Stories/The Second Nature series/6 Redemption
From Transsexual Support
\'\'\'This material is possibly triggering! Please read this note on triggering material\'\'\'.
[edit] Leap of Faith
This chapter is told from Eclipse\'s point of view.
\"I\'m not sure if I should release you. Who says you\'re not lying to me so you can kill us all?\" Phoenix wondered aloud.
\"David. Release me, please!!! Think about it. If you do not, Matrix will destroy everyone. If you release me and I betray you, everyone dies. If you release me and I\'m being sincere, then nobody has to die.\" I was being as stern as I could, but I was brought to tears at this point.
\"...I guess I don\'t have a choice, then, and I guess you\'re sincere. Jamie\'s the only one who ever knew my real name, so you have to be her in part still. Fine!\" Phoenix undid the restraints from my arms and legs.
I got up out of bed. In some ways, the body felt weird, but something else made me feel as though it had been mine the whole time. I could feel three distinct essences inside me at this point. Jamie (Psyche), who was communicating to me from the life growing within me, my newfound telepathic abilities obviously allowing her to communicate with me. Then there was James, now wanting to be called Kari, who was positively ecstatic about being in this body and being who she felt she was meant to be for her entire life - and pregnant to boot. Then... Necro. I didn\'t know if I could trust him or not to just take over, but considering that he knew the best ways to counter Matrix\'s abilities, I didn\'t see any choice but to allow him to assist me.
I also knew the risks involved. Jamie\'s soul was intact, but anything could destroy her body, growing within me, so whatever I did, I had to be very careful.
\"Phoenix! Did you...\" Crystalline came in and started to say. \"...what?? What is he doing out of his restraints?!\"
\"Look, love, I had no choice, ok? It was either that or have Matrix kill us all. Besides, I\'ll make sure she can\'t betray us.\" He touched me, and at that point, I began to feel weak and in extraordinary amounts of pain. \"If you betray us, I\'ll make sure that your body only survives to term, and even then, jus\' barely. Got it??\"
He had me. This was perfect, for even if Necro took over, he could do nothing but what was prescribed. \"I accept. Let\'s do this now.\"
We all walked outside of the medical bay and saw nothing but chaos.
\"Ok, \'Eclipse\', your job is to stop Matrix like you said you could. Do not kill him, but stop him however you must, ok? Crys and I will try to help the casualties so far. I\'m watching you.\"
I took off. I realized I had no idea what this body could do power-wise. I quickly realized that Matrix had lied to me about taking my powers away, though... they were still there, but I had to relearn how to use them, and soon.
I was closing in towards Matrix, and she was in a total psychotic rage.
[edit] The Battle Resumes
This chapter goes back to being from Matrix\'s point of view.
Everyone has to die now. They\'re all against me. I wanted to rid the world of Necro\'s evil, but they wanted me to keep him alive. They probably wouldn\'t want me to erase his mind, though. Crystalline didn\'t. Tempus probably wouldn\'t. They\'re willing to risk leaving his evil intact to one day taint the world again.
\"Rachel. Stop now! I don\'t want to have to kill you!\"
That was Jamie\'s voice. That is the way she talks. But... That isn\'t Jamie. \"No stopping. Necro has to die. Jamie... go back to your child\'s body, please... so I don\'t have to kill you.\"
\"No dice... and I\'m not Jamie.\" The evil within Jamie\'s body started charging its power... I had thought I\'d removed its powers. I removed its powers. How was it doing this, then? Was Jamie assisting it? I don\'t know what to believe now.
\"Jamie. I\'m sure you can hear me. Stop letting the evil within you use your powers, please. Don\'t be an accomplice to it... I don\'t want to have to kill you, but if you\'re assisting it, you\'ll have to be destroyed as well.\"
\"So be it, but I\'m not going to allow you to continue your mindless destruction.\"
No. The evil is talking like it is good. That can\'t be... evil cannot be reformed! \"Stop trying to confuse me! You have to die!!! Spirit Wake!!!\" I fired at it with everything I had, but somehow it was shielded...
Back to Eclipse\'s POV...
I was expecting to be pulverized by the blast hurtling my way. Somehow, though, a shield came up around me. This wasn\'t the Black Shield, either... then I heard a voice within me. \"I can handle our defenses. Hurry,\" Jamie told me. I wanted to, but how? I\'ve got no attacks.
\"Let me take over. I can help.\" Necro said.
\"No. You\'re not taking over... but help me,\" I thought.
\"...Fair enough.\"
I focused my mind like Necro was telling me, and I probed at Matrix\'s mind. It was closed off, but she wasn\'t immune to telepathic attacks. I decided this was the best time to attack, if any. \"Psychobolt!!\" Matrix staggered from the force of the attack, then focused back on me.
\"You... you attacked me. Now you do have to die. I\'m sorry Jamie. Nova requiem!\"
I knew what this meant... this was what had taken Necro out of the earlier fight.
\"I\'m ready for you this time!!! Mirror Force!!!\" The others yelled the attack call with me. The blast hit... and reflected back at Matrix! She noticed, and teleported out of the way.
\"Clever, evil one. I see I\'m going to have to take more extreme measures in order to finish you, then.\"
I couldn\'t defeat her with force alone. So, I gambled on a mind game. \"Evil one?\" I said. \"You\'re the one who is willing to destroy multiple innocents in order to fulfill... what? Revenge?! But no one died at my hands.\"
Matrix looked down. \"You\'re trying to confuse me. I\'m not evil.\"
\"What else would you call yourself? It\'s not too late. I know exactly what is going on with you. You\'re in conflict. Your angelic and demonic sides are at war inside you.\"
\"...No. NO!!!\" She attacked me again.
\"I\'m going to have to knock you back into reality then. Please. Forgive me.\" I teleported behind her and grabbed her in such a way as to immobilize her. Then I dove into her mind.
[edit] Epicenter of Chaos
Still from Eclipse\'s point of view...
What I saw in Matrix\'s mind was unbelievable. I saw darkness overtaking light at an astronomical rate... and then I saw the two figures ahead of me.
One was Rachel... at least I assumed it was. She appeared so weakened by the struggle that she could not even stand or look up at me. All she could seem to do was cry.
The other came after me the second he saw me. This had to be Anthony.
He screamed at me, then yelled, \"Why? Why is this body this way??!! I\'m not a FUCKING girl!!! Why did you have to show up? Why can\'t you just die? Why can\'t I kill you??\"
\"What...? What is your problem? Do you even have a clue what is happening outside?\"
He swung at me. \"I don\'t care!!! I\'m not going to sit back and end up going soft like some bitch! I\'m going to finish you off here and now, then I\'m going to reclaim my body and my heritage!!! None of this softy angel crap... I\'m a fucking demon and I\'m proud of it!\"
\"I don\'t have a choice then. You\'ve gotta be stopped.\" I soon realized that it would be easier said than done. This was Matrix\'s mind we were fighting in now. I had little power here, other than my telepathic ones, which in themselves were weakened by being here at all. Still...
\"Come on then, you sissy bitch!!!\" He punched me in the face a few times, and each of them felt like an anvil hitting me in the jaw. I decided I had to fight back. I swung back, but to no avail. This is his realm, he\'s got all the advantage here. He\'s faster, stronger and can seem to sense every move I make before I even think to make it.
5 minutes later, I was bloodied and bruised, and I could sense my body was suffering every injury I had in here. I was running out of time... and I couldn\'t risk the life inside my own body in this struggle.
\"You\'re almost finished? Already?\" he taunted me. \"Damn it. I was hoping that I\'d get a workout. Oh well...\"
\"Stop this, please!\" I cried. \"Rachel...\" I could feel the last of my energy slipping away. I began to fade, and I also felt my body starting to give out.
\"No... that weak bitch isn\'t going to save you. You\'re going to die now,\" he said.
\"No. You\'re going to be the one to die. I don\'t need you anymore,\" Rachel said. She stabbed him with an energy blade, and he began to fade.
I couldn\'t hold out anymore, and retreated from Matrix\'s mind.
I awoke to Rachel crying in my arms.
\'\'Contributed by by Melissa (10/7/2004)\'\'
