Round Two

Posted on Mon Jul 14th, 2025 @ 9:01pm by Lieutenant JG James Phoenix

1,131 words; about a 6 minute read

Mission: Wounds From the Mirror
Location: USS Saber
Timeline: After "Flash! Thunder!"

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Language and Violence warning folks! Thanks!

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Mirror Ashlynn stormed angrily into the area her counterpart was being held in. She was more resilient than she thought. It was true that Celes had a easier time getting the information, but she wanted Ash for herself, which was part of the reason why Ash was protecting her counterpart.

But now Celes and half of their comrades were attempting to commandeer the Washington. This meant that there were only a small handful of folks on the Saber which meant she had mostly free reign on Ash. She sneered at her counterpart as she entered.

"Haven't had enough yet I see" she spat in the Mirror's face.

"I see you haven't learned your lesson, my love" she giggled in an evil manner. She approached her and struck her face hard.

"You're pathetic" Ashlynn challenged. "You're so weak that you have to result to you're bosses' mistress and basic hits to torture me. She really was right, you were protecting me."

Ash struck her again, causing her to keep over momentarily. This clearly angered her. "I just wasn't trying hard enough, and make no mistake hun, I was only protecting you so I can have you all to myself" she moved so close that she was towering over her. But now you're all alone with me" she sneered.

Ash spit blood out and put herself against the wall again. "I've seen Deanna. You can't possibly be worse."

Her counterpart cackled. "Oh no hun. You fail to see the difference between her and I. She wants to hurt everyone. I just want to hurt you. I want you to watch James suffer as he sees you ripped to shreds, piece by piece" she giggled as she drew a medium sized Klingon d'k tahg from a tactical pouch around her waist.

She twirled the blade around in her fingers before getting a nice grip of the blade. "The Klingon's sure did a good job of designing these. Perfect for my uses" she crouched down and straddled her prime counterpart. She leaned in and whispered, "Tell me your secrets Ashlynn."

"Why?" she quipped quietly. "You know them all."

The Mirror took the dagger and inserted it into Ash's upper thigh slowly, causing her to scream in a similar manner to when Shran tortured her all those months ago. "This is exactly how you're little James saw me when he was trapped in my universe. Tortured just like this. It'll be a shame he has to watch this twice. This time with the real you" she said with an evil glint in her eyes."

"Who hurt you so much?" Prime Ash exerted.

"Why my love, James did. He failed to save me. Twice. Albeit two different versions."

"That was your petty Andorian's fault. He shot you-"

"And your James left me there to rot" she said with a burning passion. He needs to feel that pain again!" she slapped Ash.

"Excuse my anger" she quieted her voice again. "Seeing as you're so defiant still, let me be more drastic" she took out a lighter. "According to your lovely James these haven't been common since the 21st century" she lit the blade on fire. "So lucky those Klingons made this with fire in mind."

The Mirror slowly inserted the blade in her opposite thigh, making Prime Ashlynn scream in more agony. She cackled. "You really thought I'd make it easy on you by cauterizing the first wound. Now tell me sweetie what I want to know."

"Never!" the Prime Ashlynn growled with all of her current energy.

"Such a shame" she continued moving the blade across her thigh slowly. "Maybe I should tell you of all the fun James and I had while I was masquerading as you. Making that stupid fool feel safe, like he was whole again. He's so pathetic."

She started to insert the blade above her belly causing blood to gush out, which it also had from the first and second wounds, despite the fire. Ash screamed in pain. Before the Mirror could do anything more, she heard the doors open. She turned her back on Ash to see a man who looked nearly identical to James. "What are YOU doing here?"

James cackled. "You really think Shran would have left her alone with you, considering your failure to break her" he challenged.

Ashlynn became furious. She hated him, worse than the Prime James. She slammed him against the wall. "You're so lucky you're protected, otherwise I'd use you to hurt her."

He sneered. "Like the way you protected her the other day?"

Ash grew angry. She knew she couldn't make him leave. "What do you want?"

"Leave me alone with her. I have the face of the man she loves most after all" he said devilishly.

"Ugh!" She complained. "Have it your way. But it's your head if this doesn't work!" she shouted. As she turned on her heel she was struck by a singular phaser blast to the back which caused her to drop.

James quickly moved the unconscious Ashlynn to a dark corner of the room. He turned to the prime Ash and quickly unbound her.

"How are you-" she muttered.

"It's not me. I'm his counterpart" he crouched and started applying bandages. "You'll need sickbay."

"No shit" she coughed. "Sickbay will be crawling with you people. Why are you helping me anyway?"

He applied a bandage on the worst area before moving to the next. "I never wanted to help Shran. He killed her" he indicated to the downed Ash. "Despite my hatred for her I care about her. Your James sent me a message. One that you know. I owe him one for that and to be blunt, I want Shran and his cronies to burn."

He applied another bandage. "To be clear I meant the Washington. They're here, but being boarded. I'm going to attempt a sabotage. To at least get you out and maybe the others if we're lucky" Phoenix rambled.

"Cut to the chase" she demanded as she winced.

"I can't have you with me when I sabotage. "You being injured will only slow me down."

She raised an eyebrow. "You don't think I can help you."

"I do think you can actually, but you've lost a lot of blood. Besides, hiding you somewhere will throw them off for a bit. They won't suspect a thing if I'm by myself. They will if you're with me."

"Fair enough" she said as he helped her up.

"Hence why I'm coming for you now. "The crew is preoccupied. It's enough of a diversion to buy us some time. Come on, we don't have much time" Mirror Phoenix said as he helped her limp to the corridor.

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