Reflecting Equation - 3. Paradise

The deep dark that went on and on was gone. The blackness my world had turned into was no longer. Green country stretching into the distance spilled out before me.

Twinkling stars, brighter and more vibrant than anything I had ever seen filled the night sky with shining jewels of silver light. An ocean of glittering blue water existed next to a sprawling city that shined gold like the sun and tugged at my heartstrings like nothing before in my life. There was something about the city, this land, this place that was familiar. And yet it was completely foreign unlike anything on Earth. It was more awful, more divine. I knew this was where I belonged.

This wasn’t the Dreamlands. Not Atlantis either. This was... It felt like home.

It was eye-opening in the sense that I had never known I was missing this place until I stood here, now.

“Hello, Emrys.”

I turned around and there was Celeste. The Voice of They Above All was just as unearthly beautiful as I had last seen her all those months ago. Blonde hair fell down her back in gentle waves, and her blue eyes were soft with warm affection. Her gown of blue silk matched the pretty gossamer butterfly wings pinned to her back.

I swallowed. “Why are you calling me that?”

She smiled and gestured at me. “That’s who you are.”

It took only a brief look down to realize I was clothed in the cream and white garments of my past incarnation. I touched a hand to the adamant encrusted circlet on my brow.

“You can stay here,” said Celeste. “Everything from the Mortal World has no place here. Pain. Death. Loneliness. Fear. None of that exists here. All of your wants and wishes can come true here, if you let it.”

I shook my head. “I don’t understand. I was stabbed... Am I dead?”

“Right now your loved ones are trying to bring you back to life. Only the tie you have with Adam is keeping your soul from completely leaving the Mortal World.”

I took a breath of the cleanest and sweetest air. “Where is this? Is this Heaven?”

“A portion of it. This is the Celestial Realm. The home of the gods. Like you.”

I wasn’t a god. I was just me. “I don’t understand.”

“You have the choice of Ascension before you. You can stay here forever and embrace your heritage, leaving behind all you were. It’s where you were always meant to be. It’s your home. It was the home of your father as well, long ago.”

I stared at her for a long time, trying to come to terms with what she was saying. “My father, Oriens, was a god?”

“Was, yes. He took his people and built a benevolent and bountiful empire that stretched across a great deal of your system of space.”

How did I not know this? Divinity flowed through my veins? I closed my eyes as a memory tugged at my consciousness. This was what Oriens meant when we prepared to resurrect Kevin. My full heritage.

Turning toward the city, the shining golden capital of the gods, I frowned, troubled. How could I stay here when people were counting on me?

“What about my friends?” I asked. “My family?”

Celeste looked upward at the stars and said, “After winter is summer and after summer is winter. Things will pass as it always has, with or without you.”

I looked around at the rolling green land with its valleys and peaks rising in the distance. I closed my eyes, listening. The stars sang a faint tune to my ears, a melody of love and happiness that called to me. The city glowed brilliantly on the horizon shining its radiance to all under the stars.

I wanted to lay down my burdens and rest. So why did I...

I shook my head. “No. I can’t.”

Celeste’s blue eyes bored into me deeply. “Are you sure? You won’t get this chance again, Emrys. Your father had the same choice, once. He turned away from his divinity and like him, know this if you leave there’s no coming back. You will not be allowed to return and you will leave behind your mantle of godhood. You will know pain, suffering and death, and all that life in the mortal world brings with it.”

The starsong was stronger now that I knew it was there. It sizzled and buzzed against my skin, humming notes of delight and bliss.

“Yes,” I breathed out in a sad, but final breath. “I’m sure. There are people that need me. People are counting on me.”

She smiled gently. “Until we meet again.”

Celeste disappeared. The fields of green were gone. The true sky vanished. The city of gold departed. Warm energy filled my belly and I gasped, snapping my eyes open. I blinked, once then twice. Finally, distant voices became clear to my ears and worried hazel eyes filled my sight.

“It’s working!” shouted Adam, laughing a little hysterically, relieved and excited all at once. “Oh, God. Chad, baby, come back to me.”

Kevin appeared next to him, staring earnestly at my stomach. “The wound’s all closed up. I think you started healing him just in time. Chad?”

I nodded weakly, slowly gaining awareness and strength as time passed. “Hey... What happened?”

Adam chuckled happily, wiping at his wet eyes. “You nearly died that’s what happened!”

I licked my dry lips. “Where am I? Is this the backseat of my car?”

Sure enough, it was. I looked around taking in my bloody clothes that matched the stains of red coating Kevin and Adam’s hands and shirts. We were crowded in the backseat of my Blazer but they didn’t seem to care. They looked scared and worried, watching me like I was going to disappear if I so much as sneezed.

Kevin gripped my hand so tightly it kind of hurt, but I didn’t have the heart to tell him that. Adam’s hand settled in my hair and he bent down and pressed his forehead to mine, closing his eyes as he released a shaky breath.

“What happened?” Kevin demanded, sounding freaked out. “I felt this blinding pain and I just knew you were hurt.”

“Me too.” Adam frowned. “It was like my heart stopped. We got here at the same time and there you were...” He cut off, staring down at his bloody hands. “There was so much blood. It was everywhere.”

Kevin inspected my unmarred stomach intently. “We couldn’t take you far. The blood... your blood... it’s not fully Atlantean but it's not definitely human. We whammied the people trying to help you and brought you to the car.”

“The wound didn’t close for the longest time,” Adam whispered, taking over. “No matter how much energy I pushed into it. I thought you...”

He sounded so lost and broken, almost childlike. “Hey, I’m alright now.” I smiled at him, taking his hand and squeezing. “I’m here. You two got here in time. I’m alive.” I looked at Kevin. “I was offered godhood.”

His eyes widened, surprised but not shocked. “The Celestial Realm.” He gripped my shoulder hard. “You know what you gave up, don’t you?”

I nodded. “She, Celeste... She said that father was a god?”

“It’s true,” replied Kevin. “He gave up his mantle when he chose the mortal world. As his children we get the choice of our heritage, Ascension...godhood. You won’t get the choice again, Chad.”

I looked away and said quietly, “I know.” I smiled gently at Adam’s perplexed look. “I’ll explain later.”

“I’m glad you chose us. I... don’t know what I would have done...” Kevin’s eyes went suddenly cold. “Who did this to you?”

"No you're not," said Kevin.

Adam shot him a look. "Why not?"

Kevin's face went dark. "'Cause I'm going to turn their skin inside out then kill them."

The declaration was met by a firm nod from Adam. "I'm down with that."

I sat up as much as I could with Adam's arms wrapped around my waist. "I think it will be harder than that." I took a deep breath. "We have a problem."

Adam and Kevin traded a look. Kevin tilted his head. "It must be a big problem if they almost knifed you and they're not dust on the asphalt."

I sighed. "The me that we saw on the security tapes taking the iPad, well it wasn't me. It's clones of all us. We're dealing with fucking clones, courtesy of the Order of the Dying Star. It's their ace in the hole."

"You're kidding?" Kevin said faintly.

Adam shook his head. "Where did they even get our DNA material for the genetic base?"

"The clones that blew up and splattered us," I explained bitterly. I was pissed for not realizing how we got played. "It was cloning gel."

Nodding thoughtfully, Adam said, "That's all it would take too, one skin cell or a hair sample to begin DNA replication."

"So that means there's a clone of you and Adam, Ryan, Killian and Nathaniel running around somewhere?" asked Kevin. He ran a hand through his hair.

I nodded. "And apparently they're done with the whole doing good. All that we stand for, they're over it. They want to be worshipped and they don't care who they have to step on or kill to make that happened."

"Fuck," Kevin swore, frowning grimly. "This is bad, like, horrible-oh shit-bad."

I squirmed a little in Adam's arms to better look Kevin in the eyes. "What are you talking about? We find them and then it's payback time."

"I don't think it's going to be that easy," Adam muttered, troubled.

Kevin snorted, eyes shining with worry. "They're identical to you all. They even have your celestial bindings. They know how you think, what your strengths are..." His fingers curled around my wrist as he said, concerned, "They also know your weaknesses."

"They're programmed to be evil," said Adam. "If we fight them it's going to be ugly."

The words started to sink in past my post not-death fog and I swallowed deeply. Adam was right. He was understating the obvious. It was going to be more than ugly. Our powers at the hands of people not afraid of a little bloodshed... well there was going to be blood alright and it wouldn't stop there.

"Shit," I snapped, clenching my fist.

Kevin noted my reaction and nodded. "Now you see. The President won't give in to their demands. Imagine DC being obliterated with a Hell Ground Zero or the Executioner's clone going head to head with the entire US military. He'd cripple half the armed forces before they'd take him down. If he wanted to Solaris' clone could melt the polar ice caps and drown this planet." Kevin turned his stare on Adam. "And if your clone is as close to the Omega Point as you are, then... no one is safe."

Adam twisted his hands together turning a pensive stare out the window. The Omega Point was the ultimate destination for Atlantean evolution. It was believed that a time in our evolution would come when the mind would be distributed into the fabric of spacetime and everything there ever was to know would be known. There would be nothing that couldn't be done by an individual at the point.

Adam as the closest to the Omega Point had snatches, droplets, of the potential limitless abilities of someone at the Omega Point. Even that small amount was enough for him to have amazing abilities. At the height of his powers, Omega's telekinetic blasts were once known to shatter mountains, and if he ever brought his full telepathic might to kill... he could bring half the continent to their knees with a thought.

I squeezed Adam's hand and looked up at me, distressed. "We're going to stop them."

"I don't like the thought of someone with my abilities taking off the kid gloves," admitted Adam. "It worries me. A lot."

Kevin looked out the window at the black sky. "I'm going to go warn the others. They need a heads up before they get jumped too. We all have to be extra careful."

"Thanks, Kev," I said thankfully. "I appreciate it."

Kevin rested a hand on my shoulder. "Rest up, bro. Be careful from now on, okay?" He shifted his gaze to Adam. "Listen, I'm sorry I flew off the hand the other day with how I was all over you. But Chad was crying, I don't respond well to that. So sorry, man."

"I'm aware of your overprotective streak," Adam replied with a half shrug. "I would never do that to Chad-"

Kevin nodded, letting out a barely heard sigh. "I know that. I do, I really do. Please, take care of him..." He trailed off as his eyes went oddly glassy, unfocused. "I've got a bad feeling about these clones."

"Kevin?" I asked, my fingertips lightly touching his forearm.

He blinked rapidly a few times, pulling himself together. "I'm fine." Kevin shook his head a little, his expression all Gaius. "There's something I should remember...but I can't..."

"Something about the clones?" I asked, confusion written all over my face.

"I'm not sure," he answered, softly. "I'm sure it'll come back to me."

Adam made a thoughtful hmm noise. "You think it could be leftover knowledge from being the Trumpet?"

Kevin shrugged. "Honestly, I don't know. I know it will come back to me. I'm going to go and warn the guys. The quicker they get a heads up the lesser the chance of something happening to them."

I put aside the strange moment. Thinking on it brought on questions which only led to more questions. With a smile and a promise to be careful, Kevin disappeared in a burst of white light and a flash of elegant, angel-like feathers.

Adam disentangled himself from his octopus hold on my body. "Come on up front so I can drive you home."

"I can drive myself, Adam," I said petulantly, failing and resisting from pouting.

He gave me a look. "Please. I'm not letting you out of my sight. I figure I'd spend the night at your house. My relatives are gone for the week to Vermont, and it'll be easy to sneak me into your room."

"I'm guessing I don't get a say," I muttered, wondering if the whole being stabbed thing was going to magnify Adam and Kevin's overprotective streaks. I was going to go ahead and check the yes box. "That whole stabbing was a lucky shot, Adam. I'm not some weak little baby."

He shrugged with one shoulder. "If he did it once he can do it again. I'm not leaving you alone. Plus, you have to explain to me what you and Kevin were talking about. Ascension, godhood? What did you see on the other side?"

Green fields flashed across my mind and starsong trilled the faintest notes at the edge of hearing. I closed my eyes and dug my fingernails into my palms, hard. The pain flooded my body, reminding me where I was and that here was where I needed to be. I wouldn't ever forget that place but it wasn't for me, not anymore and not ever again.

"Chad?"

I shook my head, rubbing my heart as an ache pounded in my chest. "I'm fine... I'll tell you when we get to my house." I handed over my keys. "Just drive, please."

Adam gave me a scrutinizing look but I wasn't up to talking right now. The memory was still too fresh and everything was starting to pile up. The clones, the stabbing, and my death – geez, when it rained it poured. We climbed into the front seat and Adam drove the Blazer to my house, the music a quiet hum in the otherwise silent car ride.

I imagine sneaking a guy upstairs undetected was hard, at least it seemed so on TV, but when you had preternatural abilities it was relatively simple. I went in first and did the usual greeting with my Mom, sneered at Morgan and then Adam literally flew up to my bedroom window.

Adam was sitting on the desk chair when I entered the bedroom. He took one look at me and crossed the room, wrapping me up in a tight hug. I closed my eyes breathing in the cologne at the crook of his neck.

"Go take a shower, baby," said Adam, softly. He pulled at the hem of my blood soaked shirt. "I'll get rid of this."

I could only nod, grimacing as I pulled the bloody shirt over my head. Adam dug through the dresser and handed off some clothes to me. He plopped down on the bed and made himself at home as I walked across the hall to the bathroom.

The shower was exactly what I needed. I felt more coherent and less like I'd been gang baged behind White Castle between sliders. After getting dressed, I stepped to the mirror and examined my face.

My face was too pale and my eyes were bloodshot from sleeping, dying – I don't know, in my contacts. I pulled the dried up lenses from my eyes and tossed them in the trash beside the sink. I dug around in the drawer in the counter for my old glasses and put them on. The glasses were black and those geek chic square frames that were so widely popular nowadays.

Once I got back to the room, firmly locking the door behind me, Adam was sitting up on my bed levitating the remote control and a baseball in an elliptical orbit. The objects fell as he turned, gracing me with a soft smile that was too cute on his pillow lined face.

Adam held out his arms, tenderness lacing his voice as he said, "C'mere."

I practically jumped into his arms, snuggling down close into his warmth. A little sigh left my mouth as his arms wrapped around my middle holding me tight to his chest.

"How do you feel?" Adam asked. His breath felt warm against the tip of my ear.

"Better," I answered, honestly. "Thanks for...uh, you know, staying with me. I don't want to be alone."

A kiss was pressed against the top of my head. "Anytime, sweetheart. I would never leave you after what you went through," he said gently.

I nodded and moved out his arms, turning to fully face him. I crossed my legs and took his right hand in mine. I played with the ring around his index finger. It was a simple silver band that belonged to his father and he never took it off.

"What do you remember about Atlantis' beginning? I don't mean about us or the Fall, but before? Do you remember the founding?"

Adam shook his head and said slowly, "It sounds familiar... like something I heard a long time ago and forgot."

"It's not surprising," I conceded, running a hand through my hair with a sigh. "I didn't remember either until I..." I tripped over the words, "almost died."

Adam laced our fingers together. "You don't have to tell me."

"No, I want to. It's just that place..." I trailed off, thinking of the words and then I stopped. "I don't want to get ahead of myself, so I'll start at the beginning. Sixteen thousand years ago, there was darkness and evil across the stars. It was an awful and brutal time. The chaos was a result of the Last Great War. There was no centralized government to establish peace and star systems enacted blockades, too busy watching their own backs and defending themselves to worry about establishing peace."

"The Last Great War?" asked Adam, clearing his throat and knitting his brows together. "I think I remember Lan mentioning that once... it was on Mars. He said Heaven's Trumpet was created after that war."

I nodded. "I don't know much about it. Records were pretty much nonexistent then. All I know is that no corner of the universe escaped the war. It waged from galaxy to galaxy. Planets were turned to dust, stars were snuffed out and billions died before the war ended." The history lessons from tutors in Atlantis were sharper than ever as I continued on, "After the war and during this era of chaos is when the Lords in Shadow gained their foothold."

"Shit," Adam muttered, rubbing at his forehead with a frown. "Why can't I freakin' remember all of this already."

I almost smiled. Here, here. "It took me nearly dying to trigger this Wikipedia entry, so don't let it bother you. Anyway, the Lords in Shadow established their rule across the universe, bringing planet after planet under their control. It lasted for centuries. It didn't seem like the darkness would ever lift. Till a Divine Ancient, one of the First God's couldn't stand it any longer. He approached the other First Gods-"

"They Above All, right?" Adam said in realization. "I...can almost remember some of this."

I chuckled not even surprised. He was super intelligent, after all. "That's right. The Divine Ancients, First Gods, whatever you want to call them are They Above All."

His grip on my hand tightened, his expression turning worried. "You were possessed by one of them. Back in the Ever After when you fully immersed yourself in the Giga Annihilation Program. You said a First God took control of your body when you harnessed the Power Creation."

I snorted. "I'm lucky I didn't burn my soul up, too, looking back on it now. I guess being what I am gave me a buffer. It would've served me right for tapping into that primordial power."

"That First God in your story is Oriens, isn't it?" asked Adam. "He's the one that noticed the chaos."

"Yeah," I admitted, biting my lower lip between my teeth. "He saw the state of the universe and sought to set things right. He gave up his mantle of godhood and descended, taking his people with him to the mortal world. Atlantis was built on Earth and under Oriens' rule the framework of the cosmos was shifted. Peace was ushered in and light beat the darkness of the Lords. Atlantis became the capital to a prosperous and peaceful empire that stretched across the stars."

"Humans were so wild on Earth back then and primitive," Adam said distantly, remembering. "But they had potential and it was determined they would one day follow in our footsteps, so we protected and taught them as best we could from the darker creatures in the world."

Then, Atlantis fell. An empire that had once spanned dozens of star systems across hundreds of light years of space collapsed in a sneak genocidal campaign. The Lords in Shadow turned their full might of their kingdom on the heart of our empire, destroying Atlantis in one fell swoop.

Then they spread outward, turning their demonic horde upon the host of worlds allied under the Atlantean banner. Hundreds of worlds were consumed by the demonic army. Most died in defense of their planet and some could've survived. But even if something was left of the empire there would be nothing back here to receive it. A strong possibility was that those surviving worlds would have initiated protocol quarantine procedures, so who knows what happened to them after sustaining in isolation.

This is why I didn't like to think of Atlantis. It led down this road and frankly, it was fucking depressing as hell to think of. All those lives lost and for what? A stalemate that lasted for fifteen thousand years till the Lords eventually got their asses kicked.

"Depressing, isn't it?" Adam said lightly, breaking through my melancholy.

I mustered a half smile, shrugging. "Yeah, kind of. It's hard not to get swept up. We were talking about my father and Atlantis..." I took a moment to find a starting point and then continued, "Gaius and I always knew what father used to be. He wasn't a First God anymore, but his divinity was always an option to us. It's in our blood. He told us after dying a mortal death, the choice of Ascension would be given along with the option of retiring to the Celestial Realm, the home of They Above All."

"You gave your divinity up?" asked Adam amazed, leaning forward. "Chad...It must've been paradise."

I looked away. "It was... it felt like home. I've never felt more at peace, more right than any other time in my life. I just wanted to rest and forget my burdens." A soft smile came over my face as his face fell, hurt. "But I didn't, I couldn't leave knowing I had people counting on me." I placed my hand over his heart. "You wouldn't let me go. It's how I was able to find my way back. Thank you."

Adam suddenly lunged forward, burying his face in my chest and sliding his arms tight around my waist. "This may sound selfish and shitty," he said, voice muffled as he pressed his face into my shirt. "I'm glad you chose me over heaven. I love you too fuckin' much. I don't know what I would do without you."

I swallowed thickly and said, "It's sort of scary but you mean everything to me. What we have is pretty fucking epic."

He let out a bark of laughter and it made me smile. "I know."

"How long are we going have to do this?" asked Chad, turning his stare up to the ceiling. "All the fighting and putting our lives on the line... is this how the rest of our lives are going to play out? What about the future? You're going to New York soon—"

"We don't know that for sure," Adam interrupted gently. "I haven't heard anything back from Juilliard."

I flicked his ear. "We all know you nailed that audition."

"Then why haven't I heard anything back yet," he replied, playing devil's advocate.

I rolled my eyes. "It's barely February. They'll be banging on your door in a few weeks. New York is where you're meant to be. Your voice is amazing and you can act circles around Efron."

"That's high praise coming from you," Adam laughed, tracing a circle on my thigh with his finger. "We all know you'd blow him in a heartbeat."

"Have you seen those eyes," I retorted, sighing dreamily.

Adam looked at me, hazel eyes showing more green than brown. "You are so Disney's bitch. That's how they lure you in."

"What, by waving the pretty in front of our faces?"

"It's how they roll." He pulled away and rubbed his palm flat on my stomach. Right over the spot where I had been stabbed. "Are you sure you're alright?"

Believe it or not I was. And what did that say about me? Less than three hours ago I had been lying in a pool of my own blood, practically dead. It was sad that I was starting to get used to crap like this happening. A year and a half ago, I would've been curled up in a corner, bawling my eyes out and listening to sad songs on blast. That boy was long gone.

I managed a real smile for Adam and said, "I'm fine. Seriously. You don't have to worry."

"I'll always worry about you," he whispered all soft and sweet.

I leaned over and placed a tiny kiss on his lips. It wasn't passionate or sexy. It was a chaste pressing of lips together. In that simple action, I said to him I was still here, reassuring him that I wasn't going anymore and that I love him.

"Don't worry about me too much," I said, tapping his nose with my finger. "I can take care of myself. And that concern goes two ways, baby. I want you to watch your back. These clones aren't playing. Cobalt went after—"

Adam made a face. "Cobalt?"

"Horrible name, I know," I agreed, shaking my head. "That's my clone. Ryan's clone is Reece and those dicks double-teamed me. So don't expect any sympathy or anything when you meet them. They're coldblooded killers and smart."

Adam nodded. "Hell yeah, they're smart. They attacked you first. Without you the rest of us would've have been too fucked up to see them coming for us. And we would've been without a leader." He let out a small laugh. "Killian's second in command and with him and Ryan fighting..." He trailed off with a faraway look in his eyes. "Damn."

I frowned. "What?"

His eyes were bright with realization of a puzzle solved. "Don't you get it? That show in the mall that you guys saw. They set it up! It was on purpose."

"Divide and conquer," I said softly, finally seeing the bigger picture. "Without solid leadership, and deceit formed within in the group... we would've fallen like dominos."

Adam let out a rough sigh. He looked well and truly worried. "These motherfuckers are diabolical."

"Shit," I swore, rubbing a hand roughly down my face. "That plan was brilliant." I met his eyes, frowning. "Their threat level just went up. This shit just got real."

"It's been... wait." He looked at me, eyebrow raised in that adorable Vulcan way. "Was that from Bad Boys 2?"

I snapped my fingers in front of his face. "You know I quote movies when I get emotional. Focus, Adam."

He mockingly fixed his face into an exaggerated intense look. I jabbed him in the side with two fingers and he squawked like the little girl he was.

I shot him a smug smirk, ignoring his glare. "Anyway, I think it would be best if we do a buddy system. None of us needs to be alone."

His palm was warm against my stomach. "I call dibs on being your buddy."

"I think that's a given," I said dryly, half smiling.

Adam glanced at the clock and groaned. "We actually have to go to school in the morning. We better get on that sleeping thing otherwise we'll look like hell in the morning."

"Caring about your beauty sleep?" I teased, smirking. "You are so gay."

Adam lips quirked into a condescending smile. "Last time I checked you love the dick more than I do. Always slobbing all over my knob-"

I narrowed my eyes. "You know what, I was probably going to blow you in the morning as a wakeup but you can forget that, fucker."

His eyes widened huge and round like saucers. "Let's not be that way. You know I'm slow."

"I can't wait until we get married so I can just put your ass out on the couch."

Adam ran a hand down my stomach. "So how's about, I agree to swallow forever if you put the morning blowjob back on the table."

"Bitch, please," I scoffed. "You love the taste of my cum."

He grinned like the Cheshire fuckin' cat. "That didn't sound like a yes. I'm assuming spitting's fine, then."

"Fine," I said, thrusting out my hand. "It's back on."

We shook on it.

Adam sighed wistfully, "Morning blowjobs are awesome."

We finally cracked up. He tackled me to the mattress and we laughed as we wrestled, trying to pin the other. Adam won. Damn his Bowflex workout routine.

"Mmm," he whispered, his face hovering over mine with a flirty smile. "I win."

Adam leaned down and kissed me. It lasted for a while until time became a pressing factor. We finally decided that maybe we really did need to go to sleep. Settling down on our sides, Adam snuggled behind me and I burrowed into his arms.

"Goodnight," I yawned out.

Adam placed a kiss against the nape of my neck. "Night, sweetheart."

 

Was it paranoia if you had a legitimate reason for looking over your shoulder every five minutes. Hell no. It was being actively defensive.

It was nice outside so the courtyard was filled with students gathered in their cliques, eating lunches anywhere near a flat surface. Steps, tables and ledges it didn't matter. We managed to score a table under the oak tree that was coveted for its awesomeness at providing shade from the sun.

Killian shot me a look as I glanced suspiciously over my shoulder for the fourth time in thirty seconds. "I swear to God if you do that one more time I will stab you."

Adam flinched at the word stab and Kevin simultaneously glared at the blond. "How about I stab you? Tone down the bitchface, Killian."

And the over protectiveness kicked in right on cue. I wasn't bothered by Killian's comment. Like I told Adam last night, I was over it. I wasn't repressing or anything. Quite the opposite. I was pissed and I wanted some old fashioned revenge, Beatrix Kiddo style.

"Nathaniel said if we run into one of the clones we should immediately call for backup," Ryan rasped out.

Adam and I traded looks of concern. For once Ryan wasn't sitting next to Killian. Kevin sat between them, since they still weren't okay. Ryan looked zapped of energy, his eyes clouded and his face tight with tiredness. Killian looked about the same, but he was just better at hiding it. It was a needed skill to have when one's income depended on their looks.

"So what's the plan?" asked Kevin, pointing his fork at me.

I glanced around and pitched my voice low. "I worked up a location spell this morning to find where they're hiding out. It should've worked since I'm essentially looking for ourselves, but it damn near blew up in my face."

Ryan frowned with puzzlement etched on his face. "They must have some type of ward or something up. I guess they thought ahead."

A ward wasn't hard to do. A symbol or a charm drawn correctly and powered with the right juice could theoretically block even the devil himself. I hadn't had to do one in ages, but I still knew how to whip one up if needed.

"I don't see why we need to be so careful," said Killian, flippantly. "We've had training and actual experience and they're basically like, infants. They don't stand a chance against us."

Adam shook his head. "That's not true. These clones have our genetic memory, meaning everything that we've done and experienced they know as well."

"Up to when they were cloned," interjected Ryan. "So that means they know about our families, lives and even Atlantis."

Kevin grinned like a shark. "But they don't know about me."

"You're right," I whispered in amazement. "They only know everything up to when we got splattered."

Killian smirked. "Looks like we just found our ace in the hole."

I gave Kevin a pointed look. "If you get a clear shot I want you to take it."

"Done," Kevin replied with a decisive nod. "I'll vaporize them."

He wasn't joking either. The twinkle in his eye was a promise unfulfilled. Halo was a force to be reckoned with, and with him on our side this tipped the scales in our favor. And because of this lack of knowledge we had the element of surprise. We were so going to rock their world.

"So the odds are in our favor for once," said Ryan with a little smile.

I grinned. "That doesn't happen often."

Killian snorted. "It would if these jerks didn't roll with, like, a whole army."

"We had an army too, once upon a time," Adam pointed out. "The military deferred to us back then."

Kevin shrugged. "You were guardians of the realm. It was fitting. Plus the soldiers looked up to you guys."

Kevin and I hadn't had a detailed conversation about our past lives. First it had been because I figured he needed time to deal with being back from the Void. More time passed and I thought he would like awhile to process the ramifications of having Gaius' memories. Well, five months passed and we were here, and the talk never happened.

Looking into his eyes now and seeing them shine with crystal clear memories of a time I couldn't wholly remember, I was hit with a wave of guilt. A talk was long past due. I should've been there for him and made sure he was really okay with everything. Brother of the year award and jerk best friend, right here.

"Do you miss it?" Ryan asked the question I should've known the answer. But like them I didn't know and it hurt. "Remembering things then and seeing it now must be overwhelming. Especially interacting with us, we're so different from our past incarnations."

Kevin played with the wrapping encasing his burger. "I'm still me, I guess. At the same time I have these memories. It's like suddenly remembering something I'd forgotten, like a revelation. I can remember going on diplomatic meetings with my dad and Emrys, learning to fly a starship and I can remember all of you guys. How you used to be." His expression went sad and he said, quietly, "And yes, I miss it. Every damn day."

I wanted to reach across the table and hug him till he was blue in the face. I just wanted to see that miserable expression gone from his face. It wasn't right to see Kevin without a smile.

"But that's in the past," said Kevin with a note of finality in his voice "What's done is done. And we have an awesome future to look forward to."

Adam lifted his bottle of Coke. "I can get behind that thought. And the sooner we get rid of these clones the better."

"I don't like the idea of someone out there wearing my face and abusing my powers," I muttered.

Killian nodded with a grim frown. "They can do some serious damage to our names."

"Understatement," retorted Adam, running his hand through his hair. He frowned as a girl rushed past him like she was on the track team.

"I just hope we don't destroy the city or something fighting them," I commented, noticing a boy running across the quad in my peripheral vision. "I know if my back was pushed against the wall, I would do anything to take out the fucker doing the pushing."

Ryan nodded at the crowd gathering all over the courtyard. "What's going on around here?"

Everywhere I looked there were small groups crowded together in the quad. Their voices mixed together in an inaudible soundtrack of sound. I leaned back on the bench peering through the mass of bodies. They were gathered around cell phones and at some of the tables kids were huddled over laptops, and wait a second, were they all on YouTube.

"What? Did someone leak the last episode of Game of Thrones?" asked Killian.

I narrowed my eyes at him. "The pop culture references are mine, so back off."

"Idiot," he huffed, looking his usual annoyed self.

Ryan already had whipped out his phone by the time I had a good comeback planned. The Atlantean crafted device, which was linked to the servers in the outpost, was an amazing piece of technology. Probably one of the most advanced pieces of tech on the planet. Ryan's fingers tapped deftly at the keys and he made a thoughtful noise as he pressed his finger to a link.

"I'm on YouTube now. These videos on the homepage are new, but they're getting insanely high hits," Ryan explained, studying the screen carefully.

Kevin stared leaned down to better look at the phone and his face fell. "Well shit."

Adam and I practically bolted to their side of the table. The five of us crowded around the phone and we stared, slack jawed, as a video played before our eyes.

A Soul Reaper Reprise tore through the street and slammed into the wall of Central Bank downtown. The wall exploded in a shower of stone immediately followed by screaming and hysterical crying The quality wasn't great so it had to have been taken on a camera or a cell phone. The video was grainy and jerked around a lot, but still it kept on recording.

Smoke was thick in the air but it was enough to make out four figures unleashing hell on earth as they strode toward the gaping hole made in the bank's wall. The camera zoomed in on one of their faces, but the picture only showed a blur as if the image was digitally altered. It panned back to show a sunshine yellow beam cut the air and slice a man clean in half. The person filming screamed and took off running. The video was cut a second later.

"That was a Dawn Bringer," said Killian, looking pissed and confused.

My lips twisted into a grim frown. "And a Soul Reaper. So what these douchebags are bank robbers or something now?"

"Look," said Ryan, pointing at the corner of the screen. "In the related videos column, there are links to other videos. Christ, they've been at this all day. These videos are all different robberies."

Kevin looked at me curiously. "Why did the camera blur like that when it focused on their faces?"

"It's part of our celestial bindings," I explained quietly. "When we initiate our armor a disguise field is automatically brought online. Even people you know won't recognize you."

He blinked, looking surprised and impressed. "Handy."

"That video was the most recent one?" I asked and Ryan nodded. "Okay, let's make a little field trip. We're going to go have ourselves a showdown before they get far. We're leaving. Now."

The hardness in my voice went unquestioned. No one paid us any attention as we dumped our lunches and walked out of the quad at a quick clip. We hastily made our way toward the abandoned baseball field at the back of the campus. It was tucked away under a shelter of trees, thin rays of light piercing through the leaves and onto the mossy concrete. The grass itself was slightly overgrown, weeds peeking up out of the pitcher's mound, the dusty bases long gone. It had been a long time since the field had been used.

People had even forgotten it was here. The newer field, donated by an alumnus turned celebrity, on the east side of the school got all the action now. We ducked behind the old dugout, entirely out of view from any spying eyes.

"Power up, boys," I stated, revenge rolling thick in my gut. "Let's kick ass and take names."

We triggered our celestial bindings and silently transformed into our Chosen aspects. The black body suits replaced our civilian clothing and I took a deep breath as magic hummed beneath my fingertips.

Lowering the hood of my cloak, I nodded at Halo. "Your abilities are more compatible with manipulating space. Can you portal us downtown?"

"Does baking come easily to your people?" Kevin retorted.

I elbowed him in the side and his grin smoothed into an expression of concentration as he faced the empty space. Blinding white light shined forth, forming first in width, then length into a two-dimensional rectangle of inter-dimensional fold travel.

The speed and quality of the portal was impressive. I could do the same but not as seamlessly and nowhere near as proficient.

We stepped through the portal that allowed a twenty two mile journey to be covered in under a second. Instantly we were assaulted with the smell of smoke and the thick smell of burning fire. Cars were turned over in the street, fires burned in busted store windows and everywhere you looked there was another tale of destruction.

I turned away from the sight of the dead. There weren't many, but the dead bodies splayed along the concrete cooling in their own blood was a heart rendering sight to witness.

I swallowed heavily, putting the images to the back of my mind. "Where are these fuckers?"

A fireball shot into the air and we spun around, taking off around the corner where the display originated from. We skidded to a halt just in time to see a police car hurtle through the window of a candy shop. It was one of many ruined police vehicles that littered the street like a graveyard of cars.

They were courtesy of the four boys in front of us. Even with their backs to us, they were recognizable. Cobalt and Reece I zeroed in on instantly. Adam and Killian's clones flanked them. It was another second before I took notice of their outfits. Instead of the black body suits we had on, they wore entirely different ensembles.

Our armor was tied to our celestial bindings and the embedded chameleon wards adapted the suits to fit the environment. Ages ago we once wore tunics and silver armor, so thank God the techs that designed our suits thought ahead. Their armor was a fashion show at best. A club outfit at worst.

They all wore tight black leather pants, matching black t-shirts and motorcycle jackets. Not in black, however. Oh no, that would've been too Goth apparently. Their jackets were color coordinated. Cobalt had on blue, surprise, surprise. Reece was donned in white, Killian's clone wore a silver jacket and Adam's clone was decked in red.

"You're kidding me," said Kevin derisively, voice cutting through the air. "Did someone get lost in the Power Chamber's supply closet? No one told me we were going against the fucking Power Rangers."

They turned around slowly like they didn't have a care in the world. Cobalt's face lit up and then his expression fell when he caught sight of my heated face.

"Oh," he sighed, sounding immensely disappointed. "It's you guys. And you somehow managed to save the lead cocksucker."

I glared at him. "You've got an ass kicking coming your way, dick."

"By you clowns?" asked Cobalt incredulously.

Killian's clone eyed me appraisingly. "He's a cute little fuck, but I thought we killed him."

"You're not wrong, Korbin," said Reece, eyeing me sharply. "I gutted him like a fish."

Adam's clone flicked his gaze to my left, sizing up Halo appraisingly. "The name's Axel and what's your name, sexy?"

A dark smile turned at Kevin's lips. "Your worst nightmare."

"Uh oh!" Cobalt called out, laughing loudly. "We got a live one here, folks."

Korbin cocked his head. "Since when do the Chosen take recruits?"

I narrowed my eyes. "That's none of your business. Either surrender and come quietly or face the consequences."

"By all means, we'll take the consequences," Cobalt stated, uncaringly.

Everyone tensed up and slid into partial crouches as we prepared to fight. I didn't take my eyes off the four duplicates, who mirrored us like some eerie funhouse mirror.

"Halo, alpha strike on my command," I ordered, flatly. My mouth curved into a smirk. "Drop them."

Halo rushed forward in a leap of black and silver. White light, shining like liquid fire, burst from his hands at the peak of his jump. Then, as his feet touched concrete two balls of brilliant white launched from his hands. They rocketed forward down the twenty meter range at roughly the speed of light. Cobalt saw the attack for what it was and his eyes widened, as he hastily threw up his hands.

Both of the white balls of death impacted less than a second later, detonating in a massive flash of white light and explosive force. The shield I'd thrown up protected us from fallout, as we safely watched the dispersing white cloud of energy.

Axel had escaped the attack by leaping skyward at a high rate of speed, and he lowered himself to the ground as his fellow clones picked themselves up. Cobalt escaped the full brunt of the attack by hastily erecting a shield, but he wasn't able to stop all of the attack. The attack shredded through his barrier and the energy ball dumped its remaining potential into the clone, knocking him off kilter and blowing him five meters downrange.

They were the lucky ones. Reece's left side was burnt and smoking so heavily that I could smell the charred skin from here. Grimacing, he helped pick up Korbin who looked no better. His entire torso was bloody and he wobbled to his feet, scowling with a face pinched with pain.

Cobalt pinned Halo with an expression that was stunned, confused and wondrous all at once. "What are you?"

The question came out sounding amazed and almost rapturous. It was unnerving how he looked at Halo. It was like he was seeing the sunrise for the first time. I didn't like it.

"He damn near blew through the damage absorption capacitors in our armor," snapped Reece, angrily. "What kind of powerhouse freak are you?"

Cobalt looked up from where he had been staring at the ground. I looked closer. No, he wasn't staring. He had been drawing. With bloodied hands, he'd dawn a sigil on the asphalt using his own blood. It was a circle dominated by a triangle at its peak with symbols tracing it.

"I know what he is," Cobalt sang out in a high and teasing voice. He stared hard at Halo and sneered, "Go back to Heaven."

Cobalt slapped his bloody palm onto the sigil's center. I caught a glimpse of Kevin's frightened face, then there was a too quick flash of light and he was gone. My face fell as horror took root of every sense I had.

Grinning widely, Axel gleefully clapped his hands. "Again! Again!"

"I don't play well with heaven's hookers," said Cobalt coldly, glaring at me. "Your angel's gone bye-bye."

With pure fury radiating from my gaze, I let the caged magic swirl to the surface. Chaos born wind exploded outward with my rage, as my aura shined blue and clear, glowing impossibly bright like a second sun.

"Oh, goody," said Korbin, smirking. "Are we about to see a show?"

He wanted a show, so I gave him one.

I gave them all one.