As the crashing boom of the thunder disappeared all that was left was Lucas' ragged breathing. Jessie ran to his friend's side catching him right before he fell backwards. He could feel his chest rise and fall, he could see how exhausting it was for him to continue breathing.

"Come on Lucas, breath buddy. I can't have you passing out on me here." Jessie said as he laid him against a nearby cabinet.

Lucas chuckled, oblivious to the small flecks of blood leaving his lips as he did. The magnum's light dimmed before finally fading away, leaving Lucas' hand empty.

"Kid, I'm running on empty. I put everything I had left into that last shot." Lucas said as he rested his head against the metal drawers behind him.

"Sad to say I've given all I have, the rest is up to you." he said with a blood-filled smile.

Before Jessie could reply another volley of light and sound assaulted his senses, he grabbed his ears desperate to block out the sound. He watched Lucas grit his teeth before passing out, a small stream of blood flowing from the corner of his mouth. Gritting his teeth Jessie rose with great difficulty, his body unable to find balance as he did so. Tripping over his feet he planted his hand against the cabinet where Lucas rested.

The noise suddenly stopped giving him a moment to catch his breath, he pulled his hand away leaving a bloody handprint behind. He stared at it feeling his pulse quicken, he looked down at his in quiet contemplation.

If I can't free Plague from Kazimir's mind control, what am I gonna do to stop him?

The only course of action is to kill your fellow Icon, to leave him alive is a potential threat to your future.

You say that, but I don't think I could kill another person.

You may not have the choice to spare him, Kazimir is powerful. Even more so due to his control of Plague.

A sudden burst of heat and light ended the conversation as a stray fireball crashed into the floor beside him. It left behind a giant scorch mark, bringing Jessie back to his senses. He turned to face the direction of where the fire was and ran, leaving behind an unconscious Lucas. Pulling out his phone Jessie sent a quick text to Lily letting her know where Lucas was.

There now I don't have to worry about Lucas.

Just as he placed his phone back into his pocket a gunshot rang out to his left, and he turned in place running toward the noise. Multiple shots filled the hangar as Jessie sprinted, he could feel the temperature drop as he came closer. Sidestepping past a collection of old computers, he found himself standing directly behind Sarah, she turned to face him as she reloaded her pistol.

"About time you made an appearance. Where's Lucas?" She asked as she slid a new magazine into her firearm.

"Passed out, Lily's on her way to take him somewhere safe." Jessie replied before Sarah unloaded the magazine at the figure in front of the two.

Ahead stood a solid black wall, every shot pathetically struck and fell to the ground as the wall slowly approached them. Eventually, Sarah's pistol clicked letting her know it was empty, cursing she tossed it at the barrier before grabbing hold of Jessie's arm.

"How come you can't do that?" She said as a black tendril shredded a stack of old boxes behind them.

"He's been training to control his powers since birth and just got mine last week, so cut me a break!" Jessie screamed as another tendril slashed the ground ahead of him, creating a giant gash in the metal floor.

"Jessie! Stop running and face me like a man!" Plague cried out as he reared back his arm creating two of the densest tendrils Jessie had ever seen.

Right as he unleashed his attack a hidden Rose leapt out and grabbed him by the waist before setting him and herself ablaze. The tendril dissipated right before they reached Sarah leaving her standing in fear even as they disappeared. Plague screamed as the flames grew in intensity. Desperate to free himself from Rose, he slammed his elbow onto the top of her head knocking her and her flames out. Charred black, he grabbed hold of the limp Rose and tossed her aside as he flooded his body with smoke.

"I'm sorry Jessie but this is gonna hurt!" Sarah said as she slammed her wrists together, her palms facing Plague. The mouths on her palms and fingertips opened revealing rows of sharpened teeth before letting out a viscous howl.

The sound waves assaulting his ears disoriented him so badly that he immediately collapsed to his knees as he clasped his hand tightly on them. He screamed unable to hear his own voice as he tried to regain hold of himself, he fixed his eyes on Plague to see him struggling as well. The smoke surrounding Plague violently struck at everything near him turning every piece of machinery and furniture into scrap. Jessie caught a glimpse of a stray tendril grabbing hold of a fire extinguisher as it hurled it at Sarah, catching her in her chest knocking the wind out of her, and ending the assault on their ears.

Jessie heaved as he fell to his hands, desperate to collect himself. The ringing in his ears was so intense that suddenly they fell silent. The entire world had fallen silent, every sound had disappeared from him. His breathing fell short of reaching his ruptured eardrums, feeling close to the end of his reserves Jessie willed the smoke to heal himself. He regained his hearing just as he caught Plague's boot to his chest. He felt his ribs crack as he fell to his side, cold metal pressed against his skin as Plague continued to pummel him.

"Bring out as many people you got Jessie, I'll kill them all if I have to." He screamed as he let out one final kick to Jessie's stomach.

Exhausted Plague stepped back falling onto his behind as he took deep breaths. Jessie wheezed staring into his own face. It was undeniable, Plague looked exactly like him, down to the green eyes. A strange feeling came over Jessie, he softly chuckled filling his sides with more pain.

"What? What's so funny." Plague asked confused.

"N-now that I'm looking at myself, I-I do look like a real n-nerd" Jessie replied as he slowly sat raised himself.

He sat as he watched a stunned Plague stare at him shocked.

"I don't look like a nerd." A stunned Plague replied causing Jessie to laugh harder.

The pain in his chest was unbearable as he heaved in laughter, he grabbed his side and winced as he poured the last of his smoke into his body. As the last rib snapped back into place Jessie could feel nothing left in his tank and sighed.

"Well, I'm all out and I know you have to be nearing the end of your smoke supply." Jessie said as he rose to his feet. He walked over to his clone and reached his hand down toward him. Confused Plague stared up at Jessie's outstretched hand before taking it. Standing face to face with himself Jessie chuckled to himself.

"One last fight, one last chance to break Kazimir's hold of you." He said as he held his hands up in a weak stance.

Just as Plague opened his mouth a sharpened piece of wood burst forth from his chest covering Jessie in more blood. Plague gasped as he clutched onto what appeared to be a table leg sticking through his chest. Stunned Jessie took a step back to see a materialising Travis standing behind Plague driving his stake deeper into his back.

"That one's for Damian." Travis said as he ripped the stake free from Plague's body.

A struggling Plague haphazardly healed himself as he grabbed a disappearing Travis with a newly conjured tendril. With tremendous force, Plague slammed Travis against the wall behind him driving his tendril into the concrete walls trapping him in place.

"Travis!" Jessie cried out as he pulled free his blade. With one downward strike, he aimed his attack at Plague's throat, right before the blade connected he hesitated. With a blood-filled smile, Plague took advantage of his mercy grabbing hold of the blade before ripping it free from Jessie's weakened grip and cutting his hands. With one fluid motion, he healed his own body while driving the blade directly into Jessie's chest, cutting his heart in half.

Jessie gasped as grabbed hold of the blade lodged in his chest, the pain flooded his body as he struggled to stand. Confused he stared down at his chest feeling a sickening feeling as Plague drove the blade in deeper before letting go. He choked back blood as Plague laughed, circling him as he bled out. The world suddenly became very small as his senses focused on his dying body, the blood pouring freely from his chest, the heat from it. The beating of his own chest was a drum in his ears.

He was sure Plague was gloating, he could see his lips moving but heard nothing but the beating of his own dying heart. The rhythmic thumping slowed down as it began to die.

This was what I was afraid of.

Jessie gurgled a response back as blood filled his lungs.

You're not worthy of holding the title of Icon, and now your friends will pay the price.

The world dimmed around Jessie, slowly his senses began to fail him as he lost his sense of taste, no longer tasting the blood in his mouth.

Now an Icon worthy of my power is going to finish off what remains of your loved ones...unless you say my name.

Jessie stumbled his mind ablaze as warning bells and sirens went off, his heartbeat slowed to a crawl.

Y-you c-an save Th-em?

Jessie's thoughts were hazy, with his dying vision he watched Plague march toward a struggling Travis. He watched his friend, with tears streaming down his face, cry out his name.

I can do more than save them, I can promise Plague's freedom as well.

With the remaining breath in his lungs, Jessie spoke.

"Lux."

With the last beat of his heart, Jessie's world faded away.

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Struggle was something Jessie was getting used to as he broke free from the ocean's grip on him, he crawled onto the beach once more. The now familiar glow of the moon left him feeling peaceful, something he hadn't felt the last few days of his life. The moonlight was becoming familiar to him, something he looked forward to every time he visited the Void. He sighed as he remembered with a clear head exactly what had led him here, a first for him. He could still feel the name on his lips, the way it felt to have his life end and he shuddered.

As he stared up into the perpetual night, a sudden pair of eyes greeted his own. A familiar green smiled down at him before reaching down to help him up. Jessie stared for a long time before throwing aside the hand and wrapping his arms around his brother's neck.

"Seth, it's really you!" Jessie cried out as he squeezed his brother tightly.

"Hey not so hard, I may be dead but that doesn't mean you can squeeze the life out of me." Seth joked as he pulled himself free.

Jessie laughed as he stared at his older brother, his brown hair looked longer than the last time he had seen him. In fact, Seth himself looked much older than before, now sporting a full beard and mustache. The only indication this was his brother was his striking green eyes, Jessie could never forget those. He had the same ones.

He wore a grey flannel and khaki pants, an outfit Jessie had seen him wear countless times. Only now they seemed to hang off his body, they didn't cling as tightly as they used to.

"Es bueno verte hermano. You look big! Looks like you're starting to fill out those muscles I always said you'd have." Seth said as he inspected Jessie.

Jessie blushed before feeling a sickening feeling wash over him. Seth's gaze didn't feel like he was admiring his growth, it felt analytical.

"Tienes que dar algunas explicaciones, Seth." Jessie said feeling his mouth struggle with the words. Spanish wasn't his first language but it wasn't due to this that he struggled, he could feel his anger rise and it scared him.

"You're getting good Jessie, keep practicing and you'll be fluent in no time." Seth said as he clapped softly.

"I have not patience for games Seth, Explain to me why there's another me!" Jessie said as he tried to control himself.

A tense silence followed as Seth shuffled in place nervously, eventually he sighed.

"Now don't get mad at me Jessie but I haven't been totally honest with you. Not about who I am, or who mom is, or even what you are." Seth said as he sat down in the sand. He patted a spot beside him beckoning Jessie to join him.

"What do you mean 'what I am'." Jessie said as he sat down.

"Now that's a loaded question, como puede empazar, look Jessie." Seth sighed while rubbing the back of his neck.

"When I was a little kid I had heard stories from family members about how our family was special. That we were cursed, that every little boy in our family became deathly sick." Seth paused before continuing. "Most boys lived to see another day, while some died terrible painful deaths. It happened to me when I turned eight, it happened to you when you turned four."

Jessie searched deep in his memories for any hint of this but came up short.

"We both lived, much to our parent's joy. Only you had become something else, something that filled our dad filled fear. See our family's curse wasn't just a terrible, incurable disease, one of us was destined to become something evil."

Seth turned to meet Jessie's eyes and spoke softly. The look in his eyes Left Jessie uneasy.

"El Icono de Pecado."

Speaking the very words sent a chill down Jessie's spine. The wind around them grew intense as if reacting to the words spoken.

"I knew I was an Icon, but the Icon of Sin? What does that even mean?" Jessie asked as the waves reached his feet. The ocean seemed alive as it lapped at the sand.

"Honestly I have no clue. Before I could find anything more Dad had...well, Jessie he killed you." Seth said softly.

Jessie was stunned, his father's behavior suddenly made sense as he reviewed the memories. The thought left a bitter taste in his mouth.

"I grew up with a father in jail, a mother who completely shut down, and a dead brother. It wasn't until I was older that I decided that I didn't want to be alone anymore. I decided I wanted to bring you back."

"I became a man of science, the top of my field but I was never able to bring you back. I realized if I was gonna make any progress I needed money, a sponsor who was lenient with their morals."

"United Together." Jessie said quietly.

"Exactly. They helped fund the entire project, if it wasn't for them I wouldn't have been able to clone Fate, to bring you back. Only when I tried, the first of you went berzerk and killed my entire staff." Seth paused as he remembered. "But with that tragedy came a miracle, we discovered the smoke and what it could do. The rest is history."

A tense silence followed as Jessie digested the information. The lying, the killing, all the pain his friends endured was because of his brother. Every pent-up bit of rage and frustration boiled over as grabbed hold of Seth by the collar of his shirt.

"The rest is not history Seth! You messed with lives! My life! I'm not even sure I'm even me anymore!" Jessie said pulling his brother to his feet. "I'm a clone of some kid that died years ago and you decide 'Oh I've explained enough', you're delusional if you think I'm letting you off the hook."

"What do you want me to say, Jessie? That I'm sorry? Because that ain't happening, I did everything I could to have my brother back. Everything. With everything you've been through with mom you'd understand why I was lonely." Seth said as he struggled against his younger brother.

Jessie paused as he took in his words.

"You had my mom treat me like shit on purpose, just so I'd relate to you, didn't you?" Jessie asked releasing his grip.

"I needed to make sure that if the time came for us to have this conversation you'd be understanding." Seth admitted as he fixed his clothes.

Jessie swung his fist into his brother's stomach causing him to double over. Seth fell to his knees as he retched onto the sandy beach.

"Good to know the dead still feel pain here." Jessie said as he massaged his hand.

"Ok, I deserve that." Seth said as he wheezed. He sat back down trying to catch his breath.

"You deserve more than that."

Silence fell on the brothers as the two stared at one another.

"You gonna help an old man up, or just stare at me." Seth asked as he reached his hand up.

Finally, it hit Jessie why his brother looked so different.

"Why are you older, you didn't look like this a few months ago." he said as he helped his brother to his feet.

Seth paused before answering, careful about how to reply.

"During the first clone's attack on my facility, the one that ended with fourteen fatalities, I ended up getting deathly ill. Exactly how I did when I was eight." He finally said.

"You were chosen." Jessie said surprised.

"I was, when I recovered I discovered I could reverse the aging process. Not just on myself but other people and even inanimate objects. I was fifty-four then." Seth admitted.

Jessie stared at the man he called his brother unable to recognize anything about him. His personality, his mannerisms, his face he couldn't recall. Just as the realization dawned on him a tendril burst forth from the sea grabbing hold of him.

"What? Why am I going back? I died?" Jessie said as he struggled against the ocean's pull.

"It seems the land of the living isn't finished with you just yet." Seth said almost relieved.

Soon another tendril wrapped itself around his legs taking hold of him completely.

"Recuerdas practicar tu español, te amo hermano. Adios!" Seth cried out as Jessie was dragged into the sea.

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Jessie woke with a start in a familiar room, he found himself sitting in an old red armchair staring out into a full library. The shelves were littered with old books and comics he had read.

"Great now where am I." He said as he rose from his seat.

Walking around the grand mahogany desk he stared at the trinkets on top. A small stuffed bird here, a journal he had kept when he was young, and a framed photo. Grabbing hold of the picture he looked down to see it was the same photo his brother had kept of them at home.

"Why does all of this seem so familiar to me, how is all this stuff here." Jessie said picking up his old childhood stuffed toy.

He turned his attention to an old record player to his right and recognized a few of his favorite albums.

It seems you've returned, a little early but that doesn't matter now. A voice boomed inside Jessie's head.

Hearing the voice had connected all the dots for Jessie.

"I'm inside my own head again. Only this time, You're in control." Jessie said staring at the large black door that he instinctively knew was the exit.

"Correct." Lux replied.