A swirl of green and black flames appeared before her, the glow of her horn diminishing as her smile grew.

The creature fell to its knees as the flames dissipated, “Ah, exactly where any subject of mine belongs.”

“What the…?” Jay looked around unsure of where he was since everything had changed so suddenly, and now there seemed to be something speaking in his mind.

Jay looked up to see a strange black creature staring down at him from a raised platform, eyes of blue and green showing nothing more than cold disdain.

As he stared, his mind still reeling from the effect of the spell, he could see the eyes begin to glow a dark green color that began to grow in their effect.

“What…?” Jay asked as he unconsciously took a step back. There was a feeling that told him to run and flee, not to stand and fight. Something was wrong and he couldn’t understand what it was.

As he looked on, he felt he could do nothing as something within him began to slowly crawl up his back, centering on his spine. A seizing cold grip like death itself as the dark green of his surroundings seemed to fade into darkness around his peripherals. He felt as though his breath caught in his throat.

“Let’s see who and what you really are…” Echoed a feminine voice.

Darkness took him as he felt his body begin to fall back, yet there was no ground, instead it was as if he were floating slowly backwards, at least until a heated blast of green light shot forward from the darkness and struck him in the chest.

Jason screamed out in pain as he raised up in a bed light striking at his eyes.

“Jason, what on Earth are you screaming about?” Came a woman’s voice as a door across from him opened.

Jason looked around, his mind taking in his surroundings, everything seeming to flash as confusion of what was happening took over his mind.

“M-mom?” his chest heaved as tears started to fill his eyes, hurting from both the bright light coming through the window right behind him, and the emotion he felt at seeing his mother again.

“What’s wrong sweety, was it a nightmare?” His mother asked as she moved to his bedside.

“Mom!” Jason burst into full on tears as he wrapped his arms around his mother’s waist.

As his tears fell freely, Jason heard a voice, “Such pathetic sentiments.”

Jason opened his eyes realizing that everything had changed now, he was no longer a child in a room holding onto his mother. There before him stood the creature once again, seeming to blend in with the shadows all around them.

“Who are you, what do you want with me?”

Queen Nepidae stepped forward, her eyes glowing. Her countenance reminding him of a predator eyeing a weak and frightened fawn.

“There is more to you, I can sense it, I can taste the fear hidden away within you.”

Everything seemed to change, and Jason found himself outside of a worn down poorly painted old brick home, the aged paint flaking off.

In front of the house was a group of people standing around as lights from an ambulance flash about.

“Ah, a loss of someone you loved,” Queen Nepidae noted as she watched a couple of people moving a body from the house.

Jason felt his breath catch, rage building up within him, he clenched his fists.

“Enough, I can’t. I’ve already been through this once before I can’t do it again.”

“Where did this take you? I want to know more.” As Queen Nepidae’s horn began to glow, Jason had had enough and lunged at her form.

With a haunting laugh, Queen Nepidae’s form seemed to fade as he went through her.

Jason grunted as she jumped on his back pressing him into something hard as the scenery around him changed to show him and a group of people running, weapons and armor in hand.

“A war,” she spoke almost reverently as if in awe.

The people around Jason began to charge forward, shooting guns at a line of metal forms which seemed to easily shake off the bullets flying.

Tanks moved forward, larger shots of mortars landed with explosions which barely seemed to even cause the metal forms to misstep and crafts of speed flew over the field of battle dropping explosive bombs. The concussive force of these bombs seemed to break apart the line as metal forms seemed to falter, yet easily they still stood back up and reformed their line and moved forward now beginning their own assault.

Queen Nepidae watched taking in everything she could but paying special attention to the metal forms.

Her horn glowed once again as her body seemed to become engulfed in black and green flames and before Jason stood a metal form of one of the invaders.

“No, no more of you.” He said breathlessly, fear rising in his chest.

The metal form stalked forward slamming a hand into his abdomen before easily grabbing at his clothing and lifting him effortlessly into the air above its head before throwing him back.

The fear and panic so palpable the scenery couldn’t be maintained any longer as everything seemed to distort slightly and jump from scene to scene of various moments of combat and people all around him dying with Jason’s memory form ran and shot as his real self-tumbled backwards.

Queen Nepidae in her new bipedal form tasted the fear and felt strong so strong over him in his own mind.

Yet it was also this very fear that cause Jason to stand, screaming as he raced forward hitting Nepidaes metallic form and throwing her back with him on top.

They tumbled body over body before Jason withdrew himself from her separating them before he attacked again.

His fists immediately ached as they slammed into the metal yet seemed weaker than the metal forms he remembered hitting in his previous life.

Nepidae struck him in the head knocking him back and down, the scenery flickering as his head rang in pain.

“Your mind is so weak you can’t even stand a strike by one invading.” Nepidae taunted.

Skitter stood back watching the bipedal creature on its knees as if in submission to her queen whose eyes and horn glowed fiercely as she worked her magic on his mind.

Now and then his kneeling slumped form seemed to twitch. It was mental domination and Skitter had never known her queen to fail.

However, she noted it was taking some time, which said he was either fleeing from her queen, or a fierce battle was ongoing.

Finally, after nearly an hour Queen Nepidae’s horn and eyes seemed to glow even brighter before a crown of black and green flames erupted around the bipedal creatures’ head before seeming to sink into its head.

Queen Nepidae stood breathing heavily for a few seconds, a tired smile on her features. “What are you?” Her voice demanded, echoing slightly in the throne room.

“I… am your creation.” The creature spoke in a subdued voice.

“Excellent.” Nepidae smiled, as she regained her regal stature once more.

“Skitter,” the changeling nearly jumped as her queen’s commanding voice drew her attention. “You have done well thus far, but now I want you to take this one and train it. Show my newest creation all you know, and ensure it will be ready.

Skitter lowered her head and the front part of her form to the ground as if bowing to her queen, “As you command.”

Skitter turned and motioned for the creature to follow.

Queen Nepidae watched the two leave the throne room. It had been a fierce battle, she had kept herself stronger, and yet it took so long for her to wear the human down enough for her spell to dominate him and make him her slave. He was tough, but like any creature she had come across before, no matter how strong one seemed, there were always weaknesses to take advantage of.

Author's Note

Sorry I had a desire to write, but it feels like this chapter came about a bit short.