Chapter 7: Heart of the Core part 2: Pathos

'The transfer of the core's data was successfully transferred into Anne and Marcy just discovered she is not alone in the core's consciousness any longer! This is not looking very good for the calamity heroes!'

Previously

Core's Consciousness

Unrolling herself from the huddled bundle within her cape, Marcy stretched her limbs and yawned as she opened her eyes. Since being locked away in the core's consciousness, Marcy was limited to doing two things, solving a puzzle or sleeping. Since she solved more than half the puzzles presented to her by Aldrich, including flipwart, Marcy decided to take a rest, something she were not able to do much of back on earth. Between being distressed about her parents moving due to her father changing jobs, not wanting to lose her best friends, and being outcasted at school, Marcy was not able to get a restful sleep most nights. However, being in a place that was surprisingly calmer than expected, Marcy often found herself huddled up to sleep when there was nothing more to do.

"I have to say, I get more sleep here than I've ever gotten back home." Marcy happily stated as she sat up from the floating darkness that was formed into her bed. "It should be reversed, but hey, what're you gonna do? Well, now that I'm rested, it's time to do more exploring!"

Getting to her feet and stretching once more, Marcy turned around as a door suddenly appeared right in front of her. Confused at its sudden appearance, Marcy grabbed the knob and turned it, the door opening with ease. Entering the room, the sight of a human outline glowing cyan off in the distance caught the girl's attention, the outline hanging lifelessly in suspended animation. Squinting her eyes to get a better view, Marcy' eyes grew wide as the outline became a bit clearer. Running in the direction of the image in front of her, Marcy suddenly stopped in her tracks as the outline continued to become clear as the data downloaded into the form, a form that Marcy was all too familiar with.

"Anne?!" Was all Marcy managed to squeak.

Song played: Musician by Porter Robinson

Currently (Undisclosed Laboratory on Earth)

"What was the exact frequency in which this signal ran on when it occurred?" Mr. X questioned as Terri quickly wrote down several pieces of information regarding the cyan signal that continued streaming across her computer screen. The majestic purple blazer owner fiddled with his lapel on the left side of the blazer as Terri continued writing.

"I'm pretty sure that was an Omega frequency sir!" Terri stated as she continued jotting down notes while not making eye contact with the eccentric FBI agent. "That frequency is very similar to the one Anne used to open the portal when she returned to Amphibia! It's like she was a human nuclear reactor!"

"How can I forget such a show stopping event." Mr. X mumbled to himself as he continued observing the blue haired scientist excitedly jot down what she observed while simultaneously looking to the signal that appeared. "Was there anything else about the signal that stood out such as from what specific contact?"

"No sir." Terri answered as she looked to Mr. X. "Not even a musical note was heard when the signal appeared. This is incredible that we are receiving a possible alien signal from another world and they made contact WITH US! I cannot wait to publish my research regarding extraterrestrial contact from another dimension! Takes that Dr. Franks!"

Mr. X placed his fingers on his forehead and closed his eyes to gather himself, feeling his frustration rise from Terri's over analytical responses as per usual.

"Without a specific source from where the energy is from, that doesn't tell us really anything!" Mr. X stated with a frustrated sigh as he looked back to Terri. "When you called me down here, you made it sound like there was much more going on than what I'm being shown. I was looking for a total light show or at least speaking to another world being! After all, we're the government. We specialize in that!"

"Ok, let me break it down for you." Terri stated as she placed her notebook down by her computer. "Earth has been searching for signs of life in the universe since forever and we finally have a lead, a HOOK! Why would they choose us to communicate with when there are so many other planets and universes out there besides us?! That is what I am working to discover since this gem appeared. I can't to publish my research on this very topic! Dr. Franks will be so jealous!"

"But this still does not explain what this discovery is Terri!" Mr. X loudly sighed. "Like how can we make sense of this?"

Just as X turned around to call his assistant to clarify what was not being stated by Terri, Jenny quickly walked to X's left with an opened laptop screen, surprising the majestic purple blazer owner as his caramel toned cheeks turned a shade of red from frustration. Mr. X's glasses then steamed up from his boiling anger, but quickly composed himself.

"Ok Jenny, you are to never do that again!" Mr. X sneered out of being startled. "You know how much I hate being surprised!"

Unphased by the man's outburst, Jenny then passed the opened laptop computer to X, which piqued his curiosity at the neon green and magenta energy signals that were wavering across the screen. Mr. X's glasses slid down to the top of his nose as he looked closer at the two signals, his eyes widening.

"And there are two more of these?!" Mr. X nearly screamed at the sight. Terri then rushed to view the screen as her eyes widened as well. "Can someone please explain any of this?!"

"Oh man! This is incredible!" Terri excitedly squealed. "We have hit the extraterrestrial jackpot! We officially have contact with another planet. Outside of the plantars of course!"

"How do we know these signals are not from them?" Mr. X inquired as he handed the laptop back to Jenny. "They did return to Amphibia with Anne and did you not say Anne put out this exact energy before returning to Amphibia?"

"Trust me, the plantars are not behind this in the least and this frequency matches the one Anne used prior, absolutely." Terri clarified. "But there is something different about the two that came up on Jenny's screen. Those frequencies are much lower in intensity than the one that got my attention. I am almost positive that we are being contacted by another life in the universe."

"Well whatever is happening, we need to find the source of it and now!" Mr. X roared in frustration as his unanswered questions lingered in the room. "Jenny, do whatever it takes to find the source of those signals and that goes for you too Terri! We have too many questions with not enough answers!"

Handing the laptop back to Jenny, Mr. X looked down at Terri's desk and found several sheets of loose-leaf papers with the running head title "Pocket Dimension Discovery" with the sticky note attached to the front of the first sheet stating "send to Dr. Jan". Picking up the papers, X took a closer look at the front sheet, read the introduction summary on the first page, and recognized the information as the files he thought he hid away in his office. Cocking an eyebrow, Mr. X then turned to Terri as he cleared his throat.

"Terri, dear." Mx. X began while doing his level best to keep his temper in check. "May I ask why you have these documents on your desk and am sending these to Jan after I SPECIFICALLY told you these were classified documents?"

Turning her attention to the man, Terri felt her heart beginning to race as she watched X wave the papers in front of her as if he were fanning himself, a playful coy like smile spread across his features.

"Oh, about those." Terri began with a nervous chuckle. "I can surely explain."

Halting his fanning, X's gaze caught with Terri's, eagerly awaiting the woman's explanation.

"This should be interesting." Mr. X playfully replied.

Newtopian Castle

The balcony scene played over and over in her mind, Darcy parading Anne around like a trophy while taunting all of the Newtopian territory alongside. Magenta fire burned in the blonde's blue eyes as she developed tunnel vision, the vision to take down the newest dictator and save both of her best friends. Scaling the side of the castle undetected by frobots thus far, an earlier memory of that day played into the circle of thoughts the blonde were having.

Flashback

"If I don't make it back, Grime, you're in charge of the team." Sasha delegated as she placed her swords in their sheaths on both sides of her. The blonde then grabbed a bag full of boomshrooms and placed them on her belt next to her red heron sword to her left.

"Sasha, don't be ridiculous." Grime tried to reason with the blonde. "You're going to return safely with Anne. I have faith in you, we have faith in you."

"I appreciate the vote of confidence Grime, I really do." Sasha replied as she turned to her father, the look of determination etched in her features. "But I have to play it safe until I get Anne and I back to safety, hopefully Marcy as well depending on how things go in there."

"And I'm coming with you!" Yunan volunteered as she raised her fists in the air and extended her adamantium claws with the excitement of doing damage with them. "I've been itching for a fight all day!"

"No Yunan, I'm going in there alone." Sasha flatly stated to the general, which flattened the newt's joy. "This is personal and I'm not letting Darcy go any further with her reign of terror! Besides if I don't make it back, at least the team will have a second in command strong arm next to Grime."

"All the more reason to take someone with you to ensure your and Anne's safe return." Hop pop tried reasoning with the blonde, his accented tone gentle. "I know, just like everyone here, that you are capable of taking care of yourself, but this is where the team comes in, we come in to help."

"I don't want anyone to follow me in and something happens to any of you." Sasha calmly stated to Hop Pop while doing her level best to hide her rising frustration. "That will put us at a great disadvantage against Darcy if that happens. I need everyone of you safe until I make it back. If I don't, Yunan and Grime will stand in my place as commander in chief. Got it?"

The room fell silent as worried glances were exchanged amongst the group. With no further protests, Sasha pulled Grime into a hug.

"Take care of everyone for me." Sasha stated to the toad as she released him. Grime then looked into his daughter's eyes with great worry. "I'm counting on you."

"You take care of yourself lieutenant." Grime replied with much care. "Give Darcy hell for us."

"I'd do nothing less." Sasha confidently stated with a half sly smile.

Checking her weapons of choice one last time and then taking a last look at everyone, Sasha then turned and left the compound, the creaking door closing behind her. The sound of the door closing echoed through the room as deafening silence entered the void. For those who had questions, answers were surely to follow in the moments that laid ahead.

Current

Reaching the balcony, Sasha slowly peeked over the ledge and spotted two frobots guarding the entrance of the castle. Smirking, Sasha disappeared behind the wall only to turbo leap into sight, quickly unsheathed her right sword, and slashed both bots in half in the blink of an eye. Landing on her feet gracefully and unsheathing her left sword, the weapons the robots had drawn landed at the blonde's feet, having been dismembered from the attack. Smirking at the sight, Sasha's expression quickly changed to determined as she stared into the very place she could only describe as a torture chamber.

Gripping the handles of her swords, the blonde warrior cautiously entered into the hall leading to the throne room. Positioning her swords in defensive/fight mode stance, Sasha's eyes scanned the area for any signs of threats, particularly Darcy's henchmen and/or Darcy herself. Continuing to look around her surrounding area, Sasha refocused her vision to the very doors that lead to the throne room of the Newtopian Castle.

Sasha quickly inhaled and exhaled as she inched ever closer to her target, steadying her nerves as she continued moving forward.

"This is where it ends Darcy!" Sasha hissed as she continued inching her way down the hall. "When I find Anne, she's leaving with me AFTER I take you down! You've tortured the poor girl enough and I'm not letting you get away with any of it!"

A wicked laughter then echoed through the hall as Sasha's ears perked up, putting the blonde on high alert for what she may encounter within the next few minutes to seconds. Feeling her heart beginning to race, the blonde began checking every blind spot possible as the laughter continued, sounding closer and closer each second.

"You are playing a VERY dangerous game Darcy!" Sasha growled as she continued checking for signs of the Newtopian dictator. "Come out and show yourself!"

Whipping her attention to her right, Sasha was just mere inches from the throne room when she suddenly felt something tightly grip her throat from her left. The grip was suddenly loosened as Sasha was swiftly thrown against the left side of the hall's wall. Before the blonde could open her mouth and compose herself, that same tight grip around her throat reappeared and with it, the appearance of her best friend and she looked...different?

Gripping what was threatening to collapse her windpipe, Sasha was able to focus her vision clear enough to see that it was Anne who was gripping her throat. Looking into the girl's face, Sasha saw that one of Anne's eyes was the color of her gem and the other, the color of the control collar that was placed around her neck. Seeing past the wrist Sasha was gripped on to, Sasha eyed the outfit that Anne was wearing, seeing that she was no longer herself, but a henchman of Darcy's.

"Ann…Anne?" Sasha chocked out as she attempted to remove Anne's death grip from around her neck. Quickly composing herself, Sasha's slightly blurry vision refocused on Anne.

"Anne! Its me!" Sasha managed to state, trying to get the girl's attention and unlatch her hand from around her throat. "And who's tacky curtains are you wearing?!"

"Oh hello Sasha, very nice of you to drop in." Darcy casually quipped as she appeared on Anne's left from the darkness of the hall, embracing the thai girl in her arms. "If you ask me, I really love the new Anne and she looks absolutely stunning in the outfit I chose for her. Don't you agree my dear?"

The thai teen continued to tighten her grip on the blonde's throat with no response to either individual.

"Don't worry Sash. As you can clearly see, I have taken very good care of Anne and I mean VERY good care of her." Darcy grinned as she tightened her grip on Anne. "She has been doing very well without you and dare I say, never mentioned that she misses you. However, I know she hasn't forgotten the manipulating, bullying, lying, and sabotaging you've done to her, to us. You have been a terrible person to her and doesn't deserve her love and her heart. Needless to say, she no longer needs you as I am all she will ever have and ever need. Right Anne?"

Lightly nuzzling the side of the teen's face, Darcy kept her cynical vision on Sasha as Anne grabbed Darcy's laser dagger from her suit, tightening the handle in her left hand.

"You are one dead bitch when I get my hands on you Darcy!" Sasha growled as she continued struggling to remove Anne's hand from her throat. The blonde began feeling light headed, but didn't want to lose consciousness in front of her nemesis.

"What do you say love, that we have a little fun with her first before putting her out of her misery?" Darcy quipped suggestively to Anne as she turned the thai's face to meet hers. "After all, the three of us are all together again, so why not have a bit of a reunion?"

"The last place I would ever want to be is next to the likes of you!" Sasha snapped as she fell to her knees, feeling the air in her lungs escape quicker than she could replenish it. "Anne, she doesn't have control of you! Fight her! I know you're in there and can hear me!"

The core's voices then spoke to Anne all at once as the girl closed her eyes to process every voice that was speaking to her. Sasha's voice entered her mind, but was quickly pushed out, the core ensuring that all outside influences would not go against their plans for their new host. Anne then opened her eyes and turned to Sasha as her eyes glowed the muted orange and red, same as Darcy. With a twisted smirk forming on her features, Anne yanked Sasha to her and brought the flaming dagger close to the right side of Sasha's face, the heat from the blade practically singeing the girl's hair on that side. Tilting her head away from the blade, Sasha kept her eyes on Anne.

"Don't worry Sasha, I am in total control!" Anne snipped as she threatened to bring the blade closer to the blonde. Darcy released the thai while watching the display in front of her with delight. "And Darcy is right! After everything you've done to me, I could never forgive you!"

The last part of Anne's sentence was spoken in the deranged voices of the core.

"No matter how much you say you've changed, you're still the same wicked witch that bullied me when you couldn't get your way and better yet, when you wanted to have your way no matter what!" Anne continued as she lifted Sasha off the ground while still pinning her against the wall, the blonde's feet dangling beneath her. "All the manipulating, the lying, the bullying, I've forgotten about none of it! But not to worry, you'll have plenty of time to think of how you're going to make it up to me while rotting away in the dungeon!"

"How are you so strong?!" Sasha continued struggling.

Smirking, Anne swung the blonde to her right with Sasha landing roughly on her left side, a sickening crack heard from the blonde's shoulder. Gripping her throat with her right hand, fits of coughs erupted from the blonde as she struggled to catch her breath from nearly be chocked to death.

Anne's muted orange and red eyes briefly shined brightly as frobots entered the area and quickly scooped Sasha up.

"Oh before you go." Anne began as she walked up to the disheveled blonde, her thin frame towering over her. Sasha's body immediately tensed up at how close the girl was to her, fearing the girl would continue her assault. "I'll be taking these as you won't be needing them where you're going."

Anne then snatched the bag of boomshrooms from Sasha's belt, victoriously holding the bag in front of the blonde.

"Get her out of my sight!" Anne demanded to the frobots.

With no strength to fight back, Sasha's body fell limp in their grip as they hauled the blonde away. Darcy then embraced Anne once more as she giggled with delight.

"My love, that was perfect!" Darcy nearly squealed as she interlocked her left hand in Anne's right hand. "Come! I must show you around the castle, more specifically where, we will be ruling from here on out! After that, I'll be giving you a grand tour!"

Placing a kiss to the thai's cheek, Darcy began leading Anne to the recuperation room. With her back turned, Darcy did not notice the sinister look growing on the thai's features…..

A/N: And here we are finally! Life was life-ing and then I had a death in the family, but through it all, here is chapter 7! Chapter 8, I will do my best to keep it under a 1 month waiting period despite how busy work keeps me as now we are entering the core's newest host's chapter, Core Anne!

Darcy's revenge, which was featured in this chapter, can be found on my DeviantArt page under Alisi Christine!