A/N: So, we knew in chapter 18 that Danny fell into the Dark Side and had a lightning showdown. He lost, and blacked out... But, what if he didn't and the voice never came to make him realize that he was a Jedi? What if...everything planned just fell apart?
NOTE: Disclaimers from previous chapters will be applied here. Lyrics used are from The National's Exile Vilify. No copyright infringement intended.
Why Do We Fall
(Alternate Ending)
McCarran International Airport, Las Vegas
August 26, 2013
Both Williams and I exchanged arguments as the rain poured heavily over our heads on the runway. "YOU WANT TO BRING SOMETHING UP FROM TWO HUNDRED YEARS AGO? HAVEN'T YOU EVER HEARD OF THE EXPRESSION LEAVE THE PAST BEHIND?" I yelled at the other stretch of the runway.
"Haven't you, Danial? You seem to bring up your family to this fight to avenge them..."
My anger was at its melting point as he crossed the line. I snarled. "R'ARRGGHH!" I unleashed my supercharged fury by letting out a Force Storm out of my ten fingers, a stronger variant of the Force Lightning. At the same time, Williams too did the same move, and our powers battled at the center. The wind blew stronger as if we were at the middle of the ocean facing a whirlpool, the whole stretch of runway lit up by the lightning's light, and the colors mixed between my whitish-blue with his light purple.
It was me versus him in a lightning showdown, with his side of the powers came closer towards me. Over time, I became weak. I couldn't push the ball of lightning away, my powers decreased greatly in a few seconds. I kept pushing with groans, struggling to not get myself killed. But, Williams broke through, and gave his all and pushed the lightning ball into my face.
"AAARRRRGGGHHHH!" I screamed as the lightning ball touched me.
I almost blacked out, dragged along the runway for 50 meters. The right half of my face was burnt, most of my clothing was tattered and ripped, and my physical wounds were bleeding out. I felt weak and enervated, having myself use up most of my energy during the lightsaber battle and the lightning showdown. I panted over fatigue - my eyes barely opened to see Williams slowly taking his time walking towards me with his red lightsaber dragged on the tarmac, about to use it to stab through my heart.
Exile...It takes your mind...
Again...
Exile...It takes your mind...
Again...
You've got sucker's luck,
Have you given up?
Does it feel like a trial?
Does it trouble your mind the way you trouble mine...
I thought of Thea as I was lying there, regretting that I couldn't save her. I cried, muttering; "I'm sorry Thea...I'm sorry..."
Geronimo's Perspective
I had woken up, finding myself alone in the Computer Bar of The Centurion Lounge. I rubbed by jaw so the pain would go away after the hard uppercut that knocked me out. I tried to get up by propping myself on a desk, in the process I almost fell over due to disorientation.
Thea was nowhere near me, so I decided to find her. "Thea!" I called out loudly. With no answer, I proceeded to limp around the Lounge till I find her.
"THEA!"
Exile...it takes your mind...
Again...
Exile...it takes your mind...
Again...
I searched everywhere for her. Not even a single sight. Then finally when I got to the Premium Bar, there she was. Lying motionless on the carpeted floor, looking somewhat dead. Her vest was unzipped and had a bullethole on the abdominal section, indicating that she was shot. Her olive green shirt was covered in her own blood...
"THEA!" I shouted.
I kneeled by her side, almost panicking on what to do. As a trained agent, I checked if there was still a pulse at her neck.
I placed two fingers for a second to find that her heart was no longer beating. "No, no, no, no! Please be alive, Thea! Don't die on me now!"
Oh, you'll miss so much...
Have you given up?
Does it feel like a trial?
Instinct and training told me to do CPR, so I topped a paw on the other and began to press down on Thea's chest repeatedly.
Does it trouble your mind the way you trouble mine?
"1, 2, 3, 4...C'mon!" I counted.
I dove in for a mouth-to-mouth, then came back up two seconds later. I resumed pushing down on her chest continuously while counting how many times I did it. That's when I noticed that she had a wireless earpiece worn in her ear. I took it off and wore it on mine, and began speaking into the mouthpiece for help from anyone who was connected to the same frequency.
"Hello? Is anyone out there? This is Interpol Special Agent Geronimo Stilton, please respond!" I identified myself. But as I did more CPR, there was no one to hear me. "I repeat, this is Agent Geronimo Stilton, requesting help!"
Paulina's Perspective
Concourse B
We were ambushed by a dozen enemy personnel as soon as I flew the others up to the hole in the window. They were well prepared; they were equipped with jammers so our invisibility screens wouldn't work. We toppled some tables inside the fast food restaurant to use as cover as both factions exchanged fire. We were outnumbered, outmatched, and most of us already ran out of primary ammunition. Gunners Pamela and Nicky were down to their final ammoboxes of 200 rounds, while others are fending off with their Glock 18s in full auto, including myself.
Exile...It takes your mind...
Again...
Exile...It takes your mind...
Again...
"We can't keep this up! We've almost no ammo left!" Nicky yelled over the loud sound of gunfire.
(You've got sucker's luck...Have you given up?) "Specter One! Are you done with Phase Three? Echo-Two needs immediate backup! We're getting battered over here!" I demanded.
(Does it feel like a trial?) But Hussein's reply was beyond shocking. "No can do, Hawkeye," he said, his voice sounded grave. From the background, I could hear weapons being fire. "We were compromised; they knew we were coming so we got ambushed. Most of us are dead!"
I stopped firing. "WHAT!" I said in disbelief.
(Does it trouble your mind the way you trouble mine?) "YOU HEARD ME WELL, GODDAMMIT!" snapped Hussein under pressure, firing a few suppressive rounds from what it sounded like the machine gun of his fallen teammates. "Echo-Three went down fighting, alright?! It's just me and Khalid...Specters Three to Five are out. We've a dozen more to take care on our own, so I'm sorry that we can't aid you." Then I heard something that sounded like a stray round hitting a person near him in my earpiece. "KHALID! NO!" he yelled. Khalid was hit, and he went down as a hero. Then what happened next was unexpected. "D'AAARRRRGGGHHH!"
(Does it feel like a trial?) We all heard what happened; Hussein was shot. "HUSSEIN!" Pamela called out with a sense of worry towards the one who fell for her.
"That was a sniper round...pant...it penetrated straight through my lung...cough!" he said, almost unable to speak.
(No, you're thinking to fast, you're like marbles on glass...) "Stay there! We'll come and get you!" I told, replacing an empty magazine with a fresh one.
"Don't come for me...cough! Go help Danny and Thea!" he advised, trying to hold back the agonizing pain.
Honestly, I didn't want to leave an ally behind, this is why I made the decision to retreat. "I repeat, this is Agent Geronimo Stilton! I need immediate help!"
"Geronimo?!" I responded.
"Paulina? I need a defibrillator over here! Thea's down! I repeat, Thea's been shot!"
"Echo-Two! Retreat and regroup! We're aborting Phase Three! On to Concourse D to aid Geronimo!"
All of us, one by one jumped out of the broken window and into the dark storm while spraying hails of cover fire. While they all safely landed with a roll, I flew out in last place, hopped into the Solidad and drove off in the rain to Concourse D.
Vilify...
Don't even try...
After a flash of lightning, Hussein said his final words as he was dying. "Pam...if you're hearing this...I just wanted to let you know...I love you."
Before Pam could say something back to him, the line went static. "Hussein? Hussein, do you copy?!" In assumption that he died, she cried her eyes out. Everyone else mourned, keeping quiet for the rest of the drive.
Feeling mad at myself, I banged on the steering wheel in frustration. "GAAHH!"
Vilify...
Don't even try...
My Perspective
Williams was just standing right in front of me with his lightsaber pointed at the ground. The lack of energy made me continue to lie down and feel helpless, about to submit myself to be killed in his hands.
The lightning reverberated as he lifted up the red saber with his two hands, pointing down the edge to my heart, about to stab it directly.
But thinking of what he had taken away from me made me refuel myself, flooding myself with hatred all over again. He took my family, hurt my friends and made one of them turn his back on me...and he took Thea.
The anger and hatred gave me enough to quickly activate my lightsaber, hit Williams' aside as he moved it downward in a fraction of a second, activate the second blade and split the hilts. I gave Williams a Force Push that sent him away, and that gave me the time to get back up. I Force Sped to hem when he was stunned, and threw some strikes of my lightsabers with Dark Rage.
You've got sucker's luck...
You killed my family... I thought as the blades struck.
You took away my two friends... Another thought as he blocked my attack.
(Have you given up?) You'll pay, Williams...you'll pay... I thought again, engaging our sabers in a bladelock.
"This...IS FOR THEA!" I fend his saber off until it was thrown away from his grasp, landing down on the tarmac with the plasma blade partially underground. Unarmed, a golden opportunity to make the finishing blow was right in front of me. (Does it feel like a trial?) I dug the two sabers into his chest and through his heart, twisted them as I twirled back, and pulled them out.
I looked behind, watching Williams drop dead, thudding on the tarmac.
The good thing was, Williams was dead. The worse thing, I killed him in revenge. Revenge is not the Jedi way.
Him dead wasn't the solution. I could still feel the pain he caused me, and the flaming anger towards him still raged on, getting hotter and bigger. I just felt so mad, I dropped to a kneel screamed in the rain. "ARRRRRRGGGGHHHHH!"
Does it trouble your mind the way you trouble mine...
Geronimo's Perspective
Does it feel like a trial?
6 minutes gone - we tried the hardest we can to bring her back to life. Pandora brought the defibrillator charge up to 500 as I did CPR, but our efforts were useless. She still showed no signs of life.
We gave up, Thea was no more. The others gathered around her corpse, weeping over the tragic loss as I pulled her on my lap as I sat on the floor, crying about the grief. The storm kept coming and lightning kept flashing - as well as the thunder roared above the sky.
Did you fall for the same empty answers again?
The following morning...
8.03 a.m.
Since the FBI terminated all terrorists and saved the hostages last night, the airport was opened to only two C-130 Hercules aircrafts, one of them to transport the bodies of the Specters back to Malaysia to be buried. Pamela with a heavy heart took a final look at Hussein's remains before he and his team were shipped off, and all of us gave a respectful salute for their service and sacrifice outside the plane.
Vilify...
Don't even try...
After the first plane flew off, we boarded the second C-130 with Thea's remains onboard, on our way back to New Mouse City for her to be buried.
New Mouse City Cemetery
24 hours later - 8.10 a.m.
The service went smooth and well. Every friend and family attended - Grandpa Shortpaws, Aunt Sweetfur, even my crush, Patty Springs. Not to forget mentioning the Thea Sisters and Professor de Mousus.
(Vilify...) "FIRE!"
PAWH!
(Don't even try...) "READY! AIM! FIRE!"
PAHW!
(Vilify...) "READY! AIM! FIRE!"
PAWH!
That was the sound of the third and final shots taken by seven mice as a part of the 21-gun-salute. (Don't even try...) Carrying on, an Interpol Special Agent from the New Mouse City branch handed me the folded Mouse Island flag that used to cover Thea's casket. The agent saluted, and I saluted back.
After taking a glimpse at the casket before it was lowered, I gazed blankly at the sky to my left, imagining what might happen next. My vision trailed downwards to a small hill, about 90 yards away. At the top was a tree, fully grown and living. Inside its shade provided by the thick green leaves was a figure in a hooded robe, standing still as it faced us. I frowned to focus on its faces, and when I finally made it out, I was in for a bombshell.
Danny was the hooded figure stalking the funeral service. The right half of his face was burnt, and his eyes were phosphoric yellow with bloodshot areas around the iris.
Benjamin and Pandora noticed me with an eye-opened look, so they looked at my direction, and showed the same expression on their faces as I did.
My Perspective
I spied on the funeral service from afar so people wouldn't see me. I got here by hitching a flight on the landing gear of the C-130 and hid in the storage compartment when the wheels were retracted in. I came so I could give my final respect to Thea, and to leave a message.
I had became a Sith, unable to forgive myself for not being able to save her. Then and always will I be living in the darkness and the pain, isolating myself to protect others.
I had seen Geronimo spotted me after he was handed the flag. Soon after, so did Benjamin and Pandora.
Vilify...
I turned around and walked away before they could even make a move. I generated a voice message with the chip's ability, and sent them to the devices of Geronimo and the others.
Geronimo's Perspective
The Rodent's Gazette
10.00 p.m.
Afterdropping off Benjamin and Pandora to their homes in my cheese-yellow Ford Fiesta ST, I decided to take a last look at Thea's office before I locked it up until someone else could take her place. (There probably won't be, Thea was one of a kind.)
My eyes shifted around, not even tired of seeing the pink walls and furnishings of Thea's office. This was were we had private talks, shared cheese together... Stuff I'll never forget. I sighed, then shut the door.
I gave the whole staff a day off, but not myself. I continued to walk the halls to my office so I could look for scoops by myself, just to get my mind off things.
I closed the door behind me when I got to the office, letting the dark stay by not turning on the lights. Some sunlight penetrated the curtains though, shedding a little light in the office.
I sat down by the desk in my comfy leather swivel chair, quickly I turned on my MacBook Air. It took a while for it to boot up, but as soon as it did, my wallpaper, a picture of Thea hugging me by the neck behind me displayed on the screen. It reminded me of our good times, thus a little more sorrow I became.
"Oh..." I spluttered, having my eyes almost tearing up as I covered my mouth.
I moved my finger on the trackpad so the cursor would hover above the Safari icon on the Dock. Just as I was about to click on it, the background dimmed, then a popup window in black with a message typed in white text appeared. As the text scrolled down, an audio message played. It was from Danny himself, to my surprise. This was what he said:
"Dear Geronimo,
I send this prerecorded message to you and your family to tell about where I disappeared to after what happened at McCarran, and my whereabouts in the future.
Firstly, I'd like to thank you and the rest of the gang for protecting me in the last few days, and for being such great friends. I'm also apologizing to all of you because I couldn't save Thea when she was dying. If you were to blame anyone for it, it would be me. She was a great friend to me, it also felt like she was my own sister. You have my condolences about her death.
After battling Williams, I went to see Thea's corpse where she was in The Centurion Lounge. But my hopes were cut short when all of you were there, crying over the grief. I was afraid to face you all, imagining you saying things about me not saving her with Force Heal.
And I'm sorry to tell you that I've fallen to the Dark Side when I killed Williams in revenge. I'm now a Dark Jedi, always living and not letting go of the hurtful past that haunts me forever. I let it haunt me and let the unextinguished hatred take over me, that way I get to retain the power I have gained.
I will disappear from the eyes of the world, living alone in isolation. I do this to protect others from my destructive nature, and to protect you as well. For that, don't try to search the world for me. Not any of my estates, not any of my secret retreats, not anywhere. Not even the secret base at Nye County. I've demolished them all using the Evac and Self-Destruct Protocol. If you wish to help me realize who I am, then don't. I cannot be helped, I want to stay this way for as long a I live.
Send this message to the world to let all of them know that I've gone, before they question where HAVE I gone. This message will be available as an audio file on your desktop for you to use.
Again, I'm sorry for your loss...and thank you for being such wonderful friends.
From your friend always,
To my new family forever,
Danial Arif."
I immediately logged into Facebook from the MacBook. Coincidentally, the whole Crew (or what was left of it) was online in our chat group. I typed: "Crew, meetup. At the Gazette, NOW."
Half an hour later...
Everyone arrived individually by cab, Pandora being the last one because she lived at the other side of Rodent River.
I had everybody gather in from of me so we could begin our discussion.
"Is this about the voice message Danny sent us G?" Trap asked.
I didn't know he received the message too. "You got the message to?" I asked him back.
"I did too," Benjamin interrupted.
"Yeah, me too," Pandora added.
"How'd he sent them?" I asked again.
"I was going to update the status on our news blog on my phone, then when I unlocked the screen, this popup showed up along with the audio message," Benjamin explained.
Trap and Pandora with the same idea, they said: "What he said," while pointing at Benjamin in the middle.
"So what's the plan now?" Benjamin squeaked.
"We do the one thing he told us not to do. After we fulfill his requests in the message, we're going to look for him," I replied.
"Why would we do the thing he specifically told us NOT to do?" Pandora emphasized.
"Pandora, sometimes true friends won't listen to to each other for their own good. And he just says that so he wants to be found."
"We're still gonna find him?" said Trap.
"Yes, Trap. We will."
"When do we start?" asked Benjamin.
I took a moment to think about it.
"...We just did..."
THE END.