Paladin Ascending Vol 4 #7: Nightmares

**Paladin base med bay, 11:40 P.M:**

 

Connor: “Erin! Wake up!”

Jesse: “Shit, she’s gone deep inside his head. How do we reach her? Our powers ain’t working.”

Lyra: “I hope she can hear us though..”

Connor: “Whatever it is, we need to find a way to get in.”

 

**

 

I wake up inside a garden, one that looked like my home, the backyard Dad used to keep. Then I step into the house, I recognize my old place. The couches, the bathroom, the big kitchen. And in my old room. Ty is sitting there, in his younger self. He reminds me of the night that we first made love after confessing to each other weeks earlier.

 

Ty: “Erin?”

Erin: “Ty?”

Ty: “Look, I just made a rock. What do you think?

Erin: “With flowers? Is this for me?”

Ty: “Yes, just for you.”

Erin: “You’re so sweet...”

 

Then I hear a voice, an older man...the source of the voice is coming from my dad, walking up the stairs.

 

Rex: “What did you do to the garden? And why are you in your room! Erin! Who is this? Did you let this boy in?”

Erin: “No dad, I didn't do anything...he’s my boyfriend. He wanted to see my house. He's T--”

Rex: "I said no boys allowed! I don't care who it is!"

Erin: "Dad! He's my boyfriend! You know who he is!"

Rex: “I’m afraid not. You let him slip in. Now, get out! All of you!”

 

Dad shoves me out of my room, as Ty dissipates into thin air along with him, and I fall down the stairs...

 

***

 

I wake up with another jolt of shock. That must be some old memory me and Ty shared. I look around again, unfamiliar with my surroundings, as an older Ty, who is dressed in his suit the year before the Paladin accident. He approaches me slowly, comforting my arm.

 

Ty: “Hey sugarplum.”

Erin: “Ty? Can you tell me what’s going on?”

Ty: “Oh, just hanging out on the car mom gave me. I fixed it y’know. We’re going over to Jesse’s house.”

Erin: “Right now?”

Ty: “Yeah? You got something to do?”

Erin: “Nothing...it’s just that I remembered this was your sister’s favourite.”

Ty: “Ah, don’t mention it. It’s my mother’s.”

Erin: “But it is your sister’s...”

Ty: “Look, I don’t know wanna go through it, ok?”

Erin: “It is hers, Ty. Your mother never drove. She didn't want to.”

Ty: "That's enough, you don't know me."

Ty: “Stop it! I don’t want to hear it!”

 

He proceeds to shoot a blast through me, as I deflect with my shadow shields. He keeps shooting, but I begin to realize this is actually an old memory, also a mixture of it treasured by nightmares. Memories of us and our love. Before the heartbreak and becoming friends again. It can’t be real. Ty would never act over his emotions like that. I feel like I'm going to sob to myself, but I have to hold it in and be strong.

 

My eyes fade to the current sight of my fellow lover, letting my powers down. He then goes to sit over at a rock by himself as I follow him, and there are the sounds of a beach, the seas, a battlefield on the left side, and silhouettes of our family and friends on the right. What a dream.

 

Ty looks tired, and I rest my head on his shoulder. I can feel his scent. He is wearing normal clothes, just like me. I hold his arm tightly, before letting go and caressing his face. Our eyes meet, and he takes a deep sigh.

 

Erin: “I swear to god, please tell me this is the real you. I'm so gonna cry right now.”

Ty: “I don’t wanna go back right now....I can’t, Erin. I love you, but I don't want to.”

Erin: “Why? Come with me, we're in your head right now. Please...?”

Ty: “I know you're tired, Erinbug. You’ve tried too much. He brought out the worst in me. I killed my sister. I let her fall. And dad isn’t with us anymore.”

Erin: “Look, it wasn’t. It was all a damn accident. It's not your fault. No one could do anything. And your dad made his choice to leave you long ago. It’s not your fault, Ty.

Ty: “It was me, it was me! He didn’t love me enough… he made mom and sis suffer! Even Gran too! All of us!

Erin: “Ty, we’re doing this together, but I need you to understand there is so much going on right now. What's happened in the past stays there. We're here, living the moment this instant. If you’re not gonna tell me what happened to yourself, Riley and Harry at the landing, I’ll have no choice but leave you here without help. You’re stuck in nirvana forever, trapped in this loophole. Our friends are trying their best and you’re gonna give up now?!”

Ty: “What am I supposed to do? I didn’t want my dad to go either...you know what, I regret giving the ring to you.”

Erin: “You don't mean that, did you, Tyrone Wilcox Shore?”

Ty: “You’re not my mother. You don’t get to say or use my full name. Don't lecture me.”

Erin: “Ty, this isn't you. Stop it.”

Ty: "There is no real me, this is me, just like this. Are you happy?"

Erin: "No, it isn't. Stop being stubborn."

Ty: "Then stop being a bitch. Stop being so damn whiny. I'm not your plaything."

Erin: "This is the part where I’m going to lose myself too before you slip away into the path of sadness—even deeper and not coming back.”

Ty: “Who cares? That’s why I’m going to stay. I killed my sister, drove away father and I couldn’t do anything to stop them. I drove the wedge in my family.”

Erin: “And you’re gonna use that as an excuse over the woman you love? The real you wouldn’t be a coward like that. That influence is gonna eat you up inside the more you think about it. When I stepped into your head, I saw everything, from moment I laid my eyes on you, my dad not approving...we went through that. We survived great lengths and hell for each other—we’re still young! You told me we were gonna have kids...cute babies! And you can’t let go of the past? Tyrone, you’re a leader, a great role model for others...and you’re gonna grieve further because someone manipulated you? You need to let go...please...”

 

Gosh. That was such a fucking speech. I start bawling, tears streaming down my face as I hold him close to me, even if he doesn't respond. Every word from my mind is pulling my heartstrings and I’m in my fiance’s head, out in a world where he’s in a coma and now he’s acting like that...I feel so lost, so powerless.

 

I feel like I'm about to give up before I heard something...the voices of my friends. Two people, two brothers?

 

Jesse: “Not so fast yet, hermana. I’m here to fix your loverboy on the edge.”

Connor: “Nothing gets better than a proper reunion with the Arden brothers.”

Erin: “Jesse! Connor! You’re here!”

Connor: "Sorry if we're late. Caught up on things. If you can't convince him to leave..."

Jesse: “Yeah well we got through some big shit and ended up back in base...there is some ever bigger shit outside and thank you you’re safe like Gary, who’s out there fighting. And double thanks I didn’t have to pry open your head when Lyra almost insisted on it--"

Connor: “Save the talk later, little brother, we've got limited borrowed time. Hello Ty, we’re all here. We need you.”

Ty: “I said, I need nobody. Go somewhere else. Leave me alone. Fuck off.”

Connor: “You really don’t? Remember the time when I left everybody? It was hard as hell. But I held onto the thought of people I cared about. My brother, you—and Erin. Sam too."

Ty: "Go off. I don't need you here. Go off. Did I make myself clear."

Connor: "Yes, but don't you wanna remember our fun memories? I’ve said it once, and I'll say it again. Erin. she was pretty, smart, had everything I wanted for the perfect girl. I liked her, but you were always there for her. Got ahead before I had the chance, but I didn't interfere. I didn't step in. I admired both of you and I didn’t want to get in your ways because we’d be in a messy triangle. Instead I learnt more about myself as we supported you like us too. But the most important thing—you’re a sweet person, you're inspiring. You are one hell of a leader, daring to defy. You’re like a younger brother to me as well you know?”

Jesse: “Yeah Erin, she’s a great sister to me, man. We're all homies. But Ty, we've all known the truth already for ages...you didn’t kill Alecia. Your dad abandoning you guys wasn’t your fault. It was just an accident and just one of the shitty life stuff. You know I’m sorry for your loss.”

Ty: “How can you prove that you know something? You’re all just fake images. You don't care about my feelings. Alecia is real. Dad is real. You all are not.”

Jesse: “If it’s fake enough then we’d be voices who can put your shit together Tyrone. We already went through shit together. Who was the one who stood up for me? Who stood up for you? And your girl?What about the pranks we did? Everything mattered!" I spoke to Mrs Wilcox about it; and yeah it was hard opening up, but you did it in self defence. During infancy, your dad protected you when you had your house robbed, and when Alecia--"

Ty: "Stop talking about Alecia. You don't get to talk about her--"

Jesse: "Ty, Christ, let me continue. When she returned home from the army, her vehicle took a hit—your powers slipped. It was just a natural reaction. It was damn uncontrollable and there’s nobody to blame. You were a young kid back then and can’t put guilt on your shoulders, man.”

Ty: "But...but..."

Connor: “The real answer is because North had special pheromones unleashed all over, targeting those with especially painful memories. I know PTSD isn’t easy to treat and cope for everyone, and it'll take time to heal, but you were under the influence that you killed them. You didn't kill anyone. So come back, come back to the real world and take the fight against it. You’re not the only person here who's being oppressed when the agency is in dire hands! Wake up, Ty! Wake up!”

 

***

 

My mind fades again. Hopefully it’s the last as I wake up next to my still comatose fiancé, and I see Jesse and Connor on the opposite side of the bed. I take a big sigh.

 

The systems still work, thankfully. I assume things are really shit like they said when I hear gunfire. Jesse wakes up next, followed by Connor, while a worried Lyra shows relief on her face as she frenetically walks around in circles. Then she notices me and gives me a bear hug.

 

Lyra: “Thank god you all made it back! Erin, I thought I was gonna lose you! I don’t know what happened inside, but at least Ty's signs are normal now. Me and Navin had to move you and Riley to stabilized beds.”

Erin: "Hey, right back at you. I owe you and Riley."

Ty: “Ugggh....”

Erin: “Shiro! You’re back!”

Ty: “Sure...I guess. Hey gorgeous. I felt like had a weird dream and you three went inside huh? Wait...you guys did. I feel so much better after opening up. And you guys opening up to me."

Jesse: “Yeah. But we got bigger problems to solve. North is here and we’re running out of time actually. How long was the process, Lyra?”

Lyra: “Just 10. ”

Jesse: “See? Long enough in your head, and just a couple minutes here. Your wife is totally a badass chick with that power upgrade.”

Erin: “Hold on, wife? What? Like now?—“

Connor: “Ugh Jesse please don’t spoil and skip things; I mean you'll easily figure that out later, soon-to-be-married as Mrs Wilcox. You need to fix Riley and Harry ASAP too. This is what Edens left behind as a wake up injector. It will free their minds, some chemical solution of sorts. Make it fast. We’re gonna need to help our friends. Lyra, you’re coming too.”

 

The three of them rush out the medical room, leaving the two of us behind with virtually a mess on the outside. I help Ty get out of his bed as his weapons and gadgets are there. He looks into one of the drawers and puts on a new pair of socks before slipping into his boots.

 

Erin: “Did you tell them something before we woke?”

Ty: “Yeah. I did. But y’know I gotta get knives and guns up and ready.”

Erin: “I can now go if you want....”

Ty: “No, Erinbug. I am not leaving you, never ever. When we’re done we’re definitely getting married.”

Erin: “Aww. Shiro...you're just charming aren't you?”

Ty: “I realised we haven’t called each other nicknames in a while, but then, we gotta help friends and catch up, whaddya say?”

Erin: "Yes, absolutely. We gotta use these little things."

 

Ty stands up, grabs my hand and leans in for a deep kiss. He pulls me into a hug, which feels longer than expected and...I'm not complaining. Honestly I want to forget everything and just focus on this moment that I don’t want to let go.

 

But responsibility is right in front of me...and this time with my powers in motion, I’m gonna have to fix it right where they are.

Done