[Round 3] Evil Unleashed

[Guest]

((Flashback, Molly Malone's Irish Pub))

::After taking a short break from Main Engineering, Lance sat down in

his stool. Looking around he saw others talking

jovially and making good conversation. Picking up the drink in front

of him, he took a large gulp and put it back down. There was no one

around him and he was alone.::

oO Do I care? Oo

::Taking his forefinger, he rubbed it around the top ring of the

glass. Liquid stuck to his finger and he put it into his mouth.::

oO Tasteless. Oo

::A young woman walked by, but quickly turned away. It was as if a

dark aura was surrounding the Betazoid/Vulcan. No jokes were heard

about how young he looked, or even his age.::

oO Do they know anything? Oo

::Picking up the glass, he placed it in front of the people in the

bar. Staring through it, he saw distorted visions of each of them.::

oO What? Oo

::As the glass passed over each head, they looked back with a demented

smile on their face.::

Firestarter: ::Quietly.:: Impossible.

::In shock he dropped the glass to the ground as it shattered into pieces.::

oO W.. what was that? Oo

::Silence pervaded the bar. While being ignored earlier, now Lance

was the center of all attention.::

oO I am not welcome here. Oo

::Getting out of the booth, he headed towards the door. However,

before opening it he looked behind him. The people's faces had gone

back to normal. Shaking his head, he exited the bar.::

((After Explosions, Outside Molly Malone's Irish Pub))

::Since the attack of the Grendellai, most of the civilians stayed at

home and only officers could be seen outside. It had been a while

since he had left the Pub. Now, there was just destruction. ::

oO -Pathetic, a small attack and they go to their little holes.- Oo

::It was back, the voice was back again to ruin his day.::

oO Leave. Oo

::The downcast officer began walking down the street. However, the

argument inside still roared on.::

oO -I think you misunderstand little one.- Oo

::Lance offered no response, he was no longer fighting. The years had

been a toll on him and all that was left was an empty husk.::

oO No pain... Nothing. Oo

oO -Nothing at all for the poor commander.- Oo

::The vile laughter broke out, but to little effect of the engineer.::

oO You can do nothing to me. Oo

::He sensed amusement. The evil one apparently didn't think so. But

did he care?::

oO -No, I have succeeded already.- Oo

oO Wha...? Oo

::Even before he had the chance to complete his thought, the battle had

begun. Searing pain broke out from the cerebrum all the way to the

lower areas of the spinal cord.::

oO -You are nothing to me!- Oo

::Grabbing his temples, Lance was at the mercy of the pain. It was

intense and stopped even the process of thought from

occuring.::

oO Gahh! Oo

oO -I shall claim what is mine!- Oo

(( Nearby))

::Muller had begun his patrol, wandering around the station

aimlessly. He was luckily uninjured in the explosions, and spend the

last while helping out with what he could. When the promenade exploded

he was originally thankful that Atimen made him patrol, as he was

uninjured, but but now it was back to patrolling again. Boring, boring,

patrolling.: :

::With each step he took, he could feel the wound on his leg

as he tried not to show any sign of a limp. As he turned a corner, he

saw the engineer doubled over in obvious pain.::

Muller: Sir, are you alright?

::As the security officer approached the engineer, the pain continued

to intensify.::

oO -Not now!- Oo

::Lance was almost completely gone. All he could tell was that his

feet were moving without him willing to do so. The Betazoid/Vulcan had

bolted into the alley. His movement started off drunkenly but became

more and more coordinated with every step.::

Muller: Sir...!

::Muller ran after him with a bit of a hobble, the lights above going

dim as they went further and further down the alley. It seemed to be

an unused part of the promenade, damaged heavily in the attack.::

::As soon as the dark haven was reached, Lance no longer felt the

pain. In fact he saw nothing at all.::

oO I...I... Oo

oO -There is no more of you.- Oo

::The realization came upon him all too quickly when he noted it to be true.::

oO No... Fight... Oo

oO -Thats right, you are gone.- Oo

::With no opposition left, his mind slowly left him.::

oO Greet the darkness? Oo

::Yes, the darkness was pure and so welcoming. What more was there to lose?::

oO Gone... Oo

::At that point, the engineer's head slowly looked up ever so slowly.

Muller stood before him, a look of confusion on his face.::

Muller: Are you alright, Sir?

::There was a glimmer of fire in the Lieutenant commander's eyes.

Muller took a sharp step backwards, his hand hovering toward his

commbadge. The look in the engineer's eyes drove fear right into

him.::

Firestarter: You... you shall be the first.

Muller: Sir, you should come with me to sickbay.

Firestarter: Sickbay? Sickbay!? ::He repeated the word louder in an

almost joyful fury.::

::Laughter burst from the body, but it was far from heartwarming.

Each sound was slightly off. His movement even seemed to hold a

different aura. The laugher stopped as if it had never begun, but a

crooked smile remained.::

Muller: You're not acting normal... you need to come to sickbay!

::His hand moved from his badge to his phaser. Stunning a commander

could not ever end well... but if Firestarter had gone insane...::

Firestarter: I have almost never felt better.

::So many years had passed since the evil one was able complete its

one joy in life.::

Firestarter: ::Speaking aloud, but to no one in particular.: : It has

been too long. All too long.

::The puny human was unnecessary. They all were.::

oO -And he shall learn, now!- Oo

Muller: ::Reaching to tap his commbadge.:: =/\= Muller to Se-- =/\=

::Before the man even had a chance to complete his sentence, the evil

one placed a well aimed blow to the knee. The sound of bone breaking

only seemed to excite the loathsome creature.::

::Muller released a howl of pain, collapsing to the ground as he

stumbled away from Firestarter. His fingers wouldn't work right as he

tried to pull out his phaser, the nerves overwhelmed by the enormous

pain.::

Muller: Stay back! :: He stuttered, fingers still stumbling over

the phaser as he tried to get a grip.::

::Stepping forward, the evil one brought his face close to that of the

security personnel.::

Firestarter: I shall now give you the gift of undeniable torture.

::Muller finally drew the phaser, pointing it right at his superior

officer. This was... madness!::

Firestarter: Oh? That fancy little toy...

::Seeing the phaser didn't even hinder the abomination. With a well

aimed kick, the phaser few out of the officer's hand. Muller's mind

raced as he stumbled backwards, his back hitting the alley wall. He

had worked with Firestarter before, and he never would have imagined

this would happen. Not in a million years. Not ever.::

::Going over to the obviously pained officer, the evil grabbed his arm

and pulled it around the back of his body, making sure to maximize the

pain. It snapped backwards, Muller unable to say a word as his brain

was flooded with suffering of his broken body.::

::Effectively crippled, the Betazoid/Vulcan walked over to where the

phaser landed and picked it up.::

Muller: What...::Gasp: : do you...::Gasp: : want? ::He managed to speak,

scared to death of the insane man before him.::

Firestarter: ::While circling the security officer.:: As fun as this

is... I can't have you even speaking about this to others.

Muller: I won't say a word. ::Muller gasped, begging as best he

could.:: I swear it!

::Muller pleaded but he knew it was already over. His comm to security

didn't get through... no one was coming to his rescue. Firestarter held the

phaser in his hand, adjusted to the highest setting.::

Firestarter: ::With a crooked smile.:: Here is your gift.

Muller: No---

::Muller could see the light from the phaser as time seemed to slow

down. The beam flowed towards him, impacting on the man's chest.

There... was no pain, though he knew he was already dead. There was a

flash, Muller's life streaming before his eyes; past, present, and... future.

He could see himself there, an officer's pip on his collar. He saw

commencement and award ceremonies, himself standing proudly at the

podium. He could see himself in the chair he had always desired; the

dream he had once again begun to strive for. And then...::

::It was all gone.::

TBC...

Lt. Commander Lance Firestarter

Chief Engineering Officer

USS Tiger

and

Evil Consciousness

Pure Evil

USS Tiger

and

Petty Officer Nick Muller

Security Officer

USS Tiger

simmed by

Lt. Atimen

CoS/CTO

USS Tiger