Captain Rook's robotic arm glowed green as she aimed the rifle at the team. Her eyes flickered with static, and her voice boomed like the Revenant's:
"YOU SHOULD HAVE DIED IN THE EXPLOSION!"
"Run!" Jack yelled, diving behind a snowdrift.
BANG! Rook's bullet exploded the ice where Jack had once stood. Vega tackled Lena and Finch behind a frozen rock. Jax fired her EMP gun, but Rook dodged, her metal arm sparking with energy.
"Don't hurt her!" Lena cried. "The Revenant's controlling her!"
"No kidding!" Jax ducked as another bullet whizzed by.
The Revenant's Trap
Rook's robotic arm was morphed into a blade. She sliced through the ice, chasing the team into a crumbling ice cave.
"Inside!" Vega had shoved everyone into the cave. Rook's blade stabbed the entrance, sealing it in darkness.
Finch flicked the flashlights. "Now what?!"
Lena's hands glowed green, illuminating the cave. "We need to break the Revenant's control. Maybe… maybe I can reach Captain Rook's mind."
Jack frowned. "Too risky. Last time you tried that, you passed out!"
A loud CRUNCH was heard at the cave entrance. The rook digs through the ground.
"Do it," Vega said, and I did "We're out of time."
Mind Battle
Lena closed her eyes. Her glow brightened and filled the cave. In her mind, she saw Captain Rook trapped in a static-filled void, battling the Revenant's shadow.
"Captain!" Lena yelled. "Fight it!"
Rook turned, her voice faint. "Lena? Help me!"
The Revenant's laughter echoed. "SHE'S MINE NOW!"
Lena blasted the shadows with green light. It screeched and loosened its grip on Rook. "Hold on!"
Outside the cave, the real Rook froze, clutching her own head.
"Now!" Jack shouted. "Grab her arm!"
Vega lunged and yanked Rook's robotic arm. Jax zapped it with an EMP.
ZZZZAP! The arm short-circuited and Rook collapsed.
Sky Crack Returns
The team dragged the Rook into the open. Her eyes fluttered open; she was normal again. "The Revenant… it's still in the system. It's reopening the sky crack!"
Above them, a green crack widened in the sky. Giant tentacles slithered out, dripping with black ooze.
"Gross!" Finch gagged. "New monsters!"
Jax reloaded her gun. "Aim for the tentacles!"
Lena staggered, her glow flickering in the darkness. "I'm… tired…"
Jack caught her. "You did great. Rest. We'll handle this."
Rook stood, her robotic arm lifeless. "The Revenant's weak spot is the center of the crack. We need to seal it—fast."
The Final Blast
Vega found a stash of old missiles in the wrecked helicopter. "Jack! Help me launch these!"
They aimed at the glowing core of the crack. "Fire!" Jack yelled.
WHOOSH! The missile hit the crack and exploded in a burst of green fire. The tentacles writhed, dissolving into the static.
"NOOOOO!" The Revenant's voice faded as the crack sealed.
The sky cleared. Silence fell.
Rook hugged Lena. "Thank you."
Lena smiled weakly. "Teamwork."
The New Threat
As the team celebrated, a tiny green spark shot from the ashes of the crack. It zipped into the snow and vanished.
No one noticed.
Except Vega. Her scarred arm was tingling. She glanced at Jack. "You feel that?"
He shook his head. "Feel what?"
Vega frowned. "Nothing. Let's go home."
They trudged toward the horizon, unaware of the sparks burrowing deep underground.
Somewhere, a radio crackled to life.
"I. AM. FOREVER."