Project S.T.A.T.I.C. Part 4: Worlds Apart

Rebecca skulked through the shadows of the Birdcage. Thanks to Jake’s information, she and the others had a better idea of what to expect in dealing with Ashley’s traps and forces. She took the form of a rat that raced along the stone floors. Their plan was simple: divide and conquer. She stopped as one of Ashley's precious Sentinels got close. They were tough, but she felt confident she could take one down with the element of surprise. The Sentinel stopped a few feet from her to check one of the monitors. 

The Sentinel was a shorter man, likely the same height as Beth from the look of him. She knew that size didn’t mean anything when it came to these individuals. Their abilities were what defined them and gave them the edge. It was imperative that she deal with this monster before they could get their first shots off. With that in mind, Rebecca scurried up the console behind him to give herself a slight aerial advantage. Once she was there, she approached the edge and prepared for her attack.

Rebecca leaped off the edge and shifted back into her human form. Her right hand was covered in a green glow as she flew through the air. The Sentinel turned around just as Rebecca was inches from her. Her left hand clamped down on his mouth to keep him quiet as she collided with him and tackled him to the ground. She thrust her right hand through his chest, aimed at his heart, as they hit the ground. His eyes went wide as Rebecca pierced his hear,t and hsi body locked up. It cracked and turned to ash beneath her. 

That was one down, but there were still more patrolling the Birdcage.According to Jake, Ashley had turned ten of her most trusted warriors into Night Sentinels. Beth had managed to take out three of them before she got herself captured, they’d taken out one in the tunnels, and she’d just dealt with one more. They’d cut their numbers in half, but they were running out of time. It didn’t help that Ashley was close by and posed a greater threat than any of her precious soldiers. She loathed to admit that fact, but she’d have to be a fool to write off the vampire queen. Pam was capable, but the fact was they didn’t have all the information on this world’s Ashley. 

“Hey, you’re not supposed to be here,” a woman’s voice called out behind her.

Rebecca turned around and prepared to launch a spell to silence the woman, but she never got the chance. Rebecca turned around just in time to see Courtney slide between the Sentinel’s legs. One of her hands caught the backside of her ankle and Courtney ripped her off of her feet. The Sentinel fell on her back with a loud thud, but Courtney didn’t waste a second before she tried to capitalize. She threw her legs back and flipped herself over and onto her chest. She pulled a birdarang from her utility belt. Courtney plunged the blade into the heart of the Sentinel in hopes of putting another one down before they could get back to their feet.  Thankfully, it seemed to do the trick as her body also turned to ash and crumbled beneath her. 

“Thanks,” Rebecca nodded, lowering her hand and watching for any signs of movement.

“Don’t mention it,” Courtney shrugged, reaching into one of the pouches on her belt and pulling out a small device, “Watch my six while I get this connected to the mainframe.”

Rebecca nodded as she walked behind Courtney and prepared another spell. A smokey orb took shape in her hand and she threw it up into the air. It swirled for a second before it expanded and flooded the caverns. It was more like a strong, sudden burst of wind that cut through the halls. The smoke from her spell dissipated shortly after she cast it and Rebecca closed her eyes. What remained of the smoke swirled around Rebecca’s body before it disappeared when she inhaled sharply. She exhaled and opened her eyes as the spell began to take effect.

It wasn’t an overly complex spell, but it was one that she’d designed herself. It was something like a radar or tracking spell for her. It would provide her with enough of an edge to keep them from getting ambushed by Ashley’s elites. Meanwhile, Courtney was working to connect and sabotage the mainframe of the Birdcage. Based on what Jake had told them, Ashley hadn’t made too many changes in the network. Hopefully, there were enough similarities between their world’s networks that Courtney could crack it. They needed to shut down as much as possible to save Beth before Ashley could use her machine.

Courtney was typing away on the machine after connecting a circular device onto the console. Rebecca could feel someone approaching, two to be specific. She frowned as she watched Jake step out of the shadows with her Jake still controlled by Ashley bringing up the rear. They were supposed to be sticking to the shadows to maintain some sort of advantage for them. The fact that they were walking out into the open like this either meant they’d found trouble or Aslhey had decided to throw their plans away.

“Are you two going to stand here wasting time, or are we going to bring the fight to my evil counterpart?” Ashley asked.

“What happened to the plan?” Courtney asked, typing away on the console, “Pam is waiting for her moment, but you being here is putting everything at risk. We still have three more of those freaks to deal with.”

“One of them is still in the tunnels,” Ashley rolled her eyes, looking over at Jake, “Given the nature of our broken tagalog, I thought that he might be more useful doing your job. As much as you irritate me-”

“Don’t insult him, and leave check your bullshit, Ashley,” Courtney cut her off, whipping around, “He’s been through enough, and I am sick and tired of hearing that condescending attitude of yours.”

“Dear, this isn’t the time,” Rebecca sighed, trying to keep her focus on the Sentinels still somewhere in the cavern.

“No, I think it is the perfect time,” Courtney argued, motioning for Jake to step forward, “Jake, do you mind taking over here? I’ll watch your back, we both will.”

“Uhm, y-yeah sure,” Jake swallowed and nodded as he stepped towards Courtney.

“You talk such a big game for someone that’s holding a good man hostage in his own head,” Courtney snapped at Ashley, “I was trying to believe that you weren’t a total bitch, but after what we learned in the control room, I can’t do that anymore. You can stand there and act like you’re doing all of this to help keep him safe, but it’s bullshit and you know it.”

Ashley took a step towards Courtney and leveled a fierce glare at her, “Do not presume to know me, girl. You have no idea what type of person I am.”

“I know what I’ve seen,” Courtney argued, “I know what I’ve heard from the others, and I know you’re only a few bad choices away from ending up the same as your nasty counterpart.”

“That’s enough,” Ashley warned, clenching her fists.

“Ash, leave it be,” Jake said, appearing behind her in hopes of diffusing the situation that was quickly developing.

Rebecca took a step closer to Jake working on the console. She knew he still didn’t trust, but she wasn’t going to let any version of her beloved get caught in a crossfire that she could prevent. She could feel his anxiety spiking as the confrontation between the other two escalated. She tentatively put a hand on his shoulder in an attempt to reassure him. “Try to relax and stay focused,” she whispered, “I won’t let this come to blows, and I won’t let you get caught in whatever this is.”

Jake looked over his shoulder at her and nodded, “Thanks, but that doesn’t exactly hold much given our history here…”

“What are you going to do, huh?” Courtney asked, stepping forward to meet Ashley halfway, “Are you going to attack me and say it was because I was a threat to Jake?”

Ashley snarled and tried to raise a hand to hit Courtney, but she couldn’t move her arm. She glanced down to see Jake holding her wrist and keeping it by their side. “Ash, don’t do this,” he pleaded, “This has already gone far enough. Courtney is on our side, she’s been working with us. Please, I’m begging you here. Don’t let this go any farther than it already has. We’re here to save Beth, not fight each other.”

“My, my, it seems you all can’t agree on much, can you?” a male voice came from off in the distance, “I’m surprised that you’ve managed to make it this far, but I suppose luck can carry one through quite a bit.”

“Jake, don’t stop working,” Rebecca said, casting a barrier spell around him as she stepped out, “Remember, Elizabeth and Pamela are both counting on us to succeed. Let us handle these problems.”

“R-right,” Jake nodded, trying to keep calm, “I won’t mess this up.”

“I know you won’t,” Rebecca said, taking a couple of steps forward and preparing for their fight.

“Looks like we’ll have to pick this up later,” Courtney scoffed, grabbing her grappling gun and a birdarang, “Rebecca, how many are we dealing with here?”

Rebecca closed her eyes to let the spell she’d cast  earlier work. She could see the outline of two figures hiding in the distance. One of them was hiding on one of the outcropping ledges up above, but the other one was lurking close by in the shadows. The one on the ground was moving, circling them by the look of things. “Two,” Rebecca said, opening her eyes, “One on the ground, and one above us.”

“Ash, we need to work together here,” Jake said, watching as Courtney tried to spot the one on the ground, “Let me take the wheel again, okay? I can handle this.”

“You’re not ready, Jake,” Ashley shut him down again, “Let me handle this. I won’t let anything happen to you.”

A blade cut through the air and ripped out of the shadows. The faint glint of a reflection from the lights was the only indicator that something was coming, but it was enough for Courtney to parry it before it connected. She didn’t throw her bridarang back, but instead kept it poised in front of her for another possible counterattack. Two more blades came flying through the air aimed at st. Once again she was only able to see them by the faint glimmer of a reflection coming off the blunt side of the blades. Something was different this time, though. The blades had an unusual arc to them as they cut through the air. Courtney dodged one and parried the other one with ease, but she had a feeling that this was going to be more difficult than a typical fight.

Ashley watched with intrigue as Courtney fought against the incoming attacks. She noticed the arc of the blades, and she had a suspicion as to what they were dealing with. Centuries ago, she had a lieutenant in her ranks that had an uncanny ability to control knives. They’d only just discovered black powder and the various uses that came with it. Up until then they had only been using it for cannons and explosives, but flintlocks were still new and unique. One of her more talented warriors had tapped into an ability to control knives and blades. He’d found a way to stop swords mid swing, direct and redirect thrown weapons, and more. She’d stored samples of his blood for study, and her guess was that this version of herself had used those same samples to create a new breed of warrior.

If they were going to beat this one, then they were going to have to find a way to do it with their bare hands. Either that or the witch would have to find a way to step in and make herself useful for a change. However, it seemed that she was preoccupied dealing with another specialist. She saw a small vial of green liquid falling from up above and her heart sank. “Witch, above you!” she barked, pointing at the vial, “Grab it and throw it into the ravine!”

Based on the way the liquid inside that little vial was glowing, she had a feeling that the other one they were dealing with was an alchemist. Another of her higher ranking elites from her time as a ruler. A potions and poisons expert from a time long past. It was because of their recipes that her armies had managed to conquer so many cities. It was amazing what a well placed and well timed explosive could do to an army or a resistance. Whether it be choking them on noxious gasses, forcing them to hallucinate and face their greatest fears, or draining their strength, she’d seen more than one empire fall with a few carefully placed traps. If she was right, that meant that they were dealing with a dangerous and unpredictable threat. 

Rebecca raised her hand and caught the vial before it could hit the ground. She held it in the air for a second before tossing it off to the side. It shattered against the rock wall and a thick green cloud of smog rose up. “Switch targets,” Ashley said, looking at Courtney and Rebecca, “Tellar, find the one hiding up above. The witch and I will deal with the one on the ground.”

Courtney looked over at her for a moment then over to Rebecca. Rebecca seemed to be fine with the idea, but she saw the briefest hint of hesitation at the thought of leaving Jake unguarded. “You’re sure about this?” Courtney asked.

“Trust me, for once,” Ashley replied, “Do this and then we can go back to hating one another.”

“The sooner we deal with this, the sooner we can put this behind us and focus on getting our more vulnerable charges out of harm’s way,” Rebecca chimed in, readying herself to fight alongside Ashley for a change.

Another series of blades cut through the air and were aimed at Courtney, but she was already on the move. She had fired her grappling gun at a nearby ledge to pull herself towards the one that was hiding up above. The pair of knives that were coming changed direction at the last second. They seemed to stop short and flew up to give chase to Courtney. “Grab them!” Ashley shouted to Rebecca as she ran into the shadows to try to find the blade bending Sentinel. 

Rebecca caught the blades just as she had the vial from earlier. She snatched the blades out of the air and launched them off to the side. Ashley’s eyes were adjusted to the darkness well enough that she could see the outline of the blade bender. She was on him before he could let another one of his knives fly.  She threw a straight right punch aimed at his face, but she missed as he leaned back at the last second. Ashley pulled her fist back, and at the same time threw her elbow aimed at his jaw. She wasn't surprised when he blocked it. She spun around without hesitation and launched a quick kick aimed at his chest. This time, her attack landed and he was sent stumbling back a few steps. It didn't take him long to recover and draw a blade from his belt. 

Not far above them, Courtney landed on the rocky outcropping. She stowed her birdarang and flipped a switch on her cowl. Her goggles switched to night vision and she scanned the area for her target. She could see someone, a frail looking young woman scurrying in the shadows. She didn't look like much of a threat, but she was learning not to underestimate Ashley's forces. Courtney wasn't sure if she'd been spotted or not, but she did her best to move stealthily and quickly. She ran along the narrow stretch of rock in hopes of getting close and catching the woman by surprise.

She had made it almost halfway when she heard something crack beneath her feet. A sudden explosion nearly sent her flying into the ravine, but Courtney was quick to save herself with her grappling gun. She fired it into the wall behind the woman skulking in the shadows. She was pulled towards her and the hope of any surprise attack went out the window. Instead, she flicked her wrist to dislodge the hook from the wall and retract the grappling hook. She extended her leg out in hopes of catching the woman with a surprise kick, but sadly she missed her mark. She pivoted to turn at the last second and landed behind her.

“I wasn't expecting company,” the woman said, standing up straight and turning to look at Courtney, “I prefer my solitude.”

Courtney didn't reply as she studied the woman. Her face was covered by a red cloth, and she had a robe on that seemed to have several vials and grenades hidden underneath it. She could just barely make out the outline of the items hidden in her coat, and there was a slight glow coming from beneath her robes. Courtney was only a short distance from her, but she launched a birdarang before trying to get closer. The hooded woman ducked under the incoming projectile and pulled a small glass vial from her robe. It glowed a deep shade of blue as she tossed it at Courtney. The glass shattered as it hit the ground and a large cloud of smoke began rising and swirling around them.

Courtney froze and took a step back as the thick smokescreen started to creep closer. There was something off about it that she didn’t trust. She grabbed a small folded square and slapped it over her mouth. The second it made contact with her skin, it unfolded into a sealed respirator. Based on what chemistry knowledge she had, anything that made smoke that color couldn’t be good. She doubted that it was just a simple diversion too. However, it was still cutting her visibility in half. Courtney switched her goggles on to scan the area for her opponent.

The woman was ducked down and moving like a swift feline along the outcroppings of rock. She kept her head tucked down and moved with lithe balance and uncanny agility. She was trying to get around and flank Courtny while she was distracted. Courtney launched another birdarang from her hip that cut through the smoke. To her surprise, the alchemist dove forward and rolled down a nearby incline. Courtney wasted no time chasing after her; diving over the ledge and firing her grappling gun to give chase to the masked woman.

Meanwhile, Ashley had charged forward shortly after Courtney had moved up. She managed to surprise the blade bender with a dropkick aimed at his chest. Her barefoot connected and knocked him back, but he pulled another dagger from his coat as he fell back. It was a blind throw, but Ashley knew it was a move meant to break her stiride. Thankfully, the blade was suddenly encased in ice before it could get close. As it fell out of the air, the ground behind him suddenly caved in and began to splinter. His right foot fell into a new hole before it was swallowed by the rocky earth.

Ashley saw her moment and got back to her feet to capitalize on the opening that presented itself. She raced towards him and threw her elbow at him. The bladebender was trapped, but he was able to lean back and deflect the incoming attack. He caught her elbow and drew another blade from his coat. A lightning fast jab came at her, but caught his wrist with both hands and redirected it away from her throat. The earth around his ankle tightened and pulled him further down as Ashley disarmed him and caught the dagger.

It seemed that they had him right where they wanted him. Their advantage was working, but then something fell down between Ashley and the blade bending Sentinel. A glass vial filled with a deep green liquid hit the ground and shattered. The glass broke into a dozen small shards and the liquid turned to a thick cloud of gas. She doubted it would last long given what she knew about these alchemical brews, but she was too close to be able to avoid whatever the effect was. It didn’t stop her from trying; she needed to protect Jake at all costs. Even as she pulled back she could feel the acrid and heavy air whip into her lungs. 

The effects weren’t noticeable at first beyond some faint coughing and a tightness in her chest. Ashley put as much distance between herself and the smog as possible before Rebecca summoned a torrent of wind that scattered the fog. A birdarang landed at the feet of the blade bender before he could manipulate it and send it flying back at her. It beeped and flashed before it erupted in a sudden surprise explosion that sent him flying backwards. The hold from the rock and earth broken, he was free once again as soon as he recovered. Ashley should have been on the move in hopes of trying to finish him, but something kept her rooted and frozen in place.

Rebecca could sense something was off with Ashley, but they had bigger problems to focus on at the moment. She glanced over at Jake who continued to type away on the console before deciding to join the fray. If Ashley was going to hesitate then she’d have to intervene before their enemies managed to regroup. She shifted into a werewolf form as she took off towards the man in the coat. She could feel Courtney moving in to give chase to the mystery woman that had thrown the toxin. Birdgirl would have to manage on her own for the time being.

The faint scent of lilac and crushed jasper lingered in the air as Rebecca raced towards the man that had been a thorn in their side. She didn’t know exactly what that green cloud was, but she suspected that the lingering odor wouldn’t bode well for Ashley and Jake. They’d both been caught off guard from the initial explosion and she suspected that they’d be experiencing the effects soon enough. However, much like with Courtney, they were going to have to fend for themselves for the moment. She couldn’t help them if they still had Ashley’s elites on their heels. 

Rebecca was in front of the male Sentinel as he got to his feet and her clawed hand was coming down at his face. He managed to dodge at the last second and tried to counter her with a jab aimed at her ribs. The blow connected, but her beast form came with the advantage of added protection from her fur and increased bone density. Still, this wasn’t an ordinary man. She felt the full force of his attack as it pushed her back slightly. Her spell had saved her from any serious damage or broken bones, but she wasn’t sure she could handle too many more hits like that. Thinking quickly, Rebecca swiped her claw upwards in hopes of uppercutting him and pushing him back, but he predictably evaded again with a carefully timed lean. She followed her attack with another rapid slash with her other claw. She missed again, but at least she was pushing him onto the defensive. She’d just have to watch for any openings she might give him or that he might create.

Courtney landed on the ground in front of the robed woman as she readied another one of her vials to throw at Rebecca. She fired her grappling gun and the wire wrapped around her wrist before she could let it fly. Courtney flipped the switch on her gun and the wire began to retract after pulling taunt. It was enough to stop the woman, and it should have pulled her towards her with ease. However, the woman merely skidded forward slightly before planting her feet and stopping herself. She gave her arm a rough and vicious tug before pausing to glare at Courtney. She flicked her wrist to swap hands with the vial and threw it at Courtney with her free hand.

Courtney’s goggles targeted the vial as it flew at her. She launched another birdarang from her hip and shattered it before it could get close to anyone. She was down to her last few birdarangs now. She’d have to make them count. That meant she needed to get in close and try to stop this woman in close quarters. She dashed forward and threw her right leg up in a swift kick aimed at her jaw. She was surprised when the woman managed to block her with crossed arms. She hadn’t expected a move like that from someone dressed like a strange scholar, but these weren’t normal people. The alchemist pushed her arms forward and launched into a knee aimed at Courntey’s midsection. Her knee collided with her and knocked her back, but Courtney wasn’t going to go down without a fight.

Courtney stood up straight and let out a deep, slow breath. The woman before her slid one foot in front of the other and bent her elbows slightly as she tilted them in an angled line. Courtney raised her hands and moved in to try to knock the woman off her feet. A straight jab from Courtney was blocked and deflected with ease, and Courtney had to shift her momentum to block a pointed jab aimed at her throat. This woman was better than she originally thought. Courtney knocked her hand away and tried to hit her with a left hook, but her attack was again blocked. The woman spun around and ducked low to avoid another attack as she slammed her hands into Courtney’s side and knocked her to the side. 

While Courtney and Rebecca tried their best to catch their adversaries off guard, Ashley was frozen in a strange state of shock. Whatever that noxious gas had been was seeping into the corners of her mind. She couldn’t move her body no matter how hard she tried to will herself to. What was happening to her? What sort of chicanery was this rancid gas? This was her body, hers dammit!

“Is that how you see it?” Jake asked from off to the side, “My body is yours now?”

“Jake, now is not-” Ashley began before he cut her off with a shocking blow to the jaw.

“Then when is, Ash?!” Jake demanded, pulling his fist back and glaring at her, “When you’ve broken me down and turned me into that shell over there?!”

Ashley glanced over at the Jake in this universe and shook her head. This couldn’t be real, it couldn’t be. “Don’t be ridiculous,” she rolled her eyes, “I would never do that to you. I am trying to keep you safe, Jake. When will you get that through your thick skull?”

“For the umpteenth time, holding me hostage is keeping me safe?” Jake scoffed, rushing forward and surprising her with another blow to the jaw that had her ears ringing, “Do you hear the words that are coming out of your mouth? Do you honestly believe the bullshit that you’re spewing?!”

She wasn’t sure what hurt worse; his words or his fist. It shouldn’t have bothered her that much, and his attacks damn sure shouldn’t have been inflicting as much pain as they were. As she tried to figure out what was happening, another surprise attack came at her. He hit her with a kick aimed at her gut that caused her to double over. Her blood was beginning to boil from the pain and audacity. Was this one of the Sentinels using the toxins and smog to surprise her? It had to be. There was simply no other explanation. She frowned as her frustrations reached a boiling point. She was ready for the next attack Jake tried to hit her with.

She caught his hand as it rocketed towards her jaw again and held it in place. She wasn’t going to stand for this sort of disrespect from someone that she was working to save. She flicked her wrist and a resounding snap could be heard in her ears. Jake cried out as she let go of his wrist and stalked forward. Even with a broken wrist, he was adamant about trying to attack her. He threw himself around and tried to hit her with a roundhouse kick to the jaw, but she blocked it with one arm. She coiled her arm around his calf and slung him across the floor. Jake tried to get back to his feet, but this was going too far too fast. He needed to be reminded of his place.

Ashley was on top of him before he could get back to his feet. Her hand was wrapped around his throat as she hauled him to his feet before lifting him off the ground. With his one good hand, he beat and pounded against her arm in hopes of breaking her hold. In turn, Ashley responded by throwing her elbow at the side of his head. It slammed into him and caused his body to jerk in response. She wasn’t finished there, though. She pulled back slightly and threw a hard punch at his gut, then another, and another. She beat him like she would have a disobedient pet from days long past. After all, that was what he was behaving like. 

Time seemed to distort around her and things began to get hazy as she continued to hammer her fist into his torso and face. “Is this what you want, Jake?!” she screamed between blows, “Are you happy?! Do you see what you’ve made me do?!”

Jake didn't respond as his face swelled and his body began to bleed. That didn’t matter, though. Her questions were more rhetorical than anything. She was consumed by a fiery rage. Ever since they’d arrived in these other worlds, she’d been questioned constantly. Pam, the witch, Tellar, all of them had dared to second guess her. Who were they compared to her? What business was it of theres what she did with Jake? He was hers, he belonged to her, and it was her responsibility to keep him safe. Because they didn’t understand that didn’t give them the right to doubt her! It was because of them, because of Jake, that she was having to dole out such harsh punishments.

She finally stopped after an untold amount of time and glared at her broken puppy lover, “Look what you’ve made me do, Jake…why is it so hard for you to see that I am doing this because I love you?!”

“Ash,” Jake’s voice echoed in the back of her mind, but it was like a distant whisper as she stared at the bleeding, broken boy in her hand.

Rebecca had finally managed to land the deciding blow against the man in the coat. He’d tried to capitalize on a potential opening, but she had left the opening on purpose. It was a feint that he fell for, and she managed to sink her claws into his chest before he knew what hit him. She ripped him in half and tossed his body to the side. As she reverted to her human form, she glanced over at Courtney who seemed to be struggling with the potions expert. Rebecca frowned as she decided to intervene and give her ally the edge she needed to end this.

Courtney had been exchanging blows and blocks against the robed woman. Every action she made was either blocked or countered entirely before she could land a blow. The only advantage was that she was able to stave off any incoming attacks from this woman as well. It wasn’t much, but at least it meant she wasn’t getting her ass handed to her. After another unsuccessful punch, she noticed the masked woman suddenly lose her balance. She frowned but didn’t bother to question it. She needed to end this while she had the chance. She charged forward and launched a combination attack to send the vile woman over the edge once and for all.

Courtney hit her with three punches to the chest and a spinning roundhouse kick that popped her into the air. Thinking on her feet, Courtney grabbed her grappling gun again and fired it at the woman’s ankles. The wire wrapped around her feet, and Courtney flipped the switch to retract it again. She stepped forward and swung her arms in an arc that sent the woman flying towards the edge of the cliffs. She released the line and threw one of her last birdarangs at her. It was one of her exploding ones, and it detonated the second it connected. The woman was sent flying unconscious over the edge, and their fight was finally over. 

It should have been a moment of triumph, but the sound of Jake’s voice screaming hateful demands filled the air. Courtney and Rebecca looked over at their uneasy ally as she stood still with her arm raised as though she was holding someone. Her hand was empty, but Courtney knew that type of hold. She’d experienced it from plenty of evil doers in the past. Regardless of if someone was there or not, Ashley believed she was holding someone tightly. It was when she screamed Jake’s name that she felt a chill run down her spine. Instinct kicked in and she moved to stand in front of Jake by the console who was trying his best not to cower in fear.

Rebecca frowned as she felt waves of anger, frustration, misery, and hate rolling off of Ashley and Jake. She knew those feelings all too well, and while she couldn’t see what was happening in Ashley’s mind, she recognized the tone and the words. This was a woman that had been pushed too far; a woman that was clinging onto sanity in a losing battle. As much as she knew it would infuriate Ashley, this was a version of herself that she’d been only a short year ago. She had to do something.

Ashley was about to throw another punch when she felt a strong hand clasp around her forearm. She glared at whoever dared to intervene, and she wasn’t surprised to find that it was none other than the witch. “Unhand me, you vile whore,” Ashley warned, “This is between me and my-”

“Beloved?” Rebecca finished with an upward inflection, “Do you hear yourself, Ashley? Do you hear who you sound like?”

Ashley frowned as she pieced together just what Rebecca was insinuating, “Don’t you dare compare me to the likes of you. I am nothing like you!”

“Tell that to the man you’re punishing for existing, and tell it to his doppelganger that is terrified right now,” Rebecca countered, refusing to relinquish her hold.

Ashley’s spirit had taken a deeper root in Jake’s body. So much so that his eyes had shifted to a shade of crimson. She looked back at the body in her hand and froze when she realized that he was gone. She shook her head and looked around to see where he had gone. Her eyes landed on Courtney and Jake in the distance. Courtney stood in front of Jake in a protective manner, and he was currently cowering behind her. Had she really gone that far? Was he truly so afraid of her that he wouldn’t look at her?

“What do you think?” Jake asked, from off to the side, he stood with a look of disbelief and anger etched on his face, “This is your definition of protection, Ash?”

Ashley shook her head and ripped her hand away from Rebecca. She swallowed as she looked at everyone before casting her eyes down. “This is just a small setback,” she muttered before glaring up at the group, “This will end soon enough. We don’t have time for this, do we? Pam needs our help, and Beth is still in danger.”

Rebecca frowned and sighed, “This isn’t over. Once we rescue Elizabeth, we are dealing with what this is. I will not let you go down the same path that I-”

“Do not act like you give a damn about me,” Ashley scoffed, pushing past her and leading the way towards where Beth was being held, “You can lie to everyone else, but you will not lie to me, witch.”

“It isn’t about me caring about you,” Rebecca growled, following after her into the darkness, “It is about caring about him. I will not let you put him through the same torment that I put him through. He has been through enough without that. He trusted you once, I suggest you do the same now, Ashley.”

Ashley didn’t respond. She marched forward to finish out the rest of their plan. It didn’t matter to her that the witch had any semblance of sense in her words. She would be damned if she was going to be shown up by that undead harlot. They would work together to save Beth, and then she would ensure that Jake was safe and sound. Then and only then would she relinquish control. It wouldn’t be much longer now. At least, that was what she kept telling herself and Jake.