Data Legend Chapter 12

End Game

It was all falling to pieces… This isn’t how she wanted it. She thought she had everything thought out perfectly… but in turn… she still missed details.

“They’ll be coming here no question…” Terra growled as she paced around the inside of the Tower of Light, looking to the soldiers that were with her. “... If I go down in flames… so be it…”

“What are you orders Mistress?”

“Give it your all… but let that Bearer and whoever else is with him come… I have unfinished business… That is my last order.”

They gave a salute, running off.

Terra went quiet as she thought over things again. It was life and death now… Everything she worked for was now in shambles… now it all came down to her very life…

A battle to the death… and only one… comes out.

A grin spread across her face as she began to laugh.

“It’s just how it is for every last one of us… I guess it was only a matter of time before I met my fate just like every other Virus… I’ll go down in flames… Like my predecessors before me… but I’ll be sure to leave my mark… on the one who kills me.”

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“Light Tower in view…” Elly called out, yet… she felt uncomfortable saying it. “... It’s not guarded though…”

You’d think she’d have it as tight as Fort Knox…  Joshua thought feeling a sense of dread. “Something’s not right about this…”

“Yeah but what choice do we have?”

“We have to go in… and… well, face whatever comes at us.” Alyssa swallowed hard. “Doesn’t kill the fear I’m feeling though.”

“Just gotta keep pushing on like we always have.” Marley narrowed her eyes. “It’s a war… we have to fight.”

“We’ll be okay Alyssa…” Joshua tried to give her a reassuring look. “We’ll make it out just fine.”


“Darn right you will.” Lucas growled. “Because there’s gonna be bigger problems for those Phoenixes if my sister and mom dies from this.”

“Good luck with your mission.” Ethan said, looking to the rest of the team. “Let’s get the city cleared…”

They broke off, heading for their destinations.

As they came closer to the tower, there was a feeling of dread hanging over the group.

The girls all had their disks drawn out, their eyes darting in all directions. Joshua tried to keep himself composed, trying so hard to block out the fear he was feeling as they got closer. Soon… they were at the entrance of the tower.

Gabe and Elly kept close to Joshua having their own disks drawn. They weren’t going to let what happened last time, repeat itself. “Last shot Joshua…. Ready?” Gabe asked his son as they started to head inside.

“Yeah…” Joshua took a deep breath, keeping his eyes focused on what was ahead.

“You Ark…?”

“Yes… I’m ready to take my rightful place again… and finally let you all be freed from this burden.”

It was quiet as they entered. No sign of guards or anything… Then they saw her.

Terra was standing in front of what Joshua could only assume was the pedestal where the disk was supposed to go. She was smiling as they came into her view. There was blood lust in her eyes as she looked at all of them… and almost an emptiness in them as well.

“I was wondering when you’d come…” She said, slightly laughing. “Now you’re all here… Fire… Crystal… Light… and two warriors… how perfect…” She looked at Gabriel, grinning more. “Oh and not just any warrior either… One of the 13… Glad to see you’re finally awake.”

Gabe narrowed his eyes getting in front of the others. “Glad to see you letting your guard down. Forget what I’m capable of or still think I’m the sick one?”

“Oh.. I’m aware of all that is going on…” She threw her head back laughing. “I’m going to die… It’s just been my fate as a Virus… We try to consume… but we know in the end something stronger always comes along that stops us… So I’m accepting my fate… But…” She sneered, looking to the group. “As I go down in flames… I’ll take something with me.”

Her eyes lit up brightly as she drew out her knife, charging for what seemed to be Gabe… but teleported right on through him… hitting one of the other members, an agonized scream heard as the knife made impact.

Everyone looked in horror… as Elly fell to the floor, a gaping wound on the right side of her chest and her right arm completely derezzed.

Gabe was mortified as he rushed to his daughter’s side. “Elly no!” He pulled her into his arms. “Elly… C’mon sweetie say something…” Not her… Not my little girl… No…

Elly looked up to her father weakly, coughing a bit. She tried speaking but no words came… only tears. “I’m sorry…” she mouthed… going limp in his arms.

Gabe lowered his head a few tears hitting her face. “No… Elly… Please no…”

Joshua looked at Terra growling as he drew his disk. “That.. IS IT!” He charged. “YOU WENT TOO FAR!”

Terra charged at him, locking her knife with his disk.

“Like I said… I’ll take something with me… and what better choice… than the young… innocent Data Child… that is little Electra… Who I must admit… made quite the bond is such a short amount of cycles with your dear father.” She laughed. “She is the price for my death.”

Joshua snarled pushing against the knife. “You're a genuine monster…. You could’ve gone for any of us… Even him to get the rest of his energy… But you picked his daughter… No… YOU PICKED MY SISTER!” He wasn’t going to play fair now… He kneed her hard in the stomach trying to knock her back. Now I know why Lucas gets so angry whenever Alyssa gets hurt… I want this psycho DEAD.

Terra cried out, lashing back at him with an energy wave with her knife.

“Oh… I’m only just getting started.” She lashed out again, a blood curdling scream escaping her mouth as she hit the others with large waves of red energy… all but Gabe. “You’re all pathetic… I don’t want to battle you… I… want… HIM.”

They were knocked back, hitting the ground. It was harder to get back up then expected. “Ngh… Over our dead bodies…” Alyssa groaned. “You took him once…”

“You ain’t getting him again…” Joshua growled.

“No…” Gabe looked down at Elly’s limp form in his arms kissing her head before he laid her down. “... This is my fight…”

Terra grinned. “Perfect… you agree… we have unfinished business anyway.” She raised her knife, showing the capsule on it that had what Gabe recognized as the other half of his life energy. “Life and death… two battle… only one comes out.”

Gabe narrowed his eyes saying nothing as he drew his disk back into his reach. He ran at her slicing at her stomach. Find her weak points…

Terra jumped, back trying to nail him in the eyes, only to miss as he ducked, hitting her hard in the chest. She cried out, slashing him in the shoulder. He retaliated, slashing her over her right eye.

“AAAAUGH!”

Terra fell back, holding the eye, moving her hand away to show a scar similar to the one she had given Gabe so many years back.

He narrowed his eyes as he moved towards her. “You took my daughter… You took my life… You took control of my friend… And tried to kill my son… Your life is worthless… You won’t go out with a bang… I don’t even have to use full power I bet…”

Terra looked at him… before one last grin came to her face.

“You think it’ll take just one blow to get the powers of Ark out of me? It’s not how it works…”

“We know.”

She looked to the trio, their eye colors changing to that of the Phoenixes they beared.

“Reason we’re all present.”

Waves of energy came from their disks, going straight into Gabe’s, super charging it as the marks of the Phoenixes appeared on it.

“Gabriel…. NOW!” Joshua shouted, Ark’s voice present.

Gabe didn’t hesitate he jabbed the disk hard into Terra’s chest as the energy surged through her. “THIS ENDS NOW!”

Terra let out a gasp… but no scream came… She looked to the sky… the glow in her red eyes dimming.

“... And so… the cycle… ends…” she uttered as she began to derezz.

Her knife fell to the floor, shattering instantly. The energy contained in it rushed over to Gabe, almost knocking him over as it made contact with his chest. The rest of Terra faded away, a blue energy rushing over to Joshua’s disk. It shined brightly before coming off along with Joshua’s armor, the girl’s disks following suite.

The disks floated into the air, light consuming them as they morphed into the Phoenixes they all knew. Ark spread out his wings, energy pulsing out of them, causing the tower to reactivate.

“The reign of Terra… is over.” he announced, making contact with the ground as he took his human form, his companions doing the same. “The mission… is complete.”

“It’s finally over…” Alyssa sighed.

Gabe nodded to the Phoenixes but there was something more pressing on his mind as he hurried over to Elly. He pulled her into his arms. “It’s over Elly-girl… She’s dead… I.. I’m sorry I failed you…”

The others came over, sadness in their eyes as they looked the Data Child. Joshua knelt beside his father, looking at her.

“Come on Elly… we promised we’d get out of this together… and you gotta see this… the Phoenixes are here… Ark is alive… Please… just open your eyes…”

Elly was non responsive.

“Elly… please…” Joshua took the hand she still had in his. “Come on…”

Gabe buried part of his face in her hair. “Please baby girl…” He pleaded voice cracking with grief. “Please… You're so loved… So loved… Come back… You're too young to go…”

Ark came forward, kneeling in front of them, Jivin and Virxnia on his sides.

“She’s a brave girl… Been fighting for so long… I never imagined… That Terra would have her last victim be someone who didn’t have as much connection with her.”

Ark ran a hand through her hair, sympathy in his eyes.

“Ark… please… do something…” Joshua pleaded. “You saved Dad… please save Elly too…”

“I’ll do anything… Anything… Just to hear her voice again… See her grow up…” Gabe begged. “Just don’t let her die…”

Ark looked to Virxinia, who was already at work as her eyes scanned the girl.

“Her wounds are beyond that of normal healing… Terra’s knife did damage unlike any other… but there is still a way to save her.” She looked to Ark. “Feels like we’ve been here before…”

“Vern was the same way…” Ark remarked. “Only this time it’s been switched..” Ark looked Gabe in the eyes. “Gabriel… did you have full intention of taking Elly back to your world?”

He had a serious look in his eyes as he nodded. “Yes...  I promised her original mentor I’d always look out for her. Just because I remembered everything wouldn’t change that… She’s my daughter… I’d never abandon her.”

“Then there is no question… we can save her… We just need something from you and Joshua.”

Virxinia drew her hand out, one of her fingers becoming crystallized and sharp.

“I’ll be quick.”

Jivin held up a hand from both of the Cunninghams as Virxinia drew her finger over them, drawing blood on to it, the wounds healing instantly.

Joshua cringed a little, drawing his hand back. “Ngh… Ow!”

Gabe winced. “Oh that hurts…”

“Sorry… but your daughter needs this.” Virxinia brought the blood into her hands, forming a sphere of it, crystallizing it. She held it over the gash in Elly’s chest, inserting it in as it glowed brightly.

Ark closed his eyes, bringing his hands over Elly’s head.

“Electra… accept this gift as a reward for all that you’ve done… Your original body is beyond repair… which is why now… you must take one of blood and data… By the power I hold… I command thee to be healed!”

The circuit marks on Elly’s cheeks lit up as the gash in her chest sealed up, her arm being restored. Soon as the healing was done… her marks faded off. Her body shook a little before relaxing, slowly drawing breath as her eyes opened… revealing her right eye was now brown just like Gabe and Joshua’s.

“Elly?” Gabe asked hope in his eyes. “Can you hear me?”

She nodded.

“Yes…”

Gabe laughed taking her hand. “Oh thank Esanii… Thank you…” He looked to the Phoenixes. “Thank you…”

The three nodded. “You deserve to be happy Gabriel… after all you’ve been through, you deserve this.”

Elly cuddled up to her father, resting her head against his chest.

“I feel different…”

Gabe cradled her in his arms. “You're a bit different now… Here…” He took her hand placing it to her neck. “Feel for a moment…”

Elly did as told, her eyes widening a little as she felt a pulse.

“W-What the…?”

“That’s yours… Your heart…” Gabe smiled hugging her a little. “Data Hybrid now…”

“And…” Virxinia smiled. “Are truly related, to Gabriel Cunningham. His blood, flows in you.”

Elly gasped. “I’m… I really am…”

Gabe stroked her hair. “Yeah… Hope you don’t mind having a sarcastic doctor for a father…”

“Or a dork for a big brother..” Joshua added. “But I’ll be good too… Promise.”

Elly smiled, laughing as she hugged her father.

“I couldn’t imagine being with anyone else.” She buried her face in his chest, tears of joy slipping out. “More importantly.. I’m happy that I have a family…”

Gabe hugged her tightly, kissing her head. “You and me both Little Spark… And that family’s never leaving… Together forever.”

Elly relaxed, closing her eyes.

“Together forever…”