The damp tunnels made the silence even colder. The moisture on the pipes condensed as water splashed against the ground. Their minds whirled as their memories came spiraling back. “

“We’re really back here aren’t we,” Kez broke the silence, “To think we thought this place was really all gone, but there was a basement just waiting for us.”

“Basement, you call this a basement Kez, " Ali joined in, “You call the creepy underground testing chamber of a mad scientist a basement.”

“Well, it is underground and a part of a larger structure, so technically it is a basement,” Wraith noted as everybody starting laughing and the tension in the air decreased. As they reached the entrance Raven opened it up and everyone started to go in.  Luciel halted before entering the lab, but he went in.

“Did you really believe you could kill me,” a familiar voice rang out, echoing around the room, “Did you really think that you could end my hatred by wiping me out of the net?”

Wraith glanced back and saw Raven looking at the ceiling with anger in her eyes.

“Dr. Kalden, " she whispered.

“Lockdown initiated, " the alarm system voiced out. Instantly the entrance to the lab starting closing and the walls started being enclosed by metal doors locking down.

“I am the DARKNESS, in the net or outside, and now you can’t escape my grasp, " Dr. Kalden shouted as a ghostly figure appeared in front of them: a hologram of what Dr. Kalden used to be, human.

“Ali call backup, " Raven urgently dictated as she turned to face the new threat.

“My transmitter’s broken, Dr. Kalden hijacked it, " Ali replied, filled with alarm. Suddenly, Raven paled and shouted to everyone, "Turn off your neurotransmitters, NOW!”

“Too little too late Raven, " Dr. Kalden smirked as Raven clutched her head and fell to the ground. The others rushed to get to her but Raven forced out, "No, if you get too close to me he can control you to.” The others backed away, but they were knocked to the ground, like a club struck their head, as Dr. Kalden sent a rush of electricity to their brain from their neurotransmitters, all except for Wraith.

Raven finally rose up, her head tilting up slowly.

Wraith visibly sighed with relief saying, “Raven-OH MY GOD!” as his sentence was cut short by his surprise at seeing Raven's red eyes. Raven lunged at Wraith, catching him before he could pull his gun. Raven told her body to stop but the punches kept falling.

“I am not doing this Wraith...I can’t control myself!” Raven exclaimed but no sound came from her mouth. Her hands wrapped around his neck before he flipped away and pushed her out of reach.

“Hello Wraith, I guess your precious Raven is mine now, " Dr. Kalden’s voiced teased, except this time it came from Raven’s mouth.

“You, what are you doing, " Wraith rasped at him. With more desperation he yelled, " Snap out of it Raven, I know you can!”

Raven, listening to what Wraith said started waging a war in her own mind. She calmed her mind and honed her Hex powers, made a sword of light to battle the darkness once again. The moment she rose to fight she was torn to pieces, surrounded and shredded from every force in her mind.

>You are your own worst enemy now.< Dr. Kalden yelled through her mind.  Raven fell, exhausted and overwhelmed, unwilling to fight. Her mind was a raging sea with all its might and she was but a wooden boat.

“You can do this, " she heard Wraith yell, he felt 9000 miles away but his voice invigorated her and she rose to fight one more time. Brandishing her weapon, she used her enemy’s fierce ego.

“Just me and you, one on one, we’ll find out who will come on top, " Raven challenged.

>You fool, you think you are greater than me, you are nothing! The Darkness blights all, stops all! One on one, fine, time to show you I am everything you cannot be.< Dr. Kalden stopped Raven’s mind from crushing her and they met as beings in the net. A fierce battle began as Raven attacked Dr. Kalden with a choke like grip as he turned around and started advancing on her. Back in the real world Wraith was having the time of his life. He gasped and fell, out of breath, as Raven dug her nails in his skin. Wraith yelled like a banshee as he tore himself away from her, just to reach back and grab her arms. As he tried to restrain her, Raven reached out and grabbed his gun, ripping its holster with an audible tear. Wraith moved backward with his head down, panting, as Raven kicked him square in the chest and leveled his gun against him.

“Raven, no, " Wraith forced out as he fell back as the barrel of the gun buckled backwards when the trigger was pulled, sending a laser straight into him.

Thud. Wraith’s body fell to the ground, the fight finally over. “Nooo!” Raven shrieked at Dr. Kalden before she used every tendril of her power to destroy him and regain control of her mind. Raven rushed to her brother crying, “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to.” Tears came flowing from her eyes as she hushed to speak with her brother, “It’s going to be fine, you’re going to be alright; you have to be alright, " she continued, her voice ragged and choked. The others woke up and saw Raven crouched over Wraith’s unresponsive body started approaching Raven before Dr. Kalden spoke once again.

“If I fall you’re going to go down with me-, " Dr. Kalden ominously stated before his voice was cut off. Suddenly lights and sirens went off, signaling alarm throughout the whole lab. A new voice rang out and monotonously warned, " Lab will self destruct in T-10 seconds...T-9 seconds…”

“RUN!” Raven interrupted as she carried collapsed Wraith out of the building. Ali, Kez, and Luciel were dazed for a moment before they followed suit, like a pack of rabid animals. Quickly Luciel unlocked the door and with only a second left they reached the ground just as the lab burst into flames. Ali used her transmitter, which was now working, to contact help.

“Doesn’t that fireball remind you of something” Kez joked as the others laughed weakly, fear in the air.

Raven stood apart from the others, accompanied only by her sorrow. As the minister trailed off the group dispersed until the only remaining were Raven, Ali, and Kez.

With a shared glance Ali and Kez came up to Raven, speaking softly, " Raven it wasn’t your fault Wraith died, Dr. Kalden could’ve controlled any one of us.”

“Come on Raven, Kez added, " None of us could stop him from entering our minds. Don’t be harsh on yourself. Anyways, Wraith died doing what he loved, fighting for what’s right,” The two wandered away as Raven stood there, staring at what was once her sign of life being its epitaph: “brother Wraith: a gravestone. Numb with pain she brought herself to trudge back with the others, for the first time in her life wondering what she is going to do.