"Future Rewoven" Book 3 of "Secrets Unraveled" Trilogy |COMPLETED|

Chpt 44: One Last Chance.

Lady Viper watched the fighting from behind Rena's illusion as she worriedly glanced at her bracelet.  Almost three minutes have passed!  Is she not coming?  Maybe I shouldn't have trusted her!  As that last thought went through her head, she heard the elevator and looked up to see Maya.  When the doors opened she quietly called Maya's name and motioned her over.

"I read your note, but I don't understand why I can't just give you the earrings now," said Maya.

"Because I'm not sure that it won't interfere with my ability to reset time.  I don't want to chance it.  Now, there's no more time to waste," Lady Viper whispered to Maya.  "In a minute, sneak over to the left and position your holographic projector as a diversion.  Start it up remotely.  Take your freeze ray and try to get a lock on Gabriel, approaching him from behind when he hopefully investigates the spider and then freeze him.  The others know the plan and will try to back you up!  Got it?"

Maya nodded nervously, but quickly crept to the position Lady Viper indicated to set up her projector.  She ran back to the protection of the illusion and remotely started up the projector, causing the spider to appear.  Now they just needed to wait for Gabriel to make a move!

The screech of the spider caught Gabriel's attention and his eyes drifted in the direction of the spider as he continued to block the three superheroes' attacks on him.  He started to stride toward the spider while Rena, Carapace, and Cheval Noir tried to prevent his movements to keep him distracted from the true plan.  Maya tip-toed out of hiding and got in position behind the three superheroes, training her freeze ray on Gabriel.

Gabriel stopped in front of the spider and then thrust a hand through the image.  "Did you really expect me to fall for this?  I've already seen a full story about this 'spider' on the news and how it never posed a danger to the city!"

He abruptly turned around to face the superheroes, his cat ears twitching.

The three closed ranks to keep Maya from being seen, but collectively gasped when Gabriel sprinted not toward them, but toward the illusion that Lady Viper hid behind.  Gabriel reached an arm through the illusion, clamped an arm around Lady Viper, and picked her up, forcefully slamming her against his side.  Lady Viper furiously fought against Gabriel's hold on her, dropping the lyre in the process, but was unable to overcome his much greater strength. 

Lady Viper started to panic when she realized she could no longer reach her bracelet.  She wouldn't be able to reset time!

Cheval Noir, Rena, Carapace, and Maya cautiously watched Gabriel as he slowly circled them.  Unable to ignore the panic on Lady Viper's face any longer, Cheval Noir ran straight toward Gabriel, leaping to try to knock him off balance, but Gabriel easily caught him and threw him across the room.  Cheval Noir landed hard on the ground, knocking the wind out of him.

Maya didn't know what to do. She'd never been in a fight like this before, but she came here to help and she was at least going to try! She aimed the freeze ray at Gabriel and Lady Viper and just as she started to pull the trigger, Gabriel jumped over, quickly grabbed her hand and turned the ray back on her, freezing Maya with a horrified expression on her face. He then smashed the the freeze ray onto the ground so it couldn't be used against him later.

"Well, well, well!  Just who is this?" said Gabriel calmly as he took in the young woman's appearance.  "I do believe this unknown superhero who is masquerading as Ladybug has brought me the second of the two things I so desire!"  Gabriel reached out his hand to grab the earrings.

Carapace ran between Maya and Gabriel and yelled "Shelter!" putting the forcefield around the frozen young woman and himself.

"Why make this more difficult than it needs to be?" purred Gabriel, feeling confident now that he could see what he had so long desired almost within his reach.  Lady Viper started to struggle again, trying to distract Gabriel to give her friends time to come up with another plan.  Unfortunately, her struggling just caused Gabriel to clamp down tighter on her.  Why am I feeling the effects of his strength so strongly? she wondered.  Oh no!  Not now! her brain screamed as her bracelet ran out of time, causing her to detransform.  Without the protection of her powers, she was being crushed by Gabriel, her breathing becoming shallow.