Jason's Dream

The dream is always the same. I have it every time I close my eyes. Ever since the night Nathan turned.

The chapel is made of stone. Indecipherable runes that are still somehow menacing in their meaning cover the walls. Torches and fire flicker everywhere. An altar with a summoning portal mounted on the wall behind it. Demons everywhere. And him. Styrm. Standing at the altar. Waiting. A smug look on his face.

All around me, my friends and allies are dead. The Futura Force is there. Blood, Em, Kit, Red, Scott, Thad... even StarWyng. Bodies torn apart and burned. Bloodshot is trying to pull together, but some demon keeps tearing him back apart. Blood everywhere. Keen Frost, a charred skeleton, icicles still clinging to his bones. Fyre Hex... lying on the floor... her eyes open and staring... but lifeless... like the old woman...

And me. I'm alive, but have no strength left. My body has melted out from under me. I can see... hear... smell... but I cannot move. Cannot summon my powers.

And then they walk into the room. Nathan, dressed in browns with dark hair, and Lodestar, wearing the same face, but dressed in blue with snow-white hair. Nathan is carrying Jennifer. She is struggling weakly, and I hear bones popping and snapping as he holds her tighter. Jack... Lodestar just shakes his head, trailing behind Nathan, doing nothing but disapproving.

The demons are violating the corpses of my friends. Breaking... burning... eating... playing... all for my benefit as they look to be sure I'm watching.

And Nathan passes the broken form of my daughter to Styrm. Styrm grins that vile, simpering grin he uses... and fires a quantum cannon through Nathan and Lodestar. They die with a surprised look on their re-united face.

Styrm raises the knife... and a demon begins to peel the skin off of my back...

...and I wake up. Screaming. Hurting. Bleeding.

The dream is always the same. I have it every time I close my eyes. Ever since the night Nathan turned.