Cyberspace; The Ultimus Collection

Chapter 31, Fall of the Forgotten

Dread, fear, hopelessness. All emotions that rushed through everyone's blood. Grief, anguish, despair. Catalysts for the chill that ran down each and every nerve and spine. Panic, unease, torment. Was all that they had worked towards for not? Alyson began to make her approach forward. A single step made towards Vincent, a feeble attempt to save his life. 

"Get back!" He shouted, somehow able to overcome the constricting force of Leech's tail. Alyson recoiled in horror. Leech cackled. 

"Oh, this is great!" He mocked. "Everything is finally coming together!" 

"Why are you doing this? What do you want?!" Alyson shrieked. 

"I'm finally going to make do on my purpose in life! I am going to achieve perfection and then continue to kill and feed on every last life form in this universe! That is what he made me to do, so that is what I am going to do!" 

"Listen, you want food? You wanna feed? I can get you some free meals! I can maybe just let you go free and let you do your thing! Just let him go! Please!" Alyson continued to beg.

"Alyson!" Derick scolded. 

"Look I'm sorry. I just... I-" 

"You're going to sacrifice countless innocent lives?!" 

"We just got him back, Derick!" Alyson cried. "I can't lose him again!" Tears streamed down her face.  Leech continued to burst out in horrendous laughter. 

"This is truly something special! Not only do I get everything I want, but I also get to watch you guys tear each other apart! I get to bear witness to your heroic alliance crumbling away!" Daniel started to create a weapon in his hands.

"That's enough Leech! Let him go!" 

"I would put the brakes on the heroisms, boy-wonder. Because if you take just one step closer you won't get the chance to say your goodbye's." Daniel reluctantly backed off and dissociated the weapon he was manifesting. "Speaking of which..." Leech kicked the back of Vincent's legs, forcing him to kneel. "Get started!" Vincent looked around at his former allies and friends. Some couldn't stand to watch what was to come, while others couldn't look away. Vincent struggled to muster up the right words, but as he looked into the welled-up eyes of Alyson, he knew just what to say. All he could think when he starred into her tear-filled eyes was all that he had done, all that he had hurt, and one simple phrase. 

"I'm sorry..." He uttered softly. Then, without warning, Leech dove into Vincent's neck, sinking his teeth deep within his tissue. Alyson gasped and covered her mouth. Leech jerked his head, ripping out a chunk of Vincent's flesh and flinging his lifeless body to the side. 

"And that's all she wrote ladies and gentlemen!" Leech jested, licking his newly stained teeth and lips. Vincent's body twitched slightly as the rest of his blood pooled and poured out from his wound. "Now if you'll excuse me, I have a date with destiny!" Leech began to laugh like a mad man. Belting out and howling into the wind. "Yes! YES! I FEEL... I feel..." However, his pride and triumph soon turned to confusion and frustration. "The same... Why do I feel the same!?" 

"Maybe you were always perfect on the inside?" Daniel tried to reason.

"No, jackass! No, I was not!" Leech looked down at his hands and began to flex them in bewilderment. "I did everything right! I consumed the blood of my creator! I gained more power and broke through my limits by consuming your idiot race's flesh!" 

"Wait." Daniel wondered. "Are you sure you broke through your limits?"

"What the hell are you on about, brat?!" 

"Hey yeah! Your power doesn't feel too much different than when we first fought you." Derick realized. Leech gained a thousand-yard stare. Now who's efforts were all in vain? Was it the guardians failing to save their comrade's life? Or was it him failing to reach his most desired state? 

"No..." He muttered. "I can still fix this." Leech stood up straight and looked around at everyone before him. "...bye!" In a flash, Leech flew off into the distance, up and away from the fight. 

"What the?!" Daniel shouted.

"After him!" Derick commanded. "Don't let him get away!" Daniel and G-1 rushed after Leech, desperately hoping they could intercept him and prevent any more deaths. Derick was quick to follow them, but stopped when he glanced back over his shoulder. Alyson, frozen in place. She was like a deer in headlights, petrified by fear and grief. "Hey, Alyson?" She snapped out of her trace, and put her attention on Derick, however her mind was still focused on the tragedy she had just witnessed. 

"Yeah?"

"Don't worry. We'll get him back." Derick resumed his dash after Leech, determined to catch up and provide backup to his fellow guardians. Alyson hesitated for a moment, but she too followed after the parasite, stepping over the body of her lost friend.