Speed Is King

"Good! Good!" Rak'Tharos was totally gratified by the power and fearlessness that Elliot was displaying. "Strong, rather stubborn and doesn't know the meaning of giving up and hopelessness. What a typical spirited little runt.

Don't worry though. You'll soon learn that life is not fair. There are things that simply have to happen, whether you like it or not.

Like the apocalypse.

Like me doing whatever I want to you.

And sometimes, in the face of absolute strength, your only option is to give up and bide your time. Like I did. I bid my time, and look where it had brought me to! A god-damn resource planet turned into a massive stadium!"

POUNCE! Elliot leapt forward from his position and shot towards Rak'Tharos!

"But enough of this foolishness. I have come bearing gifts, and it is rude to make me wait for so long to give them to you!" Rak'Tharos finally ended his lecture.

He released his vast Emperor's aura and locked Elliot, Wu Kong and the Giant Armored Mammoth down in place.

No matter how hard they struggled, they couldn't fight against the pressure pushing down on them! Elliot could only growl and glare hatefully at Rak'Tharos.

"Tell me quickly! Which one lives and which one dies?" Rak'Tharos pressed on with his question.

"Let them go." Elliot growled. He transformed into the more powerful Black Bear Warrior form and roared mightily. His muscles bulged out as he fought with every last drop of his strength to stand up against the vast Emperor-level pressure.

There was no use. The suppression of over three hundred levels was as insurmountable as the great abyss.

Somewhere behind them, Jessica and Jennifer glanced at each other in despair.

They had assumed that Rak'Tharos was another legendary creature that their brother and his powerful beasts could easily take down.

But apparently, he wasn't. Far from it, he was powerful beyond measure.

Even his mere aura was enough to render Elliot and all his powerful beasts helpless and motionless!

There was no fighting a monster that overpowers them by so much. They could only try and outsmart him. Barring even that, they could only minimize the damage caused. And if one truly had to die, then'¦

Almost at the same time, a thought struck the both of them.

Both looked deep into the other's eyes and knew exactly what the other one was thinking about. There were no secrets between identical twins.

Jessica glanced at Elliot, who was still glaring at Rak'Tharos hatefully.

"Take good care of him." Jessica said to Jennifer softly.

"No, you take good care of him." Jennifer shook her head and said. "I've never been good at cooking. He needs you Jess."

"You have a mind-link with Winter. You would be able to help him survive the apocalypse." Jessica continued as she stared into Jennifer's eyes. "Tell him I love him'¦ Very much."

"YOU tell him that I love him very much." Jennifer said with a slight frown. Jessica was speaking as though her decision was final. As if Jennifer would let her sister do whatever she wanted!

Jessica smiled and then produced one of the knives that Elliot had given them earlier.

"I am the one with the knife. Take care Jen, I'll see you on the other side." Jessica said gently.

Very suddenly and without any hesitation whatsoever, Jessica suddenly swung her right hand which was gripping the knife and aimed it at her own heart!

But Jennifer knew exactly what Jessica was about to do, so she was prepared.

Her own right hand struck Jessica's right wrist with great power and precision, causing her to drop the knife. She turned to look at Jessica triumphantly.

And blanched in horror as she saw blood spurting lightly out of her mouth.

"Ho-how?" Jennifer sputtered in shock.

Glancing down, she saw Jessica's left hand gripping the second knife which was plunged all the way into her chest.

There was no outsmarting an elder twin sister who knew exactly what was going on in her mind.

"JESSICAA!!" Jennifer screamed in anguish.

Jessica smiled weakly as blood continued to spurt out of her mouth. "Take'¦ care'¦ of yourself'¦" She managed to say.

Elliot and Rak'Tharos turned to look at the two girls in surprise. One look, and both of them knew exactly what happened.

"No'¦ No'¦ NO NO NO! JESSICA!!" Elliot screamed as well as he dashed towards her as fast as he could. His Primal Feline Warrior Beast form disappeared and Elliot reverted back to his human body as he beheld the knife hilt protruding out of Jessica's chest in horror.

She had plunged the knife so deeply into her own chest that only the hilt could be seen. Blood had begun to spurt out of her mouth and chest, forming an ever growing red stain on her beautiful light blue dress.

"HA HA HA HA HA!" Rak'Tharos boomed with satisfied laughter. "What an incredible family! Incredible!" Even though Rak'Tharos was a villain through and through, he too was a father, a husband and a brother. He fully understood the bonds that Elliot shared with his sisters, and the motivations behind Jessica's actions. He was truly impressed by her.

And because he understood that bond, he knew he had to strike while the iron is hot so as to make the biggest and strongest impact on Elliot. To scar him so deeply that he would be fully motivated to power up as quickly as he could to take revenge and rescue his other sister.

Only then would he be useful.

Blink.

Rak'Tharos moved so fast that it looked like he teleported to Jennifer's side.

"I'll be taking this one with me then. Find me when you're strong enough for revenge, little boy." Rak'Tharos tossed a square token at Elliot, and then slowly disappeared with Jennifer."

"NO!!" Elliot looked up in panic. However, there was nothing he could do.

He could only say, "Jen! I WILL SAVE YOU! WAIT FOR ME!"

Jennifer smiled through her tears and nodded.

And then she was gone.

"HAWK! POTION!" Elliot screamed.

[Target is too injured for the potion to have any effects.]