The Order - 19. Chapter 19

(** Prologue - Alternate Earth **)

 

Luke assumed the corporeal form he used to sire Orophir. He usually did when addressing his child. He had to admit Orophir was a handsome creature and also admitted it was vanity on his part to think so. Orophir was still young for a Nephilim, and petty as most of them seemed to be, but he showed potential and had already proved useful in introducing Forbidden Knowledge to The Master throughout various realities.

Luke’s plan was well underway, and Orophir would play a significant role in the next part.

Are you prepared?

Yes, father. I made the objects as instructed, and passed the ones on to The Master you specified. I will wield the last one myself to face those in The Order.

Be sure and use the Amulet to full effect. If you do, none of them can stand against you. Without it, you will be overmatched. Remember, you must be careful and not kill the Dreamer. He must call for help. Once the Dragon is in play, our success is all but guaranteed.

Surely, they cannot be that powerful? They are half-breeds!

Do not be an arrogant fool! Do as I have instructed, or we will not succeed. Also remember, your identity must remain secret. I take significant risk involving you, but if we are successful thousands of realities will unravel, and in the chaos that ensues, I will assert my dominion. Michael and the others will be so busy facing the fallout they will have no time to focus on me until it is too late.

And your promise to me? I will sit at your side?

Yes. You will be second only to me. I will merge all your incarnations into One, and no one will be able to oppose you. Do as I have instructed and all this will come to pass.

I will await your call.

His father vanished, and Orophir’s hand went to the Amulet around his neck, Listening to the Music in it and feeling its Power. The Runes taught him by his father were devastatingly Powerful and once thoroughly mastered, he might even be his father’s equal. Even with that thought, Orophir held no desire to overthrow his father or become a rival. He was ambitious, wanting a place among his peers, but the thought of usurping and replacing his father never crossed his mind.

The only thing he truly desired from his father was love and acceptance, yet every time they met, Orophir parted with a cold, empty feeling inside.

It seemed the one thing he needed and desired above all else he would never have; the love and acceptance of a father towards his son.

 

 

 

(** Beginning of Chapter **)

 

Near their breaking point, the eight men were merely trying to survive, hunted and driven into hiding by an Enemy they knew nothing about, the doctor taken from them before he told them anything about their antagonist or what they were involved in.

After staging their deaths with the doctor’s help, the men, as couples, made it to the United States and the new Lab, and for years their lives proceeded according to the doctor’s plan.

Then, one day without warning, they were attacked. Ken and the others always thought the Lab a haven and impregnable, but they were wrong. Ken prayed the doctor was still alive, but they hadn’t seen or heard from him since he was taken the day of the attack.

The events of that day would remain etched in Ken’s mind and heart forever. It was the day Brad was shot down in front of him, the day his heart was ripped from his chest. Lane died in the same fight, sacrificing himself so the rest of them could escape.

Their SEAL Training allowed those left alive to escape and go into hiding, but every day was a struggle. The Enemy, whoever or whatever they were, was relentless and always managed to discover their location no matter how careful they were. None of them understood how their movements were tracked, but if they stayed in one place longer than a few days, The Enemy would show up. Ken and the guys could never let their guard down, and staying on the move non-stop exhausted them mentally and physically.

The things they had to do to survive… Ken never thought himself capable of some of the acts he performed; none of them did. In the quiet moments of the night, in his deepest thoughts, he wondered if it was worth it. It would be easier to stop fighting and give up, but something in him wouldn’t let that happen; some nagging Conviction he couldn’t fathom and didn’t understand. He had no idea where it came from, but when his thoughts turned dark, a strange feeling would come over him that wouldn’t let him give up. He had come to hate it, but it was too strong to ignore no matter how hard he tried.

Ken would never let himself be taken by The Enemy, whoever they were, and vowed eventually, he would find a way to kill himself in hopes of reuniting with Brad in Heaven. Once he figured out how to keep the guys safe with a semblance of a normal life, he would go be with his best friend and lover, but until that time his resolve had to stay strong no matter what the cost to himself.

He was especially worried about Bryan, who was sinking further and further into a dark place. Ken wasn’t in much better shape but forced himself, sometimes minute by minute, to shove the darkness away, or at least hold it at bay so he could function for the sake of everyone else. He had to, to keep them alive. He was their leader, their Captain, and couldn’t let them down.

Fuck B, I miss you so much. I always thought we’d be together. I still love you, you know, more than I ever thought I could love anyone. One day we’ll be together again, but for now, I need ‘ta keep these yahoos alive. I can’t give up yet man; I hope you understand that. I feel like every day without you I die a little more inside. It hurts, B. It hurts bad. Fuck, I wish you were here.

Lost in his private thoughts, Ken heard someone softly snoring. After listening carefully, he knew it was Loy. Loy had a different cadence to his breathing than Bill. Kevin was on watch, and Ken saw him periodically as he made his way silently around the house they were in. Unable to sleep, Bryan sniffed, trying to cover emotions, but with Ken’s exceptional hearing, it was clear. It was a familiar sound he made all too often when he tried to sleep, and memories of Lane haunted him.

Ken moved to where Bryan lay on the floor. It was too warm for blankets, and he was sweating. The electricity in the house wasn’t turned on, but even if it had been, they wouldn’t run the air conditioner to avoid suspicion. In the moonlight, Bryan’s skin looked silvery from the light sheen of sweat coating his body. The tears on his cheeks were bright, reflecting the moonlight.

Reaching out, Ken put a hand on Bryan’s shoulder giving him a squeeze of comfort. He was at a loss for words and didn’t know what to say anymore. He felt the same as Bryan… the hole in him when Brad died was a void that set him adrift, and Bryan felt the same way without Lane. Bryan was so stoic and independent Ken never knew what was going on behind the handsome, stony visage he wore these days. Recently Ken noticed cracks in Bryan’s behavior, and he was worried for his Brother and what it might mean to the rest of the guys if Bryan lost it.

Bryan’s voice was so quiet Ken barely heard him, even with his heightened hearing.

“Fuck, I miss him, Ken. I can hear the little shit singing in my head.”

“I know, Bry. Brad’s still in me sometimes, too, especially at night. When I close my eyes he’s right there.”

“Fucker had these songs he’d sing to me. Called them his ‘Bryan’s List.’ Sometimes it was cheesy shit, but they were songs that meant something to him about me or us. Why’d the fucker go and get himself killed?”

“Try not ‘ta think about it, Bry. I know it's hard, man. I get it. It’s hard for me too. I know you don’t wanna forget shit like that, but right now it’s gonna get you, or one of us, killed. We need ‘ta suck it up ‘til we figure out how ‘ta survive and start fightin’ back. I need you with us. All the guys do.”

Bryan sniffed again, wiping his face with the back of his brawny forearm. He took a deep breath to try and center himself, and his breath caught on the first try, but after a few deep breaths he seemed calmer.

Patting Bryan’s chest, Ken said, “Atta boy. Now get some rest. We need ‘ta stay sharp.”

Bryan rolled over, tucking one big arm under his head. He closed his eyes but, in his Mind, no matter how hard he tried to shut it out, Lane still sang to him.

 

<><>

 

Ken managed to doze off but had only been asleep a few minutes when Kevin’s hand touched his arm, and he was instantly alert. It was the light touch they used to wake one another, and as soon as Kevin’s three fingers touched Ken’s arm, he knew not to make any noise.

Kevin held a finger to his lips, indicating silence, following with the signal for danger and then continued around, waking everyone up. They all were immediately alert and started readying what weapons they had.

They left the Lab running for their lives and hadn’t been able to return, literally leaving with the clothes on their backs. They tried going back to their houses only to find them under surveillance, so rather than risk a confrontation with an Enemy they knew nothing about, they went into hiding.

Darren managed to tap into a few of the bank accounts the doctor had set up, and that worked for a while. Before the accounts were blocked, he managed to pull out enough money to start his own stealth accounts and keep them afloat as far as food, clothing, and some firearms, but they didn’t have any of the gear they needed to survive.

Kevin took Ken to a window in the front of the house and indicated one enemy target to the left. Ken looked, and there was a black Escalade parked half a block down. The house they hid in was under construction but nearly finished. With the housing market in Atlanta in a severely depressed state, the builder let it sit unfinished, and it made a sound rabbit hole for them to hide in for a day or two.

Gathering their meager belongings, they were ready to exit when another three vehicles quietly pulled up to the curb with their headlights off.

The last encounter with their unknown Enemy had gone badly. New agents showed up that were abnormally strong and fast. They didn’t have the physical density of Ken or the other Bodies, but they were far too strong for Bill, Loy, or Darren to take on. The last time there had also been another man, very well dressed, and they had no idea how he did it, but he fucked with their Minds.

None of them were prepared for anything like that, but once again, their training saved them. Using their Empathic ability Darren, Bill, and Loy focused on the man with everything they had, trying to induce fear. It didn’t exactly work, but it stopped his attack long enough to put a bullet in his head, and they escaped with no one getting hurt.

Ken took a peek through a small slit in the blinds, and his blood went cold. At least ten of the big muscled guys and three of the ‘suits' got out of the cars. They weren’t prepared for that. It took everything Bill, Darren, and Loy had to stalemate one of those guys the first time.

He gave the hand signals to Kevin to pass on to everyone else what he saw. The plan was to kill the well-dressed men first and then high-tail it out of there.

A split second before giving the order to fire, Ken suddenly couldn’t move. None of them could, and a voice filled their Minds.

This is it. We finally have you cornered, and you can’t escape. We will get great pleasure in hearing your screams as you watch your teammates die painfully in front of you. The Order will finally be obliterated from this world, and The Master will reign undisputed, and mankind will be ours at last.

Ken had no idea what the guy was talking about. What was The Order and who was The Master?

Laughing at his confusion, the voice continued: I see! Typical of the doctor to leave you in the dark, not knowing who you are or what you were supposed to be. It would have been nicer if you knew more so the significance of your deaths would be apparent, but your annihilation will be no less sweet. We will finally be rid of your stench and rule as we are destined too.

Helpless, Ken sweated from the effort of trying to force his muscles to move, and a cold wave of fear ran deep in his gut… he didn’t want any of his buddies to suffer. They didn’t deserve that. He loved them like brothers and would gladly die for them. He felt like he failed them.

You did. You failed them utterly. Prepare to watch them die one by one in front of you. I’m saving you for last.

Take me, you bastard, and let them go! They don’t deserve that!

That’s where you’re wrong. You all deserve to die. You can thank your precious doctor for that. You are abominations. I will take great pleasure in letting him know you are all dead.

You have him!? He’s alive!? Tell me where he is you fucker!

The only reply was laughter in Ken’s Mind and a cold feeling of dread as they were about to die.

 

<>

 

Ken was frozen and couldn’t move, so when Bryan quietly said, “Fuck me! What the hell?” he couldn’t turn to look. There was a light in his peripheral vision, and he knew something was happening but had no idea what. He assumed it was The Enemy, and things were about to end. Ken’s eyes watered in anger and frustration at being caught in a trap, and fear for what was about to befall his teammates.

 

<>

 

Bryan, crouched on the floor and unable to move, listened to the conversation between Ken and whoever was talking in their Minds. The fact it was all in their heads was frightening enough, but the malice and evil behind the words were terrifying.

Bracing himself for the end, Bryan hoped it would be quick.

I love you, Little Buddy. Guess I’ll be seeing you soon.

Only a few feet from Bryan, two balls of Light appeared in the air, hovering and gently bobbing. Breathtakingly beautiful, the orbs emitted a golden Light that radiated a warmth like nothing he had ever felt, not of the body but the Soul. After the emptiness in his heart since Lane died the Light was painfully sweet, and his breath caught as his eyes teared up.

The orbs rapidly coalesced into the forms of two men, and Bryan’s heart leapt in his chest when he recognized one of them as Lane. The other one was Brad.

They were wearing full Kevlar assault gear, but it looked much more advanced than the suits the doctor designed for them.

“Fuck me! What the hell?”

Brad and Lane assessed the situation in a fraction of a second. The Enemy surrounded the house, and the guys were being controlled by a ‘suit.’ Unable to mask their Aura’s, they knew the well-dressed men outside would sense them as soon as they raised any significant Power.

Brad: Looks like we got here just in time.

Lane: Fuck! I hate cutting it this close. They’re already freaked out by the Mental shit going on. Seeing you and me is going to really blow their minds.

Brad: Okay, we need to take out all the Agents. They can’t report back to anyone that we’re here. I’ll block the ‘suits.’ We’re both charged up enough to handle the Protectors. I’m going to keep a lock on the guys until the fight is over. I don’t know how they’ll react to us, and I don’t want any of them getting hurt.

Lane: Alright, Brad. We need some fighting music. Airwolf or S.W.A.T?

Brad: I’ll take Robert Urich over Jan-Michael Vincent any day. And Steve Forrest too! WOOF!

Lane: You slut. Does Ken know about that little fantasy?

Brad: He thinks the same thing I do, so don’t even go there.

Lane: Okay, time to rock and roll. You set?

Brad: Let’s go.

The theme from the old TV show S.W.A.T. started playing in the air around them. None of the guys had a clue where the cheesy 70’s theme show was broadcast from, but the song filled the house.

Reached out, Brad roughly grabbed the Minds of the three well-dressed men.

Alright, fuckers! It’s time to show you who you’re dealing with.

Fear and confusion radiated from the three ‘suits’ as Brad easily shattered their Shields and took over their Minds. At the same time, he kept a lock on Ken and the others. The ‘suits’ were astounded at how powerful he was, and even more at the Light he wielded.

Lane: You’re such a showoff.

Brad: How about we show them together. Let’s Light them up!

Lane took Brad’s hand and they became One, their breath catching at the sudden emotional intimacy. It was just as profound between them as Brothers as it was between their Soulmates; different but just as potent. The purity of their Souls shone through, and Brad amped up their Aura’s burning the suits up. Their bodies turned to ash inside their tailored suits as the Darkness inside them was obliterated by their Light.

The Protectors didn’t know what to make of what was happening. From everything they had been told their targets were on their last leg and unable to fight back, so they were unprepared for what they witnessed. Fear of failure kept the leader of the group from calling their mission and retreating.

Pointing to two of his men, he said, “You two, leave now. Make sure The Master knows what just happened and send backup. The rest of you, with me.”

He planned to surround the house and pin Ken and the others down until backup arrived.

Lane waited until the two Protectors ordered to go for backup were in their car before he knocked them out with a Compulsion.

They could have locked down the remaining Protectors with their Minds but didn’t. They wanted Ken and the others to see them fight, and know The Enemy could be beaten.

The plan to surround the house and wait for backup was replaced by the Compulsion to charge headlong into the house. Lane grinned as he shouted in their Minds.

Come on you fuckers!

Lane and Brad were physically charged up from making love to their Bryan and Ken before performing the ritual that shunted them sideways to the alternate reality. After their collective Dream, they had quickly gathered, and with the doctor’s input formulated a plan. Lane and Brad were the only two he felt could safely make the journey because their counterparts were dead… or mostly dead as they hoped to find. The doctor was certain the entire Team shouldn’t go, or the strain on the alternate reality would be too extreme. Once Brad and Lane found their counterparts and restored them, the doctor was confident they could stay for a short while without causing any severe ripples. He was afraid if all of them went the disruption would be more like a tidal wave and upset the fabric of that reality, unraveling it.

In their own reality, when Lane died in Taliesin’s Construct, Uriel was unable to convey his Soul to Heaven because it wasn’t intact. They were banking on the same situation and that the Souls of their counterparts were in some type of limbo. The plan was to recover their bodies, revive them, and then Awaken the entire Team at the same time. If they accomplished that task, the doctor was certain events would cascade and flow back into what they should have been all along, a few minor changes notwithstanding.

Something was significant about that particular reality in the Multiverse; events were severely out of balance and needed to be put back on track. They didn’t know how or why it was so significant, but it was. After the shared Dream they knew it to be so, and correcting events there were a keystone in their overall fight against The Enemy and defeating The Master in their own reality.

The fight lasted just over three minutes. Lane and Brad, still physically charged up, were more than equals of the Protectors. Their strength coupled with their training allowed them to wipe the floor with their attackers while hardly breaking a sweat.

The final beat of Lane’s music coincided with the thump of the last Protector’s body hitting the floor at Brad’s feet. Brad and Lane were under orders to take absolutely no chances and kill when necessary. The fate of that reality depended on the success of their mission, and they couldn’t afford to be gentle. They didn’t like it but promised Ken; he and Bryan were unhappy enough they couldn’t accompany their partners and wanted to ensure their safety and success as much as possible.

To be sure, Brad and Lane scanned the Protectors, and none of them were coerced into servitude. The two in the car weren’t either, so they felt no remorse for killing them.

Surveying the scene around them, Brad took a deep breath.

Now for the hard part.

God, Brad, look at them. They’re barely holding it together.

Compassion filled Brad and Lane for the ragtag group of men around them; the faces they knew so well, yet just saw for the first time. They couldn’t imagine how hard it had been for them to survive, isolated and hunted by a supernatural Enemy without any of the abilities they had become used too.

Ken and the others found themselves able to move again. Brad and Lane realized Ken and Bryan were on the edge of breaking down over their appearance and were hanging on by a thread.

Staring at Brad intently, Ken asked, “B? Is it really you? … How?”

Ken’s voice cracked as his throat tightened, and hot tears filled his eyes. His chest felt like it was about to burst.

Bryan rushed to Lane, ready to sweep him up in a bear hug but stopped as soon as he got a good look at Lane’s face. Lane’s eyes were the same, but his face was older. All the guys from Brad and Lane’s reality had aged slightly during the last Process that activated their Nephilim Heritage, and while the age variance wasn’t much, there was a discernible difference.

Bryan shook, and fell to his knees in defeat. The sadness in his voice crushed Lane’s heart.

“Fucker. You ain’t him.”

Lane knelt in front of Bryan, his voice filled with Compassion as he reached out and gripped Bryan’s heavy shoulder. He said loud enough for everyone to hear, “I am Lane you big goof, I’m just not your Lane. I’m here to get him back for you.”

Ken looked questioningly at Brad, who nodded and said, “I’m sorry Ken, but I’m not your Brad either. I know how much pain you guys are in. I’m not sure you realize why it’s been so hard for you and Bryan, but we can explain everything.”

Ken shut down, and Brad felt it. He compartmentalized his pain, having no choice if he wanted to survive. His heart beat so strongly in his chest Brad saw veins bounding in his neck. He was floundering, trying to pull himself together and be the leader and keep everyone safe. In the last few minutes he was prepared for himself and his buddies to die, and then the world he thought lost forever was back, only to be ripped away again, and his Heart and Mind were reeling. The emotional rollercoaster was too much to take.

Brad and Lane looked around at their Brothers, shocked at the expressions on their faces and the state of their Minds. They were on their last leg. The smiles and happiness they were so familiar with were absent, replaced by exhaustion and fear.

Brad said loudly and clearly, “Loy, Rick… there are two unconscious Protectors in one of the Escalades outside. You need to bring them in here without being seen, and we’ll need to get rid of the bodies and other vehicles. I understand how confusing all this must seem, and I know we need to talk. We’re here to help you and set things right, but we need to get to a safe spot first after we clean up this mess.”

Loy and Rick looked at Ken and got no response.

Rick asked, “Ken?” and got no answer.

He said more sharply, “Ken!”

Ken slowly turned to face him with a blank look on his face.

“Are those your orders?”

Ken’s nod of affirmation was barely noticeable. A concerned look passed between Rick and Loy, but they left to perform their task.

Ken took a deep breath and said, “Pat, Dar, Bill, and Kev… get rid of the other vehicles. Everybody meet at the back entrance to Little Mulberry Park in the second picnic area on the long hiking trail in three hours.”

 

<><>

 

While the guys left to perform their tasks, Brad and Lane stayed with Ken and Bryan. The two big men were silent, neither one trusting themselves to speak, and Brad and Lane were having a difficult time seeing the counterparts of their partners so emotionally distressed. Ken was shaking badly and kept avoiding Brad’s gaze.

After a long uncomfortable silence, Brad finally said, “Ken… I know how hard this is for you.”

Ken shot back, “You have no fuckin’ idea!”

Actually, I do, and it’s killing me seeing you like this.

Ken’s eyes went wide when he realized Brad’s voice was in his Mind.

What the fuck!?

I promise Ken; we’ll explain everything. There’s nothing I want more than for you to have what I have at home with my Ken. I’m here to make sure that happens. I know this is painful, but I have some questions for you. It would be easier if I could read your Mind, but I won’t do that without your permission. You’ll feel me there, and I don’t want to cause you any more discomfort.

Is this how you took care of those ‘suits’ so easily?

It is.

How the fuck can you be in my head? How can you do this?

Those guys gave us some trouble the first few times we met them, but now they’re a piece of cake for the most part. I don’t know how events went so horribly wrong here, but Lane and I are here to fix things. You’ll be amazed at what you all will be able to do if we manage to set things back on course.

Fuck me. I want ‘ta grab hold of you so bad I can hardly stand it. I’ve missed you… him… so much... I feel like a part of me is missin’.

That’s part of the problem Ken… I’m guessing the doctor disappeared before he told you anything about what he really did to you when you joined the Program. I don’t know exactly how different things are here... That’s another reason I want to merge with you so I can find out. I imagine Lane and Bryan are having this same conversation in their heads too.

Brad glanced into the next room and saw Bryan holding Lane’s hand tightly in his own, and he was crying. Lane cried too but managed a small grin and a wink letting Brad know he was alright.

Fuck, I don’t know what to make of this.

Please trust me, Ken.

Ken’s hand trembled when Brad reached out and took it. His own body reacted, and a cold tightness gripped his chest, an ache for what the Ken in front of him was going through. Brad’s Avatar glowed underneath his Kevlar as his Compassion for Ken and the others shone through. His Empathy for them was almost overwhelming, and he had to tone it down before it got out of control.

B… fuck… Brad… I don’t know how you can be here. I’m not sure this isn’t some final trick of whoever those guys are that are after us.

It’s not a trick Ken. If you let me merge with you, I’ll prove it. I promise not to go deeper than you can handle. We’ll only share memories… we won’t blend completely. I don’t think I could take that either.

A warmth washed over Brad’s Soul, and looking back he saw Lane’s eyes were White, already looking into Bryan’s memories.

Ken’s eyes widened again.

What the hell is that?

That’s what you should be feeling with your Brad all the time. That’s part of what I want you to have once we get your Brad back. Not just you and him, but all the guys.

Okay, do it.

Brad’s presence washed over Ken, a balm to his Soul, and the same warmth coming from Bryan and Lane became a part of him, but vastly stronger. The sudden immersion broke the dam holding back his emotions, and he collapsed on the floor, wracked with sobs. Brad’s impossibly strong arms wrapped around him, holding him tight from behind and comforting him in all the ways he missed. Memories fired off, and Brad’s hands and body against his were the final straw against his meager defenses.

Brad held him, his arms encircled tightly around Ken’s muscular body, using his hands to gently brush the hair off Ken’s forehead. Brad kissed the top of his head as he rocked him, giving Ken time to get ahold of himself.

Brad’s presence overwhelmed Ken. He missed everything about Brad; his eyes, his smile, his touch, his friendship. The embodiment of his lover wasn’t just back in front of him, everything about Brad was now in his Mind, and he was drowning in the aspects of everything he loved about his partner.

While Brad held him, he read Ken’s memories back to the beginning of the Program. There were a lot of minor inconsistencies and only a few extreme divergent paths. The closer events were, the easier it would be to help set things right.

For the first time since Brad died, Ken let himself relax, leaning his head back and resting it on Brad’s shoulder, content to live the brief fantasy he was with his lover again. He let himself be held and comforted, even knowing in the back of his mind it wasn’t his Brad. He grabbed the hands holding him, clinging with desperate strength, and if Brad wasn’t physically charged up Ken would have broken his hands.

Even after Brad got what he needed, he continued holding Ken. Brad didn’t make his own memories available; he and Lane needed to be careful with how much information they shared. In their reality, it took them years to come into their abilities, and the last two years things became highly accelerated. He hoped their maturation process was still ongoing even without the doctor’s influence.

Brad and Lane were in agreement they should hold off on trying to Awaken them until they figured out how to bring their Lane and Brad back and the group was whole again. Their Avatars were too tightly bound together, and the partners dependent on one another, to risk any imbalance.

The last thing Brad did was set a Compulsion in Ken’s Mind to sleep until Brad woke him up. He sent a quick thought to Lane to do the same with Bryan. The two men were exhausted and needed the rest. Even though it was only a few hours, their bodies would soak it up.

 

<><><>

 

A couple of hours later they regrouped at Little Mulberry Park. The park closed at sunset but wasn’t patrolled. Ken and Bryan looked more rested and alert, and it didn’t go unnoticed by the others.

They sat, gathered around one of the large covered gazebos with a big picnic table. The picnic tables would break under their heavier weight, so Ken, Bryan, Kevin, Rick, and Pat sat on the ground.

Starting the conversation, Ken asked, “First off, does anyone have anythin’ unusual ‘ta report? Any troubles? No sign ’a bein’ followed?”

They all shook their heads in the negative.

“Alright, guys, it’s time for some answers. I believe these two are who they say they are. I know that’s hard ‘ta swallow, but I trust ‘em. Somethin’ happened after you left that made me believe.”

He turned to Brad and Lane and asked, “Will you do that again with all of us together? They need ‘ta feel it just as much as I did.”

Brad nodded and sent his thoughts into their Minds.

Don’t panic guys — this will to be natural for you soon enough if we’re successful here.

Brad and Lane felt their initial surprise as they realized his voice and presence were in their Minds. Lane was with them as well, and their eyes widened in surprise and became bright at the sudden feeling of the two friends they had missed so much and never expected to see again. There was massive confusion mixed in with all the other emotions running through them.

Lane: Yeah, it’s pretty fucking awesome right? It only gets better from here fellas. Hold onto your hats, and don’t run screaming like little girls.

His comment brought smiles to their faces, and even a few tears. Their Lane used to say that all the time on missions. The mischievous grin on his face reinforced the memories of their lost Brother. To not only see Lane in front of them but to feel his presence was a feeling they weren’t prepared for.

Brad: The first thing we’re going to do is Link with you all. This will be just on the surface… once you’re Awake, you’ll completely merge with your partners and each other, and it will be like nothing you’ve ever imagined. It will enrich your lives like you can’t believe. It will also be the source of a lot of your strength. You’ll need it in the fight you’re in, to protect and support one another.

Nodding to Lane, he and Brad clasped hands, and their eyes turned White as they delved into one another. The sudden immersion took their breath away, and in their Minds they swam in a warm, golden sea of Light, their Love for each other so strong it was almost painful. Their capacity to Love as Unfallen Men, coupled with the purity of their Souls and their Nephilim Heritage was a potent combination.

Once together they rested for a few seconds, refreshing one another, and then gently brought their lost Brothers into the Link. It was a shock on many levels as the Mental aspect of their nature was new to them at that point, but even more so, feeling the presence of their two Brothers in such a meaningful and profound way brought tears to their eyes.

Brad and Lane read their memories and found out what they needed to know. They didn’t reciprocate, other than letting the men feel the truth of who they were and the support they were there to give.

It was also a shock to Lane and Brad. The realization of how far they had come since their own Awakening was more apparent than ever. The Minds of their lost Brothers were barely starting to Open, and they were still in the state all humans reside in where the lies, deceptions, and petty jealousies abound, still Broken with their Minds closed. If anything, it made Brad love them all the more to see them that way. They were good men, much better than most, but still human at that point with everything that entailed.

Brad: Guys, I’m sorry this is going to seem so rushed. Our Awakening was rough and not planned by the doctor in the way it happened. Ken and I almost died. At least we can spare you that part, but once we figure this out we have to get you up and running as quickly as possible. I have an idea on that, but it will have to wait until we have your Brad and Lane back as well as the doctor and Albrecht.

He felt their question at the mention of Albrecht’s name. They had never heard of him and had no idea of who he was.

Lane: We’ll explain later, but he’s a friend. He’s the doc’s partner, and he’s extremely powerful and will be helpful in training you.

The information was coming quickly, and Brad and Lane were well aware of the mixed emotions at the mention of the doctor and their confusion about them coming from an Alternate reality.

Brad: The doc could explain this much better than I can, but the theory is that there are an infinite number of alternate realities and every choice or decision spins off another one. There are ripples and the further away you get from the point of origin the more different things get. We don’t know why but your reality is at the opposite end of a decision tree from ours, and it’s somehow gotten off track. If we have any chance of winning our fight against The Master, we have to fix things here.

Lane: It’s confusing as shit guys, so don’t worry about the details now. You’ll know everything you need to know before we leave.

Brad: We need to find someplace safe to hole up for a while.

Ken: We have ‘ta keep movin’. If we stay any place for more than a few days, they always manage ‘ta find us.

Brad: Yeah, they’re Scrying you. Lane and I are already blocking that. I’ve felt their attempts a few times tonight. We need to get the doctor back, and I’m not sure what shape he’s going to be in. Ken, I read in your memory earlier tonight where that Agent said the doctor was alive. He might have been lying out of cruelty, but if he wasn’t and the doctor is their prisoner, there’s no telling what condition he’ll be in.

Ken: Do you have any suggestions on a place to hole up?

Lane: I say we hide in plain sight… the Lab is the last place they’ll look for us. If the building is still intact, it’ll have everything we need in the short term. We can resupply once we’re there and safe.

 

<><><>

 

A few hours later, crouched and hidden, they were in the bushes at the edge of the Lab parking lot. The business housed in the front side of the facility was closed, and the building looked abandoned.

An oppressive force pushed against their Shields as soon as they arrived in the parking lot.

Lane: Runes?

Brad: That’s my guess… and lots of them. Man, it would be nice to have enough juice between us to power up one or two of the Major Runes from the Book here.

Lane: I doubt they’ll be ready for that kind of Power for a while, even after their first Awakening.

Brad: In the meantime, let’s burn these mothers up and get inside.

Brad looked at Ken and gave him the signal to stay put and out of sight. Brad and Lane moved forward and stopped at the door. They clasped their hands together, and Ken felt the same feeling of warmth flow over him. He let out a quiet, “Fuck me!” when markings covering the building began to appear as they burned up. Bryan, Kevin, Rick, and Patrick, with their enhanced sight, were able to see it clearly in the dim moonlight.

The door panel still had power, and Lane’s security code seemed to work, but the door wouldn’t open.

Fuck! They put a Binding on the door. If we break it, they’ll know.

Okay, then we go in the hard way. It’s going to suck with just you and me, but we can power up and take our time. Let’s get Darren, Loy, and Bill in first so they can recon the facility.

Through the part of their Avatar’s that came from Loy, they reached out for any small animals living in the building. As expected, there were rats in the kitchen area, and looking through the eyes of the small creatures confirmed the Lab was abandoned and had been for years.

Ken and the others briefly panicked when Lane and Brad vanished.

Less than a second later, Brad’s voice entered Ken’s Mind.

It’s alright Ken, we’re inside. There’s a Binding on the door, and if we break it The Enemy will know, so we’re going to bring you all in through a different way.

Brad and Lane looked around the building they called home. It was completely trashed, and bloodstains still covered the floor where the other Brad and Lane died. A thick coat of dust and cobwebs covered everything. A cardboard container from Long John Silver’s sat on the doctor’s desk where he had been eating when everything went down. A profound sense of violation hit them over what had been done to the place they always thought of as a refuge and impregnable.

Lane: Alright fellas we’re going to bring you through one at a time; Loy, Bill, and Darren first. Ken, with you and the rest we’ll have to go a little slower. Your fat asses wear us out with your extra weight.

Before any of them could even phrase a question, Loy vanished.

It’s okay guys; we have him.

Bill and Darren disappeared one right after the other.

Bryan said, “Fuck me, Ken. What the hell? Will we be doing shit like this?”

“I don’t know Bry. They’re bein’ tight-lipped as far as that goes. After talkin’ with B… I mean Brad, I understand their need ‘ta be careful. There are differences here versus where they come from so they don’t wanna say too much and mislead us, but I trust ‘em. I don’t know what woulda happened ‘ta us if they hadn’t shown up. I think we’d be dead.”

Ken, you’re next, and then we’ll have to wait a minute or two between the rest of you, to catch our breath.

No, do me last. I need ‘ta be sure everyone else is safe first.

Lane’s eyes turned White, and he looked upwards, sending his Soul out into Creation. Listening, the Music filled him, and he wove a net of Power for himself and Brad so it wouldn’t dissipate too quickly and they wouldn’t be as exhausted by each teleport. Both of them called on nearby Animal Spirits for additional strength. The same thought occurred to each of them; they wished their own Ken and Bryan were there to help draw Power from the Tree.

Darren, Loy, and Bill were startled by the bright flash in the darkness, and to them, Lane and Brad shone so brightly they had to shield their eyes. Ghostly images of animals swam through the air around them, and much to his delight many of the Spirits moved through and around Loy. A few tried to nuzzle against him, causing a slight warmth on his skin where they touched or passed through his body, but without his Awakened Avatar he didn’t feel them physically.

Brad and Lane looked at one another with relief.

Brad: Well, that’s a good sign.

Lane grinned at the startled expressions on their faces.

It’s all good fellas, and we’ll explain what you saw in a minute. It’s great you saw that; it means you’re further along than we thought. And Loy, buddy, you haven’t seen anything yet.

Lane and Brad merged and teleported Bryan to them. It took a few minutes, and by the time everyone was in Brad and Lane were exhausted and sweaty. Now everyone was safe, Lane and Brad stripped off their outer Kevlar jackets to cool off. Their tattoos showed clearly on the ball of their muscled shoulders and didn’t go unnoticed.

They rested and then set their own Runes, covering the facility to ward against The Enemy as much as they could. After such an expenditure of Power, they needed to rest and decided it was a good time to explain more to their lost Brothers.

 

<><>

 

Ken called everyone into the Conference Room. The power in the building was still on, and the room brightly lit. The entire facility had been ransacked by The Enemy, but Brad said they would resupply in the morning. The room was dusty and unkempt, the chairs turned over, and a few even broken. In the short time they had been there Loy, and Bill cleaned up the room as best they could and set the chairs upright.

As they settled in, Brad looked at them, their faces so familiar yet different. They were still younger, and their eyes and faces expressed how exhausted they were. Their Souls were weary, and it showed in their energy flows. The constant stress of running prevented them from eating healthy, and they were thinner than he was used to seeing them. He and Lane would rectify that soon.

Through his Avatar, with everything Brad saw, an overwhelming sense of pride burned deep within him for his lost Brothers. They survived against all odds, pitted against a supernatural Enemy they were not equipped to deal with. He was surprised more of them weren’t killed. Even though he didn’t know them, he loved them; he couldn’t help it.

Ken stood at the podium looking every inch their leader. He nodded to Brad and Lane and said, “Okay, first off… thank you. If you two hadn’t shown up when you did, we’d be toast. It’s still hard ‘ta believe everythin’, but we’ve known for a while there was more goin’ on than we knew. We just didn’t know what, and you bein’ here is proof of that. I understand your reluctance ‘ta tell us everythin’ but tell us what you can. We aren’t here to be led like sheep. This is our fight, and it looks like you’re here ‘ta get us back in the game.”

Brad said, “The doctor…” he looked at Lane and nodded, “our doctor, put together something for you. It’s a crash course on the Multiverse and how things work. You didn’t have a chance to realize just how great a man he is. He’s been fighting The Enemy longer than you can imagine. The information he prepared isn’t about you or the changes we’re trying to help with, its general information that will help explain more pieces of the puzzle for you.”

Brad held out his palm, and his brow creased slightly as he concentrated. A small ball of light appeared, hovering over his palm. His eyes turned White, and the ball separated into eight spheres.

Don’t be afraid. These are memories and information to help explain a few things. It’s not like merging, so you will only feel a slight warmth as it goes into you. It’s a trick the doc and Albrecht taught us, and it saves a lot of time.

Their faces looked anxious when the balls floated over and hovered in front of their foreheads. A few of them nearly went cross-eyed as they tracked the spheres right up to the point where it entered their foreheads. It only took a second, and their expressions change. Nearly all of them let out a ‘fuck me’ or an ‘oh shit.’

The look in their eyes changed immediately; for the first time since they lost their friends and were hunted, they had reliable Intel and allies they trusted.

Ken took a deep breath, gripping the lectern so tight the muscles in his arms danced, and his eyes contained an optimism not present a minute ago.

“Okay ladies. Let that soak in for a minute, and then we’ll have a Q&A with B2 here.”

Brad grinned at the nickname, knowing his own Ken would get a kick out of it.

Ken looked at his Brothers, searching their faces, but didn’t see any questions. He took another deep breath and said, “Alright, what’s the next part of your plan?”

“Getting the doctor back.”

Ken raised his eyebrows, “But we don’t even know where they’re keepin’ him. If we did, we’d have run a SpecOps mission a long time ago.”

“I know. Lane and I have an idea on how to find him, but we’re going to wait until later tomorrow to try our plan. There’s something we need to talk to you about first, and we’re going to get this place re-supplied so we can hole up here comfortably.”

Ken moved to the side of the lectern and motioned for Brad to take his spot.

Brad blushed and Lane smirked, knowing the topic Brad was about to cover.

Brad saw their expectant looks so he jumped right in, “Normally, this is something the doc would discuss with you. My Ken and I discovered this on our own, and it got the ball rolling for us.”

He paused for a brief second to collect his thoughts, and with a red face, he continued.

“So, I know you’re aware of the energy boost that you three get,” he nodded to Loy, Bill, and Darren, “when you make out your partners. We discovered a technique that Rick, Kevin, and Pat can use that will make that effect much stronger and last much longer. Lane and I want to have a private conversation with you two about it,” he indicated Bryan and Ken.

“Basically, it’s a pairing of your nervous systems, so you share the physical experiences and sensations with one another. It’s not like the Linking we’ve already done; it’s on a purely physical level. It’s pretty over the top once you get the hang of it. And I mean hold onto your hats; the sex between is going to take on a whole new intensity.”

Lane spoke up, “You noticed when Brad and I showed up, we kicked the asses of those Protectors. Once you get this trick down, they’ll be much easier to deal with. Hopefully, when the doc is back the ‘suits’ won’t be a big deal either, but in the meantime, once you get the hang of this new trick your Mental abilities are going to start waking up.”

Brad continued, “I know everybody’s beat. Let’s all turn in and get a good night’s rest. We warded the building, so there’s no need to keep watch tonight. I know you all have more questions, but I think we’ve covered enough for now.”

Ken spoke up, “Alright, ladies, get some shut-eye. Dismissed.”

Bryan and Ken stayed at the conference table while the couples went to the various rooms they picked to sleep in. Knowing the guys, Brad and Lane expected to feel a strengthening of their Aura’s anytime. They both had knowing grins on their faces, remembering when they first learned that trick and how much their libidos went into overdrive once they mastered the technique.

Brad looked at Ken and Bryan and took a deep breath. His tattoo glowed softly when he started to speak, and his eyes filled with Compassion for both of them.

“Look, guys. I really do know how hard it’s been for you, and with Lane and me showing up, it’s even harder. We had this talk with our Ken and Bryan back home, and the doctor. The doc assured us that genetically you two are compatible with our versions, but as couples, we decided sleeping with you wasn’t an option. I hope you’re alright with that, but that being said there’s something we’d like to ask you, and I hope you’ll be alright with it.”

Ken and Bryan actually looked relieved. Bryan replied before Ken, “Look fuckers, we’re glad you’re here, but as soon as I looked into your eyes, I knew you weren’t my Lane. If you can get my Little Buddy back for me, I’ll owe you… fuck there isn’t a word for what I’ll owe you. But if you can, I’d be cheating on him if I made out with you. I think Ken feels the same way.”

“Yeah, I do Bry, thanks. So, what’s this favor you mentioned?”

Lane spoke up, “Well, we agreed we wouldn’t make out with you, but we still need the strength boost while we’re here. It’s safer for you guys and us. So, we need you to jack off for us and put it in a cup. Brad and Ken had to do that back in our reality at one point, so we know it works. The doc showed me how to make the serum Brad used, so I can make a bunch of shots at one time and keep them in the fridge.”

Bryan grinned for the first time since they arrived and said, “If jerking a few loads is what it takes to get my Lane back, I can deal with that. You need me to do it now or in the morning?”

Brad and Lane chuckled and said, “In the morning would be great. We’ll need the boost to resupply this place. It’s going to take quite a few hops for us to get all the food and gear we’ll need.”

 

<><><>

 

Sure enough, Brad and Lane felt strong Aura’s coming from the rooms the couples slept in. Ken and Bryan couldn’t feel it yet, and Brad and Lane regretted their isolation, and it increased their own feelings of being away from their partners.

The next morning Brad and Lane injected themselves with the serum Lane made. They were dubious at first since the guys in that reality weren’t Awake yet, but the doctor was confident the changes in themselves were what mattered. He was right as usual.

Once everyone was up, it was evident from the grins on their faces that the three couples made love nearly all night. Lane played the chorus from Addicted to Love by Robert Palmer in the kitchen, and everybody got a laugh out of it. The guys were all surprised to see bags of various biscuits, hash browns, and gallons of sweet iced tea on the kitchen counter. Lane and Brad had teleported out early in the morning to get the food.

Lane and Brad left with strict instructions for one room, in particular, to remain unobstructed and unoccupied at all times. Their lives depended on no one or nothing being in that space so they could teleport safely there.

Mid-morning Ken and the others heard Brad’s voice in their Minds.

Okay, guys, we’re going to start sending things through. Everybody get to the back corner room so you can clear stuff out as soon as it arrives.

Over the next half hour, box after box of supplies appeared. They had no idea where or how Brad and Lane acquired the weapons and gear and didn’t ask any questions. Huge grins covered their faces at the Kevlar suits and weaponry, and Bryan’s eyes lit up at all the groceries.

Lane assured Bryan that food was not going to be a problem and to cook to his heart’s content. They all needed to be in top shape for what was to come, and even though the Mentalists didn’t have their metabolisms accelerated yet, the Bodies required lots of food.

When Bryan smiled at all the groceries, Lane ruffled his hair, not thinking anything about it. He realized his mistake when Bryan’s breath caught, and he choked.

“Fuck, Bryan, I’m sorry.”

Bryan looked dazed, and when their eyes finally met, they were both crying. Lane couldn’t stand seeing the other version of his lover in such pain, and he pulled Bryan against him in a tight hug.

Whispering in Bryan’s ear, he said, “It’s okay, man. I’m sorry. I wasn’t thinking. I swear he’ll be back soon, one way or another.”

Bryan only nodded, unable to talk. Lane rubbed his back for a minute until Bryan got himself under control.

Lane knew Bryan was okay when he sniffed and said, “Thanks, fucker.”

They grinned at one another, and Lane left to find Brad.

Brad and Lane were exhausted by the time they finished and gave themselves another shot to replenish their strength. Ken expressed his concern at how hard they pushed themselves.

“Guys you need to catch some shut-eye. Grab a few hours’ sleep at least before you do anythin’ else. You need ‘ta be sharp for the doc in case your plan works.”

They couldn’t argue and knew Ken was right, so they napped until early evening. Nothing was said when Brad and Lane went into the same room and shut the door.

Working so closely with the alternate versions of their partners took an emotional toll on them, and they sought comfort in one another. They stripped down and crawled into bed, with Brad spooning Lane. It wasn’t sexual, but they needed the shared intimacy. Their Souls became One, and they fell asleep in one another.

When they woke up, Lane hung shit on Brad for poking him in the back with his piss hard-on and said next time he would spoon Brad as payback.

 

<><><>

 

Albrecht was in a foul mood. The leash the last remaining leaders of The Order kept on him chaffed at him, Charisa in particular. He wanted to be out hunting The Enemy, but they kept him close and would not allow him revenge against those who took Aaron.

To make matters worse, Taliesin was getting on his nerves more than ever. Since Charisa Summoned him, he had been petulant and rebellious, and Albrecht was under strict orders to keep an eye on him. The Gift he carried could not fall into the hands of The Enemy. He Dreamed much of late, which always put him in a foul mood.

Albrecht was curious over Taliesin’s inability to interpret his recent Dreams, and for once he could tell the brat was telling the truth. Taliesin felt frustrated; he prided himself on his cleverness and intelligence and the fact he wasn’t able to figure out a puzzle ate at him.

Albrecht’s Mental Defenses activated when a light and unfamiliar Mind touched his. It wasn’t an attack, but he heard a voice.

Albrecht? Please, I have to talk to you. I’m a friend and of The Order, but not from here. I don’t trust your leaders with the knowledge of my presence. I know you can hear me. My intent is to free the doctor, and I need your help.

Albrecht didn’t respond.

Albrecht, please. This isn’t a trick. The doctor is crucial to saving The Order. He needs to finish his work on the Project. I’m here to help him and restore the Balance.

Albrecht was tense and alert in case it was a trap, yet he sensed no Evil in the Mind that spoke to him; rather, he felt comforting warmth and strength.

Keeping his defenses tight and strong Albrecht responded.

Open yourself to me.

Brad was ecstatic Albrecht was alive and responded. Albrecht was the one person besides the doctor Brad trusted without question, and their plan depended on his help.

I’ll be glad to, but I have to warn you. What you will see cannot be shared with anyone else except the doctor. It’s imperative, and you have to promise me first. Once you read my Mind, you’ll see why it’s so important.

Albrecht’s curiosity was running wild as to who the person was and what knowledge they could have that was so vital. If Aaron’s freedom was their goal, he had no choice, yet he was aware The Enemy knew of his vulnerability where Aaron was concerned, so he was wary.

You have my word, stranger.

Brad knew he was taking a huge chance. Albrecht was a powerful and dangerous man, and by making himself vulnerable, Albrecht could kill him. His Intuition told him a show of trust was the right move.

Lane looked on anxiously, and Brad gave him a thumbs up when Albrecht responded. They decided not to contact him while merged to keep exposure minimal.

“Lane I’m going to open myself to him to get his trust. If he’s not the man we know back home you’re going to have to intervene and help take him out if he tries anything. I’ve got defensive triggers set to give you time to react. Are you ready?”

“He can’t be that different, but I’m ready. I’ve got your back bud, never fear.”

Brad sent his thought to Albrecht: I’m ready.

Albrecht entered Brad’s Mind cautiously, expecting a trap, but he quickly realized Brad meant him no harm and was truthful in his offer of help. After living thousands of years with Aaron as his partner, Albrecht knew the truth behind existence and the Multiverse. Once he Read everything Brad shared, Albrecht understood the importance of his presence along with Lane and what it meant not only to the world but to his Reality.

Brad rarely heard Albrecht swear, and he laughed at the mental ‘Fuck me!’ that slipped out.

So, you’ll help? Can you help? I see you’re under strict supervision.

I’ve always questioned the Wisdom of the current Elders. To rescue Aaron and restore Balance to my world, I will go against their wishes. Their timidity and caution vex me, and I was already near the end of my patience before you arrived.

Do you know where the doctor is? We need to free him as soon as we can.

I’m confident I know where he’s held, but the location is nearly impregnable. With your Avatars and abilities you have a good chance of rescuing him, though I’m fearful of his condition once you find him. The Enemy is not kind to those of The Order. Aaron has most likely been tortured extensively and only kept alive for that torture to continue. I’m even more fearful of his state his Mind.

Lane is our primary Healer Albrecht. If we get the doc out, I believe we can help him fully recover. At least I hope so, or our being here is a moot point.

I will join you within a day.

Thank you, Albrecht. With your help, our chances just went up considerably.

Brad gave Lane another thumbs up and merged with him to share the conversation.

Lane: I hope to God the doc is alright. There’s no telling what those bastards have done to him.

Me too, Lane. We might still have our work cut out for us getting him back in shape once we have him. First things first, though. Let’s focus on getting him back and then worry about everything else.

 

<><><>

 

With the Lab sealed by the Binding, they met Albrecht outside in the parking lot.

Brad and Lane were shocked when Albrecht showed up and wasn’t alone. Lane’s face was like a thundercloud when he saw Taliesin, and his eyes flashed White as thunder rumbled across the sky in response to his emotions.

“What the fuck is he doing here?!”

Albrecht looked confused and apologized, “I’m sorry for bringing him unannounced, but I’m responsible for his safety. As you seem to know something of him by your reaction, you understand why I couldn’t leave him alone to work any mischief in my absence.”

As soon as Taliesin saw Lane, he went white as a sheet. The pieces of the puzzle he was unable to solve slipped into place.

“You carry The Gift! How is that possible?”

“Yes, I do you bastard! You almost killed my partner and me trying to get me to take it. In fact, I did die! I know you aren’t him, but I know what you’re capable of! I’m warning you now, if you so much as twitch an eyebrow out of place or think about screwing things up for us here, I will come down on you so hard and fast you won’t know what hit you. And if you pull that whiny “I’m an Immortal shit” on me, I’m here to tell you there are worse things than dying!”

Taliesin looked stunned for a moment, and then the smirk returned to his face.

“I’m not kidding, you impetuous little bastard.”

Reaching out to the Heaven’s, Lane heard the collision of a giant asteroid in another galaxy. He took the deep bass sound, one he knew Bryan would love, and filled himself and Brad with its Power.

Taliesin’s face blanched when his feet left the ground, and he couldn’t speak.

“I’m telling you one more time. Don’t even think about fucking things up or you will have me to deal with. I’ve already dealt with you once so I can do it again, and I’m all about sloppy seconds.”

As soon as Taliesin’s feet left the ground, Albrecht moved forward, but Brad held up his hand and spoke to him privately.

It’s okay Albrecht. Lane won’t hurt him. We’ve dealt with him in our reality, and it wasn’t pretty. We have to get his attention, and this is the best way to set the ground rules.

I can tell you have met him before. He has a way of getting under anyone’s skin. Frighten him into submission all you wish as long as you do him no harm. I rather enjoy seeing the smirk wiped off his face.

Brad interjected, “Now that’s settled, let’s go inside. Lane let him go.”

Taliesin landed hard, retching and clutching his throat.

With the extra Power Lane called, he and Brad teleported the four of them into the Lab with minimal effort.

 

<><>

 

Introductions were made, and Albrecht was warm and charming to all the men, fully aware of the hardships they suffered. He had petitioned Charisa multiple times to help them, but she denied him every time.

The guys were curious about Albrecht and how he knew of them. As close as they were to the doctor, he had never mentioned Albrecht’s name. Albrecht explained the sentence of their separation, but he always kept an eye on them from afar, especially as it allowed him to keep tabs on Aaron.

At one point, Ken mumbled under his breath, “These Elders seem like real assholes.”

Taliesin replied, “You have no idea.”

Brad took the opportunity to explain more about the conflict they were involved in; The Order and The Enemy, The Light and the Dark. He recounted everything just as the doctor did to him and his Brothers, telling them they would have a chance to refuse moving forward, emphasizing the importance of Free Will where the Battle was concerned.

Their reaction was the same as Brad remembered when the doctor called them together a few years ago and had the same conversation; amazement at learning they were a part of something so big, significant, and secret. He wished the doctor were present to explain everything this time too, as Brad didn’t feel adequate doing justice to the enormity of the responsibility he put on their shoulders.

If possible, they were even more willing to accept the roles Brad described than he and his own Brothers. They were tired of being hunted and not knowing why, and now that they had a grip on what was going on, they wanted to push back and push back hard. They had the same feeling of being part of the conflict and as strange as it all sounded, once they settled down and thought it over, it felt right.

Ken and Bryan were chomping at the bit to move on to a strategy for rescuing the doctor. Having him back was the first step in getting their best friends and lovers back in their lives.

Brad and Lane decided to make the rescue attempt by themselves. Albrecht’s knowledge of the doctor's prison was the main piece of information they needed, and he would remain with the Team and begin their training while keeping an eye on Taliesin. If Brad and Lane failed and were killed or captured, Albrecht could try again. He would be their last hope at that point.

 

<><><>

 

Lane and Brad drove two days across country to Oklahoma. Albrecht was sure the doctor was held near the little town of Ketchum, an hour northeast of Tulsa.

Their destination was a small mansion on the shores of Grande Lake, a few miles outside of town, and was one of the most densely guarded strongholds of The Enemy in the United States. They considered teleporting but with no way to mask their Auras they didn’t want to take even the slightest chance of being detected.

It was Lane’s turn to drive, and as they ate up the miles on cruise control, Brad looked over at his buddy.

How are you holding up Lane? You doing alright?

Yeah, I’m okay. I miss Bryan something fierce, but I’m dealing with it. How about you?

Fuck, I miss Ken. I miss him so badly I can hardly stand it. It’s hard being around Ken here. I find myself wanting to reach out and touch him all the time, and merge with him. I miss that more than anything.

Yeah, I know what you mean. It’s the same here. Being with Bry is… well, you know.

As much as I want too, I know it would be a disaster. They aren’t Awake, and it would be like merging with our guys a few years ago. They aren’t the same guys we know. Oddly enough, that doesn’t make it any easier.

I know… the intimacy isn’t there and the unconditional acceptance. They still have barriers up. The temptation is so strong sometimes, but I think about that, and it helps me hold off for the real thing back home.

Brad brought them deeper together for a few minutes, sharing in the support they gave one another. They missed the warmth and comfort of not just their partners but the entire Team. Their guys. Their hugs and friendship. Their Souls.

As hard as it was for them, they realized how much harder things had been for their lost Brothers, but it was still difficult not to feel isolated and alone even with everyone; no one in the reality they were in was theirs. Lane and Brad wanted to complete their mission and get back home.

 

<><>

 

They stayed at Shangri-La, a luxurious resort on the lake. Assuming the appearance of two young college kids, they created a cover story of taking a semester off and staying at the Lake on their parent’s credit cards.

As soon as they arrived, they felt pressure against their Shields but kept their heads low and used as little Power as possible.

Lane: Fuck, it would be easier if Ken or Bry were here to mask our Aura’s.

Brad: You got that right. Just stay sharp, and we’ll do as much as we can to avoid detection.

Before leaving their room, Brad held his hands against his chest, forming a diamond pattern with his thumbs and forefingers. A small ball of light appeared and hovered for a brief second before shooting through the wall.

They had pre-arranged with Albrecht to make his presence known to The Enemy in Atlanta on the night of the rescue. If there was a leak among the remaining members of The Order, word might have gotten out of his and Taliesin’s absence. If he were seen in Atlanta, there would be less reason for suspicion in Oklahoma of a rescue attempt.

It was 0300 before they began their approach to the house. Parking their rental car off the road in some trees they changed into their Kevlar. The HUDS worked between their suits so they could monitor each another, but much of the display was blank without a connection back to the Lab. Even if the Lab in the present reality were fully functional, it still wouldn’t have the upgraded software their doc developed; another of the many small differences they faced every day.

Hidden in the shadows at the perimeter of the property they assessed the security of the compound. The place was well fortified with security cameras covering every square inch of the grounds. Fortunately, the grounds security included dogs, and there was a cat inside the house.

Lane: Nice stroke of luck with the animals.

The Enemy was unaware of their presence, and even if they were, they wouldn’t know about their Avatar’s.

The cold Evil of The Enemy emanated throughout the premises. The mansion and surrounding buildings were covered in Runes, and echoes of Dark rituals hung over the area like a shroud. The place reeked of Darkness and was oppressive to them merely by being present. They expected as much and steeled themselves for what they were about to attempt.

Their eyes turned White, and under the Kevlar, their Avatars began to glow. Brad put his awareness into one of the guard dogs on the grounds but bounced back immediately in shock. Something was already in that dog! He wasn’t sure what it was, but it was Evil and not of the Physical Realm. It was intelligent and howled its anger in the Spiritual Realm as it ran at full speed towards the fence they hid behind.

Lane sensed Brad’s surprise and plunged them so deeply together Time nearly stood still.

Brad: Fuck! There’s something in those dogs!

Lane: Well, we need to figure out a Plan B pronto. Once we go back up, we only have a few seconds before that thing is on us.

Brad: Okay, that was a surprise. There’s no way whatever it is can be stronger than one of us, so I’m going to lock it down as soon as it gets on top of us. You Read it, and once we know what it is, we can deal with it. Ready?

Lane: Ready!

Lane took them back up, and even then, Time seemed to crawl from the adrenaline in their systems.

The dog looked like a Rottweiler, but its eyes were black from the malevolent entity possessing it. Slowing his perception of time, Brad waited until the dog was only a few feet from the fence before grabbing its Mind and Body with all his formidable strength. Physically the dog was nearly too strong for him to hold telekinetically, but its Mind was his. Its muscled body trembled with the effort to move forward and kill him.

Lane quickly put his hand out and touched the animal, Reading it, and everything about it became known to him. The entity inhabiting the dog was a Lesser Spirit from across the Veil, and evil to its core. The Enemy nourished it with putrid ritualized meats to sustain its presence in the Physical Realm.

Brad Read the knowledge through Lane. Binding the Spirit, he took it across the Veil, leaving his body for the barest fraction of a second. Once he Crossed, there was no need to mask himself and White ropes of Power with razor-sharp spikes shredded the Spirit. The Spirits scream faded to nothing as he ended its Black existence. It felt good to cut loose, even if it was only for a brief moment.

Brad grinned inside, remembering his initial thought when he realized he could Cross the Veil, asking the doctor what good the ability would be. He laughed at his comment now; the doctor was always so patient with him and the other guys, never ridiculing them or making them feel stupid when they asked questions like that. The memory fortified his resolve to rescue the doctor.

Brad decided not to destroy any more of the Spirits, deeming it too risky. The likelihood of The Enemy noticing the absence of one of the creatures was far less than if all of them went missing.

With the dog free of the Spirit, Brad looked through its eyes, and it went wherever he commanded it to go, reconnoitering the grounds using its eyes and ears. The unbounded happiness of the dog at his presence was a breath of fresh air in the dark place they were in.

While Brad was in the Mind of the dog, Lane was in the Mind of Tristan, a large white Persian male cat in the den of the house. Between the two animals, Brad and Lane were able to ascertain the entire security layout, and the location and visible angles of all the cameras inside and outside the house.

Further into his exploration of the house, Lane cringed when he felt The Master’s Dark Aura.

Fuck Brad, The Master’s here.

Damn! That’s all we need. Okay. We got this. We just need to be even more careful.

Lane diverted Tristan away from the area of the house The Master resided in. Movement down the hallway turned out to be two Protectors coming into Tristan’s view. Entirely under Lane’s control, Tristan followed them discretely on their rounds as they patrolled the house. They made a quick check of the upstairs and the main floor and then went to a Rune covered door with a secure lock on it.

As Tristan approached the door, Lane thought his head was going to split open. When the door opened, the cat darted through and ran down the stairs before the pain became intolerable. Once Tristan was far enough away, the pain receded, but Lane still saw spots.

One of the Protectors spat out, “Fucking cat! Get outta there you little shit! You know you aren’t allowed down there!”

Brad: Lane, stay with Tristan. It’ll take two jumps, but I can get us into the house. Once we’re close, I can join you, and it should make it easier. Hang on just another minute bud.

Lane was sweating from the effort of controlling Tristan while fending off the effects of the Runes. If he were physically present, or if he could more fully immerse himself in Tristan the runes would not affect him, but he was leaving his touch as light as possible to lessen any chance of detection by The Master or any ‘suits’ in the house.

Brad’s strong arms wrapped around him, pulling their bodies close. Lane didn’t detect any movement, but he knew they were against the back wall of the house behind the shrubs.

The slight jingle of dog tags caught his attention as Brad petted the dog he used for their jump spot. The transition as Brad snapped the bond between its body and Spirit was sudden and abrupt, but painless, and Lane heard the thump as it fell over lifeless.

Brad hated to snap the tether binding the dogs Spirit to its body, but he knew that was a better fate than what awaited it if it was discovered to be free of the Entity. The dog’s Spirit stood before him, and its unconditional love touched them. Brad smiled briefly and sent a silent command for it to go and be reborn, and it vanished from the Physical Realm, safe from any repercussion.

Now against the back of the house and under a window, with the barest trickle of Power Brad moved the curtains with his Mind and looked inside. They were outside the kitchen, and with their night vision HUD’s the dim light from the refrigerator door illuminated the area enough to see clearly. Brad jumped them one more time, putting them in the kitchen hidden from the doorway by a large cooking island.

Brad: We’re inside.

Brad added his presence along with Lane’s in Tristan, enough to stay aware of his own body but keep alert in case anyone came into the kitchen unexpectedly.

They both tensed when faint Music tickled the back of their Mind’s.

Taliesin!

His touch was soft and subtle, and they prayed it wasn’t loud enough to alert anyone sensing for Power.

Taliesin! What the fuck are you doing!? You’re going to get us killed!

On the contrary, you need my help to succeed. I’ve pieced together enough of this puzzle to know that you have to get Aaron out of there. You have to get the Lane Weaver of this world back so he can take this cursed Gift from me as you did in your world. I am not taking any chances of you bungling this. Besides, I’m more useful than you think.

How can you possibly help us other than sending up a beacon to The Enemy that we’re invading one of their strongholds and rescuing their most important prisoner?

I, too, was once held prisoner by The Enemy and managed to escape on my own. I know how to circumvent the Binding they most assuredly have on the door to the room Aaron is in without setting it off.

Brad sent a private thought to Lane: Fuck! That little shit!

Lane: He can’t lie, but he might not be telling us everything. He wants the Gift out of him so bad he can taste it. He likes to brag, too.

Brad: Fuck! Okay.

Brad: Taliesin, share the knowledge with us.

Taliesin: No. Bring me to you. I know you can. I could share the knowledge, but you don’t have the experience I do, and this cannot fail. I need to be the one to do it. You must do it quickly before Albrecht realizes I’m gone. If he Compels me to Return, I won’t have the concentration to make it work, and if I ask him, he will refuse me.

Lane: If we use enough Power to pull you from Atlanta, they might sense it. We can’t risk it.

Taliesin: Then it’s a good thing I’m not in Atlanta. I read the Mind of the girl who rented you your car. You mentioned Oklahoma, so I’m not far away. I admit it was difficult getting away from Albrecht, but I haven’t had that much fun in years. You need me.

Brad and Lane knew Taliesin orchestrated events so they felt they had no choice. It was his modus operandi. If he could bypass a Major Binding, they could use his help, and he had them over a barrel.

Lane: When we get back to the Lab with the doc, if Albrecht doesn’t kick your ass I will…again.

Brad and Lane synchronized their Avatars and Taliesin appeared between them.

Brad: Okay, Taliesin. Follow us and do as we say. One step out of line and you’re going back.

Taliesin, the ever-present smirk on his face, nodded.

Lane stayed in Tristan as the cat roamed the secure area downstairs. There were a few doors covered in Runes, but once he saw it, Lane immediately knew which door the doctor must be behind. Tristan’s hackles rose in reflex to the Dark, Cold Power emanating from the door and a low guttural growl escaped the cat as he got close. The distraction was all it took for one of the Protectors to scoop Tristan up and carry him back upstairs, tossing him none too gently back into the Den.

Lane and Brad withdrew their presence from the cat as soon as the Protector picked him up in case a ‘suit’ might inadvertently detect them. It was unlikely, but they couldn’t be too careful.

Lane: Well, we know where we need to go.

Lane was sweating and had a blinding headache from the runes, and rubbed his temples, trying to relieve the pain. Brad’s presence increased softly in his Mind, and with a trickle of Power Lane’s headache disappeared. With his usual mischievous grin, Lane silently mouthed “I love you” to Brad and winked. Brad rolled his eyes and shook his head.

He grinned, giving Brad a thumbs up, but his grin turned into a scowl as soon as he made eye contact with Taliesin, who raised an eyebrow at their antics. Lane wanted to slap the smirk off Taliesin’s face, but it wasn’t the time. Taliesin was still a challenge for Lane. As a human being, Lane loved him, but as a person he detested the man; that would have to be good enough.

Lane: The Protectors will be back shortly. We’ll just have to sit tight until they show back up.

Other than Tristan wandering into the kitchen to watch them, no one heard a sound until the Protectors returned on their rounds. Under his Kevlar Brad’s Avatar pulsed softly as he enforced his Will on Tristan to stay in the Den and be quiet.

When the Protectors came back, they finished their rounds of the upstairs and ground level. Brad was sure they would have some form of Shield if they were guards for The Master, so he didn’t want to be heavy-handed and alert someone by being a bull in a china shop. He opted for something simpler; an external Construct to make them invisible. It would only affect their physical sight and shouldn’t cause any Defensive triggers placed on their Minds to activate.

Brad: When I give the signal, follow the Protectors through the door. Be absolutely quiet… they can hear us even if they aren't able to see us.

Taliesin: That’s a useful trick.

Lane: Just be quiet. If they hear us, we’ll have to take them out with no noise and only physical force. Don’t use any Power. Got it?

Taliesin returned Lane’s stony stare with his usual smirk.

In a few seconds Brad gave the signal, and the three of them moved stealthily towards the Protectors as they opened the door. Brad held the Construct as delicately as he could, and Lane was ready to react in case they were discovered.

Brad and Lane were immune to the Runes on the door; however, Taliesin didn’t have the benefit of their Nephilim Heritage. His natural Aura wasn’t as strong as theirs, and to him the runes created a barrier he couldn’t cross. Not only that, but he was in extreme discomfort even with phenomenal control over his body and high resistance to pain. Lane was closest to him and reacted quickly. Silently, he pressed himself against Taliesin enveloping him behind his own Shield.

Expanding his Shield enough to cover Taliesin brought it into contact with two of the Runes, which immediately started smoking. He moved them both forward quickly before the Rune combusted.

One of the Protectors stopped and turned back to the door, saying, “Hey, do you smell something burning?”

Brad dissipated the smoke with his Mind, hoping it would be enough to keep them from being discovered and prayed no one sensed the Power.

Both Protectors stopped and moved back to the door causing Brad, Lane, and Taliesin to crouch and press themselves against the wall on either side of the hallway, hoping the Protectors wouldn’t brush up against them. They held their breath, ready to react if discovered.

Both Protectors sniffed and the second one said, “Naw… I don’t smell anything. Maybe it’s Fred’s cigars. He knows he’s not supposed to smoke down here. He’s gonna get busted if he keeps it up. I sure wouldn’t want to be in his shoes if He finds out.”

Brad rolled his eyes in relief, thankful the Protectors only had enhanced speed and strength and not senses; otherwise they would have been discovered.

The Protectors continued down the hallway, and Brad and Lane breathed a sigh of relief. Brad signaled for them to move down the hall and further away from the door.

They made their way down and around the corner to the corridor where the doctor was being held. In another few minutes, the Protectors moved back upstairs. If they kept to their schedule, Brad, Lane, and Taliesin would have twenty minutes before they returned.

Brad: How much time will it take, Taliesin?

Taliesin: It depends on the strength of the Binding. It might take some time.

Lane: You have twenty minutes, so get cracking.

Brad: Lane, let’s disable the security cameras while he gets started. If we have to stay down here a while, it’ll be less risky than maintaining this Construct.

Taliesin moved to the door, sensing the Binding already; it was extraordinarily powerful. As he found his Centering Flame, preparing himself for the effort, memories of his life with Aaron came to mind.

In many ways, you were a father to me, Aaron. I know you are disappointed in me, but I learned much and have always respected you. You and I are not so different in our pursuits…. our thirst for knowledge and answers. I did love you once, you know. If I hadn’t shut myself off, I still might, but I am angry at you and Albrecht and the rest of those old fools. You knew what the Gift would do to me… you knew the cost I would pay, and you knew no Mortal could cope with the longevity. Was I nothing more than a vessel to hold the Gift until Lane Weaver came along? Was I nothing more to you than that?

The Gift bestowed Taliesin with many of the same powers and abilities as a human who was Awake. It wasn’t Powerful in the sense of sheer strength, but in its subtlety and effectiveness. Knowledge is Power, and with the Gift, Taliesin had garnered considerable knowledge over the centuries. His Mastery of Constructs and how to get into people’s heads was phenomenal. As Aaron taught him, it wasn’t the strength of a single weave but the layering and manner in which multiple weaves threaded together. Like strands of silk, when enough threads are woven together, they become a nearly unbreakable rope.

He moved to the door and shifted his Sight. The Binding became visible, and he noted how densely knotted it was. Whoever placed it was truly Powerful and Evil... He had never seen threads so Black before. He was sure he looked at handiwork of The Master.

Taliesin concentrated, and tendrils of Power so subtle they were nearly invisible flowed from his fingertips. Like smoke they drifted along the edges of the Binding, finding the tiniest of cracks to take hold. Just as grass could grow through rock and crack concrete, the flows of Energy Taliesin built became a layer underneath the impossibly thin space between the Binding and the door. As the barrier grew, he matched its energy flows to the frequency of the door. He fundamentally altered the Music of the structure to change its makeup. Lane was astounded at the concept and what he might be able to accomplish using that technique.

Taliesin created a resonate buffer between the two. In essence, his weave became a new surface the Binding would attach too that would allow them to open the door without breaking the Binding. To the Binding, it was still attached to the original surface, but it was a slow process, and the strain soon took its toll. As much as it galled him, Taliesin was going to have to ask for help.

While Taliesin began his task, Brad and Lane took care of the security cameras. They used the part of their Avatars that came from Darren to create a static image on the lens of the cameras.

Not long after he started, Taliesin struggled to continue. Lane rolled his eyes, Listening, and the soft sounds of the night outside the house provided him with the delicate Power needed to feed Taliesin and minimize the risk of detection.

Lane’s hands glowed, and wispy tendrils of energy drifted over, soaking into Taliesin and replenishing him. His relief was visible as the strain in his body lessened. Lane didn’t get a thank you and didn’t expect one.

Brad and Lane were impressed with Taliesin’s skill … they both learned by observing him, and his trick would prove invaluable in the future. As impressive as it was, however, it was taking too long, and the Protectors would be back soon.

Brad: Taliesin, the guards will be back any minute.

Taliesin’s Mental voice was sharp, conveying the strain he was under.

This isn’t something I can stop in the middle of. You’ll have to deal with them.

Lane’s temper flared at Taliesin’s attitude and tone, but Brad got him to smile by flipping Taliesin a bird behind his back.

Lane to Brad: Okay, Brad. We’re sure there are Mental triggers in the Protector’s. We can overpower whatever’s there but not without a chance of alerting whoever placed it.

Brad: Let’s take them out by hand. I’ll keep up the illusion to cover us, and we’ll take them by surprise. There might be a Death trigger too, so go deep as soon as you can and catch it if there is one. I hate doing it this way… I didn’t want to leave any evidence we were here other than the doc being gone.

Lane: I’m with you, but we can’t take the risk.

Like a well-oiled machine, the two former Navy SEALS waited to ambush the patrolling Enemy agents. As soon as the Protectors turned the corner and moved past Lane and Brad their necks were snapped cleanly and their big bodies caught to prevent any noise. There were Death triggers as they suspected but whoever set them wasn’t as powerful or as skilled as Lane or Brad and the triggers dissipated before they could activate.

Lane immediately began replenishing Taliesin again; he had nearly collapsed during the interval while Lane dealt with the guard. His thin body was tense and drenched in sweat. No matter what they thought about him as a person, as an Agent of The Order Taliesin was very skilled. They expected no less since most of his training came from the doctor and Albrecht.

Lane and Brad were both nervous about how long Taliesin was taking, and just before Brad was about to say something Taliesin spoke in their Minds.

It is done, but I must hold the Binding while you enter the room. Be quick, the effort is significant, and I can’t hold it indefinitely.

From his posture, it looked as though Taliesin held something heavy in the air. In their Mind’s Eye, the Binding was visible, and delicate weaves of Power came off his fingertips supporting the matrix of energy the Binding consisted of. He was breathing heavy and trying not to show the strain.

Lane and Brad rushed to the door, but it was physically locked. Brad Read the lock, and with a gentle nudge from his Mind, the door clicked and swung inwards.

They were utterly shocked at the unexpected sight awaiting them!

Crouched like a spider to fit in the room sat Istariel, cradling the emaciated and broken form of the doctor in his lap. Istariel immediately realized they could see him and began gathering Power.

Istariel, it’s okay! We’re here to rescue him!

Brad Wilson? Lane Weaver? How can you be here?

We’re friends Istariel, and here to set things right. Please don’t alert The Enemy! We can explain everything if you let us, but we need to get out of here quickly. I know it’s hard to understand, but we’re friends where we come from. Please trust us.

You are not from here; I see that. It should be impossible for you to be here, yet here you are. And, I sense you are fully Awake; again, a Paradox. With the deaths of your counterparts here, I was unable to complete my task of setting them on the path of Awakening. I lost hope with your death, but if you are here to fulfill that Purpose, I feel a spark of renewed hope.

Istariel tensed, and his cowled head moved as if he was looking through the walls.

The Innocent is Awake. He often comes to sit with Aaron Thomas. In his way, he wishes to comfort him. I cannot assist you with him. If you get the doctor to safety, I will come to you.

Istariel vanished, leaving the doctors body lying on the filthy cot. He barely looked alive, his body emaciated and his arms and legs twisted and ill-formed. His energy centers were scarcely discernible, hovering close to death, and his breathing was shallow and raspy. They must have been feeding him the barest minimum of food and water to keep him alive.

Fuck Lane, look at him! He’s barely alive!

Lane was so angry he couldn’t respond, his hatred of The Enemy a fire in his Mind.

Lane and Brad had tears in their eyes, and their guts wrenched at the sight of the doctor’s suffering. He was unconscious and so far gone they couldn’t even sense his Mind.

As Brad moved back into the hallway with the doctor cradled in his arms, he stopped and stared. At the end of the corridor was a young boy with Down’s Syndrome, standing in flannel SpongeBob SquarePants pajamas. He clutched a sock monkey in one hand, and his face exhibited a radiant, innocent smile. Behind his smile, Brad was astounded at the strength emanating off him. The boy's Aura was so blinding Brad had to shift his sight back to the Physical Realm to see.

An angry voice from around the corner yelled, “Troy, get back to bed this instant!”

Troy’s smile faded at the sound of the voice but returned immediately when he looked at the doctor.

Behind Brad, the door to the doctor’s prison shut and locked. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed Taliesin slowly move in front of the door.

Taliesin: Get us out of here now, or we’re dead! If that boy’s Keeper discovers us, we won’t have a chance!

Taliesin seemed terrified of the boy, clearly knowing something, and if he was that scared, they knew it was serious.

As they picked up on Taliesin’s thought, a man in a silk bathrobe came into view making straight for Troy. Brad and Lane both clamped down as hard and tight on the man’s Mind as they could, and for a brief second they held him, but he had the Power of the Innocent under his control. As soon as they gripped the man’s Mind, his connection to the boy was clear. It wasn’t a type of Link they were familiar with, but it was powerful, and they knew by themselves they couldn’t fight him.

That brief second was all Taliesin needed. Still holding the Binding, he threw it at the man. Held by Brad and Lane, the Keeper was immobile long enough for the Binding to reach him, and as it came into contact with him, it exploded in a torrent of Dark Energy. He wasn’t prepared and cried out as Blackness surged around him. Troy screamed too, not in pain, but terrified and not understanding what was happening.

Taliesin rushed forward putting his hands on either side of Troy’s head, and as his eyes turned White, Troy’s face went slack.

Lane: What the hell did you do to him? He’s just a boy!

Taliesin: I’m buying us time! Get us out of here now!

The cold presence of The Master was already stirring upstairs. The explosion of his Binding alerted everyone in the house that could sense Power. Aura’s all over the house strengthened as ‘suits’ woke up and started probing to find out what was going on.

Brad took himself, Lane, and Taliesin so deep Time stood still.

Brad and Lane’s eyes turned White, and Lane reached out to the Heavens, Listening and filling himself and Brad with what he heard. There was already resistance against them as The Master focused his attention on what was going on downstairs.

With a burst of Power, they broke through the barrier before it fully formed, and the four of them vanished.

 

<><>

 

The explosion of his Binding woke The Master from a disturbed sleep. He shot up in bed and immediately focused on the basement. In his Mind, he saw two bright Light’s and knew they were the reason for his troubled sleep. Impossible! None of them were Awake! He was promised as long as Aaron Thomas remained his prisoner that would never happen. The assurance of his victory over The Order would never be in jeopardy as long as he held the doctor captive.

When the abominations found a way to block their Scrying, he had become suspicious, but that in itself was not critical. He expected it long before now.

The rage coursing through him nearly overwhelmed his ability to think coherently. He breathed deep, attempting to regain his composure. That was when he heard the voice in his Mind; the voice he hadn’t heard in ages. The Presence that accompanied it was terrifying, and he trembled as it nearly crushed him.

Summon your Servants from every corner of Creation in which I have granted you Dominion. Find the abominations and destroy them.

As Powerful as The Master was, he knew he was insignificant against The Dark One himself.

He bowed his head and thought: Yes, My Lord.

 

<><><>

 

When Lane and Brad appeared in the Lab, Albrecht waited anxiously at the door, and his eyes widened at the sight of Aaron cradled in Brad’s arms. Multiple emotions ran through his Mind, relief foremost, but anger and fear quickly followed when he saw Aaron’s condition. He rushed forward and took his lover's body from Brad, holding him gently against his chest. Neither Brad nor Lane had ever seen Albrecht cry, but his cheeks were wet with silent tears.

Silently he took Aaron to the closest exam room and laid him on the bed. By then, Ken and the other’s realized they were back and came rushing in to see what happened.

The elation on their faces dimmed when they saw the doctor. There were many ‘oh shits’ and ‘fuck me’s’ under their breath as they hung their heads in concern while tears ran silently down their cheeks.

Brad saw the fear on their faces. They could never have imagined seeing the doctor in such a state and were scared for him.

Brad tried to reassure them all, saying, “Guys he’s going to be alright. Trust me.”

Lane glared at Taliesin as he moved out of the room to follow Albrecht.

I did not hurt the boy Lane. I merely put him in a Construct to confuse him. As dimwitted as he is the Construct won’t last long…. It was made from his memories which are blurry at best.

You’re still a fuckwad Taliesin, but you did do a good job.

Taliesin heard the reluctance in Lane’s voice as he thought: Thanks for your help.

They made their way to the room where the doctor lay motionless, his chest barely rising and falling. Bill began hooking him up to the vital monitors, but Lane held out his hand and said, “No need, Bill.”

Ken asked, “Are you sure you two are up for this? You look wiped.”

Lane said, “There’s no way in hell we’re going to sit here with the doc in this condition and not do anything about it. It’ll be easier if you help us, and I think it would be a good thing anyway.”

Ken’s voice was thick with emotion, and he had to clear his throat before he asked, “How can we help?”

Brad spoke up, “Even though you aren’t Awake yet you’re still powerful… it’s just untapped inside of you. We can borrow some of that to help us Heal the doc. You’ll be dog tired afterward because you aren’t used to that kind of exertion, but you’ll recover quickly enough.”

“Just tell us what to do.”

Brad Linked everyone together and spoke in their Minds.

I need you to stay calm and don’t fight what you’re about to feel. I’m going to draw on your energy centers.

Lane: You fat asses will feel it come from your bodies, and after you’ll feel like you just had a hell of a workout. You other yahoos will feel like you just went through the Mental ringer. You’ll be bleary-eyed and probably want to go straight to bed. If you have a headache after let us know, and we can take care of it.

Brad: Everybody gather in a circle around his bed and hold hands.

There was no nervousness in any of them, only focused determination, and more than a little curiosity. They were trained soldiers and would do whatever needed to help their surrogate father. Their love for Aaron was so strong in the Link it was palpable, and seeing him so broken ripped their hearts. Mixed in with the other emotions was a deep undercurrent of anger at The Enemy over his condition.

Brad was glad Albrecht didn’t try to join the Link. He was a smart man and must have picked up on the fact that the Team dealt with energy levels far above what he was used too. He stayed in the doorway, his face a stony mask as he observed what was happening.

Lane Opened their Minds first, and a brilliant Azure ribbon arced out of their foreheads, encircling them. They had never experienced anything like it before, and the sensation was euphoric. The Power flowing through them gave them a glimpse of what was to come.

Next, he Opened their Core Energy Centers, and blood-red Power flowed out of them, causing a hot wind to blow around them. They became acutely aware of the physical strength in their bodies, coupled with a rush of desire, instantly becoming erect.

Brad controlled the flows as Lane Opened them, careful not to let their Minds merge too deeply. He restricted that aspect of the stream knowing they weren’t ready for it. Emotions were still sharp between them, and the support they had for one another as Brothers.

Lastly, Lane Opened their Hearts, the gateway to their Souls. A ribbon of warm Golden Light arced out of their chests, adding to the flows of their Minds and Bodies.

The flows blended into a bright White ribbon, and the wind blew hotter, blowing their hair. Despite the seriousness of the situation they smiled, and their eyes were wet from the intensity; it felt right like nothing had in a long, long time.

Brad: I wanted you to see and feel this. You’ll get used to it soon enough and believe me, it's way better when you’re fully Awake.

Lane Opened the doctor’s energy flows, examining them intently. The damage to his body was significant. The years of torture and malnutrition wreaked havoc on his body, and his flows were weak, feeble, and sporadic. The cruelty of The Enemy was not surprising, but painful to see none the less.

Lane took a deep breath, centering himself and setting aside his hurt, pain, and anger. Healing the doctor required his full, undistracted attention, and he couldn’t afford to miss anything. Brad’s soothing, calming presence flowed into him, backing him up.

You got this Lane. I’m with you all the way. I’ll tap into the guys and feed you what you need.

The men watched, amazed at what they witnessed and were taking part in. Loy, Bill, and Darren felt it even more in-depth as what was happening was already a part of them even though they didn’t have access to it yet. They saw the energy flows along with Brad and Lane, intuitively knowing what needed to be done, but the information flow was overwhelming to them. Brad felt their desire to help, but they didn’t have the means or the knowledge yet. However, they did provide Power and Brad made sure they knew how important that was for Lane to be successful.

The doctor didn’t operate on the energy levels they did as Nephilim, so the Power required to Heal him wasn’t as significant, but the extent of the damage made up for that. Minute fractures ran through his entire skeletal system as if he had been thrown against a wall repeatedly, and severe bone calcification was present where his wrists and ankles had been broken and not set properly. His legs and spine were twisted so he couldn’t lie down straight.

Muscle atrophy was significant and degradation present in most of his organs from extended dehydration and malnutrition.

Lane took everything in, and Brad looked with him. The Healing needed to be slow, gentle, and precise so as not to overwhelm or shock the doctor’s system. In addition to the physical trauma, his Soul was weak from being so close to death for so long. Their version of the doctor taught Lane how to weave a fine net of energy to replenish a person’s Soul when Rick almost died, so he knew how to do it.

Lane sniffed and swiped tears out of his eyes.

Okay ladies, here we go.

Lane’s eyes turned White, and he raised his head to the Heavens, sending his Soul out and taking Brad with him, Listening to the Music of Creation and filling them up. Animal Spirits came at their Call, lending them energy for their efforts. Lane fed the power back into all of them to hold as a battery. Then, like conducting an orchestra, he altered the doctor’s energy flows.

Lightning and thunder rolled in the skies above the city and rain to match their tears, as Lane’s efforts were expressed in the Physical Realm while correcting the wrong done to their beloved mentor. The lightning flashes mirrored the White of Lane’s eyes as he worked.

The physical damage didn’t take long to correct, but Lane was puzzled about the state of the doctor’s Mind. Aaron’s flows, once he strengthened them, were stable but something significant was missing. The doctor’s intellectual capacity was vast but vacant. Somehow it was absent.

Just as when Brad tried to repair Ken’s Mind when it was shredded by the creature that almost killed them both, Lane had to do his best. He moved on and finished what he could. Finally, he wove the Soul net, which was the most difficult part.

By the time he finished all the men, Brad included, were about to pass out. They were sweating heavily, and their chests heaved from the effort.

Finally, the net was finished, and Lane pushed it down into the doctor where his body soaked it up like a sponge.

With a sigh of relief, Lane said, “I’ve done all I can. We’ll need to see how he is when he wakes up. I have no idea what was done to his Mind. Something is missing, but I don’t know if he did it to himself or if it was done to him.”

Merely looking at the doctor was a relief, once again appearing like his old self. His body filled back out, his limbs were straight and clean, and Lane effectively gave him a haircut and a shave.

Albrecht squeezed Lane’s shoulder in gratitude as he moved forward and took one of Aaron’s hands in his own. Pulling up a chair, he sat down to wait, holding his lover.

Everyone else went to their rooms and fell asleep immediately, their Minds and Bodies drained.

 

<><><>

 

The next morning brought no change. Albrecht was still seated at Aaron’s side and looked tired. Lane and Brad once again looked at the doctor's energy centers, which seemed whole and healthy except for the missing gap in his Mind.

Rather than have everyone sit around worrying, Ken called them all into the gym. They had spent some of their time cleaning the Lab, and it was ready to be used again. While running from The Enemy, they had done the best they could to keep in shape, but continually moving from place to place had taken its toll on them. Bill, Loy, and Darren were the most affected.

They went through a rigorous morning of training with Brad and Lane showing Ken and the others some of the advanced fighting techniques Albrecht taught them. A few hours later while taking a short break, shirtless and covered in sweat, Bill let out a ‘Fuck me!”

They stared, stunned, at the twenty-foot tall robed figure standing in the center of the gym.

Greetings again, Brad Wilson, Lane Weaver.

Brad turned to the guys and quickly said, “He’s a friend, guys. No need to panic.”

Everyone but Brad and Lane stood with their jaws hanging open in awe of the being they saw for the first time.

It’s good to see you again, Istariel.

Is the doctor safe?

Yes. We Healed him, but there’s something wrong with his Mind we haven’t figured out yet.

The doctor, as you know, is a formidable man. He achieved a feat thought impossible to protect himself and keep his vast knowledge from The Enemy. He cast his Intellect out of himself into another human. You must find who carries it. The Master has called all his Dark Servants, and they gather even as we speak. The doctor’s rescue caused a reaction I hope you are prepared to withstand. All the Power of the Dark will descend upon these men in a matter of days to obliterate The Order once and for all. My cousins and I will aid you in their Protection, but their fate is uncertain. They must Awaken and return to the Path.

That’s why we’re here Istariel. Lane and I will do our part and if there’s anything we can do to help you let us know.

Brad and Lane had the same thought… the corrections were beginning to happen. They still didn’t know what happened at their Awakening, other than it was the first time they saw Istariel and his cousins. It was likely they would see a similar occurrence of whatever happened to them.

Fuck Brad, how are we going to find who’s holding the doctor’s noodles?

Let’s talk to Albrecht first and see if he might have any thoughts.

 

<><>

 

“Nothing Aaron does surprises me anymore. No one has ever achieved such a feat… as far as I knew, the Mind and Intellect are the same, so how he accomplished that I do not know. It had to have been someone close by when he was captured, or someone he was close too. I asked Bryan to try and recover the security footage from the day the Lab was broken into, but it was destroyed. That might have given us a clue.”

Lane’s eyes suddenly turned White as his Avatar came to life and he exclaimed, “Oh shit! Bry! Ken! Guys, get in here!”

Brad heard the excitement in Lane’s voice and let him run with whatever was happening.

Ken and the others rushed in when Lane yelled for them, and Brad immediately brought them into a Link.

Guys, don’t panic, just go with whatever Lane says. His Avatar is guiding him, and we need to let him run with this.

Their military training kicked in, and they immediately became focused and sharp, ready to do what was needed.

Lane: Everybody think and remember… I know it’s a bad memory, but you need to be as precise as possible. Remember the day The Enemy broke into the Lab. The day you lost your Brad and Lane, and the doctor was taken. Bill, Loy, and Darren focus on the images from each vantage point where you were at the time.

Brad, coordinate their memories and synchronize our Avatars. It was an emotional day, and this place remembers what happened. Help me Read what happened and let’s reconstruct it in a Construct. Taliesin can help … use his experience at building Constructs from our unconscious Minds. With all of you focused and remembering, plus the imprint that day left on this place, we can go back and see what the doctor did.

Brad collected their thoughts and coordinated their memories as they remembered that painful time and images formed in their Minds…

The day started like any other. There were no clients at the security firm that morning, so the guys were at the Lab for their morning workouts. Everybody was cutting up, joking, and hanging shit on one another, while the doctor was busy doing whatever it was he usually did on his computer.

Bill and Kevin came in with lunch for everyone. Mostly take out from PF Chang’s and a bag from Long John Silvers for the doctor. They all smiled; every one of them knew his order by heart. A number four platter, add a chicken plank, no slaw, extra fries, sweet iced tea and lots of ketchup. He made his usual fanfare of undying gratitude to whoever brought him his greasy fish and chicken.

The doctor just finished opening his packets of ketchup when out of nowhere, a man appeared inside the main door. He was a big, powerful man, inhumanly handsome and wearing a black suit. His body was thick with muscle underneath his clothes, and he had jet black hair, ice-blue eyes, and a full goatee. Before anyone could react, he put his hand on the security console, and the light switched from red to green. The door flew open, and men started pouring in with guns.

The doctor stood up, almost calmly, looking straight at the man in the black suit. Both of their eyes turned White, and the doctor raised an arm as if warding off a blow. He looked startled. He was shocked when Brad jumped in front of him and took the bullet meant for him. Brad fell forward, and the doctor caught him with a horrified look on his face. His expression quickly turned to anger. None of them had ever seen that look on his face. His eyes turned White again, and the man in the black suit screamed and disappeared.

Ken was in shock at Brad’s death and started killing anyone within arm’s reach. He shattered bones like toothpicks with his fists, and he was a whirlwind of death to The Enemy. Lane was the first to return fire, having grabbed a semi-automatic rifle from the weapons locker. He tossed rifles to Loy, Darren, and Bill. He was trying to open a path for them to escape. If they managed to get into the hallway, they could seal the door, and it would hold long enough for them to get out through the front of the building.

The doctor was cut off from the others and still held Brad’s body as he shouted over the noise of gunfire, “Flee! Get to safety! I will be fine!”

Bodies scattered everywhere. They put up a good fight, but they were overwhelmed both in numbers and firepower.

As they obeyed the doctor’s orders, Lane brought up the rear, and as he turned to follow a bullet caught him in his lower spine, and he fell. The door was already closing, and Bryan tried to hold it open and grab his lover, but it was too late. His hand was almost crushed as the door closed, blocking him from Lane’s body.

The images got fuzzier at this point with everyone gone, but the impressions Brad and Lane Read through their Avatars were still visible.

The doctor was surrounded, and the man in the black suit was back.

“Well, well… the mighty Dr. Aaron Thomas has fallen.”

He motioned for some of the men to take the doctor.

“We will take him to The Master, and everything he knows will be ours. I am fully prepared for this moment doctor; I’ve been planning it for years. If you kill yourself, we will still get what we want. You know we can.”

The doctor didn’t say a word, his face still as stone. He glanced at his desk where his food was crushed and ruined. He casually reached out and picked up an opened packet of ketchup from the tabletop and looked at it. His eyes flashed White, and the images stopped when he collapsed.

The pain of reliving the memory was raw in all of them, especially Ken and Bryan. Their bodies shook, their eyes were bright with unshed tears, and their breathing was harsh and raspy from fresh tension and grief. They didn’t have the perfect memories their partners did, but the Love they felt was beyond human even though they still didn’t fully know or understand why.

Lane had a strong feeling about the man in the black suit. His looks were beyond human, which begged the question of who or what he was. He might have been a rogue Nephilim, or perhaps even a Fallen Angel. Lane’s Avatar told him that man was at the heart of what happened; he was the key difference between their two realities.

Loy said out loud, “I hope that was worth it guys. That wasn’t something I wanted to see again.”

Darren added, “What was up…there at the end? That didn’t make any sense.”

Lane said, “I’m not sure yet. The doc must have used the packet as a focus. We still aren’t sure how he separated his Mind and Intellect, so we’re in uncharted territory. What do you think Brad?”

Brad was silent for a few seconds and then replied, “I think we need to go to Long John Silver’s.”

 

<><>

 

Brad was confident they were making headway. After he and Lane talked to the guys about the Physical Bond with their partners, their Minds started unlocking. Loy, Bill, and Darren were now rudimentary telepaths, and he was thankful Albrecht was present to help with their training and to explain things and begin exercises to help strengthen and expand their growing abilities.

The doctor was back and physically healthy, but they still had to solve the mystery of his missing Intellect. After that, they had to get the Brad and Lane of that reality back and restored. He and Lane had some ideas on that, but they agreed not to do anything prematurely. One step at a time.

Nearly three years had passed since the Lab was broken into, and the doctor did whatever he had done to himself. Three years of their Brothers hiding and running, just to stay alive.

Long John Silver’s was only a few miles from the Lab and Brad smiled to himself, wondering if that fact influenced the doctor’s decision on the location of the Lab. One day, Brad would have to ask the doctor how he managed to eat all that grease, fat, and carbs and still manage to look healthy.

You always have tricks up your sleeve, doc. I guess I will too after I’ve lived thousands of years.

Even without enhanced senses, as soon as Brad and Lane walked in the door the smell of fish and grease hit them. Glancing at the clientele, it was apparent most of them were overweight and unhealthy. Lane looked at their Aura’s and saw the coronary artery disease, hypertension, diabetes, and other long-term effects on their bodies.

Brad, we don’t really know what we’re looking for. Do you have any ideas?

Whatever happened was almost three years ago. I want to scan the employee’s first and see if any of them have been here that long, and if they have, see if they remember anything strange.

That’s going to be ugly. Do you want me to help?

No, I’ll do it. But I’ll probably need your help after I’m done if you don’t mind.

What kind of question is that?

Brad smiled at his friend and winked. Lane wore his usual mischievous grin. It struck Brad at that moment that Taliesin probably used to have that same grin, and over the years as the Gift corrupted him, it turned into the cynical smirk they were familiar with. Brad prayed that would never happen to Lane, and his thought must have leaked through.

You don’t have to worry, Brad. Not only was Taliesin alone all that time and I have Bry, but I’m wired to handle the Immortality, and he wasn’t. I’m surprised he lasted as long as he did. The pity I have for him is one of the reasons I usually only threaten to kick his ass and not do it. I don’t think he had a chance, and I think the doc knew it.

Brad sighed and took a deep breath.

Let’s get started.

Brad lowered his Shields, and immediately the thoughts of everyone in the restaurant entered his Mind. As predicted, it was ugly and painful. It had been a while since he had done that and it made him miss Ken’s comforting solid presence so much his heart ached. The brokenness in the humans hit him hard, and he paled, physically shaken.

It reminded him of the time at the Mall of Georgia when he heard Drew scream and his Shields dropped, when the ugliness of everyone in the Mall hit his Mind simultaneously. It was before Brad had a grip on his abilities when his Ego was standing in the way of his full potential, and Ken came to his rescue.

Brad sifted through the memories of the Manager and the servers, going back to just before the date of the break-in. His heart bled for the people there and how lost they were, stumbling around in the dark with their Minds closed. The lies and self-deceptions were there, along with the petty jealousies that caused those lies and self-protection mechanisms.

There was some good, but it was buried deep. In only a few seconds, Brad’s eyes filled with tears as his Avatar came to life and his Compassion nearly overwhelmed him. He wanted so badly to Open their Minds and Hearts and comfort them, to let them know they weren’t alone and make them feel the unconditional Love he felt for them; the love humans long for but don’t realize most of the time. Taking a deep breath, he braced himself and focused on his mission. Knowing what Brad was going through, Lane gripped his shoulder in comfort.

Lane intervened and hid the Light of Brad’s Avatar as it was visible even under his clothes. He didn’t try to interfere or directly help Brad with what he was doing but amped up his Aura, so everyone in the restaurant felt uplifted.

Brad murmured, “Thanks,” as he sniffed and wiped at his eyes.

A man making his way to the trash bin to empty his food tray looked at Brad and was about to ask if he was alright when Lane looked at him and said, “Allergies. He’s fine.”

The man smiled and nodded as he walked out the door, not sure why he suddenly felt so positive. Lane would like to think he would have asked about Brad regardless.

Luckily, the Manager had worked there for years and had clear memories of the doctor in her Mind. Two servers also remembered him fondly; he was the man who always ordered the same thing and treated them so politely, and made them feel good when he came in. The manager always wondered where the doctor was from because of his distinct way of talking. She also wondered if something might have happened to him because one day he stopped coming in.

Brad was confident he and Lane found the event they were looking for. A young Hispanic server named Javier passed out in the kitchen the day the doctor was taken. His mother came to pick him up, and he never showed up for work again.

 

<><>

 

Brad sifted through the thoughts of the patrons and employees of the restaurant. The pain underneath their thoughts was intense. Most of them deceived themselves into believing they were happy, but they were so broken it hurt him terribly. It would be so easy to reach out and let them know they weren’t alone and feel a connection with another human being like they had never dreamed possible, the type of connection they were created for.

Lane followed Brad’s thought processes through the Link.

Brad, we aren’t here for that. I know it hurts, but we need to stay focused on our mission. We don’t know the ramifications of interfering here.

It’s not that I forget how they are Lane, or even how we used to be, but when it’s so fresh and present it hurts. I care for them so much… I feel like a parent watching a child stumble around and get hurt when he knows he could prevent it.

Your Primary Avatar is Compassion, Brad, of course you feel it more strongly. I feel it too, and it’s painful as hell, so I know it’s worse for you, but we have our own world to save. Once we get this one back on track, it will be their Brad and Lane’s job to fix this along with the rest of the guys here. We need to lay low and stay on track.

Brad gave a heavy sigh and closed his eyes.

Yeah, you’re right. Let’s finish up here. You know, you sounded like Ken when you said that.

Lane smirked.

You mean I just sounded like a douche?

Brad burst out laughing at Lane’s statement, and he loved his Brother for making him smile in the midst of feeling the pain in the humans.

Brad approached the counter and asked to speak to the manager. He pulled out his wallet, and she saw an identification badge from the Department of Immigration Services.

“Ma’am, my colleague and I have some questions about a young man who worked here a few years ago. His name was Javier Costoros. Is he still employed here?”

She looked a bit frazzled, more from the stunning looks and smiles of the two incredibly handsome men than their badges. They both gave her their most disarming smiles.

“Oh, my… no. Javier hasn’t worked here for quite a while.”

“Would you happen to have his employee information available?”

“I’m sure it’s probably still on the computer.”

“Why don’t you check, please? And print out whatever information you have for us.”

Brad sent a Compulsion along with his words, knowing she wasn’t supposed to give out personal information to anyone without authorization from her home office.

She returned a minute later with a printed copy of Javier’s application and employment file.

“Thank you, Mary. You’ve been a great help.”

Mary’s heart fluttered at his smile. Lane couldn’t help it and enhanced Brad’s smile to the point where his teeth practically gleamed, looking like he stepped straight out of a Mentos commercial. It was too late for him to do anything about it when he realized what Lane did.

You are so going to pay for that. One day when you least expect it, Lane, payback will be a bitch.

Lane only laughed and clapped him on his back as they walked out the door. As always, Lane had a way of lightening a serious mood. It was one of the many things about his Brother he loved.

 

<><>

 

With their expertise from TGH Securities over the years and their Special Operations training from the Military, it didn’t take them long to track down Javier. It turned out he was born in the United States, but his parents were immigrants.

Through the information they gathered from asking basic questions, and of course a little Mind reading, Brad and Lane pieced together a surprising but not unexpected story of the last few years.

Javier was a straight ‘A’ student at Georgia State University in downtown Atlanta, enrolled in multiple degree programs. He was still an undergraduate but taking many graduate-level courses.

Instead of trying to hack into the Student Information System through the Library, Brad and Lane decided to take a chance and go straight to the Science Annex where the Molecular Genetics and Micro Biology courses were taught. It wasn’t long before they spotted Javier.

What they didn’t count on was him spotting them. They were careful but assumed he wouldn’t be suspicious or on the lookout for anyone tailing him. As soon as they started making their way towards him, he casually broke away from the group of friends he was talking to and headed down the hall at a fast pace. He ducked into a classroom, and they lost sight of him.

Reaching for his Mind, they were shocked when their initial probe slid off a Shield they didn’t expect him to have.

Lane: Fuck! Didn’t see that coming.

Brad: Well, he can’t outrun us both. Let’s go!

They followed him quickly, emitting a Compulsion in the general area not to pay any attention to them or remember their presence. It was almost like they were invisible, and no one paid the slightest attention to them other than to get out of their way.

Many of the classrooms interconnected with Lab’s, and Javier knew the layout of the building like the back of his hand. He had the upper hand for a few minutes until Lane pulled the same information from a Teacher’s Assistant in a Lab they ran through.

He shared the information with Brad, and they split up. There were only a few routes Javier could take to make it out of the building from the direction he was headed. The building was mazelike, but once they knew the layout, they herded him to a corner room. Javier was starting to panic as he realized what they were doing.

They caught sight of him a few times, and he looked panicked and sweaty from running and alarm at being pursued.

Lane closed the gap and was in the same room with him just long enough to reach out with his Mind and lock the doors. Javier slammed into the door, expecting it to open. He spun around with his back against the door, his eyes wide.

I got him, Brad. Room 514B, at the end of the hall.

Lane held out his hand in a placating gesture, saying, “Javier, it’s okay. We just need to talk. We aren’t here to hurt you.”

Brad came into the room in time to hear Javier ask, “Who are you? What do you want?!”

Lane, “We’re friends, Javier. Calm down. Let’s sit and talk, alright?”

Javier stammered in fear, “A..are you from Them?”

His question explained why he was so terrified. Their stances softened, and Lane spoke calmly.

“No, we’re not The Enemy Javier. I’m not even sure how you know who they are, but we’re the good guys. We’re friends of Dr. Thomas.”

Javier, “How do I know you’re telling the truth?”

Brad, “Well, for starters we’re talking to you rather than just killing you. And The Enemy can’t do this…”

Immediately an emotional warmth of peace and tranquility washed over Javier as Brad increased his Aura, and Javier’s breath caught at the beauty of it.

The relief on his face was visible as he said, “Thank God you aren’t from Them. I was so scared. Who are you?”

“I’m Brad Wilson, and this is Lane Weaver.”

“You can’t be them. You’re dead. He told me.”

“You talk to him?”

“Sort of. He’s a voice inside my head…. I know it’s not really him, but I know most of what he does. It’s almost like he talks to me.”

Lane said, “Damn. Sounds like Jor-El from Man of Steel. Way to go doc!”

Javier laughed and said, “Yeah, something like that… I mean I don’t see him, but I understand what I need to know when I need it.”

Brad shook his head, saying, “That’s incredible. He never ceases to amaze me.”

“So, you guys are supposed to be dead. How come you aren’t? He saw you die.”

Lane replied, “Well if you know everything he does, this will make sense. We aren’t the ones that died. We’re here from an Alternate Reality to set things right.”

“Holy shit, this is like an episode of Stargate!”

Brad chuckled and said, “Yeah, it’s not too far off. Javier, we need your help.”

“Are you here to take him out of my head?”

Lane nodded saying, “Yeah, that’s why we’re here. We rescued his body, and we need the piece in you to make him whole. I don’t know what that’s going to mean for you, Javier. We won’t hurt you, but I’m not sure how it will affect you.”

Javier seemed thoughtful as he replied, “He wasn’t sure if anyone would ever come for me. It’s been so cool knowing all this stuff. I have to be super careful all the time, though, and it’s like living a lie. I see it as a Gift but not one I’m supposed to keep. I just got to hang onto it for a while and reap the rewards.”

It was evident to Brad and Lane that it was more than just the doctor’s Intellect at work in Javier. Part of the doctor’s character also made an imprint on the young man.

Lane asked, “Do you know how to remove it?”

“Yeah, I do. It’s really simple, but it’s also nothing anyone would figure out on their own. In a way, it’s going to be a huge relief. I mean I didn’t ask for this even though I’m glad it happened. I could have died… he put in… safeguards. If I was ever taken, I know how to kill myself with a thought. He told me I’d have to if I was ever captured by The Enemy. If I die, the part of him in me will disappear.”

Brad’s Avatar began to glow under his shirt as he said, “Javier, I think I know why the doctor picked you. You’re a brave young man, with a good head on your shoulders. I know the doc will be proud of you when he’s fully recovered. I’m sure he’ll want to keep in touch.”

Javier took a deep breath, asking, “So when do you want to do this? I’m finished with classes for today. I’m not even sure if I’ll be able to come back tomorrow. I might be back at working fast food; even he isn’t sure what’s going to happen to me.”

Lane put a hand on Javier’s arm, giving him a squeeze of comfort and said, “No matter what Javier, I promise you we’ll make sure you’re okay. One way or another we’ll make sure of that.”

Javier looked relieved and said, “Thanks.”

Brad: Albrecht, we found the boy the doc is hiding in. We’ll give you a heads up right before we transfer his Intellect back to his body. It should only be a few minutes from now. Be ready.

Thank God, you found him. I’m with Aaron, and ready.

Lane asked, “Javier, do we need to be someplace special to do this?”

Javier replied, “Yeah, we need to go back to Long John Silver’s in Lawrenceville.”

Brad chuckled and shook his head, saying, “That doesn’t surprise me one bit.”

Since Brad had already been in Mary’s Mind, he quickly found her again and sent a Compulsion for her to go into the women’s bathroom and lock the door.

Lane’s mischievous grin appeared, and he said, “Hold onto your hat, Javier. The doc didn’t know we could do this.”

The two big men stood on either side of Javier with a hand on his shoulder. Brad used Mary’s eyes to get the visual reference, and they appeared in the Women’s bathroom in Long John Silver’s.

“Holy shit! Fucking beam me up, Scotty! That rocks, but I hope you can get me back; my car is at the parking deck downtown.”

Lane smiled and said, “No worries there, Javier. I told you we’d take care of you. Full service, and no need to tip the valet.”

“Hey, is Mary okay? She looks funny.”

Brad said, “Yeah, sorry. I used her as a focal point to get us here. I can’t have her remember what just happened. She’s fine; I sort of put her brain in neutral for a minute.”

Brad sent Mary back to work, with a memory of using the bathroom. The three of them exited after her using the same Compulsion for anyone who saw them to ignore their presence.

 

<>

 

Lane asked, “Okay, Javier, what next?”

“I need to order some food. You guys want anything?”

Brad and Lane were sure they knew what Javier was going to order. As a toast to the doctor, they ordered the same thing.

Lane pulled out his wallet and said, “I’ll buy today.”

Mary was thrilled to see Javier and made a fuss over how handsome and grown-up he looked. She gave him his old employee discount as a favor.

Javier ordered a Number Four Platter, an extra chicken plank, extra fries instead of slaw, sweet iced tea with extra ice. He filled half a dozen small paper ketchup holders and got one pack of vinegar. They all got their trays and sat down in a corner booth.

Brad lifted his tea in a toast and said, “Bon a petit!”

Having hyper metabolisms meant they were almost always hungry, and Brad and Lane scarfed down their food in no time. It was also a habit from their days running missions as SEALS. Javier stared wide-eyed at how quickly the two big men inhaled their food.

To help alleviate Javier’s nervousness, Lane kept the small talk going until Javier finished eating. As they ate, Brad and Lane felt something odd, and their Intuition was telling them something significant was about to happen.

Brad asked, “Now what?”

Javier took a deep breath, and they could see how nervous he was, trying to prepare himself for whatever was about to happen.

“Promise if anything happens to me, you’ll take care of my parent’s, right? I know we didn’t talk about that, but I need to know.”

Brad reached over and put his hand on Javier’s shoulder and gave him a reassuring squeeze.

“We promise Javier. Nothing is going to a happen to you, buddy, but we’ll make sure your family is fine, and you too.”

Javier sat up straight and took a deep breath, saying, “So long and thanks for all the fish!”

His eyes turned White briefly, and he slumped over in the booth.

Lane sat next to Javier and propped him up, cupping Javier’s chin in his hand. He shifted his Sight to look at Javier’s energy centers. His nervous system underwent a significant shock, and he was slightly drained but fine. Lane saw a residual imprint of the doctor in Javier’s Mind, and the strength of his Mental Energy flow was much stronger than a normal human’s. Lane sent a small weave of Healing into Javier, restoring him and bringing him back to consciousness.

Brad: Albrecht! Is the doctor awake?

Albrecht: He is! And he’s starving! He wants you to bring him some food!

They were overjoyed at the news and relieved another notch in their mission was completed.

 

<><>

 

Brad and Lane appeared in the Lab with Javier between them and a to-go order from Long John Silver’s for the doc.

Immediately they took off for the doctor’s room. Even though they knew he was awake when they saw him sitting up and conscious, a rush of emotions hit them. His eyes were closed, but both his hands were clasped tightly around Albrecht’s forearm. The two men glowed softly, indicating the depth of their connection, and Brad and Lane tangibly felt the bond between them. It dawned on Brad that none of them knew if the doctor and Albrecht were entirely human, and if they were, how they Awakened, became so powerful, and attained Immortality.

Sensing their presence, the doctor opened his eyes and saw them standing in the doorway. His eyes misted and his face flushed with rarely expressed outward emotion, but he smiled as he said, “Come here. Let me look at you.”

They moved closer, and he took each of their hands in his own and squeezed them hard.

“The fact you are here is beyond all hope to me. I thought my dreams died the day your counterparts here were killed. How you came to be here is a mystery… one I fully wish to understand.”

Lane smiled and said, “It’s great to see you, doc. When you’re ready, we’ll tell you everything you need to know.”

The doctor looked at Javier, standing awkwardly by the door not knowing what to do with himself.

“My boy, come in. I must thank you as well. You did not ask for what happened to you, and I apologize profusely for my actions. If circumstances had not warranted, I never would have presumed to use you in such a manner without permission. I think all of us might end up owing you our lives.”

Javier smiled wanly and mumbled, “It was nothing. It’s not like I didn’t get anything out of it.”

“Once I am rested, I will talk with you at length, Javier. I have a proposition I believe you will wish to consider. For now though, we need to get you home safely. The Enemy does not know of you or your assistance, so you should be completely safe. I will be in touch soon if all goes well.”

As Brad and Lane were about to send Javier back, Lane went still. His eyes turned White, and his voice took on an otherworldly quality as the deep voice of The Master came out of his mouth.

Come, my servants! I Summon you with all my Authority! Gather and stand ready! As soon as those of The Order begin the ritual to Awaken their new Warriors, we will be aware of them and strike them down! We will obliterate The Order once and for all and rule this plane unopposed!

The men heard Lane’s voice in their Minds as well as their ears and the cold chill of The Master’s voice that went with it. They rushed into the room to see what was happening.

Albrecht, who had been silent at Aaron’s bedside, said, “Well, we knew this was coming. Are we ready to face the storm we just unleashed?”

 

<><><>

 

Later that evening Lane and Brad were in the kitchen with Ken, Bryan, and the others.

Ken asked, “So what’s next? We have the doc back, and other than needin’ some rest he seems ‘ta be in great shape. Even a few days ago I couldn’t have imagined that. You said after we got him back, we’d get our B and Lane back. What’s the plan?”

They knew Ken wasn’t pushing, but he and Bryan were anxious to have their partners back in their lives. The tension in them was visible in their energy flows.

“Lane and I need to make another call.”

“To who?”

“I’m not sure we should say. I’m sorry, but this is another one of those things that could cause quite a ripple if it doesn’t go right. I’m also not sure it’s entirely safe for you guys until the next step in your Awakening is complete.”

Bryan said, “I don’t care who you call. You’ve already pulled one rabbit out of a hat with the doc. I trust you.”

Lane grinned and said, “Thanks.”

Brad said, “Come on Lane, there’s no time like the present. Guy’s, I’m not sure what you will feel or hear in next little while, but don’t come into the gym. Wait for us to come out.”

 

<><>

 

Brad and Lane went into the gym. The overhead lights were off except for the spotlight over the sparring ring.

Lane: So, who do you want to call first?

Brad: Raphael and Gabriel since they’re closest to us. We have to include Uriel too, but I’m worried about getting Michael involved. You know how he was before he had his run-in with Ken.

Lane: I had the same thought. Alright, let’s do this.

Brad: I don’t want to do anything to antagonize them. Let’s keep our Shields down. They’ll need to Read us to understand why we’re here, and I want their trust.

Looking to the Heavens, their eyes turned White, and their Avatars glowed brightly in the darkness of the gym. When they spoke, their voices echoed in unison across the Physical and Spiritual Realms.

Raphael! Gabriel! Uriel!

The gym became deathly silent, and the darkness of the ceiling deepened, transforming into a vision of the Heavens. Millions of stars stretched across their sight, filled with brightly colored gas clouds and nebula. The beauty, as always, was breathtaking, and they sensed the duality as the gym shifted, existing in both Realms.

Three balls of light appeared and grew into the forms of the Archangels they were familiar with from their own reality.

The three Archangels looked familiar; Raphael in jeans and t-shirt with a brown leather jacket, Gabriel with his dark red hair tied in a ponytail and wearing a tailored grey pinstriped three-piece suit, and huge Uriel wearing his cloth tunic with animal furs as wrappings on his forearms and lower legs. They were all uncannily handsome and charismatic.

No words were initially spoken, but Brad and Lane felt the crushing Presence and Powerful Minds that scanned them.

As Raphael pulled back from Brad’s Mind, he quietly said, “I see.”

Knowing Raphael Read he and Lane Brad asked, “Can you help us? Do you know what happened to the bodies? We need to find them and restore them. I know you weren’t allowed to interfere to save them and technically can’t in this matter, but we need to find them to make things right.”

Raphael asked, “Where is the divergence? Do you know yet why matters here are so drastically different?”

Lane said, “There was a man present when the Lab was raided by The Enemy. We’ve never seen him before, but he was in charge. He was immune to the Runes and protections on the building. So far, he’s the only difference we’ve noticed, but my instincts tell me he’s key.”

Gabriel said, “The fact he is unknown to us is significant in itself. Someone has gone to great lengths to hide his existence from us. That alone was worth responding to your call. However, I would have come anyway for the chance to restore my grandson.”

Raphael responded, “I as well. However, I don’t know what became of the bodies of the Brad Wilson and Lane Weaver of this Plane. Do either of you?” he asked as he looked at his two Brothers.

Uriel spoke for the first time saying, “I was forbidden to take them Home with only half their Souls, as you know. I was instructed to put them in a safe place. They rest in Thomin’s Vault.”

Brad and Lane noticed the grim expressions of Raphael and Gabriel at Uriel’s words.

Brad tentatively asked, “What’s Thomin’s Vault?”

Raphael responded, “Thomin is one of our Brothers. His Province is to collect and protect objects of Power and information that must be kept outside the hands of humankind or from the Dark. Thomin is a bit eccentric for one of our kind.”

Lane looked at Brad and asked, “I wonder if that’s the place the doc mentioned. Where the Book was stolen from?”

Gabriel asked, “What Book?”

Brad answered, “In our reality, not too long ago, one of my Brothers was given the Book of Loagaeth. Since then, we’ve used the knowledge to fortify our holdings against The Enemy, but we still don’t know who gave us the Book. Our doc was worried if the Book was taken, other objects might have been as well. Our Team back home might already be looking into it. The doc was very concerned about the ramifications if other items are missing and back into circulation.”

Gabriel said, “The Book of Loagaeth? That is precisely the type of knowledge that should not be in the hands of mortals!”

Brad raised his voice, retorting, “Yeah, well we aren’t mortal anymore. There’s been interference from at least one of your rogue Brothers tipping the Balance even further. Whoever left us the Book is helping us stay in the fight. Our Purpose is to fight The Enemy on Earth, not Archangels. Things just keep getting more complicated.”

While he spoke, Brad’s Avatar flared visibly underneath his clothing. Raphael’s face softened, and he said, “We mean no affront, Brad. If you have the knowledge of the Book, whoever put it in your possession must believe you have the wisdom to use it.”

Brad sent a private thought to Raphael: Actually, you helped us with input on how to use the Runes most efficiently, but that secret will never go further, either in this reality or our own.

Raphael replied: I might need to have a discussion with myself about that. It seems there is more going on than we are aware of.

Lane said, “So the question of the day… how do we get to Thomin’s Vault?”

Uriel replied, “I will take you.”

 

<><>

 

They appeared in a cave on the shore of what at first glance seemed to be an underground lake. It was quickly apparent the water was from the ocean; the briny smell of saltwater was pungent. Two large stone doors stood covered in intricate bas-relief with torches on either side illuminating the area. The cave was frigid, and the carvings on the door glistened with a coating of ice.

It was a sacred place, and their presence disturbed the peace. The quiet of the cave was deafening.

A voice entered their Mind’s, strong and powerful.

You disturb this place. Leave now. You should not be here.

Uriel: They are here by my will.

You are here for the bodies then. You know the Rules, Uriel.

Open the doors and let us pass, Thomin. These men bear the Mark.

The Paradox you bring is dangerous, Uriel. They should not be here! I can feel the strain by their very presence!

Then let us retrieve what we came for and be on our way. I know the Rules. Let us in. Our need is great.

Your cause is not mine. I care little for your War.

Brad and Lane listened to the discussion, not sure if they should say anything. Thomin’s indifference, like Michael’s, was infuriating.

The petulant arrogance Brad heard blew the lid off his tempter.

Show yourself, Thomin! I want to talk to you!

Uriel’s head snapped around, and he practically hissed, “Do not antagonize him!”

Thomin appeared in front of them, stately and almost elegant looking. He was far thinner than any of the angels they had seen so far. He also seemed older, with gray in his temples. His skin had an odd sheen to it, but he had the same eyes as all his Brother’s, Ageless and Deep.

Brad moved forward, his body tense with anger.

“What purpose does it serve to keep the bodies here? They aren’t ‘objects of Power.' What can you possibly gain by keeping them other than to stroke your overblown ego and make you feel self-important?”

Uriel put his hand on Brad’s shoulder and gripped it firmly as if to try and hold him back.

“Brad Wilson, please…”

“I’m sorry, Uriel, but we went through this same attitude with Michael in our world! This asinine behavior is the reason The Enemy abounds here. You all are supposed to be on the right side of the Balance, not tip the scales in the other direction by being assholes.

“In case you hadn’t noticed things here are looking grim Thomin. Millions of human lives and Souls are at risk, while you stand here and bicker with us over whether or not we can retrieve our two friends. We appreciate you keeping them safe, but your reality needs them if it’s going to have a chance because if this reality is destroyed, you and all your precious ‘objects of power’ go with it.”

Something stirred in Brad as he spoke. His Avatar became warm and vibrant, and his tattoo tingled.

“Insolent half-breed!”

Thomin’s face was dark with anger. He pointed towards the water and shouted, “Be gone!”

Brad and Lane had never experienced anything like what they felt. An immensely powerful wave of… something… brushed off their Shields. Thomin looked shocked, and turned to Uriel, shouting, “How dare you!”

Uriel stared intently at Brad and Lane and said, “I did nothing Thomin. I told you they bear the Mark. They have the right to retrieve the bodies.”

Thomin practically shook in anger as he said, “Show me!”

Brad and Lane looked at Uriel with raised eyebrows, and he glanced at their shoulders with a slight nod.

“Show him your Avatar’s.”

They lifted their sleeves, exposing their tattoos. The vibrant and intricate designs glowed brightly, spitting arcs of color, and the runes were clearly visible.

“I should never have allowed you to leave them here Uriel. The Paradox is too dangerous. They are the only ones who can pass, but they cannot be here, so the bodies should stay under my Protection forever.”

Uriel’s irritation was apparent in the tone of his voice, “Yet they are here. You see they are Random and Unfettered. That changes everything. Stop being stubborn and let us pass.”

Thomin still looked furious, but the doors to the vault slowly swung open.

“Touch nothing! And you two… do not touch your counterparts!”

With that, Thomin vanished.

Lane smirked and looked at Brad, shaking his head.

“What is it with you and Ken going head to head with these guys?”

Brad grinned and shrugged his shoulders.

“Like Ken said, it seemed like the right thing to do. I was prepared to get my ass kicked, but it worked.”

Uriel gestured to the open doors, “Quickly, before he changes his mind. Follow me.”

Following Uriel, they entered the Vault. It wasn’t as large as they thought it would be, but it was full of objects on pedestals. They recognized the Book of Loagaeth immediately among the other artifacts.

When Brad and Lane saw the bodies, they stopped and stared. The lighting was dim, and the interior of the Vault exuded a light blue Aura that washed the color out of everything. In addition to that, the bodies glowed with a soft nimbus of magic.

Standing over the bodies, Uriel glanced back and motioned for them to approach.

“It must be disconcerting to see yourselves. They are in a state of suspension, neither alive nor dead. Their wounds were lethal, as you know. When I release the stasis, you must Heal them quickly. Let me know when you are ready.”

Uriel spoke the truth; it was difficult to see themselves. Their alternate versions were younger for starters, not yet matured from the activation of their Nephilim Heritage. Brad and Lane each noted details that struck them. Brad remembered the bloodstained t-shirt that now had a bullet hole in it. It was an old favorite Ken bought him on a whim when they were out shopping one day. Lane noted similar things, and they delved into one another for a brief moment to settle themselves.

Lane, you do the honors. I’ll be with you and back you up.

Brad moved behind Lane and hugged him, the same as Bryan always did. He squeezed firmly, expressing his support and letting Lane feel his presence physically and Mentally. Lane took a deep breath, Opening their energy centers and merging them. As always, their breath caught and their eyes watered from the emotional intimacy as they took solace in one another. It was a comfort to both men as close friends, to show themselves and not be ashamed or judged, but loved and accepted for who they were. Brad loved Lane as much as he loved Ken and the depth of the connection between them was just as profound.

Lane nodded to Uriel, “I’m ready.”

Uriel swept a hand over Brad’s prone body, and the Nimbus vanished.

Lane was ready and Opened all three energy centers in Brad’s body. A few thoughts went through his Mind as he viewed the damage through Brad’s energy flows. The first was how easy it was to Heal the damage. It was lethal to a human, which at that stage the Brad of the alternate reality still was, but for any of them now, fully Awake, it was almost trivial. They had come so far in the last few years, but it was also apparent in looking at their own journey, how precarious it had always been.

The history of all the guys from their early lives as children, growing up alone in one way or another, to the decisions and experiences that led them to join the Navy and become SEALS, and interviewing with the doctor; it was all a delicately intertwined series of choices and coincidences. If everything hadn’t happened precisely as it had, there was no telling how different things would be for all of them. The only difference in the alternate reality was someone interfered and tipped the Balance.

The black-suited man in the memories of their counterparts was the key. They didn’t know his name or who he was yet, but Lane had his suspicions. Brad had the same thought, but without proper Warding, they couldn’t say his name or even think it.

In no time Lane found the bullets still lodged in Brad’s body and teleported them into his hand. He then knitted the damage back together until the wounds Healed, and Brad was breathing normally but unconscious. Lane set a Compulsion for him to stay asleep.

Lane nodded for Uriel to continue and in another minute, the Lane of that Reality was fully Healed and sleeping as well.

Brad: Well, that was easy. I wasn’t sure what to expect, but that was much easier than I imagined it would be.

Lane: Yeah, I know what you mean. I have a feeling the shit is about to hit the fan though. Whoever is meddling here is going to be pissed we’re here and getting things back on track. We need to move fast.

Brad: It’s going to be tough to watch when we get them back.

Lane: Yeah. I don’t think I’ll be able to. We can make ourselves scarce for a bit.

Brad: Let’s push on and get this over with. We can’t leave until things here are right, and the sooner we do that, the sooner we get back to our own guys. Even though I love everybody here, it’s just not the same. They aren’t ours.

Uriel’s deep, gravelly voice, so like Bryan’s, cut through their thoughts.

I know this is difficult for you. I would not say this to Michael, but I am glad you are outside our Rules. You are needed, and I thank you for being here.

Brad: Uriel, can you ward us for a moment? I need to mention something, and it needs to stay private for now… and there’s another reason, but I can’t tell you openly.

No one can Scry this place or hear our thoughts. Thomin has no interest and is not listening.

Brad went on to tell Uriel about meeting Luke at the Tree and the warnings of Gabriel, Raphael, and the other Archangels of their reality. They had no proof, but they were sure Luke was responsible for everything. Luke would never show himself openly, so they knew the man in the memories of their lost Brothers wasn’t him, but there was a strong chance he was connected to Luke. Brad shared his concerns about Michael and showed Uriel his memory of Michael and Ken’s confrontation at the Lab.

I can force Michael to commune with himself in your Reality. We can do that at great need. I must go now. Can you return yourselves?

Sure. Thank you for your help, Uriel. Your grandson is about to be one happy camper.

The corners of Uriel’s mouth lifted in a rare grin. Even though he and Bryan didn’t physically look much alike, their mannerisms were identical. Lane smiled but also felt a twinge of sorrow from missing his lover so badly.

Follow the Light.

With the sound of fluttering wings, Uriel vanished.

 

<><><>

 

Brad and Lane appeared in the gym, each carrying the body of the other's counterpart. The Compulsion to stay asleep would last another few hours. There were a few reasons… first off neither Brad nor Lane could take seeing the reunion between their counterparts and their lovers. As much as they missed their own guys, it was just something they didn’t want to put themselves through. They also thought it would be a good idea for the first thing they saw when they woke up not to be a doppelganger of themselves from an alternate reality.

They called the doctor into the gym first and filled him in on what had transpired. The doctor asked Ken and Bryan to perform a few tasks that would keep them busy and allow the doctor to get Brad and Lane discreetly into a bed so the doctor could check them over first.

Brad said, “You really don’t need to, doc. Our ability to Heal is pretty comprehensive. Once the guys here get their Avatars, you can watch them in action and see for yourself. Speaking of their Avatars, we need to get them through the final Process as quickly as possible, and we need to be prepared for a full-on onslaught by The Enemy when we do it. It’s not going to be easy.”

“You are correct, my boy. I must have a frank discussion with you on that matter. If you are willing, having you here and fully Awake might alter the procedure I had planned.”

“Okay, doc. Let’s get these guys into bed and reunited with Ken and Bryan first. The Enemy won’t make a move until we start the ritual. They have their forces gathered, but they don’t know where to hit us until we start. We have some time, and I don’t think we’ll be alone. We have allies, whether you’re aware of them or not.”

The doctor raised a questioning eyebrow and looked thoughtful but didn’t say anything.

 

<><><>

 

The next few hours were painful and edgy. Brad and Lane heard the commotion in the Lab when the guys realized the friends they thought lost forever were alive and well and back with them.

Brad and Lane stayed in the gym and decided to put themselves through a grueling workout as a distraction. They kept their Shields tight, so they wouldn’t feel any overflow of the emotions running rampant just a short distance away.

They had completed their mental disciplines and were sparring in the ring when the door opened, and Rick, Loy, Kevin, Bill, Darren, and Pat came in.

They came over to the edge of the ring, and Loy said, “Guys can you come down for a minute? We want to talk to you.”

Brad gave Lane a ‘what’s up’ look, and Lane shrugged his shoulders. They were both wearing workout shorts and shoes, their bodies shining with sweat from the intensity of their workout. Their muscles were pumped and swollen, and veins showed across their upper chests and arms.

Loy and the others noticed their appearance, partly at their physicality as gay men. Lane and Brad were amazingly hot and virile, but it was more than that. Ever since their arrival, the guys were affected by their Nephilim Heritage and angelic charisma.

They hopped down, and as he and Brad started toweling off, Lane asked, “What’s up fellas?”

As soon as Brad and Lane saw their faces, they knew something changed and had a good idea what happened.

Loy’s eyes teared up when he spoke, “We want to thank you for bringing our Brad and Lane back to us. You know how much they mean to us, and we never thought we’d see them again. I know we don’t keep score, but we owe you big time.

“While you were gone, we… well maybe we jumped the gun, but I merged with Ricky, and I convinced the other guys to do the same with their partners, and then we did it as a group.”

Brad’s eyebrows rose in surprise, and Lane let out a quiet, “Oh shit!”

Loy continued, “It was rocky and intense… you know… but now we’re better than ever, and we understand more of what you guys are going through without your own partners. If you’ll let us, we want to merge with you. You can block off anything we don’t need to see, but it’s something we want to do for you, and think you need. What do you say?”

Brad and Lane were surprised and touched. Brad’s throat tightened, and for a moment he had trouble responding. Lane rolled his eyes and with his typical grin, said, “God, Brad, you’re such a pussy.”

They all laughed, including Brad. He still couldn’t talk but nodded his head in agreement.

Thank you, guys. I want to. Lane? Do you?

Hell, yeah! I’ve missed our version of these yahoos like you wouldn’t believe.

Loy: Why don’t you start; we’re getting the hang of it but since you have things we might not need to see it’s probably best that way. We’re an open book for you, and want to give you whatever you need.

Brad’s eyes turned White, followed by Lane’s, and he brought the two of them together first. This time he didn’t bother toning down their Auras, and they shone brightly. He wanted to give that back to his Brothers and show them what they had to look forward too.

Brad smoothly brought them together, unlike the train wreck that he and Ken shared the first time they merged. It was beautiful and powerful and emotionally intimate. Brad took them all deep, and they immersed themselves in one another completely. The warmth and support he and Lane missed were back; subtly different but just as powerful. It surrounded them, and they basked in the presence of their friends and Brothers as tears fell down their cheeks.

The guys were astonished at the strength in Brad and Lane and were reassured that they too would be the same soon enough with training and practice. The personalities and quirks they missed were like an old worn glove - the jokes, the Brotherly hugs, and the shit they hung on one another as only best friends could, fit perfect.

They took their time and gently went through the process as though it was the first time, which in a way it was. As deep as Brad took them, no time passed in the gym, but hours passed to their perceptions. None of them were ready to break what they shared, but Brad eventually separated them back into couples, and then into their bodies.

They stood for a few seconds, stunned and acclimating to their bodies, already missing the exquisite intimacy that was so painfully beautiful and profound. Then, almost as one, their six Brothers moved forward and physically embraced Brad and Lane. All of them had tears in their eyes as they wrapped their arms around them and held them tight.

Brad and Lane missed the hugs just as much. The warm strength of their bodies pressed together, their arms around each other, faces touching; it was just what they needed after merging. Their touch and their love completely refreshed and rejuvenated Brad and Lane.

Thank you, guys. You know how much we needed that and how much it means. I can’t wait for you to do that with the ten of you. The others have some catching up to do. In our world, Lane and I were the first two to develop, and here it’s going to be the opposite. I know you’ll break them in gently.

Kevin: Hell no, I’ll finally be able to spank Ken’s ass at something.

They all burst out laughing at Kevin’s comment and broke their embrace.

Rick: I’m starving, how about we get some chow?

Lane, with a grin on his face, thought: Yeah, we can hear that cavern you call a stomach.

Rick grabbed him in a headlock and walked him into the kitchen… just like old times.

 

<><><>

 

The intensity of the Auras coming from the rooms Ken, Brad, Bryan, and Lane occupied was blazingly bright. What was happening was no secret and everyone had smiles on their faces. Not just because their Brothers were getting laid, but because they were alive to get laid and back where they belonged. The mood was light and jovial in the kitchen as they decided what to eat for dinner. Bryan was busy, so their fallback cooks were Pat and Bill.

While they gathered in the kitchen, the doctor came and asked Brad and Lane if they could join him in his office for a few minutes.

When they entered, Albrecht was already there and shut the door.

The doctor sat silently as he gathered his thoughts. After a moment he said, “We are so grateful you are here. Your presence is a miracle of sorts. I was afraid my plans came to ruin that day, and yet you are here, and we are once again on the Path. However, I discovered a serious issue tonight. The harnesses I created for the next phase are gone. The chest containing them is missing along with much of my other equipment.”

Brad asked, “Sir, what was their purpose? To regulate the energy flows?”

“Yes, that was their primary function; to Open the individual energy centers and regulate the flows during the Awakening.”

“I can do that. We learned to regulate our own flows and each other’s in our training. I can manage all ten at once if necessary. It might not be a bad idea, given what we know is coming as soon as we start. Lane can help with the defenses while I manage the energy flows.”

“You are sure, Bradford? You know how long it will take.”

“Yes, sir… I’m not saying it will be a walk in the park, but I’m confident I can do it.”

Albrecht grinned and said, “I told you, Aaron. Brad allowed me to Read him when he first contacted me to gain my trust. They are everything you thought they would be, and more.”

Like his Angelic grandfather Raphael, part of Brad’s Avatar was Intellect and Wisdom. After a long debate in his Mind, Brad decided to move forward with an idea he had while he had private time with the doctor and Albrecht.

“Doc… Lane and I merged with everyone in the gym a few minutes ago. We intentionally Shielded a lot of information, and they know it. In our world, you’ve stepped back in the last few years, allowing us to grow on our own. We haven’t told them anything about the abilities they will gain or the troubles they will face.

“I want to share with you and Albrecht what we’ve gone through in our world. As long as it’s kept private, I don’t think that will cause too much of a ripple. They’re good men, and tough, but they’re going need you more than ever in the upcoming fight. I trust your wisdom in how best to use the knowledge.”

A big grin crossed Brad’s face when he said, “You have to promise me not to get too excited at some of what I’m about to share though. You’re going to be busy as hell once you discover a few things. It would be easiest to merge; would you do the honors?”

The doctor brought the four of them into a Link, and again it was like a balm to Brad and Lane. The doctor’s and Albrecht’s Minds were soothing and peaceful, powerful in their own right and far more experienced. As always, their mentor’s restricted certain aspects and knowledge in the merge, but the experience was beautiful nonetheless.

Brad shared the Avatars of each man and their subsequent Awakenings. He shared his difficulty in coming to grips with his telepathy and the individual journeys of each of his Brother’s and how far they had come in attaining unconditional love for humans. The doctor did get excited when he saw the new equipment Darren and Pat would be able to engineer. Albrecht rolled his eyes and smiled, winking at Brad.

The doctor was just as apprehensive about the ancestry of the men and their Archangel relatives as Brad knew he would be. Their unknowing interference in his research infuriated him, but the results stood before him, so he had little choice but to accept it as a good thing. Lastly, they shared with him the contents of the Book of Loagaeth. Of everything they shared, that knowledge stunned him the most.

They won’t be ready for the kind of Power it will take to generate those Runes for a while, but as soon as they are you need to fortify the Lab against the Light and the Dark. That man who broke into the Lab that day … I have a feeling he’ll be here tomorrow. We need to once again make this place a safe haven.

Lane: We still don’t fully know what happened the day of our first Awakening, doc. We did see Nephilim in the gym at the end of the procedure before we passed out. The leader of the four that helped us is named Istariel. We’re pretty sure he’ll be here tomorrow to help, but beyond that we aren’t sure what’s going to happen. We’ll have to improvise as best we can and figure out a way to make it through the procedure.

Aaron: I do not like leaving so much up to chance.

Brad: We learned a while back, doc, sometimes that’s all we can do. There are forces at play driving this confrontation. The idea of Balance is out the window as far as The Enemy is concerned, but there is still opposition to Them, and we have allies.

Aaron: I will have everything ready in the morning, but I must speak to them first and give them a chance to return to a normal existence.

Lane: Fat chance on that doc. You have to ask, but we both know what they’re going to say.

 

<><><>

 

Brad and Lane weren’t looking forward to the meeting for a few reasons. Meeting their alternate selves was awkward. What do you say to yourself? And, Thomin warned them not to touch their counterpart, so they couldn’t even shake hands. The gratitude was sincere though, and it was evident what their revival meant, not only to their world but to Ken and Bryan.

The closeness between Brad and Ken was apparent just being around them, and it was the same with Lane and Bryan. They stayed glued at the hip as soon as they came out of their room, and the looks on their faces said everything. Ken and Bryan were like new men, the zombie-like quality they had adopted to survive was gone, and the smiles on their faces made them look like their old selves.

The doctor called them together and gave the same speech he gave in Brad and Lane’s reality a few years prior. He told them about The Order, The Enemy, and why he recruited them. They already heard the basics from Brad but listened intently, and the doctor was much more forthcoming than Brad had been about details of the Conflict. As Lane predicted, none of them backed out, eager to continue and take the fight to The Enemy.

 

<><>

 

An hour later they gathered in the gym, ready to begin. While waiting for the doctor, Lane pulled his counterpart aside.

“When all of this first started in our world, Brad and Ken almost died. Part of our Awakening was a Song that came to me in a Dream. I’m not sure how applicable it is here, but I think you should sing it. It can’t hurt.”

“I don’t have anything to play it on. The guitar I kept here in my locker was destroyed.”

“Well, hold onto your hat because you’ll be able to do this too not long from now.”

Lane made a flourishing gesture, and a beautiful guitar coalesced out of thin air. It was the one with the pearl inlay that matched the design of his Avatar.

“No one else can play this but me. Which means you can too.”

Lane held it out for his counterpart to take.

“Give it a try.”

The other Lane took it and put the strap over his shoulder, strumming a chord. The sound was rich and pure. The grin on his face was a mile wide, and Lane couldn’t help but smile at himself. He knew that feeling.

He held his hands up to his chest in the diamond pattern, and a small sphere emerged, floating over and entering the other Lane. When it went into his body, he blinked slightly.

“That’s the Song. You all had to cross a River to get to where you are, so I think the metaphor is still applicable.”

They moved over to the rest of the guys, who had questioning looks on their faces.

Lane strummed the opening chords to the Song, and immediately their eyes flashed White, as something unlocked deep within them. The same door in them Opened, a door that could never close.

With the opening chorus, they were pulled outside themselves, and their Souls flew with Lane as the words and meaning became a part of them.

By the time he finished their eyes were wide, and the momentum of whatever was building around them apparent.

Thunder rumbled across the skies of Atlanta, mirroring the imminent conflict about to take place. The lightning and thunder strummed through their bodies, and Ken had the same thought about how storms followed significant times in their lives.

More and more details were converging, the corrections cascading, and Brad and Lane felt the ripples around them.

As instructed, the guys removed their clothing, and the doctor had them get into the sparring ring, sitting as couples with their backs to one another.

As they sat Istariel and his cousins appeared around the ring, Veiled so no one but Brad and Lane could see them, but Brad told the doctor, “The Nephilim are here, doc. Things are about to get exciting.”

Albrecht and Taliesin were present as well. Taliesin wasn’t happy about being indoctrinated into the defense of the Team, but he also knew he had to do everything possible to save Lane Weaver so he could accept the Gift and take it from him. His attitude all morning was worse than usual, and he was waspish and snapping at everyone.

 

<><>

 

Istariel’s voice entered Brad’s Mind.

Are you ready, Brad Wilson?

I think so.

We stand with you. These men must survive; however, the outcome is uncertain. The Enemy is strong and will bring all their Power to bear.

Albrecht, Lane, and Taliesin will help. The only part I’m worried about is the man that showed up here at the Lab. He’s the key to the divergence, and why everything here is cockeyed. We survived in our world with your help, and Taliesin’s as well. This time Lane will be here, and Albrecht, so let’s hope we’ll be enough. I won’t be able to help much if any.

I am glad we met, Brad Wilson. We had doubts about your Path… or the Path of the Brad Wilson and the others of this world.

Believe it or not Istariel, you and I are good friends in my world. I hope that happens for you here with these men. You’ll need each other in the days ahead.

Brad glanced over and saw the doctor handing out small sippy cups to the men. He distinctly remembered the flavor of the one he drank … banana-peanut butter.

The icy calm that always accompanied a difficult mission settled in all of them. Everything was now only a few minutes from starting.

It’s time Istariel. I’ll be opening their energy centers momentarily.

Be sure everyone stays within the confines of the ring.

Istariel and his cousins moved over, each standing on one side of the boxing ring. Their long arms stretched out until their fingers touched. Lifting his face to the Heavens, Istariel’s voice reverberated through the Spiritual Realm.

We stand outside Time, in a place not of Earth; joined together as One. By all thy Holy Angels, by the powers of Light, we call Thee to guard and defend these men from all perils, O Most High.

Four Corners, I call thee to me!

And so, the ritual began. The darkness in the ceiling became the blackness of space, filled with stars. The four Archangels appeared as they were Summoned and once present their ghostly wings stretched out, intertwining and sealing the Dome of Protection.

Lane watched intently while Brad stayed focused on the men. At the doctor's instruction, Brad opened their Minds first. A brilliant blue ribbon of energy came out of their foreheads and intertwined with their partners, forming a loop. He guided the flows in and around each couple, careful to keep them separate. The doctor’s serum unlocked the last of their genetic potential, and the energy flows gained in strength as their body chemistry changed. Their latent Nephilim DNA activated, and Brad watched the changes in their flows as their Nephilim Heritage emerged. It was spectacular to see and witness the birth of a new race of beings, and the profundity wasn’t lost on him.

Intense danger hit Brad like a punch in his stomach. He could tell by their faces everyone else felt it as well.

Ken shouted, “Doc! Something’s up!”

“Yes, Kenneth I feel it as well. Do not concern yourself; it is expected. You must stay still and let us handle whatever might happen. It is imperative you not try to interfere! Promise me! All of you!”

The doctor rarely raised his voice, so they knew he was serious and they reluctantly complied.

Lane heard Taliesin gasp, and he looked up to see a Dark Cloud in the Heavens rapidly approaching. It was the Dark, all its Servants, and his spine went cold at the sight. The smoky cloud writhed and seethed, guided by the Will of The Master. The Darkness grew as it approached, blotting out stars in its immensity.

The Dome, nearly invisible before, flared bright White as the first blow struck. The impact shook the building, almost knocking the doctor off his feet. Brad held firm and focused on Opening the next energy center in the men, and a warm golden light burst forth from their chests. The threads of energy circled back between the partners creating a circuit, and as the ribbons passed through each man they emerged stronger than before. Again, Brad saw a strengthening of the flows. One couple at a time, Brad brought the streams together into a bright White ribbon. He was aware of the pressures the men experienced in their Minds and Body’s, remembering well from his own experience.

Relentlessly the Dark Cloud sent smoky tentacles out to strike the Dome, trying to break through and devour the Minds and Souls of the men beneath. As powerful as their Protectors were, the Dark sent all its Servants and Power against them, desperate to destroy the last hope of The Order.

Just as in Brad’s reality Taliesin intervened, and with his help and Albrecht’s, the Four Corners along with Istariel and his cousins began to drive back the Dark. So far Lane had not joined in the defense, not knowing why but trusting his gut instinct not to do so.

With one last push, the angelic protectors scattered the Dark Cloud, dissipating it. It would reform soon enough, but for that day The Enemy had exhausted itself and was held at bay.

The ghostly beings lowered their wings, and the darkness in the gym returned to normal.

Their voices weary, the Nephilim breathed a sigh of relief.

We prevailed.

The doctor couldn’t see the ghostly Archangels still present or the Nephilim, but he felt their presence and knew that they had helped. He glanced up and said, “Thank you for your Protection. The world could not stand to lose them.”

In a quiet voice, he added, “Or me.”

Albrecht, weary from his efforts in defending the Dome put his hand on his lover's shoulder in support and confirmation of their success.

All was quiet as the doctor moved to check on his young charges. Brad fell to his knees exhausted, and his Intuition suddenly screamed at him that something was wrong as a Mental blast hit him, knocking him out cold. His Shields saved him but shattered in the attack.

Lane spun around when he felt what happened and saw Brad unconscious on the mat, and his Shields flared, surrounding Brad, breaking the surprise attack against his friend.

A deep voice by the door to the gym sounded amused, “You are fast Lane Weaver. I hoped to kill him quickly. I’ve heard you are powerful, but he seemed easy enough to deal with.”

Lane recognized the man from everyone’s memories, the one who led the attack on the Lab that killed the Brad and Lane of this reality.

Lane's face was stony, but he was furious inside. He said in an even tone, “I wouldn’t expect much less from a chicken shit coward Servant of The Enemy. He was exhausted, and you caught him by surprise. Now you have to deal with me.”

“You have no idea how I’ve longed to pit myself against one of you. All I hear is how strong you are; the Hope of The Order. I think you have everyone fooled. After I kill you, I will kill everyone else here.”

“You aren’t killing anyone. I’m not sure who you are, but I intend to find out, and once we know who you’re working with, we’ll bring him down too.”

Lane didn’t know his adversary was Orophir, the Nephilim Child of The Dark One. Not knowing who Orophir was or how powerful, Lane stayed on the defensive at first. An immensely strong Aura surrounded him, pushing against Lane’s Shields.

The first blow was nearly devastating, and Lane’s Mind exploded in pain. He reached out to Listen and was shocked at the silence. It dawned on him immediately that Orophir, whoever he was, had the Amulet Trenton Ashmore wielded in his reality.

Fuck!

Lane knew he didn’t stand a chance by himself. He would have to delay as long as he could to give the doctor time to get everyone out safely.

“Doc! Get everybody out now! I’ll hold him as long as I can! Move!”

The desperation in Lane’s voice was apparent, and the doctor didn’t know what else to do but obey. He had to get his charges to safety, but ever resourceful, he could still help. Holding his hands in the shape of a diamond, a small ball of light appeared, shooting across the room and into Lane.

Lane absorbed the memory sphere, and the knowledge saved his life. Over the thousands of years the doctor lived, he honed and sharpened his Powers and skills. As Nephilim Lane and the guys were naturally stronger, but they lacked his experience; experience the doctor just shared with Lane.

Lane suddenly knew how to maximize his efforts with minimal expenditure of Power. He was able to deflect the blows Orophir aimed at him, so they glanced off his Shields. Everything Aaron shared was fundamental physics, and Lane was astounded he and Brad hadn’t applied the knowledge before.

Lane’s mischievous grin appeared, and he yelled, “I love you, doc! Now get out of here!”

Even with his new knowledge, Lane was overmatched, but he was able to play the mouse and deflect and dodge the vast majority of the attacks against him. He could tell Orophir was pissed off, and he smiled grimly to himself. He wasn’t planning on sacrificing himself, fully intending to escape, but not until the doctor had everyone safely out of the building.

Orophir quickly became frustrated. His father assured him these men were no match for him while he wielded the Charm of Music, yet the half-breed was holding his own. He realized the rumors of their strength were true and hated them for it. He should be that Powerful! Maybe then his father would finally give him the love and respect he so desperately wanted.

Lane continued avoiding or deflecting Orophir’s attacks. With the Charm absorbing ambient Music Lane didn’t have the power to go on the offense. Reaching further out would take too much time, so he continued his basic strategy to give the doctor as much time as possible. Even on full defense Lane was tiring; the Amulet gave Orophir so much raw Power even the deflections hurt and drained him. Lane called on the Animal Spirits but could only draw so much without dissipating them.

The doctor and Albrecht had everyone out but Brad when one attack hit Lane full force, shattering his Shields. He was nearly knocked unconscious, his Mind on fire. His vision tunneled and was he about to pass out.

I have you now. The Order will fall by my hand, and I will take my rightful place above The Master as promised!

Lane knew he and Brad were in big trouble. Out of the blue Lane’s body tensed and his Avatar came to life, spitting brightly colored arcs of energy. Images came to his Mind, and he delved deep within himself to slow his perception of time.

They realized long before their partners were usually crucial to saving them in dire circumstances. Bryan figured it out and shared his revelation with everyone when Bill was trapped in his Mind and Kevin was the only one who could destroy the Evil of the Skull and set him free. Lane’s thoughts clicked into place as he slowed the images and realized what information his Avatar, magnified by the Gift, revealed to him. Bryan was vital if Lane was going to get out alive. A great mystery of the Tree and the Dragon were revealed to him and held the answer to his salvation.

He wasn’t sure if his idea would work, and it was a last-ditch effort or he and Brad were toast. Lifting his hands to his chest, forming a diamond with his fingers, a small ball of Light appeared, bobbing gently in front of him.

Orophir saw it and said, “You won’t send any messages or call for help.” He held out his hand, and the orb started to float towards him.

Breathing hard, sweat pouring down his face, Lane grinned and said under his breath, “Try and stop me, fucker.”

His Avatar pulsed brightly, and the orb vanished. It didn’t dart off like they normally would, it simply vanished.

“What did you do!?”

 

<><><>

 

Ken and Bryan were sparring in the gym. They had spent a great deal of time together while Brad and Lane were away, even sleeping in the same bed occasionally or with another couple if one of them felt particularly lonely. There was no sex, but if one of them needed the intimacy, it was always ready and available with no shit talk or repercussions.

All the guys knew how hard being away from their partners was and went out of their way to spend time with Ken and Bryan and keep them company or stay merged with them.

The two big men wore boxing shorts with pads and gloves and had been going at each other for nearly an hour and were covered in sweat. Bryan was a bit winded trying to keep up with Ken, but loved to push himself.

“Hey Bry, I was thinkin’, what do ‘ya think about you and me goin’ on a campin’ trip ‘ta the Tree while B and Lane are away? It would get us out of everyone’s hair, and it’s one of the few places we can relax.”

“Sounds good to me. We might have to take some meat with us; without one of the sissy fucker’s Avatars to get an animal, we’ll be stuck with what I can grow. Or we can go vegetarian.”

Ken laughed and said, “Fuck that! I’m a meat-eater.”

Bryan smirked and said under his breath, “Yeah, that’s what Brad said.”

Their conversation was spaced out between heavy breathing and landing or blocking punches. Their bodies were pumped, and the sound of gloves hitting their solid bodies echoed in the empty gym. Both men were blindingly fast and inhumanly strong as well as extraordinarily agile and dexterous, and it was a thing of beauty to watch them pit themselves against one another.

Of course, Ken heard Bryan’s comment and smiled as he landed a punch to Bryan’s stomach. Bryan grunted from the impact and returned a flurry of punches, all of which were blocked but put Ken on the defensive.

Ken raised his hand to signal for a break and said, “Speakin’ of food, I’m starvin’. You think there’s anythin’ in the kitchen or do you wanna run out and grab somethin’?”

“We probably need to grab a shower and go out. I need to make a grocery run and restock. If we’re going camping, I’ll need to get some things anyway.”

“Hey, Bry if we can’t take anythin’ synthetic with us what do you think would happen to Velveeta? I love that queso dip you make with salsa.”

Bryan rarely laughed out loud, but Ken’s comment was so off the wall it struck him funny.

“Sometimes I wonder about you, boss man. Where the fuck did that come from?”

Ken smiled, showing his perfect white teeth and said, “Brad wonders that too. Honestly, I just like to say goofy shit sometimes to make him smile.”

“Yeah, I get that. Not to sound mushy, but I love doing stuff like that for Lane too.”

Ken put an arm around Bryan’s shoulders as they walked towards the locker room to shower, giving him a firm squeeze of comfort, knowing how much Bryan missed Lane.

Both men felt a tingling in their gut at precisely the same instant. A powerful sense of something wrong filled both of them. Spinning around, they assumed a back to back defensive posture and scanned the room. The Lab was secure with the Runes from the Book of Loagaeth so they couldn’t imagine anything dangerous attacking them there.

A small ball of Light appeared in the air, bobbing gently, and they recognized it as a memory sphere. It was still for a moment before it flew into Bryan’s body, and Lane’s voice filled his Mind as soon as it absorbed into his body.

Bry! I need you! Brad’s unconscious and I’m getting my ass kicked by the guy who was responsible for killing Brad and Lane here the first time. We have them back and just finished the Ritual to Awaken the entire Team. I gave the doc time to get everyone out, but I can’t hold out much longer. This guy has the same Amulet Trenton Ashmore had in Australia. With it, he’s too fucking powerful to take by myself. Use the Tree to get here Bry. The Roots of the Tree grow through all Creation; it touches all realities, and you can get here through it. Leroy can provide the Power, and the Tree is the Path. You just have to figure out how to get Leroy’s help without waking him up! If this trick worked, you should have an hour before I start fighting this guy. Any longer and I couldn’t be sure of it reaching you at all. Please hurry, and I love you!

Bryan: Fuck!

Ken: Bry, what is it?

Bryan filled with emotions. Fear for Lane, anger at The Enemy, and anxiety on how to respond fast enough to save Lane. Bryan and Ken were the physical partners, but their Minds were Open. Bryan gripped Ken’s bicep, and with the physical contact he merged them deeply together.

The soothing presence of each man wrapped around the other, and as their Souls merged each felt the effect they had on the another. They were Brothers; their bonds beyond human. Bryan breathed deeply and leaned on Ken as he shared Lane’s message. Ken knew he needed to keep Bryan calm and focused.

Okay, Bry, we need ‘ta act fast. We need Loy’s help and the other brainiacs.

Together, drawing and supporting one another, they had the range to call out to Loy.

Ken: Loy! Get everyone to the gym! 911!

Ken was not surprised that in less than a few seconds the entire team minus Brad and Lane appeared around them. They had trained themselves to react fast when needed and how to merge quickly to support each other. They were becoming the weapons they needed to be to fight and defeat The Enemy.

Loy took them all deep into a Construct of the Lab to give them time to talk and Bryan shared Lane’s message, bringing them up to speed. Anxiety and fear ran through them for Brad and Lane, but it was controlled and focused. They were confident and ready to do whatever necessary to save their Brothers.

Bryan: We five can get there on our own so we won’t tire you out and then port to us once we’re there. Loy, you need to keep Leroy calm and asleep after I see him. You know what happens if he wakes up.

Loy: Fuck! No pressure!

Ken: You can do it, Loy, especially with everybody backin’ you up. Bill, send a message to the doc and Albrecht tellin’ him what we’re doin’. He needs ‘ta be in the loop and know we’ll be gone. I’m not sure how long it’ll be before Bry and I make it back.

Darren: You know what the doc said about the strain on that reality with Brad and Lane there. With both versions of them plus the two of you, it’s going to be worse. You need to finish up quick and get your asses back here.

Bill: With all four of you there, you’ll have less time than the doc initially accounted for.

Since Michael removed the dispensation on their ability to teleport into the Valley, they could go directly there. Ken and Bryan still only wore their workout shorts and shoes and were soaked in sweat from their workout. There was nothing to be done; they didn’t want to take a few minutes to change clothes when their partner’s lives were on the line.

 

<><>

 

Bryan moved behind Ken and wrapped his arms around him in a hug, crisscrossing his arms over Ken’s torso. His eyes turned White, and both his and Ken’s Avatar’s flared emerald green, the green of the Tree and their eyes, and they vanished. Linked with Ken and Bryan, Patrick, Rick, and Kevin clasped hands and disappeared a split second behind them.

 

<><>

 

They appeared at the roots of the Tree by the cave entrance, and in less than a second the others appeared beside them. They took off together, into the cave and down to the chamber where Leroy slept.

They passed through the chamber of the Water of Life, and a short time later stood at the entrance to the vast cavern where Leroy’s head emerged. The legend of the Midgard Serpent said his body was so large he wrapped around the world. Leroy’s body disappeared into the cavern, and they had never seen anything besides his head, so there was no telling if that legend was true.

They were deathly silent as they moved into the chamber. Bryan immediately moved to Leroy, stretching out his arms and pressing his body against the creatures soft, leathery hide. To Bryan, Ken, and the other Bodies the musky smell of his hide was potent, and it darkened slightly from the sweat of Bryan’s body where he pressed against the great beast.

Bryan was the only one who spoke, and in his deep, gravelly voice, he whispered, “I’m here, buddy. I need your help.”

His hands ran soothingly over Leroy’s hide while Bryan reached out with his Mind to touch the thoughts of the massive creature. The giant eyelid close to Bryan opened in a tiny slit, revealing the immense golden eye underneath moving back and forth as Leroy slept and dreamed. Leroy always seemed to be aware of Bryan’s presence, even in slumber.

Ken: Is everybody ready?

Loy: Okay, Bry. I’ll drop you and Ken out of the Link as soon as you start. We’ll keep Leroy calm until you’re gone, and then we’ll head out once we know he’s back to normal.

Their Brothers were with Bryan and Ken, knowing what was at stake if they failed. Not only would their own Brad and Lane be lost, but their fight against The Enemy as well. They still didn’t know why that particular reality was so important, but failure there meant failure in their own.

Bryan lowered his head and took a deep breath. As he inhaled, he Mentally took in the Souls of his Brothers as well as Leroy’s scent. The comfort of their presence and support calmed him. Mental things were Lane’s specialty, not his, but he was the Protector of Leroy and the Tree, tied to them, and the others through him. It was another part of their birthright as Nephilim the doctor hadn’t expected or planned for; however, it was part of the Archangels plan, he was sure of that now. They had plans for Bryan and Ken and the others, but their ultimate intentions still remained a mystery.

Bryan stretched out his arms, pressing as much of his body against Leroy’s soft hide as he could manage, resting his cheek against the Dragon. The immense strength in Leroy was evident to Bryan through his enhanced senses, his Avatar, and his connection as Leroy’s Protector. Bryan stilled himself and listened to Leroy’s heartbeat and the Fire churning within his body. The part of his Avatar that came from Pat gave him the Understanding of everything he took in; Leroy’s Purpose was to destroy the world or all of Creation when called by God, and everything Bryan felt in the enormous creature was the strength to carry out that Purpose.

Bryan knew the world would see Leroy as a hideous monster and creature of destruction. Bryan saw through that and loved Leroy for what he was; a perfect, but misunderstood creature. Bryan’s Understanding was the reason his bond with the Dragon was so potent; his unconditional love for something no one had ever loved. Bryan knew no one in the world would ever feel for Leroy what he did. Maybe it was the fact Bryan was left as an infant when his parents died, alone and friendless in the world most of his life, that enabled his bond with the Dragon… being alone and misunderstood was how he came into the world and something he could relate too.

Bryan’s Avatar came to life as he entered Leroy’s slumbering consciousness. Tremendous Rage existed just under the surface and looking into Leroy’s Dream was shocking. He was devouring the Earth, but it was the Earth from the time of his birth. Man didn’t exist yet, just birds and beasts and rock and lava. He flew around the world, burning it with his fiery breath, melting everything with a hot purifying flame. To him, he was cleansing a broken creation and fulfilling his Purpose.

Get ready, Ken. I’ve felt this before. The first time it almost got me, and Lane and Brad aren’t here to help us fight it off. It will want to consume you, but you have to control it and not let it get out of hand.

I’m ready.

Bryan reached out, pulling Ken into Leroy’s Dream. Both men needed to tap into his Fire and Rage and fill themselves with that Power to save their partners.

Loy and the other’s looked on as Ken and Bryan started to glow with a bright yellow-orange nimbus flickering over their bodies. Their eyes, White before, became slitted and golden like Leroy’s. Their expressions hardened, and their bodies tensed, every muscle and vein stood out from the effort of barely controlling the Rage that filled them. They were nearly consumed by the initial onslaught and hung on by a thread, and only holding thoughts of Brad and Lane as tightly as they could gave them the strength to resist. Ken stood beside Bryan, a hand on his shoulder, his Avatar of Will and Strength active and helping to Shield them.

The Roots of Yggdrasil were all around them, and Bryan’s Avatar glowed Emerald Green once again, showing through the Fire licking his body. The two Powers, Dragon Fire and Life, did not clash; instead forming a synergistic bond increasing the potency of both.

The soothing Life Energy surrounded Bryan, lessening the Rage but not the Power. He held so much his body ached, stretched to his limits.

Ken watched Bryan and Understood everything that transpired and realized the danger of holding the Dragon Fire inside of them too long. He knew how powerful they were and masked their Aura’s.

Lane’s words about the Roots of the Tree spanning all Creation, even connecting realities, echoed in Bryan’s Mind. Bryan gripped Ken’s shoulder, and they vanished.

When Bryan’s Avatar first Awoke, immediately after drinking the Water of Life, his Mind expanded until he felt all Life in existence in his reality, nearly overwhelming him at the time. Since then, all the men had grown and increased their capacity to complete the Purpose they were born to fill. All the training and experience they garnered so far allowed them to adapt and survive and do what needed to be done at the moment.

To Bryan, traversing the roots of the Tree was akin to surfing; he always loved the water and enjoyed various water sports when he was in the Navy. Now he rode the Energy of the Tree between worlds. Each reality contained a version of himself, Lane, and his Brothers, but the one he sought held the other half of his Soul, and he focused on finding that needle in an ocean of worlds. Ken focused on finding Brad, and his Avatar filled both men with determination and confidence to complete their task.

Traveling by the Roots of the Tree took them outside Time. They weren’t sure if Time was even measurable where they were, and they each had the thought the doctor would probably know and would have to ask him.

Their search seemed to take forever, and Bryan’s anxiety spiked, thinking he wouldn’t make it to Lane on time. Even if Time wasn’t passing, they still perceived it to be so, and he was anxious.

Ken sensed Bryan’s anxiety and increased his presence in his Brother.

Stay focused Bry. We’ll get there in time.

Ken’s presence helped quell the anxiety rising in the pit if Bryan’s stomach. He would be the rock Lane needed. He and Ken would be enough to save Lane and Brad. They had to be.

 

<><>

 

Lane was nearly finished. Exhausted, every deflected attack took more out of him. His lungs burned, trying to draw enough oxygen to keep him going, and his body trembled with fatigue as sweat poured off him.

He needed Music, but that damned Amulet soaked it up as fast as it came into being, and he didn’t have time to reach far enough out past the Amulets range to get what he needed.

His Mind was on fire, and each blow against his Shield hurt his body as well as his Mind.

 

<><>

 

Orophir won. Per his father’s instructions, he pushed Lane Weaver to his limits without killing him. Whatever sphere the hybrid summoned vanished, a failed attempt to call for help. His opponent was so weak his orb faded out of existence.

Thoughts of his father and their interactions kept surfacing in Orophir’s Mind. Luke had no respect for his son; in fact, Orophir realized he was just another tool, but even knowing that he longed for acceptance, wanting to be loved as a son.

Was he too obedient? Was his father testing him, to see if he had the capacity and initiative to take a place by his side? Should he destroy Lane Weaver and break The Order against his father’s instructions?

With that thought, a look of resolve crossed Orophir’s handsome features. Yes! He would kill his opponent and prove his worth. Through the Charm, he began pulling all the Power he could hold into himself, preparing to strike down his foe.

Lane felt the buildup. Using the last of his strength he bolstered his Shields, knowing they wouldn’t hold but hoping they would lessen the attack enough not to kill him outright. Even those few seconds might be enough. He trusted Bryan implicitly.

When Lane was in Taliesin’s Construct with Bryan, he sacrificed himself for Bryan’s sake. He later realized what a horrible mistake he made by not trusting Bryan in that circumstance. He vowed never to make that mistake again… somehow Bryan would save him. He wouldn’t give up on himself or his partner.

 

<><>

 

As Orophir raised his fist, black smoke dripping from his hand and crackling with dark energy, a hand on his shoulder burned through his Shields.

He hadn’t detected any other Presence and he turned, surprised and caught off guard, crying out in pain.

“That’s my boyfriend, you fucker!”

As the words left Bryan’s mouth, his fist connected with Orophir’s jaw in a massive haymaker. The force of the blow, not just Bryan’s physical strength but the added Power of Dragon Fire, sent Orophir flying across the gym to slam into the steel-reinforced wall. The wall shattered, and the beams bent into the shape of Orophir’s body from the force of the impact.

With the reprieve against his Shields, Lane’s eyes came back into focus, and his relief at Bryan’s presence was staggering. The feeling he missed was back, and there was nothing else like it in the world; any world. Power filled him as he dove into his lover, replenished through Bryan and the Fire he wielded.

Lane saw Ken in the boxing ring kneeling over Brad, and instinctively brought the four of them together into their ever-familiar Link, breathing in the awareness of his two Brothers who were once again whole just like he and Bryan were. Lane never wanted to be without that feeling again.

Bryan and Ken sensed the mischievous grin that appeared Lane’s face.

Took you guys long enough! That was too close for comfort. Just once, can we not cut things so close?

Ken: Don’t look at me! I just tagged along for the ride! Your boyfriend was the driver this time.

As soon as Ken’s hands touched Brad’s unconscious body, his Mind reacted and Power flowed from Ken into his partner. It was the barest portion of what Ken held, but it rushed into Brad bringing him back to consciousness.

Brad’s voice was private in Ken’s Mind.

God, it’s good to see you! I missed you so much!

With everything going on, the embrace they longed for would have to wait, so their Mind’s touching would have to be enough.

Brad and Lane were aware of the Power and Rage boiling just below the surface in their partners. Through their blending, Brad and Lane saw what transpired with Ken and Bryan and how they came to be so Powerful and traversed the Roots of the Tree between worlds to find them. They also realized Ken and Bryan couldn’t hold so much Power for long, or it would overwhelm them. It was only their love and concern for their partners that held back the damn ready to burst in both of them.

Brad: Ken, Bry, we have to get that Amulet away from him.

Ken took a split second to lean over and kiss Brad. When he did, Brad’s eyes raked over Ken’s nearly naked body, still pumped and sweaty from working out just minutes before, the perfect physique he was so familiar with. The look on his face showed love at first, but it quickly turned to lust. Ken’s aura and everything Brad found desirable about him was magnified by the Dragon Fire. As close as they were Brad felt the heat radiating from Ken; he even smelled musky, like Leroy, and it turned him on.

Ken noted his look and winked, and the little kid grin that melted Brad appeared on his handsome face.

You got it, B. Come on, Bry.

Orophir was briefly stunned by Bryan’s blow, amazed anything could touch him with his powers magnified by the Charm. Somehow, they discovered a way to augment themselves as well. He saw no visible Charms and deduced whatever it was must be temporary, while his talisman would sustain him indefinitely. He was confident of his victory, even with the two new additions to the fray.

Ken leapt from the boxing ring, launching his body with his powerful legs, flipping a full three-sixty to land close to Orophir. Smoky Black ribbons flew from Orophir’s hands, but Ken, his fists dripping with Dragon Fire, swatted them away almost casually.

Orophir didn’t have the physical training of Ken or the others. As a Nephilim in physical form, his strength and agility were far beyond human, augmented even more so with the Amulet, but he didn’t have the fighting experience of a Navy SEAL or someone trained by Albrecht, one of the greatest fighters ever to walk the face of the earth.

He was no match for Ken or Bryan, and he quickly realized that; he could match their strength and speed with the Amulet, but he did not have the fighting skills they boasted. He doubled his attacks on Ken, momentarily putting him on the defensive. Ribbons of Black Power wrapped around Ken’s arms and legs, trying to pin him down.

Ken let himself be held for a few seconds while he assessed Orophir’s strength and fighting skills.

Ken: Bry we need ‘ta make this fast. He’s strong, but the Power we have from Leroy will go quick if we just fight him. We need ‘ta press and overwhelm him. He’s not a good fighter so take advantage of that. B, Lane, hold back ‘til I say so.

Lane to Brad: Welcome back to the party blondie. I have a plan; while we’re waiting for Ken and Bry help me out here.

Lane shared his intent with Brad, and together they wove fine threads of Power.

Lane: Even if this only holds him for a second that will be all the time we need.

Ken and Bryan worked as One, each movement geared to support the actions of the other. Orophir felt like he fought one person with four arms and legs and his frustration was evident.

He was rarely ever challenged, and not only had Lane single-handedly held him off but now these two Nephilim, somehow enhanced, tested his limits even using the Amulet. He felt their blows against his Shields; he didn’t know or understand the source of their increased Power, but it was painful and burned.

He pulled more and more Power from the Amulet, bolstering himself to the point where a Dark Cloud enveloped his body. His body ached from his efforts, but he pushed through. He could not fail his father, and the fear of doing so drove him beyond his normal limits.

Ken managed to get behind Orophir and leapt on his back, scissoring Orophir’s waist with his legs and pinning his arms. Bryan wrestled ribbons of black smoke, and it seemed a stalemate for the time being.

Ken: B, Lane now! Hit him with everything you have! When he retaliates, pull everything I have left in me for our Shields. Bry, wait for your opening!

Brad and Lane wove chains of White Energy as the doctor taught them; tiny individual strands like silk, strung together and braided. Each of them took an arm, lassoing Orophir’s limbs with the chains and simultaneously attacking his Mind.

The attack caught Orophir off guard, and their concerted attack overwhelmed him. His temper flared in frustration and embarrassment. If Luke were watching, Orophir would look the fool at how easily they were besting him when he was obviously more powerful.

It was a risk, but the Amulet would recharge quickly. Drawing all the existing Power from the Amulet into himself, Orophir exploded in a ball of Darkness. The White chains holding him shredded and Ken was thrown back against the wall with a loud thud.

Brad knew it was enough Power to kill Ken and didn’t hesitate. Following Ken’s strategy, he pulled the remaining Dragon Fire in Ken, using it to bolster the Shield protecting the four them.

Ken pressed Orophir to get the reaction he wanted, and Orophir’s inexperience played into his plan.

With the last of the Dragon Fire from Ken, Brad and Lane had enough Power to keep them all alive. The explosion stunned the three of them as their Shield broke, except for Bryan, who still held Leroy’s Fire inside of him.

Orophir looked at them, nearly unconscious, and smiled. His chest heaved with the effort of what he had just done, but the Charm was already recharging.

He was shocked when Bryan stood up. Fire still licked his body, and his eyes, golden and slitted, showed his Rage as he moved like lightning to where Orophir stood.

Reaching out, Bryan gripped the amulet. The muscles of his upper body tensed, his arm corded steel, trembling with the effort he put into his grip. The Dragon Fire, infused throughout his body, coalesced into his hand.

Bryan’s deep, gravelly voice echoed with the Power still in him, “No way, fucker. Not again.”

Orophir’s face expressed his shock. A split second later he screamed as the Charm melted in Bryan’s grasp and the molten liquid splashed against his chest burning through his clothes and into his flesh.

No longer augmented, Orophir dropped to his knees in pain and disbelief as Bryan’s massive fists came down on the back of his neck knocking him unconscious. The floor underneath him buckled with the strength of Bryan’s blow.

Bryan’s eyes returned to their usual green as Leroy’s Rage faded. His remaining anger stemmed from his displeasure towards the man who almost killed the other half of his Soul, the man he loved more than anything.

Bryan glanced over and saw Ken helping Brad and Lane up. As much as he wanted to go to Lane, to touch him with his own hands and know he was alright, he wasn’t going to let his eyes off Orophir even for a second.

While Ken, Brad, and Lane recovered, Bryan rolled Orophir face down on the floor, crossing his legs and pulling him back into a reverse cradle. It would be painful when he woke up, but it would keep him immobile and unable to do anything. Orophir’s Mind was another story, but Brad and Lane would have that covered before he woke up.

It only took a minute for the others to get back on their feet. With the Amulet destroyed, Lane and Brad Listened and quickly replenished their Energy but held off on Healing them. Ken’s and Bryan’s bodies ached from the strain of holding the Dragon Fire, and Bryan’s hand was tender from melting the Amulet.

Ken: We can wait, Lane. We need ‘ta find out who this guy is, and how he fits into all this.

Even as Ken sent his thought, Orophir began to wake up. He realized immediately he was being held as pain shot through his shoulders and arms from the hold Bryan had him in and he let out a growl of pain and frustration.

Fear gripped his stomach as he realized he failed. He knew what was coming, and tears filled his eyes, running down his cheeks into his goatee. His breath caught in his throat as he choked out a sobbing cry.

 

<><>

 

Orophir found himself at the feet of his father. He started to get up, but Luke put his foot in the middle of his back and pushed down hard.

“You imbecile! I trusted you, and you failed! I had to personally intervene at great risk of being discovered.”

“I’m sorry, father. It won’t happen again.”

“You are correct in that at least. I hope one of your other incarnations turns out to be more reliable.”

Luke moved in front of Orophir and lifted his face by his chin. Looking into his son’s eyes, Luke saw many things, but one thing he didn’t understand, and it disturbed him. A slight furrow crossed his inhumanly handsome face.

Orophir’s heart leapt in his chest when his father looked at him, sure for a moment he was being given a second chance, but what Orophir saw in Luke’s eyes made his blood run cold. The gaze he met was cold, empty, and lifeless. His father was the Dark One, and his eyes held no love. Not for Orophir, anyone, or anything.

Orophir knew he was dead. With a sob, he lowered his head, his heart broken.

 

<><>

 

A feeling of wrongness hit them so hard their stomachs knotted, and they were instantly alert. Ken assumed a defensive stance in front of Orophir and Brad and Lane moved back to back, ready to face whatever was about happen. Bryan sat on the small of Orophir’s back with his four-hundred-pound frame and pulled his arms back even tighter.

Bryan heard Leroy’s roar in his Mind and felt it through his body.

“Fuck!”

Ken, Brad, and Lane heard Leroy’s cry through Bryan and knew they had to get to him fast. Something stirred his consciousness, and he was waking up! Brad knew it wasn’t a coincidence, and whoever was protecting their prisoner’s identity was creating a diversion.

Brad only needed to touch the man to Read him and find out everything they needed to know. He made eye contact with Orophir and saw the emotional devastation in his eyes. Even with everything Orophir had done, Brad felt sorry for him. His Avatar glowed brightly, and he caught a glimpse of the poor misunderstood creature in front of him. The tears running down Orophir’s face were the those of a child, one who was emotionally terrified on multiple levels and hurt beyond imagining. Brad had a fleeting thought that he and the stranger might have been friends under different circumstances.

Even as Brad moved to Read Orophir, a Black Talon erupted through the floor underneath him, throwing Bryan off like he weighed nothing and wrapping around Orophir.

Orophir screamed as the Darkness consumed him, and in a fraction of a second, there was nothing left for Brad to touch. The malevolent Power that consumed Orophir was far beyond them, which told them what it had to be and most likely who.

As Orophir’s dying scream faded, Bryan’s deep, gravelly voice filled their Minds.

We have to get to Leroy NOW!

Even as Bryan shouted his warning, Lane’s eyes flashed White, and his Avatar kicked in. A Vision of Leroy writhing in pain filled his Mind. Suddenly Lane understood the significance of why they were there. The entire affair was a setup. He saw the crux between the two realities, and Leroy’s waking would cause a domino effect that would cascade between the two worlds, destroying them and every incarnation in between.

Bryan figured out how to draw from his Leroy without waking him while Loy and the others kept the Dragon calm and quiet after he got what he needed. But the Loy of the alternate reality’s Primary Avatar wasn’t active yet, and the Bryan of this plane wasn’t his Protector yet; whoever was behind it all could still succeed if Leroy woke up.

Brad’s Avatar synchronized with Lanes, drawing him into the Vision to experience everything with Lane. He witnessed world after world destroyed and billions of people dead as Leroy fulfilled his Purpose. The magnitude of the devastation was unthinkable.

Anger burned inside them towards whoever planned and executed what was occurring, and not a little fear that the plan might succeed if they couldn’t stop it!

Bryan fluidly rolled to his feet, grabbing Ken as he did so. His Avatar flared emerald green, and the two men vanished. They were One, and Brad and Lane saw the image of where Bryan and Ken went through their Minds, blinking out right behind them.

In less than a second the four men stood at the base of the Tree, a few feet from the mouth of the cave leading down to Leroy. The ground shook as shockwaves erupted from the cavern below. Ken and Bryan were agile enough to stay on their feet, but Brad and Lane were knocked down every few steps.

Brad: Go on, guys! We’ll just slow you down! Get down there, and we can port to you once you’re there!

Ken and Bryan took off with blinding speed, running as fast as they could. The part of their Avatar that came from Pat filled their vision with the Understanding of the trajectories, weight, and velocity of the falling dirt and rubble. They used the knowledge to dodge falling boulders and duck and roll with the movement of the cave under their feet. Their agility, strength, and dexterity were pushed to the limits to keep them alive and moving as the cavern collapsed around them.

Ken’s Avatar glowed brightly, filling him and Bryan with the determination and confidence to stay calm and focused. They were thrown against the walls repeatedly but rolled their bodies and pushed off falling boulders. Their sweaty skin was covered with dirt, grime, and blood from lacerations as they forced their way down the path. Under other circumstances, they would have been beautiful to watch, their inhuman grace and speed breathtaking to see. Their fluid, rippling muscles, and the grace of their bodies were glorious.

Through Lane’s Vision, Ken knew the responsibility resting on their shoulders. There was no way they could let billions of people die, but even beyond that task, Bryan’s first concern was Leroy. Ken knew his friend well, living in one another often, and Ken loved his Brother every bit as much as he did Brad.

For a seemingly simple man, Bryan was incredibly complicated in his friendships and loyalties. Bryan didn’t want Leroy to wake up because he would have to try and destroy the creature to save the world and humanity. His desperation to keep Leroy safe was his goal. As the Protector of the Tree and the Dragon, he would carry his responsibilities out with the utmost of his ability and thereby accomplish both goals.

As soon as the four men appeared in the Valley, their Powers increased, their dual natures fueled by the Valley being on both sides of the Veil.

Even with the cave collapsing around them, Ken and Bryan made it to Leroy’s cavern in a fraction of the time it would normally take them. Lane and Brad appeared beside them the second they arrived. Leroy’s head and part of his neck were all that was visible as he writhed and twitched.

A brightly glowing Rune, one they recognized from the Book of Loagaeth, hovered in the air in front of Leroy. It was a Greater Rune, and incredibly powerful; it had to be to affect a creature like Leroy.

Even at such a distance, the Rune’s influence affected them as soon as they entered the chamber. It was the Rune of Pain and Suffering placed right in front of Leroy’s snout to wake him up. They were sure they knew who set the Rune, but there was no proof.

Brad and Lane, charged up from being in the Valley, teleported them back far enough for their Shields to dampen the influence of the Rune.

Ken: Fuck me! Even with the boost we get from bein’ here, I’m not sure we can destroy that Rune. It normally takes all ten of us ‘ta make or break one.

Bryan: We’ll we’re twice as strong here, so we’re only one short. We have to do something fast. He’s waking up!

Unexpectedly calm, Brad’s voice entered their Minds. The timbre of his voice was odd enough they turned to look at him. His eyes were White, and he stood tall and still.

We can do it guys. I know we can.

Ken: B? What’s goin’ on?

Brad: I’ll explain after. You two get Leroy, and Lane and I will take care of the Rune. We can do it. Trust me… you’ll see.

Brad’s energy centers erupted in a blinding flash, and Ken had never felt the strength his partner exuded at the moment. He had no idea what happened, but they didn’t have time to discuss it. It was time to act, and save not only that world but their own, and all the worlds between.

Brad unlocked something in Ken’s Avatar, opening it in a way he never felt before. Ken’s Avatar reached out and did the same to Bryan and Lane. The four men had never felt so powerful. The Runes on their shoulders combined into the complex Rune normally attainable only when all ten of them were together.

Strength and Conviction flowed into them from Ken, filling them with the Confidence and Determination to equal the challenge they faced.

Ken: Come on Bry, we got a Dragon ‘ta take care of. B, I can’t wait ‘til this is all over so you can explain what the hell’s goin’ on.

Brad was already moving towards the Rune, his Shields bright and strong, clashing with the energy of the Rune. It was an effort, but his Shields were equal to the task. Lane followed and felt the same; whatever Brad did was allowing them to accomplish the task at hand with just the four of them.

Brad: Lane, we have to generate enough Power between us to break this Rune.

At the speed of thought, Lane was out among the Heaven’s. His Intuition and the Gift guided him to be still. He Listened, hearing beautiful Music all around him, but he knew it wasn’t going to be enough for what he needed.

Casting his senses out, he recognized where he was. It was the place Gabriel took him the night of his Awakening, but he had never had the strength to reach so far on his own. Gabriel said then that place was closer to his own Home than Lane’s, but even then, he knew it wouldn’t be enough for what they needed.

The doctor always told him to trust his instincts. He was further out than he had ever been in a place filled with the Music of Creation, yet it wasn’t enough. What did that leave? As with all riddles, the answer seemed simple once known. Lane was a smart man; in fact, he was brilliant. He played dumb with his Brothers, but even they knew he was a genius.

Lane’s thoughts turned to a memory, the night Gabriel visited him when he and Bryan were trapped in Taliesin’s Construct. They spoke quietly over a small campfire, and Gabriel explained to Lane that Music was a part of him. With whatever it was Brad unlocked in him, the pieces of the puzzle fell into place.

He didn’t have to go so far out. What he needed was inside him, or rather him and Bryan. His Avatar was a gateway to the Music in his Soul, the Soul he shared with the man he loved more than life itself.

Turning his perceptions inward, Lane Listened to the Song inside him, the song that was him. It was crystalline in nature and symphonic, the most beautiful thing he had ever heard. Now that he knew what to Listen for, he heard the Song inside Brad’s Soul shared with Ken.

Brad cast his thoughts across the Spiritual Realm calling on the old and powerful Spirits as well as the young ones awaiting rebirth. He tapped into their strength, careful not to pull too much and deplete them.

Brad sensed the Power in Lane and knew where it came from. His Mind was on overdrive, his epiphany about their Avatars, what they meant and how they worked, made it possible. He merged the two of them as they moved to the Rune. Its Dark Power clashed against their Shields, but as strong as it was, at that moment they were not just its match, they had enough power between them to Unbind it.

 

<><>

 

Ken didn’t know how Brad did it, but he felt confident they would succeed. Ken would do whatever necessary to keep Leroy contained so they wouldn’t have to kill him. Leroy’s death would crush Bryan, and there was no way Ken was going to let that happen.

Ken: Bry we have ‘ta hold him down, or he’s gonna bring the cavern down on our heads!

Bryan: On it!

The heat from the lava around Leroy blistered their skin as fresh sweat covered their bodies. Still clad in their workout shorts and tennis shoes, the two men faced off against the Dragon that could destroy Creation.

Chains of White energy came out of their hands, wrapping around Leroy’s head and neck as far as they could see down to where his body disappeared into the cavern. Ken and Bryan braced themselves, the muscles in their backs and legs flexed and tightened making every striation visible. Pulling back, their arms became like steel, and their feet dug in. By the laws of physics, there was no way a man, even one weighing over 400 lbs., could move a creature the size of Leroy, but Ken and Bryan existed on both sides of the Veil, and their strength was as much Spiritual as Physical. The battle took place in a duality of existence, and the Physical and Spiritual in the Valley were one.

The rock under their feet cracked and crumbled as Leroy pulled them forward. Their Avatar’s blazed emerald green, and massive roots from the Tree appeared, now tangible rather than ghostly. Roots wrapped around their feet and legs, holding them and stabilizing their leverage, while other, massive roots grew from the rock of the cavern, twining around Leroy, adding to the White bands already around him.

Two primal forces collided; Leroy’s Purpose and their Avatars, now unlocked. Leroy’s Power was not only in his enormous body but also in the Spiritual Power driving his existence. Their Purpose was to save mankind, which at that moment meant facing Leroy.

Leroy’s Mind was waking, stirring more every second as his body thrashed from the pain the Rune inflicted upon him.

“Leroy, buddy! Calm down! I’m here! Come on, you big fucker! You have to hear me!”

When Bryan spoke Leroy’s eyes opened, and the golden orbs of his eyes shone bright. His mouth opened, belching Fire, and he bellowed so loud the cavern shook even more.

Tears streamed down Bryan’s face; desperation written across his features. The roots tightened even more, and Ken and Bryan redoubled their efforts. The muscles in their bodies rippled and strained as sweat poured off them in the heat from the exertion and their chests heaved. The strain was incredible, but they weren’t giving up.

The Rage in Leroy was starting to consume him; the drive to fulfill his Purpose and devour the world and everyone on it.

Through the loud din of rocks falling and Leroy’s roar, Ken heard the quiet pain in Bryan’s voice.

“Leroy no… please buddy… please, I’m begging you. It’s me. I’m here. You don’t have to do this.”

Ken saw the blinding flash of Light as Brad and Lane unraveled the Rune. He saw them in his peripheral vision, exhausted from their efforts, but there were smiles on their faces until they turned to see what was happening.

Immediately they threw their strength into their partners, and their comforting presence filled their lovers. All their eyes teared up as they felt Bryan’s pain and his resolution. In the past, Leroy always seemed to be aware of Bryan’s presence and was comforted on an unconscious level, but the Rage in Leroy prevented him from hearing Bryan. At that moment, he was a primal creature with only one goal, and he did not have Free Will to fight against his nature.

Ken thought: Bry I’m sorry. You know what we have ‘ta do. We can’t let him outta here. We have ‘ta act quick, or we won’t have a chance.

Leroy continued struggling against the roots and ropes of White Power holding him down. His mind was still groggy, but they knew they would have no chance to stop him once he was completely awake.

They were all aware of Bryan’s desperation; Lane even more so. He and Bryan stayed deep in one another so often he knew what the creature meant to his best friend. He knew why Bryan felt the way he did, again a complicated emotional bond for what seemed like a simple man, but Lane learned a long time ago that there really wasn’t anything simple about Bryan. His quiet, stoic exterior hid a complicated, caring man underneath, a man with one of the most beautiful Souls in existence.

Lane: Guys, hold him a little longer. Brad help me; we have to get past his Rage. We have to make him hear us.

Once again Lane’s instincts along with the Gift guided him, showing him what he needed to do.

Lane raised a hand and ribbon of Power arced out, hitting Bryan square in his chest, Opening his Heart Energy Center and making his Soul visible in his powerful torso. Lane Opened his own Heart, and he wove the music from the two halves of Bryan’s Soul into One Song. Lane took it as it was, already as beautiful and perfect as it could possibly be, and used his Avatar to amplify it.

Brad realized Lane’s intent and threw his own strength behind his friend. He braced himself before thrusting his awareness into the Mind of the Dragon. Engulfed in Fire, it burned at Brad’s Mind. Bryan and Ken strained to their utmost to hold Leroy and minimize his movement. They didn’t dare pull any strength from their partners to help, or he would break free of the roots and the bands they had around him.

Brad knew he was equal to the task, but he needed to be more than equal. That was the key to their Avatar’s he had figured out. He understood that they were wrong as viewing themselves as a weapon against the Enemy; they were more than that. Their abilities expanded with the need to make them equal to neutralize or overcome whatever was needed when they were on Purpose. Whatever they needed beyond that point had to come from inside them, from who they were as individuals, couples, and men. They were chosen for their strength of character; who they were deep down. Whoever orchestrated their creation knew that, but Brad also knew it was a gamble on their part — being Random and Unfettered and free to act as they saw fit could ultimately backfire.

Brad remembered the conversation he and Ken had when Luke told them how effective they would be against any of the Higher Order who lost their way. Given what he now understood about their abilities, he realized the truth of that statement and how much the Higher Order must fear them.

In the midst of his epiphany, Brad heard the Music of Bryan’s Soul. Lane did what needed at that moment; which fit into Brad’s epiphany perfectly.

Brad looked inside himself and dug just as deep. He needed to fight past the Rage and Fire in Leroy and make him hear what Lane amplified. Taking a deep breath, Brad braced himself... he never expected to pit himself against a creature of Leroy’s Power, and didn’t know what to expect.

 

<><>

 

As soon as Brad’s unconscious Mind put together the pieces and understood the secret of their Avatars, it set off a trigger. Raphael, aware of his grandson’s thought, slipped out of Time. He sent out a Call to the others, and even though he was outside Time, he rarely felt such urgency.

The other nine Archangel’s appeared in the pocket dimension Raphael created for their Purpose.

He looked at them with bright eyes and said, “My grandson has discovered the key.”

Michael’s handsome brow furrowed and he said, “How could this happen? It’s too soon!”

Gabriel, who usually had the same mischievous grin as his grandson, wore a grim expression as he said, “If he figured that out, it’s only a matter of time until he takes it a step further. The knowledge he gleaned so far is just the beginning. They must not discover our plans for them, for their safety as well as ours.”

Barachiel interjected, “We knew this was a growing risk. We embedded the potential in all of them, but it’s now apparent there is more at work here than even we are aware. The wisdom Aaron Thomas expressed in slowing their growth and letting them take their own path is one we share. But now, I think, it is necessary to intervene. We have little choice.”

Uriel rarely spoke, but his deep voice cut in, “You all feel it. I know you do. We have come to care for them more than we should. Even we are affected by their Avatars and what they represent. It makes our decision more difficult, but it must be done. The conflict they find themselves in now is only a trial of what is to come.”

Raphael said, “I agree, Brother. I have come to love Brad very much, and that was not supposed to happen. The fact that I can love him as I do says much, and I am conflicted in my motivations now. Our plan must succeed, and they must be kept safe until the time comes for us to call on them. This knowledge, what Brad has realized too soon, will bring our plans to ruin. We have no choice but to intervene, but if they discover our interference, I fear they will never trust us again.”

Michael’s face expressed deep sadness, noticed by Raphael and the others. Not long ago he wouldn’t have hesitated to ruthlessly do what was necessary. Now, after his encounter with Ken, he was changed. He wasn’t softer, never that, but he was more compassionate and aware of how the conflict affected others. He was a warrior first, but he was also foremost among his Order, and his new demeanor was surprising, even welcomed by all of them.

Michael sighed deeply and said, “I agree, Raphael. I pray they never find out, for all our sakes. We must be in agreement, though. It was your wisdom that saw the need for us to take action, but all of us must share in this decision.”

He looked around at their faces, his Brothers who were risking everything with him to do what needed to be done. If they were ever discovered, he wasn’t sure what would happen, but they thought it worth the risk. They were fighting for Home and the parts of it that belonged to all humanity.

They looked back at him; Raphael, Uriel, Gabriel, Barachiel, Raguel, Remiel, Saraqael, Selaphiel, and Jegudial. They were but ten, but they were of the Higher Order and bound together by Oaths and Bonds. Once the Avatar’s of their Descendants became active, they had become connected in ways they didn’t expect, and there was no turning back.

With compassion in his voice, Michael asked Raphael, “Do you want me to do it? I know it is not something you wish to do.”

Raphael replied, “No, I will do it. In some way, it is my fault… Brad’s Avatar comes from my Province. We will have to be more diligent than ever to prevent this from happening again. They have advanced more quickly than we ever imagined.”

Gabriel spoke up, “You know why, don’t you? I feel it with Lane as well. It is Luke’s interference. He has advanced his plans, and their quickened maturation is a direct result. They are as much a Primal Force as we are, and their Avatars are reacting even though they don’t realize why or how. We all pray the final Confrontation is eons away, but this is proof that may not be the case.”

Michael reached out, putting a hand on Raphael’s shoulder in comfort. Gabriel and the other’s noticed how much Michael and Raphael looked like Ken and Brad, not physically but in mannerisms. It was a side effect of what they had done, a backlash they didn’t expect.

Raphael’s eyes turned White as did the others. They blended their essence in much the same way Brad and the others did when they merged. Archangels have a different makeup; their Minds, Hearts, and Souls weren’t separate like a human’s, but their sharing was the same. They were all in agreement, supporting Raphael and sharing his pain over what he was about to do.

Raphael’s head lowered and in a quiet voice, he said, “It is done.”

One by one the Archangels disappeared until only Gabriel, Uriel, Michael and Raphael remained.

Michael said, “It all started when you called the four of us together Raphael. None of us saw what was coming or how to avoid it. If it wasn’t for your Vision and Wisdom, all might have been lost. I know how the weight of such things feels on your shoulders. Remember you are not alone in this. My grandson reminded me of that.”

The four Brother’s reached out, grasping each other’s forearm, one upon the other, forming a square. They stood in solidarity for a brief moment before disappearing and returning to the appointed tasks of their Provinces.

 

<><>

 

The Rage and Fire threatening to consume Brad’s Mind would have been overwhelming, but he knew he was equal to the task. It wasn’t a cakewalk, and hurt like nothing ever had. He was going to have a massive headache when it was over.

He Mentally braced himself, and as soon as he entered Leroy’s Mind, he was surprised at how intelligent the Dragon was. Even though he was a Primal creature, he was far more than just an animal. He was driven by his created nature though and unable to overcome his base urges.

Brad’s unconscious Mind was continually processing and making connections, and he realized there was no way he could overpower Leroy’s Mind… no, the only real chance they had was to inspire Leroy to overcome what drove him. He knew deep down there was an emotional connection between Bryan and Leroy. They were Linked in a way none of them understood, and Brad hoped that connection would be enough.

Brad took the Music Lane Amplified, the Song of Bryan’s Soul, and placed it in Leroy’s Mind. If the situation hadn’t been so dire, it would have been comical. For lack of a better description, Leroy hiccupped mid-belch as Fire flew from his open jaws, and his head pulled his head back like he had been popped on the nose by a rolled-up newspaper.

His large golden eyes squinted in momentary confusion, and in a few seconds, he calmed down and started swaying gently as he listened to the Sound of his Protector’s Soul. It was so beautiful he lost himself in it as it washed his Rage away like a tide. Ken picked up on a different vibration that started in the cavern and looked around in alarm for the source.

Bryan’s face broke into a wide grin, and the White ropes of Power dissipated as he ran forward, throwing his body against Leroy.

“I knew you could do it, buddy! I knew it! You big fucker you scared the shit out of me! Bad Dragon! But I love you.”

Bryan’s voice was thick with emotion as he held out his arms like he always did when he seemed to be giving Leroy a massive hug. Tears of relief streamed down Bryan’s cheeks, and Leroy’s hide darkened again from his sweat and tears.

Ken chuckled as his White ropes vanished, realizing what the sound he heard was, saying, “Fuck me guys, he’s purring like a kitten. Who’d a thunk it?”

Ken’s eyes watered at Bryan’s relief and his own. Moving over, he put his hands on Bryan’s thick shoulders, giving him a squeeze of comfort.

“It’s gonna be okay, Bry. We did it. Leroy’s fine, and we just saved countless lives.”

Leroy continued swaying, his slitted eyes slowly closing as his head came to rest on the cavern floor, the vibration of his purring filling the cavern.

The last thing they heard as Leroy let out a sigh of contentment shocked them as much as anything else that happened so far. His voice, deep as the mountain, spoke in the Language of Creation.

Thank you, Abba. It was not my time. Will you sing to me a little longer?

Bryan was so choked up he couldn’t answer with his voice, so he thought: Of course, you big fucker. I’ll stay with you until you’re back to sleep. I’ll never let anything hurt you.

Lane continued channeling the Song until Leroy was once again asleep. He moved up and hugged Bryan from behind, wrapping his arms around his lover’s thick torso, and rested his head on Bryan’s shoulder.

I love you, Bry. Uriel said you and I would be the only way to stop Leroy if he ever woke early. I’m not sure we could have done it without Ken and Brad too.

Ken wrapped his arms around Brad, pulling him into their trademark full-bodied hug. Brad’s arms reached around his man too, feeling the strength and power of his body. He inhaled deeply, and Ken’s scent was intoxicating. The feel of their stubbled cheeks was perfect. The four men, as two couples, stood a few moments, embraced as partners, lost in their feelings for one another.

With the danger passed their Avatar’s quieted, and the door inside them closed. With their eyes closed, none of them saw their eyes turn white as Raphael altered their memories.

They were still pumped with adrenaline after everything they had just been through. From Ken and Bryan managing to make their way across realities to get there, to their fight with Orophir and his mysterious death, to their journey to the Valley of the Tree and taking care of Leroy.

Ken was just drawing breath to say something when Lane’s eyes turned White, and his head snapped up. His Mind filled with a Vision and a dire sense of urgency. They had to leave. The ripples of their involvement were too much, and that reality was about to start unraveling.

Still closely linked, Lane’s Vision filled their Minds. Through Lane and Brad’s Avatar’s Ken and Bryan became aware of the immense wave of pressure caused by their actions. The Balance was delicate, and their efforts in saving the world might destroy it!

Brad reached across the world for the doctor’s Mind.

Doc!

Yes, Bradford? Are you and Lane alright!?

Yes, doc. The man Lane fought is dead. Something or someone else killed him, but it wasn’t us. We’re at the Tree… it was a close call. Doc there’s so much more we need to share, but we’ve run out of time. Your reality is about to start unraveling in the next few minutes if we don’t leave!

Oh my! I was afraid of something like this!

The love and gratitude coming from the doctor warmed their hearts.

My son’s… make no mistake; I think of you just as much as my own, I cannot thank you enough for what you have done. My life, of course, but especially for your counterparts here. What you accomplished for us is beyond hope.

In their Minds, they sensed his tears and sincerity and were deeply touched. The doctor rarely cried, but they felt the intensity of his emotions through the Link.

We love you too, doc. We always have and always will. You and Albrecht take care. We know the guys are in good hands with you two. There’s one last thing we want to do, but we have to do it fast. It will add to the ripple effect, so we have to do it just as we leave. Take care!

Lane shifted his vision and cast his Mental voice across the Multiverse back to where they belonged.

 

<><>

 

Pat and Darren were playing in the kitchen with Drew. They had pushed some tables together to make a large surface and had every piece of racetrack from Drew’s hot wheels in use. With Pat’s Understanding, he knew exactly how fast the miniature cars could go without jumping the tracks and how to keep them going the longest.

Darren wasn’t sure, but he thought Pat was having as much fun as Drew. It was hard to keep a smile off his face with the way his partner was acting.

Drew was enraptured with the track they created. He loved it when any of the guys spent time with him, roughhousing and letting him climb on their backs and wrestle with them. He always pinned them, and he was the champion wrestler in the Lab.

Liz and Henry enjoyed their time together when Drew was occupied, and after a knowing grin from the guys, they snuck off to their room for a little afternoon snuggle.

“Can I do the car, Mister Pat? Pweaase?!”

“Sure buddy! We’re all done, so let’er rip!”

Drew spent an inordinate amount of time, at least for an excitable little boy, in picking out the right car for the job. It was a vintage black Trans-Am Albrecht gave him as a present.

Pulling up a chair, Drew climbed up so he could reach the starting point. He meticulously placed the car on the track in the over-exaggerated way little boys do when they are being extra careful; his face was a mask of serious concentration.

Pat and Darren watched him intently, and since they were both Linked they shared the same thought. Neither one was sure who had it first, but they grinned at one another like little kids.

Pat: It’s incredible how far he’s come isn’t it, Dar? The doc’s worked wonders.

Darren: Yeah, it is. He’s like an entirely different kid. After all the abuse he’s suffered I’m surprised, but then again, the doc’s a miracle worker. Henry’s great with him too… I would never have thought that. I think Drew’s been just as good for him as he’s been for Drew.

Drew was still as stone, and after a few seconds, Pat asked, “Drew?”

Drew slowly turned towards them and his face had that serious look he sometimes got. After Drew’s initial interaction with Brad and even more so after Istariel, occasionally Drew’s Mind slipped Open. He wasn’t able to control it, and it occurred randomly

Immediately Pat and Darren tried to bring Drew into their Link, but he was Shielded, and that surprised them. They didn’t push for fear of hurting him.

Drew’s eyes flashed White, and he said, “Mister Brad, Mister Ken, Mister Bryan, and Mister Lane. They’re coming home!”

As Drew shouted, Pat, Darren, Kevin, Bill, Ricky, and Loy heard Lane’s voice in their Minds.

Guys! We need you! We’re coming home hot and need you to anchor us!

They were prepared and waiting for that moment. None of them, not even the doctor, knew the time differential between realities. He said it could be hours or even weeks between the time Ken and Bryan left and when they would return home.

With the speed of thought, their Minds and Hearts became One, and seconds later they were physically gathered in the gymnasium, taking their designated spots at the vector points of their Avatar’s, leaving the open spots for their absent Brothers.

Loy, Bill, and Darren Listened and called on the Animal Spirits, while Ricky, Kevin, and Pat called on the Tree. Their eyes flashed White, and the ceiling darkened as stars filled the heavens and the massive ghostly form of the Yggdrasil appeared with Animal Spirits roaming and swimming through its mighty branches. They generated an immense amount of Power quickly, and Bill sent back their response.

We’re here, Lane!

Their collective Minds reached out like a hand across time and space for Lane and the others to grab hold of.

After a brief lag in time, they were once again together, relishing the intimate bonds between them. The comforting presence sent chills down their spines and tears down their cheeks at the emotional intimacy none of them had felt as a group since Brad and Lane first left.

To Lane, Bryan, Brad, and Ken ghostly images of their Brothers appeared around them in the placement of the ritual pattern. To Loy, Ricky, Bill, Kevin, Darren, and Pat the same thing happened, and they saw ghostly images of the Brothers they had missed so badly.

Lane: Guys, we don’t have much time, but I need you all to do one thing for me. Things got rushed here, and we didn’t have a chance to talk to the guys here after their Awakening. The ritual just happened, and they’re still unconscious. All hell broke loose after that.

They knew what Lane wanted as they heard his thoughts. Their hands came up to their chests, forming a diamond with their forefingers and thumbs and small balls of Light emerged from their chests. The image of Brad held out his hand, and the sphere’s floated over to orbit the air above his hand.

Brad created two spheres, one for his counterpart and one more for the doctor. His handsome brow furrowed in concentration and they shot off to find their targets. It was a last parting gift to their other selves; the experience they would need to fully utilize their newfound abilities and Avatars. The knowledge would come to them as their subsequent Awakenings occurred so they wouldn’t have any foreknowledge that could cause a Paradox. The tiny ripples that would occur when the knowledge came to them would be inconsequential in the grand scheme of things.

One last surge of Power from Brad and a duffle bag appeared in his hands, containing the Kevlar suits he and Lane wore when they first showed up. Leaving technology from an alternate reality could cause a severe ripple, and the doctor instructed them to leave nothing behind. They had stashed their gear in a bag and left it in a locker Brad had imprinted so he could Recall it when it was time for them to depart.

Ken: Alright, guys, pull us in. It’s time we were back where we belong.

They vanished from the cavern beside Leroy, appearing in the gym with their Brothers.

Almost as one Kevin and the others thought: Welcome home, guys!

They closed ranks around Ken, Brad, Bryan, and Lane, embracing them in a big group hug.

Lane’s voice piped in: Yeah! The band is back together!

Bryan’s deep, gravelly voice followed: God, I love my nerd.

The bond between them as brothers was complete once again. It was perfect.

Mission accomplished!