SSV: Project S.T.A.T.I.C. Part 1

Chapter 4

Beth felt more than a little uneasy as she stalked her way through the city streets. With the discovery of an imitator, and the destruction of her already precarious reputation, she didn’t feel safe in her city. Even without her helmet, she knew it wouldn’t take much for someone terrified to mistake her for the killer. More than that, though, part of her felt a creeping fear in the back of her mind. The woman in the picture was definitely Pam, she’d know her figure anywhere. What was she doing in that picture? Surely she was trying to stop the killer, right? Somehow, she found herself doubting that. Beth knew Pam better than anyone, but something didn’t feel right here.

It was more than just the state of current events. The sky seemed almost distorted whenever she looked up at it, and the streetlamps lent an almost eerie discoloration to the city that didn’t fit the world she knew. To top everything else off, Jake was dead. The city believed that she had killed her best friend. What was going on? She needed to get to the bottom of whatever was going on as quickly as possible. However, without her grappling gun she was extremely limited in her means of getting around. She was forced to travel on foot, and that meant she was going to risk getting spotted sooner or later. She also wasn’t sure if whoever was imitating her would be searching for her or not. She needed to figure something out to compensate for her current imitations.

She glanced around to try to see where she was, and she felt a touch of hope as she realized she was close to Sally’s. The large street sign off in the distance clearly read Fifth Street and Huxtable Avenue. Sally had kept her home near where the gang had originally formed. Her aunt had most likely wanted to be close to their base, but now that Fifth Street was disbanded, she had taken to more personal works. Sally wasn’t anything anyone would consider a hero, but she had taken to beating anyone peddling drugs in her neighborhood. Whether it was because they were encroaching on her territory, or something else entirely was beyond Beth. Regardless, she knew that Sally’s place was close by.

Beth stuck to the shadows as she stalked her way through the rough neighborhood towards her aunt’s house. Maybe Sally would be willing to lend her her bike. She needed some way of outrunning whatever she was up against. She spotted the overgrown yard and rundown house in the distance, and she picked up her pace as she drew nearer. The garage on the side of the house was open, but the lights seemed to be flickering. Beside the cautious hope that she felt, she felt that underlying sense of dread within her clawing at her mind. Beth shook it off, and did her best to ignore it as she walked into the garage. The lone yellow bulb swung back and forth as she walked in, and it flickered as it did so. The shadows that danced around the garage added to the growing sense of unease as she carefully walked in.

The garage was empty, say for Sally’s custom bike that she’d been working on. Something inside of Beth told her to draw her weapon, so she drew a single pistol from her hip. Seeing the emptiness of the garage, Beth approached the door to the kitchen. It was unlocked and hung slightly ajar. A quick glance revealed that the door had been broken off of its hinges. Signs of forced entry. Beth raised her gun and pushed the door open. “Sal, you okay?” she called out as she walked into the kitchen.

The lights were on in the kitchen, and Beth saw several roaches scatter as she walked in. She frowned as she slowly walked in with her gun at the ready. Sally was messy, but this place hadn’t been this bad when she was last here. The fluorescent lights flickered like the one in the garage, and Beth tried to ignore the feeling of being in a horror movie. She spotted blood stains on the sink and the tattered linoleum floors. A trail of blood led off from the kitchen and into the living room. Two chairs were overturned on the way to the living room. Just looking at the scene, Beth could see signs of a clear struggle, and she began to get worried. She wasn’t as good a detective as Jake, but she knew enough to recognize trouble when she saw it. Someone had broken in, attacked Sally, wounded her, and Sally had tried to get away. She picked up her pace in an attempt to find and check on her aunt.

She rounded the corner into the living room, and just barely managed to dodge a bullet that went past her face. She raised her gun, prepared to return fire, but she stopped when she saw Sally laying on the floor. Her aunt was just barely able to sit up, but she held her revolver with shaky hands. “Sal!” Beth exclaimed, holstering her gun and attempting to help her, “What the hell happened to you?! Who did this?!”

“Get back!” Sally yelled, wincing as she tried to keep her gun trained on Beth, “I ain’t letting you get another free shot, Beth. If you come to finish the job, then I suggest you take your fucking shot.”

Beth froze on the spot. Up until their reunion escaping the castle, she and Sally had never been what someone would consider close, but this was a shock. Beth held up her hands and tried to reason with her, “Sal, what are you talking about? You’re hurt, let me help you.”

“No shit I’m hurt, you ungrateful little bitch,” Sally snapped, “You beat me, shot me, and cut my goddamn ankle! What, couldn’t leave a job unfinished?!”

Beth frowned and slowly holstered her pistol, “Sal, I haven’t seen you since last week,” she said, trying to appear as non threatening as possible, “I don’t know what happened here, but we need to get you help!”

“You happened,” Sally said, groaning and dropping her revolver, “Goddamn it, can’t even hold my fucking gun anymore. I should never have been so fucking stupid and naive. When the papers started running that story about Jake, I thought there had to be a mistake. Fucking jokes on me, I guess. Heh, should have put a bullet in your fucking head the second you busted in here, but I got hung up on fucking family bullshit. Your mom would roll over in her grave if she could see you now, Beth. I didn’t bat an eye when you started killing real criminals, but I never thought you’d go as far as to kill innocent people.”

“Sally, I didn’t-” Beth started.

“Don’t give me that shit!” Sally cut her off, before coughing up blood as she tried to continue, “I thought your mom had instilled something worthwhile in you, but I guess I was wrong. I ain’t no saint, kid, but I was trying to turn shit around. Guess it wasn’t good enough for ya, though, was it? Either kill me, or leave me to die in peace. Whatever you’re gonna do, do it quick. I can’t stand the sight of you anymore…”

Beth was taken aback by her aunt’s words. Did she really believe that she was capable of such atrocities? She couldn’t leave her like this. Sally was the only family that she had left. She took a step forward and tried one final time to reassure her, “Sally, listen to me. Someone is going around impersonating me. I would never hurt you, or Jake, you know that!”

Sally rolled her eyes and brought her revolver to the side of her head, “Think I’m stupid enough to beleive that?” she asked, cocking the hammer, “I saw your face, Beth, so you can drop the fucking act! I ain’t giving you the satisfaction of getting another one over on me. See you in hell, Feral.”

“Sally!” Beth shrieked, but it was too late.

The gunshot rang out in the small home, but it continued to echo in Beth’s mind. She watched her head fall to the side, all life officially gone from her eyes. Beth stood there for a second before she fell to her knees. Tears rolled down her cheeks as she stared at the lifeless body of the only blood family she had left. She’d taken her own life to avoid listening to her, and she swore that she’d seen Beth’s face only a short while ago. Beth’s sobs soon turned to feelings and quakes of rage as she sat there on her knees. She slammed her fist down onto the carpet, and swore that she would find whoever this person was. They’d killed Jake, and now they’d forced Sally to commit suicide rather than listen to her. With renewed resolve, and anger, Beth pushed herself to her feet and tried to find the keys to Sally’s bike.

She found them in the bowl near the front door, and she gave her aunt’s dead body a final look before turning to leave. “I swear, if it’s the last thing I do, I will find you,” she whispered to herself, wiping away her tears, “When I do, I am going to repay every ounce of pain that you’ve inflicted ten times over!”

Beth walked back into the garage, and nestled herself down on Sally's bike. She ran her hand along the cool metal frame before putting the key in and turning it. It roared to life in a second, and Beth tried to push the image of what she'd just seen from her mind. She needed help if she were going to track down her copycat. There was still one person that she was sure she could turn to, and one person she needed to question. She hoped that she was wrong, but she had a sneaking suspicion that Pam was somehow connected to the recent events. She hoped she was wrong, but she couldn't rule anything out anymore. She gave her feet a small kick, and she was off into the night without a second look back.

The streets of her city were more ominous than usual as she rode through them. They were empty and almost desolate as she sped through the city. She could see posters placed on buildings and light posts of herself with warnings to beware as she rode by. The city had turned on her, but given that someone was impersonating her, she couldn't blame them. The occasional glance up at the horizon had her feeling more on edge, though. She wasn't sure how long she'd been out now, but she swore the moon hadn't moved. The murder, the fight, Sally, all of it had to have taken at least an hour, and yet it felt like such a short time. Maybe it was her nerves or adrenaline, but Beth wasn't so sure.

Where were all the people? They were scared, and for good reason, but Metropolis had never been this quiet. Beth had never been more thankful for the roar of a motorcycle than at this moment. Outside of it, the silence was nearly deafening. The longer she drove, the more she felt like something more was afoot. Focusing on the task at hand, she pushed her worries aside for now. She needed to get back to her and Pam's place before she did anything else. She could rearm herself, grab her spare grappling gun, and maybe find out what part Pam played in all of this. She couldn't do this alone, and she hoped that Pam was innocent in all this. Some part of her was desperately afraid that her girlfriend was playing a larger role than she wanted, though.

After Goth's takeover and eventual downfall, Jake had taken the liberty of purchasing a large loft for the two of them downtown. It had been his way of thanking them, and for making up for the loss of Beth's apartment during Goth's reign of terror. She still revered the day they'd moved in. Pam had been ecstatic when she'd seen the place. It had been one of those moments where Beth was reminded that there was more to her girlfriend than met the eye. The second they'd stepped foot inside, Pam had been overcome with a sense of joy that had brought a wide smile to Beth's face. The two of them had spent that first night planning what to do with their new space. The memory was a slight comfort in stark contrast to everything else she was currently feeling.

It didn't take Beth long to enter downtown Metropolis either. The streets were completely devoid of traffic, yet another factor that had Beth feeling on edge. Were the people really this afraid of her, or was there something else at play here? Furthermore, how long had she been out for all of this to happen? If she could just remember what she was doing before she came to, then maybe she could solve this strange mystery. "What the hell happened?" Beth asked aloud as she parked the bike, "God, I hope Pam can shed some light on this."

Beth got off the bike, and walked into the sliding doors of their building. Unsurprisingly, the lobby was as empty as the rest of the city. The lights, usually bright and blinging, were strangely dim tonight. There was no one behind the desk, but the light of the monitors gave the area an almost ominous feeling. Maybe they were on break, but Beth had a sneaking suspicion that wasn’t the case. A knot was forming in the pit of her stomach as she slowly walked through the lobby to the elevator. Her and Pam’s loft was on the top floor, and part of her expected the elevator’s to be out. By some stroke of luck, the doors opened for her almost immediately after she pressed the button. Maybe she was just being paranoid, but she felt incredibly uneasy as she stepped into the small box.

The doors closed behind her, and Beth quickly pressed sixteen. She leaned against the back wall, and let out a breath she hadn’t realized she’d been holding. She felt the slight inertia of the elevator rising upward. She closed her eyes and tried to relax as the elevator went up. It was the flickering of the lights that broke her relaxed trance. It started slow, at first, but the flickering quickly intensified within a matter of seconds. It could have been nothing, and Beth probably wouldn’t have paid it any mind if it were any other night. It was when she caught a flicker of red during one of the flashes that she tensed up. She swore that she saw a shadow move along the wall, but she couldn’t be sure. Her jaw clenched as she wondered just what was happening.

The flickering intensified, and the lights shifted between a flashing yellow to a deep red that put her more on edge. Between the flashes of darkness, she became certain that the shadows were taking shape. She’d traveled with Pam through the darkness on multiple occasions, but this felt different. She could feel an almost malevelonance coming from the figure as it strained and tried to take shape. If there was one thing that Beth couldn’t stand, it was anything dealing with the paranormal. Her childhood experiences had left mental scars that ran deeper than she cared to admit. She couldn’t fight something without a body, but those forces were more than capable of hurting her and others.

“It’s fine, it’s just your imagination,” Beth whispered to herself in a vain attempt to pacify her fears, but then the elevator came to a sudden and screeching halt, “Just a maintenance issue, that’s all. It’s nothing to freak out about, just stay calm.”

As if in answer to her denial, the lights shifted to a deep shade of red between dark flashes. Then she saw it. A figure with grotesque horns jutting out of its forehead rising out of the shadows. Cloven hooves, crimson slits for eyes, and razor sharp claws on its hands. She backed herself closer against the wall as a true panic welled up within her. The shadow figure clawed its way out of the darkness, and Beth was instantly reminded of the beast that Goth had transformed into. It was smaller, yes, but those menacing and haunting eyes were all too familiar. It rose from the abyss until the horns on its head nearly scraped the roof of the elevator. Her breathing became uneven and heavy as a combination of her fears swelled up within her all at once.

“Elizabeth,” the creature growled in an all too familiar and mocking dual-toned voice, “The little killer, I have been just dying to see you again. Come here, little worm!”

A clawed shadow hand shot out, and Beth stifled a scream as she rolled under it and into the opposing wall of the small elevator. “This isn’t real, this isn’t real, this can’t be real!” Beth repeated over and over again as she searched for a way out of the nightmarish elevator, “You’re dead, I saw you die! I attended your fucking funeral!”

“How touchingly naive,” the shadow Goth chuckled as she slowly advanced towards Beth, “Did you think something as simple as a knife could actually kill the likes of me? I will always exist within the darkest parts of the hearts of men and women, you foolish little girl! I am the discontent and dissatisfaction that lurks in the hearts of every man, woman, and child born into the world, my world! Can you kill an idea, little worm?!”

Beth looked around for some escape from the monster from her deepest nightmares. She was blocking the only exit out of the elevator, and she doubted that she could pry the doors open before whatever this was sunk its claws into her flesh. Her guns wouldn’t do anything against shadows, but maybe she could use The Northwind Blade. She held out her right hand and tried to conjure the weapon, but she couldn’t feel its presence. She did her best to concentrate, but it was like something was blocking her. Beth abandoned her efforts in favor of simply dodging a jab from the shadow Goth. She rolled once more, but this time, she felt a burning sensation in her back as those shadowy razors scraped against her. She cried out in shock as she rolled and tried to recover.

“There is no escaping me, Elizabeth,” the shadow beast laughed, “You can’t kill me, and you can’t get rid of me. Pamela knows it, Jake knew it, and deep down so do you. It’s my spirit, my essence, that lives on, dear girl. It’s why your beloved finally turned to what she knew was right, and it’s why you came to accept what you are: a natural born killer, an instrument meant to be used to snuff out those that transgress against my will!”

“No!” Beth screamed as she backed away from the approaching monster, “I’m not some tool to be used by the likes of you, and Pam isn’t like you!”

“Is that what you truly believe, little girl?” Goth asked, opening her arms as she inched closer, “Admit it, you’ve always been afraid that Pamela would wake up and remember her true purpose. Don’t deny it, little girl, you can’t lie to the likes of me.”

“Shut up, shut up, shut up!” Beth screamed, covering her ears in hopes of drowning out this waking nightmare.

The shadow Goth leaned down until those burning red eyes were staring at Beth’s face. Beth kept her eyes shut, but she could feel the warm breath and smell the stench of rot rolling off of Goth. This couldn't be real, could it? “I know you, Elizabeth, and I know Pamela,” Goth whispered, and Beth opened her eyes to stare at the terrifying monster before her, “She can pretend, as can you, but I know who you really are. Everyone serves me eventually, and there is only so long you can run from the darkness within you.”

There was a light ding as the elevator doors suddenly opened up. Beth shot up, and she took off in a sprint towards the exit. She didn’t care that she had to pass through the monster, all she cared about was getting out of this nightmarish box. Still, she felt a cold chill that quickly turned into an intense burning when she passed through the specter. She ignored it in hopes that it would simply go away, but her heart was pounding as she all but fell out of the elevator doors and into the hallway. She panted as she landed on her chest in a cold sweat. She was terrified to turn around, but she had to know if what she saw was real or not. As soon as she did, she instantly regretted it. The shadowy monster lunged at her, and Beth screamed as it entered her body. It didn’t hurt, but she felt almost sick to her stomach with her nerves feeling utterly shot. She laid there on the floor nearly in tears until she heard Goth’s haunting voice in her head.

“Don’t be scared, little Elzabeth. I will help you to awaken the greatness that is within you through your sweet little mistress. You are a killer, a tool, and an instrument for those better than yourself. Take heart, little slave, you will bring glory and justice to a world that knows not what those words mean!”

Beth’s heart was beating at a million miles a minute by the time Goth’s voice faded. She checked herself for any injuries, but there was nothing that she could see. She waited for something, anything, to happen to indicate some form of possession. However, it never came. She swallowed nervously as she slowly got to her feet. She had to be hallucinating, right? It felt so real, though. That voice, those words, everything that she said was so reminiscent of Goth. She shuddered as she got to her feet. If that was Goth, then she was wrong. She had to be. Still, those frightening words resonated somewhere deep within her, and Beth felt a new wave of fear wash over her.

She had been half expecting the hallway to be lined with blood after what she'd just gone through, but there was nothing. The long expanse was barren, still, and silent as she got back to her feet. Beth took a minute to catch her breath and regulate her breathing. Once she stopped herself from hyperventilating, she slowly walked down the hall. She held out her right hand and tried to conjure her sword once more. Yet again, she couldn't bring it into reality. She knew it was there, but it was as though something was keeping her from accessing it. The sinking feeling of dread grew heavier in her stomach as she slowly walked down the hall. All Beth could do was continue, and hope that Pam might have some insight to what was happening.

Their loft was at the end of the hall, and with each step Beth felt more dread fill her stomach. The silence was almost deafening as she made her way closer to her and Pam's home. Was it just her, or was the hallway cleaner than usual? Somehow the almost sterile conditions added another layer to Beth's growing anxiety. She told herself that she was overreacting. The events in the elevator had shaken her, and they were affecting her judgement. Still, her hands trembled as she drew closer to their door. She tried once again to shake off her nerves, but it was becoming less and less effective with every passing moment.

When she reached the door, Beth suddenly realized she didn't know if she had her key. She reached into her pocket, but it was as though the key materialized in her palm. She didn't question it as she withdrew her hand and inserted the key into the lock. A simple twist and the key suddenly vanished. Beth pushed open the door, stepped into the loft, and prepared herself for the worst. It was dark, darker than usual as she stepped in. "Pam?" she called out, trying to remember where the light switch was.

She found it, but it did nothing when she flipped it. Her nerves getting the better of her, Beth grabbed one of her pistols while her eyes adjusted. She nearly jumped out of her skin when she heard Pam's voice from the upstairs, "You're back early. I trust everything went according to plan?"

Beth furrowed her brow as she looked up into the darkness. Her eyes were still adjusting, but she could faintly see Pam standing over the railing to the upper room. "What are you talking about?" Beth asked, "Pam, what's going on?"

"I don't recall giving you permission to speak informally, Elizabeth," Pam said, and Beth flinched at the formal use of her name, "On your knees, where you belong."

"What the hell are you talking about?" Beth asked confusedly, "I thought we moved past the whole titles thing outside of the bedroom. Look, Jake's dead, Sally just fucking killed herself, and the whole city thinks I'm behind it! On top of that, I just saw a shadowy monster version of Goth!"

"Watch your tone, Elizabeth," Pam said in a surprisingly harsh tone of voice, "Overlooking your dreadfully free speech, I won't have my property raising its voice to me."

"Are you even listening to me?!" Beth demanded, growing incredibly frustrated with Pam's attitude, "There is someone out there using my mantle, and whoever it is killed Jake and attacked Sally!"

Beth's eyes had adjusted by now, and she could see that something was off with her girlfriend. She couldn't make out her features, but the way she stood was reminiscent of their first encounter back in Citiville. Pam held up a hand, and it glowed a bright shade of red as she clenched her fist. Without warning, Beth suddenly found herself pulled down to the ground on her knees by a crushing weight. "I said, kneel," Pam said coldly as she slowly began to descend the stairs, "I don't know what's gotten into you, but I thought we moved past this rebellious streak months ago. Let's see…confusion, fear, and outrage."

"Pam…" Beth said, straining to get her words out, "What are you doing?"

"It's Goddess to you, little girl," Pam said, her heels echoing as she slowly continued downward, "This attitude of yours is quite troubling, but you do seem to be genuine in your confusion. What I can't figure out, is how you broke through your conditioning. When you killed Jake I was afraid that it would break, but that was months ago now."

"I didn't…" Beth started, struggling to speak and remember, "I would never…"

"But you did, and without question I might add," Pam said, finally touching the floor and circling Beth, "Don't you remember? He was insistent on interfering with our work, so he had to be brought to an end. I was so proud of you that night. You performed better than ever, and I cannot recall a better and more intimate reward than the one we shaded after. Our Goddess would have been so proud of you. After all, you gave her the chance to be united with him once more."

"Goth?" Beth asked, and yelped when she felt the back of Pam's hand slap her cheek.

"You are not allowed to speak of her in such unrefined ways!" Pam yelled, "Honestly, I had hoped that we were through with this. It appears that we have to go back to square one, though. What a pity. Your scars had finally begun to heal, but we can't have you acting this way when she returns."

"Scars?" Beth repeated, growing more alarmed by the second, "What do you mean returns?!"

"Our Goddess is going to grace this world with her presence once again, silly girl," Pam said, her voice swelling with pride, "She's already deposed Lilith, and she's ruling the dominion of Hell with an iron fist. It's such a shame that you were so unruly when she visited you. How many times must I tell you that your behavior is a direct reflection of my teaching?"

Beth tried to fight against the weight that was keeping her down, but she couldn't budge it. Pam was strong, but she'd never used this much of her powers against her. What was going on? This was completely unlike Pam, and demeanor was beginning to truly scare her. "What are you going to do?" Beth asked, hoping that this was all some strange dream.

"I'm so glad you asked," Pam replied with a wide and terrifying grin as she held out her hand and conjured a bull whip, "I'm going to start by removing that outfit that you're currently unfit to wear. Then, I'm going to remind you of your place in life. It might take time, but I want you to remember that this hurts me more than it hurts you. Bad girls need to be punished, and I will have my good little slave once again."

Hearing Pam refer to her as a slave hurt more than anything else she'd said. Was that really how she saw her? Some part of her had always suspected and worried about that, but to hear her say it aloud shook her. Beth was still processing everything Pam had said when her coat was ripped off of her. All she had on was the t-shirt, but a violent swing of Pam's bull whip cut through the fabric and her skin. She let out a surprised yell at the first strike, and it wasn't long before she was screaming in pain. If this was a dream, why did this hurt so much? The pain was all too real, but the heartache was what really shook her.

"Do you see what happens when you defy your betters, Elizabeth?!" Pam demanded as she cracked the whip again, "I take no pleasure in this, but it must be done to teach you a proper lesson!"

"Goddess?" another all too familiar and broken voice cut through the chaos that was ensuing.

Pam stopped without warning, and Beth stifled a whimper of pain as she sat on her knees. That voice, it was hers. But then, what was going on? The weight holding Beth in place was suddenly gone, and she fell to the floor panting and in pain. "What's this?" Pam asked, turning to see who was disturbing her punishment.

Beth pushed herself up and turned to see herself kneeling in the entryway to the loft. Her helmet sat on the floor beside her, and Beth's eyes went wide as she looked at an alternate version of herself. She caught a glimpse of almost lifeless eyes staring at her, but what really caught her attention was the scars on her face. Three cuts on her cheek, most likely from Pam's nails, and a brand that was on her right cheek. A capital GP was just below her left eye. She looked like she hadn't slept in weeks either. "What the hell?" Beth asked, pushing herself back to her feet.

"Stand, my little pet," Pam said to the alternate Beth before turning to face her, "This is quite the interesting development. Now it makes sense as to why you're so confused and unruly. I've read about alternate realities, but I've never actually seen concrete proof of their existence until now."

Beth got to her feet, and stumbled backward. Her ankles hit their coffee table, but she kept her balance and drew her pistol, "Stay back! I don't know what's going on here, and I don't give a damn. You're not my Pam, and that thing isn't me!"

"Silly little girl, of course that's you," Pam chuckled as she held up a glowing hand and forced Beth back to her knees, "Allow me to clarify your situation. Some time after we finished Courtney, I had a vision and revelation. That horrid little nuisance was a pain, but she showed me something that I'd forgotten. The unruly and unworthy need to be put in their place or put down. I forgot who I was during our time together, Kitten, but thanks to that undead freak, I was reminded of the glory that I was promised. The me from your world may not have awakened yet, but I assure you that we are one in the same."

"No, she's nothing like you!" Beth screamed, "Get back, or I swear I'll-"

"Shoot me?" Pam finished for her with a confident grin, "You'll be on your knees before you pull the trigger, Elizabeth. Kitten, restrain her."

Beth was about to shoot when her alternate self rushed at her in the blink of an eye. Beth's arm was knocked upward as she pulled the trigger, and the gunshot echoed and cut through the upper floor. Beth couldn't retaliate quick enough, and her alternate self threw an elbow at her jaw that caused her to recoil. She stumbled a bit and felt her alternate self wrap an arm around her neck. She was trapped in a struggle with herself while the broken version of her attempted to force her to the ground. Thankfully, Beth knew the next move and was able to anticipate it before she was officially brought down. Her alternate self tried to strike the back of her knee, but Beth shifted her legs enough to dodge the blow.

Beth wrapped her arms around her alternate self, bent her knees, and lifted her up before throwing herself backward. They fell into the coffee table and it snapped under their weight. Her alternate self took the brunt of the attack. Beth recovered first and got back to her feet. She drew her other pistol and fired it at Pam. The bullets stopped just short of Pam as she held up her hand and scoffed, "I really liked that table."

"Go to hell!" Beth shouted as she tried to rush Pam.

"This childish behavior is becoming tiresome, Elizabeth," Pam said with a scowel as she twisted her wrist and sent Beth's bullets flying back at her at different angles, "It took me weeks to break that horrendous attitude from you, but it was all well worth it in the end. My little Kitten has been an instrumental tool in enacting my will, and now I'll have a second tool at my disposal."

Beth was mortified at this Pam's callous attitude as she dodged the hail of her own bullets. She growled as she tried to recalculate her plan of attack, "I will not be party to any of your bullshit!"

"You're beginning to irritate your Goddess, Elizabeth," Pam warned as she twisted her hand again and pushed downward to bring Beth back to her knees, "I've been tolerant because you've been amusing, but I am through listening to these insults. I'll have to make sure to silence you first. A muzzle might work, but I think we can do something much more fun to quiet you down. Do you remember your little friend Dart?"

Beth began to panic as chains wrapped around her to keep her in place. She struggled go fight against the magical restraints, and they began tightening around her. "What about her?" she asked, straining to free herself and speak.

"Aurora had a rather creative way of silencing her, and I think that might be just what you need to keep you quiet from now on," Pam replied, slipping her heels off and walking closer, "Hold her in place, Kitten. Let's test that gag reflex, and then we can see how mouthy she is without a voice box!"

Beth felt a strong set of hands grab her, and she winced when she felt them dig into her open wounds. "You're using that monster's ideas?!" Beth screamed, shaking violently to try to break free, "You're not Pam, you're not!"

"I assure you, I am, Elizabeth," Pam said, inching her toes closer to Beth's mouth, "Let's hear one final scream from you before we remove that troublesome voice, hmm?"

This couldn't be real, it couldn't! Alternate reality or not, she refused to believe that Pam would ever utilize any of Aurora's tactics. Beth struggled and fought against her restraints. She felt something inside of her snap, and her right arm suddenly burned. She clenched her fist and roared as she let out a shockwave of energy and got to her feet. The alternate version of herself was flung backwards and Pam was sent sliding back towards the entryway as Beth screamed, "No!"

"What's this?!" Pam demanded as she stood up straight and raised her glowing hands, "How many times have you fought and lost to me, Elizabeth?! You can't win. Give up and accept your fate!"

Beth glanced down at her right arm to see The Northwind Blade in her hand. She looked back at Pam and brandished the katana at her, "I've held back everything we fought! You're not the woman I fell in love with, and I'll be damned if I let you hurt anyone else!"

"Such a naive little child," Pam scoffed as she began moving her hands and conjuring chains that whipped around and at Beth, "Not the woman you fell in love with? Foolish little girl, we are one in the same! Even if you can kill me and get back to your world, I am what she will eventually become!"

Beth batted and blocked Pam's thunderous assault with lightning speed flourished of her sword. Even still, Pam refused to let up. Beth could sense her double approaching for an ambush behind her. She spun around, slammed the pommel of her sword into her back, and threw her body into one of Pam's furious chain attacks. The magical chain coiled around its target before it snaked its way up and into her mouth. Beth watched in horror and disgust as her counterpart was force-fed before she was suddenly flung out of the way. Her body rolled along the ground, and she let out a whimper of pain and fear. Beth stared at her broken body as she weakly tried to stand, but she fell short and onto her face.

"Out of the way, you annoying little nuisance!" Pam scolded her as she brought her hands together and they began to crackle with electricity, "I'll deal with your failure later, Kitten, but now I have to deal with our guest!"

Beth had never felt more disgusted with Pam than she did now. A massive bolt of lightning rushed out of Pam's palms, but Beth held up the broadside of her sword to catch it. Her blade crackled as it absorbed the arcane magic, and Beth threw it back at Pam with a single flourish if her sword. The bolt rammed into Pam's chest, and she screamed as she was sent flying backward. Beth didn't waste a second as she charged in and drove the edge of her sword into Pam's stomach. "You're nothing like the woman I love," Beth said, twisting the blade, "She would never treat me with such hate, and she would never stoop so low as to use someone like Aurora's teachings! You disgust me."

Pam coughed up blood and winced in pain, but a wicked grin was plastered across her face. "You think killing me will make a difference?" she asked with a chuckle and a cough, "I am what she will become, and you know it deep down. It's what scares you the most, isn't it, Kitten? It's not Goth returning, it's me turning into her."

"Shut up!" Beth screamed as she pushed the blade deeper in, "She's nothing like her!"

"All it takes is one time giving into those urges, Kitten," Pam said, her smile growing wider, "That's how it starts, and then your lovely little romance turns into the twisted debauchery that poor Jake had to endure. That terrifies you, and what's worse is that you know there's nothing you can do to stop it. You've seen what you become should your beloved turn, and do you know why it was so easy? Because you're nothing without me, and that dependency is something that is so easy to exploit. You fear failure, fear weakness, but that's because that's what you are. A weak, scared little failure of a woman!"

"You're wrong!" Beth roared as she ripped the blade out of Pam's stomach and held it to her throat, "Even if my Pam started to turn into you, I'd pull her back from it or die trying! It doesn't matter what I'm afraid of, and it doesn't matter what you say! I may not be the strongest or smartest, but I'm strong enough to save her. We're stronger together, and I owe it to her to try to save her. She saved me, and I'll never give up on trying to repay that favor. Do you know why, you cheap imitator?"

"Why's that, you sniveling little rodent?" Pam asked.

"Because I know that she's afraid that she'll end up like Rebecca," Beth answered, pushing the blade closer to Pam's throat, "Scared, alone, hopeless, and unloved. I'll do whatever it takes to keep her from ending up like that, and there's nothing you or anyone can say that'll make me think otherwise!"

Beth didn't give Pam the chance to spread anymore doubt. She slit her throat, and watched as the life left her eyes once again. She was reminded of the night in the woods so long ago. The world seemed to distort and shimmer around her as she stood above the body of her fallen lover. She could faintly hear someone yelling her name. She shed a single tear as she stood there. Her body shook as the memories of everything she'd seen hit her all at once. Then, before she knew what was happening, the world went dark. "Beth!" she heard a familiar male voice yelling, "Beth, wake up! Come on, come back to us!"

That voice, she knew it. It was Jake's! It felt strange to hear his voice again after believing him dead, but it had been a long and strange night. She gave herself over the sound of his voice, and hoped that it wasn't another nightmare. She'd endured a hell that she'd conjured for herself, but she didn't have a clue what was real and what was a fantasy. She knew one thing, though. Whatever happened, she wouldn't give up on what she had. She needed to get stronger, work harder, and give everything to protecting what she, Jake, and Pam had built for themselves. Beth refused to be the undoing of everything, but deep down, she was still terrified that the Pam from this world might be right. That fear shook her to her core, but she would find a way to keep from letting it drag her down.