Chaos and confusion roamed through Last's head. After the months of semi-consciousness had passed, he began to feel a bit like his old self, but something was most definitely still wrong. "RAGE is in check," he muttered to himself, checking on the inhibitors. "Chronus seems to have left as well." He mused, still lost in thought as to whether this diagnostic could be trusted. He looked at the clock. "Late....so late I'm talking to myself." His head felt heavy, and he slumped over the computer.
Almost instantly he realized he was having another nightmare. The kind that could resurrect RAGE if frequent. There was something wrong, a hint of...smoke? He bolted out of the science lab in Borealis and into a blazing inferno. People were screaming in pain and choking on the fumes as Borealis smoldered. He quickly put on his CDS helmet, knowing the respirator and vision enhancement would serve him better than his own eyes. But still, something was definitely wrong. Where were all the ICC? He ran, and leapt over a flaming barricade, grimacing, then patting down his pants. He thought he saw someone familiar on the roof, seemingly...dancing in the flames? With athletic poise, he flipped onto the cluster of buildings and landed next to a garish site.
At his feet was Raijou and Trussel, his close friends, each about to pass into reclaim. He bent down close to them. "She's gone mad," Raijou coughed. In his mind, he knew who she was. It could only be her. His body recoiled at the thought, stomach began to churn, his mind reeling from the news.
"No! It can't be!" Last moved away in shock. Then he felt something wash over him, flinging him back into a chainlink fence, then through it as the metal melted, yet somehow he fell into the water. He gasped, stunned, and choked from the inhalation, then swam back up.
He saw her then, wreathed in flame, her eyes burning wildly. "You...could do this?" he asked of the figure, who merely laughed at him. "No, it can't be real...it can't be happening!" 'Wake up damnit! Wake up!' His body knew what was going to happen next, and bolted away before the flame resurged around him. He jammed a stim into his arm and felt the rush of endorphins and adrenaline. "Why?" he shouted. "Why?!!"
Then he saw the demons. They ran past him, chittering and skulking, straight at her. He turned around to see a bright blue blade flash in the night and the flame begin to sputter out. "What new trickery is this? Chronus?" Her figure slumped to the ground, lifeless. He ran to her, but it was too late. There was nothing he could do. He looked up at the hooded man who had done this and knew his face. "You...what is the meaning of this?" Tears slipped from cold eyes as the hooded man realized his betrayal. Then, Last recognized that blade. Tiedus had wielded one in his own dreams. He knelt beside her and cradled her head. "Go. Now. Before I kill you where you stand. I'm giving you this chance as our friendship dies." The hooded man left. Last wept.
Outside of the dream a warning in the laboratory sounded. "Level Three inhibitor disabled." The warning then ceased as RAGE quietly reprogrammed the inhibitor. "TWO LEFT AND I AM FREE." The robotic voice uttered.