Groggily Chase opened his eyes, and sat up in his bed… Except it wasn’t his bed.

 

“What the?” Chase jumped, seeing the motel room he was in, but then the fog lifted, and he understood.

 

For a second he just stood there, not knowing what to do, then he looked down at his left arm, it was back.

 

Relieved Chase gave it a couple of tests and sure enough, his claws had grown back as well. But there was still quite a mess to clean up.

 

Exhausted, even after hours of rest, Chase sat back on his bed, head in his hands, he didn’t know what to do, because of him… a lot of people died.

 

“…What now?” he sighed

 

As if on queue, there was a knock at the door, and immediately Chase was pretty sure he knew who it was, there was just something about that knock.

 

In an instant, he was at the door, and swung it open,

 

“Hey Shadow” he mumbled

 

“I got here as soon as I could… I’m so sorry” He stuttered, not sure what to say

 

Something about that sentence wasn’t right… But Chase couldn’t figure out what right now.

 

“It’s Ok, it’s not your fault.” Chase sighed coming out the door.

 

Silently they climbed they’re way up to the roof, neither wanting to be the first to speak, but, of course, that didn’t last long. Sitting down on the flat gravel roof, it was Chase who spoke.

 

“I did this.” he stated, a mix of emotions trying to cram themselves into his head all at once “This is my fault”

 

Shadow remained silent, sitting beside him as Chase stared off

 

“Heroes have to make choices, and I made the wrong one” he continued

 

“You’re wrong, you couldn’t have known that this would be the end game, you did the right thing, and you saved the people that were in danger”

 

“And now an entire hospital full of sick, innocent people, are very…Very dead.”

 

“But that isn’t your fault you couldn’t have-“

 

“But that’s the thing!” Chase cut Shadow off “I could’ve seen it coming if I had just…” Chase trailed off

 

“If you would’ve just what” Shadow challenged “Let that Parasite in?”

 

“None of this would’ve happened if I had” Chase spat feeling the air grow darker

 

 Shadow stopped, feeling Chase’s hatred as if it was his own

 

“I feel it, closing in on me,” Chase admitted slowly, watching the shadows cast by the trees below sway and move… and flicker. “It’s like…”

 

“What?” Shadow pried

 

“Like I can feel my time coming to an end… and so can it” At this, all the shadows around them seem to stop, and Chase didn’t know how, but they seemed to look at him… only for a second before becoming shadows again, but he saw it.

 

And from somewhere far away, he could’ve sworn that he heard the sound, of laughter.