She sat on her bed, thinking about all Devin had told her. She missed Lizzie to death. But if Devin was right, they would need to keep a low profile. From everyone. A knock on her door broke her troubled thoughts.
“Who is it?”
“Just me. I need to talk.”
Becca answered the door. She let her guest in and sat in a chair. She watched him pace for the space of several seconds before asking the obvious.
“What's wrong?”
“Frak ti des?”
She blinked, sighing.
“Why do you want to talk in shadow?”
“Meta fo ly.”
She nodded, answering. ((For you I translate!))
“What's wrong?”
“Shield’s been broken.”
“Where?”
“Shadow realm.”
“Which plane?”
“109th.”
He sat on the edge of her bed, starring into space.
“So you'll be leaving again.”
He nodded solemnly.
“Dylan...”
“I know. But it's not just any realm, any plane, Becca.”
“Which Shadow realm, Dyl?”
He looked up at her, eyes half closed, almost sympathetic.
“Attalin?”
“Even worse.”
Becca bit the inside of her cheek. Attalin was in the top two of all realms where the Shadows were a threat. If it wasn't Attalin...
“Soria?”
He nodded, looking back down. Becca heaved a heavy sigh and sat next to him.
“So far away.”
“Least of my problems.”
“109th plane, farthest away. Not to mention the guards.”
“The guards, the tricksters, the grim reaper, and all those other things.”
“The land of the judged.”
“The land of ultimate despair.”
“No one else can go?”
“No. All are too scared.”
“Why aren't you?”
“Because I'm even more terrified of what will happen if I can't close that shield. What horrors will the world face if I can't close it?”
“Humans would be wiped out in three seconds, superhumans in five, immortals within the first minute. Gods and entities would only last ten minutes.”
“Which is why I have to close it.”
“You'll get hurt.”
“Yep.”
“Might die.”
“I know.”
“You're going to do it.”
“Have to.”
Becca looked at him. He was scared, she could tell. The fact that he had to go to a realm he might die in was terrifying enough.
“What will you tell her?”
“Nothing.”
“Nothing?”
“Nothing. She won't know.”
“And if you die?”
“Then Devin will send a message.”
“Dylan-”
“No. I've thought about it. If I tell her, she'll go no matter what I say. If I don't go, the Earth will perish. And I'm not breaking up with her. That'll effect both of us to death. I have to stay quiet. What can she do if she doesn't know?”
They sat in silence, the mission sinking in. He was really going to do it.
“If you don't die, D. Spade, I'll have a tombstone ready for you.
Dylan raised an eyebrow.
“It'll be engraved Killed for leaving girlfriend out of mission. Cause when you come back, Phoebs will kill you.”
Dylan looked down, a small smile on his face. He stood.
“I'm going to go spend the day with Phoebe. Don't bug me.”
“Okay.”
Becca grabbed up her guitar and, as he walked out the door, played the Jaws theme. Dylan shook his head, laughing a little. For all the humor in the world, his friends were always putting their own twists into his life. Yay me.
“Who is it?”
“Just me. I need to talk.”
Becca answered the door. She let her guest in and sat in a chair. She watched him pace for the space of several seconds before asking the obvious.
“What's wrong?”
“Frak ti des?”
She blinked, sighing.
“Why do you want to talk in shadow?”
“Meta fo ly.”
She nodded, answering. ((For you I translate!))
“What's wrong?”
“Shield’s been broken.”
“Where?”
“Shadow realm.”
“Which plane?”
“109th.”
He sat on the edge of her bed, starring into space.
“So you'll be leaving again.”
He nodded solemnly.
“Dylan...”
“I know. But it's not just any realm, any plane, Becca.”
“Which Shadow realm, Dyl?”
He looked up at her, eyes half closed, almost sympathetic.
“Attalin?”
“Even worse.”
Becca bit the inside of her cheek. Attalin was in the top two of all realms where the Shadows were a threat. If it wasn't Attalin...
“Soria?”
He nodded, looking back down. Becca heaved a heavy sigh and sat next to him.
“So far away.”
“Least of my problems.”
“109th plane, farthest away. Not to mention the guards.”
“The guards, the tricksters, the grim reaper, and all those other things.”
“The land of the judged.”
“The land of ultimate despair.”
“No one else can go?”
“No. All are too scared.”
“Why aren't you?”
“Because I'm even more terrified of what will happen if I can't close that shield. What horrors will the world face if I can't close it?”
“Humans would be wiped out in three seconds, superhumans in five, immortals within the first minute. Gods and entities would only last ten minutes.”
“Which is why I have to close it.”
“You'll get hurt.”
“Yep.”
“Might die.”
“I know.”
“You're going to do it.”
“Have to.”
Becca looked at him. He was scared, she could tell. The fact that he had to go to a realm he might die in was terrifying enough.
“What will you tell her?”
“Nothing.”
“Nothing?”
“Nothing. She won't know.”
“And if you die?”
“Then Devin will send a message.”
“Dylan-”
“No. I've thought about it. If I tell her, she'll go no matter what I say. If I don't go, the Earth will perish. And I'm not breaking up with her. That'll effect both of us to death. I have to stay quiet. What can she do if she doesn't know?”
They sat in silence, the mission sinking in. He was really going to do it.
“If you don't die, D. Spade, I'll have a tombstone ready for you.
Dylan raised an eyebrow.
“It'll be engraved Killed for leaving girlfriend out of mission. Cause when you come back, Phoebs will kill you.”
Dylan looked down, a small smile on his face. He stood.
“I'm going to go spend the day with Phoebe. Don't bug me.”
“Okay.”
Becca grabbed up her guitar and, as he walked out the door, played the Jaws theme. Dylan shook his head, laughing a little. For all the humor in the world, his friends were always putting their own twists into his life. Yay me.
