"Don't come one step closer," Sparrow ordered Jeremy who was now just an arm's length away. She held out a shadow blade in his direction to keep him at a distance.
Jeremy chuckled and grabbed hold of the pointed end of it. The blade had no effect and he let his hand simmer in the burning dark energy to show her how powerless she was against him.
"How adorable that you have your girlfriend here to fight your battles little bro."
Sparrow began to snarl at him, like a wolf showing its teeth before it bites. "So what now? Are you here to stop us from keeping the world safe from the monsters you have aligned yourself with?"
"You think I'm going to believe anything you two say to me? I think it's more than clear that you're the ones with ill intentions."
"Liar!" She shouted while inching closer, her blade pointed at his heart.
Jeremy nodded his head side to side. "Enough, I don't have time for this. Since both of you are here it's clear that you deduced the location of the Nexus Orb. But If you think for even one second that I'll let either one of you get your hands on it then you are dead wrong."
Sparrow and James looked at one another and then back at Jeremy. "We don't know where it is," she attempted to explain.
Jeremy cut her off. "It doesn't matter. Either way, I'm not going to let you hold the world hostage with the Orb's powers. It's clear to me it's no longer safe in its current location so I'll be recovering it for safekeeping."
Jeremy's eyes began to glow a bright and blinding red hue. Moments later a stream of high-powered laser erupted from them and shot into the ground below. A massive hole began to form, extending down for countless miles.
The laser stream cut off and Jeremy flew down into the molten tube he had created.
James looked over to Sparrow. "What just happened?"
She shrugged her shoulders. "I have no clue! What do you think he plans to do with the Orb?"
James started down into the hole. A faint orange glow shimmered from its depths, like a furnace sending light out into the dim night sky.
Kazav chimed in with a warning. "James there has been something I have been wanting to tell you but I wasn't sure of it until now."
"Really? What is it Kazav? Does it have something to do with the Orb?"
"Actually it has something to do with your brother. You see kid, I have been worried about Jeremy ever since we first encountered him. I got a dark and sinister vibe from him as he always gave off an inhuman quality. I could never pinpoint why until now."
"Why?" James asked sullenly.
Kazav let out a sigh. "It's because I don't think he is a human."
"That's impossible," James remarked. "I grew up with him. My parents would have said something to me. He would have said something to me! How in the world could he not be human?"
"Maybe they didn't know? Memories can be manipulated quite easily if one knows how to do it. An alien of superior power would have no trouble with such a trivial task."
"But that makes no sense!" James cried out. "Sure, he is incredibly powerful even by a hero's standards but that's hardly a reason to be suspicious."
"I'm not saying that it's true. All I'm saying is if it is true it could explain why I don't pick up the typical energy waves from him that I should. All humans share a signature pattern in their life force that I can detect. When I look at Jeremy I don't see one."
Kazav continued to theorize as James tried to search his past for answers. "Maybe that's why all of the sudden Jeremy's behavior changed all those years ago. It could be why his power and personality became so different so abruptly."
James didn't know what to think. He remembers loving his brother so much and then losing him to his own pride and greed. He almost wanted to believe what was being said. At least then it would be a way to justify the years of pain and isolation he felt after that fateful day.
Sparrow didn't know what was happening with James. She could only wonder as he seemed to trail off into deep thought. It was as if he was conversing with someone.
"James," she called out. "Are you okay?"
He shook his head and looked back at her, or rather through her. His focus was blurred and his vision was in a daze.
"Look kid, I didn't mean to upset you. I just felt like now more than ever you needed to be confronted with the possibility."
James shook his head to try and refocus. He still didn't know what to think but he was willing to trust Kazav and figure things out later. There were far more pressing matters to attend to.
"So what do we do know?"
"Well," Kazav replied hesitantly. "I think we need to go in after him. Maybe we can beat him to the orb and keep him from doing whatever it is he is planning on doing with it?"
James looked over into the endless abyss. "You mean, down there?"
"Yup"
James nodded begrudgingly and then turned to Sparrow. He brought one of his hands up to her face and caressed her cheek with his thumb.
"Sparrow," He cooed in a warm and loving tone. "There is something I need to do, and I need you to trust me."
She pressed her face against his hand and looked into his eyes. "What is it?"
"I know you will object but I need to go down there, after my brother."
Her eyes widened. "Alone?"
"I'm afraid so. I won't let you risk your life on this."
"But I want to help you!"
He held her tight and rested his chin on her shoulder. "Please Sparrow, please trust me."
She nodded as she tried not to break down. "Okay, I trust you."
After giving her a tender kiss, he looked into her eyes and said, "I love you."
"I love you too" She whispered back through grief-filled eyes.
He gave her one last kiss and then dove down the hole. Deeper and deeper he fell until the light from above vanished and the cold darkness surrounded him.
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