Hey guys! I know, it's been WEEKS since I last updated this, but you can tell this chapter has been real hard to churn out, and I wanted to write it right.

Abby McCarny you'll probably appear in the next chapter but don't worry, near the end I promise you'll have as big as a role as the others!

Chapter 12: The Battle Begins

GEORGE'S POV

The entire afternoon had been absolutely wonderful. I didn't need to read Alexis' mind (well, actually, I could, but…yeah.) to know that she felt like she was on the top of the world.

"Come on George, let's go in there!" She pulled my hand like an excited child as we entered a really colorfully decorated shop. I couldn't judge her, though. I mean, who wouldn't want to tour George Harrison around, or any other Beatle for that matter?

Little key chains and several other types of ornaments hung around the walls and ceilings. Just like Starkiller and Anjali's super-energy storage room, they were in every color, shape and size, and some had "effects" with them.

"So, was there anything you wanted to get in particular?" I asked Alexis. She turned around and smiled at me.

"Actually, I was hoping that you'd pick something!"

I waved it off. "Naah, it's alright with me. You're free to get whatever you like." Sure I liked a little decoration here and there, but usually I only took stuff that had a true purpose, and wasn't merely for being eyed upon. If something was useful to me, I'd take it.

"Hey hey hey, what do we have here?" Alexis questioned in a sing-song voice that grabbed my attention. Before I could walk over to her myself she grabbed whatever the thingy was and showed it to me, placing it on the palm of her hand.

"It's a…err…what is it?" I cluelessly asked.

Alexis rolled her eyes "It's a tiny little conch shell. And since you mentioned you like useful stuff, well, my friend. Aside from this being a lovely decoration for your aquatic endeavors, this plays the part of a musical instrument as well, and if I'm not mistaken that's your profession, am I right Mr. Harrison?" She pulled of the best "annoying-novelty-item-saleswoman" I could've ever imagined.

I couldn't help but laugh at how appalled I must've looked. I was pretty sure that my pupils enlarged and my jaw hung open. Of course, she laughed as well.

After a fit of chuckles she spoke up. "So, your verdict. Take it or leave it?" When she looked into my eyes at that moment, I realized that she wasn't just playing with me. She wanted to give it to me as a gift. A token of remembrance, before the time came when I had to…

"It's okay, George," She smiled and I probably surprised her when I pulled her into a hug. A couple of shop-goers took a glance at us then went back to whatever they were doing, but it didn't really matter to either of us.

I shook my head. "No, you don't have to-"

"George, it was your 70th birthday," Alexis started with a slightly stern tone. "And out of all people, I think that you deserve people who care about you."

She paused, slowly handing out the shell to me. "Happy Birthday," she smirked.

I grinned and took the thing in my hands, first cupping it then placing it in the pocket of the jacket I was wearing.

"Thank you-"

We heard a loud noise from the outside and quickly turned around to see people running for their lives, some crouching and hiding, crying hysterically, and yelling in anarchy. There was smoke-no, not super-energy smoke-smoke produced from fire-billowing from down the road, the road where we came from.

I let my instincts take over me and I grabbed Alexis hand, dragging her out of the building.

"What's happening?!" She cried out. I could feel every part of her body shaking and she was starting to tear up.

"I don't know, but we have to keep moving. We have to get John," My voice was terribly shaky and I said no more. We ran as fast as we could, hurdling over debris and dodging flames. Alexis' home was too far down the block and we would have fainted if we ran the whole way.

I stopped near a tree and leant against it. My knees felt that they would buckle at any given moment and I grasped for breath.

"Alexis, if we go by foot we can't make it in time. I have to-"

"But George! People will see you!" She argued.

"What does it matter anymore?" I shouted in frustration. I grabbed her before she could say anything and shot up into the sky.

I closed my eyes and scanned for John. I checked the house itself first, and a huge lump in my throat formed.

There wasn't a house.

All that was left was a giant pile of wood, glass, and whatever was in it, all enflamed.

I didn't have the heart to tell Alexis, not just yet. Maybe later, after the whole thing blew over…

I scanned all the places nearby, but John wasn't in plain sight.

C'mon, you bastard, where are you?

I suddenly felt Alexis' grip tighten on me her fingernails digging into my arms.

"G-G-George…" She sounded like she'd seen a ghost.

Wait a minute…a ghost…!

I quickly turned around to see a huge ball of fire about to hit me smack in the face, and it did. I shut my eyes in pain and down we went, crashing to the ground.

"George!" Alexis started to sob and shake my body.

I forced myself to sit up and some places on my face felt stingy.

"Where did that flame ball come from…" The dreaded answer dawned on me without having to search for it. There was only one person I knew who could create one…

"George, it was-"

"-John." I finished. But why had he done it? Nothing had happened when we left him to go out. We were having fun. What, did his bipolar arse have a mood swing again? Did he lose his patience waiting for us to come home? Did his rash start acting up again?

"…it was the rash!" I burst out and buried my face in my hands. "I should have known better…"

Alexis' expression turned from frightened to quizzical. "What does John's rash have to do with all this?"

"I read about it in a book up above. An itching rash was a sign of a person being infected with dark-super energy. Remember when he said something liquid fell on his shoulder?"

She gasped. "It all makes sense now!"

My eyes were starting to sting again, but this time they weren't the burns. They were tears, warm tears welling up my eyes.

Alexis went nearer to me and pat my back. "No George, don't cry."

"I'm sorry Alexis, this is my entire fault. If only I hadn't shrugged John's irritation off, this wouldn't have happened in the first place."

She hugged me, and her presence seemed to calm me down a little. I tried my best to stifle my tears and stood up.

"I'm going after him."

Alexis' eyes widened in horror, but I didn't understand why. "No, it's too dangerous!"

I managed to give her a smile. "Alexis, we're already dead. Sure it won't be easy, but it's worth an infinite amount of tries."

She went deep into thought for a while then stood up. "Alright then."

I felt for the conch in my pocket and thankfully, it was still there, completely intact.

"Goodbye."

"…Goodbye." I turned around and was about to launch up again when Alexis called me one last time.

"George?"

I didn't turn around, knowing that I would change my mind. "…Yeah?"

"I just wanted to let you know that these past few days have been the best thing that's ever happened to me."

I quickly nodded my head, and left before she could see the tears trickling down my face.

As I flew and the wind blew in my hair, I had to keep reminding myself that the villain wasn't John. The villain wasn't John…

I remembered how we said that we promised to take Alexis to the concert. That we would see Starkiller and Anjali again, and teach them about the after-life. That we would pay the band another visit. That Sam, and possibly her friend Amethyst, and Anna would be looking forward to seeing us.

But less than an hour ago, all of those hopes were wiped in an instant. Then the most peculiar thought came to me.

Why did John get in contact with dark super-energy in the first place?

ALEXIS' POV

I ran to my house, or more specifically what was left of it. As soon as I got there I crumbled to the floor, not being able to control my emotions any longer.

I had lost everything. I couldn't return to school, I had no way of seeing my friends ever again. I had nowhere to live, and I didn't even know if my parents would even bother to return. I started to feel that the real reason they took a vacation was to abandon me.

I lifted my head, my eyes still blurry and I spotted something reflecting the light towards me. Building my courage, I trudged through the wood and broken ceramics…

My plates…

I reached whatever it was and removed the dirt that was burying it. When I finally uncovered it, my heart fluttered and I got a little spark of hope.

It was John and George's transmission radio, nearly broken but still repairable.

"Alexis!" I heard a familiar voice call. I turned around to see Starkiller and Anjali rushing to my side.

"Hey guys! What's become of your house?"

"A little damage on the side, but still fit for living," Starkiller snappily replied.

"And something more important, we saw everything," Anjali lowered her voice, her gaze turning dark.

I shook my head. "Please don't remind me about it, guys. I know John blew some stuff up-"

"Alexis," Starkiller interrupted. "We saw what happened."

She sounded like she was talking about someone other than John. "What're you talking about?"

They told me the whole story, and after they were done I was completely speechless. It wasn't what George and I thought. We had misunderstood the whole thing.

I stood up, firm and furious. "Guys, pack your bags. I'll need to borrow your phone to call my friend. She's coming with us."

Anjali held up her hands. "Wait, where are we going?"

I paused for a while. I really hoped this was the right choice. If we did this, we could probably save a couple of prominent lives.

"England. We're going to England."