Three Square Meals Ch. 121

"No... don't!" the guide gasped, desperately trying to warn Rahn'hagon.

John froze as his father's threats against the girls pierced his subconscious.

And everything went white...

***

"John!" Alyssa gasped, her eyes snapping wide open. She turned and ran, sprinting down the black corridor.

Rachel stumbled backward as the blonde charged past her. She whirled around to see her friend run headlong into the gloom. "Alyssa, wait!"

Jessica gaped at Alyssa in surprise, astonished to see the calm and collected young woman lose all her composure in an instant. "Rachel...?" she whispered, feeling a chill run down her spine.

Rachel darted an anguished look at the brunette, her expression one of profound regret. "I'm so sorry..."

She turned and ran after Alyssa, leaving Jessica no choice but to chase after them both, her heart gripped with icy tendrils of fear.

***

Inside John's mind, the two metaphysical representations of the clashing personalities faced off against each other.

*You've ruined everything...* John muttered, his shoulders shaking with barely-controlled fury.

The guide snarled at him, gesturing to summon a telekinetic barrier and a psychic lance. Except nothing happened... His reserves of Eldritch energy had been completely exhausted after the gruelling battle with Larn'kelnar.

John lifted his head to fix him with a baleful glare.

The guide felt a flicker of fear, his hands upraised defensively. *Wait! I was wrong to put my faith in Rahn'hagon... I see that now. It should have just been the two of us working together from the sta-*

His desperate pleas were cut off in a strangled gurgle as John lunged forward and grabbed him by the throat.

*Jade, I need you!* John called out, waking the startled Nymph from her slumbers. *Give me as much energy as you can spare!*

*Yes, Master!* she replied an instant later, sensing his urgency.

Jade began to channel power to John from her own depleted reserves, as well as those from her partially replenished sisters.

John's eyes blazed with an incandescent light and he tightened his grip, the guide scrabbling at the hand crushing his throat. *You've crossed me for the last time...*

A wall of white hexagons appeared, floating in the space behind them. Every inch of its surface was embossed in glowing Progenitor glyphs, the runes merging together to form potent wards. The guide darted a fearful glance at the wall as it began to curl inwards, his eyes widening with dread when he saw the intent behind the eldritch inscriptions.

Shaking his head frantically, the guide choked out, *No...*

The blaze in John's eyes intensified. *Yes...*

The hexagons moved at an inexorable pace, locking together to form a perfect geodesic sphere, their opaque surface blocking the soft light of John's subconscious. John glared at the terrified guide with hate-filled eyes as the runic prison relentlessly entombed his malevolent alter-ego. There would be no further interference now... the shining hexagons sealing him away in a state of complete sensory deprivation.

The guide's frantic struggles increased as he stared at John with a look of pleading desperation, until more hexagons slid into place, breaking their eye contact. John shoved him backwards and withdrew his hand as the last cluster of hexagons locked together, abruptly cutting off the anguished scream from within.

Taking a step backwards, John inhaled deeply, in complete command of himself once again.

***

Oblivious to that internal battle, Rahn'hagon stalked over to John, who lay contorted and helpless on the floor. He looked down at him with bitter regret, remembering the feelings of elation when he thought his plans had succeeded... and the joy of sharing that triumph with his son. To discover that their victory was a lie... that Xar'aziuth was enraged and all too aware of their ineffectual attempt at defiance... it was all too much to bear.

Rahn'hagon reached for the collar of John's Lion-embossed chestplate and hauled him to his knees, then raised his clenched fist to deliver the coup-de-grace. Fell eldritch energy swirled around his fingers, charging the blow that would obliterate his son from existence. With a final grimace for what might have been, Rahn'hagon lashed out, his glowing fist falling towards John's unprotected head.

There was a thunderous boom as John caught the blow in his palm, a shield of hexagons protecting his gauntleted hand from the impact. His eyes had snapped open as he looked up at his father and he grabbed the hand restraining him, effortlessly peeling it from his Paragon suit.

"Do you know what's really sad?" John asked, glaring at the shocked Progenitor, a cold rage burning deep inside him. "I spent my whole life desperate to meet my parents... then I found out my mother's a murderous whore and my father's an unrepentant genocidal maniac. Neither of you could have disappointed me more..."

He rose to his feet, Rahn'hagon struggling against the titanic grip on his hands.

"You're pathetic..." John snarled, his eyes filled with contempt. "Cowering here for thousands of years, too spineless to fight the rest of your despicable kind. You disgust me, you gutless coward. Then you have the balls to throw a temper tantrum at me when your plans got screwed up?! My guide was your creation... it was your fault he fucked everything up! "

John released his father's hand and grabbed him by the throat, effortlessly lifting him off the ground. Rahn'hagon grabbed at John's arm, but was unable to break his implacable grip, his eyes widening as he realised just how strong his son actually was. John roared, giving voice to his feelings of resentment, disappointment, and betrayal. He turned and hurled his father across the room, sending Rahn'hagon sailing through the air before he crashed into the wall opposite, leaving a cracked crater in the black surface.

Rahn'hagon groaned as he spat out blood, his hastily erected telekinetic webbing doing little to reduce the colossal force of that impact. Healing energies swirled through his body as he mended a score of broken bones, hastily regenerating the crippling injuries. Rahn'hagon lurched to his knees and gaped at his son in shock, astounded at the power behind that throw.

"That's not possible... you can't be that strong!" he protested, shaking his head in denial. "Not with only a thousand thralls!"

"Larn'kelnar said the same thing... before I watched him burn," John growled, gesturing towards his runesword. It sailed through the air to land in his upraised palm with an ominous clang. "Get up, you piece of shit... it's time you paid for the billions of lives you destroyed! The Maliri... the Trankarans... the Vulkat... I owe you a debt of pain for all of them."

His father's eyes flicked to the runesword, watching fearfully as azure tendrils of fire curled up the blade, burning with an unsettling hunger. He raised a hex shield and tried to retreat, but he was already backed against the wall.

As John took his first step towards him, the doors slid open and Alyssa stormed through, eldritch energy coiling around her arms. The blazing glow in her eyes matched John's, the brilliant light illuminating her sparkling white armour... and revealed the pointed tips of her ears amongst her wildly flowing golden hair.

Rahn'hagon turned to look at Alyssa and his mouth fell open in stunned disbelief as he really saw her for the first time.

"You'd try to murder your own son?!" she hissed, eyes flaring with righteous fury. "You're a fucking animal!"

She made a sharp gesture and a pair of telekinetic hands appeared, the clawed fingernails rending the hexagons in Rahn'hagon's shield. The barrier collapsed and the glowing fists grabbed him before he could react, pinning his arms to his chest and lifting him off the ground. His eyes opened even wider, astonished that she was able to rip through his defences with such ease.

"Alyssa, wait!" John exclaimed, glancing at the blonde. "He created me as a tool to slay corrupted Progenitors... it's fitting that I'm the one who destroys him."

There was a sound of a struggle at the door and Jessica fought to break from Rachel who was holding her back. "Stop it! Leave him alone!" the brunette screamed, terrified for Rahn'hagon.

In her desperate flailing, Jessica managed to elbow Rachel in the face, and escaped from her grip as the tawny-haired girl was knocked off-balance. Jessica ran to Rahn'hagon's side, flinging her arms around him protectively.

"Don't hurt him! Please!" Jessica begged, pleading for Rahn'hagon's life.

John's knuckles were white around the grip on his sword as he stared at his parents, a maelstrom of emotions swirling inside him.

There was a tense silence for a long moment, and Alyssa shot a glance at John, awaiting his decision.

"Screw this..." he finally muttered. "Release him... we've wasted enough time with these two assholes."

Alyssa dismissed the telekinetic fists and let Rahn'hagon fall to the floor. She ignored John's parents and ran into his arms, looking at him with concern.

"How did you do that?" Rahn'hagon balked, gazing in awe at Alyssa as he rose unsteadily to his feet.

John ignored his father and looked down into Alyssa's eyes. "The Invictus?"

"Damaged but salvageable... it survived the crash somehow," she replied, hugging him tight.

"What are you?!" Rahn'hagon persisted, staring at Alyssa's pointed ears.

"Fuck you. We're leaving," John growled, turning to glare at his father. "This ship reeks of death... you can keep it. I'm sure you and that murderous bitch will feel right at home here."

"No, wait!" Rahn'hagon pleaded, staring at them both. "I need to know what Alyssa is... how you did all this! It shouldn't be possible!"

John spat on the deck. "Get the fuck out of my territory. I never want to see either of you again; you both make me sick."

He took one final look at the runes on the holographic galaxy map and his eyes narrowed with hatred, then he led Alyssa towards the door.

Alyssa shared a troubled look with Rachel as she reached the doorway, then glanced back over her shoulder at John's parents. Her expression filled with disappointment and regret as she made eye contact with Jessica, the brunette watching them leave with a tortured look of anguish on her face.

***

Dana studied the schematics in wonder, examining every detail as she admired the pinnacle of Progenitor weapon technology. Despite how tired and emotionally wrung out she was, Dana couldn't help but marvel at the sheer destructive power of the monstrous cannon detailed in those blueprints.

*Sparks, we're leaving!* Alyssa said curtly, her telepathic voice trembling with emotion.

The redhead blinked in surprise and rubbed at her pounding head. *What do you mean we're leaving?*

*Everything went to shit... Rahn'hagon attacked John!*

Dana's eyes widened in horror. *Oh crap... Is he alright?*

There was no mistaking how upset Alyssa sounded as she replied, *No... not really. His dad freaked out and tried to kill him. John nearly died...*

*Holy fuck...* Dana gasped, shocked at how quickly the situation had deteriorated. *Wait... does that mean John had to kill his own dad?!*

*He nearly did... but John's letting Rahn go,* Alyssa said, her tone bleak. *It's a real mess... I'll explain everything when we're all together. Just head to the shuttle bay and meet us there, we're going to take the shuttle down to Arcadia.*

*Alright, I'm on my way,* the redhead replied quietly, dreading the thought of returning to the planet.

Dana turned to leave the maintenance area for the primary weapon array, waiting impatiently for the jagged doors to open. As soon as they'd peeled back enough for her to step through, she rushed into the corridor, a long walk ahead to reach the shuttle bay. Her thoughts turned to John as she hurried to the rendezvous point, remembering how elated he'd been earlier that morning when he realised Jessica might still be alive... and how devastated he must be now. To be treated with complete disinterest by his mother, then have his father actually try to kill him... for the first time, Dana was glad she was an orphan.

***

Rahn'hagon gaped at the door. "But she's just a Terran thrall!" he protested, still scarcely able to believe his eyes. "They aren't psychic! What she just did was impossible!"

Jessica felt hollow, like her heart had just been ripped out. She leaned heavily against the back of the sofa, horribly conflicted by the disastrous fight between father and son. "They all are..."

"What do you mean?" he asked in confusion.

"John's girls..." Jessica replied, remembering the desperate battle against Larn'kelnar. "They all have psychic abilities..."

He stared at her incredulously. "No... that can't be right."

"I saw them fight... they're all incredibly powerful," she whispered, looking haggard as she slumped dejectedly on the sofa. "And incredibly friendly... and incredibly kind... and incredibly in love with our son..."

"We have to stop them!" Rahn'hagon exclaimed, lurching towards the door. "I need to understand how!"

"It's too late..." the brunette whimpered, her body trembling as she started to cry. Her face crumpled, unable to hold back the pain any more as she sobbed, "I never got a chance to tell him I was sorry..."

Rahn'hagon paused, shocked at how devastated Jessica was. He glanced longingly at the door, then back at his heartbroken matriarch, finding himself torn with indecision.

***

"Here she is now," Calara said, nudging Irillith with an elbow to wake the drowsy Maliri.

Irillith pushed herself away from the wall and stifled a yawn.

After checking that her bleary-eyed companion wasn't going to topple over, the Latina jogged down the corridor to intercept Dana. "Hey, Sparks!"

Dana looked up in surprise then gave her a strained smile. "Sorry, I was miles away."

"It's okay, I know you must be exhausted too," Calara said with sympathy.

"Thanks for waiting," the redhead said, gratefully falling into the Latina's open arms. "I really needed to see a friendly face."

Calara hugged her tight. "I know what you mean..."

Dana rested her head on the brunette's shoulder and let out a sad sigh. "How bad is it? Alyssa won't tell me anything..."

"Me neither..." Calara said anxiously, her expression shadowed with worry. "She just said that we're evacuating and she'd explain later... I don't think I've ever heard her so upset before."

"She was trying to get Jessica to mend things with John," Dana murmured, nodding to Irillith as the Maliri joined them. "Rahn'hagon just wrecked everything."

Irillith hugged the redhead from behind. "We do have some wonderful news though... the Invictus survived! The ship is in two pieces, but that's a million less than I expected it to be. We just have to power up the rear half of the Invictus and Faye will be fine! "

Calara smiled and rubbed Dana's back. "Jade did say she thought all the Nymphs were still alive, but it's such a relief to confirm it. Do you have any idea why the ship didn't just smash into Arcadia?"

Dana considered it for a moment, then shook her head. "Sorry, I haven't got a clue." She rubbed a hand across her face and sighed. "But I'm so tired, I'm not thinking straight at the moment."

The Latina gave her a gentle kiss on the cheek and released her. "Come on, let's get out of here, then we can all get some rest."

They set off down the corridor, following Dana's directions as they headed for the shuttle bay.

"Speaking of not thinking straight..." Irillith said, glancing at her two companions. "Giving this ship to John's parents doesn't strike me as being particularly sensible... especially if Rahn'hagon is hostile."

"I agree, but we don't know the full story," Calara said, slipping her arm around Irillith's waist. "Let's get to the shuttle; I'm sure Alyssa will tell us when we see her."

Irillith shrugged and nodded her agreement, too weary to argue. "Sure."

The trio set off down the corridor, all wondering why John's meeting with his father had ended in such a catastrophic fashion.

***

Helene gave Jade a tired smile as the Nymph helped her stand on shaky legs. "Thank you."

Tashana groaned as she stood as well, leaning heavily against the green-skinned shapeshifter. "How long were we out for? I feel even worse than before I went to sleep!"

"You've been resting for about an hour. Alyssa needed energy... she had to take some more from all of you while you were sleeping," Jade explained, supporting the two exhausted young women.

"What happened?" Sakura asked, her eyes narrowing with concern as she sprang to her feet. The assassin wobbled unsteadily and looked like she was about to fall over until Tashana caught her. The Asian girl clung to the Maliri and winced. "Woah... that doesn't feel good..."

*I'm really sorry, girls. I never would have taken more energy from you unless it was an emergency,* Alyssa apologised, her voice leaden with remorse.

"We all trust you," Sakura said, speaking aloud so the other three could all overhear her. She flashed a worried look at her friends, the deep sorrow in Jade's eyes making her very nervous. "What was the emergency?"

*It's a long story... but basically, Rahn'hagon attacked John and tried to kill him.*

The three girls all gasped at that announcement, their shocked thoughts immediately turning to concern for his safety.

*John wasn't hurt that badly... physically at least,* Alyssa replied, her tone taut with emotion. *I have got some good news though... Irillith found the Invictus; it survived the crash and she reckons we can repair it. We're evacuating this ship, so head to the shuttle bay and we'll fly down to Arcadia.*

Tashana smiled with relief. "If the Invictus survived, that means Faye is going to be okay!"

Helene's baby-blue eyes shone with excitement. "Oh, thank goodness!"

Sakura brightened at that news, sharing a hug with her friends. "I never thought the ship would survive planetfall... I was so sure we'd lost Faye!"

Helene felt waves of sadness pouring off the Nymph beside her and looked at her with concern. "Jade, are your sisters still alright?"

Jade stroked the aquatic girl's back. "They're fine... very happy that we'll be joining them soon."

"Then what's wrong?" Helene persisted, alarmed by the depths of pain reflected in the Nymph's emerald eyes.

"John's been through a lot... he's really struggling..." Jade said softly. She looked at the three girls who were now staring at her in silence. "We should go to him now... he needs us. Do you think you're strong enough to walk? If not, I can carry you."

"I'll be okay," Sakura said quietly, reaching for her twin Ninjato. "let's go."

They stepped over the dismantled suits of thrall armour and walked towards the door, in a hurry to be reunited with John. Sakura paused as they passed the table and retrieved John's Paragon helmet, then handed it to Helene for safekeeping. Tashana watched them, then glanced around the room and strode over to a black object on the floor. Her lip curled in distaste as she picked up Larn'kelnar's severed hand and prized the black rod from his gauntleted fingers. She tossed aside the bloody hand, before running to catch up with the girls waiting patiently by the door.

***

Alyssa stood by the shuttle, her eyes locked on John. He stood several paces away with his back to them, staring out at the blanket of stars visible through the yawning entrance to the shuttle bay.

*I don't know what to say to John to make it all better...* she whispered to Rachel, her heart going out to the man who'd become the cornerstone of their lives. *They hurt him so badly...*

Rachel's grey eyes were filled with sadness as she watched John's silent vigil. *It's going to take him time to recover from this... we'll just have to be there to help pick up the pieces. Being welcomed back with open arms by his father, only to then be rejected... it couldn't have turned out worse, especially after what happened with his mother.*