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Chapter 12.0: Crossroads... Again!

Crosstown Motel

Goddamn Four Rules of Best Friends.

This was Rule 4 biting my ass.

I just wondered what rule he broke to make him my enemy...

"Please tell me this is some sort of sick joke."

Rob chuckled and turned his head towards the distance ocean. "You're right, Jacob. This is a joke."

I was about to make a smartass comment on how I would choose to take that at face value but I wasn't feeling very humorous at the moment despite my 'joke-instinct'.

And I sensed a catch in what Rob just said.

"This world is a big joke," Rob continued, a slight scowl on his face. "It's full of ridicule, scorn and assholes who are assholes just because they can be. We live in a world where no matter how great your work is, people will find holes in it. A world where everyone preaches about freedom of speech and general freedom but they still discriminate you over something as trivial as sexuality or how you prefer to spend your time!"

I glanced at all the faces around me... Everyone looked horrified... shocked... and completely lost for words. I stepped up to the forefront of the united army of vampires and werewolves, my eyes locked on Rob as Vane knelt at his feet.

"That's just people, Rob," I said. "There's nothing you can do about it."

"Yes there is!" Rob snapped, spinning back around to face me. "Jake, don't you see?" He spread his arms as he turned to me. "Everything that's happened here has all been according to my script! This is my world, Jake!

"A world where I can create anything at a whim_,_ where I am the one true god. Where anything I simply think will become a reality. A world of my greatest fantasies."

Vane suddenly moved and picked up something from the ground. I realised that it was the typewriter that Rob's dad had given him as a going away present. Three rings of bright, red, arcane runes hovered over around the typewriter and a symbol that looked like three pens crossing each other glowed against the keys of the old machine.

That was the Crux...

Rob's typewriter was the Crux!

"You're just running away from your problems, Rob," I said in my calmest voice but to me, I sounded like I was on the verge of breaking down. "You're using your imagination as an excuse to escape this reality."

Rob pointed an accusing finger at me as he held his typewriter in one paw. "Weren't you the one that said every person tries to make their mark on the world? That people exist to change the world? You said people will always try to edit my world?" He made a slicing gesture with his free paw. "Well here's my edit on their world!

"I'm staking my claim on this planet!" he shouted, lifting his typewriter into the air. "This area, all of Crosstown and the surrounding lands and ocean are mine. Anyone who crosses those borders will instantly adhere to my rules, to my laws!"

"You can't just claim people and a land!" Pearce snarled. "These lands belong to us!" I noted he hiked a thumb towards himself and made a begrudging gesture towards Dennis.

"Your hybrids have fallen," Dennis said, smiling at that smile motion of acceptance. "You're outnumbered, Mr. Lester. You can't hope to further this claim."

Rob chortled and lowered his typewriter. "You don't get it, do you?"

I did...

"This entire world," Rob cried, "the vampires, the werewolves, the hybrids were all created because I willed it!"

"That's impossible!"

No... No it wasn't.

The pieces now all fell into place...

The reason why the origin of the hybrids and yes even the story of the Crosses followed not the original legend but the story set out by Rob in his Crimson Series was because this entire world was altered according to what Rob imagined. In fact, as I considered the events that had occurred... everything did seem to fit in according to how Rob's script ran...

Chad became a werewolf just like what happened in the book... Dennis was a vampire and Kristine was the girl in between it all... Or was that me? There was even that big confrontation between werewolf, vampire and hybrids where werewolves and vampires set aside their differences to combat the hybrids...

It was all according to Rob's script...

... he was the source of everything that happened...

... and that just killed me...

"You think so?" Rob scoffed. "Think about it, Dennis. You signed up for this movie and suddenly you're a vampire? What about you, Kristine? You just happen to discover the existence of vampires and fall in love with someone of a different species despite the fact that he lusts after your blood? What kind of nutjob are you? Any sane girl would have gone running in the opposite direction! I mean, think about it! He wants your blood!

Rob's eyes flicked over the werewolves. "And you Chad! How long have you known Jacob and you're already in love with him? You haven't even read any of his books! You haven't even had your cherry popped yet and then suddenly your running around with a pack of gay werewolves acting like sticking your cock up another guy's ass while sucking off another guy and having the rest if the pack cum on you is something that's normal!"

Wait... What...?

I spun to face Chad... Then I remembered that to be turned into a werewolf, you had to be fucked by a werewolf and get tied... I think I registered the fact that he was no longer a virgin but it never really settled in... There was a part of me that was a little disappointed that I couldn't pop his cherry...

... but then another realisation hit me.

Rob did a rewrite to include another character... Jack Raver...

... played by...

Me...

My eyes flicked to Rob... just as he locked gazes with me...

No...

It's impossible...

... he didn't...

"And you, Jake," Rob chuckled, his eyes glistening with mirth. "Think about all that has happened. You and Chad miraculously coming out to one another? Him turning you into a werewolf? Why do you think Vladimir was after you? It was all in accordance with my script! Jack was meant to be a hybrid remember!?"

Crack.

...

I read Rob's rewritten script...

... and I realised where I fit in...

Jack Raver... my character... was a hybrid... Best friend to Shane Fang... and eventually lover to Shane fang.

I... Jacob Reaper... was first Chad's best friend... and then his lover... Vladimir attempted to kidnap me and wanted to turn me into a hybrid. In Rob's story, Jack turned Shane into a hybrid and they lived happily ever after once the conflict was over. In reality, Chad turned me into a werewolf and in theory, we would have lived together forever...

... but I defied Rob...

"That's right, Jake," Rob intoned slowly. "If you had just stopped resisting then you know you could have been happy in my world. You could have been with Chad and you would have lived here without any care in the world. You'd be surrounded by your peers, gay werewolves all of them, and occasionally, there'd be a new potential that would come in that you'd have fun 'initiating'.

"All the wolves really liked slowly converting Chad, you know. The orgy they had when they finally had him was one of the best experiences they had. Imagine getting that once or twice a month."

I saw all the werewolves shudder a little and some even had the bright tips of their cocks starting to poke out of their sheathes.

"Well..." I began softly, watching my friends and my lover carefully. I locked gazes with Chad. Even in his Feral form, I could read his expression accurately. There was confusion there... and fear... Slowly, I turned back to face Rob. "... I guess that's the big problem, isn't it? Everyone is always going to try and change the world... And that means no matter how much you will it, regardless of how tight your script is, people will act the way they want.

"It's like the film, Rob. As the director, you can tell your actors what to do but ultimately, it's the actors who act, not you. They bring their own flair into the movie, something you can't direct no matter how you try."

Rob snorted. "Using the film as an analogy, Jacob?" He chuckled and shook his head. "Fine, I suppose that is true. Mortals will always have freewill. You can offer them the world and absolutely everything they could ever want and they will still deny you."

"That's because it's not what they want, Rob!" I shouted, gripping Razor tightly. I didn't want to hurt Rob but it was looking like I would have no choice... "It's what you want for them! This is your world! Your imagination! People are just acting according to what you're directing. They're acting so well that they've essentially become the very characters that you scripted for them. But they're still individual people and they deserve to have their say!"

"If they live in my world, they live by my rules," Rob scowled. "I don't force them to become who they eventually become. If they accept the changes, then they are free to stay but they must obey my laws. They are always free to leave."

I narrowed my eyes and swung my blade towards Pearce. "Really? So you're telling me the mild brainwashing that the werewolves undertake isn't some way of you forcing people to become who you want? You're telling me that the thirst for blood that the vampires suffer from isn't some sort of coercion into staying with the community of likewise infected!?

"Or the fact that you had the hybrids act as your 'police' to keep them in check. When anyone steps out of line, you get your hybrids to move in and wipe them out just like what was happening in the glade! What kind of 'freedom' is that!?"

Rob bristled and snarled at me. He never snarled at me before... Thunderheads began rolling in from the horizon, darkening the skies. The distant roar of thunder filled my ears and I felt my hackles rise at the sensation of lightning crackling high above my head.

"This is my world, Jacob!" he shouted. "I am not going to let anyone else ruin it!"

"It's not a world, Rob!" I shouted right back at him. "It's an escape! It's you attempted to run away from all the critics, all the reviews and all the haters by closing yourself off from the rest of the world and living in your own little imaginary world!

"The imagination isn't some escape from reality, Rob, nor is it some weird by bi-product of our desires that you can manipulate and use to tempt us into living in your closed-off society!"

Rob stamped his foot angrily. The winds picked up and a slight drizzle began pouring down on us. "Then what is it, Jacob? You have all the answers! Tell me what my imagination should be! Tell me what this world I've created should be instead of what I've made it!"

I found my gaze switching away from Rob... My eyes fell on Vane's blackened eyes... full of hatred for me... He obviously knew what Rob was capable of and I had no doubt he had hoped that since this was Rob's world, the 'Director' could easily bring back his family.

When I looked over to Chad and the other werewolves, I saw shame in their eyes. I could only guess at what they were feeling... Could it be that none of them were actually gay...? That perhaps because of Rob's machinations, they had just convinced themselves and each other that they were gay unbeknownst to them that Rob's paws were secretly manipulating their bodies and minds to suit his 'perfect world'?

And the vampires... They all looked so... disgusted. I had no doubt they didn't want to become the bloodsucking 'monsters' that they had transformed into. I saw deep regret in Dennis' eyes as they regarded Kristine longingly. No doubt if the circumstances were different and one of them wasn't a fragile mortal and the other wasn't a glorified leech, they would be together in a heartbeat...

Then... Then I looked at my own paws...

... and I knew the answer.

"I can't tell you that, Rob," I whispered. "But everyone has the right to their own imagination. What you've done is deprived everyone of that opportunity by reforging their surroundings, their minds and their bodies to suit your world."

Rob shook his head in frustration. "What are you talking about!? You do exactly the same thing! You write your books and fill people's minds and hearts with your morals and your thoughts!"

"The way I stimulate people's minds is different. I give them the choice to read my works. I give them the choice to like what I write down or not. You've deprived everyone of that choice."

Rob tossed his typewriter into the air. The massive, black, bulky machine hovered beside his head. "So you're telling me that if you had the power to alter reality, you wouldn't us it at all?"

I gave that some thought... Then shook my head. "No... I would use it... But I'd use it to further people's choices, Rob. I'd make adjustments but I won't force people to take one course of action over another. I'll lay down the path but it's up to them whether or not they follow it."

Rob crossed his arms and shook his head once more. "That's a waste of such powers, Jacob. Mortals are sinful and if you give them the choice, they'll destroy one another. They'll push the unfortunate aside and throw them under a moving truck just to further their own goals. How can you let them do that to one another when you can create a utopia where they could all be happy?"

I smirked. It was my turn to shake my head. "Because then it wouldn't be their choices that led them to that path. It'd be mine and I know that I'm just mortal. I make mistakes, I screw up and hell, I was even manipulated by you. How can I claim to good enough to create a utopian society when I too am flawed?"

Rob sniffed loudly and stuck his nose upwards arrogantly. "Then I guess that's why you don't have the power I do, Jake." A grin crossed his features as he held out his paw towards me. "So what do you say, Jake? Why don't you let me take care of all your worries and troubles? Let your old friend Rob take you to a place where you'll actually live happily ever after."

I shrugged as mirroring grin crossed my features. "Sorry, Rob. You know me. If given a choice between Heaven and Hell, I'll choose neither, stay on the mortal realm and haunt the living instead. Go by my own rules."

"Of course..." Rob laughed. His eyes were filled with mirth for a second like he was reflection on just how much we knew each other. I thought he was about to drop his mad rampage. But that thought vanished when he spread his arms out beside him and cast his gaze on all the gathered. "But can you make that choice when the man you love is in jeopardy?"

I growled, folding my ears back against my skull. "What are you saying, Rob?"

An odd, red aura began to outline Rob. Slowly, he lifted off the ground and hovered in the air with his typewriter sliding in front of him. "I'm saying that since I am the Director, I've had to make some tough calls. All my actors have, sadly, been a little... uncooperative. I have no choice but to recast and restart."

"Is that all we were to you!?" Pearce roared. "Some sort of... of... puppet show that you can play with!?"

"My world, my rules, my script." Rob's eyes flicked back towards me. "But I can pinpoint all this resistance to you, Jacob. I can see now that deviating from my original script was a mistake. You were right after all. Everything I do is vintage Robert Lester. I shouldn't worry about what other people think, least of all you."

That hurt...

... more so because Rob was completely nuts!

"So here's the deal, Jake," the rabbit said. "You've killed my hybrids but I can easily put them back together thanks to my typewriter. I'll recast you as Chad's lover but you won't be a hybrid. You'll just be another werewolf. You two will live happily together. You won't ever remember anything of this happened and we can go on with our lives living in my world peacefully. Or..."

His voice dropped to a menacing growl "... You can keep rebelling. You can keep fighting against me and you risk losing Chad and everyone you care about!"

I didn't dare mention that even if Chad or anyone else was lost and I did win, none of this will have ever happened. If I destroyed the Seal, it'll be as if the Seal never existed. The warped alternate reality that was created because of the Seal would just vanish into thin air and only I would remember what happened.

And that meant...

I glanced at Chad...

My romance with my mate was caused because of these events... If... If I fought and won... I will never have met Chad in the way I did... We would never have become mates... and neither of us will have ever grown as close as we did...

It was a lose-lose-lose situation...

Either I succumb to Rob, lost my freedom and became one of his drones but lived happily with Chad... or I fought and lost and, you know, died... or I fought, won and lost Chad... I didn't know if and when a chance like having Chad with me would ever come again.

But the thing was...

... this world was just a product of Rob's desires... a place where he could escape to. A mirrored image of what he wanted reality to be like... If my affection for Chad was just a product for that... then...

"I'd prefer to live by my own terms, Rob," I answered, raising my blade at him. "Live and die!"

Rob looked disappointed as he shook his head. "You know, even though I expected you to say something like that, no amount of preparation can dull the blow." He smiled mockingly at me as he pressed a paw against his heart. "I'll miss you Jacob. I really will."

Vane stood up, his lips peeled back in a feral scowl, his fangs flashing in the night.

I brought up Razor, letting the flames from the Incendiary Rounds channel through its glowing blade. I gathered a crystal in my left paw.

"Vane..." Rob said, waving dismissively towards us. "Destroy them so I can remake this world."

The hybrid threw his head back and let out an ear-splitting roar. He surged forward, dagger-like claws flashing in the light of the crashing thunder. His claws came to within an inch of my ear as I dodged deftly to the right and countered with a horizontal slash that I quickly turned into a full whirlwind attack, leading into an spinning kick followed by and roundhouse punch!

Vane dodged them all easily.

I didn't think going up against the penultimate boss would be easy.

You know, when you're playing a video game and you're fighting the guy that's guarding the boss? He's usually tougher than the actual boss because players will have expended all their resources against the penultimate boss and designers didn't want players to get frustrated when they are so close to the ending cinematic only to fail.

Yeah... that's Vane.

But I was up to the challenge.

I like videogames and if there's something I know about them, it's that bosses always have one super-world-ending attack that they save for the end and only unleashed when their health was dangerously low.

The key was to kill them before they got there.

Vane lunged at me, claws extended and screaming, "You killed Veronica!"

I leapt straight at him, somersaulting over him with Razor extended. The burning blade sliced through Vane's back, causing him to scream. Vampires and werewolves quickly advanced upon him but the hybrid easily overpowered them all, hurling them away with a simple sweep of his arms.

"You will all be cleansed!" he roared, seizing one vampire on the ground, wrapping his massive paw around the bloodsucker's face. "All vampires spawned from my blood! I control all your blood!"

"No!" Kristine shouted.

I looked away but still heard the splat.

When I looked back, Vane's claws were dripping with blood... Blood that was quickly bubbling around his paws and forming a long, sharp, curved blade.

That's not good.

A werewolf roared and threw himself at the hybrid. I only saw a flash of red and suddenly the werewolf was on the ground, bleeding from multiple slice wounds. Vane thrust his free paw at the other vampires who instantly doubled over in pain before immediately jerking up straight like they were suddenly electrocuted.

Without warning, the vampire spun around and immediately charged at the werewolves.

"What are you doing!?" Pearce cried, snatching a vampire off a fellow werewolf and hurling him away. "Vane is our enemy!"

"We can't control ourselves!" Dennis shouted. "Vane is controlling us!"

Damnit!

It made sense in a way.

Vincent commanded all the werewolves as the first werewolf... As the first vampire, Vane commanded the vampires!

I heard a faint 'tck-tck-tck' and glanced over my shoulder.

Rob was hovering in the air, legs crossed and with his typewriter on his lap, typing away. I wondered if he was just adding these details as we went. 'Cheating' in a way. As he we kept fighting and finding ways to undermine him, he just added more details and more abilities for his troops to make them even stronger!

I saw the revival of the hybrids around the corner...

... Unless...

Rob was the source...

... and as much as it killed me...

I had to kill him...

"I'm sorry, Rob..."

I whirled around and flashed straight in front of Rob, levelling the tip of my blade right on his nose. He didn't even flinch and just kept typing!

"Rob! Stop this!" I demanded.

"Or what?" he answered dismissively. "You'll kill me?" His eyes finally lifted to meet mine. "Jacob, I know you. Even after all this, you still consider me your friend. You aren't going to kill me."

Damnit... Rule 3...

I hesitated...

Big mistake.

"And for the record, I have no intention of killing you either," Rob said with a faint chuckle. "I've given much thought to what you said... about what you'd do if you were given the chance to make your own reality... So..."

I was suddenly jerked downwards like my feet had slipped into some sort of bog. I glanced down and gave a startled cry when a pool of darkness swallowed my calves and I sank further into the blackness.

"Enjoy your reality, Jake," Rob chuckled, giving me a slight wink. "And don't worry. I'll take good care of Chad and the others."

"No!" I shouted.

Rob was my friend... but he was basically enslaving people and about to tear me apart from the man I loved... the man he set me up with!

That wasn't fair!

This wasn't my friend!

This was some power-mad lunatic who was driven mad by a desire to escape the harshness of reality and opted to take a chunk of the existing world and make it his own! He was trying to be some all-powerful, gay god of werewolves, vampires and hybrids!

I had to stop him!

Mustering all my strength, swung Razor at him. Rob's eyes went wide and he jerked backwards in his hovering state, Razor's edge just missing his nose!

No!

"Jake!"

I twisted my head around. Chad charged towards me just as my torso slipped into the darkness. Vane tried to intercept him but my Husky leapt over Vane's attempted bear hug and slid across the wet grass to me. I felt his fingers wrap around mine just as my neck sank into the darkness.

"Hold on!" he cried.

But even he could see it was hopeless...

I tried to say, "I love you" but my head sank into the shadows.

The last thing I remember was feeling his fingers slip away from mine before...

...

THUNK!

Chapter 12.1: Enough with the Crossroads Already!

Rillotian Express to Graesham

I saw stars...

Not because I had hit my head on something hard and metallic... No... I actually saw stars. Bright, twinkling lights above me forming a thick, dazzling ocean. A weird blaring alarm was sounding somewhere beneath me and I fear some faint screeching that was really annoying but I was still a little dazed at what had happened...

... Was I... Was I suddenly in another world...?

_My_world...?

"Hey you! Get up!"

I blinked and sat up.

A big, black wolf wearing a white overcoat rushed across to me flanked by a cougar and an even bigger brown-furred wolf. All of them were dressed kind of weirdly... Like they came out of some weird science-fiction videogame or something...

"No! Get back down!" the cougar shouted.

"Behind you!" the brown wolf cried, pointing behind me.

I flung around just in time to see this weird, turtle-like... thing leap into the air and start spinning towards me like some sharpened buzz saw with a bright, green shell attached!

"Holy -"

I pressed myself against the ground - which I realised was covered in metal - and felt that thing slip over me at high speeds, just barely missing the top of my ears. The moment I felt it pass, I looked up and -

ZAP!

A bright beam of white light cut right through the thing and disintegrated it. I practically had to press my face against the ground again as that laser shot over my head. Two strong arms seized my shoulders and hoisted me up to my feet. It was the bigger wolf and the cougar. The cougar patted my chest and the wolf...

... he sniffed my crotch.

"Hey!" I shouted, swatting away his nose.

The wolf frowned and twitched his nose. Despite his size, he looked like he was only in his late teens. His face was bright, youthful and quite soft. "That is very odd... He smells like you, Jacob."

Jacob...?

I turned my gaze to who the wolf was addressing... The broadly build black wolf... with golden hair... sapphire-blue eyes... and golden chest fur showing just over his shirt's collar...

Oh... my... god...

"That's great," my look-a-like grunted, his voice much deeper than mine. "We can explore our similarities after we defeat the train-threatening Unsealed!"

"Train...?" I repeated.

A quick glance around revealed that I was standing on the roof of a broad, high-tech train that was speeding across vast, rocky planes at high speeds!

This wasn't good.

The cougar gripped my shoulder, making me switch my attention to him. "Get back down to compartments. We got this."

"But I -"

"Tayl!" my look-a-like barked.

The cougar nodded and stood beside 'Jacob'. "I got your back, Jay!"

This was getting weird...

I looked past the trio and spied what appeared to be a horde of those weird turtle-things. Despite appearing like upright, tortoises, their limbs and faces were long, two-dimensional triangles that I noticed could easily have been the blades that almost sliced through my neck.

I gulped loudly and massaged my neck, remembering just how much I liked having my head attached to the rest of my body.

The bigger wolf suddenly bolted forward, black lightning arcing from two massive gauntlets he wore. I watched in awe as his huge, muscular form moved with such speed and agility. The turtle-creatures receded into their shells and hurled themselves at him but the wolf easily dodged them, pinned one of the creatures to the ground and -

ZAP!

A huge bolt of black lightning just surged out from the wolf's paw, destroying the creature instantly.

The cougar - armed with two chakrams - danced amongst the creatures. Flames wrapped around the circular blades and sliced easily through the creatures. I watched in awe at his prowess with the power of flames and I felt a little emasculated with my miniscule ability to use the Incendiary Rounds my dad had given me.

Finally, my eyes settled on 'Jacob'. The big wolf was one there one second and then -

BOOM!

He was in the middle of the army of turtles the next, a tremendous shockwave blasting the creatures off the train. He clicked his fingers and twin bursts of light from the palms of his gloves brought out two swords. The right-hand blade he held in a forward grip and the left hand blade he held in a reverse grip. More of the turtles came hurtling in from all directions but he didn't look fazed as he spun and cleaved through them all with insane speed that rivalled a vampire or a werewolf.

Beams of light erupted from his right-hand blade and sometimes, those beams would even form into a sword made of light that would accompany his slashes or strike out on its own. His left hand blade emitted powerful sonic shockwaves that were actually visible was thin blades of sound that sliced through the metal of the train.

"What are you still doing here!?" my clone shouted, our sapphire-blue eyes locking. "Get down to the train!"

"But -" I began, feeling like a helpless child.

"GO!"

At that moment, I saw one of those turtles rise up behind him.

I reacted.

I brought up Razor and fired.

BOOM!

My clone ducked instinctively and then looked over his shoulder at the flaming remnants of the turtle.

I was in this fight now.

Pushing aside all the thoughts of parallel dimensions, space-time continuum and paradoxes, I threw a crystal past the trio and flashed amongst the turtle creatures. I flung Razor around me, the flames of the weapon searing burning through their ranks. One of the creatures tried to lunge at me and I quickly cartwheeled backwards before countering with a charging slash.

The creatures backed off, launching into the air an circling us in their spinning top-like forms.

"Please tell me you're not from SWORD," 'Jacob' muttered.

"I have no idea what 'SWORD' is," I answered, levelling Razor at the circling pests. "I've got two swords though."

"Then pull out your other one!"

"Sure. Help me with my pants."

The cougar and Jacob stared at me and they looked on the verge of killing me. The other wolf didn't even notice. I don't think he heard me.

I shrugged. "Sorry. When I'm stressed and not having my heartbroken, I tend to make jokes."

I pulled the triggers of Razor.

BOOM!

The top-turtles scattered as the flames consumed a large group of them.

"Great," the cougar chuckled. "We got another Fire-user. This'll make it easier!"

What...?

I guessed that these turtles were weak against fire... Lucky for me I had Incendiary Rounds equipped.

"Spread out and keep them from getting to the civilians below us!" Jacob shouted. "Tayl, go with Leo to the rear! Newbie! You're with me!"

"What? -" I began but the team was already splitting off into two groups. I hesitated and bolted after my double. He was taller and faster than me. I wasn't sure if he could teleport as well but there were times that he'd 'flash' as well but I never saw him throw a crystal or anything.

Three turtles charged at me, cutting off my thoughts. I grit my fangs and somersaulted over them. Once a turtle was above me, I planted my feet against its rounded shell and kicked off, shooting into the sky. The instant I reached the zenith of my ascent, I spun around and pulled the trigger of Razor like a madman. Before the bullets could go anywhere, I crushed them with my gravitational might, forcing them to explode. I didn't let to explosions progress any further than small foot-wide spheres that orbited me like a dozen suns.

"Burn!" I cried and swung_Razor_ like a bat.

The fireballs surged downwards and peppered the ranks of those top-like turtles, littering the train roof with explosions. I made sure the flames didn't surge do more damage than scorch the surface of the metal.

I flashed to the side of my counterpart who had a faint smirk on his face.

"Heh, not bad there, kid. Nothing on part with SWORD. So I guess you're with ExIT?"

Is this world full of acronyms or something?

Unless he was talking about some real exit... Maybe the way I had to leave this world was to find the 'Exit'...

"I have no idea what you're talking about," I answered.

BOOOM!

A huge, emerald green creature that looked like some sort of multi-armed snake landed in front of us. The creature had to be at least four storeys tall and in each of its arms was a massive, silvery sword. Its body was glossy and not covered in scales but looked like some sort of greenish, latex flesh. Bits of black and green armour covered its torso while its lower half tampered to a long, muscular tail that quickly wrapped around the train.

CREEEEAAK!

The ground jerked violently as the creature twisted the train.

"He's going to derail us!" I cried.

"What was your first clue?" the other Jacob muttered.

The creature threw its head back and roared. Its massive jaw opened and a jet of greenish liquid shot towards us.

I instantly threw a crystal towards the creature's tail and flashed there, bringing Razor down on its hide. I expected a burst of blood or some sort of visceral liquid but nothing came out.

Was this creature even alive?

My instincts screamed and I instantly flashed two metres back -

CLANG!

One of the snake's enormous swords came crashing down where I had been.

"You know," my counterpart said, swinging his swords expertly in his paws, "for a MODD agent, you suck."

Again, what was with all the acronyms?

"I'm not with whatever organisation you're with!" I snapped.

He smirked at me. "I'm not with MODD, kid."

"I don't even know what mod is," I growled. "Can we just please get rid of the freaky snake monster so I can get off this train and go back to my own world which is currently being taken over by a complete nut job that's trying to turn it into his own personal gay fantasy playground who also happens to be my former-best-friend!

...

I realised just how crazy I sounded at that point.

I glanced at the sapphire-blue eyes of my look-alike. His eyes were narrowed at me like he was appraising me and considering how he was much taller than me, it was a very intimidating stare.

"You're crazy."

I have no idea why but that short accusation sort of felt like getting hit in the crotch with multiple snowballs.

The snake creature let out another roar and we both spun to face it. It swung all four of its blades at us. I immediately somersaulted backwards, leaping over the blades as they slid past underneath me.

CLANG!

When I landed, I was astounded to find my doppelganger had blocked all four blades with his own dual swords despite the opponents blades being twice his size!

"Whoa..."

I shook myself from my thoughts and realised I had an opportunity.

Thinking fast, I charged at my counterpart and launched over him, landing on the blades of the snake! I ran up the length of the creature's sword, up the beast's arm - I realise that sounds really dirty - and threw myself at his head... Yeah, my mind is really perverted.

The creature's big, red eyes went wide as I plunged Razor into it. An ear splitting scream cut through the air that almost made my ears bleed. I grit my fangs together as the snake threw his head back. The momentum send me hurtling through the air and soaring well past the train!

I realised all too late that I would end up as a thick, red splat on the ground!

"Spectre!"

A brilliant light cut through the starry night sky and a comet peeled from the brilliance... and made a beeline just for me!

I wasn't sure whether getting hit by a comet in midflight was better than ending up as visceral stew on the barren, desert ground.

"Holy shi -"

THUD!

I suddenly found myself pressed against a thick, metal saddle that was mounted on a... a...

"No offense..." I began. "But what are you?"

The huge, white, winged wolf with black-feathered wings turned his head towards me. Bright, blue eyes widened in shock as he stared at me.

"You shouldn't be here!" the creature growled at me.

"You're telling me," I muttered, rubbing the back of my head with a free paw. "What the hell is going on here?"

The winged wolf shook his head. "I don't know anymore... How did you get here? What was the last thing you remember?"

I shook my head. "Rob... Erm... A guy I know was trying to manipulate reality itself by reforging the world to his liking... a world of vampires, werewolves and a mix of both... Um... When I confronted him, he said he'd send me to 'my own reality'... Then I ended up on that train being attacked my turtles!"

The wolf banked in the air and sped back towards the battle. I spun in the saddle and held onto the handles there.

"Rob must have somehow tried to use your mind and your very existence as an anchor to create a whole new world... based around your desires... But I'm guessing there's something seriously wrong with you if you ended up here instead of there."

I bristled a little. I think that was meant to be a compliment but I felt a little insulted. "Who's to say this isn't my world?"

The wolf stared at me with a pointed look. "Jacob, you and I both know that's not true."

I froze.

He knew my name... But...

"How did you...?"

The winged wolf smirked as he circled the battlefield. My counterpart was dodging in an out of the snakes attacks. He lashed out with his twin blades. I prided myself as a swordsman but he was way better. I was good with one sword. He could wield two.

Boy, I didn't want to get on his bad side...

"Trust me, I know," the wolf chuckled. "My name is Spectre, by the way. I'm the other Jacob's Animus. His sort of... spiritual guardian, if you want that can help him in battle or everyday life."

"Oh!" I answered, clicking my fingers. "You mean like those summons in videogames that the come out when you need them the most and have really cool cinematic attacks that wipe the floor with bad guys?"

Spectre gave me a dubious look. "Um... Right. Sure." The Animus shook his head. "Listen, we have to get you back to your world. I know I'm not much but even I can sense that it's impossible for any force to alter your mind unless you want to so I seriously doubt that Rob could have created a world for you."

I forgot about that... If the gods couldn't change my fate and if the other Seals couldn't really alter reality for me - though could only alter reality around me - what chance did Rob have of creating my reality?

"So I'm guessing..." Spectre began slowing descending back to the battlefield. "... that when Rob tried to make your little fantasy land for you, he instead ripped a hole through dimensions and let you slip into our world."

"Got a scientific explanation for that or are you just guessing?"

Spectre landed on the train about twenty-five metres away from where the other Jacob was combating the snake. I watched in awe as my counterpart bolted towards the creature and severed one of its arms clean off. Then, spearing the arm with his swords, he lifted it above his head and hurtled it straight at the snake, slicing off a second arm!

Damn he's good...

"I'm just shooting in the dark here, Jacob," Spectre said, letting me slide off him. "Personally, I'd prefer to think of my home reality as real instead of something created for you by your crazy friend."

I personally would be insulted as well if anyone insinuated that about my home world...

"Call me 'Jake'," I said. "Everyone does."

Spectre raised an eyebrow at me. "Really? Our Jacob_hates_ that name because his dad used to call him that and ever since... Isaac died, Jacob gets hurt every time the name is mentioned..."

I winced. "Whoa... rough... My dad is still alive... Well, maybe not for long... I mean, once my mom finds out he drank my boyfriend's werewolf semen..."

The Animus gave me a weird look. "My god... Your world is so gay."

Blushing, I readied Razor. "Yeah, it kind of is. Now, what do you say we beat this bastard so we can find a way of getting me back to my world?"

"Sure. Just do me a favour. Don't touch Jacob. I don't want there to be any weird time-space, inter-dimensional paradox explosion thing going on."

Wait...

That's a good point...

My heart plummeted when I considered the possibilities of two Jacob Reapers touching each other and suddenly unravelling all existence in a massive, cosmic explosion! A simple pawshake, a high-five, a single strand of fur out of place... sex...

Uh-oh...

My perverted mind suddenly went haywire as I considered the possibilities of having sex with an alternate version of myself... and this Jacob was smokin' hot! Tall, muscular, gruff and your typical bad boy... Totally hot!

No!

"Let's go!" I shouted.

I flashed towards the battle -

CLANG!

I blocked one of the serpent's massive swords with mine while Jacob blocked the other.

"I see you've finally decided to join me," Jacob grunted.

'Join me'... I wonder what would happen if we fused as one... Would we become some sort of ultimate, inter-dimensional, gay sex machine?

"You looked like you needed help," I answered.

He snorted. "I could've handled this by myself."

My instincts suddenly screamed and I jerked my head towards the snake's head. It pulled open its jaws and sprayed use with that green goo! I didn't want to know what happened if we got sprayed with that so I thought fast.

I levelled my free paw towards the spray and gripped it with my gravitational powers. I collected every drop of the spray into a tight ball. The snake pulled back in surprise, shutting his jaw.

"Spit on this!" I shouted, hurling the ball back at the creature with my will alone.

SPLAT!

Acrid smoke rose out from the snake's remaining eye as the acidic fluid hit its face.

"You can control Water and Fire?" Jacob asked. "What are you? An Elemental Lord?"

I had no idea what an Elemental Lord was.

At least he wasn't using acronyms anymore.

"Nope," I said with a smirk. "Just the guy that's better than you."

I saw him bristle as the snake pulled back its arms and snarled at us blindly.

"Better than me, huh?" he growled. More of those turtle-tops came flying in around us. "Tell you what? The one who kills the most Unsealed is the better wolf."

I grinned, filled with an odd sense of confidence. "Okay. Oh and the one who wins gets the ass of the other."

Jacob went rigid and his tail fluffed out. "What!?"

"You heard me," I said with a smirk. "When I win, I get to rape you. Though, it won't be rape if you're willing." I winked at him.

I have no idea why but I just got this feeling that despite being from parallel universes, he was still gay.

Call it a hunch.

"Deal."

Yep, he's gay.

We bolted forwards at instantly the same time. I realised that he was just supernaturally fast and couldn't teleport like me. I slashed and hacked through the 'Unsealed' and he did the same. He had the advantage of having two swords but I had mobility.

"Ten! Eleven! Twelve!" he shouted.

Damn... And I was only up to six...

An idea hit me.

Grinning, I jumped onto one of the turtle-tops as it began spinning. Using just my feet, I guided the Unsealed into its comrades, cleaving through them with frightening ease.

"Whooo-hooo!" I shouted. I flung Razor around, firing into the midst of the Unsealed and setting them all aflame.

The Unsealed I rode stopped and I quickly sliced it in two. I stood cockily in front of a dumbfounded Jacob.

"Let's just call that 'twenty', shall we?" I suggested.

"Don't get overconfident," he snarled. "Watch this!" He combined his two swords and -

WHOOSH!

A brilliant blade of light encased the weapon, reaching about twenty-five metres in length. He made one horizontal slashand cut the massive snake in two as well as a large number of the Unsealed.

With his tail erect and wagging, Jacob turned to me with a big grin. "What do you think of -"

BOOOOOM!

Everything was suddenly red and hot. The train floor was ripped right out from under my feet. Pain shot up my back and from my left arm. I think my eyes were shut at one point but I couldn't see anything. I blinked a few times but all I saw was red... and felt like everything around me was burning.

In the fiery conflagration, I... had a stroke of inspiration.

The Celestial Key...

It could conjure a door into Haven from anywhere... It was worth a shot to try and use it to get back to my Mortaelis...

I grunted and tried to pull myself back to my feet. I found myself relatively uninjured with my clothes ripped in certain places. I no longer had a left sleeve and my entire left side was covered in my blood. The legs of my pants were torn and charred. My regeneration had kicked in and repaired all of the damage.

Then I saw the carnage around me.

The train was torn right off the track and set alight! The flames that wrapped it were so immense that the chances of survival were slim!

What had struck it!?

We were doing fine just a moment ago!

"Hey!"

I spun around as Jacob and his team came running up to me. There were three others with him. A bronze dragon, a fox and a deer.

"You're okay!" the cougar said with a sigh of relief.

"Yeah... I'm fine..." I answered, surveying the damage. "What... What happened?"

"Something hit us," Jacob growled, baring his fangs. "Whatever it was, it was big." He glanced at me. "You sure you're okay... Um... I never got your name."

I panicked.

I couldn't give him my name, could I?

I mean, what if the Celestial Key didn't work? What if I was stuck here and he realised I was an alternate version of him?

So... I lied.

"Sam."

Jacob's eyebrows rose. "Huh?"

"My name," I replied, trying to force the nerves out of my voice. "It's Sam." I got more curious stares. "Wolfe... My name is Sam Wolfe."

The group exchanged glances.

I took that instant to quickly reach down my shirt and pull out the Celestial Key. The key glowed in my paws and I grinned.

Quickly, I spun around yanked the key over my head and pushed it outwards like I was opening a door.

A golden door sprang up out of nothingness in front of me and I broke into a grin.

"Sam?"

I turned around and flashed Jacob and his group a grin.

"Sorry guys. I gotta head off! It's been fun!"

Chapter 12.2: Final Crossroads

Point Edge

****Chadstone West****

"Hold on!" I cried, gripping Jake's paws... but it was too late.

His head dropped into the darkness and his paws quickly followed. Hot tears were streaming down my cheeks, blurring my vision. My heart felt like it had been ripped to shreds. The instant Jake left this world... I just felt like he had taken my heart with him... That left me with nothing but an empty hole in my chest...

... an empty hole that quickly filled with anger and hatred...

My eyes darted straight to Rob and I growled, feeling my entire body throb and ache to shift into my Lupine form and tear him limb from limb!

"You..." I growled. "You bastard!"

My body threw itself at him, my claws extended and my fangs flashing -

THUMP!

Cold, strong fingers wrapped around my neck, crushing my windpipe and choking the life out of me.

"Now you know what it feels like," Vane snarled in my ear, his freezing breath causing my neck fur to stand on edge. "Now you know how I felt when your boyfriend killed my Veronica!"

I kicked and flailed, trying to break myself free... But there was nothing I could do... There was nothing I wanted to do... Jake was gone... The love of my life... I didn't care what Lester said... I loved Jake and that was my choice. It wasn't according to his script.

It was my choice...

... and now that I had lost him...

Jake... The guy who was fighting so hard for our freedom...

My mate... my love... my everything...

I growled.

No!

I wasn't going to die! Jake wanted us all to live our lives as we saw fit! I was not going to die because some crazy director decided I should!

"Your struggles are futile, Chad," Robert Lester chuckled, typing on his typewriter casually. "Don't worry, I won't kill you. No one here is actually dying. I'm just rewriting your parts. I think I'll make you a native of Crosstown. The outcast because you're a Husky and not a wolf. I'll make it so that when you do eventually become a werewolf, it'll be one amazing turning point in your life.

"It will be one, fantastic story!"

The corners of my vision began to blur and I could feel myself weakening. I didn't have the strength to shift to my Lupine form anymore.

But I wasn't going to give up!

I couldn't... I had to keep fighting!

... for him...

SWISH!

The grip around my throat suddenly tightened and I gagged loudly.

"You can't write every story, Rob."

That voice!

My heart leapt for joy just as Vane's claws released my throat. I stumbled to the ground and lay on my back.

Jake's sword - the glowing one, not the thick, black one - was sticking out of Vane's chest. I managed to twist my head to the side slightly and see him... Jake! My Jacob Reaper! He was covered in blood and bits of his clothing were charred but he was back!

He was alive!

Jake pulled his blade free of Vane, the flames from the weapon quickly spreading all over a thrashing hybrid's body. I knew he was dead before he even hit the ground.

"What?" Robert stammered. "How...? How did you escape!?"

"You sent me to my own world, remember?" Jake replied with smirk. "Who's to say that I just chose to make another door that led me back here?"

Robert's eyes boggled as Jake grabbed my paw and lifted me back to my feet. I whimpered and nuzzled him, making sure that he was the same, that he was mine. Everything was in place... A little crispy but everything was fine!

"That's impossible!" Robert shouted. "How could you choose to come back to this place when you have your own to rule!?"

Jake smiled at me and kissed my cheek tenderly... But there was something wrong in that kiss... He wasn't telling me 'I love you'... It was more like... like... he was saying 'goodbye'...

"Because this is my reality, Rob," Jake answered, his eyes locking with Robert's. "This is my home."

"You're wrong!" Robert shouted, uncrossing his legs. "This is my world! Mine! I built this place! All these people are mine! You will never take this away from me!"

Robert threw his arms back into the air and a brilliant, red light spilled from him. Jake pressed his paws against my chest and pushed me backwards. The fighting behind us had stopped and I guess that's because Vane was gone. I blocked the light with my arm and staggered a few more paces back.

When the light faded... I freaked.

"What the -?"

Robert Lester hovering in front of us but he wasn't the slightly paunchy white rabbit that directed the movie anymore. He was a ferocious monster covered in black fur and with glowing, red eyes. Rising to about ten feet in height and brimming with muscle. A pair of black, leathery wings sprung from his back, lazily keeping him aloft. His right arm was twisted and malformed with his paw reshaped to look like a wolf's head. His left was striped with red and looked like a tiger's. A long, serpentine tail thrashed behind him as he hovered over us.

"I will not_let you destroy my world, Jacob Reaper!"_

Jake sighed and nodded slowly. "I know..." Then his eyes took on a laser-like intensity. "That's why I'm going to destroy you instead!"

Before I could shout 'Jake, wait!' he flashed and crashed into Robert!

Both of them tumbled over the ledge of Point Edge.

I screamed something. I think it was, "Jake! NO!" but I don't really remember. All I could remember was rushing up to the ledge and peering down.

WHOOSH!

Two bolts of fur shot upwards past me, soaring into the air.

Jake clashed his blade against Robert's misshapen paws, Robert's fanged paws catching the blade in its teeth. There was a burst of darkness and Jake flashed behind Robert but the monster quickly flung around and whacked him across the muzzle.

My love fell but quickly recovered and flashed back up to Robert's level. He spun around in a full circle, sending a ring of flames spreading outwards and washing over Robert. The Director roared as the fire coated him and spread across his body. Jake mercilessly charged and drove his blade into Robert's shoulder. Robert recovered, snatching the blade with one fanged-head and biting down on Jacob's shoulder with the other.

I could hear my lover's shout of pain from all the way where I stood helplessly. Robert tore Jake from his sword and threw him right down into the ocean!

"NO!"

SPLASH!

Jake disappeared beneath the waves -

... only to reappear above Robert, carrying with him a torrent of salty water! A waterfall of ocean water rushed down onto the Director, knocking him off the air. I could see Jake and Robert's silhouettes against the dark waters. Jake seized his sword and yanked it free of Robert's shoulder before -

SWISH!

I saw a large, black wing shoot out from the waterfall and land in the ocean.

Both figures erupted from the tunnel of water, Robert still managing to remain aloft despite losing one wing.

"Why Jacob!?"_the Director shouted. _"Why are you fighting so hard for this imperfect world!?"

I couldn't hear Jacob's response but it was something to make Robert's eyes go wide in shock.

"You're a fool, Reaper!"

"Perhaps... or he could be ridiculously clever."

I froze.

I remembered that voice... That voice that resonated deep into my soul and made me feel so cold.

Grim... The Avatar of Death.

There was a surge of inky black energies beside Jacob and the dark cloaked figure emerged from the shadows.

"Who the hell are you!?"

"I have come for you, Robert Lester. Your time has come."

Jake looked like he was about to cry... But he quickly straightened himself and said something to Grim.

"Indeed... Fate is cruel... Now, to end this farce!"

Both Jake and Grim suddenly charged at the Director, speeding through the air like twin, black bolts.

Robert Lester never stood a chance.

Jake flashed straight behind Robert and kicked him towards Grim. The Avatar of Death swung his scythe but the Director quickly seized it with both his head-hands, keeping it inches away from his face. Jake was suddenly back in the picture and -

SWISH!

... sliced right through Robert's wrists, severing both head-hands in one swipe! Robert managed to stagger back away from the two but that didn't last long.

Jake shot twelve rounds around him, each one exploded into a fiery sphere. He let out a roar and charged at the Director, the flaming spheres spinning around him like a burning barrier. The Director couldn't get away fast enough with his severed wing and had all twelve sphere smash against his body and explode, burning his flesh to a crisp!

"Your death approaches."

Grim rose higher into the air and lashed out with his scythe. Black, crescent-shaped blades launched from the scythe, zooming straight towards the Directors and ripping Robert to shreds!

I couldn't almost watch the carnage...

... but after all that he had done... after how he manipulated us...

... How could I forgive him?

"And now..." Grim uttered ominously, rising further into the air. "Armageddon is here."

Black rings of darkness appeared all around a plummeting Robert Lester. Each one surged outwards and formed a long, inky-black tentacle. Four seized each of the Director's limbs while the remaining lashed out at him mercilessly, whipping Robert and ripping hunks of flesh from the Director.

"Reaper, you may do the honours."

A burning comet shot upwards and came in level with Grim.

Jake swung his burning sword above his head, flames surging outwards and lightning up the night sky. He gathered a massive crystal in his free hand and hurled it straight down towards the Director. The crystal shattered upon impact, splintering into a thousand different, smaller shards.

I heard my mate give an anguished cry and pointed his blade straight down. A pillar of flame blasted out of Razor's tip and burned right through the Director. Instead of shooting down into the ocean where it would dissipate however, it hit one of the smaller crystals and vanished. Another beam of fire suddenly erupted from a second crystal, striking Robert Lester. Like the first, it passed the Director, hit another crystal and vanished!

WHOOSH! WHOOSH! WHOOSH!

Beam after beam shot out from the crystals, each one filling parts of the massive, fiery sphere that was consuming Robert Lester. I don't think the Director screamed. The flames' roar was just too intense for his cry to be heard.

Jake then drew back his sword and shot straight down!

He cleaved right through the fiery sphere, slicing it perfectly in two...

... then...

BOOOOOOM!

... all went white.