See!" she turned to address the group behind her. "We've been betrayed! Villain or not, this Normal is a menace! The Villains were promised their day and we shall have it!"

"Tonight," she whispered as she turned her attention back to take man on the ground. "And you can't stop us."

"But we can!" Nick turned to stare at his mother in surprise. "Boys, help your brother. The rest of us have some adult things to talk about."

Even Nick managed a smile at this and was quick to accept his brothers' hands.

But no one expected the Villains to just sit back and passively and let the Heroes take what should have been theirs. And everyone knew who would attack first.

Florice's vines raced forward, but it wasn't those that had Nick screaming. No, it was the system of roots and stretched out behind the Heroes and shot towards them.

"No!"

The smell of singed leaves filled the air as suddenly the brothers arms were full of a shaking Nick. The Heroes turned as Florice gasped out in obvious pain. The Heroes saw blackened plants as well as angry burns on Florice's hands, which had been touching the roots at her feet.

"Did you do that?" Kevin asked Nick, who nodded jerkily against Kevin's chest.

"Accident," he breathed. "Didn't meant to hurt her."

'But I did. That little whelp thinks she can control me? I laugh at her impudence.'

"You're really starting to get on my nerves," Nick hissed, much to the confusion of his brothers.

'Didn't plan on that, did you?'

Nick ignored the taunting words and pulled himself to his feet. Now was a time to look strong, not to be supported by others.

"Let's get you out of here," Joe tried as he pulled at Nick's arm.

"No," Nick stepped away for he knew Joe wouldn't dare us his power on him in fear of hurting him. "I have to stay. I have to stop this."

"You're insane," Kevin whispered as he gave Ray a pointed look.

"Am I?" Nick ducked under Ray's arm as she appeared next to him. "Or do I just have a plan?"

The brothers nerves were not appeased by this.

"You have to trust me."

Their eyes found the ruby which hung from their brother's neck.

"I have this as well," he reminded them, the Bane in his fingers. "I can do this. All I ask is that you let me."

Joe and Kevin exchanged glances as Nick's gaze flicked over to their mother. She nodded once to him, convinced that her son's mind was his own.

"Be careful," Joe warned as he stepped away.

"We'll be here if you need us," Kevin inserted, not liking the earlier display of fire.

Nick nodded, thanks in his eyes. He turned towards the Villains and let a glare slide easily into his face. Several stepped back, but some including Talis and Cascadea remained.

"Which side are you on?" Cascadea asked, her voice chilled with distrust. "You hold both objects and claim to be a Villain, and yet you fight for the Heroes."

"I do what is right by my own eyes," Nick evenly answered which let them all interpret the exact meaning.

Cascadea tilted her head to the side. "And what is right in your eyes? Necrophere has acted. Normals have died tonight. Surely you have something in mind?"

Nick gave the woman a mysterious smile before he addressed the smallest Villain. "Talis, tell me: has anyone died tonight?"

Talis looked to the man as if this was the first time she was seeing him. "Talis senses no death."

The crowd stirred at this, shock now on all of their faces. All of their faces, all but Nick's.

"No deaths? No Normals dead?"

The girl shook her head. "Nothing. Talis is bored of this fight. Talis wants the death, but something is stopping it. Talis thinks it is concealment. Yup."

All eyes landed on the Four.

"And tell me Talis: why would Necrophere conceal the Normals? Why would he fake their deaths? And why are they still concealed if he is dead?"

Talis looked at Nick as if he had grown a third head. "Necrophere? No, Talis doesn't feel his soul. He is alive."

Everyone, Nick included, looked to the pile of ashes near his feet. "Where?"

Talis rolled her eyes. "Talis doesn't work with the living."

Nick shot Kevin a glance, but he shrugged. He was unable to feel anything but the people gathered and the steady hum of the Bane's power. Nothing from the Four. Nothing of Necrophere. Nothing of the Normals, though a small search party of Ray, Allegeilist, Stella, and another Hero who Nick didn't know, was immediately sent for them. And nothing of Nick.

"Talis," Nick called again and the girl sighed once, annoyed with the questions. "If Necrophere concealed himself, would it be possible for that concealment to follow him into death?"

The girl shook her head. "No power follows death."

"But powers can fake it?"

Talis pointedly looked at him, but nodded at the already asked question.

"Where are you going with this, Nick?" Sandy Lucas finally asked as dark scowl grew on her son's face.

Nick looked to the sky, the scowl riding heavily on his features. "You're blind. All of you. This is all just a part of his plan." Nick glared to the serpent which hung from his neck, but somehow it didn't seem to be directed at the pendant itself.

"Plan?" someone in the crowd asked. "What plan?"

Nick didn't answer.

Bait.

'Used.'

"Puppet," Nick spat out, no one able to catch his meaning. His fist clenched and scowl deepened. "We're just his puppets! He wanted me to have the Four. Wanted all of this."

"But why?"

"I don't know!" Nick shouted, instantly feeling sorry for rounding on Joe for such an innocent question. "I don't know," he repeated in a calmer voice.

A laugh caught their attention; a shrill sound of a chirping bird from the other side of the valley. Paragon shook her head, hands on hips, and mouth in a pout. "You're all so stupid. Minus Nick, of course."

"Paragon," there was a warning tone to Nick's voice, but whatever the warning was, she didn't heed it.

She strutted over and smacked Nick lightly on the cheek. "You're clever, Lucas, but I know you." Nick only stared at her, not able to fully comprehend her words. "Necrophere isn't dead because he never was here. He never existed."

Silence met that statement.

"You've all been taken for a ride by my old friend. Why don't you tell them, Nick? Tell them how you did all of this?"

Nick took a half-step back, his face the perfect mixture of confusion and shock. There was no guilt on his frame, no surprise, just utter questioning.

"What are you talking about?"

Paragon crossed her arms. "You can't lie to me, Nick."

"I'm not."

She rolled her eyes and kicked at the pile of ash that was supposedly Necrophere. "I didn't see it at first. I didn't when you had the Four for the first time or when Florice took you, but when you willingly went with Necrophere, with nothing to gain, I started questioning you. But tonight, how you made Talis reveal that the Normals were alive; that was the final clue I needed."

"I don't understand," Nick whispered, a shake to his voice that none had ever heard before. "Please Paragon, I have no idea what you're saying. I'm not him."

Paragon pursed her lips. "Then why didn't you seem shocked when Talis told you the Normals were alive? How did you even know to ask her?"

Nick was silent, but a slow realization did begin to slink its way onto his face. He had given that away, hadn't he?

"Why would Necrophere let the Bane approach him so easily? Kill him so easily? Why would he even let you live?" Paragon shrugged at this, her cat eyes studying every change on her old friend's face. "Sure, I bought the whole 'he thinks he can control me and he thinks he needs me thing' for awhile, but that isn't the real thing. Necrophere would have wanted his greatest opponent to be dead and for the Bane to be locked away in his clutches. After all, with great power comes great paranoia. He wouldn't have taken the chance."

Nick shook his head. "But a true Villain isn't one who only enjoys slaughter in his or her own wealth. The insane ones are that way. A true Villain is smart and cunning, playing his opponents as if they were a chessboard. Making his move without them knowing."

Paragon smirked. "And you know this how?"

Nick eyes her evenly. "I've been around that kind of Villain, or perhaps you've forgotten."

Paragon rolled her eyes. "Oh, the pity card. Is that you moving a pawn my way?"

Nick took a step back as if struck, finally understanding. "I'm not like that!"

Paragon stopped at his tone, her face softening when she found the sheer truth in Nick's scared eyes. "You really have no idea." She eyes dropped to the ruby. "It's playing you, Nick. Talis can't feel Necrophere's death and Kevin could never feel him, not because of concealment, but because he wasn't there. The Four fooled all of us. But it made a puppet out of you."

At that word, Nicks' entire face darkened. "I am not a puppet."

"Look at the pendant, Nick. You're a puppet and it is your master. It's the true Villain. It's using you."

Nick leveled his eyes with the one throwing wild accusations his way. "You're wrong, Paragon." He lifted the pendant for her to see. "You're not the one carrying it. It's easy to stand on the sidelines and accuse the wearer - everyone's been doing that lately," he threw a glare to the Hero Council members before he turned his attention back to his friend, "But you don't know what it feels like to actually hold it. I know what it's like to use it. To be used by it," his gaze flicked to the Bane at this statement, "And to be taken in by it. But I've never done anything for my own gain. None of this was done by me. None."

Paragon looked away from the ruby, her own scowl prominent. "Why don't I believe that? You have a plan, Necrophere. And whatever it is, I'm not liking it so far."

"I'm not Necrophere!" Nick shouted, both the Bane and Four flashing at his rage which simmer just below his skin. "I will never be him!"

"Then drop the pendants and walk away," Kevin inserted.

Nick threw Kevin a look of utter shock, like he was asking him if Kevin actually believed this nonsense.

"I would, but you saw what happened before," Nick tried to calm down as he gestured to the Four around his neck.

"Try again," Paragon added. "And really want it gone. If you're its' master, then it will have to obey and leave you alone. And I don't think the Bane will have trouble parting with a Villain."

Nick stared at the girl for a few seconds. "How do you know that when I drop it, I just won't conceal it when it comes around my neck again?" he asked, voice heavy with rude sarcasm.

Paragon put her hands on her hips. "Then you admit to not being its master?"

Nick said nothing.

"Admit it, you know everything I just said to be true. It is using you and the Bane can't do anything because it is in on it too. I'm not as blind as you may think, Nick. Two ancient beings, complete opposites of one another, together with one wearer? It's not that hard to figure out that they have a common goal. They're using you."

"Para," Nick tried but she turned away from him.

"You know, I thought you were smarter than this. But from the first time you held the Four, you've had that longing look in your eyes. You knew from the start that the Four could let you reshape the world. And ever since you got it back, it's been in your head. It's addicting, the power, isn't it?"

"No."

She looked at him over her shoulder. "So answer this: that look of longing? Where is it now, Necrophere?"

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Chibiyu: Think Paragon is right or is she just insane? Until Next Update!