Second Strike

Chapter 9: Sparks

Dr. George Gregory stands before his students, imparting a lesson about sparks, "Sparks, even though they may appear as nothing more than dangerous individuals capable of swift destruction, they are more than that!" He paces around the classroom while his students diligently jot down his words. Continuing his lecture, he emphasizes, "They possess a strong sense of unity, caring for each other as if their lives depended on it. In a situation where they must choose between one of their kind or 20 of us..." Dr. Gregory returns to his desk, concluding, "They will choose their kind."

The scene shifts, revealing Cloke collapsing in an alleyway, and Light gradually regaining consciousness. Light looks around, alarmed, and hurries to Cloke's side, urgently calling out, "Kid!" He checks Cloke's breathing and takes a sigh of relief upon confirming his well-being. Gently, Light helps Cloke sit up, preventing him from lying on the ground. Light then searches for his phone, his expression turning anxious as he realizes it's missing, muttering, "Oh no..."

Cloke weakly awakens, and Light approaches him with concern, urgently inquiring, "Kid! Do you have my phone?" Cloke responds weakly, "No..."

Nearby, beside the injured Ares, whose arm is shattered, Light's cracked phone lies on the ground. The Unity attends to Ares, while two other Pantheon members, Hephas and Kronos, observe the situation. Hephas queries about Ares's condition, and a Unity guard speculates that an implosion occurred within Ares's arm, possibly due to an inner spark. Surrounding the scene, angry onlookers shout phrases like "Kill the sparks!" and "Look at what they did!"

Observing the devastation, which includes damaged cars, fires, and injured citizens, Hephas and Kronos engage in conversation. Kronos presents a grim perspective to Hephas, stating, "See, Hephas? This is what we fight for..."

Abruptly, a spike emerges from the floor, impaling Hephas on her left shoulder from behind. Kronos rushes to her aid, and Ares's cry rings out after Hephas moves him to safety. Guards swiftly draw their weapons as smoke bombs engulf the area.

As the smoke clears, a woman retrieves Light's bloodied and cracked phone. Sparks of electricity emit from her, indicating her powers. The smoke gradually dissipates, revealing Maria standing amidst two other spark users. Maria allows the phone to slip from her grasp and asks with intensity, "What have you done to him..."

Before Ares can respond, Kronos declares, "Gone... both of them!" Consumed by rage and acting on pure impulse, Maria charges recklessly at Kronos. However, Kronos makes a circular motion with his hands, causing the very car that Ares had thrown earlier to hurtle back, striking Maria.

The other two spark users attempt to attack Kronos, but he coldly dismisses them, stating, "I don't want to play with you guys." He touches both of their shoulders, and they start aging backward until reverting to children.

As Maria moves the car away, she witnesses Kronos gripping the necks of the two now-child spark users. She is in disbelief, her thoughts racing with fear, "He didnt have this ability before... something is off!" Kronos then remarks, "Let's add more tension to this!" He proceeds to immediately break their necks, returning them to their adult forms. 

Maria screams in horror, "No!"

Spikes erupt from the ground, filling the streets. Hephas rushes to assist Ares, ensuring he is unharmed by the spikes, though Unity guards are impaled. Kronos remains unscathed by Maria's attempts to strike him.

Undeterred, Maria sprints toward Kronos, fueled by anger, her fist poised to strike. However, she is suddenly slowed and finds her punch restrained. Kronos looks at her with a sinister smile, his laughter echoing, "This is the leader of the sparks?! The great Maria, who managed to kill a Pantheon member in the past?"

Maria's eyes well up with tears as thoughts of Light's possible demise haunt her. Kronos's laughter subsides, and he adopts a cold, monotone voice, chillingly stating, "Your anger killed you."

The scene shifts, and we see Maria and Light strolling in a park before they settle down to enjoy ice cream. They appear younger and more content. Maria breaks the silence, asking, "Hey, can I ask you a question?" 

Light smirks and responds, "If it's what I think it is, then the answer is yes!" 

Playfully, Maria challenges him, "Oh yeah? What do you think it is?!"

Light gazes at her with a warm smile and replies, "After all of this nightmare ends, I will marry you, Maria." 

Maria laughs and retorts, "Ha! Not even close!" She playfully takes a bite of her ice cream.

 Light shifts his gaze to the moon and reflects, "I will never stop fighting... even if you give up, even if circumstances prevent us from being together, Maria." 

He tenderly takes her hand and kisses it, declaring, "I fight for a future together."

As the memory unfolds, Maria begins to age rapidly, while Kronos laughs maniacally at her deterioration. 

Maria's thoughts turn inward, "I'm sorry, Light... I never took you seriously..." She gazes at the sky, where the moon replaces the sun. Memories of a young and smiling Light appear where Kronos stands.

Regret fills Maria's heart as she crumbles to the ground, whispering, "I never said... I love you..." Her final thoughts, tinged with sorrow, reflect the complexity of her choices and the weight of her responsibilities.

People gather around, staring at Maria's aged body laying on the ground. 

Kronos turns her demise into a macabre spectacle, addressing the onlookers, "Ladies and gentlemen! This woman right here is the leader of the sparks!" 

The crowd grows, picking up objects from the ground.

 Kronos continues his inflammatory rhetoric, "The one responsible for this destruction! The deaths of close members at the hands of sparks! It all comes back to her!"

Hephas approaches Kronos, voicing her concern, "This is too much, Kronos! We are not supposed to do this!" 

Kronos strides away toward a Unity helicopter that has just arrived, dismissing Hephas's words. "But I do. They deserve to take revenge into their own hands," he retorts, tapping Hephas on the shoulder and shouting, "Let's go!"

As people gather around Maria, she smiles while looking at the sky, which becomes increasingly obscured by the crowd. A man raises his arm, wielding a tube, and strikes her down. The mob joins in, attacking her with various objects. From the helicopter, Hephas watches in horror as Kronos revels in the brutality.

A few minutes later, Cloke and Light return, having recovered. Upon seeing them, the crowd disperses, their hands bloodied. Cloke and Light approach Maria's lifeless body, their faces etched with grief. Light speaks softly, "No... we are... too late..."

Cloke walks toward the body, his movements devoid of words or conscious thought. Light attempts to stop him by grabbing his arm, but Cloke persists. He reaches Maria's body and surveys the grim scene. He notices that the very people he had saved from the collapsing building now stand there, armed with weapons and stained with blood.

Cloke's gaze shifts back to Maria's body. As he stares, the world around him darkens, reminiscent of his near-death experience at the warehouse. The dog reappears, this time in a darker shade of blue with red dots. Cloke's mind churns as he mentally converses with the dog, "I think I'm starting to get it."

Images from his textbook and classroom lessons materialize around him, forming a surreal backdrop.

"Spark honor," he muses as the figures around him transform into nightmarish shapes.

"Sparks and humans... are not the same," he intones, invoking an image of his parents. Amidst this mental swirl, the dog barks, prompting a response from Cloke, "Hm."

Cloke shifts his gaze toward Light, who is surrounded by people brandishing bloodied weapons. Cloke's voice is devoid of emotion as he contemplates, "Should..."

The world fades to black as he continues, "Should we kill them?"