"You think your tricks can work with me, Chang?" Number 1 held Lee Seng in place. The prismatic telekinesis wrapped around Lee Seng. Number 1 reached for Lee Seng's other friends, watching her telekinetic hold snap. Number 1 flew backwards, slamming against the railing and falling onto the stairs, cracking.
'Go!' Lee Seng told the others. 'I'll deal with her!' The group rushed past Lee Seng, leaving him behind. Number 1 glared at Lee Seng as she pushed herself onto her feet.
"Where is he?" Carter asked, running into view. "L-Lee!" A wave of gravity pushed Carter into the wall, pinning him in place.
"I'm in a hurry! I don't want to hurt you if I don't have to!" Lee Seng shouted.
"Hurt us? You've done much more than that!" Number 1 shouted. "You've ruined your father's reputation! You've ruined this city! All of this is happening because of you!"
"It's not because you wiped this whole city and my memory?" Lee Seng asked. Number 1's face twitched for a second. She wanted to ask how he knew, but Lee Seng continued. "You amplified your powers and are struggling to control the thing inside you, right?"
"You don't know a damn thing!" Number 1 pushed her energy forward, pressing Lee Seng up against the wall. The walls busted as Lee Seng was pushed through it and into the next wall. Lee Seng's hold on Carter, released, allowing him to turn and witness Number 1 step into view.
"You don't know a damn thing, so why don't you stay quiet, little fox!" Number 1's voice distorted.
"What the hell's happening…?" Carter whispered. Number 1 turned to Carter. The prismatic rainbow color in her eyes was different. A darker color had flooded her eyes, hiding the prismatic color.
"Get to Delta. That's an order. I'll handle him myself." Number 1 ordered. Carter felt his body start to move on its own.
"Bossy." Lee Seng coughed. A bolt of cosmic energy flew at Number 1, missing her. Carter continued forward, heading down the stairs, unable to turn.
"Lee… Seng." Carter's voice managed to speak before the pressure on his entire body pushed his mouth closed.
"Go now!" Number 1 barked. A blast of energy flew at Number 1, severing it as she slashed it. The cosmic gravity slammed against the walls behind her, rattling the stairwell. Lee Seng rushed forward, tossing broken wall parts at Number 1. Number 1's telekinesis was something else. She was able to easily manipulate everything around her. She blocked the debris, sending debris behind Lee Seng at him.
Lee Seng and Number 1 fought back and forth, tossing rocks as Carter slowly turned and watched.
'When was he ever able to keep up with her?' Carter thought. 'Ah, I wish I could stop them. T-this entire thing is messed up!' Celestial Dragon fire erupted from Lee seng's hand, hiding debris. Number 1 moved her hand to block the attack and flew backwards as the debris slammed into her.
Carter's hold loosened. He could feel himself coming back. A sinister energy exploded from Number 1.
"I knew it." Lee Seng gritted his teeth. He pushed the flames away, revealing Sun blade.
'What's that?' Carter wondered as he took his first step down the stairs. The Sun blade lit up as Lee Seng swung it at Carter. Carter's eyes watched as the blade of light flew past him, exploding behind him and temporarily filling the stairwell with light. 'What just happened…? I-I'm not dead?'
Carter moved his hands up to his eyes, rubbing them as the light faded. "My body…! I-it's free!"
Lee Seng rushed at Number 1, plunging his sword straight into the wall. Number 1's eyes shook, temporarily letting the purple fade. Fear grew on Number 1's face for the first time in years. The little boy she had disliked so much was now so close to killing her. The Sun blade sank deeper, bringing Lee Seng closer to Number 1.
"Num — ah fuck it. Auntie Nicole." Lee Seng quietly spoke. Nicole's eyes shook. Lee Seng had never called her Auntie. He had never given her a familial title like that, ever. He was serious even while fighting all these emotions swirling within him. "I know you've lost a lot. You've lost the most out of anyone I know. Your old life. Your family. Your mind. You even lost your next chance at love."
Nicole's face froze. Lee Seng knew a lot about the Numbers - they were his role models. Nicole lost a lot because she became a Number. She became the leader of the Numbers. She had to put aside her own feelings and put the group first all the time. She never had a chance to fully express it. Lee Seng sighed and looked down. A warm golden energy grew from the wall, drawing happy memories. Number 2 - Nicolai - showed up. He was Nicole's everything.
Carter climbed the steps, watching as Lee Seng and Nicole exchanged a silent moment. Nicole's eyes started to fill with tears. Her eyes shook only to be filled with purple. Nicole slammed her hand against Lee Seng's stomach and pushed him away.
"Lee!" Carter shouted, starting for Lee Seng.
"Get to Delta!" Nicole shouted in a distorted voice. The dark prismatic energy swirled around Carter, turning him around.
"Our own demons used against us… Manifested into reality." Lee Seng pushed himself up. The Sun blade sang as Nicole turned and forced it into the next room.
"Argh!" Nicole shouted. "I can't have anything! You won't either!" She rushed at Lee Seng, turning into a wild animal. She didn't use her strengths to her advantage. She was tired of Lee Seng. She didn't want his sympathy. He didn't deserve to give her any of it!
Nicole lifted Lee Seng into the air, pushing on his neck. He gasped for air as he was turned and slammed into the wall, repeatedly. Carter descended down the steps, forced to listen to the sounds.
"You don't know me! You don't know what I've been through! You had a whole life planned for you and you tossed it! Why would you toss something that would give you security for generations to come?!? Are you stupid?!?" Nicole shouted. Lee Seng had hoped he could reach through to Nicole, but the Deimon was influencing her too much now. He closed his eyes and listened to the pressure on his neck. He dropped his mental walls, allowing Nicole to infiltrate it.
'I don't know. You're right.' Lee Seng thought. 'But I do know something… A path defined will always lead me on a path of security. Dad has made it for me and I could choose it but I didn't… I know many people are okay with that, but me? I'm not… I'm not okay with the way things are. I'm okay with being stable while everyone else struggles to live. I want to help others… I want to help you, so… Nicolai's alive.'
The memories pulled up in an instant. The pressure on Lee Seng's neck lightened up. He coughed while Nicole saw Nicolai, again.
"N-Nicolai…" Nicole's voice shook. She covered her mouth and took a step back. She shook her head. "It can't be! T-this is fake!"
"You know… what I saw is true." Lee Seng coughed. "You know it."
"It's fake! It's one of your tricks!" Nicole slammed Lee Seng threw the wall, letting him fall with the debris. "It's all fake!" Cosmic stars pushed the rocks away. Lee Seng stood up, wiping the blood coming from his mouth.
"It's not fake. Look deeper. You ever wonder where Akio and Akali went, too?" Lee Seng asked. Nicole shook her head. Lee Seng could feel Nicole looking. She was looking much deeper than Lee Seng wanted her to.
"No… Y-you…" Nicole stuttered. The purple in her eyes started to fade. She looked at him in defeat. "It can't be… Y-you… You went somewhere else too…" Lee Seng felt the Sun blade shaking. There wasn't much time before the Deimon would come back. He had to somehow separate Nicole from it.
Lee Seng's eyes sparkled as he looked for the Deimonic energy. He couldn't see any of it within Nicole. Nicole stumbled backwards, falling onto her butt.
"No. T-they died, too! I-I was sure of it! T-they went on a mission… I-I sent them on mission and they—" Nicole stuttered.
"Nine and Ten didn't die, One. They did what Two did and—"
"YOU'RE WRONG!" Nicole shouted. The purple energy surged from her head.
'I'm sorry, One… I hope I can do this right!' Lee Seng thought as the Sun blade flashed into his left hand. 'No,' Lee Seng planted his foot down and rushed forward. 'I'm going to do this right. Abby's death won't be in vain! Eleventh: Severing!' The Sun blade turned pure white, flying straight through Nicole's head. The colors turned monochrome. The white blade's light exploded in light, blinding Lee Seng and Nicole.
Nicole dropped to the ground as the Sun blade dimmed. Monochrome flooded back, quickly filling in the spots with colors as Lee Seng held his finished stance. He held the stance, unsure if he should look down or not. It wouldn't matter as a pop-up appeared in front of him.
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