Nick wouldn’t wake up on his own. He was trapped and needed someone—me—to guide him out. “I think everyone should leave. If he detects someone else, he might not believe it’s me.”
“I’d like to stay and help if I can.” Trevor’s eyes pleaded with me.
“Henry’s right—” Raphael started.
“Trevor can stay,” I said. “We may only get one chance and Nick might need some persuasion. Trevor’s closer to Nick than I am in some ways.”
“Very well,” Raphael waited until Vicky left the room. “Be very careful, Henry. He’ll control everything you see in his mind. If he kills you off, you could get trapped and we’ll lose you both.”
The door closed, and I looked across Nick at Trevor. “Thank you for offering to help. If I start to convulse or appear in distress, don’t wake me, go get help.”
“I can’t leave you.” Trevor didn’t take his gaze off of Nick.
His objection came from the best place, but it was misguided. “If you don’t get help, Nick and I will die.” It was that simple.
“Do me a favor.” He lifted his head and stared me in the eye. “Don’t put me in that position.”
I moved Nick to the other side of the bed and sat next to him. If anything happened, I didn’t want to fall off the chair. “I’ll do my best.”
Nick
“What the fuck are you?” I screamed at the thing Henry called a D’val. “Wolverine on steroids?”
I’d clearly gone insane if I was screaming at a homicidal monster and comparing it to a Marvel Universe character. This was the third time it had risen from the dead after I’d blasted it with powers I shouldn’t have. Which was itself more proof I’d lost my grip on reality.
This had been building for a while. First, I shattered a glass in my hand and then I watched the wound heal. Then I started working crazy fast, and finally I heard things like I was Superman. I almost laughed at the superhero references, but I was hallucinating I’d become one.
The D'val's shattered exoskeleton knitted back together with a wet, sickening sound. What had been a smoking pile of broken pieces moments ago was now a massive raging beast.
My hands still tingled from the last time I blasted the D’val. Blue-white sparks danced between my fingers. It felt like I’d channeled the output of a live power-line. Unfortunately, whatever this ability was, it wasn't enough.
Every time I tried to put it down so I could check on Henry, it resurrected itself and moved a little closer. I needed to trysomething different, but I didn’t know what I was doing or if I even had other powers.
Henry's body was still pinned to the wall by the dumpster. I wasn’t sure I could help him, but the fucking monster wouldn’t even give me a chance to check if he was alive. Afraid I’d break down if I saw Henry again, I avoided looking back and focused on taking out the creature.
The clicking sound from the D'val grew louder as it pulled itself back together. Fully regenerated, it looked bigger than before. I steadied myself and let the weird energy rush into me again.
Just as I was ready to attack, I was hit by a wave of dizziness. The world tilted slightly, and everything seemed to swirl together. I blinked hard, but the red brick walls were now the color of sand. The cracked asphalt covered with blood and gore had shifted into smooth, clean concrete. Even time itself appeared to change. It should’ve been middle of the afternoon, but the sky was as dark as midnight.
What the hell was going on?
A dull pain pulsed behind my eyes, making my head feel like it was about to explode. I pressed the heel of my hand against my temple to stop the pain. The D'val let out an awful sound again, which grated on my frayed nerves. It didn't matter what was going on or why I was in pain; if I didn’t stop this thing, I’d be dead and Henry too. I refused to believe he was dead until I had a chance to check on him.
I reached deep inside for the power that had been coming so easily. It bubbled up immediately, rushing through my veins like liquid fire. Each time I used the power, the burning sensation got more intense. Ignoring the pain, I concentrated all the power in my hands. They glowed bright enough to cast long shadows in the now-darkened alley.
Thrusting my hands forward, I channeled every ounce of hate and grief into the attack. The blast that erupted from my palms was brighter than any before it, a solid beam of energy that hit the D'val squarely in its chest.
The creature shrieked, a sound that tore through my skull like a nail. It tried to move forward against the energy beam, but the force drove it back until it slammed into the wall. For a terrible moment, the D'val struggled against the stream. I heard its body breaking and crackling under the assault before it finally collapsed into a heap.
My knees buckled, and I barely stopped myself from face-planting the concrete. Black spots danced in my vision. Each breath came in short, painful gasps as if I'd been running for hours. My skin burned so hot, I expected to see flames dancing down my flesh. But I wasn’t on fire or even smoking.
Despite a need to get to Henry, my legs refused to move. I slumped against the wall, sliding until I sat on the ground. Inside, I felt hollowed out, like the fight had consumed bones, internal organs, and blood.
Still panting, I looked for the D’val, but this time it seemed dead. Again. For now.
“Nick.”
I froze for a second. That was Henry's voice.
