(16) The Source...

Meanwhile, in Winter Lake...

"Uh...question." Jay suddenly said. The group had been travelling toward the source of the mysterious noise, which strangely didn't seem to be getting any stronger. "Can't we just fly to where we're going?"

"For the seventh time," Rachel grumbled. "Only Michael and DK can fly. They'd probably be able to carry me and Lara, but I don't think they could hold all three of us."

"Besides," DK stated, "it's better off that we walk so we don't miss anything important on the ground."

"Well, why is Lara leading?"

"Because she's the only one at the moment that can hear the signal." Michael explained.

"At the moment?"

"I could probably hear it if I concentrated my power, but I'd rather not have to use it." Michael continued.

"Either that or you're just lazy." Rachel smirked.

"I'm going to pretend I didn't hear that." Michael replied.

"Will both of you shut up? I think we're getting close." Lara snapped.

Suddenly Lara stopped. "The signal's coming from right here." They looked around at their surroundings. They seemed to be in a deserted area of a city. In front of them was what looked like an old burnt-out factory.

"What the heck is this?" DK wondered. Rachel pointed to a blackened piece of metal. They were barely able to make out the words: "Area 52-B. Experimental Legends Facility."

"'Area 52-B?' E.L.F.?" DK said.

"What's it say below that?" Jay said pointing at some fine print on the sign.

"'You are here. We are not.'" Rachel read. "Well, that's original."

"Shush!" Lara suddenly exclaimed. Everyone stood quiet for a minute and heard a clanging noise inside. "Do you hear that?"

They looked around for the source of the sound. Jay finally pinpointed the source next to one of the far walls. "It's coming from under this rubble." Working together, they move the debris and find a hidden compartment in the wall.

"Yup, it's most definitely coming from in there. I'm sure of it." Lara said.

CLANG! A door swings open, revealing...

"Mason Biggs!" The disassembled spelunker gasped from the sudden intake of fresh air.

"...Finally. I never thought you would find me."

"Sir, what happened?" Jay quickly asked.

"I'll explain later." Mason groaned. "Right now we need to get out of this area before they return."

"Before who returns?"

"Now you wouldn't be thinking of leaving just yet, would you?" a sinister, but oddly familiar voice rang out behind the group.

Slowly turning around, they find themselves facing a group of the same creatures they fought earlier. And in front of the pack was...

"Michael, I didn't know you had a twin." Jay commented.

Michael glared at the doppleganger. "I thought I banished you to the realms of oblivion, creep."

The evil twin smirked. "You should know by now. The closer you get to the light, the larger your shadow becomes. There cannot be light without darkness, matter without anti-matter, a pure heart of good..." he says.

"...without the impurity of evil." Michael finished. "I knew this seemed too easy." He drew his weapon, Destiny's Force, while the others did the same.

"Rachel and Lara, go with Jay and get Mason out of here. DK and I will handle this." Rachel was about to argue, but Lara tugged her arm.

Lara looked at her and shook her head. "They know what they're doing."

"Don't let them escape!" The evil creatures of darkness flew toward Jay, but DK destroyed them in one swipe.

"Get going!" Jay half-carried Mason with Rachel and Lara as escorts and ran like the wind out of the building and the battle area.

Michael tried to get to his shadow self, but more creatures were spawning left and right.

DK and Michael kept hacking and slashing until it was undeniably clear: they were surrounded.

"I guess we brought back more dark matter with us than we thought," Michael groaned through gritted teeth, "or at least enough to bring back my doppleganger and his pals."

They stood back to back, weapons drawn, waiting for the oncoming attack. "Just like old times, huh?," DK asked.

"If I remember correctly, I destroyed twenty more than you did last time," Michael replied.

"Then you miscounted," DK said with a bemused smirk. "Because I beat you by thirty." Michael grinned.

"If anyone actually wrote about this, now would be a good time to go with a 'To Be Continued...'"

"If only we were that lucky." DK sighed.