Chapter 22: Strongest Feeling
"Begin!"
They both thought what they desperately wanted to say out loud, "I love you."
They run to each other and strike; Shadow's knife and Nightwing's eskrima stick hit. Shadow kicks him in the side, Nightwing blocks it with his other stick. He head butts her and they separate. Shadow put the knife in her mouth and does a flip over Nightwing, she kicks him in the back of the knees. He does a handstand and lands in a crouch. Than he remembers something.
"Since the day you board this ship, you were all put in these pods."
'That can't be right. I saw my father in person. Not even Cadmus could clone Batman to throw me off. It was my father who came to see.'
He dodges a punch and blocks her knife from cutting him. Nightwing noticed her hand is shaking and her whole body.
'She's so scared. Is she afraid to hurt me? Melinda isn't fighting as she usually do, she's holding back.'
He kicks her in the stomach, but he does it so slow that she blocks it. Nightwing throws his eskrima stick and it hit her hand, causing the knife to fly away. Shadow roundhouse kicked the other eskrima stick out of his hand. They stare at each other, breathing heavily.
"The feelings you and Nightwing shared for each other aren't real."
'It can't be true. If I didn't have feelings for him, I wouldn't be holding back. I'm surprised I am. I made a vow that I will get Nightwing out of the Death Games alive, even if it means me giving up my own life. Even if he doesn't feel the same for me.'
Shadow charges at him, he grabs her hands and whispers in her ear.
"I'm sorry."
She throws him to the ground and placed her foot on his chest. She leans down to his ear and whispers, "What for?"
"Making us battle each other."
"Not your fault."
Nightwing pushes her off and gets up on his feet. Shadow grabs her knife and throws it, but he catches it and slices at her, cutting her top in the process. He couldn't actually cut her, not with how intense his love still felt. He was going to make another attack, but stops to notice scars on her side and part of her torso. Than he remembers Buzz cutting on top of her scars. The one on her torso looks freshly cut, but it's a scar. It hit him…
'They open the pod to make her feel the pain. And when Buzz squeezed my throat; they strangled me. They must have done it to all of us, because they can't make us feel pain with their technology. Pain is a feeling and an emotion and it's a powerful one too; so if they can't control pain, then they really can't force love.'
A smile twitches on his face; they can't control our emotions. Shadow tries to punch him, but Nightwing grabs her fist and pulls her into his arms.
"They're wrong."
"What?"
"They can't control our emotions. Your scar, it's freshly cut."
Shadow looks down at her scar, "You're right, so they did this to me. Nightwing, your neck."
"What?"
"You have a bruise in a shape of a hand."
Even though he can't see it, he believes her as he touches it. "Pain is the most powerful emotion in the universe, there's no way they could make that in the pods."
"You're wrong Nightwing."
"What do you mean?"
"Pain isn't the most powerful emotion in the universe." She wraps her arms around his neck. "Love is."
Nightwing smiles and leans in and they kiss. His heart flutters and tries to escape his chest. He realized that Ki felt threatened of their love for each other
"NO!" Ki yelled and enter the arena. "How did you know?!"
"You made us feel pain," Shadow said. "You lied about us entering the pods when we entered the ship. We got in there when we got the tracking devices injected in our arms. Except it wasn't actually a tracking device, it was a liquid to slip us unconscious while you put us in the pods."
"We're a threat to you, that's why you lied about controlling our emotions," said Nightwing as he holds her close.
"Yes, I lied. You two aren't as stupid as I thought."
"Ki, end the games now. I want you to return everybody back to normal and release all of us."
"I can't do that Nightwing."
"Why?"
"Because if you all leave I die."
"But if we stay, you'll eat our souls," Shadow snapped.
"I gave you both a chance, because you two got the highest votes. So one of you will live and the other will die."
"That's not going to happen."
"You sound so sure Shadow."
"Cause I know it's not going to happen."
"Shadow, what do you have planned?" Nightwing asked.
"It's what we have plan." Shadow rests her head on his shoulder and whispers in his ears. "I know it'll work."
"I never had a doubt."
"How much time do we have left?"
"About 30 seconds."
"That's good."
"Shadow, there's something I want to ask you."
"You always ask me for something at the right moments. Anyways, what is it that you want to ask?"
"Come with me."
"What?"
"Come back to Earth with me."
"Dick…I…That's not a question."
"Please?" Shadow rolled her eyes. "Melinda please. I promise to make you happy."
"What if I don't fit in?"
"You'll have me and trust me, you'll fit in."
"I do trust you..."
"Then come… please."
Shadow stares at him intently for a moment and decides that life wouldn't be worth living if she didn't have him anyways.
"Okay, I will."
Nightwing smiles and pulls her closer to him, but she draws back a little as she sees something black. He jumps with Shadow in his arms to avoid the black something from attacking him. Nightwing looks up to see Ki; his cloak is moving like tentacles. Shadow tries to look up but he won't let her.
"I will not let you two succeed," Ki growls and make an attack.
Nightwing dodges it with Melinda still safe in his arms, "We can't let you continue on with the Death Games."
"You can't put an end to the games… Especially not you, a man who can't even kill."
"There are other ways to get justice besides killing."
"Five!" yelled Mac and Kale.
"Four!" yelled Zals and Kindle.
"Three!" yelled Jen and Scar.
"Two," Shadow whisper and tighten her grip around Dick.
"One!" yelled Nightwing then he kisses Shadow's head and tighten his grip.
So sorry for the delay. I had a respiratory infection and had a lot of school work to finish plus catching up with my other stories. Anyways we're getting close to the end…trying not to cry. I am doing a sequel if anybody is wondering. Hope you enjoy it.