Room 181 Ch. 24

'Still locked down?' The exasperated Pokeuman gave up pounding on his dorm entrance door. No-one was coming anyway. 'This siege has been going on for hours! What are they doing out there all this time?'

'Oh, you know,' the Exeggutor in the room said dryly from behind a book, 'fighting a war to save our lives. Just protecting the hundreds and hundreds of people that live in the Long Island base, that's all. They appreciate your gratitude.'

'Shut up Russell.' The Golduck sighed as he flopped onto the bed. 'I can't just sit around all day when there's a battlezone right outside our dorm! I don't want to fight it or anything, but... Argh!' He gripped his forehead with a flipper-like hand. 'It just makes me pumped to do something!'

'Tell that to the head of security, Alex,' Russell replied with a sigh. 'We're not getting out until it's safe.'

'How many troops can they possibly have?' Louise the Flygon questioned the universe. 'There's been raids before, sure, but they're over in a matter of hours. This has been all day! What's happening out there?'

'That's what I've been saying!' Alex shot to his feet again and paced the length of the room irritably for the one-thousand, four-hundred and thirty-seventh time. 'How can one battle last an entire day? What is this, the Somme?'

Russell blinked, an impressive feat of cohesion in a six-headed species. 'You've read First World War history?'

Alex sighed. 'No, Russell, I've just hung around with you a lot. Information just piles in, like it or not. Honestly, if I didn't know better I'd say they were-'

There was no subtle, creeping feeling or ominous foreboding this time. With Max and Stuart, there was a steadily-growing sense of paranormal pressure. Here, there was just a horrific moment where the air became sludgy accompanied by a literally (albeit momentarily) blinding flash of mental trauma as all in the room scrabbled for their heads with a pained (and synchronised) shout of 'Ahhh!’, and then the disposal was disposed. No ceremony at all.

'Ahh, my aching head!' Alex groaned loudly. 'What in the- what just happened?!'

'I have no idea,' Louise grimaced as she sat up slowly, rubbing her temple, 'but it would be really, really great… if it didn't do it again. I think I can taste colours... Oh, that's better.'

'Ugh... So that's what it feels like...'

All (eight) heads in the room turned instantly to the new voice, coming from the small brown figure lying prone in the middle of the floor.

'What the- Harry?!' all three exclaimed as one.

'Uh?' The dazed Sudowoodo lifted his head and blinked faintly at the jaws hanging open in front of him. 'Alex? Guys? Is this our...' A desperate grin broke out on his face. 'Well hey there, guys! What an afternoon! Don't suppose any of you could help me up?' He waved an arm before their three astonished faces. 'You would not believe the story I have when I tell you!'


-Cameron-


We didn't even make it out of the building before things started going wrong.

'Where on earth is the way out?' I demanded as we skittered round another corner, shouting over the still-blaring alarm. Having picked up Alice and Travis again, who were fumbling along at the back desperately, trying to keep up with what was going on, our party was once again quite large, and getting out was proving a hardship. Lizzy clearly never believed in interior decoration - every single corridor was exactly the same in every way, the same walls, the same floor, the same environment, the same ominous red klaxon lighting. And they were all totally, totally empty. All the students, all the people had gone. The only thing that differed was the doors of them to other rooms, but that didn't differ by much on the whole.

'I think that if we go left at the end then we can follow it around!' Kieran called out as we hurried onwards. 'The outer windows are getting closer!'

'Brilliant! Thanks Kieran! See, you're already being a lifesaver again,' I replied with a smile that they probably couldn't see from behind. Things had once again been grim at first - we had no reliable path to follow from where we had been back to our entrance hole in the wall, unless we felt like going through the hidden tunnels and Alice's prison again. However, after some more of our trademark desperate wandering, someone on board had had a revelation - if we looked through the glass panels in the doors in the hall, we could see how close we were getting to the outside walls by the position of windows and the like. At first results had proved dodgy, but eventually it had started to ring true - we were slowly working our way outwards. I wasn't sure whose idea it was, but they were a genius and I owed them several once this ordeal was over.

There wasn’t a soul to disrupt us in any of the halls. They were all gone. Lizzy may be past her evil days now, but her right-hand-psycho, the terrifying Emily, had taken her army to try for Long Island conquest without her. 'I never thought I'd say this,' I muttered darkly to myself, 'but I actually wish Harry was here. Intel would be useful right now.'

'Or if Lizzy hadn't teleported away, that would have been nice,' Jess said in response alongside me, her little Togetic wings a blur of motion. 'But I think we're on the right track. Just keep going around and follow the windows, we can make it out soon-'

Suddenly as I rounded the corner at the head of the party the corridor ran out and was replaced with door as I almost ran head first into the big, metal, strong-looking door barring the way. Desperately, I pounded my fists on it, but all I got was a metallic thunk for my efforts. As if we got cut off now! I forced myself to reason - there wouldn't be a door if they couldn't open it, would there?

'Jess!' I shouted, aware of the others catching up behind me. 'Jack! What do we do?'

'Cool it Cameron, it's not hard,' I heard Jess say levelly. 'Try on your right.' Obediently, I turned my head and saw a small black panel with a red light underneath it. Calmly, Jess reached out and put a hand on the display, her eyes closed as she reached out as if probing a bomb wire. For a few terrifying milliseconds there was no response, then the contact sensor bleeped approvingly, the red light turned green and the door shot open so fast I almost fell over, to reveal darkness.

At first I was stalled, confused by where this new area we had uncovered was, but then I saw through the blessing's cunning disguise. The corridors weren't dark, they were just dingy and poorly-maintained. And familiar. Even the blaring alarm seemed distant here and the swirling red lights had fallen into disuse long ago. By a mixture of luck, deduction and sheer foolhardiness, we'd managed to arrive back at the maintenance corridors we had entered all that time ago when we first arrived.

I looked at Jess, who just smiled confidently. 'How did you know that would work?'

'I honestly had no idea. It seemed like a decent guess.'

'Oh. Well, talk about calling that one right, eh?'

'You'd be lost without me,' she replied smoothly, 'in all senses of the word. Come on!' She hurried onwards on her fluttery fairy wings and I moved to follow, then stopped. Instead of going on immediately, I stood in the doorway and turned so I could count heads. Jess, me, Kieran, Alice, Danny, Travis, that was six. And go again.

As relieved as I should be that we were on the right track, I knew it for what it was. We were jumping out of the frying pan straight into the fire, with joy. Emily had no qualms with killing, even enjoyed it, and there was no way we could defeat the entire base together. The only plan we had was to get there and to fight whoever we had to fight. One of those kind of plans.

Our specialties.

'Come on Cameron!' Danny shouted up ahead. 'Coming!' I called back and set off to jog through the open doorway when suddenly a hand snapped out from behind me and grabbed me by the throat, forcing me to a whip-crack halt and choking the air out of my lungs as I gasped suddenly, my head pitching forwards. The last thing I saw was Danny and Travis turning in my direction, their mouths open to shout and their feet to run to my aid, but then another hand like the first shot out and hit the control panel, forcing the door to shoot shut again. I heard banging on the other side, but the auto-lock was clearly stronger than its flimsy interface betrayed and the door was solid steel. I was cut off.

I gagged, trying to force air down my artificially constricted throat. The hand around my neck just squeezed tighter in response and coloured shots flashed across my vision.

'If you try anything,' a voice behind me growled, 'I'll break your neck. It wouldn't be difficult.'

Focusing on one breath at a time, I slowly tried to turn my head to see the one who ambushed me. At first there was nothing, but then I glimpsed orange-and-cream fur and a blue fin-like protrusion on an arm. There was only one species that could be, and now the voice was rising up through my memory like a shark.

‘You… the… Floatzel…’

The Floatzel behind me growled. ‘I should have killed you scum when I had the chance before. I’ve been lying unconscious in the dark and missed my duty. As if your existence wasn’t enough of a crime, you caused me to fail in our mission. No worry. I’ll just head out to them over your dead body.’

‘Over my d-‘ I started, and then realised that my taunt was flawed by definition. Instead I hacked out ‘How… did you…’

‘I don’t know. There was a dark tunnel, and then I walked out through a wall. I don’t understand it. But I waited for you. You, who had the temerity to try and defeat your betters. You who wanted to overthrow our Commander.’

‘Didn’t… try…’

‘What?’

‘Succeeded...’

‘Lies!’ the Floatzel roared furiously, crushing my windpipe further and making darkness flare across my vision. ‘For a lesser species like you to defeat the might of Pokextinction is like an ant trying to fight the sun! I will not let this slander go unpunished!’

In between my life flashing before my eyes (which has started happening so often recently I can skip straight to the good bits), I realised what this attacker was saying. To him, the idea of his glorious masters of Pokextinction falling was implausible. He was sold on their beliefs, mind and body. He would kill for his master, because they told him to. The only thing that he held dear, that defined him as a person, was his orders. What was once a person had been reduced to a weapon.

Travis was almost like this.

‘Yeaagh!’ I shouted and blasted electricity through my body. The voltage flowed straight up the Floatzel’s arm and coursed blisteringly through his watery body, the light almost beaming off him as he burned with voltage. As much as it pained me, I had to do it. With a shout he fell backwards and my windpipe opened, allowing me to take a deep gasp of the air I had until recently taken for granted. I looked up at the Floatzel who was clutching his side, gasping with pain, and on his arm I saw a long, thin scar almost straight from shoulder to elbow. What terrible campaign did that come from? Then my observations were silenced as his head snapped up at me with fire burning in his eyes. ‘Die!’ he shouted and lunged for me.

‘Try and make me!’ I called back. I swung my Iron Tail up and around and cracked him on the head as he came through, but then he rolled with the blow and came up in a slash that tore down my side and made me gasp. For just being a grunt, this guy was well-trained – better trained than I was. He moved to attack and I swung a Thunderpunch, but he feinted to the side and launched in a full body tackle that shot the air back out of me again as my eyes bulged, our momentum taking us sideways into a door. And through it. We crashed through the wood, sending splinters everywhere and slamming into a desk on the far side. Good thing Lizzy’s not using it anymore.

The Floatzel pressing on top of me swung with blind fury at my face, again and again. I just about managed to twist my head each time so that I got a glancing blow at worst, then brought a Strength-fuelled punch up into his chest. Let’s see how he likes it when he’s winded. With a push I shoved him upwards and he staggered back, his arms flailing slightly to keep balance. I smiled and got in another solid Thunderpunch, but then that was wiped off my face when the Floatzel's hands came back up grasping a filofax from a shelf and swung at my head. My head cracked backwards and I saw him swing again, one time with the file and then another with just his claws. Before I could dodge, another swipe hit my side and then an Aqua Jet blasted me back into the other wall behind us. I hit the plaster with a cracking noise that I hoped was from it and not me. Why... why is it so difficult for me to beat a Water type?

I needed to finish this quickly. I pushed myself forwards out of the wall and dodged as the Floatzel lunged at me, his teeth glowing blue with Ice Fang power. I swung a Thunderpunch and missed, but pressed the chance anyway and swung my other hand up to pressure him into the wall. A little too much, apparently - I don't know my own Strength. He went through the flimsy plastering with a crash and fell back into the room beyond - a small, dark space full of computer banks and shelving. Behind them, in the other wall, was a thing of beauty. I could hardly believe it. It was a window, showing the grey concrete wall beyond. What a treasure.

I stepped through the hole I'd made as my adversary scrambled back up, holding his side weakly with the same arm as his scar was on. His eyes were still fierce but weak, and he was sagged as he stood. I didn't realise how much being thrown through two walls could hurt.

'It doesn't have to be like this,' I said, meaning every word. 'I can help you.'

'He- Help me?!' The Extinctionist was offended at the very thought of it. 'What sort of help could something like you possibly offer me?'

My expression darkened 'I am not a thing,' I said with the light behind me, 'and neither are you. I have a name. I am Cameron Stevens. You have a name too.'

The Floatzel almost looked confused at the idea. 'I don't need a name,' he said with resolution. 'I know my master's will for me, and that is all I need. I know my duty.' I blinked as I realised his voice had taken on a robotic, monotone edge. 'Having a name is unnecessary,' he intoned. 'I will do my master's purpose. That is all that matters.'

'But...' I faltered for something to say. 'You have a separate identity, don't you? Please, tell me you do.'

'...Such an idea is wasteful. Worrying about self detracts from fulfilling my master's orders.'

I wanted to break down and cry. 'But- What stops you just being a weapon? What makes you you? Why are you here?'

'I am here to kill you!' the Floatzel suddenly roared and lunged at me, his hands going for my throat. My instincts acted before I did and as he leapt I swung my Thunderpunch upward into his stomach again. Hacking, he stumbled backwards. 'I... I will never allow Pokextinction... to fall!' he proclaimed weakly. 'I will destroy you, 'Cameron Stevens'!'

'No,' I said, 'you won't.' Raising my arms, I called down a Thunder strike. The weakened Floatzel, damaged from falling through walls and simply being punched too much, was too slow to dodge. I didn't let up with the electricity until he fell to the ground, and even then I him watched like a hawk just in case.

After a few minutes that lasted hours, I decided that his only movement was breathing in and out. Slowly, I gave a deep breath out myself. Just one more person sworn to destroy me. I didn't know what to do with them all. I looked down on my fallen enemy, the scar down his arm visible from where he fell. For a minute, I considered bringing him with us so we could deal with him properly. Looking back on it, I probably should have done.

But instead I sighed and said 'God have mercy on your soul.' Then I turned, and slowly walked back the way I'd come.


---


If it wasn't for Kieran's teleport, we'd never have caught them. Even so, pinging all six of us across the countryside at a time became exhausting for his mind, and half the journey was made on foot as his brain recuperated. I helped him forward, catching him occasionally when needed, and behind me Travis kept close to me at all times. Then it was Jess, Danny and Jack, the latter holding on to the faintly bemused Alice as if she was a balloon that would fly out of his life again if he ever let go. That was our travelling party.

It was after the third teleport (each of which notably shorter than the last) that we eventually struggled over the peak of a boggy hillock and, taking a second to catch our collective breath, we saw them. Below us was a wide, almost vibrantly green plain that echoed with the blissful sounds of nature. And stretching out, across the expanse, was Pokextinction.

As begrudging as it was to admit, it was impeccably organised. Perfect squares, neatly arranged, every single one in line with every single other one. I couldn't see well enough from our distance behind (although we had a slight height advantage over them), but it appeared that they marched perfectly in step too. Great, small, lean and wide as one. Faces forward, arms by sides. Perfectly trained organisation, in all its awe-inspiring terror.

I couldn't see the leading figure at the front very well, but her feet didn't touch the ground.

'Emily!' I shouted, but my voice was lost to the surroundings. I narrowed my eyes and caused a short, but distinctive thunderclap. Normally that could be ignored, but it was an ironically cloudless day.

'Halt!' I heard a female voice carry back. At once the legions stopped on the spot, still facing forward obediently.

The Porygon-Z at the lead rose into the air, scanning our way. She saw me and her eyes widened with delight, or perhaps anger.

'Cameron!' Emily shouted over the heads of the troops towards our motley crew. 'What surprise! I was hope you died long ago! Joy I have, to have the chance to do it for you now!'

'Not likely, Emily!' I shouted as I marched down towards her, down the side of the hillock and towards the army. Behind me, my friends were looking understandably worried. 'You're going to give up right now or I'm going to force you to!'

'What do we do?' Jack hissed behind me on the hill. 'He'll get murdered if he fights her by himself!'

The others turned their heads and looked at him as one. He looked back for a second, and sighed. 'I walked into that one, didn't I?'

'Lizzy's called it quits, Emily,' I said as I kept heading towards her. 'You may as well give up.'

'Ha! Haha! Perfect opportunity, and I am give up?! You do not understand me!' Emily drew herself further off the ground. 'This is the treat! I look forward with happiness! There will be surrender and weeping, or there will be death!' Her digital eyes lit up. 'Lots of death.'

'Guys,' Travis said meekly, 'you're going to... fight, aren't you?'

There was a general consensus of nodding.

'Oh.' There was a small sigh from the Archeops. 'I... Maybe... I won't be able to dissuade you. I think she...' His fearful face turned in the direction of Emily. 'She might be beyond help. I pity her. But if you're going to fight... count me out. If nothing else, I have no battle experience at all. I only discovered this war today. I'll... stay safe.'

Kieran looked at him as if weighing him up, then shrugged. 'It's your own choosing. You may be safer here.'

'Don't worry about us,' Jack smiled viciously. 'This is what we do. And we do it well enough.'

'I- Yes, I can believe that. Well... good luck, and... whatever you do, do quickly.'

'Wasn't planning on dragging it out.'

'Wow, this is all exciting!' Alice said suddenly, giggling like a little girl at a fairground. 'Big heroes and scary evils and all these people! Much more fun than my old room!'

At the sound of his old love's voice saying such things, Jack could withstand no more. 'Please, Alice.’ He looked desperately into her eyes. ‘This isn't a game. It's real. We're fighting for survival. Please, Alice, please. I know they took it from you, but you have to try and remember! Remember me! Please!'

Alice looked blankly into his distressed eyes. 'Um... sorry, I can't get anything. But I do like you, though.'

Jack's head flopped, defeated. 'Travis,' he said hollowly, 'protect Alice for me. She'll be no help to us for this part.'

'Alright. We'll be... safe, over here. Um... good luck, again.'

'We might need it,' Jack muttered faintly.

I was almost up to of Emily's position now. 'You're a twisted, despicable psychopath! You thrive on murder! I hate you! I hate everything you stand for, Emily! You are a danger to society and everything good society depends on!'

'Thank you! I am not sure how to repay such compliments!' Emily laughed. 'Perhaps with lasers and dying, ahahahaha!'

'I will not tolerate this!' I shouted, even though I was close enough to talk normally. I looked the roving psychopath, the destructive loose cannon in the eyes furiously. 'I can't allow you to go forward, even if I stop you myself!'

Suddenly there was a flash of light to my left and Kieran, Jess, Danny and Jack appeared together in a group, already in their battle stances. No words needed to be said. I just got into mine as well.

'Fight me? Fight me, even all of you?' In the air above our heads, Emily spread her arms wide. 'Either you are stupid, or acting like one. Many heroes have died at the hands of me! Emily's history is filled with the death of those who fight her! I kill freely, and mightily!' A terrible gleam came in her eye. 'You are but next! I look forward to the die of you all, and Cameron most! Goodbye you are!'

No.

All declarations stopped. All of us, even Emily, were thrown off by the voice from nowhere. My friends were looking around desperately, trying to find its source. Emily blinked, confused. 'Who is-'

I will not let you kill Cameron Stevens, the voice from nowhere said. The others, are of no concern to me. But Cameron, I cannot allow.

My eyes widened in horror as I realised what the voice was. 'No... No!' I shouted futilely. 'No, not now! Not you! This can't be possible!'

'What can't?' Kieran said somewhere to my left. I opened my mouth, but was interrupted by the answer revealing itself.

There was no way to describe the arrival of the figure. There was a flash, a bolt of something, and then the figure appeared like magic between the two warring sides. My friends flinched back from the sudden shock, but I just stood there, amazed. And filled with deep, deep dread.

The black Ampharos raised its head slowly and looked at Emily. You cannot kill him, it said in its not-voice as it turned to face me, because that one is mine.

I didn't know what to say. I could say nothing. I just stared agape, at the impossible spectre before me.

I hope you did not forget me, the Anti-Cam said as it looked at me with exactly my expression.

'Cameron?' Jess said and I turned my head to see her, and all the others, staring at the two of us together face-to-face. More like ‘the two of me’. This was no ordinary Ampharos. This was an exact copy of my DNA. Everything about it was identical to me, except for the inside. It had nothing like a human mind. It wasn't even from our dimension. This was an Anti-Body, an emotionless, soulless replica from the pit of the Dream Dimension. It had no emotions. It barely had any thoughts - at least, originally. This one... had exceeded the others. It had exceeded itself. This was an Anti-Body that could think, and could act for it's own interest. It was a miracle, but not a living one. No Anti-Body could be called alive.

How do I know this? Because only last night the Anti-Cameron appeared in my dreams and attempt to kill me. But that was in the Dream Dimension. Now it was here, in the real world.

As concisely as possible, and talking faster than ever before, I summarised the above for my friends. Anti-Cam merely watched me the whole time.

Kieran, Jess and Danny were, understandably, confused. Jack's face, however, was a picture of abject horror. He had also encountered the Anti-Bodies before, but only as sinister black blobs with me. The idea that one could assume a permanent form, and cross into our world, clearly terrified him as much as it did me.

'Are you ready? the Anti-Cam said in its not-voice that reached the brain without troubling the ears on the way through. Its lips moved, but only erratically and rarely at the same time as the words. I intend to finish what I have begun, Cameron. In response for what you did to me, I shall destroy you.

'Hahahahaha!' Emily, who had previously been keeping quiet, was suddenly about herself with delighted laughter. 'Oh, the beauty! Yes, you Camerons fight! You two fight, and I kill the weak friends as you do! This is a gift! Ahahahaha!'

'What?' Danny said in a small voice as he realised what he had just heard.

'Guys,' I said quickly on seeing the shape of the future, 'don't take risks. You have to keep away from her attacks, otherwise she'll-'

I was cut off by my all-black clone dump tackling me to the ground, and all hell broke loose.

I rolled with the impact and attempted to throw it off. However, all that happened as a result was that we rolled over each other repeatedly, neither claiming upper hand. Have you learned nothing? the fake me said. I know exactly how you fight. You can't beat me in identical combat.

Dammit. It was right too. I had to suppress my instincts last time, because it knew my instincts and how to counter them. I suddenly stopped struggling, catching it unawares and took the actual chance to throw it off me. Scrabbling to my feet, I saw it do the same, in exactly the same way.

I clapped my hands and a bolt of electricity shot out, which it narrowly dodged. It lunged at me, a hand raised with black lightning crackling around it. Thunderpunch. How dare it use my moves against me! I didn't go for the obvious Iron Tail counter, even though it was immensely tempting, and instead twisted round and swung a Strength blow. Our fists met and the impact jarred my hand and what was my wrist. We both staggered back, but while I had to pause for breath after the impact the Anti-Cam apparently had no such need. It swung for me again and I wasn't in time to stop it cracking me in the skull, followed by another blow to the chest that knocked the wind out.

Behind it, I suddenly caught a glimpse of the scene beyond. Kieran, Jess, Danny and Jack, fighting Emily desperately and hopefully. Emily's powerful attacks blasted all over the place, but at least this time they'd known what was coming. They fought on the defense, blocking and weaving and just dodging attacks and only firing back when a solid opportunity presented itself. They were fighting for survival - literally.

Beyond them, the army of Pokextinction watched blankly at the battlefield before them.

You are tiring,' Anti-Cam said disjointedly, bringing me back to the immediate crisis as I blocked and attempted to force it back. I will not tire. I have not only used your body, it said, I have improved it. You - and here it paused to avoid a Thunderpunch and take a return swing - rely solely on food for energy. I can use anything. I can replenish at any time. It does not trouble me.

'No,' I said, 'but this will.' I created an Iron Tail and, holding it back, charged it full of electricity. Then with a leaped twist that can only be performed under that special influence of adrenaline, I leapt and swung it at head-height at my enemy.

Casually as you like, the Anti-Cam merely swatted me out of the air with a hand. I tumbled and fell, my face hitting the ground. I opened my eyes painfully to see Jack shoot a blast of fire at Emily, then throw himself sideways as a laser beam crackled where his head was.

See? a voice that almost sounded like my own said above me. 'Hopeless.

'Hardly,' I muttered. I put all my energy into this one swing and brought my Iron Tail back up again, still buzzing with charge. It hit hard and hit true and the Anti-Cam howled with pain as electricity coursed through it. The only reason I didn't leave it there to take the rest of the blow was that I probably couldn't keep the tail strength up. I raised my feet in a kick that was frankly limp and weak, but Anti-Cam stumbled backward, gasping in pain. I realised me. This thing has no training, just a manual. It doesn't have battle stamina. I can overpower it. And I was overpowering it.

No! the black Ampharos shouted as I rose to my feet again. It clutched its side and I saw its arm slip in and out of focus. From what I could tell, it wasn’t holding together well at all. I have not come so far, gained life for nothing! I will end this, I know nothing else!

I smiled, not attaching importance to the fact that the emotionless creature was shouting. 'You may not tire, but your body isn't all it's cracked up to be. If this goes on much longer you won't be strong enough to hold your form.'

So I must end it now.' The Anti-Cam raised its arms and before I could react Thunder struck. Struck me.

Now I see why it works so well on my opponents.

Every cell in my body was on fire. What passed in milliseconds felt like an era. I moaned in pain, even my naturally electrical body wracked by the power of the shock. How could it be that I, a teenage smartarse with a tendency for showing off, could harnass moves like this? Why was that allowed to happen?

The charge disappeared. I stood, breathing heavily, aching all over, but upright. But if it wasn't of my own type, I probably wouldn't have been.

Slowly, I looked up and opened my eyes. My black clone's face, one of the few parts of its body not on the fritz, was as blank as ever but if it could express emotions I imagine it would have been frightful and shocked at that time. I suspected it had been rather banking on that move.

'That,' I hissed through clemched teeth, 'hurt'

I can do better, it replied.

'No you can't, because I know that if I could I would have done. No rest of the enemy, hm? Gah...'

'This must end here,' the Anti-Cam said with dissonant calmness, and suddenly threw itself towards me. Now, though, it was my turn to be predicting. I estimated the swing of the fist, knowing exactly the way I would have done, and brought my foot round beneath its legs as my arm flew up to catch. One tangle of limbs later, I was holding it upside down by its ankles, powerless before me.

A flash of déjà vu flashed me back to my first meeting with Jack, but I dismissed it.

The Anti-Cam stared calmly into my eyes, the lack of fear or response unnerving. I gritted my teeth. 'I, on the other hand... I can do better.'

Strength was my ally. I waved my clone around, up and down, even allowed it to hit the floor occasionally. Anything that would mess it up. I didn't let up - if I did, there might not be another chance. I kept the spinning and throwing and smashing going until I suddenly threw the Ampharos straight upwards, putting my best shot into it. Then, I turned my head, smiled and called down a Thunder strike. I knew its effect now, so I can say: being struck by lightning when you're flailing around several metres off the ground is not a good place to be.

Its momentum lost, the Anti-Cam began to plummet back to Earth again. I simply stepped to the side and lined up my shot. At the crucial moment, just before impact, I swung my Iron Tail so that I cracked it in the back as it fell and sent it flying away, eventually skidding to a stop on its front in the grass.

I call it the Storm Smasher combo. Maybe I ought to use it more often. Then again, it does require a high ceiling. But this I knew - it was devastating. And it must just have been enough, to end this particular fight.

I stepped up as my Anti-Body heaved itself up on an arm, its eyes barely open as it stated listlessly at the ground. Bits of its body phased in and out of focus and existence. I walked up and knelt down beside it. 'There's no replacing the original, is there?'

To... To have come so far... the Anti-Cam said, its face blurring as it tried to speak. To have come all this way... To have achieved life... And now to lose it again.

I shook my head. 'Hate to break it to you, but you were never alive. And you definitely weren't a person. Oh, sure, you walked like one and talked kind-of-like one and I dare say you attempted to reason like one, but there's so much more to people than that. There's things you don't get just by building the body and operating the switches, the stuff that... makes people people. You can't make art by pouring paint in a bucket. You'd have to live as a person, develop as a person, have a life - a real one - with everything that comes with it. Without that, you're just a well-built robot.'

I... I... the Anti-Cam managed, before a moaning cry emerged from its mouth and its body underwent what can only be called 'critical existence failure'. Everything about it warped and compressed, drifted away, vanished into the ether, until...

Until there was nothing there anymore. Nothing to betray the existence (such as it was) of the only Anti-Body to ever really make it. I squinted at the crushed grass where it lay, and discovered that the only sign it had ever been there at all were a few messy strains of black goo-like substance, which remained sullen and inert as I observed them.

In somewhat of a mix between a finishing line and a eulogy, I said 'Well, you tried. You tried damn hard. I've got to commend you for that.'

The black goo did not respond. I turned away, shaking my head.

And then looked up. This fight wasn't over. I ran across the field to the other site of war, where my four best friends were doing battle with the psychotic professional, Emily the Porygon-Z. With a furious shout a laser beam shot out of her arm and Jess cried as it struck her in the torso, falling down and hitting the ground. 'Jess!' Danny shouted desperately, abandoning his attack to rush to his closest companion's side. Jess' eyes opened weakly and she straggled to her feet, not giving up. Immediately she waggled her arms to use Metronome and suddenly a Water Pulse fired out of her hands, bowling Emily over in the air and momentarily confusing her.

At first all I saw was the damage to my friends, but then I saw the damage to the other side. Emily had given out a beating but she had taken one too. Between the four of them, they were wearing her down. But she was doing the same to them, and her finishing blows were much stronger.

Time for some reinforcements.

'Hey!' I shouted. 'Hey, Emily!'

Emily's head shot my way and her eyes narrowed at the sight of me. 'Hah! I shall have the pleasure of your kill next, Cameron!'

I paused slightly, trying to think of a pre-fighting one-liner. Something about Control-Alt-Delete flashed through my mind, then a line about getting a virus. However, if I took much longer then she wouldn't wait for me to find one.

'Calculate this!' I shouted in the end. Limp, I know, but I had bigger priorities. I shot a bolt of electricity at her, catching her off guard, and then followed with a lunging blow to the head with Strength. Everything after that was a blur - just punching and ducking and weaving and striking, whenever I could and whatever I could do. I let it all out, all the tension and frustration and pent-up anger at everything I'd seen and fought and had to do over the last two days, throwing everything I had into my assault like the final battle that it was. I took a Tri Attack to the chest and sagged, gritting my teeth, then pushed myself to my feet and forced myself onwards. I swung an electric punch, then Jack shot a bolt of fire, then Kieran launched a telekinetic force, then I punched again for good measure. Looking back, the only reason we weren't all killed horribly was that we would not give up.

It could have been minutes - it could have been hours. Emily was stubborn and would not back down, but neither would we. She was stronger, but we were more numerous. And we weren't slouches either. Eventually she sagged, and I saw my chance. 'Kieran! Jess! I'm going to need you!' I grabbed Danny with Strength, ignoring his surprised protest. 'Time for the finisher.'

Jack continued to blast fire at Emily, keeping her from recovering fully while dodging occasionally if she launched a response. I felt my body tingle all over as Kieran, staring at his spoon, unleashed his psychic power and I began to fly upwards carried on telekinetic force. Several metres off the ground the tingle suddenly stopped, there was a heart-stopping moment of being unsupported, then Jess swooped down and caught us, bringing us higher.

I looked down at Danny in my arms. 'You ready?'

'No.'

'Me neither.' I smiled. 'Do you trust me?'

'Yes.'

'Good. I know I wouldn't trust me at this point.'

'Three!' Jess shouted above us, her wings straining to keep us aloft. 'Two! One! Now!'

I threw Danny with all my might. 60 kilograms of metal and rock plummeted down upon Emily below, smashing into her head and sending her staggering back. I raised my arm and lightning flashed. Then, in possibly the single stupidest thing I have ever done and will ever do, I threw myself down at the villainess below, my electrified fist outstretched.

'And STAY OUT!' I shouted before my fist hit straight down Emily's back, electrifying her all the way through. The Porygon-Z keeled through the air from the powerful blow, slumped in an exhausted defeat, raised her head and fixed me with a look of undiluted hatred, and then...

Was gone.

I blinked. She was gone. She was actually gone.

The day was saved.

For real, this time.

There was a glassy stillness in the air. I looked slowly from the face of one friend to another, all of whom were staring at what we had just achieved. Leaves rustled and a bird chirped cheerfully in a tree somewhere nearby. It sank in, but none of us knew what to say. We'd really done it. Long Island was saved for real, and it was by our hand. It was over. We'd saved everyone. We were heroes.

Aw, dammit.