FrikandFrak

I'm aware that something is off kilter in my head. Doc thinks it's a a form of schizophrenia, split personality...whatever. He has no clue what's going on in my head, and even if he did I'm sure that he couldn't put me into any of his classification. All I know is that there is a part of me I have no control over. It comes out in stressful situations. Trust me when I say that lately there has been a lot of 'stressful' situations. I'm jumping ahead of myself let me start from the beginning.

At the age of eleven my family on a move from Salem, Massachusetts to Atlas City got into an accident. Everyone: mother, father, my twin sister Alex dies. Now, I'm not sure why the damn Fates intervened but they did. I lived..they didn't. Screw the Fates. I sooo have a bone to pick with them...anyways, I digress. They were my only family, because of that I was put into foster care. Riiight, I don't know why they even say 'care'. All I am is a cash crop for the fosterers.

Up until now there have been two events that have changed the way I viewed the world, the death of my family and the events that occured on one fateful night. At the age of sixteen I was placed in a home that gave me the heebie-jeebies. I mean if Lovecraft was alive today, he would model his antagonists after these folks. They weren't outright ....mean to me. But they were reeeeeally scary. It still gives me goosebumps thinking of them.

After being awoken by some scuffling noise outside, I went to investigate. I peeked through the window and I noticed two hooded figures leaving the house. I knew one of them was Enis, the head of the household that was fostering me. He always carried a staff, it never left his side. Out of curiosity I followed them through the woods behind the house. I trailed them to a clearing where they joined other hooded figures. They all stood around what looked like a fire pit. The pit though didn't have a fire, in its place was a sickly kind of green light. I watched in fascination as they began to chant. It was in a language I have never heard. The people and that eerie light, plus that language couldn't possibly equal a PTA meeting. It was creepy, but after a minute or two of watching it became horrifying.

From the darkness I heard a scream. Two of the creepies had dragged a woman, who looked to be about my age, into the the green pit. I watched frozen as they muttered words that silenced the poor girl. And in utter stupor I watched as the girl began to levitate into the air. I was stuck, my legs wouldn't move and I knew I couldnt give my position away by leaving. The strange language just got louder and louder and the green mist greener. My heart went out to the girl, she was crying but she couldn't utter a word . Then, right before my eyes something tore out from within her! It wasn't fast..it was excrutiatingly slow.I could hear her skin ripping apart and blood was spilling copiously everywhere! I couldn't even imagine what pain she was going through. A hand that looked like it could belong to the grim-reaper himself was digging itself out from within the womans body. I watched as both hands clawed out and ripped the poor woman into two.

What emerged from that torn body was a demon of sort! What was once a scared girl in the pit now layed a messy husk of skin and innards and over that now hovered that an emaciated demon! This demon thing ,because in my mind it had to be a demon, was a flying torso with a long wing-span. It's skull was demonic in nature, where his eyes should have been only had a faint glow of red too it. Its maw was filled with razor like teeth. It was death that I saw that day. All bones he was and a piercing shreik that made me shutter to the marrows of my body.

I screamed. My self-preservation just went out the window. Now, their attention was on me. I remember running and tripping and the the taste of fear that was in my mouth that night. The shreiking was becoming louder. That thing was after me! Then something bizarre happened, as if in a dream my conscious subsided into a safe haven somewhere within me. I watched from within as I stopped, became calmed and turned to the beast behind me. Inside, I was screaming to myself RUN, but I felt another presence that wouldn't comply. I heard myself utter words, words that made were almost similiar to what those awful people were saying. I watched as my right arm flung out and.....a blanket of black smoke sprung out from it!

The blast hit the beast startling it for a second or two. The thing flew at me faster, the closer he got the calmer I felt. Then, as that thing was a foot away from me I felt myself smiling. Tentacles!! Tentacles upon tentacles were coming up from the ground to envelope the demon. Moans and other un-nerving sounds were coming form the thing I conjured. They were slick, black and writhing . Different sizes of them were holding this demon at bay. I shot another blast of that dark thing at the demon.

As I was doing it, I heard myself shout, "I don't think Frik enjoys being hunted and used for your demonic games! Try taking me on!"

Frik? I haven't heard that in years! Only my sister called me that! What was happening? It even sounded like her, my twin! I wanted to say something, anything, but that other entity inside me wouldn't let me.

As the screaming thing died from the damage that Frak dealt it, (I say Frak because I know that what I did that night didn't spring from me!) the rest of the sinister group had caught up to me! I heard myself/Frak laughed! "Bring it on guys!! C'mon, you wanna play with little girls? Well play with this..!" As she said that more tentacles sprung out to capture the group. "Damn you!"

I felt Frak fight for all she was worth but I felt my body's energy dwindling. A few more dark bursts later into the captive group and I knew that we couldn't hold them for to long. "Well Frik, I can do more..." I heard myself say outloud. No!! The part of me that was holding my conscious freed me.

"Nooooooooooooooooooooooooo! DON'T LEAVE!" I cried out as I was freed from that strange hold.

"Alex? Frak? Where are you? " I screamed. So shocked was I from the emergence of that other self and the void it left behind when Frak left, that I almost forgot the peril I was in. The hooded group was on me.The tentacles left as soon as the voice did. Now, there was nothing that held them back! Their beady red eyes glared down at me as hands upon hands were tearing at me.Tearing at my skin, at my clothes. I didn't want what happened to that poor girl happen to me. One of them grabbed me. I recalled being dragged to that green circle. I struggled for all I was worth to escape their clutches, but I was weak and in a panic. They placed me within the green light. I was held, my babbling cries were silenced as they spelled me into acquiesced. I was done for.

"See, I thought everyone stood me up at Pocket D. No one told me ya'll moved the party to here. Tsk tsk tsk boys. You should know better than to stand a woman like me up." said a woman from the darknes.

A woman dressed in black straps that showed her pale skin walked into my line of vision. Oh god!! GET AWAY! I screamed at her in my head. These people are evil! She calmly walked into the throng, and as she got closer I noticed that black wispy like smoke was emminating from her. I saw sheer pleasure in her eyes as she scanned them. She glanced quickly at me then to one of the hooded figures that was chanting. Within a blink of an eye I saw the same kind of tentacles that other side of me conjured quickly shroud them. Only these were bigger and seemed to inflict more damage that what mine did.

I was free from my prison as the tentacles devoured the chanters. The rest of the crowd immediately sprung into action and proceeded to attack my savior. I watched as a the woman tackled the rest with surprizing speed, strength and agility.

With just her bare hands she tore into them like a mongoose to a snake. Bones cracked, people yelled , blood went everywhere as one by one the group dwindled. Bodies were scattered throughout the encampment by the time she got through with them. I watched in awe as she walked over to me.

Leaning in she gently lifted me up. I broke in her arms. Bawling like a baby, the events that just passed and the feeling of my dead sister so nearby was too much for me to handle. As I stood in her arms, I noticed a cloaked man running at her from behind. Before I could yell out a warning she had already placed me to safety and confronted her assailant. She gasped in surprised as her attacker managed to gouge her upper right arm with a glowing red knife. That really pissed her off. As she was getting ready to attack , she stumbled. Her left hand was trying to stay the blood that was pouring out of her wound profusely. Her eyes went wide at the severity of the attack. Looking at me she whispered weakly for me to get away.

No no no no! I couldn't let her die, not after what she did for me. Staring at her then back to the man who was cackling wildly about magical weapons and Spectral demons, the adrenelin began to pump through my body. As the buzz of it reached into my conscious something held me back, once again Frak emerged.

"That's more like it!" that other side of me said. The attacker was knocked back as I/Frak blasted that black thing from my hands.

"Frik, this lady needs attention! She isn't going to last very long without your help. Go! Aid her! You can do it!" she screamed outloud. Then I was back to being in control once again.


I had no clue what she was saying as I rushed to the aid of this stranger. Frantically, I searched the now unconscious woman. What? What? My hands fumbling about her person, trying to ascertain what Frak was trying to say to me. The attacker grinned from across the clearing and made his way towards me. As I reached the level of hysteria, my hands had made its way to the wound. From nowhere a blast of energy pulsed from me. It was so intense I had to close my eyes. From behind my lids I could see a brilliant green, not the sickly kind that I was locked into earlier. It was soothing and powerful this wave that I felt like I was riding. As I opened my eyes I could still feel it emanating from me and I knew that this hurt stranger had felt it too.

With relief, I saw the lady look at me quizzically, "Well done, little sister." she said with gratitude. With astonishment I realized her wounds had healed! I did that! She then stood up, cracked her neck and pinned her steely gaze on the man,"That's the only attack I'll allow you, your mine now!" She then proceded to emasculate him.

Afterwards, it was all a blur. The lady introduced herself as Lunar Eclypse. She then took me under her wings. I spent the next couple of years under her tuteledge, gaining confidence in my new abilities. I have accepted that even though my sisters physical body may have died, her spirit resides in me. I carry that knowledge with pride. Split personality my [censored]!

I am now nineteen and that fateful night has led me into a new direction. Much has happened since then. But that's a different story.

NOTE: I WROTE THIS THE FIRST YEAR I WAS IN STRYKE-FORCE. 2 YEARS LATER I WAS KICKED OUT BUT I DIDN'T WANT TO CHANGE A THING. I HAD FUN WRITING THIS SO I HOPE YOU ENJOY IT.
Lunar Eclypse..story of my scrapper

She was close! The hazy red sight of the portal was just a hundred yards away. With renewed strength she ignored the pain that shot up from her right leg and began to sprint in that direction. Home. She was almost home. How long had she been here? Too long. She knew personally that hell existed. For far too long she had been a prisoner of it. Far to long she had been its plaything for the denizens of this dimension.

The portal now closer, she wanted out! As she weakly ran to the beloved sight she stopped in fury and horror as the red doorway began to collapse into itself.

"Noooooooooo...!"

Dr. Melissa Dryker shot up from her bed fighting the blanket surrounding her. Realizing she was in her room she swore. Heart pounding in her ears, her body in sweat, Melissa mentally counted to ten. The repeated nightmares were becoming fewer as each year passed, but when they did come they still left her debilitated. Quickly, she made her way to the bathroom. Turning on the faucet she let the water run as she viewed herself in the mirror. With a rush of anger she threw her fist into it.

"Damn." she sighed. Another mirror to fix.

Unemotionally, she watched as her cuts repaired themselves. Having an accelerated healing rate always intrigued the scientist in her. It still amazed and disgusted her to this day the changes in her physiology that her experiment ten years prior wrought.

Melissa consciously fought back the memories of that dark time spent in hell. Looking back at her multifaceted image she saw the product of that period. Her skin at the moment was obsidian, it always turned that way when adrenalin coursed through her body. Wispy black smoke emanated from her body. Nothing she did could prevent that. The most alarming change came from her eyes. Once, full of mischief and merriment now exuded death. The only thing that wasn't unfazed was the color of her hair. It still was as fiery red as ever.

Watching her blood drain into the sink, images of herself screaming in agony as one of the dark denizens cut her open repeatedly, came crashing back. It was endless, the torture they had put her through. Many times she came close to the brink of death only to have that taken away from her as they continuously healed her to do more horrific acts upon her body.

Shaking herself out of her reverie. She forcefully turned off the faucet and bee-lined it to her room to change.

Melissa arrived at the nondescript building in Atlas City. Punched in her code and entered the steel like hallway that was developed by her as well as other members of an elite team known as the Stryke-Force.

During the war and in subsequent raids on Rikti cells, Stryke-Forcers have recovered literally thousands of tons of Rikti technology. Adapting and utilizing it helped aided the heroes in turning the tides in the war against them. Though they have yet to repel all Rikti from Earth, it had stunted for the time being the capitulation of major cities world-wide.

Part of the stolen technology was used to help develop sensitive recognition devices that kept the unwanted out of their bases and safe houses scattered throughout Paragon City. Her footsteps echoed loudly as the DNA recognition scanner enveloped her. Reaching the far end of the door a loud mechanical voice greeted her.

"Code"

"Division ALPHA. Code, Old Man"

"Welcome, Lunar Eclypse"

Melissa preferred the quieter depot to the bustling of the larger bases. Everything she needed was here in a smaller scale. Smaller to her meant not a lot of people were hanging out. These days, the less the better.

No sooner did she settle down in front of command post did she hear the beeping of the com-link.

"Lunar here."

"Good, just the person I needed," said the familiar voice of her division head Celtic Crush,"We have a dilemma, we had a team assist the Portal Corporation in containing Anti-Matter but they never reached their destination in the alternate zone."

Lunar Eclypse froze. Hoping to high hell that what he just said was a fluke.

In a weak voice,"Go on."

"Your background indicates that you have experience in this matter." A deep sigh came from him,"I've already debriefed Eclypser of the situation. With your common background, you and he have more of an idea as to what to expect. In fact more so than others."

Fear gripped her. No

"But...sir, I'm only security level 35, this is out of .."

"Lunar, I can't tell you I understand what happened to you and Eclypser, but right now you two are the best chance our boys have!"

"I need you to hand pick your team for this mission. Briefing in 0200 hours." Silence.

[censored]! Her worst fear finally caught up to her. She's going back to hell.



Part 2

Jan/04/1997 Peregrine Island

"Are you sure you want to do this Dr. Dryker?" a worried tech asked.

"Damn straight I do. This project is MY baby. He's there because of me! she retorted fiercely.

I have to do this.

"But Doctor, you don't know if that's his vitals we are seeing! It could be a glitch in the system. I mean what if the beta test failed? What if..."

"Don't you say another word! I designed this system! I know what a glitch is." pointing at the monitor screen,"That is not a glitch!"

"Seriously though Doc, shouldn't we get professional help with this? You can't just up and go in there, you don't know if he's actually ...wherever he is!"

Clenching her fist,"This is on my shoulder, I know that's him. We've pinpointed his exact coordinates. He may not have arrived at Gate two but he sure has hell arrived somewhere. I plan on finding out where."

A colleague had gone missing as soon as the initial testing of small rodents began. At first, it didn't register to her that her partner Dr. 'Bones' was not there to witness the success their experiment had wrought. When the news from Gate two confirmed that the rodents had indeed emerged from their gate, she was in a state of euphoria. They had did it! They had successfully transported their test subjects from Gate one to Gate two. Her elation died though when she realized that Bones was nowhere in the complex. A sinking suspicion formed at the pit of her stomach.

They had injected nanites into the rodents to track their trajectory. That was his specialty. Prior to giving the two rats their injection he had injected himself against the objections of her and the rest of the staff.

She had confirmed her suspicions as she viewed the monitor. How could she have missed the third spike on the computer? It was blatantly there in front of her to read if she had studied it closer! He was here, but not. According to the read-outs, the nanites in his system registered a spike in electric currents that ran through his body. The same exact read the rodents had registered as they were going through the tp device.

Bless his heart for going against her wishes. Otherwise, she would never have known what happened to him.

Melissa didn't admit it but the accident opened a whole new world of possibilities. She never dreamed that her experiment would delve remotely into alternate dimensions! That was the only logical thing that came to mind when she read the reports. If Bones had perished the nanites would have conveyed that fact by simply not being registered. That only led to one conclusion to her. He was occupying space here but not in this time continuum. Trepidation and exhilaration seeped into her body. A major scientific breakthrough!

She had spent the afternoon quickly re-calibrating the tp device. Amazed that the calculations were so similar to topological displacement. Quantum leaping had always been theorized but never had any tests been successful, and by total accident she had stumbled onto the find of the century. By containing a field upon the point of entry at his destination, she theorized that they would be able to use it as a means to return back to this space and time.

She was going in.

A bag-pack was prepared for her with essential items. After adjusting it on her shoulders she turned to her tech,"I'm ready." She lifted her right arm.

After a hesitating pause, the tech injected her with the nanite serum.

"Again Doc, I'm going on the record that I completely disapprove what your about to do. I still think that we need professional help on this!"

She whipped her head up to look at him, eyes blazing,"Look, we don't have time to seek help. We don't have any clue as to how long assistance would come. It could take days, hell even longer. The more time we waste here could have irreparable consequences to him over there! I'm going in. As soon as I do, your more than welcomed to fight the bureaucrats upstairs." She winced at the sting of the needle.

Facing the tp device, she took a deep breathe. Shaking herself from the jitters she looked around once more at her crew. Worried faces stared back at her. With a smile full of bravado, she swallowed,"Hey ya'll, it'll be ok , Bones and I will be back in no time. I promise"

Stepping up unto the ramp and on the platform, she waited anxiously as the machine was turned on. A deep hum generated from the platform, she felt pressure building up from all around her. As the hum became deafening, the pressure built even more.

She couldn't breathe! Melissa started to panic. This has to work! Taking shallow breaths, she gazed wildly at her coworkers as they scrambled here and there like chickens with their heads chopped off. She tried to giggle. Before she could try to say anything to reassure them her whole world turned bright blue.

Present day un-disclosed Stryke-Force base

Lunar walked into the conference room. Spying Eclypser at the other end of the long table she walked to him. His obsidian-like skin never returned to normal like hers did. She felt it had to do with how long he had been in the 'dark dimension'. Time was relevant when it came to alternate realities. By the time she had found him and he was able to return them both to this plane, she had calculated a year had went by. A year of multiple deaths and...

Enough! Don't think about it!

With his pupil-less eyes he gazed back at her. She reached out a shaky hand to squeeze his. He in turn did the same. Her former partner for so many years in the scientific world turned into a deeper bond shared from their experience from that dark era so many years ago.

"How you holdin' up Bones?" she whispered

A deep chuckle escaped him,"That man died long ago Melissa"

"Touche, Eclypser, touche" Lunar squeezed his hands harder.

"We were different people then, this won't be easy, but I promise you, it won't be like the last time either." the deep timbre of his voice eased a little of her fear.

She let out a small breath,"I'm holding you to your word"

A giggle from behind erupted,"Get a room!"

Lunar turned her gaze at the person who spoke.

"I didn't say that Frak did!" A petite, short platinum haired Frik and Frak immediately threw her hands up.

Lunar rolled her eyes at her ward. She had saved her a couple of years back from the clutches of the Circle of Thorns. Frik and Frak was unique in the sense that she and her departed twin sister shared the same body. She had showed her worth under her tutelage and subsequently in Stryke-Force as well.

"So, what's this mish 'bout anyways?" FnF asked in her sing-songy voice.

Before she could speak up a voice interrupted.

"I hear you losers are in need of the Gnome!"

There in the doorway stood a 4 foot slender person puffing away at a thick cigar.

PART 3

Somewhere in the past

She was weak. There was no way she was able to carry on further. The weight of Bones heavily on her shoulder did not aid the cause at all. Melissa stumbled to the ground with a resounding thud. The pain of falling didn't register to her. She had felt worse, dear lord did she.

Looking at Bones she wanted to cry but she couldn't. THEY took that away from her, time and time again. He was a mess. How long has it been since she saw his dear face? Her hand trembled as she ran it across his dark head. He was no longer recognizable. Where there was once a head full of light brown hair now sported a smooth black almost metallic scalp. Like hers, his body was riddled with scars upon scars, some healed while most festered.

They were changing at a molecular level. She could feel it. She saw the evidence in Bones, and recently she has been seeing it on her as well. The darkness was spreading throughout her body.

A little movement from next to her revealed that Bones was coming through. Elated, she gave him a big squeeze.

With that action, Bones pushed her off him weakly, "No." He said raspily,"No more.....please."

Knowing that he thought she was of 'them' she immediately tried to reassure him.

"Hey hey hey..shhhhhh, it's just me, Melissa" Pulling him into her embrace. She rocked him as if he was a little child.

He fought her hold. As if sensing that she meant no harm to him, he calmed. His head rolled back. She gasped as she saw him open his eyes. What she saw pained her, he no longer had pupils! What was there in place was just ..whiteness. A dull glowing aura of grey radiated from him.

She held him tighter,"What have they done to us?" She whispered aloud.

Present day. Alpha Base

Lunar was pensive as she viewed the room. Eclypser was sitting to the right of her and across the table she saw Frik and Frak giggle at something Gnomish Gunner had said. Couple of seats to the left sat Super Mom speaking quietly with Frostyblue. This was the team she chose.

Though she barely worked with them on the field, she knew they were all pros at what they did. She wanted them specifically because they were close to the members that went missing. She smirked, they were all reliable, with the exception of The Illustrious Gnome, he was the wild card. She wanted it this way.

Clearing her throat to get their attention Lunar briefed them of the mission.

"...that's the gist boys and girls. Steampunch, Orgo, Super Duper, Doc Hunter, and Tigertazz needs us." When the briefing was done, she emphasized,"You haven't been to this dimension yet folks. Eclypser and I have deliberately erased any knowledge of it. It doesn't exist in any computers out there, nor in anyone who might have been exposed to its knowledge. Even now Portal Corporation does not have any clue as to what had transpired over two hours ago. There is a reason behind this, and that's for another time to explain. What you need to know tho' is .." she paused as she closed her eyes.

Lunar's skin began to change in front of her peers. The memory of that place slowly stirred her anger. By the time she opened her eyes she was jet black, her dark red tresses stood out in contrast beside her skin. Anger showed fiercely through her eyes.

"Look, just imagine hell, not the hell of in the 'heat of battle' that we are so used to. The kind that I'm thinking of is that little place in your head that you store your childhood fears. The place you never admit to anyone you have locked up and thrown the keys away." Her speech was beginning to calm her down a little, the obsidian look was fading from her skin. Looking down at her hands, she didn't realize she had clenched them so hard she had left little moons on her palm that were bleeding.

Up jumped Gunner, breaking the tension in the room,"Right right right, lets do this!" He gave a cheeky wink to Lunar,"Plus, I have a date with my discombobulater at home that needs attention to"

"Your what?" Piped in Super Mom,"Nevermind," She said, shaking her head," I don't wanna know."

"You heard him folks, lets roll." Lunar said, as she gave the team a weak smile.

They all stood up and formed a circle around Eclypser. He would be their gate.

Lunar watched as he lifted his arms to the heavens, a black heavy smoke started to seep from him. Slowly, it made its way outwards to envelop the Stryke-Force members. It began to crawl up their bodies like it had a life of its own. Wrapping itself around the team, around and around it made its way upwards. Tendrils of smoke snaked around their heads pausing before their face. Lunar tried to close her eyes. She didn't want to see this insidious thing, but before she could, it slammed into her facial orifices.

Lunar gagged as it forced its way into her body. Her mouth and nose filled with the familiar scent of the hell she wanted to forget. She couldn't see. She couldn't breathe. Her hands were locked by her side, her mouth agape as she tried to take in air. Her heart palpitated loudly in her ears as she felt the damn thing seeping into the marrows of her body.

Just like that, it was gone. She felt the smoke rush out of her body with a swiftness that brought her to her knees.Heaving on the ground, she let loose the contents of yesterdays lunch.

Several moans could be heard from behind her.

"HOLY BEEJESUS!" Shouted Gunner,"WHOO!" He stood up shakily, he pinned Eclypser a hard gaze then his face lit up with a smile,"We gotta do that more often!" He shook his head,"That was one hell of a ride, boy!"

"OHMYGOD!" squealed Frostyblue,"Where the [censored] are my clothes!"

Lunar, shaking off the queeziness sat back. Everyone, with the exception of Gunner, all sported their birthday suits.

With a self-deprecating chuckle she said rawly,"Did I forget to mention that?"

..when you cant get your bfriends attention by calling his name, you resort to calling him by his mains name
..you can't wait to get home from work to redesign the base...again
..your girlfriends ask you to be their "wingman" for a night on the town and all you can think about is the word "sidekick"
..when traffic is slow you wish you had a jet/jump pack
..when you watch hentai with tentacles you can't help but think of your emp/dark defender...LOL
..any action movie you watch you associate different coh/cov powers to their moves
..walking into the daylight monday following DXP weekend feels like someone zapped you with a DOT power

i am a bartender/server here in memphis tn. hate the town .. but love the man..ECLYPSER. i am a game freak..play all sorts ranging from table-top RIFTS to game consoles to MMO's. i work hard on the weekdays so i can play harder on the weekends.
i love long walks on the beach...hahahahaha kidding
as a military brat i have survived :
volcano eruptions
typhoons
government coup attempts
base closures
base restrictions
and hopefully Obama.


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