Season 1, Episode 2 - The Sewer VI - "Isaac vs Jackson"

In one quick motion, Jackson reached into his fatigue jacket and pulled out a black Tommy Gun. Before Isaac could even register what had happened, the gun's sights were on him, and Jackson squeezed the trigger.

I don't know if the clones can feel pain, but it's worth a shot-

Golden energy exploded out of Isaac's right hand. Crackling lines of energy shot out in different directions; Isaac focused his efforts on one line, the one right in front of him, and focused, focused, until a lightning strike and explosion appeared at the end of the line. The energy coalesced into an identical Isaac, just in time too, because the clone immediately became riddled with bullet holes.

Isaac sighed in relief. He didn't feel any of the pain from his clones getting struck. With the first clone shielding him, Isaac slid around him, hoping to advance on Jackson, but the clone disappeared under the heavy firing. Isaac gritted his teeth and another clone appeared in front of him right as Jackson swung his gun toward him.

While the new clone shielded him, more energy lines flared out of Isaac's hands.

The space in here is limited...I'm limited to head-on attacks...unless...

A clone coalesced right off to the side of Jackson, swinging in a wide arc with a fist full of golden energy. Jackson dodged the punch, but he had to switch the Tommy Gun to the other hand. A second punch just missed with Jackson's head, but with his free right hand, the Yorkist grabbed the Isaac clone and threw him across his body into the concrete wall, where the clone dissipated.

Less than a second later, another clone was on Jackson, this one coalescing in the air behind him, bearing down on his back. Jackson realized the direction of the new attacker and leaned backwards, just enough for the Isaac clone to sail past him. Jackson sent a roundhouse kick at the clone, who failed to bring his arms to protect himself in time and was eliminated by the kick.

My clones are getting weaker with every new one, Isaac realized with a frown. I need to get creative.

Isaac made two more clones, the maximum number he could produce. The two clones appeared in front of in a hail of golden light, forcing Jackson to shield his eyes for a moment. By the time he lowered his hand, both clones were on him, going for the kill.

Not particularly worried, Jackson simply let both clones hit him, then delivered two punches in rapid succession. The first clone disappeared from a single strike; but when the other punch landed in the second clone's gut, he remained there, grinning.

Gotcha!

The second he created remained behind, taking the original Isaac's place, while Isaac himself joined with the first clone in attacking Jackson. Using his left hand, he grabbed Jackson's fist tightly, keeping him close.

Jackson tried to raise his gun, but a golden fist was already on him, striking him square in the nose. The force of his own blow Rddhi-powered blow surprised Isaac, freeing Jackson from his grip, but Isaac already prepared a contingency for that. The New Yorker slid backwards, but the other clone was already sprinting past Isaac. Before Jackson could shoot the gun, the clone backfisted him across the face, then got to his back and held him tight. With the clone holding his arms behind him, Jackson tried to squirm away, but the real Isaac closed in on him with a haymaker.

Using the cloned Isaac as a fulcrum, Jackson raised his legs and kicked outwards. One leg deflected Isaac's fist while the other struck him the face. Isaac wiped his nose and threw another punch, right at Jackson.

The punch connected with the clone, eliminating it. Isaac stood there dumbfounded. Jackson was nowhere to be found.

Isaac heard the sound of a new ammunition clip being loaded behind him. He's too far for me to get there in there in time, Isaac realized. As Jackson raised his gun, Isaac sent a line of energy down the concrete wall, coalescing right next to Jackson's head.

The clone propelled himself off the concrete wall, a fist at the ready. He can't get his gun up in time, Isaac thought. This could end things-

Instead, Jackson propelled himself at the clone. The golden fist struck Jackson in the temple, but Jackson's movements were stronger than the clone's. Jackson ignored the punch and kept going, his shoulder striking the clone with all of his body weight behind it. The clone disappeared, and Isaac realized he himself was breathing heavily, dripping with sweat.

Jackson looked calm and composed.

"You can't keep this up much longer."

Isaac wanted to protest, but he collapsed to one knee. I've used so much Rddhi...I'm gassed.

Jackson advanced him on slowly, walking casually, intent on finishing things up-close and personal.

Isaac gritted his teeth. Not yet!

A weak line of energy came out, coalescing in front of Jackson. The Yorkist simply swung a backfist at the clone, which lacked enough energy to defend itself and disappeared.

"All this talk about protecting the nation, the people," Jackson said. "And where did it get you? Dead before you're an adult. An early death, by yourself, down here in an abandoned sewer. Makes you think, huh?"

Jackson kept walking.

"You're too serious, my friend. Too, too serious. Rushing into battle yourself? You're too frantic. You didn't think with a clear head. Only fools rush in."

Jackson stood above Isaac now. "And now you don't get even get to apply my lessons in life. Enjoy your death, New Englander."

Isaac quickly raised a fist and shot a line of energy, just a small amount of pure energy, not enough to make anything close to a clone. But anything was better than giving up and dying.

Jackson paid it no mind, walking right into it, as if he expected to shrug it off. A small zap of Rddhi coursed through Jackson's head, temporarily stunning him. Isaac tried to stand and get out of the way, but Jackson, now enraged, wouldn't let him get away. A strong hand grabbed the collar of Isaac's uniform and threw him into the concrete wall, cracks appearing from the impact.

Jackson raised his gun-

The concrete wall behind Isaac rumbled. All around him, the wall exploded as green vines coursing with red energy shot through it. Most of the vines missed their target, but one successfully wrapped itself around Jackson's hand, forcing him to drop the gun.

Audrey emerged through a crack in the wall, holding onto the vine strongly.

"Audrey?" Isaac asked. "I thought you were with Reed."

"Reed wasn't in any danger of dying anymore," Audrey explained. "You, on the other hand..."

Isaac supposed she wasn't wrong.

"Audrey, I'm sorry," Isaac admitted. "You're right. I was a little too serious and rushed in here without a plan."

"It's alright. Reed took things not serious enough and rushed in there without a plan, too. It happens."

Audrey suddenly realized what was going on.

"Isaac, look behind Jackson!"

Before the vines came in, Jackson had been standing a foot or so away from the concrete wall on the other side of the narrow corridor. Now, he stood in the middle of the corridor; the corridor had expanded, doubled in size, the far-side concrete wall now much farther away.

"He was using an illusion to make the battle space more narrow," Isaac realized. "Your vines shattered that fucked-up illusion of his."

"Well...I can't say I was aiming for it," Audrey admitted. "Good thing these vines just kept going past this guy...not that I intended that either."

Jackson was still struggling with the vine wrapped around his arm.

Isaac stood and energy flared in his right hand, feeling a second wind coming on now that his friend was here. "Let's do this together. Hold him tight, Audrey."

Audrey secured her grip on the vine with two hands. Isaac launched himself toward Jackson and closed the distance quickly, his fist coming through with a hard punch-

"Isaac, wait!"

Isaac's fist connected with Jackson. Or, at least, it should have connected. The fist, when it should have been hitting Jackson, instead went through air.

Jackson's gone again!

Isaac heard the click of a trigger, but an oak tree flew in front of Isaac, shielding him from the bullets. When the tree moved past him, slamming in the far-side concrete wall, Isaac saw Audrey panting, struggling to stand.

An oversized tree trunk must have taken a lot out of her.

Isaac then saw Jackson aim at the weakened Audrey. Isaac sprinted and slid over to Audrey, hoping to at least shield her or push her out of the way, but when he got to her, his hands contacted nothing but air. Audrey had disappeared.

It's another illusion!

This time, there was no shield for the bullets. They struck Isaac in his left and arm shoulder, those that missed smacking the wall. Isaac, breathing heavily, ducked out of the way and slid away from the wall.

"Isaac!" Audrey called out.

She was behind him, at the entrance to the corridor. Her palms were planted on the ground, and Isaac wondered what she was planning-

Vines suddenly appeared from below Jackson, emerging out of the concrete ground. Jackson jumped out of the way; the vines followed him, but they suddenly stopped growing. Audrey had reached the limit of her cell growth acceleration. Jackson landed, safe from the vines, and began loading another clip.

"He makes illusions, Isaac!" Audrey called out. "You have to find out where he truly is!"

"Do you know?" Isaac asked.

Audrey shook her head sadly. "I tried. I've been trying to look through the Rddhi, like Reed said...but I just can't find him."

Isaac didn't like hearing Audrey speak with defeat like that.

"Get up and fight, Audrey!" Isaac yelled with determination.

Audrey's head snapped upwards, the words fueling her.

"Stay there and keep sending out vines," Isaac ordered. "I'll search for him."

"Do...do you think we can win?"

Isaac looked forward, facing down Jackson on the other end of the corridor.

"You bet your ass I do."

Jackson jumped out of the way when vines exploded from the wall next to him. Just as the vines were about to reach him, he disappeared into the air. Vines suddenly shot out from the floors, walls, and ceiling, heading in different directions, either searching intently or striking a solid surface forcefully.

Isaac collected himself and closed his eyes. If you listen closely...

In the darkness of his closed eyes, Isaac saw a field of green lines. The vines! The lines seemed to be on fire, covered in green, shaky Rddhi.

This must be Audrey's Rddhi. It feels warm and inviting, but anxious. Jumpy. She has all this power and wants to use it for good...but there's no confidence in it...

"Keep it up, Audrey! Keep fighting!"

The lines appeared to straighten themselves out a little. The energy flares, the fire they carried, it was more measured now, spiking at regular intervals that matched Audrey's calmer heartbeat.

As the vines continued their dirty work, Isaac breathed calmly once again and refocused. Amid of a field of glowing stars, he felt Audrey, he felt himself...

Wait. Isaac scanned the ceiling and spotted the light fixture.

This is the only spot in the entire sewer complex where there's been a light fixture on the ceiling. All the others were on the walls.

Are you serious?

Isaac then felt the energy of the light fixture and realized that the fixture itself was the illusion.

"Audrey, strike the light above us!"

A vine shot out of the wall, heading straight for the fixture. Isaac opened his eyes and saw that the vine struck true, shattering the illusion, connecting with now-visible Jackson's chest.

The whole time, he had been hanging from the ceiling, using the illusionary light fixture to hide his presence. The light fixture wasn't as big as his body, but the fact he had entirely hid himself was just another example of the mysterious power of the Rddhi.

Jackson had been holding on to a pipe jutting out from the ceiling, but the force of the vine knocked him off from his handhold. Isaac smiled. The Jackson he saw fell forward, toward Isaac, but when Isaac searched the Rddhi, he knew that was simply an illusion; the real Jackson fell in a backwards direction away from the fixture.

Isaac shot forward, rallying the last of his golden energy in his hand, heading for the real Jackson. As he fell, Jackson raised his gun, but Isaac had planned for this. A line of energy shot out of his hand, connecting with Jackson's wrist and knocking the gun away.

It's over!

Just before Jackson hit the ground, Isaac was on him, and with the last of his energy, he felt the Rddhi course through his entire right arm as it struck Jackson's face.

The Yorkist agent bounced backwards, skidding across the floor. He didn't get up.

Isaac stood there for a moment, searching the Rddhi.

That was the real Jackson.

"We won!" Audrey cheered.

Isaac felt her jump onto his back, but unlike early-morning-before-school Isaac, this Isaac had multiple gunshot wounds in his left arm and shoulder, while his right arm was smoking. Isaac collapsed from the newly-added weight of Audrey.

After they hit the ground, Audrey quickly got off of him and knelt next to him.

"Put the handcuffs and the rope for his legs on him," Isaac explained.

"Handcuffs? Rope?" Audrey asked.

"While you were busy playing with the flashlight, Hanai gave us them so we could immobilize anyone we capture."

"Ah!"

Audrey found the two items on Isaac. Jackson, still unconscious, put up no resistance to Audrey.

With that out of the way, Audrey walked back over to Isaac and extended her hand. Ignoring the smoke steaming from his right arm, Isaac took it and groaned as she lifted him up.

Audrey put his smoking arm around her shoulders and let him lean on her.

"I'm probably gonna end up in the hospital with Reed," Isaac supposed. "Can you get us donuts? I'm hungry. And not those jelly ones either. They spill all over you."

Audrey smiled as she helped Isaac walk out of the entrance to the corridor.

"Well...I'll see what I can find."