We last read Chapter 12, in which Imperator Barrows and his sidekick Rogue learn of Specter and T.J.'s encounter with three of his vandal subordinates in the rear yard behind the Beheaded Bengal Saloon. Despite now knowing that an enhanced individual is potentially on his trail—and that Barrows is behind the Citadel's discord—he ultimately dismisses Specter as a threat for the time being and claims she's nothing more than a temporary thorn in their sides, even refusing a personal offer from Rogue to go after her herself. Instead, he simply chooses to await the next shipment of weapons—due to arrive at an off-site supply hub the following morning—to launch another attack.
Meanwhile, Specter dozes off on the way to the Midaquet Bridge, the next stop on her and T.I.'s investigation. In her dreams, she's visited yet again by the mysterious voice who seems intent on urging her to commit more violence in her endeavors; though it is pleased with Specter's actions from the Beheaded Bengal Saloon, it also points out that she could've done more. It promises to reveal itself fully if Specter agrees to spill more blood, and rebuffs the spectral superheroine's claims that she's trying to "quit" violence while also belittling and demeaning King Ryker at the same time. Specter then apologizes for letting the voice down before it coldly sends her away and back to the real world, stating that they will meet again the following night and that it had better be powered up more by then.
This time, Specter awakens, informs T.J. about the full extent of her plan, and begins putting it into motion.....
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-En Route To Midaquet Bridge, Rusted Citadel, Asia-
Specter suddenly jolted awake in the front passenger's seat of her own sleek silver convertible, her eyes widened with shock and her lungs hyperventilating as she struggled to gather herself once more. Her hands gripped tightly onto the armrests, and it looked like she was sweating profusely.
Her panting was very obvious and pronounced, as though she had somehow finished a marathon despite having sat in a car seat the entire time. Her eyes darted all around her, double-checking to ensure she was still where she was at the beginning of the dream.
When she snapped back to attention, though, she ended up startling T.J. as well, who yelped in confusion and alarm before slamming his right foot on the convertible's brake and bringing it to a very abrupt stop in the middle of the road; thankfully, it was a very late hour, and not many other vehicles were out.
T.J. then shut off the engine, unbuckled his seatbelt, and waved his left hand up and down in front of Specter's face, trying to rouse her from her shocked state.
"Specter! Specter!" T.J. called emotionally. "Moody! Can you hear me?!"
Specter blinked, shook her head a few times to bring herself back to lucidity, then turned in T.J.'s direction.
"Oh.....hey," she greeted, still somewhat shaken. "Thanks.....I needed that."
"What happened?" T.J. asked concernedly. "You have some kind of nightmare or something?"
"I—" Specter began before falling silent amidst a bout of indecisiveness, trying to figure out whether she should tell him about her two "nightmare episodes". About how she had been tempted by a mysterious voice to give in to temptation and commit as much violence as possible; to spill enough blood to summon it and, earlier, promising her a reward in turn.
Ultimately, she decided to keep all of it a secret.
"I wasn't having a nightmare," Specter somewhat fibbed. "Something happened in my dream that just.....surprised me, that's all."
YOU ARE READING
Specter
Teen Fiction~PARAGON CINEMATIC UNIVERSE: PHASE 3, BOOK 2~ *This novel serves as the 2nd novel of Phase 3 and a sequel to "Spark of the Rebellion".* "War is part of nature, and it's time that you accept that. When we return this Citadel to its warring state...
