Generations

Chapter 24: Strike of the Annihilator

Chapter 24: Strike of the Annihilator

“What’s going on up there?” Heather asked as they saw the flashing lights, heard the explosions, even back in the woods.

‘I don’t know,” Simon said, wanting to fly up higher so he could at least see what was going on, but he was afraid bringing out his wings would alert the Nightwings to his presence. He’d been able to fly up to a branch about 15 feet off the ground when Jason ran off, but then brought is wings back in, hoping that would make it so they wouldn’t notice him. He wanted to see though; he wanted to help knowing that Jason and his mom could be in real danger, but here he was, just hiding and hoping things would be all right.

“Who’s that running toward us?” Heather said, noticing a figure who seemed to appear out of nowhere now running toward them

“Guys, are you okay,” she asked, causing Heather to realize just who it was. It was her cousin that she hadn’t seen in nearly a year.

“Ashley!” Heather yelled, running to her, wrapping her arms around her and nearly squeezing the life out of her. But as she did so, she noticed what kind of shape her friend is in, her face and arms were covered with bruises and cuts, and Ashley winced as Heather’s grasp grew tighter. “What happened?”

“The Nightwings didn’t like it when I wouldn’t listen to them,” she said looking down, her body still sore, but she couldn’t worry about that now, especially now that she knew what was going on with her family. How she wasn’t the only one unfortunate enough to be the Nightwing’s target.

“They took you too?” Simon asked. He had flown down to the ground out of sight before walking to his sister and cousin so that Ashley wouldn’t know what he was.

“Yep, and they’re here for you again.”

“Why me?” Simon asked, feeling terrible that they were always after him, that his family kept having to put themselves in danger.

“It’s something about us, that we have the power to free the Nightwings from their imprisonment. We have some kind of powers that they need, and they’ll stop at nothing to have. It’s confusing, but we can’t let them win,” Ashley said looking into Simon’s eyes. He saw the desperation in her gaze, the pain she experienced, and the fear that she could be going back.

He wasn’t sure if he wanted to show her what he had become; she hated the Nightwings, with good reason, but if he was one of them, then what did that say about him? Was he just as evil? He hadn’t killed anyone; he’d never hurt a soul, but could that change? Was it only a matter of time before he became like them?

“What does…” he gulped, terrified at what he might lay within him should it have a chance to get out. But he still had to accept it, he was a Nightwing, good or evil, he wasn’t sure yet, but the transformation had already taken place, and there was no way he knew to go back.

He let the dark power course though him, feeling his wings unfold behind him, even letting them take him into the air.

“N-no way,” Ashley said, afraid, horrible sensations overcoming her again. The Nightwings, what they did to her, she shuddered at the thought; she was supposed to be free now, and they couldn’t be back, not this close.

“Ashley, he’s still Simon,” Heather said.

“I won’t hurt you, I promise,” Simon said. He reached out his hand to Ashley who stepped back.

“Can it still be you?” she asked, still shaking at having a Nightwing so close to her.

Simon wondered what they had done to her, to make her this afraid. He knew how bad they were, but he wasn’t one of them, he only looked like it a bit. He wasn’t going to just change into one of them, he’d never hurt people like that, knowing how much her pain bothered her, he knew that he wasn’t like the other Nightwings.