trans_9 | The Lurking Fear

Katara had no words for this place, but it chilled her to the bone. One minute she was sure she was trying to stay together with some of her friends, the next she was separated in a mist. Her heart leapt a little in her throat, but she knew better than to allow this place to get the better of her. She had to concentrate right now and so she did, concentrating on the Litany against fear to calm herself down.

The surrounding started to clear a bit, and she took a breath, glad at least for this positive sign. In an effort to make things a bit easier though, she inhaled and started to move the fog along: it was only water condensation, after all. She moved on, and now the place was starting to feel familiar: this was where she, Sokka and Aang had landed several months before, the Swamp. The place seemed more mystical than: right now, it was frighteningly quiet, and Katara could have used the presence of Huu to at least remind her she wasn't alone.

And indeed, she wasn't.

In the distance stood a lone figure, ambling toward her. "Ambling" was the only word for it: the figure seemed to walk with a gait as if the leg was lame, but there was still something very agile and familiar about this person too, and Katara's hand went to her pouch, ready to defend herself if need be. As the person came closer, she got into stance, and then heard the small, pitiful voice.

"Katara?"

And now, if there ever was a time to recite the Litany it was now. The voice was unmistakable: it was Aang, the one she remembered, walking as if it took effort to get the other leg to do what he wanted. She tensed her fingers: she had to focus, had to be ready for whatever trick was coming, for what else this King was going to throw. This wasn't Aang, it couldn't be, he'd saved her only a few hours ago!

"Why Katara?" His voice was soft, hurt, the voice that asked for her help, a voice that was on the edge of breaking. "I wished and waited for you. Why didn't you come? The King, this place...its done so many things to me. I can't...I can't take it anymore. All those years, it changed me. I waited for you. Why did you take so long? Why are you abandoning me?"

Against her better judgment, Katara approached Aang. She couldn't bear to see hi like this, suffering, needing her and being unable to do anything about it, seeing how he limped. "Please, I can help you. I'd never abandon you. How can you even say that?"

But as she approached, the mists got darker, and the fog started to disappear: now she could see the glint of silver machines with no purpose she could figure out, and she felt a headache that threw her off a moment. She tried to react, bu at this point he was too close: she was hit with an earth gauntlet at each wrist and its force bent her backwards. She shifted her legs to rear back, trying to open her pouch and turn the gauntlets to mud, but Aang was quick, and now she started to earth sink. She gave a startled cry, and now came face to face with...

Aang. (http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v102/elpedrososama/Avatar_Monsters__Zombie_Aang_by_Aca.jpg)

Katara struggled, trying to get out of the ground. This had happened to her once before, with General Fong. She couldn't believe that Aang would do this to her: she remembered how angry Aang was when he thought she was almost dead.

Did he really want to do this to her? Then again, what had happened to him in the first place? He looked as if he were barely kept together and she could see his...she didn't even want to think about this, and she closed her eyes.

"Aang, please stop," she said, trying to keep her voice steady. "I would have helped you if I could, don't you know that? I was always thinking of you."

"Oh really?" Aang's voice was higher now, and it sounded hurt with a small hint of cruelty. "You cared for me that much, Katara? Is that why you kissed that Meluly girl? Is that why you're in that clan of women that are intimate with people for the sake of doing things to them that would make them slaves? Is THAT why you've tried to kill things and protected criminals? I don't even know who you are anymore, but you're definitely not the girl I knew those years ago. That girl had more respect for herself. THAT girl was someone I loved."

It was quiet and hard and cruel...and there wasn't a lie in it. Katara felt her heart almost stop, and she closed her eyes. Those were things Sokka would have asked, would have wanted to know her whys and hows. What was more, the Litany came to her mind, and she repeated it gently to herself. She would need will power for this.

"Meluly is my friend," she finally said, "and despite what you think, that's all she's been. Yes, we've been close, but we know what it is for us: we're affectionate. She has someone she loves, and she knows I do too.

"As for the Bene Gesserit, you know I would never do that. And I will tell you about everything I did and why: and that the things I did were for you in one way or another. I also know one other thing: the man I love would never do this to me. I am sick of your lies, Nightmare King, and I am coming to him."

The Aang laughed at her. When he spoke again the voice was high and cold. "So you saw through that. Well, good. I wanted you to be the first to know: that stunt her pulled in saving you had him walk right into my trap. Now the Nightmare King has gotten stronger, and your monk is losing the fight."

Katara closed her eyes. Her hands were trembling, her forehead sweaty, and all she could feel right now was anger. The Nightmare King had been messing with her since he could, and now that he'd said that, she knew he wasn't lying: it was possible that he had done this, and that Aang was somewhere suffering.

"NO!"

And Katara burst from the earth, her training with Prana Bindu applying to her force, and now she was only a few feet away from "Aang."

"You won't beat me today, King!" Katara said. "If you want to dance, come on! I'm ready!"

She wasn't sure how long the fight had lasted, but it was certainly not in her favor. She was happy about one thing: her training had gotten her far stronger than she would have been only using waterbending. When he came at her with earthbending and firebending, she was quicker, avoiding his attacks and counteracting with her own, the same with waterbending. But Aang was an airbender at heart, an art that Katara knew was specific to Aang.

For her part, she was fairly tired. She had a split lip, scrapes at the neck and aching limbs. She knew better than to try and take on Aang, even if it wasn't really him. Right now she was breathing hard. If there was a way to end this dream, she needed to find it soon.

"Just give up," the fake Aang said, leering at her. "If you do, maybe I won't drive all of your friends insane."

Katara shook her head, panting. "No. If you're going to do this, then just go and do it! I'm not backing down!"

'Vadum strode through the hazy barrier of the nightmare, pausing only to get his bearings in the swamp that now stretched before him. The sounds of combat reaching him through the haze of the swamp, striding onwards towards it through the muck of the swamp.

Relying on his senses alone as he approached, the systems in his armour currently failing to respond as if something were damping them. As he drew closer, catching sight of the two humans during a pause of the fight. Carrying himself forward near silently, into view of the female.

"A wise choice, human. such offers are lies, false hopes, nothing more," The Sangheili stated calmly mere meters behind the fake human, ready to fight should the fake human turn on him. "The Nightmare King deceives you, I shall not let him keep his hold,"

Katara looked up at the new voice. She was definitely not expecting to see someone in a full on armored suit, but she had already seen this type of thing before: Kelly had her own suit, as did Samus. This, as far as she knew, was no different.

"I know who it is," Katara said, her voice masking her quiet anger. "This isn't the person they're trying to make me believe it is. But I've been fighting him off for awhile. If you're here, that means that you can get me out of here. Please help me?"

As if to reply to Katara, the fake Aang came at them now, but his credibility started to falter now: he was, after all, only a figment produced by the Nightmare King, and Rtas's infiltration had disrupted the illusion that he was as strong as the Avatar. Katara flew at him, and moment later, the fake Aang was encased in ice, his features frozen in an ugly sneer. Katara rejoined Rtas, her hair messy and her arms and back singed a bit, but triumphant.

"Is there anyone else we can help?"

'Vadum stood ready behind the false Avatar, inclining his head at the human's words. The Sangheili watching on as the credibility of the false human faltered. Allowing the other to make quick work of it, keeping a close watch, ready to step in should she require it.

The Sangheili gave the human a nod of acknowledgment as she emurged triumphant. Flicking his gaze of the frozen imposter briefly before gazing down to Katara. "You fought well,"

"No doubt there are others trapped as the Nightmare King tried for you and I, let us free them from his grasp,"

Katara wiped her eyes. She knew she was going to beat away this fake Aang anyway, that wasn't the focus of her mind right now. Knowing that Aang was somewhere in trouble, and that it was partly her fault, was what she cared about: and now she was out of that place, she wasn't going to allow herself to be tracked again.

"Fighting is what I do," Katara said, "But I also have someone I need to help that's a part of this. Lets' get out of here: I've wasted enough time with this."

She followed Rtas, hoping to put this behind her. She could think about it later. Right now, it was all about finding Aang and helping all the people that she could.

"I'm Katara, of the Southern Water Tribe. Who might you be?"

'Vadum swept his gaze once to their surroundings to ensure no other threats remained before returning his attention to Katara. A warrior indeed? One with some talent no doubt from what he had seen. At her wish to leave he nodded in acknowledgment.

"Indeed, for their sake, let us waste no time," The Sangheili replied with a calm air despite the emotions that may have simmered beneath the surface, as he took a second to get his bearings before he would stride forth through the swamp. "This way, follow closely,"

"An honour, Katara, I am Rtas 'Vadum, of the Sangheili Armed Forces, Shipmaster of the Shadow of Intent and Fleetmaster of the fleet of Retribution,"

Katara took this time to regard the person that had interrupted her Nightmare. Rtas was tall, taller than most people she'd ever seen before, and while she may have thought him wearing a Spartan suit before, she could see the differences that made her think otherwise. What was more, Rtas was certainly not human like Kelly: last she checked, humans didn't have mandibles, and the longer fingers and extra thumbs were confirmation that she wasn't looking at a human. This hardly bothered her though: it wasn't as if she hadn't met and befriended non-humans before. Granted, they usually weren't this tall, but she'd just have to adjust here.

She kept his pace, as of silently agreeing that wasting time was not an option for either of them. She moved swiftly, determined that she would get her own emotions under control. This was exactly how the King wanted her to go into battle: unfocused, distracted, an easy target. She wouldn't give him that satisfaction, and that included ignoring the pain at her back and arms.

"That's a mouthful," Katara commented as they started to leave their swampy surroundings. "So I take it to mean, from the little I know about the technology of other worlds, that you're versed at piloting ships?"

'Vadum picked his way through the swamp easily, confident strides propelling him onwards as he lead them toward the edge of the swamp itself and out. His mind and senses alert, gaze sweeping back and forth from time to time. He would not allow the Nightmare King to catch either of them unawares.

"Indeed," He would reply with that cool tone, though a hint of wryness at the very edges of it. The swamp seeming to blend into the more familiar streets as they left the nightmare's bubble, a dark shadow and haze was cast over the streets. Scanning the area ahead with his gaze briefly before the Sangheili would look back over his shoulder to Katara.

"Quite so, I am versed in the piloting as well as command of such ships as my kind utilize. From Phantom dropships to the much larger Assault Carrier's, such is Shadow of Intent,"

He was more of the silent type, Katara could see that much, but he was also more command minded than even she, so she followed him. He wore a coat of authority that Katara naturally respected, if only because it wasn't necessary for him to say "I'm in charge." You simply understood it and followed, and if help was needed, you gave it. For now, Katara needed a leader anyway: she was shaken up much more than she was willing to let on.

"So I guess waking up on Stacy didn't phase you all that much," Katara said. "It was definitely a shock to me. My world's version of ships are only the kinds that travel on water, and anything involving space and the stars are usually a mystery. Even different species talking would be a surprise."

When they touched ground on the streets, she stopped talking for a moment, her hands readying to her pouch. She had no doubt Rtas could take care of himself, and so it was more than likely she had to do the same and make sure no one got the drop on them. Leaving someone's dreaming space only meant they had new dangers to deal with.

The Sangheili moved quickly through the seeming neutral zone that the streets made up, ever alert even as he gave a light snort at Katara's comment. Not phased by waking up on an organic spaceship, with supposedly your entire universe supposedly destroyed, nope not phased, he hadn't had time to be phased.

"The abominations left little time to be phased during the initial time of my waking aboard this vessel," 'Vadum replied easily with a shake of his head. Inclining his head in acknowledgment of her explanation, the shimmering edge of a nightmare bubble made itself known as the Sangheili rounded a corner mere meters away.

"Ready yourself, another nightmare awaits," With but a glance and a nod back to Katara he strode forth through the nightmare's edge.

Katara knew that maybe her wording had been something of a joke: who wouldn't be jarred by what happened? She had, pretty hard: it was a bitter pill to swallow. But by the time she learned she had lost her world she'd met many people on the ship: Sokka, Zuko, Carol, Luna, Roxie, Jamie, so many others...they were her family. They had made sure that didn't break: her love of Aang had been the other thing that kept her moving.

Even now, Rtas seemed strong in this simple explanation: it was as if she could see the noble warrior in him, persevering, doing what was necessary to follow through. Katara was forging through too: she wanted to save Aang, to right what she'd done. Wallowing in the pain wouldn't help anyone.

"I'm ready," she said, steeling her eyes. "Let's go."

Edited 2010-02-24 04:16 (UTC)

'Vadum steeled himself as reality boiled and warped around him, the city street on which he'd been walking warping and changing into a much more familiar city, one he recognised near instantly as one from his home planet. The usually bustling streets deserted at first as he forced himself to walk on, a sense of dread rising as the scent of death filled the air, followed by a familiar stench.

The Sangheili turns a corner, and suddenly bodies filled the streets as he walked on not human, not Jiralhanae but Sangheili. His people...men, women and children were all counted amongst the corpses. The familiar stench growing stronger the further he walked. Movement followed his every footstep, always just out of sight, down alleyways and over rooftops.

You have failed them.

‘Vadum growled as that insidious voice whispered within his mind, closing his eyes for but a brief second to shake his head clear. Upon opening them the sight of the entire city about him covered in the infection hit him, along with the stench. “No, it cannot be...show yourself demon!” He shouted into the deathly city.

Join your voice with mine, embrace your people within us

“I will never join you, Abomination!” ‘Vadum shouted to the sky, as all around, corpses rose, twisting and changing into the grotesque forms of the Flood. They didn’t move to attack just slowly move to surround him, filling the streets as far as he could see in either direction.

Your world, your people are a part of me now, you will follow them.

The insidious voice booming inside his skull, a form moving through the crowd, the armour of the Arbiter unmistakable, as was the infection that held his body, “Join with us brother,” That voice unmistakable from the Arbiter he knew. ‘Vadum stood tall despite the dread that threatened to fill him, immobilize him.

“For your sake brother, and the sake of our people, you most of all know that I could not,” He replied with a mixed tone of sadness and anger. Gripping his swords tight, he activated them, twin blades snapping to life as he focussed all his willpower into a lunge burying both blades into the infected Arbiter’s form, “Die with honor, brother,” wrenching his blades apart.

The nightmare shattered with the Arbiter’s mutilated form, the infected city and the infected forms shattering into nothingness, leaving only Rtas himself standing in the middle of the street. Breath heavy, with a flick of his wrists he deactivated his blades. There were others no doubt trapped in these nightmares, he would see to it that no one would fall if he could help it.

Jacen remembered sitting in the mess hall with a bowl full of glop. He had met a few new faces, thought about a few things, ate a few bites of whatever that stuff was. It was only seconds ago.

Seconds ago, right?

Now he found himself in a grove of dry, black trees. The grove seemed familiar, like he had been there before. But it hadn't been like this. So empty, so lifeless... so dead. He was on the ground, sprawled out on his back and staring at the gray sky. Jacen was slow to roll over and slow to pull himself to his feet, like something was holding him down. His mouth was dry and his eyes were watering. This was wrong.

"Hello?"

Hi there.

Twisting his head suddenly, Jacen came face-to-face with a mirror image of himself. Only he was paler, his face was gaunt, his eyebrows were furrowed. His eyes were orange, darkening by the second. To Jacen, the mirror image was a bit of a blur here and there, but he could make everything important out. Wrapped in black clothing that swirled around him with the cold breeze, the reflection ahead of him smiled. Not the normal lopsided grin Jacen usually delivered, but something between a smirk and a sneer.

Jacen felt himself stumble backwards.

Where're you going? I haven't even showed you the present I brought you.

Jacen was scrambling backwards now, his body meeting with one of the gnarled trees and his hands clawing at the dry bark of the trunks behind him. He was staring at himself. He could feel, somehow, that this man ahead of him was a very powerful Sith. The sense Jacen was getting was one of oppression and anger. It almost hurt Jacen to be near this thing.

"Who are you?" Jacen murmured. He already knew the answer. It was some form of himself -- it looked just like him. But Jacen would never do this, never. Why would he become a Sith?

Isn't it obvious?

The thing approached him, holding out a gloved fist, palm up. He froze for a few moments like that and Jacen could only stare at him, wide-eyed. They had the same hair, the same build, the same broad shoulders. He studied these features as the breeze turned into a wind, shaking the empty branches of the trees and pushing the deep gray clouds overhead. It also shifted the cloak the other was wearing violently around his blurry form.

Jacen watched as he opened his fist. There was a clump of copper hair in his leather-clad palm. It had what looked like drops of blood slipping down some of the strands.

I brought you this souvenir, thought you might like it. She was getting in the way of my plans.

"No..."

Jacen shut his eyes against the mirror image ahead of him, still digging his fingernails into the bark and now biting the inside of his cheek. He tasted blood.

This was wrong. He would never do this. It would never come to this, nothing would. Why was he seeing this?

'Vadum surveyed his surroundings as he entered this new nightmare, gaze sweeping through the lifeless grove. Searching for any visible threat as the Sangheili advanced further into the twisted dreamscape. The sound of voices carried on the wind that swept through the dead trees, leading 'Vadum to the two figures.

Walking from amongst the trees the Sangheili approached in clear view, calm and confident despite the lifeless nightmare that surrounded them. Silently he listened to their words, his gaze coolly taking in the likeness between the two taking in the situation.

"Human, not all is as it seems, the Nightmare king seeks to deceive you, to prey on your fears, do not give him this chance," Stating coolly as he walked closer to the pair, ready to act should the double try anything.

There was more that they could tell him, Katara was sure of it. She had listened carefully, from Rtas's words to the things that she was staring at now. It might take a little more than just their appearance to jostle the man back to life. She walked over to him, staring at the other figure.

Momentarily, she could see another person in this: Zuko. She had talked to him earlier, and though it still hurt that he had no idea of the bond they shared she had understood his pain. The King had shown him people that he hurt in his ruthless pursuit of the Avatar, and that had traumatized hi pretty badly. Katara was not about to let this person be messed with in the same way.

"He isn't you," Katara said to him softly. "Take a look at him. I don't see cruelty in your eyes like him, or the ability to kill and be happy about it. This is what he wants you to see: the thing you could be, the monster you are afraid of. That isn't you. Fight this."

Edited 2010-02-24 12:18 (UTC)

It was hard to tear his eyes away from the fiery gaze ahead of him, but Jacen managed to do it, looking to the side and seeing two unfamiliar beings approach the scene. This whole thing had worried him, like it was some sort of vision of the future.

But the appearance of these others jolted him back to something almost like reality. He hoped that when he looked back ahead of him that the mirror image of him would be gone. But no. He was still there, shifting his own eyes between him and these newcomers.

Don't listen to them. Look at me. Look at me.

Forcing his eyes away from the cloaked figure, he whispered, the sound easily carrying over the breeze. He was hoping the figure wouldn't hear him. But he would. He was in his mind. He could hear everything.

"What's going on? Who are you two?"

In these few moments, Jacen had tried to move away from the tree numerous times, but felt as though he was pressed against it by something that wasn't physically touching him.

Katara sighed. It looks like he was still focused on this, thought that was no surprise. Even when she knew that it wasn't Aang, her mind hadn't allowed her to believe he didn't have the Avatar's powers. The result was that figment gaining power over her, and even injuring her. For this person, he had to let go of the illusions in his head if he was going to conquer this fear.

"I'm Katara, and this is Rtas," Katara said. "He and I are going to battle the Nightmare King. We had nightmares too: Rtas helped to snap me out of my dream. Whatever you're seeing is something that the Nightmare King is projecting: but it's also a battle you have to have with yourself too. The more you open yourself to it, the stronger you make it. Somewhere in your mind you know the truth, and it'll be what helps you overcome your fears."

She walked over to him, extending her hand. "But we'll help you if you need it. You're not alone."

'Vadum inclined his head to the entrapped human at Katara's introduction. Noting the stronger hold the nightmare appeared to have on the human, it did little to phase his calm exterior. They would aid and free this human from the Nightmare King's grasp, he left no doubt in his mind as to that.

"Be strong, see through the facade he has pulled over your eyes," 'Vadum followed on after Katara had spoken, stepping closer now as Katara walked over. Standing with a cool confidence beside Katara, his gaze sweeping between the human and his fake-twin.

The Sangheili inclined his head once more, the human would have their aid should he need it.

Now that he had looked away from the reflection ahead of him, Jacen didn't want to turn back. Now he was picturing the mirror image right in front of him, inches away, at a point where Jacen would be able to feel his warm breath. Hopefully that wouldn't happened.

He listened to their words -- what they were saying made sense. Jacen had had visions in his lifetime and he had dreams before. They were different. And now that he had a moment to think about it, comparing the two led him to realize that this wasn't a vision. This wasn't something that would definitely happen.

Slowly pulling his arm away from the tree, he took Katara's hand, glancing between her and Rtas. Their words had hit something and Jacen wanted to get out of this and help. Once he had her hand and managed to shift away from the tree, he looked back to the thing that had taken his own form and stared into it's orange gaze. He didn't give it the satisfaction of a conversation or a second thought, now that he had confirmation it wasn't any sort of reality.

"Thank you both," he nodded to the two who had helped him. "I'm Jacen Solo."

He could still feel the thing behind him, as he talked to the two, but he didn't look at it again.

Katara smiled. "I'm Katara of the Southern Water Tribe. This is just a guess, but um, you don't happen to know a Luke Skywalker, do you?"

'Vadum inclined his head lightly in acknowledgment of Jacen's thanks. "I am Rtas 'Vadum, Shipmaster of the Shadow of Intent, of the Sangheili," 'Vadum introduced himself in turn, scanning the surroundings for signs of any danger, "We must not linger, there are undoubtedly others in need of our assistance,"

"It's nice to meet you guys," he offered as casually as he could manage in the situation. Jacen could feel himself shaking slightly, but figured his system was still getting over what it had seen -- what it had seemed like he had been talking to. Something he would hopefully never become.

Nodding to Katara, he felt the beginnings of a grin form on his lips. "I do. Luke Skywalker is my Uncle. If you're asking, then I take it you've met him." The smile grew a little wider.

He turned to Rtas, the grin faltering a bit once he mentioned that others might be in danger as well. "There are others here?" Jacen didn't wait for an answer -- he stretched out with the Force and felt other presenses nearby. "Let's go. I'm ready to get away from here."

Katara nodded. "Yes, actually, he's a friend of my sisters of he Bene Gesserit! haven't gotten to talk to him as much as I'd like, but he seems like a really nice person, very balanced! I thought you might be related."

The girl agreed with Jacen. "Yes, we should probably get going. I see things getting more dangerous from here."

Bruce Wayne. Dick Grayson. Conner Kent. Bart Allen. The names on the headstones--all familiar--go on and on until they disappear into the dark, rainy Gotham night. Tim shakes his head in disbelief. "No. This--this wasn't supposed to happen. We stopped this."

You thought you did. Tim isn't sure where the voice is coming from. It sounds like it's coming from all around him. When are you going to learn that you can't escape the future?

Tim shakes his head. "No. I won't believe it. You're not real. I won't be you."

'That's not true! That's impossible!' He can almost hear the sneer in the voice. This isn't a movie, Tim. You're not Luke Skywalker, and I'm not Darth Vader. I'm you.

He shakes his head again, but his eyes are drawn once more to the headstones. All of them? How had this happened?

Should I tell you? the voice asks mockingly. Should I tell you how each of them died? How completely we failed at protecting them?

Tim grimaces at the words, turning away from the headstone that says "Barbara Gordon." His attention is caught by a reflection on another of the wet stones (Jack Drake). He takes a step forward and sees...

Batman.

He feels his jaw drop, and the reflection's mouth falls opened as well.

I told you, the voice--from inside his head, he realizes now--says conversationally. You can't escape the future.

Katara wasn't sure what kind of place she walked into when she stepped into Tim Drake's dream. She had seen cities before, and they were always startling when you first saw them, but this place was different. There seemed to be an air of darkness around it, like it was pulled into its own world: it was hard to describe. In any case, she was still looking at everything she could see: architecture, street pavement, even the random city pigeon, when she started to overhear the conversation. Quickly, she sprinted quietly toward the voice she heard. As she tiptoed closer, she could hear snippets of the conversation.

We stopped this."

Should I tell you?

You can't escape the future.

"I agree with that," Katara spoke up, interrupting the man in the strange outfit. "You can't escape the future: you can only shape it. Right now, we need you to help up shape our existence on the ship: the nightmare king, as you can see, is getting stronger. The longer you stay here? The stronger he gets. Please snap out of this, it isn't real."

Tim turns toward her, and for a moment, the image of Batman flickers, and Tim is Robin again. "The Nightmare King?" he asks, frowning.

He shakes his head slowly, and becomes Batman again. "No--I've been here in the waking world." He looks around, a bleak expression on his face. "This is the future. My future."

"This future, this waking nightmare, is no more than one that the Nightmare King has drawn from the fears within your mind," 'Vadum's voice carried out as he stepped silently from the shadows, the alien warrior standing to his full near eight foot height, knowing few had seen his kind before here, perhaps the sight of him would aid in disrupting the other's nightmare.

"You are not alone in fighting your fears, human, others have been trapped as you have, surrounded in these nightmares, we ourselves included," The Sangheili indicating Katara before he went on, "We fought free of the Nightmare King's grasp and have aided others in doing the same, we will not allow the Nightmare King to succeed,"

Batman flickers back to Robin again. "...Waking nightmare?" He's starting to remember. Bodies strung up in the hallway on a barely remembered ship, and a conversation with a strange man. A different fight in his future, followed by a fight with a younger Robin.

"...I remember." He frowns at them. "What can I do?" Because he won't let the Nightmare King win.

"Come with us," Katara said. "We're going to try and rescue some people out of the King's grips. He's extending his influence all over the ship. Even if we can't fight what he is, there are other people that can, and they need help too. We can find a way to help fight this thing."

Katara looked far from her usual happy self: she felt concentrated, devoted to this now. People were suffering and the King was starting to make things worse: they couldn't allow this to continue.

Tim nods. "All right." He glances around him one last time, frowning. This isn't real--none of it is. This doesn't have to be his future. "It won't come to this," he promises himself before turning back toward Katara. "I'm done here. Let's go."

'Vadum nodded at Katara's words, they would see to it that as many as could be would be released from the Nightmare King's clutches. Giving a sweeping gaze once more through the dream, "Indeed, let us tarry no longer. The Nightmare king waits not for us, follow closely,"

Bart can't slow down.

Everything around him is moving slowly. Even slower than normal people slow. There are people moving so slowly it looks like they're going backwards. Bart's trying to be normal, to stay caught up, but every time he tries to slow down, he only gets faster. Running faster and faster until he runs into a nearly stationary Wally.

"You'll never be good enough to be the Flash," he says, and it takes forever and ever and Bart can't slow down enough to hear it, but he knows it anyway. Wally's never thought he was good enough. Wally doesn't like him.

"You're too fast. The Flash should be the slowest man alive," Grampa Barry says, and it's still too slow, and Bart wants to protest but he can't even speak slow enough for them to hear. They should be able to hear him, but he can only get out a high pitched whine that has words only he can hear.

And there are all his friends and the entire Justice League. "Too fast, Bart, too fast," they all chant.

And then everything's pixelated, like an old 20th century video game. "This is what you want, isn't it, Bart?" Carol asks. "Life's a video game, so I can do this--" she stabs him, still so slowly he can barely stand it and yet he can't run away even though he wants to, "again and again and again." She's right, the wounds all gone, pixelated now, and she keeps stabbing him and stabbing him and she's supposed to be his friend and he likes her a lot, maybe even loves her but she's hurting him and he'll never be the Flash, he's not good enough, and now Grampa's calling Inertia his grandson and giving him a Flash costume and President Thawne is telling Bart he's proud of him which is bad the Thawne's are evil and Bart just wants to curl up and die but he keeps coming back and back and back...

The next dream threw Katara for a loop. It was as if everything was in a kind of freeze frame, and there was a rush in the air like someone was going pass them. For a second, and just a second, Katara hoped it was Aang, but the second next that idea was out the window. She KNEW when it was Aang, she felt it. No, the air was moving because of another reason, and it took Katara a moment to realize it was someone rushing past. That was impossible though...unless of course, it was someone that was naturally fast, and Katara knew there was someone like that on the ship. She had argued with him not too long ago. It was a stupid argument, and especially didn't matter now.

He was in the throes of the Nightmare King, and if he wasn't stopped he'd stay there, rushing past them. She wasn't sure what his dream was, but they would be stuck in it if Bart wasn't stopped.

This was going to take some skill, and some quick meditation. Katara closed her eyes for this: they would be useless for what she needed to do. She couldn't think in her usual way, in fact, Toph's way would work here. She had to use the Bene Gesserit training she learned: being quick enough to know where your opponent would go, and moving yourself to that place. She took a breath and isolated herself from everything: she had to be quick here. It was as if she was trying Spice for the first time: she had to feel herself extended in several directions, and the direction she wanted would be the one that had to have Bart's trail. She concentrated, scanning and feeling the place in her mind.

There!

Her body moved with ease, and froze the spot where Bart's feet would be in mere milliseconds. The ice would break him off the path and he would slip, and that would give Rtas all the time he needed.

She just hoped Bart wasn;t TOO badly hurt.

Bart went flying. Ice? Was Captain Cold attacking? He flailed and landed in a heap. In about a half-second he was back on his feet, looking around wildly.

'Vadum paused beside Katara, the world seemingly freeze framed. His gaze scanning the new nightmare for any sign of it's prisoner, the rushing air noted though his experience with such speedsters was vastly limited,so the connection remained unmade.

A brief glance to Katara however showed the Sangheili that she had some idea of what might be happening, staying silent for the moment as he trusted in whatever it was she might be doing. This trust quickly paid off when the speedster slipped on the ice and skidded to a halt.

Unfazed by the other's sudden appearance 'Vadum stepped forward now as the other was back on his feet, speaking quickly yet calmly, "Calm yourself, we are here to help," A gesture given to the world around them as he continued "What you see about you is a lie, a nightmare woven by the Nightmare King, drawn from your own fears, we will not allow him to keep his hold,"

"Nightmare King?" Bart blinked at him, thrown enough that he didn't keep moving. "Isn't he part of the JSA? Throws sand at people to make them sleep or something? Is he mad at me too? Am I a bad guy now? I don't want to be bad!"

"The what now?" Katara asked, blinking. "No Bart, this is someone we have to fight that's actually on the ship. He's been giving people Nightmare's for weeks now. He's only starting to move now. If we don't stop him here, he's going to try and take over the whole ship. and make everyone go crazy."

Katara took his hand. "Please, help us."

Oh, the ship. Nightmare king. None of this is real, right.

Pretty much immediately, he nodded and gave her a serious look. "I'm in. Do we get to kick a lot of butt?"

Here, Katara looked a little...over determined.

"I'm counting on that. Anyone that serves that THING in Escherville is an enemy."

Woe onto thee that hurts Katara's boyfriend: she will totally freeze you to death.

How many days had the battle raged, since the 'benevolent' AI turned on the humans in its charge? Kyle never lost count. He never started counting at all. It wasn't about how long it'd been, but how long it would be, before they overcame Skynet's newest trick. This last, desperate gasp.

It sounded less imposing when one wasn't there stumbling through the remains of the City, scanning the smoke for Terminators. He was ever grateful tha he'd throught to keep his pulse rifle frm the lat AI uprising. If not, he might have been dead already.

Without back up, surrounded by the AI, he might not last that much longer.

Katara wasn't sure where she stumbled into now, but it was very different from the other places that she'd been with the others. This place was bleak, a smoking ruin that seemed to gruesome in detail to exist. Still, Katara wasn't going to stay transfixed by the scenery. They still had people that needed their help. In the distance, she could see someone with some kind of gun, and knew that this must be the person that was caught in the King's grip. She had to approach him quietly so he didn't shoot her: the injuries from fighting nightmare Aang earlier was enough.

Of course, the nightmare had other ideas.

A moment later, Katara could FEEL that something wasn't right, like there was a presence there that was waiting for the right shot, and the danger shot up all over her. It was as if her body reacted on its own: she flipped
back, narrowly avoiding the gunfire headed in her direction. Still, she knew now that she wasn't in some strange city: It was THE city, and it had water, she knew that for sure.

And whatever was shooting at her wasn't human: she'd FELT the difference, the distribution of weight from normal people. She wasn't going to hold back right now. This dream was dangerous.

The water from the fountain helped her form the ice crystals, but there's weren't like the stinging ice bullets she used before: these were more like ice shards that she was going to use on her mother's killer but didn't. That situation, of course, was different: she had done that out of emotion. This was for survival, and these things weren't human.

The shards flew at the T-600, and seemed to only faze him a little until the shard struck at the cord bundle at the back of its neck. Now the T600 couldn't find her, as if she blurred his focus. In spite of herself, she grinned.

"Too slow," she said softly, and a rush of water picked the T-600 up high in the air before dashing it back to the ground with an eerie amount of force.

'Vadum swept his gaze across the new, yet bleak scenery. He was no stranger to war torn lands however, senses alert as he strode along a few paces to Katara's side. Spotting the armed human at the seeming center of the current landscape.

It was clear a second later that they were not alone either as shots string through the air where Katara would have been had she not back-flipped out of the way. Even as Katara faced down with the first humanoid-machine, yet more made themselves known. "Enemy forces!Prepare yourselves for combat!" The Sangheili commander called back,to alert the others among their group before activating his blades with a flick of each wrist.

Leaping over debris, weaving through cover towards the next closest of the constructs, another of the same design as that which Katara was fighting, hoping to draw the fire of those in the immediate vicinity away from the others.

A glance across to Katara's fight as he paused behind a large piece of rubble, giving him a good view of her ice shards striking the machine, noting it's sudden lack of focus after that attack. Waiting for the sustained burst of fire against his current cover to ease before he would leap forth, covering the remaining distance by springing off a solid piece of rubble as it began tracking him with its weapon.

The Sangheili landing behind the machine, bringing his own weapon up and across the back of the machine's neck even as he followed through with his other to cut the arm holding its weapon clean off, and cutting deep into its midsection, sparks flying.

Observing briefly that similar loss of focus as it appeared to lose track of his position before with a quick motion he cut the machine in half down the middle. Taking cover briefly again as shots continued to be fired his way.

"There is a weakness to these machines! The back of the neck, if you can take such a shot do so!"

The Lurking Fear - Group 15

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