A/N: This is just a few notes and a warning for you guys. This one-shot is gunna be in Lexi's Point Of Veiw the whole time and will all be memories of the past until the last section. Italics means the song I used. Not the story. Also, if anyone here is squeamish of character deaths or blood, I advice you not to read anymore. Alright? Good! Let the story begin!
Disclaimer: Do I own the Loonatics? No, I do not. Wish I did, but then again so does everyone else here. Do I own the song used in this story? Also, thats a negative. I DO NOT own it, it was made by Super Chick and is called 'Beauty From Pain' if anybody wishes to know. So please, remember to not sue me! Thanx!
Whispers In The Wind
The lights go out all around me; One last candle to keep out the night...
And then the darkness surrounds me; I know I'm alive, but I feel like I've died...
I sat in the darkness. Waiting; watching. I kept looking over my shoulder. I couldn't be captured, not that time. The plan was too close to being finished for that.
I looked over for my friend. We haven't seen or heard from him in over an hour. Dreadful thoughts entered my mind; But we had to keep moving, otherwise those thoughts would become a reality.
"C'mon Lex. We gotta go!" a deep voice said from somewhere off to my left. I didn't move when I heard my comrades rush past me; I still waited. Still followed orders.
"We can't just abandon him!" I snapped back as I felt a tug on my arm. I was turned to face who I was pretty sure is Tech.
"Lexi, Ace told us that there would be dangers and consequences in this. He also said to get out of the building as soon as we could; that there would be no turning back at any time. We can't just let him die in vain!"
I winced at those words. They stung horribly but I knew that he was right. I was pulled to my feet by my green and black clad teammate and pulled down the corridor. We reached the door but kept running; him not wanting to be near the dreadful place as much as me.
Suddenly, the ground started to shake. We fell forward on our stomachs as we turned around to gaze at the eruption. The timer had gone off. It was covered in fast spreading fire as everything around it turned ablaze. Orange, yellow and red flames reached up, trying to lick the stars themselves.
I felt my heart drop as I pulled my arm out of Tech's grasp and turned on the com-link. "Ace? Ace? Answer me!" Nothing. The scratchy sound of static hit my sensitive ears before the com-link died. My stomach sunk down even further. I watched in silent horror as the building's flame danced before my eyes. I had let this happen. I had betrayed him. I had killed my leader.
And all thats left is to accept that its over; My dreams ran like sand, through the face that I've made...
I try to keep warm, but I just grow colder; I feel like I'm slipping away...
The rest of that year, I was closed off. From my team; from my friends; from myself. I kept repeating that nightmarish mission over and over again, rethinking my actions and what I could've done to stop it.
My waking moments were filled with sorrow, regret and depression while my dreams ran wild; so that I saw the event from many different points of view. Mine; my teammates; the villain's; his... all bombarding me with more questions and eating away at my answers. Ace's face haunted my dreams; always shaking his head and saying he was disappointed in me. That I turned on him; back stabbed him. I would plead with him saying that I never meant it; I would then wake up, tears streaming down my cheeks and dampening my pillow. And when I finally came out of my slump, I regretted it full force.
As soon as I was coming around, terror struck again. This time in the form of a telepathic psychopath. He tortured us, one by one, slowly out of sanity. Making us relive our horrors and dreams. We fought our hardest. But it was no match to the power of our minds. When Duck slipped free of the maniac's grasp, he fought and defeated the man. He then went on to help us out of our own nightmares. Unfortunately, he was too late for one of us. Rev's young mind hadn't been able to control or fight off his restraints; and by the time we brought him back home, he had been lost.
And I fell back quickly into my depression.
After all this has passed, I still will remain; After I've cried my last, there'll be beauty from pain...
Though it won't be today, someday I'll hope again; And there'll be beauty from pain...
You will bring beauty from my pain...
During this period in my life, I continued to stay shut up in my own body. I never spoke of our losses; not once. Maybe that was my mistake. Maybe I should have talked about it more openly, instead of reviewing it over and over in my head. I admit, what I was doing was not the best way to deal with it. But I can tell you; during that time, my sorrow had gotten the best of me.
My whole world is the pain inside me; The best I can do is just get through the day...
My life before is only a memory; I wonder why God lets me walk through this place...
Two years later, I was trying my best to get out of my depression war. It had grown so out of hand that I went to group talkings to shrinks to doctors; trying desperately to find help. And I can proudly say that I finally beat it. I was finally able to reflect on the past without withdrawing into myself. And it was just as well too; for I'd soon find that it'd be put up to another test.
It was just another day. Normal, nice blue skies without a speck of cloud. The four of us decided to take the day off, but before it could be put into action, we got a call. It was from the Acmetroplis Army. There was an emergency down at the base. Apparently another maniac had escaped and was now destroying everything in it's path. Of course, we rushed right over and set up a plan to capture the guy. We broke out of our little huddle just in time to dodge a hover truck that had been aimed at us.
I growled inwardly as I saw another vehicle being aimed at Duck. I yelled at him to get out of the way, but it was too late. He got hit and went flying into a building along with the truck. The building they crashed into broke and crumbled, burying him in rubble. "DUCK!" I screamed, running towards him.
I never made it to him. I blacked out moments after I screamed.
And though I can't understand why this happened; I know that I will when I look back someday...
And see how you've brought, beauty from ashes; And made me as gold purified through these flames...
I had no idea how long I'd been out, but when I awoke I was in a hospital room. It was deadly quiet from lack of people and there were many soft noises of machines all around me. But despite these distractions, I heard the slow steady beat of someone's sleeping heart.
I turn my head to see brunette hair on a tanned, furry body. Cracking an eyebrow up in surprise, I woke up my older sister. "Lianna? What's going on? Why are you here? Why am I here?" She just cried and hugged me; talking to me in that 'It's alright. Your okay now. Your safe now,' older sibling voice. She then told me to get some more sleep and that she'd explain everything in the morning.
I refused and asked her the questions again. Looking at me and seeing the stubbornness in my eyes, she told me everything. From what happened after I had blacked out to when I woke up. I nod, listening slightly; for I had a bigger question on my mind. "How's Duck? Will he be okay?" I could see the pain in her eyes as she answered, "Lexi, I'm so sorry but... he didn't make it."
My heart dropped faster then a ball of lead but I felt it dangling like on a thread in my chest. "H-How's Tech and Slam? How are they taking it?" Again, sadness and pain in her eyes and voice. "Th-they took it pretty bad Lex." I froze. I asked her what she meant by, 'took it'. Tears started to fall as she then quietly explained, "You have to understand Lexi, they thought both you and Danger had died. So, they went after the man. You know, to avenge you guys." She took a deep breath, "It didn't work out as planned."
After all this has passed, I still will remain; After I've cried my last, there'll be beauty from pain...
Though it won't be today, someday I'll hope again; And there'll be beauty from pain...
You will bring beauty from my pain...
I remember bursting into tears at this. I had continued to cry my heart out until a nurse came in and stuck a needle into my arm; slowly releasing the fluid into me. My cries became softer as the drug took it's toll and put me into a heavy sleep. I can still see my sister's pain and worried face looking down at me as my eyelids fluttered before closing.
Here I am, at the end of me; Trying to hold, to what I can't see...
I forgot how to hold, this night's been so long; I cling to your promise, there will be a dawn...
The rest of my time in the hospital seemed to crawl by. I would spend many hours just starring out into space, thinking of what the future could now hold for me. Sure, my family members and old school friends came to see me, but they couldn't help. Nothing helped. I wanted my teammates; my best friends. I was convinced that them and only them would be able to help me. I had sank back into depression.
I tried desperately to hold onto them. Hearing their voices; seeing their faces. At first, I wouldn't allow anybody to touch anything at HQ. But as time moved on, so did my emotions. I was able to break away from the claws of sorrow once again as me and my sister cleaned out my office, sold what we could and moved away from the city.
We then moved into a house in an old town called Acme Acres. There, I started my full recovery; as well as trying to forget about my former life as one of Acmetroplis' finest heros. It took a couple of years, but I finally had turned around for the better.
I remembered what Zadavia had told me; that day we had lost Ace. "There might be darkness now and it might seem that it'll never end; but do not worry. Time will heal your wounds, not fully, but enough so that you can continue on. Life will be bright someday Lexi. We just have to wait."
After all this has passed, I still will remain; After I've cried my last, there'll be beauty from pain...
Though it won't be today, someday I'll hope again; And there'll be beauty from pain...
I wince as the blade is shoved deeper into my flesh. I could feel the blood trickling down my body from the wound; staining my clothes as well as everything around me.
Tears run down my cheeks as I stare up, blurringly, at my assassin's face. What stared back at me was the same cold gray eyes that had killed my five former teammates.
He pulls it out of my trembling body before throwing it to the ground; the dagger making a loud clatter as it hit the tiled floor. He gives me a final evil smirk before leaving the house; slamming the door behind him.
I fall to the floor, groaning as I taste the blood in my mouth; a puddle of the red liquid starting to form around me. My family will never find me till later, once Lianna comes back from shopping.
As I take a last breath of air, I whisper to the heavens. "See you soon guys."
You will bring beauty from my pain...
A/N: So... whatcha think? It might be a bit morbid (least thats what my friends told me) but I was bored and desprate to get out of a major writers block that I had. And, listening to sad songs didn't really lighten the mood either, huh? Oh well. Lets try to get on a happier topic, kay? Before I start crying and banging my head on the desk for writing this. Ooh, I know! How about reviews? Tell me whatcha thought of it! Or even if it made you cry a bit, or did it bring up some questions and thoughts in your mind. Anything, I just don't wanna be alone in the dark anymore... -looks around nervously-