What am I?
The thought brought him back to his beginnings as this creature. Back to that alley in Brooklyn. Back to looking into Matt's eyes, and seeing all his sins. Seeing that woman.
The Ghost Rider could do nothing but grip the sides of his had as the visions assailed him, each screaming at him for retribution. Each making him know the pain they felt. Matt, freed from being pinned to the wall, was dumbstruck by how Nick could know all of these things. Panicking, Matt pulled a small revolver from under his shirt, aiming it at the side of his skull. "No........ You weren't there....... You Weren't There!" Matt's finger pressed hard on the trigger, but the bullet melted in the barrel. The Rider latched onto his forearm with one hand, and snapped it with hardly any effort. The bone was now piercing through his skin, with Nick's hand still gripping it tightly. "Aaaaahhhhhh!!! Fuck! Let me go, you fucking monster!" Matt cried in pain. The flames within the Ghost Rider's eyes flared with a white-hot anger, as he once again pinned Matt to the wall with his arm press against his throat. The spikes from Nick's gauntlet had pricked the skin on Matt's neck, causing little droplets of blood to run down, staining his white T-shirt.
Trying unsuccessfully to wriggle free from the Ghost Rider, Matt did everything he could to avert his gaze. For some unknown, instinctual reason, he knew he did not want to look into those empty, flaming eyes. And it was for the same instinctual reason that Nick wanted him to do just that.
The punk was now in full effort of trying to get free, to get away. It felt to Matt as though hell itself had just turned it's gaze to him, making his blood run cold in his veins. His heart was racing in full blown panic, trying everything he could to fight this unknown force that beckoned his eyes to the Rider's. He could not meet his stare, but it felt as though he was compelled to.
And with that, Matt's will relented to this force, as he peered into those empty eye-sockets and beheld all his sins. Those same ghostly images that had overwhelmed Nick now viciously attack Matt, crying out in the vengeance they had been given. Matt struggled and screamed, howling as he felt every shot, every stab, every hit. His eyes widened in sheer terror, as his hair turned stark white. The blood that stained Matt's soul was burned away by ephemeral flames, and the Ghost Rider let his body fall to the ground as a jabbering, worthless excuse for a human. He lay there, eyes wide open, stuttering the same psychotic chant over and over.
"Don't let the monster get me.......
Don't let the monster get me.......
Don't let the monster get me.......
Don't let the monster get me.......
Don't let the monster get me.......
Don't let the monster get me.......
Don't let the monster get me.......
Don't let the monster get me......."
Nick scoffed. I'm the monster? He turned to make his leave, but was stopped when he spied a broken piece of mirrored glass. For the first time, he beheld his own appearance. He was speechless, as his fingers traced over the bone of his face. His eyes, his nose, his ears, his skin, even his own clothes. Everything, just...... gone. Replaced by this.....
"Hey, what's going on down here?" A voiced call from down the alley, snapping Nick back to attention. An officer, mid 40's, obviously responding to the screams. His hand was on his holster, promptly snapping and drawing his gun at the first sight of Nick. "Holy mother of God..... Freeze!" The 9mm Glock aimed right at him, Nick tried showing his hands in a non threatening manner. He wanted to explain what happened, but how could he? How could anyone? Unfortunately, his movement was enough to panic the cop even further. "I said freeze!" Nick wanted to say something..... but what? He opened his mouth, hoping the words would just flow out, but wasn't given the chance. The officer fired four rounds into his chest, passing right through his ribs, with a fifth shot bouncing off his skull and sending a flurry of embers fluttering through the air. Nick's mind almost went into shock trying to comprehend everything, now on top of that the fact that he wasn't dead. The cop just stared, in as much disbelief as Nick. "What...... are you?!"
"11-99, 11-99, get me backup now!" the cop yelled into his radio, giving a clear sign that Nick wasn't getting out of this easy. And so, he ran. Deep into the alleys, in the darkest parts of the city. He ran until he felt safe, until the bike found him.
Even to this day, that question rings through his head, but only now does Nick realize what he wanted to say,
Slowly, he returned the leather glove to his hand. He grimaced at the thought of what he'd become. Why had those memories come back now? Can he ever go back? But of course, one question stood in front of the others,
Am I a monster?