'Inner dialogue/thoughts'
"Normal dialogue"
[System]
[Diary entries]
~ With Luke, in his mindscape ~
"It's you…"
Standing before Luke was a mirror version of himself. Except it was grinning with dead, black eyes that reflected nothing but an endless void.
"You've failed to protect them…" The doppelganger said, its voice warped into a hollow echo.
Before Luke could react, more silhouettes emerged. Dozens of shadow-Lukes surrounded him, each form unique as some flickered, some crawled, and some whispered.
"You failed her…"
"You don't deserve them…"
"You let everyone die…"
Luke clenched his jaw, glancing around, trying to steady his breathing. As if sensing his struggles, the shadows closed in, louder, overlapping like a hundred internal monologues all turned against him.
"I NEVER WANTED THIS!" Luke yelled, his voice beginning to crack. "I WAS JUST A NORMAL PERSO-"
The shadows did not care.
"Weak…"
"Useless…"
"A mistake…"
Luke staggered backward. His hands began to tremble, his breath hitched.
He dropped to his knees.
"I'm trying," he whispered. "I'm trying my best…"
Yet, the shadows laughed.
"You will always fail…"
"You are nothing…"
"Just die…"
Luke's shoulders shook as he registered the final whisper. He whispered again, softer.
"I'm… Sorry…"
~ At the same time with Natasha, along the streets of Los Angeles ~
Natasha moved swiftly through the chaotic streets, her eyes taking in the sight of the devastation left in Luke's wake. The destruction was unimaginable. Everywhere she looked, she saw the mangled corpses of the Messengers and the sheer force of Luke's rampage. Vehicles were overturned, buildings were shattered, and the ground itself seemed scarred by his wrath.
'How could this have happened?' Natasha thought, her mind racing with a mix of concern and determination. She tried to reach Luke on their personal comms for what felt like the hundredth time.
"Luke, it's Natasha. Can you hear me? You have to stop this, we need you to come back."
Silence. She received no response, only the distant sounds of chaos and destruction.
She bit her lip, her grip tightening on her weapon. 'He's completely lost it. I don't think he even knows who he is right now.'
As she followed the trail of destruction, Natasha kept her senses on high alert. The sight of the dead Messengers did little to comfort her. Each fallen creature was a testament to Luke's immense power, and his complete lack of control. Seeing the path she was taking, she realized that Luke was heading towards the LAX Jeweller store.
'If I can't reach him, then I need to stop him before he reaches the store where this whole thing started.'
Natasha knew that she had to act quickly. She did not want to think about what could happen should Luke make it to the jewellery store, be it whether he would stop rampaging or he would only get angrier at the sight of the store.
Glancing at the street signs, Natasha realized that she could take a shortcut to the store. It was risky, but she didn't have time to waste. She veered off the main street and cut through the buildings, her boots pounding against the pavement as she ran.
"Luke, please." She tried again through the comms, "We need you. Come back to us."
~ Back with Luke, in his mindscape ~
Luke remained on his knees. "I'm so sorry. . . I'm so sorry. . ."
Believing that Luke was on his last straw, the shadows surged forward, reaching for him.
And then…
"... You guys done?"
The shadows froze at his words.
"What…?" hissed the lead doppelganger.
Luke stood up slowly, effortlessly, rolling his neck as though waking from a nap.
"For voices in my head, you really don't listen," Luke said, brushing invisible dust off his shirt. "I mean… you are me. You should know I don't fold this easily."
The shadows began to falter, with most glitching at the edges as Luke stretched casually.
"You know what the funny part is?" Luke continued. "I figured out where I was when you appeared and I actually gave you a chance to show your hand. Helps me to better map out just how my mindscape would react under stress."
The void vibrated as the shadows recoiled at his revelation.
"You… pretended?"
This time, it was Luke's turn to grin.
"Mind protection is seriously busted, dude. Absolutely broken. And you thought a little emotional jump-scare would work?"
A low, cold confidence settled into his posture as he raised a hand.
"Here's the thing. You're not revelations. You're not destiny. You're not even my fears. All that you are to me… is background noise."
He snapped his fingers.
The entire circle of shadow-Lukes shattered at once, exploding into dustlike darkness that dissolved into the void with a soft, static hiss. The tremors faded immediately, leaving behind an impossibly quiet white expanse.
Luke exhaled. "...Finally. That was an experience…"
After taking one final look at the now-empty mindscape, Luke closed his eyes.
'It's time to go.'
The void began to fracture like a pane of glass as reality came rushing to reclaim him.
~ With Natasha ~
Natasha's face was etched with relief as Luke slowly came around.
She had been too late to reach Luke. When she had arrived at the street of the LAX Jeweller store, Luke was just about to smash one of his tendrils onto the store. However, in a turn of events, his tendrils stopped midway through.
After a few moments, a vibrant light then emanated from Luke's eyes, before the water sphere that encased him began dissipating, slowly lowering Luke back onto the ground. Natasha had rushed to him and caught him just as Luke had finally left from his berserk state. Since then, she had been holding him up, her worries for Luke evident on her face.
"You're back." She said, her voice a mix of relief and exhaustion.
Luke managed a weak smile, his head still pounding from the ordeal.
"My head hurts. . ." he joked, his voice hoarse but filled with a sense of relief and resolve.
Natasha chuckled softly, "Already cracking jokes just after coming out of whatever that was? Yup, that's Luke alright."
Both Natasha and Luke laughed together before Natasha helped Luke to stand.
"I did all this?" Luke asked as he took a look around.
He noticed that the street was filled with the corpses of the creatures, along with debris from the destroyed street. There were also some surviving police officers and soldiers who looked upon Luke, a mixture of fear and caution on their faces.
Natasha nodded, "This was all you, don't you remember?"
Luke shook his head, which caused confusion and worry to appear on Natasha's face. However, before they could speak another word, the ground they stood on began to rumble periodically.
"What now. . ." Natasha sighed exasperatedly.
~ A few moments later ~
The periodic rumbling grew stronger, as if something massive was approaching. Natasha and Luke turned their heads toward the sound, their expression shifting to alarm as a giant creature came into view from around the corner.
It was a monstrous fusion of the smaller creatures, towering over the ruins of the street and sending mini shockwaves through the ground with every step. Its eyes, a convergence of glinting malevolence, locked onto Luke and Natasha.
Luke, feeling the need to vent out the frustrations he'd built up since arriving in this new world, straightened his posture. Taking a deep breath, he fixed his eyes on the monstrosity before him.
"Tell the others to stay back. This is a battle they can't handle. Leave it to me." He instructed Natasha firmly.
Natasha hesitated for a moment but then nodded, recognizing the determination in Luke's voice.
"Be careful," She urged, before turning to relay Luke's message to the remaining soldiers and others who were still around, ensuring they knew to keep their distance.
With Natasha taking care of the warnings, Luke began his march towards the giant creature. The closer he got, the more colossal and terrifying it appeared. Yet, Luke's steps did not falter.
'Oh system, you have A LOT to explain to me after this.'
Standing opposite the creature, Luke steeled himself, his mind clear and focused.
'Okay you ugly son of a bitch. I have a lot of anger and frustration to vent, so let's hope you can take a beating.'
Responding to his call for wrath, the water that had dissipated onto the ground earlier had begun to stir. It rose and began transforming into numerous water swords behind Luke, forming a deadly arsenal hovering, ready for his command.
~ End of Chapter 63 ~