I introduced Luca's crossover, Daniel, in one of the teasers... now it's time to bring Phil's crossover into the picture.
Here we go, the beginning of chapter two:
Everyone was surrounding the two returning members of the household as Jared continued explaining what he was about to do with them.
"We're not experiments," Phil insisted, primarily out of nervousness.
"It won't hurt you a bit," Jared assured. "Now that Jessie is home, she and I are going to use her psychic powers and my machines to investigate what kind of powers your Amethyst Medallion has. It's not going to hurt at all... provided you can block the images out."
"What's going to happen, exactly?" Luca asked. "Why did you strap us down in these chairs? Won't we be in trance?"
"Yes, but we don't know how volatile your powers are. So, in case you guys go ballistic and try to fire off attacks, we'll be somewhat protected."
"I don't like this idea," Phil whined. "This sounds dangerous and I don't want to do it."
"It's important," Jared insisted. "We have to know what kind of powers you two have brought along with you."
Phil scowled worriedly but said no more. He looked down at his restraints and sighed heavily. It was a bad idea. He knew it was. Something was going to happen. He felt it.
Jessie walked into the room. "I'm ready," she announced. "Are they?"
"Phil is doubtful, but Luca seems okay. Let's start with her." Jared turned to Phil. "Watch what happens with Luca, you'll see that nothing bad is going to happen to her."
Phil shook his head. "It's a bad idea, Jared. Really. You can't feel it, but I can. If you trigger her, something's going to happen..."
"You're being paranoid." Jared walked over to Luca. "Alright, Luca. We're going to induce a trance on you now."
Luca nodded. "Do whatever," she said, always fearless and ready.
Phil squirmed a little bit, highly anxious. He could feel it... why were they ignoring him? Sure, he wasn't as brave as his girlfriend... but he knew. He felt it. It almost hurt how badly he felt it. They'd bring up the past, and her destructive powers from the crossover dimension would be triggered... He laid back in the chair, pressing his back hard against it.
"Okay," Jared announced. "She's in trance. She's under our control now. It's time for us to see what kind of power she brought along."
Jessie nodded and began to glow a soft purple color. "We're going to start with how she got them..."
An image appeared on the screen. A large, beautiful palace. The night sky was cloudy and thunder rumbled in the distance.
Phil shivered a little, feeling the forces already starting to go to work. He closed his eyes tighter. He didn't want to see it. But he couldn't help but feel it -- the heat of the fire that swallowed up the palace and destroyed his girlfriend's family... the blaze that caused her permanent fear, permanent agony... the scar on her left forearm... It tortured him. How badly could it be hurting her? He heard her whining softly in the chair beside him.
"Pull her back," he murmured, pleading. "You don't know what you're doing. Pull her back. Please."
"Wait," Aaron insisted, "I want to see what happens next."
Phil yelled angrily, "It's not a movie! It's what really happened to her! Pull her back, you're going to trigger something very bad in her!"
Daniel blinked. For the first time since he'd known Phil, he never knew the young man to have a temper. Or feel anything besides a calm indifference. Seeing the burst of emotion made him realize that there was, indeed, a fighter's spirit locked somewhere deep inside of him. He also realized that if Phil was reacting this way, something was indeed going to happen.
"Stop it," he instructed his cousin, "before something does happen."
But it was too late. Phil jumped as the image on the screen suddenly disappeared, and yelped in time with everyone else as the screen exploded. He squirmed hard against his restraints, fearfully. "Pull her back, now!" He demanded.
Jared blinked and turned back towards Luca. Her eyes were closed tight and her whole body was shivering. Waves of energy emitted from her body.
"Bring her back!" Phil yelled.
Jared looked towards Jessie. "Bring her out."
Jessie shook her head in fright. "I've lost control of her..."
"I knew it," Phil cried. "You took her too far, too fast, and now you've triggered her! Have you any idea what kind of chaos you've just unleashed?"
Jared released Phil from his restraints. "Hurry! Do something! Bring her back! You must know how."
Phil shook his head. "I can't. I'm not strong enough."
Machines about the room began cracking and creaking. Any form of glass exploded abruptly and for no reason. Jared and Jessie quickly rushed everyone out of the room, shutting the door and trying to barricade the triggered powers within the confined space.
Phil walked over to Luca and gently put his hand on the side of her face. "Luca? It's Phil. Follow my voice, please? Come back to the surface. It's just an image."
He jumped back slightly when Luca turned to him and opened her eyes. They were solid black, as if her eye sockets were empty. Her voice echoed and quaked in a near demonic voice, "It's... not... just... an... image! You... don't... know..."
"I do!" He insisted. "I know what they did to you in the past. I know your fear of fire because of what they did... I know you lost your family and got forced into all of this... but that's no reason to destroy everyone that care about you now, Luca..." He shivered hard as her hand suddenly grasped his so hard he could feel his bones bending beneath the pressure. His breathing came out in shivering gasps as he tried to ignore the pain and his own fear.
A voice came from behind the door, "What's going on in there?"
Jessie turned. "Jim! No, stay out there."
Jared shook his head. "No, wait! Maybe Jim can help Phil... Jim has metaphysical powers."
Phil nodded. "Bring him in, and hurry..."
Jessie removed the chair from beneath the door and quickly opened it. In walked a young man with light red hair. His dark eyes quickly surveyed the situation, and he reached into his pocket. He absorbed a green stone into his right palm, his hair and body turning a strange green color and his eyes becoming white and red. "Okay, what's the problem?"
"We were trying to examine her powers, but we seem to have accidentally triggered a memory that triggered her chaos energies," Jared explained, trembling. "Phil has been trying to bring her back, as we've lost control of her, and he can't."
"I'm not strong enough," Phil said again. "Please help."
The pale, green teenager walked over and put two fingers on Luca's forehead. He closed his eyes and read her soul. "She's troubled and conflicted. Very damaged and highly volatile. This isn't the sort of spirit you go playing with, Jared," he scolded his cousin. "Now then, Phil... what's your power?"
Phil blinked, wondering what the significance of his abilities were. "Revival, stability..." He paused. "Calm and comforting..."
Jim smiled. "Okay. I'm going to enhance your consolation abilities with my own life force. You're only going to have thirty seconds to a minute to place a calming curse, so be quick."
Phil nodded and slid the ring onto his finger. He winced as he stared down at his other hand, which was being squeezed to the point it was about to shatter. He yelped softly as a machine three feet away erupted into flames. "Hurry!" He cried.
Jim maintained a strange degree of calmness. He placed his hands on Phil's shoulders and closed his eyes, beginning to drain his own life energy. "My force is yours," he instructed. "Go now!"
Phil felt his body quaking from the two life forces inhabiting it. He quickly grasped Luca's hand with his free hand, gripping hard and unconsciously digging his nails in. He closed his eyes tight and bowed his head, praying softly to himself as he hoped he could produce a strong enough calming curse. He felt a warm but soft energy erupting from himself and flowing into her. He opened his eyes and watched as his calming curse took effect, watching as Luca quivered, spasmed, and lapsed out into a state of unconsciousness.
"Nicely done," Jim praised. "She'll be fine now. No harm done."
Phil blinked and looked up and over his shoulder at the redheaded boy. "Thank you," he replied. "But I couldn't have done any of that without you. Who are you?"
The redhead smiled. "The name is Jim. I believe you're Phil, and I believe that we're each other's crossover."
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