"Boo."
Shorn started out of bed, eyes flicking from his apartment's door to the ethereal figure standing at the foot of his bed, lined in blue.
"Who the hell are you?"
The ghost's features solidified. "I'm you."
Mikhail scrambled backward, eyes wide. "What is this? Is this some kind of joke?" He glared at the ceiling. "Koska, I pay you not to pull pranks on me. Very funny, but turn off the hologram."
The hologram crossed its arms, glancing from the ceiling and back to Mikhail and decidedly not turning off. "Hmm, talking to walls. First signs of crazy. Best to just put you out of your misery now."
"What are you talking about? Who are you?"
"Subject is obviously crazy. Does not understand basic answers. Will conduct further tests."
"Answer me!"
The hologram rolled its eyes. "I am, moron. Do you know how hard it was to find you? I mean, what are the chances another version of me would stumble through some portal? But I guess stranger things have happened. Seems like you led a pretty nice life, back in otherland, or wherever you came from. Still obsessed with Spencer? Don't worry, I already know. Read your search history."
Mikhail threw off the covers and got to his feet. "Yeah, well, love can be that way. Especially when you go through a magic portal and get separated from your girlfriend. How do you know all this?"
"I already told you. You're me. I'm you. We're just," the hologram lifted its hands in a vague, wobbly gesture, "from different places in time and space. Another universe. I don't know. Science stuff."
"Great..." Shorn's eyes narrowed, still undecided if he believed this thing or not. He reached out in the Force and felt a cold presence, radiating darkness. "You're him, the one who died."
"Ding ding, we have a winner."
"Do you know how to get me back?"
The hologram tapped its chin with a finger. "Hmm... I'll go with a yes for 500. Oh, by the way, how much training did you receive in the Force out in otherland?"
Shorn frowned. "Not that much. Spencer and I left the Jedi and Sith behind. Found our own way. I don't see how that matters."
"Well, here's the thing. In this dimension, I had a pretty bad track record. I did a lot of things. I deserve to stay dead, but this isn't about me. I have a daughter who needs my help. An old friend chained her up. I'd pay him a visit, but I'm hardly a match for him now."
The not-a-hologram stepped forward toward Mikhail, gesturing. "See, I should be burning right now, but someone freed me. Cool. Great. But now what, wander around as a spirit for eternity? Well that's dumb. I need a body."
Another foot closer and suddenly the ghost reached out a hand and pressed it against Mikhail's forehead. "Just so happens I've got one right here. And I need it more than you do."
A deluge of pain ripped into Mikhail's mind and he screamed, fighting for control over his faculties, over his own body. He gestured and a wave of raw telekinetic energy rippled outward... and passed right through the ghost.
It chuckled. "Oh, I'm well beyond your power now."
The thing was in his mind now, talking to him. Like nails on a chalkboard, screeching. "You said you would get me back."
"Don't you know yourself at all? I lied. Shame about Spencer though, it was the ending I always wanted. But not for you. Goodbye, Mikhail."
He fell to his knees, screaming until his throat ran ragged, until his vision turned white, until he just... disappeared. Booted from his own body.
The Thronebreaker stood and stared at trembling hands. A slow, sly smirk spread across one cheek.
"It's good to be back."
Shorn started out of bed, eyes flicking from his apartment's door to the ethereal figure standing at the foot of his bed, lined in blue.
"Who the hell are you?"
The ghost's features solidified. "I'm you."
Mikhail scrambled backward, eyes wide. "What is this? Is this some kind of joke?" He glared at the ceiling. "Koska, I pay you not to pull pranks on me. Very funny, but turn off the hologram."
The hologram crossed its arms, glancing from the ceiling and back to Mikhail and decidedly not turning off. "Hmm, talking to walls. First signs of crazy. Best to just put you out of your misery now."
"What are you talking about? Who are you?"
"Subject is obviously crazy. Does not understand basic answers. Will conduct further tests."
"Answer me!"
The hologram rolled its eyes. "I am, moron. Do you know how hard it was to find you? I mean, what are the chances another version of me would stumble through some portal? But I guess stranger things have happened. Seems like you led a pretty nice life, back in otherland, or wherever you came from. Still obsessed with Spencer? Don't worry, I already know. Read your search history."
Mikhail threw off the covers and got to his feet. "Yeah, well, love can be that way. Especially when you go through a magic portal and get separated from your girlfriend. How do you know all this?"
"I already told you. You're me. I'm you. We're just," the hologram lifted its hands in a vague, wobbly gesture, "from different places in time and space. Another universe. I don't know. Science stuff."
"Great..." Shorn's eyes narrowed, still undecided if he believed this thing or not. He reached out in the Force and felt a cold presence, radiating darkness. "You're him, the one who died."
"Ding ding, we have a winner."
"Do you know how to get me back?"
The hologram tapped its chin with a finger. "Hmm... I'll go with a yes for 500. Oh, by the way, how much training did you receive in the Force out in otherland?"
Shorn frowned. "Not that much. Spencer and I left the Jedi and Sith behind. Found our own way. I don't see how that matters."
"Well, here's the thing. In this dimension, I had a pretty bad track record. I did a lot of things. I deserve to stay dead, but this isn't about me. I have a daughter who needs my help. An old friend chained her up. I'd pay him a visit, but I'm hardly a match for him now."
The not-a-hologram stepped forward toward Mikhail, gesturing. "See, I should be burning right now, but someone freed me. Cool. Great. But now what, wander around as a spirit for eternity? Well that's dumb. I need a body."
Another foot closer and suddenly the ghost reached out a hand and pressed it against Mikhail's forehead. "Just so happens I've got one right here. And I need it more than you do."
A deluge of pain ripped into Mikhail's mind and he screamed, fighting for control over his faculties, over his own body. He gestured and a wave of raw telekinetic energy rippled outward... and passed right through the ghost.
It chuckled. "Oh, I'm well beyond your power now."
The thing was in his mind now, talking to him. Like nails on a chalkboard, screeching. "You said you would get me back."
"Don't you know yourself at all? I lied. Shame about Spencer though, it was the ending I always wanted. But not for you. Goodbye, Mikhail."
He fell to his knees, screaming until his throat ran ragged, until his vision turned white, until he just... disappeared. Booted from his own body.
The Thronebreaker stood and stared at trembling hands. A slow, sly smirk spread across one cheek.
"It's good to be back."
