EJ's POV
When the scaffolding starts to break, I grab Nini's arm so she doesn't fall, but I couldn't grab Gina.
"EJ! LOOK!" Nini says, and I look to my side, my heart stops.
When I heard Gina scream and saw her fall over the edge, I didn't even think or care about the cuffs around my arms, I just ran over and jump over the edge, I didn't even think about me or Nini until I jumped.
I tried to catch her, but I was too slow, she was going too fast.
I can't lose her! Not again! I just got her back! As I get scared and nervous that Gina might die because of me, I see my cuffs sparkling and then it breaks. How did I do that? I didn't know I could? Break a power-dampening cuff...using my powers?
I feel the electricity burning my eyes, I can survive the fall with my super-strength, but more importantly, I can save Gina. I quickly throw out my hands and create a bubble around her. As she falls to the ground, the bubble protects her, while my body creates a massive dent into the street.
"Gigi!" I frantically get up and run towards her, the pain in my body quickly going away. Thank goodness, my force field protected her. I quickly wrap my arms around her and she quickly hugs me back. "Are you okay? Are you hurt? You really scared me!" I say, kissing her forehead.
"I'm fi-wait! Where's Nini?!?!" She asks.
Oh, I totally forgot about Nini, she may not be okay! We look around for Nini until I hear Gina scream.
I run over to her and tears flow down my eyes, Nini's arm is poking out of a large puke of rubble. I quickly pick up the giant pieces of rubble and throw them to the side, looking at my friend, making both of us cry harder.
Nini is covered with a bunch of scars with blood. a few small gashes, she looks like she's dying. "No! No, no, please no!" Gina cries. "HOWIE! NINI's DYING! GET OVER HERE NOW!!" I scream in my earpiece. I shouldn't have left her, I could've found a way to save both girls.
"My only regret...is that I never got to sing...like you saw" Nini mutters to Gina, taking her hands, blood flowing down her body. Please, don't let this be the end of Nini. She was so helpful for so many problems, don't let us lose her.
"No! You're gonna survive, and you're gonna sing on that stage," Gina says, but Nini giggles. "See you on the other side," she says, closing her eyes. No, no, no, no!
Howie quickly shoots down next to us and runs towards me. "Where is she?" He asks. I quickly lead him over to the dying girl. He quickly bends down and waves his glowing moonlight hand over her.
The scars glow silver until they finally vanish. But she doesn't wake up. Her eyes aren't opening! Why isn't she waking up? I run my hands through my hair trying not to cry. Gina interlocks their finger and cries. She can't dye, she helped me, Ricky, and Gina through our problems. What do we tell our friends? What do we tell her moms?
"We need to get her back to the gym!" Howie says. I quickly pick her up and superspeed to the gym, shocking Ashlyn. "What happened?"
"She almost died, Howie was able to help but not completely" I explain, my voice cracking. "I got her, go back," she tells me. I hand her Nini and superspeed back.
"Will she be okay?" Gina asks crying. I quickly wrap my arms around her and breaks down in my chest. "She'll be fine, she'll fight her way back" I whisper, even if I don't believe myself. But she's Nini, she has to survive. And the hardest part...
How do we tell Ricky?
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Ricky's POV
I was fighting off the zombies when I felt something. No, I sensed something, something terrible, I don't know what it is yet. But I think something bad happened to one of my friends. Maybe I was just feeling weird at the moment, but that EJ said it.
"NINI'S DYING!"
I felt my heart stop, I feel the tears flow down my eyes. No! I already lost my dad, I'm losing the city, I can't lose Nini too. I feel my emotions take control again. I fall on my knees and let out a scream of pure anguish, not caring if I disintegrated the zombies she had been fighting with a single massive blast of energy.
I start to cry harder thinking of how Todd or my mom killed my oldest friend. I slowly walk out and fall to my knees again, crying harder than ever, screaming into the sky. I need to be there for her, I don't care about anyone else. I fly away from the building and take into the sky.
I spot my friends near the broken scaffolding and I land next to them. She's not there.
"Where is she?" I ask. She can't be dead, I need her. "She's back at the gym," Gina tells me.
"Is she...?"
"We don't know yet," she says. I feel my eyes water up and I start to break down, Gina pulls me in and I completely break down, wrapping my arms around her waist.
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Gina's POV
Nini's not gonna die, that's what I keep telling myself. Nini's a fighter, and my vision, it takes place after this, so she has to survive, she's gonna survive. I know she well
Suddenly, Nightmare and mom fly in front of us and we hear another device go off, more gas starts to spread across the city and they have evil smirks on their face. "Guys, there's no other way to stop the gas, you need to destroy that key," Ashlyn says through our earpieces.
We all look back at Ricky, whose eyes were getting watery. "You guys get ready for them", let me talk to them," I tell them, getting the locket from EJ, they all walk in front and get ready to fight, I turn back to Ricky who quickly starts shaking his head. "No!"
"We can't stop this right now, but you can," I tell him, grabbing his arm and putting the locket in it, but he still shakes his head, looking away from me. "Your powers can destroy it."
"Don't make me-"
"Ricky, please look at me," I tell him and he listens. I see his watery eyes and trembling lips making my heart break. "We're out of time."
"Please don't make me. I already lost my dad, I might lose Nini, I can't lose this, it's the only thing I have left."
"Hey, that's not true" I grab his hands. "Ricky, if we don't destroy this, the whole world gets plunged in fear with a Zombie Apocolypse. I know it's fair, this shouldn't be happening to you, but it is. Ignore it and push through. I promise you. everything will be okay, I'll be here when this is over."
After a few minutes of thinking, he finally agrees, nodding his head. "I'm so sorry, I'll hold them off," I tell him, giving him a quick hug before walking off. You're gonna be okay Ricky, I promise.
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Ricky'd POV
I place the locket on a piece of rubble, I back up and prepare to destroy it, but I look at the words on the locket.
Family is forever.
Another sign that the world hates me: I have to destroy the only thing that gave me hope. Why can't I just mess with the universe and get my happy ending? Why can't I just be happy for once in my life? I wish I had the magic Lily or Scarlet Witch had, I alter reality and have a perfect family.
Gold mist forms around my hand and I reluctantly unleashed a stream of psionic energy into the Locket while the others try to hold off my mom. I try my best to hold back my tears so I don't get distracted.
(Pretend it's a destroyed city)
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Bruce's POV
We watch Cosmic Witch and Nightmare walk towards us. I run up and try to punch them, my eyes and fist glowing a bright orange but the Witch uses her telekinesis to throw me into Jean. "Sorry," I say.
"It's fine" Jean shoots up into the air and tries to use various auroras, but Nightmare hits her with a very large and strong gas, making her hit a building and crash into the ground. Okay, we were able to handle them in the past, why is this different? Come on Ricky, destroy the locket!
Mal tries to blast them but the Witch creates a vortex around them then pushes it forward, trapping Mal. She opens another one in the air and shoots Mal to the ground. Gina tries to hit them with a vibrational blast, but Cosmic Witch shoots her with a strong force, making her break through some debris.
Sadia makes thorns make through the ground and hold them down, but Nightmare's gas makes the roots die quickly and they collapse.
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Ricky's POV
As I'm destroying the locket, I turn back and the others fight...and fail. How did my mom and Todd stop most of them already?
I need to speed this up. I add my other hand, merging 2 energy beams to my locket. Soon enough, I can't stop fighting back my tears and I just let them fall. I don't know what I did to deserve all this.
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EJ's POV
Guess I'm left. I super-speed across, constantly punching both of them. I'm too fast, so they can't catch me. Suddenly, Nightmare hits me with a wave of energy and I roll across the floor.
I break through debris but I quickly get back up, not feeling as much pain. They try to run towards me but I create a force field around them, containing them. They use their powers to try to break the bubble, but it's working, sweet. I can buy Ricky some time.
I look back at Ricky, who's still destroying his locket. He looks back at me and I see the tears falling down his face that make my heart ache for him. "It's okay" I mouth and he slowly nods his head.
Suddenly, I'm hit with debris the knocks me to the ground, my force field collapses, freeing them. I land near my friends and check on them, they say they're okay. We all look back at Ricky's mom and her boyfriend, who are walking towards Ricky.
It's up to Ricky now.
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Ricky's POV
I'm still destroying my locket, but I don't hear anything. I turn back and see my friends on the ground, watching me. Todd and mom are walking toward me.
Oh no, I'm not ready! I need to buy myself some time. I remove one of my arms and strike them with a separate stream of energy to stall them further, slowing them down significantly. My mom creates a field protecting them, but they're still slow.
I turn back to my locket, focusing all my attention on it, the tears are still falling down my eyes. This just explains my life, nothing but heartbreaks, tragedy, grief, losses, and it all came from family and now I'm fighting the one person I thought I could always trust.
Soon enough, I hear my locket start to crack, like my heart.
Finally, it makes, the broken pieces shattering everywhere. I accidentally release a huge blast of energy that actually blows me back.
Another sad chapter, yep, first Gina's faith was undecided and now it's Nini's. Sorry to all the Ricky fans, but y'all know the saying: what doesn't kill you makes you stronger. I don't know how that's relevant but I needed something, things are gonna get better for Ricky...probably. Speaking of Ricky. Tomorrow: Set Me Free, Secret and Crisis, I'm so excited, Joshua's era again! Stay safe and have a great day or night, wherever you are.