The Order

Prelude

Luke’s fury mirrored itself in the physical realm.  Stars exploded, and asteroids that had traveled millions of years unhindered changed course, colliding with other astral bodies.  Tears in the fabric of reality appeared, and strings of dark matter sliced through solar systems, all ripples of his anger stretching across creation. 

Seemingly random events initiated disasters throughout Earth, expressing his ire… A bird hit a windshield startling an elderly driver, making her swerve into a semi beside her on the highway causing the big truck to jackknife, resulting in a catastrophic multi-car accident killing several innocent people… A man in New York paused for no reason, triggering the man behind him, causing him not to pay attention and get hit by a bus… Milk soured in dairies, pregnancies aborted, elderly people all over the planet died in their sleep, schools of rotting fish washed ashore on beaches, usually docile pets bit their humans…

The butterfly effect was in full force, with small, insignificant acts cascading into horrible destruction, pain, and misery.  Injuries and death spread like a plague throughout creation, and Michael and his brothers were hard-pressed to appease the damage.

Outwardly calm, internally Luke seethed.  Not only was Darren Wilcox alive and well, but somehow Michael discovered Thomin’s location, leading legions of angels to rescue him.  Aaron Thomas lived, and The Mantle rested safely in Thomin’s vault beyond his reach.  Something was amiss, and he wanted to know how they discovered Thomin’s whereabouts, sure he had a traitor in his midst.

The likelihood of confronting or capturing Thomin again was too small to contemplate; he would hide safely in his vault and out of Luke’s reach.  The final insult was still not discovering how the Book of Loagaeth was removed from Thomin’s care and bound to Darren Wilcox.  Luke felt the need to uncover the mysterious benefactor backing his opponents.

The half-breeds, who before seemed a distraction he enjoyed, crossed the threshold to become obstacles in his path. They now harbored his full attention and would bear the full brunt of his power.

He would spend as much time as necessary planning their downfall, fully intending to have them as his. With the strength of their Avatars, they would be his most powerful servants.  It would be interesting to observe Orophir’s reaction once that happened. At that point, he would no longer need his offspring and most likely discard or destroy him.

It galled him, but Luke needed to tread carefully with his plans.  The nephilim bastards held the protection of the High Hosts, as well as their unknown benefactor. Barachiel’s Legions remained ready should Luke’s presence be detected, and Michael was ever eager to find an excuse to force a confrontation.

The arrival of an Ifrit drew Luke out of his thoughts.  He said nothing but turned to acknowledge his servant. Bowing and sniveling, fully aware of Luke’s mood, the creature knew the smallest perceived slight would result in its demise. 

Afraid to make eye contact, it said, “I have news, Dark One.”

“Speak.”

“The one who escaped and the leader of the half-breeds are alone, outside their protections.”

Silence followed as Luke ignored the Ifrit, pondering the situation.

Finally, he said, “Leave me.”

Bowing again, the Ifrit vanished, thankful it still lived.

Luke had sent out a command among his servants to notify him if any of the half-breeds were detected. The nephilim were careful, always remaining hidden behind their runes or their trees, and he suspected a trap. 

Vowing to never underestimate them again, he would go himself and observe them, and if they were truly vulnerable, he would take them. Their prisons were built, ready and waiting to contain them, and none of them would escape his grasp again once they were his.

Thirsting for their light, he admitted his annoyance. The patience that had served him well since the beginning of time was now elusive, and he felt the need to push for his final victory. It still might take eons, but that was far shorter than eternity.

Casting out his awareness, he felt them… Yes, there were two: Darren Wilcox and Ken Habersham. Smiling, Luke vanished with the sound of fluttering wings.

<><><> 

With three weeks to go before Christmas, everyone was in the Christmas spirit except Drew.  Henry warned them that Drew would have a rough time with Liz gone.  Liz always made Christmas special for her only son, and her absence during his favorite holiday emphasized the void in his life.

Everyone in the lab was supportive, they went out of their way to play and spend time with him. It helped lift his spirits for a while, but more often than not a melancholy expression showed on his young face, his usual smile and cheerful nature replaced by a sad and subdued demeanor.

Continuing his ritual of morning hugs as everyone arrived for training, he repeated the same with whoever was in the lab at his bedtime.  He crawled into laps more often, but now, except for Darren, it was for his own comfort rather than theirs.  Drew still saw the pain Darren carried from his torture in Thomin’s vault, and caring for his Uncle drove off Drew’s own malaise.

Using his Avatar, Bryan grew a Christmas tree for the lab, and Sally spent days detailing it, enlisting everyone’s help.  In fact, she insisted that each person hang at least one ornament and be a part of the process. It turned out she had to rein them in, as most of the guys would have finished decorating the tree single-handedly if she let them.

Bryan also grew a unique evergreen bonsai tree for Drew and Henry to keep in their small room, decorated with tiny LED lights. Especially at night, Drew liked the multi-colored lights in the room he shared with his dad, and Henry had to admit he enjoyed them too. Henry hadn’t celebrated Christmas since he left home as a teenager and found it pleasant. 

While making a real effort with his new son, Henry still dealt with his own loss. Staying merged with his brothers during training counteracted his dark thoughts, but Drew didn’t have that and he didn’t know what to do for his son. On top of his own worry, the doctor expressed a deep concern over Henry merging with Drew the first time and Darren when he was trapped in Thomin’s Vault.

The doctor understood the necessity, especially after Drew merged with Darren when he was so near death, but said there would be severe ramifications later. Dr. Thomas began working with Drew immediately to counteract the worst of it, but Henry still needed to add his own time to the doctor’s private counseling sessions to understand the issues and help overcome them.

Henry’s idea for Drew’s Christmas present came to him out of the blue. He would need Albrecht’s help to pull it off, as well as the guys, and of course, everyone said yes. The gift would be profoundly emotional for Drew, so Henry ran it by the doctor first. The tender thoughtfulness of Henry’s idea touched Aaron deeply and he nearly cried as Henry laid out his plan. 

As far as gifts were concerned, it was difficult to shop with travel restrictions and not being out in public. Online shopping was the best alternative, which would have to suffice. Shopping was one of Sally’s many specialties, and she was more than happy to help anyone she could. Most of the guys were fluent on the doctor's new search engine but were so pressed for time they asked for her help.

 

Chapter Four

That night Ken and Brad were at their house. Off the rotation of lab duty both in Atlanta and Australia, they needed a night to themselves. The two men loved their brothers and being around Drew but hadn’t had any private time in days. Their house desperately needed attention, too, and they both wanted to decorate for Christmas.

Every year since they had become partners, Brad purchased Ken a new piece to his Dickens Christmas Village. Over the years, a running joke developed that it was now a Dickens City rather than a Village. 

When they met, Brad had no idea they were immortal, and he had been adding to the collection for a few decades. Spending an exorbitant amount of time staging the little ceramic structures over the mantle and around the den, Ken ensured each one was perfect.  He even had a mirror to use as a frozen pond for the miniature skaters to fall and bust their asses on.

Ken managed to grow their Christmas tree after Bryan merged with him to show him how best to do it. Growing a tree with his Avatar was easy but growing one and controlling the shape and natural pruning was something else entirely, requiring a great deal of concentration and control. Ken did it perfectly and was proud of himself.

I think you need ‘ta be extra good ‘ta me tonight, B. 

Why’s that?

’Cause of the tree!  I did great!

Ken’s little kid grin, the one Brad couldn’t resist, accompanied his comment. Knowing what came next, even after all the years they had been together, Brad still laughed when Ken put mistletoe on his belt buckle. Ken did a double eyebrow raise while glancing at Brad, then deliberately looked down at his tented shorts. 

Grinning seductively, he thought: So, how about it, handsome? Up for a little Christmas spirit?

Only if we cuddle first, I know it’s nostalgic as hell, but there’s a marathon of the old Christmas claymation specials on TV tonight, and I want to watch them. If you get on the couch and hold me until they’re over, I’ll take REALLY good care of you tonight.

When Brad emphasized REALLY, Ken knew what he meant, and his shorts nearly ripped open when his erection flexed involuntarily at the thought.

Smirking, Brad nodded at Ken’s bulge: I’ll take that as a ‘yes.'

Man, it’s hot in here.  December in Georgia, gotta love it. 

Stripping off his t-shirt, Ken left on his Santa hat and mistletoe.

Slowing his perception of time, Brad admired Ken’s body as he removed his t-shirt.  Even with a photographic memory, he never tired of watching his partner’s flawless body - no, not just his ‘partner’ - his soulmate.  He stared at his own perfect man, and it never ceased to amaze him that Ken was his and was even more perfect inside than out. 

Rippling with thick, lean muscle, Ken’s lats flared as he crisscrossed his hands on the hem of his t-shirt as he pulled it off.  His arms thick, corded steel, Brad loved the movement of Ken’s upper chest and shoulders from the motion, and he couldn’t wait to feel those arms around him a little later.

The word ‘partner’ stuck in Brad’s mind, bringing a fleeting regret and frustration about the messed-up state of gay marriage in the United States.  He wanted Ken to be his husband and their relationship officially recognized.

With the danger and stress in their lives, for some reason, it mattered to Brad how the outside human world saw them. Gay marriage was finally legal, but they had no real hope of that lasting. Conservative politicians were already trying to find ways to fight the decision, and there was no telling how long it would last.

Brad had a passing thought about how fun it would be to see the faces of the Conservative Christian movement if they knew ten gay half-angels were all that stood between them and the subjugation of mankind to The Dark one.  They would shit their pants.

When the two men were in the house alone, it was common practice to stay deeply linked. The emotional intimacy was beyond anything they could have imagined earlier in their lives, and there was no better feeling to either one of them; it was even better than sex. 

Hearing Brad’s thoughts, Ken was surprised at their intensity.

Hey, B, come here.

Snapping out of his reverie, Brad looked at Ken. His tone of voice and those words usually meant Ken was about to initiate sex, but they decided to watch TV first, so he wasn’t sure what was going on.

Brad looked at Ken, his devastatingly handsome Ken, in a goofy Santa hat, shirtless, with mistletoe hanging on his belt buckle. Wearing shorts and no shoes, his darkly tanned, muscled body glowed with health, and Brad’s breath caught at the sight of him. 

As Brad moved over, Ken went down on one knee, taking both Brad’s hands in his own. The strength and warmth of Ken’s hands never failed to increase Brad’s heart rate. It quickly dawned on him what Ken was about to do, and it hit him like a ton of bricks, causing him to tear up.

B, you know you’re my world.  I’m not sure even you knew how important bein’ married was to you ‘til just now. Those thoughts were from way back in the corners of your mind.  But you know what? We operate outside the bounds of the law, so their rules don’t matter ‘ta us anyway. The doc and Albrecht are both ordained priests, and hell, we have archangels for grandparents.  Is there any Higher Authority than that? We can have any of them do the ceremony for us. You’re my best friend, Brad, my soulmate. You always will be, and I can’t imagine a life without you.  I wouldn’t have a life without you. Will you be my husband? 

Oh my God, Ken. How do you manage to catch me off guard with stuff like this? We’re so deep in each other… How did this not come up before?

I don’t know, B, but when I heard your thoughts, it hit me too. I want you ‘ta be mine.  We already belong ‘ta one another. We share a soul, so we can’t get away from each other.

Grinning when he said that, both of them had tears in their eyes. 

I want to be your husband more than anything in the world, Ken. 

Ken got that little kid grin on his face, the one that melted Brad’s heart, and to break the solemn mood he thought: Whew!  I was worried. 

Douche.

Pulling Ken to his feet, he put his hands on Ken’s shoulders, loving the solidity of his body. Ken’s warm, soft skin felt incredible as Brad gently kneaded his thick traps. So deeply linked, Brad was aware of how his touch affected Ken as they looked into each other’s eyes.

Pulling each other into their signature hug, expressing their love to one another, they held each other for minutes. Their souls, minds, and hearts became one, and their eyes never stopped watering as they took comfort in each other, willing to stay that way forever. Taking in a deep breath, Brad inhaled Ken’s natural musky scent, letting out a contented sigh. Finally, with a grin and a kiss, Ken broke them apart. 

So, when do you wanna do it? Do you wanna have Michael or Raphael or the doc and Albrecht do it? We need ‘ta pick out rings too… Or maybe Albrecht can help us make a set like he did for Henry and Liz?

I think we should ask the doc and Albrecht, but let’s wait until after Christmas. I want to get Darren through his troubles and Drew past the holidays. There might not be a perfect time until after we defeat The Master, but let’s shoot for early in the year, maybe late January or February.

How the hell are we gonna pick a best man?  We got eleven of ’em!  How can we do that and not hurt anyone’s feelings?

We’ll figure it out.  You know we might start a trend.  It could end up being a group thing.  I know all the guys have talked about it before, but this might be the impetus to get them moving too.

Continuing their discussion, they bantered back and forth as only best friends can. At the same time, they finished decorating their tree, taking every opportunity to bump and rub against each other in the process.

Once the tree was finished, Brad left Ken to put all the boxes back in the attic while he made them dinner. They ate at the coffee table in the den to catch the start of Rudolf the Red-Nosed Reindeer. Skipping clean up, they put the dishes in the sink during the first commercial break so they could get back on the couch for the marathon.

It was a quiet and relaxing night. Maybe not as nice as staying on ZEUS in the Pacific, but it was private, and they were together. Reclining against each other in just their shorts with their legs intertwined, Ken’s arms around him sent Brad into a blissful state of contentment.

Rubbing Brad’s body and through his chest hair, Ken’s soothing, loving, and gentle caresses physically reinforced their tender care of one another. Ken loved holding Brad as much as Brad loved being held, so it worked perfectly. Ken received his own bliss from Brad’s arms around him when they made love, especially after being ‘that guy’ and taking them both to exquisite and insanely intense levels of pleasure and wearing himself out.

When Ken went to that indefinable place after pleasuring both of them, exhausted, sweaty, and trembling from his exertions, feeling Brad’s arms around him, his hands roaming and caressing him always initiated the feeling of never wanting to return to himself, of staying in Brad’s body, mind, and soul forever and losing himself. 

Brad wondered at their conscious thoughts about their affections and love for one another when the reason dawned on him. It was because Darren and Pat still blocked everyone from seeing the darkness inside Darren after his torture in Thomin’s vault. The possibility of Darren being removed from their lives, and seeing how it affected Pat, brought their feelings for one another to the forefront.

Waiting for another commercial break, Ken was content to be with Brad and hold him while they were absorbed in the Claymation Special they both grew up with. A Year Without A Santa Claus was next, then Santa Claus is Comin’ to Town, followed by Jack Frost, and lastly, The Little Drummer Boy. They laughed every year about Kris Kringle's transformation from a young stud to a hot ginger daddy bear Santa.

As soon as the next commercial started, Ken thought:  B, I have an idea I wanna try with Dar.  This just hit me, so I want your input.

Aren’t you paying attention to Rudolf?

‘The grin’ appeared on Ken’s face: Of course, I am!  I’m just learnin’ how to be a mental stud like my boyfriend.  I’m multi-taskin’.

Flattery will get you everywhere, big guy.  I’m impressed.

Yeah, I’m plannin’ on the ‘everywhere’ part here in a bit, so get ready. 

Pulling Brad’s face around for a quick kiss, their eyes mirrored the smile on their handsome faces.  He followed up with an ‘Eskimo kiss,' rubbing their noses together. Ken shared his idea, not in words but as the concept that his unconscious mind had been working on for days. Brad shot up with wide eyes, surprising Ken.

Oh my God, Ken, you aren’t going to believe what I just thought of!

After processing Ken’s plan for Darren, Brad realized it could create a situation they could take advantage of. The enormity and potential impact of Brad’s sudden idea were mind-boggling!  If they could pull it off, it wouldn’t just cause ripples, it would send a tsunami through the physical and spiritual realms!

Brad took them so deep that time nearly stood still to discuss everything in more detail, and they spent hours inside a few seconds brainstorming Ken’s plan for Darren and what Brad had come up with. When they came back up, Ken was so proud of his lover he was about to burst. Wrapping his legs around Brad, he continued holding him while they finished the AMC marathon, losing themselves in the nostalgia of the specials.

Earlier in the evening, Brad made sure Henry knew about the TV schedule so Drew could watch them too.  Even though he and Ken wanted some alone time, Brad asked Henry if they could have Drew for a few hours to watch the shows with them, but Henry cut him off.

Sorry, Brad, Lane and Bry got him first, and Loy and Ricky are backup. They almost fought over him; it was funny as hell. I’m sorry, but he’s taken for the night. I’ll be lucky to see him again by Christmas at this rate!

When the marathon was over, the two big men were peckish for a snack, and Brad rummaged in the kitchen while Ken cleaned the dishes in the sink from dinner. With some food in them, wide awake and energized, they went back to the bedroom where they each became “that guy” for the other. The emotions of the night, from Ken’s marriage proposal to their nostalgic time together and the plan to help Darren, all came together and needed an outlet, so they each became what the other needed.

After nearly four hours of intense sex and countless orgasms, Ken fell asleep in Brad’s arms, his body drained, trembling, and weak as a kitten. The tree in their backyard shone like the North Star, swaying happily from the energies they produced.

For a short time at least, Ken’s worries were gone, held back by the emotional intimacy he shared with his soulmate. It didn’t take long before they both shifted in their sleep, so Ken was spooning Brad. Sighing in unison as their bodies molded together, they felt safe and content in being one.

<><><> 

It took two days for Ken to pull all the details of their plan together. They had to hide his idea from Darren and Pat, which wasn’t difficult since they only used the surface link Brad kept up in the lab. Brad had to keep the second part secret from everyone. 

Once Ken left with Darren, Brad would divulge his plan and set things in motion. Knowing his brother’s like the back of his hand, Ken didn’t want them to overthink the plan or psych themselves out over what he wanted to do. He had every confidence they would react like the trained soldiers they were when Brad revealed his plan.

Rather than being frustrated with Dar and Pat, Ken bore a heavy concern, not just for them but for everyone. As a team, the men relied on one another as a refuge to stay strong, and Darren and Pat holding back hurt all of them. Dar and Pat were his brothers first and foremost, and Ken’s primary concern was for their well-being, but as the team leader, he had to look at the bigger picture and how their behavior affected everyone as a whole.

Even though their absence from merging was uncomfortable, everyone was supportive and caring and didn’t push. It took Ken a great deal of time to recover from his own ordeal, so he understood completely. He spent the equivalent of years in his mind with Brad and the doctor during his recovery, and he was sure it would be similar with Darren. 

Physically, Darren was fully recovered; Lane healed his body immediately, but the thing he couldn’t bear for any of his brothers to see, the thing he didn’t know what to do with, remained. Everybody was available to him, and he loved them for it, but Ken knew from his own experience that Darren’s issues weren’t going to get better on their own.

As their leader, Ken felt it his responsibility to help Darren through the rough spot, but he was also best suited to help him face it. Even more than that, Darren was his brother, and he loved him and needed to help him. Seeing Darren and knowing what he was going through was painful.

<><><> 

The following morning, gathered in the kitchen wearing their workout gear, they were ready to start their training.  Being former military, all of the guys drank a lot of coffee, especially early in the morning.  Bill, Kevin, and Henry, already sweaty from their run, waited in the kitchen, drinking their coffee and ready to greet everyone as they arrived.

Thankfully, Sally ordered a new deluxe industrial coffee maker shortly after she started working with the doctor. With her various duties throughout the day, it was much easier than the old one to keep a fresh pot available all day for whoever wanted to partake. In the mornings, she made sure three fresh pots were ready and waiting before their training started.

Quickly learning how grumpy the doctor could be in the mornings before he had a few cups of coffee in him, she earned major brownie points with all the guys for her efforts, especially with the doctor. She ordered fresh flavored beans, grinding them herself, rotating through various flavors to keep it fresh. In the doctor’s opinion, her coffee was on par with Long John Silver’s, which said a lot.

The Keenans still weren’t up, the doctor hadn’t made an appearance yet, Albrecht was in Australia with Kelly, and Drew waited for Sally to start his lessons while the guys downed the last of their coffee before moving into the gym.

Glancing at Brad, Ken sent him a private thought:  You ready, B?

As ready as ever. Let’s hope both plans work.

They will.  I have a good feelin’ about today. 

Taking a breath and using his Captain’s voice, Ken said, “Dar, I need you ‘ta come with me. The rest of you go on and get started.”

Ken rarely used that tone of voice with any of them, and Pat didn’t look happy, but Ken was their acknowledged leader. He rarely pulled rank on them, so his action came as a surprise, raising eyebrows all around, but they did as instructed. Moving to the locker by the main door, Ken pulled out a set of keys to one of the Suburbans. 

“Come on, Dar, we’re goin’ for a ride.”

Knowing full well what Ken was doing, Darren didn’t say a word, dreading the impending ‘talk,’ but knowing it was inevitable. Driving the Suburban, Ken pulled out of the lab parking lot.  As he drove, Ken occasionally glanced at Darren, who kept his eyes straight ahead, not saying a word. Even without his Understanding, Darren's physical tension was apparent, but Ken’s Avatar also showed him the emotional knots in his buddy. 

Undeniably, the best-looking of the men, Darren’s dimples set off his face when he smiled. Ken missed Darren’s smile, and he noted the strain around Darren’s eyes, making him look older. He wanted his buddy back. 

He couldn’t help himself and reached over, ruffling Darren’s hair and squeezing his shoulder, wanting him to know everything was going to be alright. Darren continued looking straight ahead, but Ken saw his eyes brighten at the gesture. Ken kept going over in his head everything he wanted and needed to say to Darren. He had to get through and address what was going on inside him and pull him out of it.

Good with people, Ken could be as tough as necessary on someone if it was for their own good. Ken let Darren stew on the drive, knowing he was nervous. He wanted Darren on edge for his plan to work; the pent-up emotions in him needed to be on the surface, not hidden or buried deep.

They drove for nearly an hour through Atlanta’s morning traffic, on both Interstate 85 South and 285 East and South, to Decatur.  Ken wasn’t familiar with the area, but the Suburban’s in-dash GPS guided them right to where he needed to go.

He pulled into a massive junkyard called “Budget Auto Salvage.” Darren was surprised, first that they were in a junkyard, and secondly that the entrance had a big chain across it with a ‘Closed’ sign. A man stood waiting for them, and as soon as they drove in, he replaced the chain, locked it behind them, waved to Ken, and left. Darren was nervous but also curious as to what Ken had planned.

Hopping out of the car, Ken said, “Come on, Dar.”

The junkyard was separated and organized by decades as far as makes and model, and nearly all the cars, vans, and trucks were husks in various states of rust. The engines were out of most of them, but people paid to come in and strip whatever they might find or need.

At first glance, the lot on the back corner of the property looked cleared out, but as they rounded the bend of the tree line, Darren saw a crane parked nearby and all the junked-out vehicles piled into one massive heap. Staring at it a moment, he then looked at Ken, who looked back at his friend.

Ken finally broke the silence, saying, “Okay, Dar, here’s the deal. We aren’t leavin’ ‘til you’re clear and back with us. We need you back… I need you back. We’re crippled right now without you and Pat completely with us, and if I get you back, Pat comes by default.”

Darren’s eyes reddened, turning glassy as Ken spoke, and Ken noted Darren’s quickened breathing as his emotions built. Thoughts and memories churned inside him, bubbling to the surface, and his stomach tightened with cold anxiety. Ken Understood Darren’s emotions.  Watching his buddy through his Avatar, he equated what Darren felt to the feeling a person gets before they are about to throw up, knowing it’s coming but still holding off as long as possible because it’s going to be uncomfortable and ugly.

“I know what’s goin’ on in your head, Dar.  I’ve been there.  B knows it, you know it, hell, all you guys know it because we’ve merged so often our lives are completely intertwined. Any of you can see in my memories what I went through, but it’s still not the same as goin’ through it yourself.

“It took B and the doc a long time ‘ta help me work through everythin’ because I didn’t have anythin’ to vent on.  As much as I wanted ‘ta kill that bastard for what he did ‘ta me and put me through, I couldn’t touch Cromwell.”

Pausing a moment, he wanted his question to sink in.

“ ‘Ya know why I hated him the most, Dar?  Not ‘cause of the torture and pain and drivin’ me to the point I wanted to die. That part, believe it or not, wasn’t the worst. What got me is he made me want ‘ta lose Brad. I thought our love was strong enough ‘ta get me through anythin’, but it failed me.  He drove me ‘ta a point where I was willin’ ‘ta let B go and leave him forever.”

Darren remembered the day they rescued Ken from Dr. Cromwell, how Kevin’s voice shook, and the look on his face when he told the doctor Ken begged Kevin to kill him to stop the pain. He remembered seeing Ken broken and tortured, his mind nearly destroyed, and Darren knew his brothers felt the same when they rescued him from Luke’s trap in Thomin’s vault.

“You know what that would have done ‘ta Brad. We didn’t know we shared a soul yet when that happened, but our feelin’s for each other were there. So yeah, I know about the hate inside you, Dar, and the rage. You need ‘ta hit back and hit back hard. 

“He pushed you beyond your ability ‘ta cope, and it’s fucked with your head and your heart. There’s no shame in that, man!  You were so fuckin’ brave and strong, Dar; nobody could’ve done better. You made him take everythin’ from you and didn’t give an inch. You were one tough son of a bitch.”

As Ken’s words sank in, Darren’s eyes spilled tears as the bottled-up feelings started to come out.  Ken knew exactly what Darren went through and what he was still going through, and he knew Darren hated himself for it, seeing himself as weak and ashamed. The ugliness inside him ate away at him, and to Darren, Luke won as his light was diminished by the darkness remaining within him. Ken was with him in a surface link, but he didn’t need to read Darren’s mind to know how he felt because he had been there himself through all of it.

“I understand how you feel, Dar. I’ve been there, and I’m there with you now. What you need ‘ta realize is it never goes away. It’s a part of you, but let it make you stronger instead of eatin’ you up. Make it a strength and not a weakness.”

Moving behind Darren, Ken pressed up against him. Wrapping one arm around Darren’s upper chest, he cradled his other arm over Darren’s head. Hugging his buddy tight, Ken braced him for what he was about to ask.

His own eyes wet, Ken’s throat tightened as he spoke into Darren’s ear.  Darren leaned into Ken’s strength, the strength of his brother holding and supporting him. Ken’s breath was hot in his ear as he held Darren close, not just with his arms but with his heart.

“I love you so fuckin’ much, Dar. You’re my brother. We’ve known each other almost thirty years and pulled each other’s asses out of the fire more times than we can count. We live in each other’s minds and hearts, and you mean as much ‘ta me as Brad. I mean that, and if you doubt me, look inside my heart right now.”

In full effect, Ken’s Avatar drove his words into Darren’s mind, heart, and soul, and tears spilled freely down both of their faces. Ken needed Darren raw for what he had to do. 

“You need ‘ta empty the well inside you, Dar. Focus all that hate and rage and let it out. Don’t be afraid of the well; embrace it, and keep it. Always remember it, and let it fuel you when you need it.”

Breathing heavily, Darren tensed in Ken’s arms. Ken was well aware of Darren’s fear to surrender at what festered inside him and to let it out.  There was a line inside of him; every man had one, and Darren knew once he crossed it, there was no going back. As a man and a leader, Ken knew what Darren needed as a man. Luke took something from him, and Ken was going to help him get it back and make him stronger in the process.

“I brought you here ‘ta get this out of you, Dar. I need you back with us. As the leader, I need you focused and on board one hundred percent. Pat needs you, too, and the guys, but even more than that, I need you back for me. It’s killin’ me seein’ you go through this and punishin’ yourself. Let me help you.

“Pat can’t do this 'cause he’s too close ‘ta you. He’s your partner and supportin’ you like he should, but I don’t think he has it in him ‘ta push you like I can; like I need to. You know I love him as much as I do you, and I’m not criticizin’ him.  It’s just not in his nature ‘ta be able ‘ta do this.”

Ken felt Darren starting to let go… The trembling in his body became harsher, and he started sweating. His chest heaved, no longer just from the tears, but with the emotions about to burst out of him. Keeping one arm around Darren, Ken pointed with his other arm over Darren’s shoulder at the massive mound of wrecked and broken vehicles.

“I want you ‘ta picture him standin’ in that pile, Dar.  I want you ‘ta blow him up. I know you have it in you, and you need ‘ta hit back. Cut loose, man, like I know you want to; like I know you can. Don’t be afraid of it. Face the fear and turn it into somethin’ beautiful. Remember… Embrace it and let everythin’ inside you come out ’til there’s nothin’ left but you again. I’m with you every step of the way.”

As soon as Darren started breathing hard, Ken heard a deep rumbling in the skies, even feeling it in his body. As nephilim, they were elemental creatures, forces of nature in their own right, and nature often reflected their emotions. As Darren let his feelings out, clouds thickened in response, transforming the sky from clear and blue to full of thunderheads in a matter of minutes. As Darren purged his emotions, nature absorbed them, and the fury inside him was mirrored in the lightning flashing across the sky. Ken heard a weather advisory alert on his phone in his pocket. He felt the change in the barometric pressure and the tingling of electricity in the air with his enhanced senses.

“It’s comin’ out, Dar. Quit tryin’ ‘ta hold it in. It’s poison, and we need ‘ta cleanse you.  I’m here with you, bud, every step of the way. I’ve got you, and I’m not lettin’ go no matter what. I want you ‘ta cut loose like you’ve never done before. Show me how powerful you are. What you did in Australia is nothin’ compared to what you’re about ‘ta do.”

Luke’s voice echoed in Darren’s mind, taunting him, laughing at him. He relived the pain of each chain reverberating through his body, the blood spurting out, and even worse, the light of his soul draining out of him, magnified by Pat’s absence. As each chain impaled his body, thunder and lightning ripped through the sky. 

Feeling the pressure in Darren, in his body and heart, Ken knew he was about to break. The air around them crackled with electricity, as the conflict within his buddy was mirrored in what he saw around them. Through the part of Ken’s Avatar that came from Pat, he witnessed what was happening and was in awe.

Shaking violently, Darren suddenly cut loose, emitting a primal scream of rage, arching his body and flexing every muscle. He and Pat had made love that morning, so Darren’s physical strength was amped up and Ken exerted quite a bit of force in holding him. 

Vomiting out the darkness inside of him, Darren fell back against Ken, who lowered them to the ground. Darren’s face turned purple from the strain, and veins in his neck and temples stood out as sweat poured off him. Tears streamed down his face as he threw his arms out to his sides like steel beams, tight with corded muscle. Thrashing his legs, he kicked at the darkness inside him.

Thick, powerful bolts of lightning arced down from the skies, blasting the pile of derelict vehicles. Ken was in awe of the force inside Darren and how his rage translated into what he saw. He had heard echoes of thunder before when some of them got angry, but he never imagined seeing anything like what Darren was doing. Darren’s eyes stayed white, arcing white tendrils of energy matching the forks of electricity he called down from the heavens.

Wind whipped around them, blowing their hair, and funnel clouds formed in the sky. It seemed localized to their area, so Ken didn’t call Brad to intervene, but he kept watch in case the weather got out of hand and spread to a populated area. 

Holding his buddy, Ken felt the lightning strikes in his body as Darren’s muscles reflected them when they hit. Ken wondered if what he saw was another aspect of Darren’s Avatar they didn’t know about – his connection to the physical realm - or maybe he was that pissed off, and Ken was witnessing spiritual adrenaline.

The lightning was so thick, it nearly blinded Ken with its brightness. His skin tingled, and the hair on his arms and the back of his neck rose. Darren pummeled the entire area with lightning until the edges of the cars glowed red with molten heat. Ken held Darren tightly through all of it, whispering in his ear, encouraging him to let it out, knowing there was more inside him he needed to expunge.

After minutes that seemed to go on forever, the wind and lightning slowed, and the frequency of the strikes lessened. Resting against Ken, Darren’s chest heaved as sweat poured off him, seemingly unaware of his surroundings. His tears were so thick he couldn’t have seen anyway. His throat was raw from the scream that continued almost non-stop since he started.

Chuckling, Ken hugged his brother, saying, “Fuck! Dar, that was impressive as hell.” 

Exhausted, Darren barely moved except for the heaving of his chest as he recovered, fueling his body with oxygen while resting in Ken’s arms. After a minute Ken helped Darren sit up but kept his buddy cradled protectively in his arms.

“How are you doin’ man? I’ve never seen anythin’ like that. Are you okay?”

After a slight pause, Darren said, “No, Ken. I’m not okay. I’m just getting started.”

Staggering to his feet, Darren moved a few feet away but seemed to be recovering quickly. Ken heard a groaning sound. It started small but rapidly grew until his sensitive hearing filled with it, then with a loud crash, the big pile of cars shook.

Large dents started appearing in the stack of derelict vehicles as massive invisible fists bigger than the cars punched and hammered down on them. The temperature increased, and waves of heat radiated off Darren, making the air around his body ripple. His clothes started smoking, and he ripped off his tank top.

His entire body pumped, Darren’s muscles were covered in sweat. In the back of Ken’s mind, he was impressed; when Brad got fired up in anger, he became incredibly hot and desirable to Ken. Darren looked like that now, channeling his rage and anger as his body expressed it, making him exquisitely handsome and virile. The sweat was so thick on his body he looked like he was covered in oil, and every taut muscle on his tanned body gleamed.

Darren motioned with his fists, punching and hammering until the pile was half its original size. The heat emanating off of him was so intense Ken had to move back a few feet. The edges of the closest cars started folding as the metal reached its melting point.

Darren was about to pass out, but there was still more inside him he needed to purge. With his Avatar, Darren made himself equal to the task, remaining conscious to expel the darkness still inside him. Stunned at what he witnessed, Ken knew adrenaline and emotion could push people to perform exceptional acts of strength or courage, but what Darren was doing was beyond that.

The strength of Darren’s ability to interact with the physical realm came from his body… Darren was a strong man and in superb physical shape, but he couldn’t bend metal like Ken and the other bodies. The enhanced strength he received from Pat’s semen didn’t translate into telekinetic strength. They wondered about that, but it just didn’t work that way.

  Able to freeze water or transmute matter, it took a great deal of effort, and Darren usually needed Pat’s help to Understand the atomic structure of whatever he changed. Now, as Ken watched, Darren increased the temperature around him to the point of melting metal, and he punched the derelict husks of the old vehicles, crushing them like tinfoil.

It had to have something to do with his Avatar, coupled with what was inside of him.  Ken couldn’t wait to get with Brad and the doc to see if they had an explanation. Casting those thoughts aside, he focused on Darren. Darren needed to continue venting until he emptied himself of all the rage and hate, and since Ken couldn’t wrap his arms around his brother in support, he held Darren with his mind and heart more tightly.

Darren continued until finally, minutes later, he fell to his knees, utterly exhausted. His eyes were closed, and his chest heaved, so sweaty he looked like he had just stepped out of the shower. His short hair plastered to his head, rivulets of sweat ran down his body, his muscled physique shiny and slick as he trembled in exhaustion. Throwing his head back, his neck thickened on his heavy traps, and he put his hands on his thighs, trying to catch his breath. The clouds started dissipating, and the thunder finally went silent.

Ken’s smile was a mile wide. In his mind, the sun broke through the clouds, shining down on his brother. Rushing forward, he embraced Darren, wrapping his arms around him from behind by his stomach and chest, hugging him tightly.

“Fuck, Dar, I don’t even know what to say. I’m so proud of you I could shit!”

Without opening his eyes, Darren chuckled, showing his dimples.

“Please don’t.” 

Darren’s hands moved, gripping Ken’s forearms wrapped around him, squeezing back.

Fresh tears spilled down his face, and his throat was so tight he could hardly talk, but he managed to squeak out, “Thanks, Ken.”

Ken cried too, but his tears were happy. His buddy was back! Plunging himself in his brother, they became one, with no dark spot or wall hiding anything. Darren’s soul shone brightly and Ken bathed in it, and he amped up his own aura to comfort his brother.

“Fuck, I’m exhausted.” 

Darren still trembled under Ken’s arms. He had almost no energy left, and even the squeeze of his hands on Ken’s forearms was weak. Ken continued holding him, relieved that his plan worked, and they both chuckled quietly. 

“It’s good ‘ta have you back, Dar. I’m so happy I don’t know what ‘ta do.”

Giggling, Darren said, “I’d settle for a handjob if you really want to help.”

Ken burst out laughing, kissing Darren on his cheek, then rested his chin on top of Darren’s head, rocking him gently while he recovered.

I think Pat would be upset if I handled the goods, but here’s a little somethin’ ‘ta tide you over and get you back on your feet.

Channeling some of his own energy, Ken restored strength to Darren’s body.

Thanks, Ken.  I don’t think I’ve ever been that exhausted, even after a marathon with Pat. 

Another long pause followed while they sat quietly, content to be together and deeply merged. Resting in their friendship, they relished the physical intimacy they shared as men and brothers.

After a few minutes, Ken thought: Hey, Dar?

Something about the tone of Ken’s mental voice caused a twinge in Darren’s gut.

Yeah?  Ken, what’s up?

I need you ‘ta do somethin’ for me. Don’t let on that anythin’s up, okay?  We have ‘ta act normal.

What the fuck’s going on?  What do you need me to do?

I don’t think we’re alone. I think he’s here, watchin’ us.  If he's, he’s hidden, and we can’t feel him.  He’s too good at maskin’ himself. But I think you can find him. B and I worked this out the other night. 

Ken sent Darren the memory Brad stored inside of him for just that moment. It was a theoretical use of Darren’s powers that would require a good deal of control. Brad wanted him to use the lightest possible telekinetic touch in the area around the two of them. It needed to be feather-light, requiring Darren to sense even the slightest push back. It was a spatial awareness technique Brad was confident Darren could master. Since the mentalists didn’t have enhanced vision like their partners, it was a new application of their Avatars Brad came up with to let them traverse areas in total darkness.

Leaning back into Ken, Darren closed his eyes as Ken continued rocking him. Ken kept a running dialogue to keep up the pretense, sure that Luke was present and listening.

In only a few seconds, Darren thought:  Fuck me, Ken, he’s here. There’s a negative space I can sense; I can feel the shape of his body. He’s crouched down by that oak tree on our six.

I knew I loved you for a reason. Now hold tight.Get ready for the fireworks. Plan B is about ‘ta happen.

<><> 

As soon as Ken left with Darren, the guys filed into the gym. Pat was upset, and Brad put his arms around him from behind. 

It’s going to be okay, Pat. You know Dar needs this.

Yeah, Brad, I get it. I’m scared for him, though, and I don’t know what to do. I thought it would get better by now, but it hasn’t. I miss being deeper with all of you, and I feel guilty for feeling that way… I’m supporting Darren, but I know he sees that guilt inside of me. The situation is cascading and getting worse.

That’s the way Luke works. In a way, he’s still succeeding. The entire event planted seeds in Darren that took root. Trust Ken, Pat. He’s been through his own torture, and if anyone can help Dar get through this, it’s him. Don’t feel bad it’s not you. None of us, especially Ken, would ever want you to feel like that.

Pat’s eyes were watery, and Loy was the next one to come up and give him a hug. 

It’s gonna be okay, Pat. Ken will have him right as rain, and if not, we’ll kick both their sorry, ugly asses.  How’s that?

Pat managed a grin: Sounds like a plan.

Brad:  Speaking of plans, I need everybody over here. There’s a part two of the plan with Dar. What Ken’s doing is dangerous as hell, but if I’m right, we can capitalize on it. You aren’t going to believe this, but…

His words got everyone’s attention. As Brad laid out his idea, their eyes got wider and wider. The magnitude and danger of what he proposed were insane, but if they could pull it off… Holy shit!

Henry, I’m sorry, but you’ll have to sit this one out. You need to be here with Drew in case anything goes wrong. Also, even as powerful as you are now, you aren’t part nephilim, and you’d be in more danger. We’re not risking you getting hurt.

Conflicted, Henry wanted to be with them, but his responsibility to Drew overrode his own wants and needs, especially on something so important. 

You know you’ll be in my thoughts. Me and Drew will put in a little prayer for you guys.  You know my boy has connections now! We still don’t know who with, but if that voice hears him, we’re gonna give him an earful on your behalf. I’ll stay until you have to leave, then I’ll go help Sally with Drew’s lessons. 

Each of them felt Henry’s support and the conflict in him. There was no shame or guilt; they all had roles to play in the cosmic game they were involved in, and in their minds and hearts, Henry played his perfectly. He was part of the team, and they made sure he knew it. Lane, closest to him, reached over and squeezed his shoulder.

Our timing will have to be impeccable, guys. We’ll need to start the ritual here, and Dar will pull us there as we speak the last words, and we’ll need to intone the incantation simultaneously. We have to catch Luke off guard just long enough for the trap to spring before he can escape. He has to be suspicious, and I’m sure he’s on guard. Let’s hope Ken and Dar are convincing on their end, so he’s overconfident.

Pat, you’ll be with me for the ritual. I don’t have dimples, and I’m not as handsome as Dar, so sorry about that, but I’ll have to do.

Lane, as always, lightened the mood when he followed up: Oh, Brad has dimples, they just aren’t on his cheeks. 

When he realized what he said, he quickly added: Well, they are on his cheeks, just not the ones up top.

Laughing, heads shook all around. Bryan pulled Lane into a side headlock, gave him a noogie, and kissed the top of his head before letting him go.

Everyone had to be ready the instant Ken contacted them, and they hadn’t started their training. Their excitement was evident, forming an icy fire in the pit of their stomachs that was normal before a difficult or dangerous mission. Memories of dropping from helicopters in the black of the night to take out hostiles or rescue American soldiers in Syria all those years ago came back to them. 

Adrenaline flowed, keeping them sharp and alert. Sitting in a circle, quiet and focused, they waited patiently in one another, holding each other tight. The wall was still in Pat, but they were optimistic of Ken’s success with Darren and that the wall would be gone by the time Ken contacted them.

Each of them was so much more than in their early days. They were the most dangerous and successful SEAL team the US Government ever had at its disposal. Only five officials ever knew of their existence or the doctor’s program, codenamed Glass Hand, one General for each finger, and the project so Top Secret it was invisible.  Now, they were even more powerful and dangerous, the last bastion standing between The Enemy and mankind’s subjugation.

They remained specialized soldiers, but now they were part angel with incredible powers at their disposal. No longer needing weapons, they were the weapons, fighting for the human race and just as importantly, if not more so to them, for the life of a little boy who carried the weight of mankind’s redemption on his young shoulders.  A bright white rope of power arced through them, coursing through their bodies, minds, hearts, and souls, uniting them and making them one.

It was nearly an hour and a half before Ken’s presence entered Brad’s mind.

He’s here, B, just like we thought. Dar is clear and back with us. Execute.

Darren was with Ken, and the presence of their two brothers entering the link was breathtaking. The wall in Darren was gone, his soul brighter than ever, and the strength he exuded mind-boggling. Tears of relief ran down Pat’s handsome face. The wall in him shattered as he fully embraced the light of his brothers, becoming one with them and his soulmate, holding nothing back. Everything was perfect once more. 

Standing, each couple tightly gripped their partner’s hand. Brad took Pat’s hand, squeezing it firmly, expressing his compassion for Pat through the strength of his grip. Through his tears, Pat’s face had a smile a mile wide.

As Henry dropped out of the link, he sent them his thoughts: There is no luck in this, fellas; you’re the best. Drew and I will be waiting for you. 

Moving to the side, Henry watched, in awe of his brothers, letting his confidence and support wash over them one last time. As one, each couple began the incantation. Their handsome faces looked upwards, and their eyes flashed white as power crackled through and around them. A hot wind blew the short hair on their heads and on their arms and legs. The muscles of their shoulders and arms bunched as their hands gripped each other tightly.

The darkness of the ceiling gave way to the blackness of the universe, filled with stars and galaxies, as the physical and spiritual realms blended, temporarily parting the veil. Yggdrasil's ghostly image became visible, and small wraithlike balls of light, animal spirits, flew and swam among its mighty branches. With the veil parted, their nephilim heritage drew power from both realms, pouring strength into them.

The eight men, four voices, sent out their call to the heavens:

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 us from all perils, O Most High. 

Four Corners, we Call Thee to us!

Pat and Brad intoned: Hail, Mighty Raphael, archangel and Protector of the East! Healer, Guardian of Wind and Tempest; Power of Air, Intellect, Thought, Intuition, and Imagination, we greet you now in perfect Love and perfect Trust. As you carry the seeds of life across the land, as you bring the moisture of the storms to the shore, join us in all your gentle and powerful ways. We bless the element of Air and call upon you to gather here with us.

Bryan and Lane intoned:  Hail, Mighty Uriel, archangel and Protector of the North, angel of Death, Protector of the Nether Shores; Power of Earth, Life, Patience, and Strength, we greet you now in perfect Love and perfect Trust. Changeless power of unending change, in steadfastness and strength, we bless the element of Earth and call upon you to gather here with us. 

Rick and Loy intoned:  Hail Michael, Mighty archangel and Protector of the South. Defender, Keeper of the Gates of Eden; Power of Fire, Feeling, Passion, and Determination, we greet you now in perfect Love and perfect Trust. Flaming one, Bright warrior, Wild courage, Lion-strength, we bless the element of Fire and call upon you to gather here with us.

Kevin and Bill intoned: Hail, Mighty Gabriel, archangel, and Protector of the West. Herald and Voice of the Most High; Power of Water, Emotion, Love, and Intervention, we greet you now, in perfect Love and perfect Trust. Water, soft and yielding, formless and flowing, you are the blood coursing through our veins. We bless the element of Water and call upon you to gather here with us.

As the ritual's last words passed their lips, Darren reached out, synchronizing their Avatars, and they appeared around the tree where Luke remained hidden. The ritual completed as they materialized, and before Luke could react, Raphael, Michael, Uriel, and Gabriel materialized in their true forms around him, shining like stars, their wings spread wide, forming a dome over Luke and trapping him inside.

Luke went berserk! Appearing briefly in human form before transforming into pure darkness, he filled the dome like black liquid.  Striking at it, again and again, trying to break free, each blow shook the entire area. 

Ken and Darren watched as their brothers materialized, incanting the final words of the ritual. With their mind’s eye, the sky shifted into the dark overlay of the heavens shining with stars and the depth of space.

Turning towards Luke, Ken said, “Gotcha, you sonofabitch!”

Luke’s scream of rage was so loud it shook the leaves off the surrounding trees, and any loose branches broke off, falling to the ground. It felt like a small earthquake under their feet.

The four archangels dimmed their light, adopting their human forms. Each wore their battle armor and held their swords, gripping the pommels with the blades pointing down at the north, south, east, and west points of the circle.

In Ken’s mind, Michael’s voice echoed with power:  Well done!

The darkness in the dome vanished as Luke resumed his human guise, appearing calm, even confident and cocky. Crossing his arms over his chest, he waited.

Looking directly at him, Ken said, “Time for a little chat.”

Even though Luke’s face was still, Ken read his body language. Ken was good at reading people, and Luke wasn’t nearly as calm as he wanted Ken to think. Four of his most powerful enemies had him pinned, and he didn’t like being so close to Michael in any fashion. However, Ken was sure that while Michael was a part of the Four Corners ritual, he was not free to act against Luke. 

Nodding to Ken, Luke said, “Well played half-breed, but you cannot hold me long, and you will regret this.” 

Luke was acting as though he still had the upper hand.

“Yeah, whatever, douchebag.” 

Ken watched, observing Luke, even slowing his perception of time so he wouldn’t miss anything. Ken had a knack for getting under an opponent’s skin and pissing them off so they would make mistakes. He wasn’t sure if he could do that with a being like Luke, but it never hurt to try. He sure managed to piss off Michael the first time they met!

Dar, I want ‘ta hold you in reserve.  Be ready ‘ta join in on my signal, and then give me everything you got.

Got it, Ken.  I’m ready.

Ken moved to stand within a few feet of the dome. Brad walked to his side, and each of the couples spread out behind them in a semicircle. Their eyes white, their handsome faces shone brightly from the strength of their auras. They stood tall, the protectors of mankind, facing an evil they were created to meet. Even against Luke’s glamour, they were handsome beyond words.

Luke returned their stares unflinchingly, and Ken wanted to do something to make him squirm and knock the cocky, overconfident look off his face.

Guys, I want ‘ta see him as he really is. Ricky, light him up.

Rick’s handsome face didn’t change, but the gleam in his eyes brightened. Leaning his head back, Rick looked to the sky, pushing his shoulders back. In his mind, he leaned into his brothers, pulling from their collective power.

They were one again; ten men, five couples, one being, greater by far than the sum of their individual selves, and it was perfect. Rick pulled from everybody but Darren, but his brother was with them, in them, adding his presence and support to the perfection of their bond. Crossing his powerful arms over his chest with a confident look on his face, Ken locked their Avatars into the master rune.

All of them except Darren, who was still shirtless, wore workout clothes, and their tank tops showed off their muscular upper bodies. Their Avatars glowed brightly on the balls of their shoulders, spitting arcs of color as the runes transformed. Feeling the difference right away, tendrils of white energy emanated from Rick, drifting slowly, gathering in thickness and strength, caressing the outside of the dome with a light touch.

Luke smiled, confident that whatever the half-breed was attempting couldn’t pass the protection. It worked both ways; while it wouldn’t let him out, it would let nothing in to harm him. His eyes widened in shock as the tendrils slipped through with no resistance, entering the dome, and Luke wrapped himself in darkness, trying to protect himself from Rick’s light. Backed by his brothers, Rick’s Avatar magnified by Ken, Bryan, Kevin, and Patrick, Yggdrasil's image solidified, and their Avatars flashed emerald green.

The tendrils Ricky sent out were like roots that could grow and crack even asphalt and concrete, finding footholds and boring through the darkness surrounding Luke.  It wasn’t easy, and their bodies tensed, sweating with the effort of pitting themselves against The Dark One for the first time.

Exerting relentless pressure, their Avatars made them equal to the task, but they had to reach deep within themselves to become more than equal. Darren’s torture and the emotions of what he went through gave them what they needed to be more than equal.  Luke had no idea how much they cared for one another and how pissed off they were over what happened to their brother.

The tendrils seeped through, and Luke’s image flickered, beginning to change. Luke flinched, looking at his body in shock as his true form was revealed. He fought with everything he had, but his glamour faded, and he stood before them in his true visage, hideously ugly and grotesque. The ugliness in him, countless eons of vile existence, was reflected in the physical form they now witnessed. His skin diseased, a multitude of tumors oozed… His physical form was misshapen, twisted, and horrid to look at.

Staring at Luke, Ken kept the revulsion off his face, seeing the hatred in Luke’s eyes. Luke had the same eyes as all the archangels, but his were also filled with rage, hate, and evil; evil that was billions of years old and as deep as time. Few beings ever withstood his gaze, but the evil in Luke hit the wall of Ken’s will. Ken met his gaze head-on, and Luke was stunned, finally realizing that Ken was indeed of Michael’s lineage.

With his true form forced upon him, Luke exhibited the same intense abhorrence towards Ken's physical perfection and that of his brothers that The Master did. Their inhuman grace and handsome features were a stark contrast to his own hideousness. Deep down, he loathed his appearance… When first created, he was the most beautiful and perfect of all the archangels, rivaling even Michael’s magnificence.

Luke’s gaze shifted to each man, but what he saw in Brad’s eyes enraged him to the point of nearly losing control. Brad didn’t hold the unconditional love for Luke he did for mankind, but even then, he didn’t hate Luke. Feeling sorry for him, Brad believed Luke filled a role in creation. Brad’s compassion, as powerful as he was at the moment, revealed Luke before his fall. Compared to the creature before him, Brad felt pity for Luke, and it was intolerable.

Through his leadership training in the Navy, Ken knew how to handle people in all sorts of situations. He wasn’t sure if any of his tactics would work on Luke, but the more they pushed him, the more Ken would know. Ken watched Luke through Pat’s Avatar, magnified by his own and the other bodies. 

Squaring his shoulders, standing tall and confident, Ken exuded control of the situation. Ken turned his back on Luke with a dismissive grunt, watching Luke’s reaction through Brad’s eyes. Ken mimicked Michael's supremely arrogant attitude towards them the first time they met, remembering how pissed off it made him.

Seething anger filled Luke, but he was far from exploding. Ken needed to make him crack, even the tiniest bit, and break his absolute confidence. Ken wanted to send a loud and clear message and rock Luke; the magnitude of what Ken wanted to accomplish reeled in him, but he had every confidence his brothers would make it happen.

Just then, Lane’s eyes flashed white, and he shook his head slightly as images were conveyed to his mind through both the Gift and his Avatar. The images weren’t from Remiel this time; his own unconscious mind and the Ether fed him what he saw.

Ken:  Lane? 

The mischievous grin Lane usually wore came over his face, and he chuckled in his mind.

Ken:  You got somethin’?

Lane:  You mind if I take over the conversation for a few?  I think I can help get under his skin.

Ken:  Go for it. You know what we need ‘ta accomplish. 

Ken and the others moved into a circle. Bryan stayed by Lane’s side, but they were still one in Lane’s mind and heart. They saw what his Avatar revealed to him and what Lane was going to do with it. Goosebumps were already starting, and the hair on their arms rose in anticipation.

Looking at Lane and Bryan intently, Luke said, “So… what does the Seer and Oracle of the Order, the bearer of the Gift and his little drummer boy wish to talk about?”

Bryan’s eyebrows rose at the little drummer boy comment.

Grinning, Lane smiled at Bryan, saying, “Damn Bry, your reputation’s growing!  Lucy here’s been eavesdropping if he knows how good you are. So, Luke, what kind of music do you like?  Let me guess… Death metal?”

Luke continued to stare.

“No? How about Charlie Daniels?” 

Summoning a fiddle, he played the opening to ‘The Devil Went Down to Georgia.’

Luke’s misshapen face contorted almost imperceptibly at the absurdity and irreverence of that song. Grinning, Lane winked at him.

“Yeah, I bet you’re tired of that joke. Sorry, but I couldn’t help it; the opportunity was just too good to pass up. I really do have something I want you to hear. Since you’ve been spying on us for a while, you’ve probably heard most of the songs off my ‘Bryan’s List.’  A song just popped into my head… This is the first one on a new list I’m starting today. ‘Luke’s List’ has its first entry. I hope you like it… I think this will have a special meaning to you and to your brothers here.” 

Lane nodded towards Michael, Gabriel, Uriel, and Raphael, who stood like statues with their eyes straight ahead, except for Gabriel, who looked directly at Lane.

Lane sent him a private thought:  Wish me luck, Grandfather. I’m sorry if this is going to make you uncomfortable.

Lane summoned his guitar, the one with the beautiful intricate inlay of his Avatar.

“You ever see the movie ‘The Lost Boy’s’ Luke?  Great movie, with Kiefer Sutherland. It was a vampire movie before vampires became glorified and romanticized. That really bugs me, by the way. Did you do that, or was that just humans doing their thing?”

As Lane prattled on with Luke like they were old friends, tinkering with his guitar and strumming a few random chords while warming up his fingers.

“I’m going to play a song from that movie, but I’m changing the lyrics just a tad in your honor. I hope you like it. You ready, Bry?”

Sitting on the ground with his guitar in his lap, Bryan moved behind him. He knelt down, putting his arms around Lane from behind, hugging them tightly together but making sure Lane’s arms were free to play. 

Leaning forward, Bryan kissed the top of Lane’s head. He wasn’t smiling, but his eyes glinted with love for his partner, and Lane had a brief thought that Bryan’s eyes were well on their way to expressing the same depth as Uriel’s. Seeing his love reflected in his lover’s eyes, their auras brightened even more.

In a droll tone, Luke said, “Please… You’re making me sick with that drivel. Get on with it.”

Lane shared the song with Bryan, and the music started in the air around them. Bryan’s hands patted Lane’s chest lightly to the drumbeat he produced.

I know this is a bad time to ask Grandfather, but any chance I could get a few backup singers to help with this?  I could do it, but…

Grinning when he saw Gabriel’s eyes roll back in his head, he heard his Grandfather’s voice. 

Done.

Thanks!

Lane turned his thoughts back to the team. 

Guys, get ready.  I’m going to pull from you hard here in a minute and then again right after. Keep the power flowing.

Closing his eyes, Lane listened to the drumbeat Bryan played in his mind. He added the other instruments the song called for, and when he opened his mouth to sing, he drew all the power they held into himself. Bryan’s Avatar flared emerald green, followed by Ken, Rick, Kevin, and Patrick, and once again the ghostly image of Yggdrasil solidified, filling the junkyard.

Loy’s Avatar shone brightly as animal spirits appeared throughout the area, swimming in the air and through the branches of the tree. Brad, Lane, Bill, and Darren’s Avatars followed as the animal spirits lent them their strength. Brad’s Avatar coordinated the other mentalists, and the familiar pulse started as their souls fluttered between the physical and spiritual realms, crossing the veil and fueling both sides of their nature. Luke had never been present when they drew on their sources of power and realized why his servants continually underestimated them.  He would never make that mistake again.

The song Lane played was ‘Cry Little Sister,’ but Lane changed the title to ‘Cry Little Brother.’ With his minor change, the lyrics were amazingly appropriate for what he wanted to accomplish – he simply changed the word ‘sister’ to ‘brother(s)’ in the lyrics. 

His goal was to reach deep inside Luke and pull memories of his life before his Fall from Grace, when he was with Michael and the others in Heaven. Lane planned to drive home how far Luke had fallen, kicking the anthill of his emotions. Lane wanted to rock Luke down to his core and set him up for the kick in the balls he would follow up with.

The beauty and strength of Lane’s voice sent chills down everyone’s spine. His Avatar glowed brightly on his shoulder as he put all of himself into the song, taking the archangels with him and carrying the same message to them. The memories he invoked between them were uplifting, but for Luke, they were painful beyond belief. 

Reaching out to Michael, Gabriel, Uriel, and Raphael, he drew them into the spell he wove, and with the Gift enhancing his Avatar, it made him powerful enough to affect even them. As a part of Luke’s life before his fall, they were swept up in the emotional tsunami Lane created.  It was painful for them … Invoking memories of Luke when he was the brightest of them all, the Morning Star.

Employing the temporal aspect of his Avatar, Lane bridged the gap of the billions of years Luke lived, reaching back even before time when Luke was newly created. Similar to The Master, Luke hid many of his early memories in the darkest recesses of his black heart, not wanting to remember them, and they burned him.

The eyes of the entire team were already wet from the emotional intimacy of being one, and with Darren’s returned presence the feeling was perfect, but Lane magnified their light and perfection to an almost unbearable state. In their bodies, the men watched Lane play, his eyes closed and leaning against Bryan as he strummed his guitar. His powerful neck was thick and tight, with veins clearly showing the effort he put into his voice. The look on his face was intent but joyful as he embraced the music, fulfilling a purpose. 

To reach Luke, Lane needed to be more potent than he had ever been, so he wove the songs of his and Bryan’s souls together, letting their combined music take him where he needed to be. Operating on multiple levels of reality, Brad was astounded at how well he pulled it off and how effectively he kept the different threads separate yet producing a single effect. 

Loy remembered his comment to Lane on ZEUS a week previously:

 “Lane, sometimes you just blow me away. One second you pull some goofy-ass stunt like playing porn music to whales, and then you flip and do something so amazingly touching and beautiful it makes me want to cry.  I love you, man.  Don’t ever change.”

Loy sent a private thought to Lane:  I’m so fucking proud of you, Lane. Kill it, brother. 

Because they were one, Loy’s memory was fresh in Lane’s mind as well, and the feeling of Loy’s arm around his shoulder. The sensation combined with Bryan’s powerful arms around him. Instinctively, in the place where their souls were one, where they were naked to one another in every aspect, the arms of his brothers wrapped him up, and he sank into their embrace. He needed everything he could muster to make his plan work.

Lane glowed so brightly in the spiritual realm even Luke had to avert his eyes, his light painful even through Luke’s shield. Wondering how that was possible, Luke realized how powerful their Avatars truly were. 

Luke still failed to understand that it wasn’t just their Avatars that made them so powerful; it was also their souls and the bonds they shared, the unconditional love they held for each other. They were the pinnacle of human potential, both physically and spiritually, original, unfallen men combined with their nephilim heritage. Unique and potent, they were something entirely new.

Luke’s memory flashed back to the first time he met Ken and Brad in the Valley of Yggdrasil, in the very spot he convinced The Master to kill his only sibling eighty thousand years ago:

“There are many of the Higher Order, like Michael, who have forgotten their way. Against them, you would be truly powerful, and with my help, you could be invincible.”

Luke’s words applied to himself, as well as Michael and the others, and that truth stung. These upstart half-breeds were powerful, and the first seed of fear in ages took root in his black heart.

As Lane sang, ten orbs of light appeared in the sky. Like shooting stars they fell, and stopped, floating off to the opposite side of where Ken and the others gathered. The balls of light grew into the forms of small children, angels of the Choir of Heaven sent by Gabriel at Lane’s request. As soon as the song reached the chorus, their voices filled in exactly where Lane needed.

When the song ended, as Lane’s voice faded, Ken stared intently at the tears falling down Luke’s face, the ugly grotesque face that was once the most beautiful in existence. Appearing stunned, Luke’s eyes were wide with disbelief.

Tears fell down Michael’s face as well as Gabriel’s, Uriel’s, and Raphael’s. Their memories of Luke were heartbreaking; the long stretch of the billions of years they fought him was there. The devastation in their hearts was eternal and deep, and they had never felt such emotional pain, from the joy of Luke’s creation and entering their lives to the love between them as brothers and the long years up to the present.

The creation of their nephilim grandchildren altered the archangels, opening something inside of them they never expected. The depth of their hearts now matched the depth of their eyes, and at that moment, their hearts were filled with sorrow.

Lane’s action evoked a vast conflict within them. Ever since Luke fell, cast out of Home to become The Dark One, they had been at war with him. Eons ago, they purged any emotions they held towards him in order to combat him successfully, but Lane pulled everything back, magnifying it a thousand-fold.

Luke’s face was a mask of shock. No one had ever affected him in such a manner, and the unexpected ache hit him hard. Lane used the lyrics to drive home what he used to be versus what he was now and the fact that his brothers could still save him if he wished. Brutal in its purity, simplicity, and intensity, he was rocked just like Ken wanted.

At that moment, Lane was the focal point of their power, just as when Ricky and Kevin reset Azaziel with their combined Avatars. Lane wove their white light through himself, but all his brothers were with him. Ken’s Avatar shone just as bright, driving Lane’s words and intent into Luke while Brad’s compassion burned Luke like a fiery brand. Each of them was present in their unique way, and the undefinable ‘something extra’ the doctor always felt when they were together was clear and present.

Gabriel didn’t know how to react. He had never seen anyone turn a song, even a trivial song from a human movie, into a weapon of such magnitude. Lane took the words and transformed them, shaping them with his soul and Avatar into what he needed. He was in awe of what his Grandson accomplished.

Even with what he had done so far, Lane wasn’t finished. Sweating from his efforts in the morning heat and channeling so much power, he looked extraordinarily handsome. Light still shone forth from him; he was fulfilling his purpose, powerful and serenely confident.

As the song came to an end, Lane’s voice echoed with might as he asked Luke, “So what’d you think?  Too much?” 

An odd expression crossed Lane’s face as he addressed Luke. He realized how much he had hurt Luke, his grandfather, and the other archangels, but it was necessary. He didn’t like it, but it was crucial to Ken’s plan… And he wasn’t finished yet, resolved to continue and do what must be done. Bryan’s arms squeezed him more tightly, aware of the conflict in him. 

I’m with you, Little Buddy. 

Bryan’s touch soothed him, his quiet strength supporting Lane. Bryan was his rock, and Lane needed him to continue. Even as he spoke, Lane leaned his head back, resting it against Bryan’s upper chest, soaking in the solidity of his lover, with Bryan’s arms around him and his warm, strong hands touching him.

“You know I’ve had a lot of dreams about you, Lucy. If Bryan and these other ladies here weren’t in my life, I’d probably be insane from what I’ve seen about you, The Master, and the battle. It’s some seriously fucked-up shit. I don’t get it, but I don’t think I’m supposed to.

“I know more about your nature than you think, though. You’re a creature of Chaos… the opposite of Order. Music is part of that Order. The waveform of a single note is perfect. I’m guessing this is going to hurt… A lot.”

Lane’s guitar disappeared, and a trumpet coalesced in his hand. The instrument was beautiful, glinting brightly in the morning sun. It had the same mosaic design of his Avatar as if it were made of various metals and not just brass. Standing up with Bryan’s help, Lane grinned at Gabriel, who stood wide-eyed, still recovering from what Lane just put him through. 

“I guess brass runs in our family.” 

Putting the trumpet to his lips, Lane took a deep breath. 

Darren, now’s the time to kick it in, brother. I need everything you got. Don’t hold anything back, guys.

Darren’s dimples appeared, and as he threw back his head, the light inside him shone forth, every bit as bright as Lane’s. The strength he exhibited with Ken earlier was still in him; something Luke did to him stretched him and unexpectedly expanded his capacity. 

As Lane put his lips to the trumpet, a thick bright rope of light arced out of Darren into Lane. The note he produced was so loud and piercing it was heard, not just over the Earth but all the way to Heaven and throughout creation. Earth-shatteringly potent and pure, it was the perfection of a single note from the instrument of his Avatar. The sound struck Luke, who started screaming in physical pain. 

The grandson of Gabriel, the Voice and Herald of God, music was in Lane’s lineage and a part of him. Embracing his heritage, he let it fill him as he blew a perfect note from the instrument of his Avatar. Falling to the ground, Luke screamed in agony as the light from Lane and Darren and their brothers continued to brighten. 

Darren single-handedly gave them the power to push past the point of being equal into a different realm of strength. He made them powerful enough to make The Dark One scream.

Ken: Kev, light him up. We aren’t resetting him; even if we could, I don’t want to, but I don’t want him ‘ta know that.  I want ‘ta start the process and scare the shit out of him. He never expected any of this, and I want him rattled.

Kevin, his Avatar locked into one with all his brothers, made himself felt. Their light took on a liquid quality and started pouring into Luke, making him scream even louder. The strain incredible, Kevin’s body swelled with the effort. Bill wrapped his arms around his lover, holding him tightly and supporting him physically as he dropped to his knees with the effort. Striking Luke from all sides while trapped in the Four Corners Ritual, his very essence was bombarded in ways he never thought possible.

In seconds, Kevin was drenched in sweat, his entire body pumped as he channeled oxygen into his muscular frame from his core energy center. They saw the strain in him… As hard as it was to reset Azaziel, Luke was much harder, but thankfully he wasn’t trying to finish the process. Kevin’s arms were steel beams as he held them out towards Luke, white fire arcing from his hands into Luke’s writhing body. Kevin’s body reddened with the strain, and veins showed prominently across his chest, arms, and shoulders. 

Thrashing about the ground inside the dome, there was nothing he could do. He couldn’t escape, and with the Four Corners holding him, he had no power outside the dome. Relentless pain, more intense than anything he had ever felt, hit him, and he experienced fear, real fear, for the first time in eons.

“STOP!”

Lane’s face was purple with the strain of holding the note and the power behind it, but his eyes glanced at Ken, who shook his head negative. 

Not yet. 

Sweat poured off Lane as well, and he was running out of air. Using his own core energy, Bryan sent a thick red rope into Lane’s body, filling his lungs with oxygen.

Time seemed to stand still, but only a few seconds went by when Luke shouted, “STOP!!” again, as he flailed about the ground, his malformed, grotesque body arched in unbearable pain.

Ken shook his head again, and the agony continued.

“STOP!!! I… I beg you!”

Another few seconds passed before Ken nodded, and Lane and Kevin stopped. Luke collapsed in relief, his tormented body heaving. His eyes were bloodshot, and tears, snot, and spittle covered his face. Drenched in sweat and shaking, many tumors covering his body had burst open, and bile-like liquid ran over his form, mixing with the sweat and pus. The rancid odor he emitted was nauseating.

Moving to the edge of the dome, Ken knelt on one knee to look directly into Luke’s eyes.

“Now that we have your undivided attention… We need ‘ta have a little chat.”

All influence stopped as soon as Ken nodded. Their handsome faces were set in stone, not giving Luke any indication of what they were thinking. Their expressions showed none of the strain from the power coursing through them as their bodies dripped sweat and their chests heaved. 

Resuming his human form, Luke once again took on the appearance of perfect physical beauty. Slowly, he rolled over, managing to get on his knees, but his eyes never left Ken’s.

Ken’s Avatar was in full effect, and he looked every inch the leader he was. Exuding confidence, his will immovable, looking into Ken’s eyes, Luke saw it clearly. Luke’s voice quavered, and Ken didn’t know if it was a ruse or real, but tears still covered his face. With his enhanced senses, Ken could tell Luke was trembling and trying not to show it.

In a strained voice, Luke asked, “What is it you want?”

Ken said, “A promise.”

“A promise?”

“Until we defeat The Master, you are out of our lives. You stop any and all influence and interference in the physical and spiritual realms, not just against us but against humans in general. The Master needs ‘ta stand against us on his own without your tinkering.” 

Brad sent Ken a quick thought, and after a slight pause, Ken added, “You also need ‘ta leave Thomin and the vault alone for the rest of your existence.” 

“And if I refuse?”

“We do our damnedest ‘ta finish what we started and reset you here and now.  I’m bettin’ on us.”

Brad knew Luke’s mind was spinning, trying to figure out a way to manipulate them and turn the situation to his advantage. The bottom line was he was trapped by four of his most powerful enemies and nearly powerless, and the ten half-breeds had proved to be far more formidable than he anticipated. 

He had been tricked, and as much as it galled him, Luke had to accept it. There was no use putting himself through more torture. As a being created outside of time, Luke was patient. He would accept the defeat of the day and let it fuel his hatred towards them. If it took most of eternity, he would see them at his feet.

He would let them have their day and feel confident. He earned his reputation as the ‘Master of Lies’… He would make whatever promise they wanted and find a way around it. Just like he influenced Charisa, he would use and manipulate the truth to find a way around whatever agreement they insisted he make.

Brad was sure he knew Luke’s thought process. He wasn’t in Luke’s mind, but his Avatar was working. As he looked into Luke’s eyes, he had an epiphany about Luke being responsible for Charisa’s corruption. The way she used and manipulated the truth as a weapon; the political creature she became… Luke planted seeds in her long, long ago. Flaws in Charisa’s personality allowed Luke to get a foothold in her heart and mind, and over centuries, those seeds grew until she became the person they met. Those seeds also changed The Mantle.

“Alright.”

Raphael sent Brad a private thought.

Brad, be careful…

We’re on it, Grandfather. Thanks for the concern, but this is part of the plan. Hold onto your hat.

Looking over at his lover, Ken asked, “B, you got everythin ready?”

“Just one last detail.” 

In his mind, Brad locked in the image of Ken standing there. Ken had never looked more handsome; confident and stern, their leader, his lover, facing off against one of the most powerful beings in creation. Everything about Ken always turned Brad on but seeing him as he was, in his element, brought out something extra that sent goosebumps over his entire body. The corner of Ken’s mouth rose almost imperceptibly. He felt and heard everything that went through Brad’s mind, and it turned him on.

Bryan:  Are you two fuckers seriously gonna get hard-ons for each other with all that’s goin on?

The tension had been so high that Bryan’s comment relieved the intensity, and in their minds, they laughed.

Even through the humor, everyone got it; most of them felt the same towards their partners at that moment. When they were on target and fulfilling their purpose, it brought out something inside them, some kind of spiritual testosterone that energized their love for one another in a very primal way. As Darren showed earlier in the morning, they were elemental creatures, but still physical beings, and powerful events profoundly affected them.

Leaning his head back, Brad looked up to the skies and his crystal blue eyes flashed white.  

His voice echoing with power, he called out, “Thomin!”

Thomin appeared before them, looking oddly out of place in the bright morning sun. Apprehensive when Brad called out to him the night before, it took involving Drew to get him to agree. The angel seemed to have a connection with Drew after the incident with the doctor in his cave. It seemed Drew managed to find his way into Thomin’s heart as well.

Brad had a hunch the vault would hold some object that would help them, and once they explained their intent, Thomin smiled, seeming almost giddy.  He was not a vengeful creature, but he didn’t care for Luke at all, and this would be a way to get back at him without actually hurting him. Luke didn’t physically react when Thomin appeared, but Ken observed him carefully, seeing the reaction in his eyes. Even with Luke bound, Thomin wouldn’t look at him and seemed tense being in his presence. 

Brad said, “Thank you for coming.  Did you bring it?”

A box appeared in Thomin’s hands. The sound of a small chime rang in their ears, and the lock popped open. Something inside was bright and powerful.

“Recite your agreement, Brad Wilson. As soon as he accepts, he will be bound to the words and your intent, unable to break or circumvent them. Even he will not find a way around them.”

Luke knew the Oathstone resided in the box Thomin held. It was an artifact of Heaven, an object of incredible power, strong enough to bind an archangel. His mind spinning faster, he didn’t see any way out at the moment, but he would eventually and they would pay dearly.

Crossing his arms over his chest, Luke waited silently as Brad recited the agreement. Luke was impressed that Brad left no openings or cracks in the phrasing or intent. He would have to withdraw his influence entirely until The Master was defeated, or The Master defeated The Order.

Lane said, “Watching Supernatural all these years, you learn this shit. You’re as much of a dipshit as Crowley.” 

Luke didn’t react to his jibe, but he would not forget it. He would remember everything about the day, every second of his torture and pain at their hands, and his humiliation. He resigned himself to make the promise and be bound by it.  He now wanted The Master to fail, so he could take his revenge on the half-breeds himself. They had no idea how far the depths of his hatred reached.

Luke’s dark eyes bored holes into Ken’s emerald green ones. Ken matched him stare for stare as Luke stated, “I accept the terms, and you have my word I will keep them. Know that you will be mine regardless, and your pain and misery will last for eternity. I will have you all, and you will pay for this.”

Ken’s Avatar flared, and he stepped forward until he was only inches from Luke through the dome. 

“Know this, fucker. We’ll defeat The Master, and when we’re done with him, we’re comin’ for you. We respect your power, but you’ve seen ours, and we aren’t backin’ down an inch. We made you cry like a bitch, and we’ll do it again. Our goal won’t be ‘ta destroy you; it will be ‘ta bring you Home where you belong.”

Glancing at Michael, Ken said, “Time ‘ta bust up the party, Grandfather.”

The dome vanished, and the four archangels spun around with swords drawn in a defensive posture facing Luke. A loud click followed as Thomin closed the box and disappeared. Safe from repercussions, he wanted no part of Luke regardless.

The ten angels of the Choir transformed into balls of light and rose up into the heavens, eager to return Home and spread the news of Luke’s entrapment.

Sighing, Gabriel shook his head, saying, “They are such gossips. In a few moments, every corner of creation will know what transpired here today.”

No one saw Luke vanish, but they suddenly noticed he was gone. It was unnerving, but he was a master of subtlety. The four archangels relaxed with his departure.

Michael moved to Ken and put a hand on his shoulder, saying, “I am proud of you, Ken. I hope you can weather the storm when it hits.”

“I’m not kiddin’, Grandfather. Once we finish with The Master, Luke will be our top priority. We know it’s not done lightly, and there’ll be ramifications we can’t begin ‘ta comprehend, at least not yet. We’ll weigh our options when the time is right and figure our best recourse. We need ‘ta be responsible and know what we’re doin’.

Raphael smiled and said, “Well said, Ken. You are growing; all of you are.”

Uriel’s deep, gravelly voice was quiet as he said, “I feel the need to go Home for a time. The memories… They are difficult, and I feel the weight of the years.”

He vanished, leaving Michael and the others with looks of surprise on their faces. Bryan had a hurt look on his face, and Gabriel said, “He will be fine, Bryan. What Lane did took its toll on us. I will go to him and see if he wishes to talk.”

Looking at Lane, he said, “I am truly impressed, Lane. What you accomplished today, I have never seen done before. I am very proud of you.”

Lane nodded his thanks but stayed quiet, moving to Bryan and wrapping his arms around him from behind, resting his chin on Bryan’s shoulder.

Ken said, “Let’s get back to the lab, guys. Trainin’ starts in half an hour.”

They all gave him a look that clearly said, “Are you shitting me?”

Assuming his little kid grin, he said, “Just kiddin’! I feel the need for some hash browns from Waffle House; scattered, smothered, ‘n covered! Anyone wanna join me?  Nothin’ makes me hungrier than kickin’ The Dark One’s ass except maybe an all-nighter with B!”

<><><> 

Early afternoon the same day, after all thirteen of them emptied nearly every ounce of food the Waffle House had in the freezer and commissary, they made it back to the lab.

Darren pulled Henry, Drew, and Sally to join them for the celebratory meal of greasy bacon, eggs, hash browns, waffles, and apple, chocolate, and pecan pie. They were still dressed in their workout clothes, and Darren had Henry bring him a new tank top since his got scorched and ruined. Scanning minds in the area until he located someone at Waffle House, Brad piggybacked off them to get a clear spot to teleport to.

Albrecht was still in Australia, and the doctor declined their offer. How he could eat Long John Silver’s as often as he did but pass on Waffle House was beyond them. The Keenans declined their offer, too, much to the disappointment of everyone. Tag didn’t like to work around his leg in restaurants with large crowds.

Darren teleported himself and Pat back to the junkyard after eating to get the Suburban and drive it back to the lab. By late afternoon they were back, and the doctor thoroughly debriefed. His reaction was mixed, terribly proud on one hand, but also fearful of the risk they took. He knew in the battle risks were necessary, and after his own recent actions with Thomin there was no way he could chastise them and not come across as hypocritical. He made sure they knew his reaction was out of concern for their well-being. For the doctor, he was very emotional, terrified of their involvement with Luke. However, it was hard to argue with results, and with Luke out of the picture until the situation with The Master was resolved, the doctor lifted their travel restrictions. They would continue a high level of caution and security, but no more than usual before the incident in Syria with Azaziel.

<><><> 

The next morning before filing into the gym, Ken called a meeting in the conference room. He and Brad ran with Henry that morning, and for the first time since Syria, they ran outside instead of using treadmills, and it felt great. Even in December, it was warm in Atlanta, and they were sweaty when they got back.

Everyone was in good spirits. All of them except Henry spent the entire evening wrapped in the arms of their lovers. During their confrontation with Luke, the energy they channeled completely energized their libidos, and they worked it off the good old-fashioned way.

Standing at the lectern, Ken broke into a huge smile, and his eyes turned glassy as he spoke. 

“Guys, I gotta tell you again how proud I am of all of us. When all of this started a few years ago, could we have imagined anythin’ like what happened yesterday?  Not only who we’re dealin’ with, but what we did?  Everythin’ we’re workin’ towards is comin’ together.  All the hard work and hours of trainin’… It paid off big time.  We can’t afford ‘ta get cocky or lax; we sent a message loud and clear and need ‘ta be on our toes more than ever, but I feel really good. I know it seems like every time we have a win recently somethin’ bad happens, so keep your eyes and guts tuned to anythin’ unusual. I think this time is gonna be different, though. We kicked evil in the balls, and he’s not getting’ up so quick this time.

“I love you guys more’n ever.  I’m always tellin’ B there’s nothin’ we can’t handle if we stick together, and you proved me right. I don’t often get ‘ta say that around B, but I’m takin’ this one.”

His little kid grin appeared at his comment, and he winked at Brad.

“So, I’m hopin’ Christmas is gonna be great… With Luke outta the picture, the entire world is catchin’ a break. Speakin’ of breaks, I’m callin’ trainin’ for the week. Do your PT in the mornin’s, and if you aren’t on rotation here or in Australia, relax and chill together. There’s just one thing I wanna address that’s been on my mind, and I feel bad we’ve put it off as long as we have.”

Everybody knew what he was going to say and were already in total agreement.

“Tag’s leg.  I can’t imagine a better Christmas present for him and Olive than ‘ta take care of that. I just got a few more things ‘ta cover, and then we’ll all head out. Let’s take care of Tag this evenin’ after dinner. Me ‘n B are makin’ a run ‘ta the Mall to do some Christmas shoppin’ if anyone wants ‘ta join us.

“Henry, I know Drew’s climbin’ the walls not bein’ able ‘ta go outside’n play, so if you wanna bring him along, I bet he’ll have a great time.”

The sincerity underlying Henry’s smile passed through the link; the care and affection his brothers held for Drew and his well-being were heartwarming.

“That’d be awesome, Ken. Count us in!”

“Alright fellas, unless anyone has anythin’ ‘ta bring up, the Suburbans are leavin’ for the Mall in half an hour. Anyone who wants ‘ta go, be here and ready ‘ta roll.”

No one brought anything up, but as they filed out, Ken said, “Hey, Henry, hang back a sec.”

A worried frown crossed Henry’s face at Ken’s request, and Ken grinned with a quick reply, “Nothin’s wrong, bud.  B, drop us out of the link and set up one with just the three of us for a few minutes.”

Between bouts of making love and being ‘that guy’ for each other the previous night, Ken and Brad held a few extensive conversations in their minds. Henry’s loneliness weighed heavily on Ken, and the situation on ZEUS drove his isolation home even further, as well as last night. Their concern evident, Henry wondered what was up. For the moment their link wasn’t deep enough to hear thoughts, just emotions, and to talk.

“What’s up, Ken? What are you worried about?  Everything’s fine with Drew and me.”

“Maybe with Drew, Henry, but not you. You’re part of the team, and as the leader, your wellbein’ is my responsibility. Even more than that, you’re my brother. I love ‘ya, and I worry about ‘ya.   

“You’ve become really special ‘ta us, Henry. That first day Loy and Ricky brought you in, I never could have imagined how our lives’d be intertwined and how much you’d come ‘ta mean ‘ta me and B and all of us.”

Brad put a hand on Henry’s shoulder as he and Ken moved to sit on either side of him.

“I hope this doesn’t embarrass you, Henry. Just remember we have your best interest at heart.”

Henry’s mind was on overdrive, trying to imagine what in the world they were getting at.

Brad’s Avatar softly glowed as he squeezed Henry’s shoulder, saying, “Okay, here goes. We’re worried about you. Not right now at this moment, but a few things have happened recently that have driven home how alone you are.”

“The doctor shared somethin’ with us, Henry. As things developed and you became more a part of us… The doctor intended ‘ta split your soul with Liz’s.  Even before we opened your mind and made you immortal, the doc was already plannin’ on it. He knew you’d need it done ‘ta raise Drew. The plan was ‘ta make Liz immortal too.  He figured out a long time ago with Albrecht that humans in the physical world under the Curse aren’t meant to be immortal… We are because of our nephilim heritage. The human psyche, under the Curse, isn’t designed for immortality, but he also discovered sharin’ your soul with another person changes that.”

Henry’s eyes became bright as Brad and Ken spoke. The pain of Liz’s absence was still fresh in his heart. While focused on his training or on Drew his efforts drove back the dark thoughts, but in the quiet of the night his mind went to that dark place, or if it was brought up in a discussion like they were having.

Brad continued, “When we were swimming on ZEUS, and Pat and Darren got us all horned up… Everyone there had someone to be with but you. You don’t know how desperately we wanted you and Liz to be together so you would be happy and fulfilled. Until you find someone you want to share your life with, you have us. I know it’s not the same, but when we merge you still get the intimacy of a deep relationship.

“The other half of that coin is your physical needs. Yeah, you have to jerk off a few times a day to enhance your abilities, but you don’t have someone you can be physically intimate with. You know Darren and Pat are up for it if you ever want to join them… Loy and Ricky are too. Except on rare occasions, the rest of us don’t do that, but if you ever want to be close and held by someone, you can come to any of us… But they would take care of your physical needs, too if you would let them.”

Brad grinned to help take the sting out of his words, “You’re a hot man, Henry. All of us see you that way. You’re our brother first and foremost, but, beyond that, you’re extremely desirable to them, hell to all of us. Ken and I don’t stray, but you are some seriously hot eye candy. I hope that’s not upsetting… The next time you merge completely with all of us, you’ll see that.”

Silent tears ran down Henry’s face. He longed for the connection Brad talked about, but he never considered sleeping with another man. After merging and being naked spiritually and physically with the other men, he could see it happening… The emotional, intimate bonds they shared transcended physical love. Henry knew it would be only physical… He could never share the love between them as partners, so it wasn’t the same, but it might help.

“You’re as highly sexed as we are, Henry, and you have needs. Please hear me out before you jump to any conclusions or get upset. Sally is in the same boat you are… We thought maybe the two of you should help each other out. We know you don’t love each other, and we’re not trying to suggest her as a replacement for Liz, and you’re not a substitute for Carlo, but you both need occasional release, and there’s nothing wrong if you both come to an agreement to take care of each other. 

“I know that sounds like we’re trying to hook you up with the only other straight person in the lab, and while that’s technically true, it’s not our reason. We’re thinking of you and your needs… Taking care of Drew is a diversion, but we see the tension in you.”

Their Avatars continued glowing, Ken’s pushing the intent behind their words into Henry, and Brad’s compassion for his well-being, and their sincerity touched him deeply.

“There’s no need to be embarrassed about being a man with needs, especially a man who’s been physically enhanced like you. Sally lost Carlo, and she’s not been with anyone since...”

Henry interjected, “I get what you’re saying. Have you talked to Sally about this?”

Ken replied, “No, we wanted ‘ta run it by you first because I’m pretty sure she’ll say yes. She thinks you’re as hot as we do Henry, and we’ve merged with her often enough ‘ta see it. She still loves Carlo and isn’t lookin’ for a replacement either. You’ll both need ‘ta be on guard against things getting’ outta hand. It’s just sex we’re talkin’ about, but you both need it.”

Henry said, “I’ve never merged with Sally. I know all of you have, but she and I never really had the chance or the need. I didn’t want to because of what you’re talking about. I think we need to do that first before things can go any further… We both have to be absolutely clear what we’re doing and why we’re doing it if we decide to go that route.”

Grinning, Ken said, “You know we’ll keep Drew anytime you need ta’ slip away. He loves sleepin’ over at our place, or with any of the guys. We’ll make it easy for you ‘ta have personal time so you can relax and know he’s safe.”

Unexpectedly, Henry put his head down on the table and started sobbing. Ken looked at Brad with a frown of worry, and they both leaned over, putting their arms around his shoulders. Henry pulled them both deeply into his mind, and they wrapped their hearts around him. Brad took things a step further, and the three men became one. In the quiet place where their souls united, Brad and Ken held Henry while he worked through his emotions. Finally pulling back, he looked at them, his eyes red and bloodshot. 

I’m sorry, guys. 

Brad:  For what? You never have to be sorry, Henry. You should know that by now.

Henry:  I know… This is all still so raw to me; the changes in my life and where I am now. It’s been a wild ride… From being trapped in my own head and forced to do all those horrible things… To being rescued by Loy and Rick and later when you guys removed the last of The Enemy’s influence over my mind.  Meeting Liz and Drew, then falling in love and losing her. Being a dad… My God, I never imagined that! Meeting you guys… you’re the family I never had or could have imagined, growing up. The doc and Albrecht have been so good to me, too. Up until recently, I didn’t feel worthy to accept everything… But, with your help, I do now. What you’re still doing for me, right now… I just feel… I don’t know… Blessed beyond belief, and it hits me hard how grateful I am to be with you guys.

Sandwiching Henry between them, they hugged him tighter physically and mentally, letting him rest in their presence until his tears stopped.

Ken:  So, will you think about Sally?

Henry sniffed, wiping the tears out of his eyes, but he had a lopsided grin on his face. 

Yeah.  You can already tell I’m horned up just thinking about it.

They chuckled because he was right. He was half-hard at the thought of being with a woman. Sally was a good friend and extremely attractive; physically, they would be great together.

Brad:  Just be adult about it and come to us if there are any problems or issues. We all have to work together and don’t want a rift between the two of you. If it doesn’t work out, you need to remain friends.

Henry:  Yeah, I get it. 

Ken said out loud, “If you want ‘ta talk ‘ta her now, Henry, B and I will take Drew ‘ta the Mall with us.”

“Let me talk to her, and I’ll let you know. Give me a few minutes.”

<><> 

Sally was giving Drew his math lesson on the board when Henry came out of the conference room with Brad and Ken. His eyes were red, and she knew he had been crying. Making eye contact with her as they came out, he smiled, looking incredibly handsome. He wore a loose tank top showing most of his chest, shoulders, and thick arms. The light dusting of hair on his chest and his nipples… everything about Henry turned her on.

“Hey Sally, can I talk to you for a minute in private?”

She wasn’t sure what was going on but knew something was up.

“Drew, honey, I need you to work on some math problems while I talk to your dad.” 

Opening a flipchart file with pop quiz math problems, she put one up on the board, handing Drew the electronic pen.

“I’ll be back in a few minutes. Try and get as many done as you can before I get back.”

“Yes, Miss Sally.”

Putting his hand on Drew’s back, Henry smiled.  

“Thanks, Tiger, I’ll have her back in a jiffy. If you get them all right, there’s an extra bowl of ice cream for dessert tonight.”

“Alright!”

Holding his fist out, Drew fist-bumped him with a big smile on his face.

Ken and Brad went to the kitchen to look for a snack, and Sally followed Henry back to his room, where they went in and shut the door. He laid out his proposition just as Brad and Ken explained it to him. She looked stunned and didn’t say anything at first, and he was worried that he had upset her.

After a brief silence, he asked, “Would you merge with me, Sally?  Before you make a decision, I think we have to… We should have before now, anyway.”

She wouldn’t meet his eyes but nodded ‘yes’ and held out her hand. As soon as he took it, he felt her trembling. Sitting on the edge of the bed next to her, he put his arm around her, pulling her close.

“It’s alright.” 

Leaning into his solid body, she loved the feel of his arm around her and his general warmth. She missed that feeling since Carlo was gone. Like the other guys, Henry radiated body heat, and smelling the combination of his deodorant and manly scent affected her.

As gently as he could, Henry opened Sally’s mind, bringing them together, and they were both pleasantly surprised as their innermost thoughts and selves were laid bare to one another. All of the natural emotions ran through them - anxiety, fear, mortification, anger - but their friendship softened everything. Having done the same thing often enough with the other guys, they knew the process and worked through their issues. 

After merging with the guys, each of them had grown out of the stage of lies and self-deception. They were both much better people, so most of the discomfort came from seeing their past selves more than their present selves.

Their physical attraction to each other was immediately evident. The emotional bond between them was nothing more than a deep friendship, but physically there was a great deal of chemistry.

Henry blushed a deep crimson at the thoughts Sally had towards him. When he traipsed through the kitchen in his underwear holding Drew, or when he came into the kitchen during training, she would watch the rivulets of sweat dripping off his muscles.  She loved his green eyes, his dirty blond hair, and his scruffy face. To her, Henry was ruggedly handsome, and she often fantasized about him when she masturbated. She still thought of Carlo, but when Henry was in front of her or most of the guys, her thoughts turned lustful. Working around such hot, virile men kept her in a constant state of arousal… The lab swam in testosterone, and it affected her more deeply than Henry ever realized.

Sally, in turn, flushed at Henry’s thoughts of her. He watched her with Drew, and his thoughts wandered. She smelled so nice, and he loved how she presented herself, taking great care to always look her best. She knew he sometimes thought of her when he had to jerk off to perform his tantric practice.

Their thoughts and feelings magnified by the merge, both of them became so excited at the prospect of sleeping together that they started ripping each other’s clothes off.

Sally knew Henry was well endowed. She had never seen him hard before, but she could tell by the way he stretched out his underwear he was big. When she glanced down at his gym shorts in his excitement, she thought:  Oh, my God! 

Running her hand along the length of his erection through the material, it was so long and thick the head was nearly around by his hip, and there was already a wet spot on his shorts. 

Henry’s body heat increased with his arousal, as did his scent. Smelling musky and hot, his breath quickened as he unbuttoned her blouse. She frantically removed her bra, and his big arms pulled her against him, flattening her breasts against his hard chest. 

The bounding of his heartbeat and the hardness of his erection let her know the effect she had on him. Her own trembling changed from nervousness to desire as she pulled off his shorts and wrapped her hands around him. The sight of Henry, his muscular body over her, his manhood hard and dripping, nearly pushed Sally over the edge. It had been so long since she and Carlo made love, she couldn’t wait to feel Henry inside her, his body covering hers.

Feeling the heat of his heartbeat and the trembling in his big muscular body from his excitement, she loved the feeling of the sparse hair on his chest as it brushed over her skin. Henry barely had time to send a thought to Brad. 

You guys take Drew to the Mall. Stay as long as you want. Maybe longer!

A huge smile crossed their faces at hearing and feeling the sexual urgency of his thoughts, and they fist-bumped each other in honor of their two friends.

<><> 

It turned out all five couples wanted to go to the mall. They had been cooped up in either of the two labs so long, they wanted to get out. Their time on ZEUS, while nice, reinforced their isolation. Drew, however, was in heaven surrounded by his uncles and being the center of attention.

At first Drew was nervous over Henry’s absence, but Lane said, “Hey, Drew, this is a perfect time to get your dad a Christmas present! Do you know what you want to get him?”

Drew didn’t have a clue, but the distraction of thinking of a present along with the attention of his uncles kept his spirits up. Passing him from shoulder to shoulder as they walked around, Drew didn’t have to walk anywhere. With the mall horribly crowded, aside from Drew loving to ride on their shoulders, they remained in constant physical contact with him for security reasons.  

The guys received a lot of attention walking around the mall, their bodies and angelic charisma inviting many stares. Rather than tone down their auras, Ken suggested amping them up, just not to the point of physically glowing, wanting everyone in the mall to feel the warmth of their hearts and souls. It was Christmas and supposed to be a happy time.

They spent hours at the mall, browsing and enjoying their time out and about. They ate in the food court, visited any store that caught their interest, and most bought new clothes for themselves. Brad paid particular attention to Drew in the food court, but he did okay, even wanting to eat at Dairy Queen.

Despite the crowds, they remained in good spirits. The Christmas decorations were fun to look at, and the background music was festive. Their personal shields remained tight, though; overhearing ‘fucked-upness’ was the quickest way to dampen their mood, and whoever carried Drew maintained a shield over him too.

To outside observers, their close friendship was evident. The way they bantered and hung shit on one another, punching an arm when someone was a dumbass, or just resting a hand on a shoulder. Except for the few days on ZEUS, none of them remembered laughing so much in the last few months.

One of the stores displayed a new Marvel Avengers hoodie that had all the characters on it. Iron Man was included, so of course Drew was all over it, looking at it with wide eyes, mesmerized by the bright colors and his favorite characters.

Ken couldn’t resist buying one, and his heart melted when Drew said, “I bet you’re stronger than Thor, Uncle Ken. You could pick up his hammer.” 

In Drew’s mind, Ken was worthy, and that meant the world to him. Everyone hung shit on him for tearing up at Drew’s comment, but he laughed along with them and milked the ‘worthy’ jokes for days.

As the afternoon wore on, Drew became more withdrawn. The couples decided to split up for the last hour to get ideas for Christmas or buy gifts, and it was easier to keep things a secret if necessary. Drew rode on Bryan’s shoulders, and Lane was sure he was about to cry. 

Bry, let’s find a quiet place for a minute.

They made their way into a men’s clothing store in the suit section, where there was hardly anyone around. 

Turning to Drew, Lane said, “Alright, Little Man, spill the beans. Why the sad face?  Aren’t you having fun?”

Lane’s question started the tears. Drew didn’t wail or make a scene, but an unexpected sadness overtook him.  Reaching up, Bryan grabbed Drew under his armpits, pulling him down into a hug. Burying his face against Bryan’s neck, Drew wrapped his arms and legs around him like a spider. Bryan, the gentle giant, had a way with kids. He treated them with respect and talked to them like little adults, and always seemed to know the right things to say.

Kissing Drew on the cheek, he said, “I love you, Tiger. Just let it out. We’ve got you.”

It took a few minutes of Bryan talking and soothing him before he calmed down.

When he could talk without hiccupping, Lane used his t-shirt to wipe Drew’s face and gave him a big smile.

“There’s that handsome devil. Now tell us what’s wrong. You know you can tell us anything, Drew.” 

Lane put his hand on Drew’s stomach, giving him a little tickle to get a laugh.

“Do you want to tell me with your mind? Would that be easier?”

Nodding his assent, Lane pulled him into a more in-depth private link with him and Bryan. 

As soon as Lane realized what was wrong, he almost cried himself. Bryan let out a Fuck me!, eliciting a giggle out of Drew. A grimace crossed Bryan’s handsome face at his f-bomb, and he apologized.

Sorry, Tiger, that slipped out. 

It’s okay, Uncle Bryan. 

Upset because he wanted to get Henry a Christmas present, Drew didn’t have any money.  Liz always bought everything, and she wasn’t with him anymore. Drew was frantic to come up with a special present for Henry but had no ideas. Emotions of missing his mother stirred because Drew was sure his mom would know what to get Henry. She always gave the best presents! 

Drew was in a small tailspin, and his concerns were those of a child. They were extremely important to him, so much so that he was having a minor breakdown. Henry warned them how much Drew would miss his mom over Christmas, and that part wasn’t a childish concern. It was real and powerful, and Drew hurt deep down over it.

Moving behind Bryan so he could see Drew’s face, or at least most of it as he still had his head crushed against Bryan’s neck, Lane gently cupped Drew’s chin and raised his head to make eye contact.

Drew, listen to me, buddy. Money is not an issue. We’ve got you covered, and I’m sorry we didn’t let you know that. That’s one thing uncles are good for; you never need to worry about money with us around. We’ll make sure you can get whatever present you find for your dad.

But I don’t know what to get him! It has to be special, like him. He misses mommy just like I do, and he’s still sad inside. I want to make him happy.

Drew, he’ll love anything you get him because it’s from you.

But I can’t find anything! 

The tears started flowing again.

Bryan:  I know you miss your mom, little guy. We do too. There’s nothing we can do about that, and we’re sorry, but you know we’re with you and your dad. We love you so much, Tiger. I’m jealous you belong to Henry and not me and Lane.

Drew knew Bryan’s words weren’t just to calm him. There were no lies in mind-to-mind communication, and Drew felt the truth of his words.

Hugging Bryan with all his strength, he thought: I love you too, Uncle Bryan.

Lane’s eyes briefly flashed white, and a grin spread across his face. He wasn’t sure if it was Remiel, the Gift, or the Ether, but an image formed in his mind.

Drew, I have the perfect idea of what you can get your dad. I’ll help you make it so it will be special from you. In fact, I have an idea of what you can get all of us. We’ll be sure not to tell your dad or the other guys, so it will be a surprise on Christmas morning.

Showing Drew an image of what he wanted to do, relief flooded through the little boy. At least two of his three concerns were addressed, and Drew’s concept of his uncle's infallibility was reinforced.

Alright, Tiger, let’s go get what we need.

Sending out a message to everyone, Lane thought: Hey guys, we all need to meet at the Carousel for a few minutes. 

Flipping Drew back onto his shoulders, Bryan kissed Lane and made his comment private, not wanting Drew to hear another F-bomb.

Fuck, I love you, Lane. I can’t wait to show mine off.

<><><> 

When they got back to the lab, Bryan went straight to the kitchen to start dinner.

In the middle of preparing everything an idea hit him, and his eyes went wide. Lane felt his excitement through their link, but Bryan quickly masked it.

Bryan:  No questions. I need you to go to the gym for a few minutes by yourself. Drop out of any links for a few. Christmas secrets, you know the rule.

Wearing a huge grin, Lane thought: Payback will be a bitch, Bry, just so you know. 

Bryan hurried out to the parking lot behind the building. His eyes flashed white, and raising his face to the Heavens, he called out:  Gabriel!

Within seconds, a ball of light appeared, quickly growing into the familiar form of Lane’s angelic grandfather.

“Thanks for coming. I wasn’t sure if you’d come physically, but I came outside just in case.”

“Is something wrong with Lane?”

“No! No… he’s good. I have an idea I was hoping you’d help me with for Lane. It’s for Christmas… You see, he’s really wanted to do something with you…”

As Bryan explained his idea, Gabriel smiled, seeming eager.

“Make the arrangements on your end, Bryan, and let me know what night and where, and we will make it a night Lane will never forget.”

As Gabriel was about to leave, Bryan quickly asked him, “Is Grandpop alright?”

Gabriel’s face turned solemn, and he took a deep breath before responding.

“He was deeply affected by what Lane did to us in the confrontation with Luke. He is much like you, Bryan… There is a depth to him that few realize and often overlook. I think it would help him greatly if you called to him.”

“Thanks.”

With a thoughtful expression on his face, Bryan went back to the kitchen to check on dinner.

While Lane was still out of the link, he sent out his thoughts:  Fucker’s, I need to bring you in on this… You, too, Henry. Doc and Albrecht, I need you too.

Being in each other’s minds so frequently made it hard to keep a secret. Brad came up with a plan to isolate whatever memory or actions they needed to keep secret and wall them off. The wall would look like the image of a wrapped package with the label ‘Christmas Secret’ inside their minds. None of them could cheat and ‘peek’ into the boxes or everyone would know, so it worked well.

Bryan’s idea was a hit, and the guys were beyond stoked. Not only would Lane love it, but all of them would too. The doctor assured Bryan he had some contacts that could help with the arrangements.

Bryan couldn’t hide his excitement when he called Lane back to the kitchen. Trying to act normal, Lane could read him like a book and knew he was cooking up something big. He resigned himself to wait and find out; he loved surprises anyway.

Bryan’s actions reminded Lane he needed Albrecht’s help with his present, hoping there was enough time because Henry enlisted Albrecht’s assistance for Drew’s gift as well. Albrecht was always more than pleased and ready to help any of the men, but there wasn’t much time left. They had all been so busy with events in their lives between training and fighting Luke and The Master, they were only able to focus on Christmas in the last few days.

Bryan managed to whip up his ‘chicken rolls’ for dinner: grilled chicken strips with sautéed mushrooms, onions, and cheese wrapped in dough and covered with mushroom bisque. It wasn’t overly healthy, but it did have lots of protein, and of course cheese for Drew, so he balanced it out with a steamed vegetable medley and a garden salad. Topping the meal off with warm brownies and vanilla bean ice cream for dessert, he knew they needed extra carbs for helping Tag after dinner.

<><> 

Henry and Sally seemed flushed at dinner, and the guys hid their smiles well.  No one wanted to embarrass them, but at the same time they were happy for their friends. Henry hadn’t looked so relaxed in a long time.

Ken couldn’t help himself and sent a private thought to Sally: I’m happy for ‘ya, Sis.  You both needed that.

Becoming a little misty-eyed at his comment, she responded: Thanks, Ken, for pushing us to do that. We were both hesitant to take that step.

Brad had the three of them in a private link, and Ken got a devilish grin on his face: Okay, but you gotta spill the beans. How did our boy do?  Did he treat you right?

Sally’s face turned beet red, not from embarrassment but from thoughts of what Henry spent all afternoon doing to her.

Oh Em Gee, Ken!  I thought Carlo was good, but Henry did things to me no man’s ever done before!  I’m going to walk funny for a week!

Damn!  I might have to pull up the security footage from his room!

Don’t you dare!

The three of them laughed out loud, and Henry blushed a deep shade of crimson, knowing what they were talking about. He had no insecurities they were laughing at him, but just to make sure, Ken winked at him and held his fist up for a fist bump.

Brad:  Making love with a telepath is a whole different experience, hun. When you feel what the other person needs and wants, there’s no room for doubt. 

You aren’t kidding!  He’s ummm…. Really big anyway, but what he did to me with his hands and mouth sent me into orbit and kept me there all afternoon! I wish we could just sleep in the same bed, but that would be asking for trouble and would be hard to explain to Drew.  I don’t want him upset thinking I’m with Henry that way. 

Yeah, we need to be careful there, but Henry can talk with him and reassure him you’re not moving in to take over as his mom. He’s nowhere near ready for that.  That’s why this situation is so perfect. We’re really happy for you guys. We told Henry, and we’ll say the same thing to you… If you need to slip away for some private time, just let whoever is on duty know, and all of us will chip in to take care of Drew and keep him occupied to give you as much time as you need.

Sally felt like crying. Her surrogate brothers were continuing to take care of her. She loved them dearly and made sure they knew it.

<><> 

When dinner was settled, and everyone chipped in to clean the dishes and restore order to the kitchen, Ken sent out his thought: Okay, guys, it’s time.

As usual, Olive and Tag joined everyone for dinner, in high spirits and proud of ‘their boyz’ once they heard everything that happened. Relaxed and easy-going, the Keenans were very pleasant to be around. Olive, in particular, had a peaceful air about her. Extremely gentle-natured, her soft voice was soothing and pleasant to listen to. She and Tag usually retreated to their room after dinner unless something specific was going on.

Tag watched his game shows, and Olive had several hobbies; she knitted, crocheted, and did needlepoint. Their life in the lab was far from perfect, but they made the best of it with no complaints, doing their best to make things easier for everyone around them. 

Going back to their room, Ken knocked softly on their door. 

Tag’s voice hollered out, “Come in!”

The tiny room seemed cramped when Ken and Brad joined the elderly couple, andTag asked, “What kin we do for you boys?”

Ken said, “Could you come into the gym for a few minutes?  We’d like to talk to you and Olive.”

“Is sumptin’ wrong?”

Ken was quick to answer, “No, nothin’s wrong.  We have somethin’ ‘ta talk to you about. I think you’ll like it.”

The way Olive quickly hid her needlepoint when they came in, both men were sure she was working on presents. Picking up the remote, Tag turned off the television. Sitting in his recliner, he had already removed his prosthetic leg for the night, so Brad helped Tag secure his leg and gave him a hand standing up.

As soon as they entered the gym, Tag and Olive stopped. All the guys, plus Henry, Drew, the doctor, and Albrecht, sat on the floor in a big circle waiting for them, with three spots open for Ken, Brad, and Olive. Turning to Tag, Brad’s Avatar started glowing softly.

“Tag, we can never thank you enough for your help when Ken went missing.  I know that was a difficult time in your life, but you helped Loy and Ricky, and I got Ken back in my life… You were a part of that.

“You and Olive mean so much to us. I know this isn’t an ideal situation, living with us in the lab. We’ll get you settled into your own place soon, we promise. You two are so easy to be around, and we appreciate the life experience and wisdom you share with us. You’re special people, and we’re grateful for your presence in our lives.”

Bringing them into a light link, Brad opened their minds enough to see everyone as they truly were. All of the men glowed, including Drew. Their soul-warming light touched Tag and Olive, and their breath caught as their eyes started watering. Olive’s hand reached for Tag’s, and his arm went around her shoulder in their shared reaction.

“We want to do something for you, Tag. I want to preface this by telling you how sorry we are for not thinking of it sooner. You can actually thank Drew for the idea. It’s because of him we figured out how easy it would be to do this for you.”

Olive’s hand flew to her mouth in surprise. She was a smart woman and knew what they intended to do. With her other hand, she squeezed Tag so tight his hand hurt.

“Momma? What on earth?”

Tag still hadn’t caught on, sounding confused.

Ken spoke for the first time since they came into the gym.

“Tag, if you let us help you, you won’t need that prosthesis anymore. We wanna do somethin’ special for you. You’re as much a part of our family as anyone, but we don’t keep score; you know that from the Army. What we wanna do isn’t payback for your help. This goes way beyond that. We wanna do this because we’ve come ‘ta love you, and you deserve it. We have the power ‘ta give you your leg back, but we have ‘ta ask you first. Is there any reason you don’t want us to?”

As the realization hit Tag of what they proposed, he was so stunned he couldn’t talk. He never in a million years dreamed something like that was possible. Tears covered his cheeks, tears of gratitude and awe. His eyes red and bloodshot, he shook from the sudden powerful emotions running through his mind and body. The entire team pulled Tag and Olive tightly to them in the spiritual realm, wrapping around them. Needing time to process what they asked him, Brad pulled them so deep that time nearly stood still, giving him all the time he needed. With him, surrounding him, holding him, and supporting him, he felt them in a way he never had before. Unable to find his voice, his eyes spoke volumes as he nodded his head ‘yes.'

Darren’s eye’s flashed white, and a hospital bed the doctor prepared appeared beside Tag.

Holding out his hand, Brad said, “Take my hand, Tag, and let’s get you on the bed. Olive, you’ll sit on the floor beside Ken and me.”

Helping Tag hop up on the bed, Brad said, “I want you to take that leg off, Tag. It’s the last time you’ll ever have to, and I want you to remember this moment.”

Tag did it slowly, making a ritual of it, and once his leg was off, Brad took it, holding it out for him to look at.

“Do you want to keep it? As a remembrance? Or do you never want to see it again? You don’t have to decide now but think about it.”

His cheeks shiny and wet from the steady flow of tears, Tag still trembled from powerful emotions. Looking at Brad and Ken first, his gaze wandered to all his ‘boys.’ They shone with a light so bright it was hard to look at them, but he could see their faces; handsome, serene, confident, and powerful. Even with all their power, their faces were gentle and compassionate, smiling at him with their souls. He wanted to stay there forever, but Brad’s voice brought him back to himself.

“Are you ready?”

Swallowing, he wiped tears from his eyes and managed to say, “You bet your sweet ass I am.”

A chuckle rippled through the link at his answer.

Lane: Relax, Tag, and watch the light show we’re about to put on. Don’t be afraid; we’re here with you and Olive. Your minds are open, so you’re going to see some weirdness as we power up, but there’s nothing to be afraid of. Lie back and enjoy the show. I’ll block your pain centers even though there should be no sensation other than an intense tingling as your new nerves come online.

Few mortals were privileged to witness the scene unfolding, and Tag and Olive were wide-eyed with joy and trepidation at what they saw. They knew their ‘boys’ were special and had the ‘light’ in them, but seeing them as they were in the spiritual realm was like nothing they ever imagined. 

Lane’s voice calm and even, he thought:  Okay, guys, Ten, five, one. Henry, I’ll pull you in with us; Drew, you can’t be fully merged, buddy, but I’ll draw from you too, so you can help.  Doc, Albrecht, I’ll pull you in with Henry.

The perfection they felt in one another uplifted them, becoming even more intense and beautiful as the five couples delved into one another, their souls blending into one. Ken locked their Avatars, and the runes on their shoulders changed into the master rune. Brad opened their energy centers, weaving the brilliant streams of blue, yellow, and red energy masterfully into one thick white rope that arced through them like lightning, wild yet controlled. A hot wind blew around them, moving the hair on their heads, arms, and legs.

As Lane brought Henry into the merge, the guys experienced a sexual rush as his afternoon with Sally became a part of them. They all hung shit on him as a joke, and he blushed deeply but laughed and smiled with them as they whistled and catcalled at the sight of his virile, naked body intertwined with Sally’s. Their happiness for him was evident; the situation with Sally was temporary, but it filled a need in both of them, and they were elated to see Henry so relaxed and content…  and having such a good time!

They stilled the sexual thoughts as Drew joined the link. His soul was powerful, and his raw, unchanneled strength became available to them. As powerful as they were at the moment, it was clear there were multiple presences inside Drew. It wasn’t the time or place to address them, and Brad locked their concerns away from Drew.

 The doctor and Albrecht were already one as Lane pulled them in. Their mentors never fully merged with the team, holding knowledge and experiences they didn’t want the men exposed to. The guys reconciled with that fact a long time ago, trusting both men implicitly, and their mentors were present as deeply as they could be.

A ghostly image of Yggdrasil appeared as the Avatars of the five bodies flashed emerald green; the five minds fluttered their souls back and forth across the veil, and they listened. Animal spirits filled the air, flitting around them and swimming among the branches of the tree. Many of the older and wiser spirits sensed what was about to happen and gravitated towards Tag. 

Tag and Olive’s eyes were about to pop out of their heads. They had seen the guys do some amazing things, but never before through their mind’s eye. Brad was with them, making sure they could handle it, ready to soften things if they became too overwhelmed. He wasn’t surprised the older couple embraced what they saw, putting their faith and trust in the men whose care they were in.

Lane’s mental voice filled the gymnasium: Alright, Tag, here we go. 

Opening Tag’s energy centers one by one, Lane looked deep into Tag’s genetic structure, clear to him through his Avatar.  Lane was a perfectionist in everything he did, leaving no chance for error.

Calling on The Gift and his Avatar, in a burst, he cast his perception through time and space, looking at the various incarnations of Tag in other realities. As soon as he found one where Tag had not lost his leg, he looked at the genetic pattern, comparing it to what currently resided in Tag, drawing what he needed. 

His mind and talent compared the two, and he created new and perfect DNA markers for the Tag in front of him, accounting for any compatibility issues and his current age. Lane created the leg Tag would have had all along, not just a clone.

White healing arced from Lane’s hands into Tag. Tag jerked in surprise, but there was no pain, only the golden warmth of their souls wrapped around him. The power from Lane looked like lightning as it struck his leg, and the air crackled with energy, but it was soothing and Lane’s touch gentle. Placing a warm hand firmly on Tag’s chest, Lane smiled, reinforcing that there was nothing to fear.

Tag often had phantom sensations where his lower leg and foot should have been. His flesh hadn’t started regenerating yet, but he watched in awe as the nimbus of his aura filled down in the shape of the leg Lane was about to recreate. His nervous system felt sensations in anticipation of what was about to happen.

Bryan moved behind his partner, hugging him from behind and pushing his face against Lane’s neck and shoulder. When he watched Lane ‘doing his thing,’ either making music or healing, it struck a chord in him about how perfect his lover was.

After everything Lane did in their efforts against Luke and what he was doing presently with Tag, Bryan chuckled: You fucker – how could you have ever thought you were nothing more than a ‘battery’ for the rest of us?

Lane laughed with him, not in conceit, but at himself. After growing into his abilities, he finally accepted the realization that all of them were incredibly powerful and unique in their own way. In any given situation, each of them was stronger than the others if it suited their Avatar, and there was no longer any jealousy between any of the guys about their abilities.

His thoughts, apparent in the link, sparked a memory in Bill: I still think it would be cool if I could change the color of my piss. 

Brad especially laughed at Bill’s comment, remembering how concerned Bill had been when he and Kevin were the last to awaken, and they still had no idea what their abilities were going to be.

Drifting in Lane’s heart, Bryan filled his lover with himself, knowing what it did to him. Through Yggdrasil, emerald energy seeped from Bryan’s Avatar into Lane’s flows, adding life to the forming limb.

The entire process only took a few minutes and could have gone quicker, but Lane kept it slow and steady to avoid any overt trauma to Tag’s nerves. While Lane was in Tag’s body, Brad was in his mind, scanning and attuning his mind to adapt to the new limb so he would have no initial balance or coordination issues. Tag had walked on his prosthetic leg for nearly twenty-five years, and under normal conditions, it would take months of therapy and physical training to deal with the changes.

When the light finally dimmed, all the guys were sweating slightly; Tag was too, from the healing, but his new leg was healthy and whole.

Lane couldn’t help the mischievous grin that appeared as he ran his fingers lightly across the bottom of Tag’s new foot, knowing how ticklish he was there. Tag jerked in response, but he felt it! The sensation caused the realization to hit him.  He watched his leg grow back but feeling the sensation brought it home. Pulling his leg up, he ran his hands over the flesh, toned and solid like his other one.

The smile on his face a mile wide, with wonder in his voice, he quietly said, “Momma, look!  I got me a new leg!”

Olive rushed forward, and her warm tears fell on the new flesh as she caressed his regenerated limb with trembling fingers.

Hugging his wife, he held her tight as they cried together. All of them, including Drew, smiled, elated over helping their friend. The men so seldom interfered in anyone’s life with their abilities, but when they could help someone openly, it gave them a sense of joy they could hardly contain. There wasn’t a selfish bone in any of them about using their powers for the benefit of others, but the rules of The Order and free will kept them from using their abilities too casually for the sake of others. 

Brad remembered Ken’s words from when his mental powers first awakened, that restraint would be the hardest thing to learn, and he was right.

With a wink, Ken sent Brad a private thought: See! I’m right sometimes!

Pulling his lover into a mental hug, Brad laughed at their running joke. They learned the hard way about affecting real change in people. Flexing their physical and spiritual muscles could cause change but often resulted in a lack of appreciation in the target.  That certainly wasn’t the case with Tag.

Olive threw herself against Ken, who stood closest to her. Her tiny frame packed a desperate strength, and she hugged him with all her might. She repeated her hug with each of them, even getting down on her knees to hug Drew. She thanked all of them, her cheeks shining with tears, her soft voice quivering with emotion.

Ken said, “You don’t have ‘ta thank us, Olive. Above and beyond bein’ so important ‘ta us, it was the right thing ‘ta do. This will make it much easier ‘ta keep you two from being identified by The Enemy once we relocate you ‘ta your own place. They’ll be lookin’ for the old Tag, not a guy with two good legs.”

Tag was unaware of it, but Lane cleansed his body of any residual effects from drugs, and Brad did the same with his mind, so there were no longer any addictive mental or physical ‘hooks' that could creep up and blindside him. He was now in perfect physical and psychological health.

Drew looked like he was about to pee his pants he was so excited. Henry leaned over, whispering in his ear, and Drew shot off into the locker room.  A few seconds later he came back out with a sack as large as he was. He had trouble lifting it but managed to get it over to Bryan.

Everyone smiled at his behavior, so happy to have helped and been a part of what happened. It made him feel like a big boy to participate, and his excitement drove off the sad thoughts about Liz, at least for a while.

“Grandpa Tag! Grandpa Tag! Look! Santa brought you presents early!”

With quizzical expressions, Tag and Olive glanced at the men surrounding them.

Bryan’s ordinarily stoic face wore a big smile, and it was stunning how it transformed his already handsome features. Taking the sack from Drew, Bryan reached inside, pulling out a wrapped box and handing it to Tag.

“What’s dis?”

Nodding at the box, in his deep, gravelly voice, Bryan said, “Open it.”

Making short work of the wrapping paper and bow, he laughed and cried even more when he saw what was in the box… New shoes! The other boxes were filled with socks, another few pairs of shoes, and various pants from jeans to sweatpants. 

Tag’s prosthesis was a much older design, and Olive had to split the seams and hem his pants to fit over it.

All the guys blurted out, “Merry Christmas, Tag!” and came forward to give him a hug. Jumping off the bed, he danced a little jig, making them laugh before launching himself into the arms of whoever was closest until he worked around to everybody.

Drew almost shouted in his excitement, “Don’t worry, Grandpa Tag, there’s lots more presents under the tree! Santa brought these early ’cause you need them!”

“Is dat right? Well, I need ‘ta put out some extra milk’n cookies for Santa on Christmas Eve then, don’t I? Don’t let me forget! I’m countin’ on you!”

Aaron and Albrecht were a part of the event and happy for Tag. The doctor especially felt great satisfaction. His adoptive sons never ceased to amaze him, and he and Albrecht could not be prouder of each and every one of them.

<><><> 

Spirits remained high over the next few days. Drew still had rough patches, but his sadness didn’t seem to wear quite as heavy. Helping Tag made him happy, and he was also happy his Uncle Darren was better, but he still gave Darren extra hugs and sat in his lap more than anyone else except Henry. Milking it for all it was worth, Darren claimed the cherished spot of ‘favorite Uncle.' 

Everybody ran their gift ideas for Drew by Henry, and he had no issues with any of them. He wasn’t concerned with spoiling Drew over the next year. Drew’s birthday was in March, driving home the impending nature of the Curse. His son had fifteen months before he either died, or they defeated The Master and freed him from the Curse.

Instead of letting his dark thoughts drag him down, with Ken’s coaching and encouragement, Henry learned how to turn his desperate sense of urgency into a positive influence. He pushed himself as hard or harder than anyone else in training. 

As often as Henry lived in his brothers, they knew what he was doing and were always quick to work with him, praising him when he did great or kicking his ass if he slacked.  He rarely made the same mistake twice. 

He didn’t think it was possible, but his bonds with everyone grew stronger and deeper every day. He knew they were as concerned for Drew as he was, and their underlying sense of urgency and fear was just as strong as his.

Now that Drew was aware of the Curse and what it meant, the doctor took a more active role in his tutelage. Sally prepared his education, but the doctor and Albrecht began his mental disciplines. Henry and the guys followed the doctor’s instructions on how to help Drew with his exercises. Drew’s physical training progressed as well, turning him into quite the little gymnast.

Through it all, Henry learned something every day about being a dad, loving it, and even thriving on it. The doctor taught him more than he could ever have imagined about being a good father. One day, in a particularly emotional moment, the doctor confessed to Henry that he learned more about how not to be a good father with his own daughter and wished to impart what wisdom he could to his young charge.

Teaching Henry one of the most valuable lessons, Ken showed him how to be tough when needed, especially with discipline. With everything Drew faced, and with the loss of his mom, he still had moments where he acted out with Sally or threw a tantrum if he couldn’t get something right. Ken taught Henry how to be patient and stern and let his love give him the strength to do what he needed to do as a father rather than a friend.

<><> 

A few nights after Henry and Drew returned to the Atlanta lab from ZEUS, Henry woke up to Drew whispering. He had trouble making out everything, but it sounded like he was praying!

As far as Henry knew, Drew had never been to church. Liz never mentioned it, and Doug probably would have burst into flames if he stepped foot over the threshold, if not from being the worst dad ever and a despicable human being, then from the alcohol fumes and cigarettes. 

A heavy sleeper, Henry sounded foggy as he mumbled, “Drew?  What’re you doing, honey?”

“I’m sorry, Daddy.  I was trying to be quiet.”

“Who are you talking to?”

“The Birdman.”

Instantly awake, Henry shot up in bed. He tried to keep his voice even, but an icy cold spear of worry hit his stomach.

“Is he talking to you now?”

“No, sir.  But he said he’s always with me and will hear me.”

“What are you telling him?”

Drew fell silent, and Henry was worried. Getting out of bed, he knelt on the floor beside Drew, pulling him close in a hug. The room was oddly lit from the lights on Bryan’s small bonsai Christmas tree. In the soft glow of the lights Drew’s eyes sparkled, a sure sign of impending tears.

Taking Drew by his shoulders, Henry gently turned Drew to face him and said, “It’s alright, Drew. I’m not mad, honey. I’m scared. We don’t know who the voice is.”

Starting to blubber, Drew said, “He’s good, Daddy.  I know it.”

Picking Drew up, Henry pulled him into a hug, wrapping his arms around his son and running a hand up and down Drew’s back soothingly. With his arms around him, Drew felt safe against his dad's strength. Henry’s warm hands always seemed to rub away whatever was bothering him. Holding him in silence, Henry let Drew cry until he stopped.

Once Drew was calmer, Henry pulled back enough so they could look at one another and asked again, “So what are you saying to him, honey? I know it’s private, but as your dad, I need to know. You’re my responsibility, and until we find out more about whoever or whatever that voice is, I’m not sure I trust it.”

Holding his head down, Drew seemed reluctant to talk.

Drew? Please tell me, honey. I’m really not mad or upset with you, but I need to know.

I was telling him what a good daddy you are and how my uncles take care of me. The other voices were loud tonight, and talking to the Birdman helps me push them back. Doctor Aaron doesn’t want them talking to me.

Not wanting to frighten Drew, Henry hid his reaction and forced himself not to shake. Deeply touched, Henry was proud of Drew for his caring nature towards everyone. The way he went out of his way to express his love for Darren or anyone who felt bad was astonishing, showing far more empathy than a typical five-year-old. With his mind open, that wasn’t surprising; the surprise was that he had enough inside him to give to others after his own abuse. In fact, helping others seemed to make him feel better.

“Drew… Wow.” 

Henry’s own tears started. The way Drew felt about him as a dad still blew him away.

Reaching up, Drew touched the tears on Henry’s rough cheeks, wiping them away.

“Don’t cry, Daddy. I didn’t mean to make you sad.”

“I’m not sad, honey. You make me so proud and happy sometimes, I can’t help it.  People cry when they’re happy, too, you know.”

“Is it okay if I talk to the Birdman?”

“Tell you what, Tiger. You can talk to him whenever you feel like it if I can be with you and talk to him too. Can we do it together?”

Smiling, Drew excitedly nodded his head. 

“Okay, then start talking.”

Drew continued, and Henry had to force the tears to stop as Drew asked the Birdman to protect his dad and his uncles, Miss Sally, Doctor Aaron, and Mister Albrecht, Grandpa Tag and Auntie Olive, his friends Jacob, Craig, Rich, Nathan, Guy, Caleb, and their families.  He asked the voice to make the other voices inside him happy and safe and give them all dads just like Henry.

When Drew finished, they crawled back into bed together. Snuggled against his dad, Drew fell asleep with a contented sigh. Henry lay awake a long time, his thoughts spinning over what just happened.

<><><> 

Oh, my God!

Looking at his computer screen, Tony’s expression was a mix of shock and disbelief. The online statement showed his bank account as a negative balance!  There had to be some mistake… All the money he had to his name was in that account, and just yesterday his balance was over ten thousand dollars!

The statement showed a transfer out of his account that morning of eleven thousand dollars, and it wasn’t anything he authorized or did.  He had overdraft protection so the bank covered it automatically, but he was in a total panic.

He spent an hour on the phone with a Customer Service Representative at the bank, explaining that it was either a mistake or someone hacked his account.  Unfortunately, because his debit card was tied to the account, the rules were not in favor of the customer when those types of events happened. The bank automatically froze his account for thirty days while they ‘looked into’ the matter.

Expressing no sympathy, the woman repeated the ‘it’s company policy’ line until Tony wanted to punch her. By the end of the conversation, Tony was screaming at her, trying to make her understand his situation, but her attitude couldn’t be less caring.

With a sinking feeling in his stomach, he ended the call. He had no money, and his rent was due. With just enough cash in his wallet to put gas in his car to get to work, he would have to ask his manager Keli for an advance to fill up. It was Friday, so he’d be busy delivering pizzas all night. Fortunately, Friday was ‘pizza night’ for many families in his area. Chances were, he’d make enough tips to cover the advance.

For some reason, Tony’s mind drifted back to the night he ran into Brad and Ken, delivering pizzas to their house. Seemingly glad to see him, Brad asked Tony to keep in touch, but then disappeared on him. Tony drove by their house numerous times, but they were never home. He happened to see a neighbor collecting their mail, so he assumed they were out of town for an extended period.

Tony asked her if she had any idea when Brad and Ken would be back, and she said she didn’t. Brad told her they would be out of town indefinitely due to an emergency, and she mentioned they had been gone a lot recently and helped them out with their mail. 

She prattled on about how friendly Brad and Ken were and that gay men made the best neighbors, keeping their yard immaculate and never causing any trouble. Tony couldn’t believe his ears and had to hold in a smile at her stereotypical response.  Tony was straight, but his younger brother Tad was gay and closer to him than anyone in the world.  Tad was always telling him dumbass comments straight people made. 

With Brad on his mind, Tony swung by their house again on his way to work and was disappointed they weren’t home.  Depressed, he drove to a Quick-Trip a few blocks from their house to get gas. 

Receiving his second surprise of the day, Keli refused to advance him gas money for the evening when he arrived at work.  She had done it before with no questions, and he always paid it back when promised.

“Sorry, Tony.  I can’t front you the money, and if you can’t drive tonight, I’ll have to call someone else.  If this happens again, I’ll have to let you go.”

Stunned, he looked at Keli like a stranger.  She wouldn’t make eye contact, and if he didn’t know better, Tony would say she was scared. Assuming she would front him the money, he used his last ten dollars on gas to get to work and now didn’t have any money to eat. Wandering back to his car in a daze, he wondered how the day could possibly get any worse.

“Having a bad day, kid?”

Tony’s blood ran cold at the sound of that voice.  Turning, he saw Clint Berringer standing with two other men.  Clint was one of the people who had taken over his gym, squeezing him out of his own business. 

Tony was a big man, muscular and fit, but Clint and the other two men dwarfed him.  The thickness of their shoulders and arms, showing through the black wife-beaters, was intimidating.  They wore black jeans and shoes, almost like a uniform.

When Tony confronted Clint at the gym, he put Tony’s arm in a cast for months. Tony recognized the two men with Clint but didn’t know their names.

“Stay away from me, Clint, or I’ll call the police!”

He pulled out his cell phone and started to dial 911, but Clint was on top of him before he finished dialing. Tony had never seen anyone move so fast!  Pain shot through his arm as Clint wrapped his big hand around Tony’s forearm in a crushing grip in the same place he broke it before.

“Shut the fuck up, kid. What were you doin’ at Wilson and Habersham's house earlier?  Did you talk to ’em?”

Handling Tony like a child, Clint forced him down to one knee.

“Let go!  You’re breaking my arm!”

Clint shoved Tony roughly to the ground, towering over him menacingly. 

“Answer me, kid, or I’ll fuck your arm up so bad you’ll never get back in a gym.”

“No!  They weren’t home!  I haven’t seen them in over a month!”

Pulling a phone out of his pocket, Clint tossed it on the ground at Tony’s feet. 

“If you see ’em, don’t mention us. Use that phone to call me as soon as you talk to ’em again. If you say anything about us, aside from ripping your arm out of its socket, we’ll pay a visit to your little brother Tad. We aren’t messing around, kid. Do what I say, or I will kill you and your brother. The same if you call the cops. We’re watching you, kid, and if you try anything, you’ll regret it.”

Tony couldn’t believe what he heard. Shaking in fear, he stayed on the ground after Clint and the other two men left, his arm throbbing painfully. If they knew about Tad, they knew more about Tony than he liked, and he had to find a way to warn his brother without Clint finding out.

What the hell’s going on? Who are these guys, and why are they doing this to me? What do they want with Brad and Ken? 

Tony was a loyal friend and didn’t know what to do. He didn’t want to cause any trouble for Brad, but he was scared, scared for himself, Tad, Brad, and Ken. He couldn’t imagine why Clint would be interested in Brad and Ken.

After his encounter with Clint, Tony was sure the bank account issue was not a mistake. Who the fuck were these guys? They were definitely not someone he wanted to mess with.

Pulling himself together, Tony went inside to the bathroom and splashed cold water on his face. Ever since he lost the gym, working out had been a struggle. First it was his arm injury, but now he didn’t have enough money for a regular membership. 

Looking at his reflection, it pained him to see how much progress he’d lost on his body.  He used to be darkly tanned, but most of his color was gone, and he looked pale. He also lost a lot of weight because he couldn’t afford to eat properly. Eating cheap was easy, but it was horrible, processed, sodium-filled garbage and not what his body needed or was used to. Still a big man, he was proud of the body he spent years developing, but what he saw in the mirror depressed him. To the average person he looked great, but as a perfectionist, he saw the changes.

Steeling himself, Tony found Keli and told her he would cover his shift, hoping to make enough cash tips to put gas in his car and make it through the night. Lucking out, his first delivery was for a large party in a ritzy neighborhood, and the tip covered a full tank of gas. Distracted and edgy, he worried about everything but managed to pull his shift and make decent tips for the rest of the night. 

Fortunately, he still hadn’t set up direct deposit with the bank, so he picked up his paycheck the next morning and at least had food money for the week but had no idea what to do about rent. Calling the bank again, he asked to speak to a manager but was told the same company line, and the manager said there was nothing he could do. Clint called twice a day, every day, asking if he had any contact with Brad Wilson. 

Tony realized he was being watched… At first he thought it was paranoia, but he started paying close attention and noticed people staring openly at him as he moved throughout his days. A black Escalade followed him wherever he drove, and there were strange clicks on his phone, and Tony was sure they were listening to his conversations.

He stopped by Brad and Ken’s house as often as his schedule allowed, but they weren’t home. Apparently, his efforts appeased Clint, at least in the short term.

Tony thought long and hard about what he could say to his younger brother Tad.  He needed to warn Tad of possible danger but was so closely monitored he wasn’t sure if he could contact Tad without consequences to both of them. 

What the hell can I say?  I have no idea who these guys are or what they want with me, but they’re threatening me and you, bro. Whoever they are, they’re powerful. They stole my business and emptied my bank account, and they know about my family. 

He realized how crazy that would sound.

Knowing it was risky, Tony decided he and Tad needed to disappear. Tad would have to trust him, and they could go to the police in another state. Spending a few days on the internet at a local public library, he searched for a place to hide. 

Tony kept one credit card for emergencies and decided to buy backpacks, sleeping bags, and a tent, and he and Tad would go hiking on the Appalachian Trail. That would take them off the grid for weeks and give them both time to think.

Planning to wait until Saturday for his next paycheck, he would cash it and rent the cheapest car he could. He would leave his phone and his car, figuring that was how they kept tabs on him.

Tony had no idea that The Master had taken a personal interest in him as a way to reach Brad.  Initially, his servants kept tabs on Tony through his phone and a tracker on his car, but The Master assigned one of his top lieutenants, a powerful ‘suit,’ to monitor Tony. No matter where Tony went, the ‘suit’ scried his location, and there was nowhere he could hide.

The following Saturday Tony picked up his paycheck, and while walking back to his car a black limo pulled up a short distance away. It parked, and Clint stepped out, standing by the door along with the other two men who always accompanied him. Stopping when he saw them, a cold knot of fear gripped him. There was no way they could know about his plan, so he had to act normal.

One of the men with Clint opened the back door to the limo, and a man wearing an expensive gray suit got out, holding a cane with a silver handle shaped like a stylized wolf’s head.

As frightened as Tony was of Clint, something about the well-dressed man scared him even more, and Tony knew he was in trouble. Turning, he intended to run as fast as he could to try and get away, but his legs wouldn’t obey his will.  He was frozen and unable to move.

Come here, Tony.

The evil of the man’s mind overwhelmed him, and Tony obeyed, powerless to resist. Against his will, he turned and walked over to stand in front of the man. Not understanding what was happening, he had never been so scared. A leering grin covered Clint’s face, enjoying the terror in Tony’s eyes.

The man in the suit said, “My Master has taken an interest in you, Tony. Your friend Brad Wilson and his acquaintances have recently done something quite reprehensible. We originally wanted you as a means to get to Brad Wilson, and while that is still the case, our plans have changed. My Master’s patience has run thin, and you, young man, will bear the brunt of his impatience.

“You will never see your family or your friends again. I mean that quite literally. I will personally oversee your torture, along with Mr. Berenger here. There is nothing you can do… You won’t even be able to scream unless I allow it. I can assure you, whatever you think is going to happen, the reality will be a thousand times worse. Get in the car.”

Screaming in his mind as his body moved of its own accord, he climbed into the back seat of the limo.

<><><> 

Sally jumped, startled by the sound of an incoming Skype call from Australia.  Embarrassed, her cheeks flushed a deep crimson. She had been daydreaming about the previous afternoon with Henry. Brad was right; making love to a telepath was like nothing she had ever experienced. 

Henry kept the two of them deeply linked while they made out so she could see in him as well. Knowing where and how he liked to be touched to get him off, she used the knowledge to full effect. Sally had always preferred big, muscular men. She was a sucker for big biceps, and while in her younger years, that often didn’t pan out as the basis for relationships, being with the guys and Henry was heaven for her in terms of eye candy.

Henry had more stamina than she thought humanly possible and extraordinary control over his orgasms. Feeling his muscled, sweaty body on top of hers and his huge member thrusting into her sent her to a place no man had ever managed before. Quickly fanning her face, she cleared her throat and answered the Skype call, and Craig’s handsome, smiling face filled her screen.

“Hey, Miss Bisel!”

Craig was almost a perfect replica of his older brother Jake, who was also high on Sally’s stud meter. She wanted to reach through the screen and pinch his cheeks!

“Hi, Craig!  What can I do for you?”

“Ummm… Miss Bisel, I don’t exactly know how to ask this. If it's a problem, then we’ll forget about it, but with Christmas so close, I was wondering if there was some way you could help me get a present for Jake and my parents?”

It dawned on Sally with the families staying in Australia and having no access to the outside world, she dropped the ball on such an important detail. With everything going on between Darren, Henry, and Drew, she simply hadn’t thought about it and kicked herself.

“Oh, Craig, I’m so sorry! I should have thought of that!”

“So, do you think you can help?”

“Absolutely, I can help. In fact, I’ll work up a schedule in a few hours and plan a private call with everyone there. I’ll arrange all the gifts and get them wrapped, and Santa will make a visit to the lab on Christmas Eve.

“Speaking of Christmas Eve, you, Jake, Guy, Nathan, Caleb, and Rich will be coming to Atlanta for a few hours. It’s a surprise for Lane, so don’t say anything to him; not a word to anyone but me to be safe. I’ll let you know the arrangements when it gets closer.”

With a smile, Craig replied, “Will do, Miss Bisel. Getting out of here for a little while will be great. Not that this place isn’t awesome, but I miss being outside. It's summer here, and we can’t even work on our tans!”

Laughing, she replied, “Oh!  The horror!”

Once she stopped laughing, her expression turned serious, and she continued, “I can’t tell you everything, Craig, but something happened recently. We had a big win, and security measures won’t need to be quite so tight. We always have to be careful, but I think we can start arranging more time out of the lab soon. It probably won’t be until after Christmas, so be patient. There’s still a lot going on, but everyone here knows how cooped up you are. We haven’t forgotten about you.”

Grinning again, he said, “You’re awesome, Miss Bisel!”

“You’re good for my ego, Craig. I’ll be sorry to see you go when the time comes. I’ve got to get back to Drew’s lessons now.”

“Tell the Drewmeister I said hello. We miss him.”

“You got it, honey. I’ll be in touch in a few hours.”

<><> 

While Sally spoke to Craig, a memory sphere appeared, bobbing politely until she finished her call. It was Albrecht asking her to get Darren to bring him to the Atlanta lab right away.

Assigning Drew a short reading assignment, she stuck her head into the gym to look for Darren. It was mid-afternoon, and she knew by then the guys would be shirtless and sweating bullets. They spent the mornings mostly on mental disciplines and the afternoons on physical training and sparring. Ken officially canceled training for the week, but they were too disciplined and couldn’t help themselves. 

Darren sparred with Ken, and every time she saw them practice, she was in awe; they were so fast she couldn’t keep up with their flurried movements. Darren gave Ken a run for his money, teleporting rapidly around the ring, landing blows he never managed to do before.

Ken soon figured out a defense, which wasn’t practical but worked, clotheslining Darren by accident. Slowing his perception of time, Ken had perfect control, and managed to pull the vast majority of his strength and not hurt Darren. In fact, Darren laughed and they high-fived each other as Ken pulled him to his feet.

Out of the rotation, Brad noticed her at the door: Hey, Sal, what’s up?

Albrecht needs Darren to bring him here right away.

I’ll take care of it, hun.  Thanks.

Giving Brad a mental:  Mwahhh, she made the hand motion of blowing him a kiss.  He grinned, and she melted; he was so handsome, standing there with his body pumped and shiny. His golden blond hair was currently dirty blonde from sweat and plastered against his head, and she could see his bright blue eyes even across the gym.  

After dinner, she was going to see if Henry was up for another round of sex. It was like she was addicted since she started her extracurricular activities with him. Henry was so… virile. She flushed again at the thought.

In less than a minute after she was back with Drew, Albrecht walked out of the gym. Smiling, he thanked her as he went into the doctor’s office and closed the door. A few seconds later, they both came out and made their way to the back corner of the lab.  Sally knew that’s where their ‘vault’ was, the heavily warded area where they kept anything supernaturally important or dangerous.

A few hours later, Sally held her private conversations with everyone in Australia, making a list of everything she needed. The only one she felt awkward about was Kelly, who was nearing her term for the baby. A runaway, she hadn’t spoken to her family in years, and other than the guys, she didn’t have anyone. 

So troubled when Darren first brought her into their fold, she alienated almost everyone. The doctor worked wonders with Kelly, but there was still an edge to her. Lonely and about to be a single mom, Sally knew the poor girl had to be scared about the uncertainty of her future. 

Because of the baby, Darren had opened Kelly’s mind, and she practiced the mental disciplines the Doctor taught her but still kept to herself. She spent most of her time in the Australian lab helping with the ‘guests’ there, saying it made her feel more at home being on her native soil.

Sally made a note to organize a baby shower soon. It was a ‘girly’ thing, and Sally was sure the guys wouldn’t think about it. She also put on her thinking cap about getting Kelly something for Christmas. She would arrange presents from everyone and bring the guys into the loop.  She was sure it slipped their minds as well, with everything they had going on.

<><><> 

Freshly showered, while Bryan made his way to the kitchen to start dinner, Albrecht pulled him aside.

“Bryan, I need a favor.”

Looking at Albrecht, Bryan raised his eyebrows. Albrecht rarely needed anything from anyone… He was the most resourceful and independent man Bryan had ever met.

“I will cover your absence with everyone if you agree. There is minimal danger in this, but if you think it best not to proceed, I will find an alternative.”

“Now you got me curious.  What do you need?”

“I need you to make a visit to Leroy.”

His handsome brow furrowed in curiosity, Bryan asked, “What for?”

Placing a small box on the kitchen counter, Albrecht pulled out a tiny crystal on a delicate silver chain around his neck and waved it over the lock. A little ‘pop’ followed, and the box clicked open. Albrecht pulled out what looked like a piece of coal.

“This rock has unique properties. It is a battery for certain magics. I wish you to charge it with dragon fire.”

Bryan was smart, knowing Albrecht was fully aware of what he was asking Bryan to do.

“Will you do it?”

“Yeah. I miss seeing that big fucker anyway, and it’s been too long since I’ve visited him. I’ll take Lane, and we’ll spend the night and be back tomorrow. Let me get dinner covered, and we’ll head out.”

“For now, please keep this private and under the auspices of ‘Christmas Secrets.  It’s the truth.”

<><><> 

Bryan and Lane ended up being gone two days. Albrecht explained to Ken he asked them for a favor that included some travel and assured Ken they would be safe. Ken trusted Albrecht, but his curiosity was on fire. Ken was one of those guys who would shake, rattle, and roll every wrapped gift under the Christmas tree to try and figure out what was in it. It didn’t matter if it was his gift or not… He had an insatiable curiosity, just like a little kid. 

Finalizing the plan for Bryan’s gift to Lane, the doctor took advantage of Lane’s absence to call a meeting and explain the logistics for Christmas Eve. The doctor also hinted at a surprise he was sure everyone would enjoy. He had a twinkle in his eye, and Albrecht’s grin nearly split his face when Aaron mentioned the gift. 

With only a few days left before Christmas, the excitement in the lab was building. Drew was manic, so excited about the presents he had for his dad and uncles he could hardly contain himself. Henry placed a trigger in Drew’s mind to make sure he didn’t accidentally reveal his presents for everyone, careful not to look and see his own gift when he did it. 

Everyone in the lab made it as special for Drew as possible, and their attention and love slowly overcame the sadness of his mother’s absence. The caring support each man showed Drew continually brought tears to Henry’s eyes. Getting on the floor with him, they built racetracks for his Hot Wheels or colored with him. Henry couldn’t believe his eyes when he came out of his room to see Loy and Rick on the floor with Drew, competing on who could color the best. Of course, Drew won every time. 

Wrestling with him, they tickled him and read to him, never toning down their auras so he could feel their genuine love for him, making it a cushion against his sorrow. No one mentioned Liz, but if Drew talked about her, they didn’t avoid the subject and spoke to him about his feelings.

Henry and Sally ended up spending a few hours every day in some ‘private time,’ and whoever was in the lab kept Drew occupied so they could enjoy their time together. Henry got a kick out of it when a few of the guys thanked him for being so horny so they could spend more time with his son.

<><><> 

Finally, Christmas Eve arrived, and Darren brought Kelly, the soldiers, and Craig to Atlanta for the daytime and evening festivities. The parents of the soldiers opted to stay in Australia, saying they needed a break from their kids, but it was apparent there were still hard feelings over everything happening in their lives. Even after Henry mentally ‘spanked’ the fathers, showing them the truth about The Enemy and The Order they still blamed Brad, Ken, and the rest of the guys for their woes.

Craig, Jacob, Guy, Nathan, Caleb, and Rich were excited to be in Atlanta just for a change of scenery. The young men looked better than ever, radiating physical health. None of the soldiers had met the Keenans, so introductions were made, and Tag regaled them with his own story of the ‘boys,’ showing them his fully restored leg. He couldn’t stop smiling and wiggling his toes.

Bryan spent a few days prior preparing food, so Christmas Eve day would be mostly warming things up. Sally worked overtime with all the extra people, keeping out snacks all day long. She didn’t know what she let herself in for… Almost before she took her hands off the trays, between the six young men, eleven men with hyper-metabolisms, Kelly eating for two, the Keenans, the doctor and Albrecht, the plates were empty. 

Drew hadn’t seen Kelly for nearly a month, and fascinated by her huge belly, she let him put his hand on her stomach to feel the baby kicking. He linked with the unborn child lightly to feel her presence. Kelly admitted her pregnancy was the easiest she had ever been through that she remembered. Having the doctor and Albrecht care for her, plus five mentalists who could heal, kept her and the baby in top shape.

Lane took care of the Christmas music in the lab, playing a wide variety of songs, from old-school Frank Sinatra and Bing Crosby to classic carols and Christmas Hymns.  He even included the Charlie Brown Christmas song.

Even though Brad and the other mentalists could create external constructs to change everyone’s clothes, Sally insisted their outfits for the evening be real. Besides, there were so many extra guests she didn’t want Brad or the others to be distracted by keeping up with it. Rolling his eyes at her, he laughed; she knew it was effortless for him, but she was adamant.

At 1500, a delivery truck arrived, dropping off tuxedos for the men and evening gowns for the women. Bryan’s and Lane’s tuxedos had tails. Curious, Lane held himself in check, wondering what in the world they needed tuxes for.

Everybody made a big deal of how snazzy Drew looked, and Sally made sure to get plenty of pictures. The guys learned from her days in the security firm that she was big on scrapbooks and taking pictures. One of her favorite photos sitting framed on her desk was from the Fourth of July party where all the guys wore speedos at her request and held her up like a Vegas showgirl.

So far, the day was perfect. It had been a long time since everyone was gathered together and so happy and relaxed. Laughter filled the lab, and the mood was light and fun. Food, drinks, and eggnog continued throughout the day. The evening meal was light, and at 1800 sharp four limos pulled into the lab's parking lot. Everyone was dressed to the nines, and Sally and Kelly were escorted by Craig and Jacob. Tag proudly accompanied Olive.

Bryan pulled out a blindfold for Lane before they left the parking lot.

“Sorry, Little Buddy, but it’s part of the surprise.”

“Okay, but if any of you sissies try anything, you’ll regret it!”

Everyone sitting in Lane’s limo laughed, hanging jokes on him as they pulled out of the parking lot. 

<>< One Week Earlier ><>

The Master sat on his throne, upholstered with the flesh of his enemies through the ages. He planned to skin the warriors of The Order and make a new throne once his victory over them was complete, wanting their Avatars prominently displayed for all to see.

A well-dressed man entered the chamber, keeping his head down and eyes averted, waiting for The Master to acknowledge him. The Master’s voice was deep, and the sound of his breathing filled the silence of the room. 

“Speak.”

“Sir… one of our servants working in the City informed us an anonymous party has reserved the Atlanta Symphony Hall on Christmas Eve. They paid an exorbitant amount of money, and we are unable to trace the funds.  It has to be them.”

“Yessss… Excellent.”

The Master turned to Clint Berenger, who stood patiently by the door. 

“Is our captive sufficiently broken?”

Smiling, Clint said, “Yes, sir. He was strong, but he’s in ruins now. There’s just enough left in him for a little more fun.”

“Be sure he lives until Christmas Eve. I will take him personally to deliver my message.”

Turning back to the ‘suit,' The Master asked, “What is the progress on finding the others?”

“It goes slowly, but we make headway each day. It will not be long before we find living relatives of at least two of the new warriors. Dr. Thomas was clever, and no computer or paper records remain. However, memories still exist, and we are tracking them down.”

“Continue and keep me informed. Now leave me, both of you.”

The ‘suit’ and Clint left the room. Clint went to check on Tony in his cell, his broken and twisted body still drew breath, but his suffering was evident.  An amulet hung around Tony’s neck, preventing Lane or any of the mentalists from dreaming or having visions about him.

Crafted by Orophir, the amulets did their job well. None of The Master’s servants knew who the powerful nephilim was that occasionally visited The Master, but the objects he left had not failed them yet.

Clint shut the door to Tony’s cell, not wanting to hear his groans or cries. He got tired of the whimpering and begging.

<><><> 

The drive took nearly an hour, and at 1900 sharp, they pulled up to the front of the Atlanta Symphony Hall, home to the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra. The beautiful building was fully lit and vacant.

Bryan pulled off the blindfold, and Lane felt a thrill of excitement when he realized where they were. Quickly grasping there were only a few ushers inside to open the doors for them, his face expressed a look of mixed joy and confusion.

“Bry? What’s going on?”

“Hold your horses. Come on.” 

Bryan’s excitement was evident through their link.

It took a few minutes for everyone to exit the limos. It was especially awkward for Kelly, being pregnant and wearing an evening gown. Sally insisted on a group photo in front of the building, and Darren levitated the camera so everyone could be in it. 

Taking Lane’s hand, Bryan led him into the building, and everyone filed in behind. The men, including the young soldiers, filled out their tuxedos perfectly and looked strikingly handsome. Their broad shoulders and trim waists were prominent, and their arms filled out the sleeves well. Sally had everyone’s measurements, and each tux was tailored perfectly.

On entering the main Hall Lane stopped, speechless, and his eyes began to water. Gabriel, dressed in a formal tuxedo with tails, stood in the conductor’s spot. The Orchestra pit was full of people, and their auras told Lane they were angels of the Choir.

Michael, Uriel, and Raphael, similarly dressed, stood down front. Istariel and his three cousins were there in human form, and they were shocked to see that one of the three was a stunningly beautiful woman, wearing an exquisite evening gown.

Another shock ran through the link; one of the nephilim was almost a twin of Loy!  Rick’s mind flew back to Grady Hospital on the day they rescued Tag from the Iktomi. The giant nephilim in the hospital room was cowled, and Rick had only seen his chin. He remembered how the nephilim looked familiar at the time, but he couldn’t place it. Speechless, Loy couldn’t move as his apparent twin nodded his acknowledgment and stood up to come over.

Ricky!  I don’t understand!  How?

I don’t know, Loy, but it looks like we’re about to find out!

The doctor and Albrecht guided the young soldiers, Sally, Kelly, and the Keenans to the front area while the men gathered around Loy and Rick, almost as excited as Loy.

Even his voice sounded like Loy when he held his hand out in greeting and said, “Hello, brother. I am Alariel.”

Still unable to talk, Loy took the proffered hand but could only stare. It was like looking in a mirror!

“I can see your surprise. I thought the time right to reveal myself to you. Barachiel is my grandfather as well, so we are half-brothers in a manner of speaking.” 

Pulling Alariel into a tight embrace, Loy said, “It’s great to meet you. Well, you know… we’ve met, but I didn’t know… Why did you wait so long?”

“Now is not the time. This is Lane Weaver’s night. You and I can become better acquainted soon.” 

Cupping Loy’s cheek in an unexpected display of affection, he moved back to Istariel and the other nephilim.

“Fuck me, Ricky, I have a half-brother!”

Putting his arm around Loy’s shoulder, Rick hugged him, saying, “I’m so happy for you, Loy! What a great thing to happen on Christmas, huh?”

Giggling, Drew said, “Uncle Loy!”

Loy squeezed his eyes shut and said, “Sorry, Drew!  It slipped out!”

Grinning, Ken said, “Okay, everybody, let's get seated. Bry, you and Lane are up.”

The smiles on all their faces were a mile wide.

Lane let himself be led up to Gabriel, where he hugged his angelic grandfather.  His face could barely contain the happiness he felt in the moment. Bryan stayed by Lane’s side the entire time while Lane looked around in awe. 

He still hadn’t figured it out and asked, “So what’s the plan? What are you going to play?”

Gabriel looked at Bryan, who shrugged and grinned, saying, “You tell us. This is for you, Little Buddy. You’ve always wanted to play with Gabriel, so I asked him to set this up. This is your chance to cut loose and do whatever you want.”

Choking up, Lane threw himself into Bryan’s arms.

Oh my God, Bry! I love you so much! I don’t know what to say!

Their link was private, so Bryan grinned and thought:  Well, I’m hoping to get laid tonight you handsome fucker, so you can start by saying ‘yes.'

Pulling back, Lane laughed as he wiped his eyes, retorting:  I would have thought the two dozen times you got off while we were with Leroy would have slowed you down at least a little.

Nothing can slow me down with you. You’re the hottest man on the planet to me. You know that.

The smile left Lane’s face at the smoldering intensity of Bryan’s thoughts, but not his eyes. His eyes twinkled with the laughter that was always just under the surface. Putting his hand up, Lane cupped Bryan’s thick neck and jaw and ran his thumb over the stubble on his cheek.

I can’t believe this, Bry.

Believe it, Lane. It’s all for you. 

Gabriel waited patiently for them to finish the conversation he knew they were having. 

When Lane and Bryan finally tore their eyes away from one another, Gabriel grinned and said, “If you are ready, we can begin. Bryan, take your position in the pit, as will I. Lane, you remain here and direct, and we will follow your lead. I’ve prepared everyone for any music you have already written that I’ve heard, and we know everything else you might wish to play.”

Lane’s eyes widened. 

“Everything?”

“Yes, everything.

“Okayyyyyy, that’s ummm…. Wow. Okay.”

Everyone took their seats, the pit lights came on, and a spotlight shone on Lane. The house lights went down completely. All of Lane’s brothers were with him; this was his moment, a chance to fulfill a dream, and they were all incredibly proud and confident on his behalf. Turning, he smiled at them, and their encouraging smiles shone back.

“Okay, this first piece isn’t a Christmas song, but it has special meaning to Bry and me. I want to do this as a warm-up. It’s a bit of my own mix.”

With a flick of his hand, memory spheres shot out to Bryan, Gabriel, and every angel in the pit. With a flourish of his arm, he summoned his violin.

Silence filled the hall. Closing his eyes and taking a breath, he went deep in himself. Bryan and his brothers were with him, along with the doctor and Albrecht. 

Drew looked at Henry, who whispered in his ear, “Just wait. Uncle Lane is about to play some music for us.”

Bryan picked up on his queue, and the rolling bass drum beat started. The sound echoed in the hall, and the acoustics were perfect. The deep trombones started in as the pace picked up. 

Goosebumps ran over their skin as Lane’s Avatar kicked in, pulling them into the music with him. Lane and Gabriel were in perfect sync as their bows crossed the strings, their violins carrying everyone even higher.

The song was from the opening to The Last of the Mohican’s soundtrack and a powerful piece. It was the music Bryan heard Bao playing that caught his attention, allowing Taliesin to trap him in the construct where Lane died.

Just as he did with Luke, Lane took the music and transformed it into something far beyond its original intent. Expanding into the music, his handsome face serene, behind his closed eyelids his eyes were white. His joy in making music was evident in his body's posture and movement as it stirred something deep within him. It also stirred in them as Lane took them on his journey.

White energy crackled around him, and a hot wind whipped his hair. His feet left the ground as he continued to play. Everyone glanced at Darren, who looked as surprised as any of them. Besides Darren, none of the other mentalists had the telekinetic strength to lift themselves, and Lane seemed to be doing it unconsciously and effortlessly. His form floated in the air, turning slowly as he played from his heart.

The music was beautiful, and because it was Lane, it was even more so. Tears flowed down everyone’s face as the music became a part of them. Looking at his grandson, Gabriel’s face filled with pride. 

The Keenans, Sally, Henry, Drew, and the young soldiers had never experienced anything like it and sat awestruck. They stared wide-eyed at Lane, floating in the air and glowing with a bright white light as he sent the music deep into their hearts and souls.

The violins played faster and faster, Bryan was perfect on the drums, and he couldn’t keep the smile off his face; his heart was with Lane the entire time, and his presence magnified everything Lane felt. He was having the time of his life, loving the big bass kettle drums that were so large they nearly came up to his waist. The mallets fit his big hands perfectly.

Gabriel pressed Lane, knowing that was what he wanted, and they resonated off one another, making each other better. The angels played flawlessly, and Lane’s Avatar guided and pushed them to their limits, but they were the best Heaven had to offer; Gabriel made sure of that. Nothing but the best for his grandson!

The song lasted nearly twenty minutes, and Lane slowly returned to the floor as he came back to himself. When the music faded, Lane’s eyes remained closed for a few seconds before shaking his head slightly, snapping himself back to the present. He lost himself entirely in the music, just like he lost himself in Bryan when they made love, and it took time to come back to himself.

His brothers laughed when they saw him grin and mouth a silent, “Holy shit!”

Grinning back, he said, “Okay, that was a good warm-up. Drew? Is there anything you want me to play?”

“Christmas music!”

Lane sounded incredulous, asking, “Christmas music!? Why in the world would you want to hear Christmas music?”

“’ Cause it’s Christmas!” 

Drew’s smile went from ear to ear, knowing his Uncle was teasing him.

“It is?” 

Lane didn’t sound convinced. 

“Okay, if you say so!”

The violin disappeared while he spoke with Drew, and Lane put his hand on his chin like he was thinking hard.

“Hmmm, I think I might know a few Christmas songs.”

Moving over, Lane sat at the grand piano. Memory spheres shot out again with a flick of his hand.

“This is a variation of one of my favorite songs by Leonard Cohen. This is a Christmas version of a song about another extraordinary little boy.”

Lane played a modified version of ‘Hallelujah’ that sent chills down their spines. His voice rich and powerful, it suited his style. Henry cried like a baby, and glancing around, knew he wasn’t alone.

The song was about the birth of Jesus, and while none of them were comparing Drew to the Son of God, there were huge parallels between the two. Drew didn’t understand, but he felt the love his uncle had for him, and he cried too. He seldom cried happy tears, and Henry held him tight through the song. When it came to an end, Henry set Drew down, and he ran up, launching himself into Lane’s arms.

Lane sat Drew on his lap and started playing ‘What Child is This?”

When Lane finished, he asked Drew, “Do you have a favorite?”

“Rudolf!

“Rudolf it is, but you gotta sing it with me.” 

Glancing at everyone with an impish grin, he said, “You can’t leave us hanging!”

Everybody joined in, and Lane’s grin was infectious, spreading among them. All of them except Henry had sung with Lane at some point, and with his coaching, sang wonderfully. This was the first time any of them heard Henry sing, and he blew them away with an incredible singing voice.

Henry’s Christmas present for Drew required all their help, and while everyone was so emotionally charged with power, Lane knew it was the perfect time to take care of it. Creating a private link with just the eleven men, he thought: Bill, Brad, you’re up. Henry, your idea for Drew’s present is beyond perfect. Let’s work a little Christmas magic, fellas. 

Beyond subtle, Brad looked in Drew’s mind, but just to be sure, Rick masked his presence. Looking deep into Drew’s memories, he pulled the happiest, clearest recollections of his mother, Liz. He did the same with Drew’s memories of Henry and the short time the three of them were together as a family.

Drew’s memories were powerful and present that night. Rudolf the Red-nosed Reindeer was his favorite song, and Liz always sang it with him. She would pull out her lipstick making his nose bright red, and put a fuzzy antler headband on him. 

Fresh tears appeared from his memories' clarity and strength, and Drew’s emotions were deep, magnified by the incarnations within him. The feelings stirring in Drew drove home the fact that most of them never knew their mothers, or like Drew, had them ripped out of their lives too soon.

Each couple held hands, squeezing each other tightly, expressing what they felt for one another. Their other hand reached out to whoever sat next to them, so all eleven men were linked hand in hand, and the current Brad created through them ran deep, strengthening their bonds even more.

Henry pulled out his gift for Drew, the wedding rings Albrecht helped Henry make. He put them on a chain for Drew to wear and use as a shield when he got sad. 

Bill imprinted the memories Brad fed to him into the rings, attuning them to Drew so when he held them and concentrated, he could immerse himself in them. Henry knew how much he missed his mom. Gone forever, she could live on in Drew’s memories, and he would carry a part of her for the rest of his life.

The doctor and Albrecht, fully aware of what their adoptive sons were doing, were proud and deeply touched by the thoughtful tenderness with which they took care of Henry and Drew. They were as impressed as ever throughout the evening, not only with what Lane was doing but the rest of the men. The two ancient men gave their silent thanks to God for having the men in their lives.

The musical journey continued through the night. Lane made it fun and exhilarating at the same time, taking them to the place within himself, inside his soul with Bryan, with each song.

Rick noticed the young soldiers weren’t singing and seemed embarrassed. His Avatar glowed softly under his tux, and he unwound the knots of embarrassment and self-consciousness in them. They needed a break from the tensions of their families, and he wanted them to have fun. After their experience as hostages, the night was a gift they would carry their entire lives, and he wanted it to be the best it could possibly be.

Realizing what he did, Loy squeezed Rick’s hand, bringing it up and kissing the back of it.

Fortunately, Sally was a master at details, ordering handkerchiefs with the tuxedos, which everyone put to good use. By the close of the evening, their eyes were red from the near non-stop flow of tears, and their handkerchiefs were soaked. That night, however, the tears were of joy, and none of the men were embarrassed about crying in front of one another.

After Rick’s help, the young soldiers cried unabashedly. If the Navy SEAL studs who rescued them could cry, they could too.

Finally, Lane brought the evening to a close with a version of ‘The Little Drummer Boy’ in honor of Bryan. It was a jab at Luke for his comment and didn’t go unnoticed by Gabriel. Just before the song started, Lane sent another thought through a separate link of only the eleven of them. 

Guys, let’s make a little more magic tonight. Come in tight, and let’s light up the world for just a second. Let’s drive back the ‘fucked-upness’ at least for the length of the song and give everyone a glimpse of the way things are supposed to be.

Brad delved them into one another - Ten, five, one, plus Henry - and Lane fired them up. Bryan drew from Yggdrasil, Loy from the animal spirits, and Brad fluttered their souls across the veil. Everyone’s Avatar glowed so brightly they shone through the thick material of the tuxedos. Their eyes flashed white as the song started and Brad tapped into their collective power, casting his mind across the planet.

Their auras shone over the world, and even people in countries that didn’t celebrate Christmas were touched by the unconditional love all humans should share towards one another and longed to feel.

The world went quiet for a moment where everyone was awake, and those who were asleep were caressed by the peaceful, warm light in their dreams. The event made the news, and all the various social media outlets lit up with posts about the strange and beautiful occurrence, which seemed to be a worldwide phenomenon.

Their light burned against the shields of The Master and his servants. Seeing their light in the spiritual realm like a star in the city, he had to shift his sight as he approached the building. His servants with him shrouded themselves in darkness as he did, but he left Tony exposed to the light and heard him moan. He did it out of cruelty, knowing it would make his suffering even greater.

The Keenans, Sally, Kelly, and her unborn child, Drew, Craig, and the five soldiers, the archangels, and the nephilim warmed at the breathtaking light moving into and through them. Brad was careful not to burn the humans out, but to the angels it felt like Home, and peaceful contentment washed over them as they enjoyed the night with their grandchildren, a welcome respite from the battle they seldom received.

As the song came to a close, their light dimmed.  The power remained, but they masked most of it, letting enough leak out for the humans around them to feel it.

It was hard to tell who smiled more the entire night, Lane, Bryan, or Gabriel. Michael, Uriel, and Raphael, along with Istariel, Alariel, and the other two nephilim, were touched in a way they never imagined. Lane’s Avatar was unique, taking them on the journey with his soul, and they were deeply touched.

Lane’s mischievous grin returned, and he said, “That’s all, folks! Besides meeting Bryan and you yahoos, this has been one of the best nights of my life, and I’m grateful you were a part of it! This is the best present EVER, so you guys can’t be jealous my stud boyfriend outdid all you sissies.”

Everyone laughed, and Ken was the first one to hug him, lifting Lane off the ground and squeezing him so tight he could hardly breathe.

I’m so fucking proud of you, Lane. I’m in awe of you, man. To think that you once thought you were only a battery for the rest of us. None of us could begin to touch what you did tonight, or what you did to Luke… just damn. I love you, brother, never forget it.

After kissing Lane’s cheek, Ken set him down. Lane made a big show of breathing after Ken squeezed him so hard, and there was laughter all around. Each of them hugged him in the same way, expressing their love and thankfulness for his presence in their lives. 

Ken:  Everythin’ I said ‘ta Lane applies to you too, Bry. You rocked tonight. Lane’s a lucky man.

Lane’s eyes twinkled as he said:  Bry just wanted an excuse to play with some big wood.

Bryan was about to retort when Kevin snickered. 

Are we talking Bry, or Sally? 

Henry blushed ten shades of red, and they all busted out laughing.

Lane: Henry, not only do you have the biggest dick, but you have a fantastic singing voice; it’s not fair! Why haven’t you busted out some tunes with me before? That’s going to change from now on.

As the evening drew to a close, Ken and Brad got a chance to talk with Michael and Raphael. Bryan wouldn’t let Lane leave his side and made a point to corner Uriel. Dropping out of the link for a short minute while they talked privately, the conversation ended with Bryan giving Uriel the same hug Ken gave to Lane, literally lifting his grandfather off the ground.

Loy approached Alariel, who seemed pleased with his decision to reveal his relationship with Loy. Loy didn’t understand why he had waited so long. The evening gathering wasn’t a place to have an extended personal conversation, so Loy got a commitment to visit together soon and get to know one another better. They were already friends from the time Alariel spent trapped in one of Orophir’s amulets, but now that Loy knew they were related, he wanted to know him even better.

Once the music was over and things got quiet, Drew was out like a light.  His head rested on Henry’s shoulder, and his arms hung loosely around his dad’s neck. 

The archangels said their farewells, transforming into balls of light and vanishing. The nephilim crossed the veil back to the spiritual realm where they lived. Lane made a point to thank every one of the angels in the Orchestra before they vanished.

The second after the angels and the nephilim disappeared, it struck Brad that he forgot to ask Istariel about his father. Kicking himself, he decided to set a mental trigger to ask Istariel the next time he saw his friend. They needed to find out who that voice was that spoke to Drew in Thomin’s vault. Before he could set the trigger, Kelly felt a contraction and nearly stumbled.  Brad was closest and caught her hand to steady her.

With that distraction, any thought of the voice vanished from his mind.  The same thing happened every time he actively thought about asking Istariel about his father.

<><> 

Going to the main office in the building, the doctor opened the door. The ushers that let them in for the night and the lighting team stood quiet and still. He had placed the ushers' minds in neutral so they wouldn’t see or hear anything from the evening and modified the light crew's memories. All of them felt the message his young charges sent to the world, and their faces wore peaceful smiles.

Aaron woke them and thanked them for their help, letting them know the building was vacant and ready to be locked up. Wishing them a Merry Christmas, he gave them the sign of blessing and told them to go be with their families.

<><> 

As a group, the couples, either arm in arm or holding hands, walked back to the limos, laughing and cutting up. The magic of the evening still lingered, and they didn’t want it to end. Morning beckoned the opening of presents, and they couldn’t wait to make it the best Christmas ever for Drew.

Lane’s eyes flashed white, and a feeling hit his stomach, mirrored by Brad and the other mentalists; something terribly wrong was about to happen!

Instantly alert, their shields flared brightly, instinctively covering themselves and their human friends.

Rounding the corner of the below-ground parking deck where the Limos were parked, The Master’s black aura hit them. He stood waiting, surrounded by a dozen Lieutenants, a mix of protector’s and ‘suits.’ At The Master’s feet was a naked man on his knees with one of The Master’s hands around his throat.

Brad couldn’t help himself, shouting, “Tony!”

Through the pain and fog of his tortured mind, Tony heard Brad cry out his name. Tony couldn’t see him because he no longer had eyes. His eye sockets blackened and burned, dried blood still marked his face and covered parts of his body. His arms and legs were broken, and open cuts covered his flesh where dark runes had been carved into his body to prolong his torture.

Pat saw The Master and his servants, as well as Tony, wore amulets around their necks. His Avatar glowed, and he recognized them as the same type Orophir trapped Istariel and their cousins in. The matrices of runes in the amulets were powerful enough to block their Avatars from sensing them until they were physically present.

The Master’s voice was deep, and beneath the black nimbus covering his face, his lips pulled back in a smile, exposing his crooked sharp teeth.

“Yesssss… I see the pain in your eyes.” 

They couldn’t see his eyes through the shroud of darkness covering his face, but they felt his gaze on them. The two dark spots, blacker than black where his eyes should be, bore into them.

Ken gripped Brad’s shoulder. Anger burned through them, and compassion for the plight of Brad’s friend. Tony swayed and would have fallen if The Master wasn’t holding his throat.

Tony’s voice was gone, his vocal cords destroyed from endless screaming and begging during his torture, and his mind was in tatters just like his body.

His eyes filling with hot tears, Brad asked quietly, “Why?”

“To see the pain in your eyes and hear it in your voice, Brad Wilson. A present to myself on this most hateful of nights.”

Starting awake at Brad’s scream, Drew’s head whipped around, making eye contact with The Master. Behind the darkness, The Master’s eyes squinted in recognition. He didn’t know who Drew was, but before him was the boy from his visions and dreams, the one the stone orbited around.

Seeing the change in The Master’s body language, Ken realized he had noticed Drew. 

Ken:  Dar, get everyone but us outta here now.

Throwing his head back, The Master flexed, shredding the suit he wore and revealing his hairy, grotesquely muscled body. Howling into the night, he gathered his power and called on his dark servants.

Sally, Kelly, the Keenans, Craig, the five soldiers, and the doctor and Albrecht disappeared. Henry and Drew remained, and Darren looked surprised.

“Not that one!” 

The Master pointed to Drew. Somehow, he prevented Darren from sending Henry and Drew to safety. They still didn’t know exactly what The Master was capable of; they just knew that he was immensely powerful. They had only confronted him once briefly while rescuing Sally, Henry, Liz, Drew, and the Keenans.

Henry whispered in Drew’s ear, “Don’t look at him, honey. I’ve got you, and he’s not going to lay a finger on you.”

Digging deep, Henry strengthened his shield around himself and his son. All the while, Tony hung limply in The Master's grip. If he had eyes, tears would have been streaming down his face. His hands feebly reaching outward, flailing in his blindness, Tony kept trying to say Brad’s name, begging for help, but he couldn’t straighten his arms.  

The night sky that earlier had been clear and filled with stars was now overcast from clouds thick with lightning. The powers clashed, brightest white and darkest black, pushing against one another, and the skies mirrored the building confrontation.

Stepping forward, Ken asked, “What do you really want?”

“Your suffering.”

“You’re making a big mistake.  Guys…”

The Master’s hand tightened around Tony’s throat, lifting him up. Tony’s once powerful and beautiful body, now mangled and broken, hung twitching in The Master’s grip.

“If you raise any power against my servants or me, I will snap his neck.”

“At least he’ll be free.”

“His body, yes… But I will consume his soul before Uriel can collect it, and with the strength it gives me, I will destroy you here and now.”

Ken:  B, take us deep.

Brad pulled them down so far time barely moved. He left Drew out of the merge as before, but their shields enveloped Henry and Drew, so Drew was doubly protected.

Brad was in terrible pain watching Tony, knowing what he must have endured because of their friendship. Naked, in the place where their souls were one, Ken pulled Brad against him.

Ken:  It’s not your fault, Brad, you know that. 

Brad:  If we had helped him sooner, this wouldn’t be happening!

Lane:  That might be true, Brad, but if it wasn’t Tony, it would be someone else. We’ve been busy and pressed these last few months… There isn’t enough time for us to be everywhere. 

Loy:  That doesn’t make it any easier. I’m sorry, Brad.

Ken:  It’s why we have ‘ta keep the bigger picture in mind. You know what I mean… this is killin’ me as much as it is you. The Master will keep doin’ shit like this until he’s finally gone and defeated. As painful and tragic as this is, we can’t let him get ‘ta us.  I’m not sayin don’t feel it.  If we didn’t, he’d win.  We prevent what we can, and when we can’t… we have ‘ta take the hit and let it make us stronger.

Kevin:  What are we going to do, Ken? What’s the call?

Ken:  He’s prepared, and we aren’t.  He has the advantage at the moment, but he’s made the mistake of pissin’ us off. We’re gonna get Drew outta here and try ‘ta save Tony.  

Brad:  We don’t know what he’s capable of. This is risky.

Ken:  We don’t have many options, B. Drew’s here. We know he’s tryin’ ‘ta figure out who Drew is and why he’s important. The same trick may work that we did with Charisa. If Bry can reach Tony through the tree, we can shield his soul. We need ‘ta kill Tony ourselves, mercifully, and hold on until Uriel can take him. I don’t see any chance of us gettin’ him physically outta this.

Brad’s mental voice, filled with sorrow, was barely audible: I don’t either.

Ken held Brad tighter, and he felt the arms of his brothers along with Ken’s. Being the rock Brad needed at the moment, Ken sent Brad a private thought: You know how much I love you, B. I know what seein’ Tony like this is doin’ ‘ta you. Your pain is mine, but think about Tony… even if we get him out alive and heal him up, he’ll have scars from this deep down. If we reset him or take those memories away, he won’t be the same Tony you know. The best option for him is ‘ta let Uriel take him and end his sufferin’.

Knowing Ken was right, as difficult as it was, Brad pushed his grief aside but let his anger remain; he would cry later in Ken’s arms. Steeling himself for what needed to be done, Brad’s temper was on fire. 

The injustice of Tony’s life being so utterly destroyed because Brad used to work out at his gym and was a part of his life was hard to bear. Tony was a great young man and had touched many lives through his business. Hot tears continued falling from their eyes at Tony’s plight, but Brad’s crystal blue eyes hardened. Bryan’s anger flared through the link along with Brad’s. Above all else, the one thing that pissed him off was someone hurting a friend or a loved one. He didn’t know Tony but was crushed by what he saw, and coupled with Brad’s pain, Bryan was enraged.

Bryan’s deep, gravelly voice was calm: I’m ready, Ken.

Ken:  Dar, as soon as we hit him, I’m bettin’ however he’s blockin’ you will drop. We have ‘ta push him hard enough that he can’t stop us and you at the same time. As soon as you can, get Henry and Drew back ‘ta the lab. Everyone else, dig deep. We know how our Avatars work, we’ll be equal ‘ta the task, but we have ‘ta dig deep if we’re gonna push past that and save Tony’s soul.

Do it, Bry.

It was easy this time because Tony was right in front of him. Bryan’s green eyes were bloodshot from his tears, and his handsome face a stone mask. On top of the pain of seeing Tony and Understanding what was done to him, Bryan was upset that Lane’s perfect evening was ruined. 

His Avatar flared emerald green and ethereal foliage blossomed, surrounding Tony’s soul and wrapping it in a protective barrier. Feeling Bryan’s power, The Master snapped Tony’s neck with a twitch of his clawed hand, and he dropped to the cold pavement. Broken and lifeless, his eyeless sockets seemed to look directly at Brad as breath left his body.

Hit him, guys!

White fire erupted from all of them, which Brad channeled into a spear, thrusting it against the black shields of The Master and his servants. The strength of his anger drove his attack, and lightning crackled in the sky. The force of the thunder blast was so powerful the windows in front of the Symphony Hall shattered.

The Master threw his head back, howling his response. Prepared this time, his servants were full of power, and they fed it to him. Reaching down, he punched his fist into Tony’s torso, spurting blood everywhere. Inside Tony’s chest cavity, where his heart energy center resided, The Master’s clawed hand grabbed at Tony’s soul. 

Channeling more power, Bryan fought to keep Tony’s soul safe for another few seconds.

Darren continued trying to teleport Henry and Drew back to the lab, but he couldn’t move them. Even with his newfound strength, The Master still blocked him. He realized it had to be Orophir’s amulets; there was no other explanation. He didn’t see how The Master could possibly be strong enough to face all of them and continue to prevent him.

Their faces red with strain, veins showed at their temples and necks. The tuxes were hot, and with the effort they exerted, their faces poured sweat.

Kneeling, Ken launched himself, making his body a weapon. A bright warrior of The Order, their Captain, he struck the black shield covering the Enemy, shattering it and blowing The Enemy agents off their feet.

The Master ignored them, focusing his efforts on Tony. With the power of Tony’s soul, he would have more than enough strength to kill everyone.

Darren still couldn’t move Henry, and his face masked with anger, he thought through the link:  It’s not The Master that’s blocking me; it’s those damned amulets of Orophir’s. Everyone focus on The Master. I’ll deal with the peons.

It was Darren’s first significant encounter with The Enemy since his torture, and he had an edge to him now. Like Ken showed him, Darren used the pain and rage within him as fuel, and while The Enemy agents were stunned, he used the part of his Avatar that came from Bill. Teleporting almost faster than anyone could keep track of, he touched each of them, reading them.

They were willing servants. He saw their lives and what they did, how many people they killed and tortured, and the lives they ruined out of sheer evil intent. They were abhorrent. Darren witnessed every second of Tony’s torture, and Tony’s agony filled the well inside him, adding to his own pain as tears fell and his throat tightened.

He sent a thought to The Enemy he was about to destroy:  If any of you were coerced, you would have been spared. 

With their shields down from the impact of Ken’s blow, they were disoriented for the fraction of a second Darren needed.

Darren went within himself to where he and Pat were one, along with all his brothers. A fleeting regret passed through him that he had changed enough to be capable of doing such things, but they were at war. However, Darren no longer saw himself as a monster; he had become what he needed to be. He was a soldier and a warrior of The Order, and he embraced his Avatar.

His tattoo glowed as invisible ribbons of telekinetic energy, honed down to the width of a few molecules, sliced through their bodies. He crisscrossed the patterns, slicing so thin and sharp there was no immediate blood; their bodies paused for a brief moment before falling apart.

<> 

During the fight so far, Drew buried his face against Henry’s neck. Even with his dad protecting him, he was afraid. The bad man… The Master… His brother… was a few feet from him, and the memories of his first death were vivid and fresh in his young mind.

Drew wasn’t merged with his uncles or his dad, but he was linked to hear their thoughts. Catching a glimpse of Tony and what his brother had done to him made him cry. His mind open, he was acutely aware of the pain Tony’s torture caused his uncles, especially Brad, and their steadfast bravery and determination to protect him and his dad.

Drew’s young mind spun, trying to think of some way to help. He couldn’t let his brother hurt any of his uncles or his dad. Drew knew they were protecting him, but he felt the same way towards them. They didn’t realize he learned from their example and how they treated him.

<> 

Glancing around, The Master smiled, unfazed by Darren’s actions. In fact, his evil and twisted heart knew he could take advantage of the deaths of his servants. Pledging their souls to him years before, the magic of that binding made their souls his.

Beneath the cloud of darkness, The Master’s eyes turned even blacker as dark tendrils leeched out, quickly moving to the piles of flesh that were once his servants. Their souls were just emerging from the remains of their bodies, and he would feast on them before Uriel arrived.

His hatred and anger towards the warriors of The Order were so extreme he was blind to anything other than their destruction. In his mind, he heard the sound of Uriel’s wings approaching.

The primitive anger always under the surface threatened to overtake him. He would NOT lose the human’s soul! The souls of his servants would give him more than enough power to do everything he wanted, but he desired Tony’s soul specifically to bring pain to his enemies.

Just before the tendrils reached the floating orbs over their bodies, a dome appeared around them. Attempting to breach it, it withstood him. Exerting more force against it, the dome somehow held. Whoever was protecting them was strong.

Screaming, “HOW?” he spun around, and his black eyes flew wide at the impossible image confronting him. His brother, with the stone in his fist and glowing with power, stood before him with his arm raised defiantly above his head. 

His brother was the source of the dome.

Looking at The Master, Drew’s eyes were white. His other self, his first self, was present again, but this time he was more than an illusion. It was like he was an external construct similar to what his uncles did. In Drew’s desperation to stop his loved ones from getting hurt, his unconscious mind summoned the stone from Thomin’s vault, and with it he was strong enough to help.

Amidst the terror he felt towards his brother, Drew found the seeds of bravery everyone in his life planted in him every day. 

“YOU? HOW CAN YOU BE HERE? IT IS NOT POSSIBLE!”

The Master’s voice rang out, echoing throughout the parking deck.

He didn’t comprehend how his brother could be there, but he felt him; it wasn’t an illusion or a trick. 

He was present. 

The face he hadn’t seen in eighty thousand years was before him. The well deep inside The Master’s mind cracked open, and the screams of his brother rang from the depths where the thoughts and emotions of that fateful day burned in his mind.

Glancing at Drew, their eyes met again. Even though Drew’s eyes were white, he recognized them… he should have before. He had been blind! The answer lay before him the entire time! He had no idea how, but his brother was there!

The echoes rang louder, and The Master growled with the effort of shutting them away. He needed time to think, to discover how and what his brother’s presence meant! Dr. Thomas boasted that they knew how to defeat him… Something The Dark One himself said was impossible.

His lips pulling back in a snarl, he thrust a clawed hand towards Henry and Drew.  It wasn’t clear which one he targeted, but his attack happened fast, and it was powerful. His reaction to seeing something he thought impossible fueled The Master’s strength, and his attack broke their shields.

Seeing it coming, Henry dropped Drew to the ground, instinctively crossing his forearms and bracing himself as the attack hit him full on. They saw it coming, but it was too fast. Even with their perception of time slowed, The Master’s black talon hit Henry before they could do anything. Panic filled the link and fear they were about to see him die. Fresh adrenaline pumped into everyone as their hearts lurched in their chests at what they thought was about to happen.

Impossibly, Henry’s shields held. They had to for Drew. The Master’s black talon hit the wall Henry became to protect his son. The impact was like nothing he ever felt, but he focused on the one image that gave him the strength to stand against the attack; the image of his son. 

Henry’s mind burned, and he swayed, about to pass out. Doubtful he would survive another blow, Henry braced himself again, gathering his will and ready to face whatever came next. Henry knew if he gave his brothers enough time they would get back in the game.

The Master went berserk. How his former servant had grown so powerful was beyond his understanding.  Henry should have been annihilated by his attack. Thrusting out his hand, he sent another bolt Henry’s way. His face grim, Henry crossed his forearms again, prepared to die if necessary.

Pain wracked their minds and bodies when their shields broke, but that was what they trained for. Henry gave them time to recover, and Brad sent ropes of white light, intercepting and deflecting The Master’s second attack before it hit Henry.

Amidst the fight, Uriel appeared, arriving in his true form, wings spread wide and collecting Tony’s soul and those of the Enemy agents. Uriel saw the anguished faces of Bryan and his brothers at what transpired. He couldn’t interfere, but his voice filled their minds. 

Tony is at peace now. You did well. Do not mourn him and lessen what happened tonight between all of you. The night was glorious. Hold that in your hearts, and you have already won tonight’s battle.

Leaving as quickly as he arrived, Uriel conveyed the human souls to the next phase of their existence.

Howling his rage and frustration, The Master faced off against the new warriors of The Order. Blackness erupted from him, attempting to engulf them. Their light, unyielding and equal to the task, matched his darkness. As they dug deeper, so did The Master. The conflict escalated, and lest nearby humans be driven insane from the spiritual battle churning around them, Brad diverted energy to a shield around the area.

Neither side gave an inch, and the battle seemed a stalemate; White light against ebon blackness. Drew watched his uncles and his father fighting his brother. He had every confidence in them. Henry leaned over, his arms on the ground, his chest heaving with the effort he threw behind his brothers, but the wall inside him was solid, and Drew felt it.

“I love you, Daddy.”

Throwing his arms around Henry, Drew kissed his cheek, smelling his sweat and aftershave. The strength of his father and his uncles, surrounding and protecting him, made him feel safe.

Moving to his first self, Drew reached up and touched the stone. The first and last versions of himself joined, and like a circuit, their touch created a connection through Drew, and the myriad incarnations of his soul awoke to add their strength to his. 

A bolt of power burst forth from the stone, striking The Master, knocking him on his ass and stunning him. The fight paused as he slowly stood back up. Yanking off the remnants of his tattered suit, he threw them aside, revealing his heaving, sweaty body. The sound of his raspy breathing filled the night.

Unable to see his eyes, it was difficult to gauge his reaction. He didn’t look afraid; rather, he seemed… watchful. His posture confident, he leaned forward, putting one fist on the ground.  He almost looked ape-like the way he bowed his body and rested his fist on his knuckles.

His voice as deep and powerful as ever, he said, “This changes nothing! I will destroy all of you!” 

Facing Drew, he shouted, “I will kill you again! I will kill you as many times as I must until you stay dead!

“As for the rest of you, I have more surprises. Your friend is dead and out of your lives; enjoy the pain of his absence. You will feel that absence again soon. It would have given me greater pleasure to devour his soul and destroy you today, but I am patient. You are still nothing to me, and I will destroy you.”

Stepping up, Ken’s Avatar was so bright it shone through the thick material of his tuxedo.

“Big words from a guy who just got his ass kicked by a five-year-old. I told you once we’re ready for you. We’ll be comin’ for you soon enough.  We kicked your boss’s ass, and we’ll kick yours.”

Nodding toward the piles of flesh that remained of The Master’s servants, Ken said, “You better lay off these little sneak attacks, or you won’t have any followers left.”

The Master’s anger and hatred struck their shields as he turned and fled. Moving fast, he left the Escalades and the bodies of his followers and was out of sight in seconds.

Everyone spun around when a now familiar voice exclaimed, “Drew Ross!”

Thomin appeared, and he looked angry.

Drew’s first self was gone, and he stood by himself with the stone in his hand. 

Meekly, he held it out to Thomin, sounding contrite as he said, “I’m sorry, Mister Thomin. I didn’t mean to. It sort of happened. You can have it back.”

Thomin’s visage softened as he took the proffered stone, and he said, “I see. This will happen again.”

He paused, momentarily thoughtful, and continued, “I do not mind if you borrow it from time to time, as long as I always get it back.”

Drew nodded, and Thomin vanished.

Leaning down, Brad picked up Tony’s lifeless body. Crying so hard he couldn’t talk, he sent his thoughts to his brothers. 

Guys, can you help me fix him? I can’t stand seeing him like this.

Tony was still warm, and Pat Understood it would take more effort, but they would do what Brad asked. They would do it no matter what for their brother. Sharing the ache in his heart, they held him tighter.

Cradling Tony in his strong arms, Brad pulled him close, kissing the top of his head. 

His voice quiet and intense and filled with hurt, he whispered, “I’m so sorry, Tony. You didn’t deserve this just because you knew me. You’re at peace now, and I’m glad, but I’m going to miss you. I was going to get you your gym back and fix your arm. I was going to make things right for you, buddy.”

That was as far as he got before he broke down, falling to his knees and sobbing so hard he couldn’t continue. Ken was at his side, his arm around Brad’s shoulder, supporting him. His own face wet with tears, he felt everything his lover did; in fact, he felt it twice as much, feeling Brad’s pain over Tony and his own grief from seeing Brad so distraught.

With tears streaming down his face, Ken nodded to Lane. Lane opened their energy centers, and a hot wind blew their short hair back. The warm air felt comforting in the chill of the night. Pulling from Drew as well, Lane knew he wanted to make his Uncle Brad feel better.

Taking one of Tony’s broken hands in his own, Drew whispered quietly, “Mr. Birdman, please make him better.”

Lane sent healing flows into Tony’s body. Even though Tony was already gone, Lane was gentle, so there would be no muscle convulsions that might scare Drew or upset Brad. As his body regenerated, Darren used his Avatar to set the bones and straighten his limbs, so they healed cleanly. Lane restored Tony as Brad remembered him, tanned and ripped and in full health. Tony looked like his old self, the way Brad knew his family would want to remember him. 

Tony’s eyes were last as the burns and scar tissue faded, and his eyes regenerated. When the light faded, Brad looked into Tony’s eyes, expecting to see the glimmer of their friendship, but they were empty. Gently, Ken closed Tony’s eyelids, and Brad squeezed his own eyes shut as he hugged Tony tightly one last time.

Drew moved over and put his arms around one of Brad’s legs, hugging him.

They were all stunned when a voice filled their minds. 

He is at Peace. Be at Peace.

The voice was deep and powerful, but they felt no presence, and it said no more.

Letting out a, “Fuck me,” Henry brushed his short, sweaty hair off his forehead, his eyes wide.

Drew smiled and didn’t call his dad out on the F-bomb.

<><> 

The limo drivers were nowhere to be found. Everyone hoped they fled when The Master showed up. It was likely since there were no bodies.

Bryan handled the physical remains of The Enemy agents. His Avatar glowing emerald green, their flesh and clothing decomposed to dust in a matter of seconds. The wind picked up, blowing the remains away until the pavement was clean, leaving no trace of them.

Bryan’s anger still burned through the link. While he wasn’t a vengeful man, compared to the atrocities performed on Tony, he felt The Enemy agents got off too easy.

With a final glance around to make sure nothing was left undone, Darren synchronized their Avatars, teleporting them back to the lab, where their friends and mentors anxiously awaited their return.

Since everyone was involved, Ken debriefed them in the common area off the kitchen. The conference room wasn’t big enough to hold so many people. 

Taking Tony into a spare exam room, Brad put him on a bed, covering him with a sheet. Bryan followed and pulled him into a comforting hug.

I’m here, bud. 

Bry…

You don’t need to say anything.  I get it; I really do.

The solace Bryan offered started fresh tears, and he held Brad tight, letting him cry. 

Let it out, Brad. They can’t touch him anymore.

Brad rested in Bryan’s solid, dependable strength, so similar yet so different from Ken’s. Brad, as always, was amazed at the simple complexity of his brother. There was so much going on beneath the surface with Bryan that only showed once you knew him well.

Bryan’s Avatar glowed, and a soft nimbus surrounded Tony’s body, slowing the rate of decomposition so they could leave his body safely and transport Tony to his brother Tad in a few days. It certainly wasn’t something any of them wanted to do on Christmas Day.

Thanks, Bry. 

Bryan grinned.

You’re welcome, fucker.

Their eyes still wet, the two men laughed as they left Tony to rest.

<><> 

After showering with Drew, Henry got them in bed. Henry held Drew tight, overly protective after everything that just happened. Drew fell asleep quickly, but Henry’s mind raced, going over the events of the night. Henry’s restlessness apparent through the link, he rested in his brothers, and through the connection Brad maintained, he listened to their voices in his mind as they talked among themselves.

Smiling at a sudden thought, it reminded him of the close of nearly every episode of “The Walton’s” … the dark house at bedtime as the siblings said goodnight to one another.

Multiple voices thought: Goodnight Johnboy, and soft laughter went through the link. They were available to him even now, but he didn’t want to talk so much as just be with them as he drifted off to sleep.

The last thing he heard was Ken’s deep voice: You did great tonight, Henry. Don’t put any more thought into it. Tomorrow needs ‘ta be a great day for Drew, and we’ll make that happen. Remember, more good came out of tonight than bad, so let’s take this as a win. I’m proud of you.

Henry’s voice was quiet and slurred as he drifted into slumber surrounded by their supporting presence.

Thanks, Ken.

<><> 

Darren sent the soldiers back to Australia along with Kelly and Albrecht. Sally had purchased and wrapped the gifts their Australian guests ordered and sent the packages with them. A Skype call was planned mid-morning the next day to wish each other a Merry Christmas.

Loy and Rick were on duty in Atlanta and stayed the night while everyone else headed out.

With travel restrictions lifted and not wanting to bother Darren, Bill and Kevin drove to the orphanage. Sending them was no problem, but after the confrontation with The Master everyone needed their rest, and neither Bill nor Kevin wanted to wake Darren and the rest of them in the middle of the night to pull them home.

Showering together as they often did, Ken took extra care in washing Brad, deliberately making it non-sexual. Holding Brad tight while the hot water cascaded over their muscled bodies, he washed away the sweat of the fight and toweled them dry.

Brad’s eyes were still red as they climbed into bed. Snuggling close, spooning Brad with his powerful arms, Ken pulled Brad back against him, wanting as much physical contact as he could manage and be comfortable.

Whispering soothing words in Brad’s mind and ears, Ken let him get everything out he needed to. He brought their souls together in the place where they were one, fully naked to one another in every aspect. They talked, and eventually Brad laughed, recollecting funny stories that happened with Tony in the gym. Tony was a stud and extremely good looking, but he was a big goof when it came to women and got flustered easily. Brad was always getting an earful about how his dates went and his search for a girlfriend. 

A fantastic personal trainer and motivator, Tony positively impacted many lives by helping people improve their health and well-being. He enjoyed sharing his knowledge and loved seeing people grow and develop and reach or exceed their goals. Brad felt a need to fix Tony’s life and set it back on track. He felt cheated, and now there was just an empty sadness.

You’ll see him again, B. It may take a while, but you’ll see him. Until then, you got me!

At Ken’s statement, Brad looked up, seeing the little kid grin that melted him. Coming back to themselves, Ken still held them together, kissing the back of Brad’s shoulders and neck, while his hands roamed over Brad’s hairy chest.

After a time, he rolled Brad over, and they looked deeply into each other's eyes. They were one, the colors of their eyes mixed. Making love to Brad slowly, Ken spent hours holding him, caressing him, and whispering in his ears so Brad would feel his warm breath. He did everything he knew brought Brad comfort and made him feel loved.

<><><> 

Bill and Kevin, exhausted after the encounter with The Master, still felt the emotional repercussions of Tony’s death. They stayed linked with Brad until he and Ken arrived home, then dropped out of the connection. Sending their love and one last mental hug, they put Brad in Ken’s care for the rest of the night.

While Bill drove, Kevin’s hand rested on his muscled thigh. Talking as lovers and best friends, they relived Lane’s night with Gabriel and how it touched everybody. They recollected Ken’s last words to Henry as he drifted off to sleep about more good than bad coming out of the night and to take it as a win. It sucked that taking a win now meant losing a close friend, but that was the world they lived in as warriors of The Order and fighting The Enemy.

Bill’s phone dinged, and he handed it to Kevin to look at the message while he drove.

Grinning, Kevin said, “The trucks about fifteen minutes out. He’s right on time. I don’t know about you, but I’m excited.”

Of course, Kevin knew exactly how excited Bill was; they were one and their souls tightly intertwined.

Kevin loved watching Bill’s handsome face as he drove. To Kevin, Bill was the most handsome man in the world, both inside and out. Moving his hand off Bill’s thigh, he rested it on the back of the driver’s seat and started gently kneading Bill’s neck.

“Man, that feels nice, but you better not do that or I’ll fall asleep.”

He had a grin on his face, but Kevin knew he was telling the truth, so he reluctantly stopped. Sliding his hand down Bill’s shoulder and biceps, he reached under his arm and gently tweaked a nipple.

Bill’s eyes widened, and he said, “Now that’s more like it.”

Kevin was serious when he asked, “You want me to jack you off quick?” 

Moving his hand down, he cupped the growing bulge in Bill’s shorts, and Bill’s legs widened slightly, giving him easier access.

“I’d love that, but let’s save it. I promise we’ll make time for a quickie before we get back to the lab in the morning.”

Chuckling, Kevin replied, “Alright. I’m just eager for my white Christmas.”

Groaning at the horrible pun, Bill pulled Kevin’s hand up, kissing the back of it.

 Right at 0100, they pulled into the parking lot of “Calvary’s Children’s Home,”  where the delivery truck they were meeting waited just outside the gates to the property.

Bill thanked the driver again for agreeing to meet them so late, especially on Christmas Eve. The driver’s name was Chuck, and he seemed like a really nice guy. He and his wife fostered kids and were familiar with situations in homes like Calvary’s. After seeing everything on the news, he told them if he could help the kids have a good Christmas, he was more than willing to lose a few hours’ sleep.

“Besides,” he chuckled, “I’m not getting any tonight. My house is full of in-laws, and my wife won’t let me touch her when her mom’s in the house.”

Laughing, Kevin slapped him on the back, and they both gave him commensurate looks.

Helpful and efficient, Chuck backed the truck quietly up to the Dining Hall, where he helped stage the presents. Bill had the layout of the rooms memorized and which kids were in which room, and Chuck had everything packed in order from front to back.

Closing his eyes, with Kevin’s help, Bill sent out a compulsion over the children, deepening their slumber, or if they were still awake, they nodded off until morning.

Over the last few months Bill and Kevin had spent a lot of time with the kids, especially Tommy and Brett. He read each one of them on the horrible day Liz died, and using that knowledge, coupled with his perfect memory, Bill formulated a list of Christmas presents. 

He faced a dilemma with most of the children, which he approached the doctor and Albrecht about. He not only knew what each child wanted most, but what they needed most, and often the two weren’t the same. Expressing his wisdom, compassion, and generosity, the doctor suggested Bill get enough presents for each child to fill their needs and their wants. Well aware of the financial cost to do so, the doctor was more than willing to fund it, and Bill and Kevin nearly squeezed the life out of him in response.

They went to work distributing presents, leaving them prominently displayed in each room in the middle of the floor so the kids would be sure to see them as they woke up. With over seventy children it took hours to arrange everything, but they finally finished, and with a last ‘Merry Christmas’ to Chuck, they sent him back to his family and bed to get at least a few hours’ sleep.

Kevin and Bill had a few hours to kill before the younger kids would start waking up. Bill had purposefully grabbed the keys to one of the Suburbans; with his height, the Explorers were too cramped for him to stretch out even with the seats all the way down.

Climbing inside, Kevin locked the doors, and in the early morning darkness, along with the tinted windows, no one could see in. The two men set out a soft blanket over the rough carpet, stripped off their clothes, and Kevin got his ‘white Christmas’ out of Bill.

Their libidos still charged from the energy coursing through them from the fight with The Master, the first orgasm didn’t take long for either of them. After the first orgasm, Kevin proceeded to make love to his partner for the next hour. Amping up their auras, their unshielded love spread over the orphanage, touching the sleeping children and giving them the best gift of all; unconditional love, acceptance, and peaceful contentment. 

Soon after Bill and Kevin freed them from the care of the horrible staff that ran the facility, the children started feeling hope for the first time in their young lives. Even the most gravely wounded children, those who had been forced to sell their bodies, began to feel there was something to live for.

After cooling down, Bill and Kevin dressed and walked hand in hand to the Dining Hall. The morning shift was arriving, and Bill and Kevin helped them get breakfast started. The new staff, familiar with the ‘big brothers’ to Tommy and Brett, welcomed the help.

Earlier, Bryan told Kevin and Bill he was torn over wanting to come with them, but they insisted he stay with Lane and enjoy the rest of the night, assuring him they would give the children his love and a ‘Merry Christmas’ from him and Lane and all the guys.

Each couple ended up where they were most needed, and there was no judgment or guilt over how the evening turned out. There were only ten of them and spread thin with everything going on in their lives. 

Bill and Kevin were happy to handle the orphanage by themselves. All of the guys promised to visit over the next couple of days, but it just wasn’t possible on Christmas Day. They did the best they could, and that was enough. It had to be.

The youngest kids started filing in first, and the looks on their young faces were worth every second of their efforts and lack of sleep. The children loved it when Bill, Kevin, or any of the guys visited them. The two big men hugged and kissed each of the kids, who were excited to show them their presents, and Bill and Kevin pretended to be astonished that Santa knew exactly what they wanted and needed.

They especially couldn’t wait to see Brett running in with the newest version of Bumblebee from the latest Transformers movie. It was much larger and more detailed than the one he had. Tommy, wise for his years, thanked them for the presents. 

They didn’t lie to him, but Bill opened Tommy’s mind briefly and he saw their aura shining with the warm golden light of their souls. Tommy’s eyes widened, and Bill winked, letting Tommy make of it what he would. Bill wanted to prove to the young boy there was magic in the world, whether it was Santa or not. There were many tears, but for a change they were from happiness. 

There were sad faces when Bill and Kevin finally said they had to leave for the day, but they went with the promise of coming back with the rest of the guys soon.

<><><> 

Ken woke early, his internal clock telling him it was 0530. Ravenous, before he could prevent it, his stomach rumbled so loudly it woke Brad up.

Rolling over, bleary-eyed, with his short golden hair standing on end, Brad rubbed Ken’s stomach with a sleepy grin. Looking so damned cute with bedhead, and his eyes squinted partly shut, Ken couldn’t help but grin back.

“Sorry!  Between the fight and makin’ out with you, my tank’s empty.”

Brad’s hand roamed under the sheets and cupped Ken’s heavy balls.

Laughing, Ken said, “Not those tanks!” 

After a short silence, Brad whispered, “Thanks, Ken, for last night.”

“You know you never have ‘ta thank me for lovin’ you, B.”

“I know, but I want to. I’m still sad, but… I don’t know how you do it, but you love the hurt right out of me.”

Hey, B?

Yeah?

Can we do a quickie and then head to Waffle House? I’m starvin’! Then we can head to the lab and be there before things get rollin’ for the day.

In answer, Brad dove under the sheets.

Where’s that mistletoe?!

<><> 

The quickie ended up being half an hour, and they jumped in the shower and made it to Waffle House by 0630. It was Christmas morning and the restaurant was empty, but they knew it would be packed in a few hours. At least for a short time, they had the place to themselves.

Ken was excited to see Frank, his favorite cook on duty, so he ordered double hash browns, scattered, smothered, covered, chunked, diced, capped, and topped. Brad was grateful with Ken’s metabolism and iron-clad stomach that chili didn’t give him gas.

Frank knew precisely how Ken liked his hash browns, and they were perfect. With the first massive bite, he honestly had to admit even though he didn’t know how it was possible, Frank’s hash browns were even better than Bryan’s. Not every time, but that morning they were special. Sometimes they were just heavenly.

It was nice for both men to sit and talk with a sense of normality. Avoiding the previous evening's ugliness, they concentrated on Lane’s music and speculated on what Christmas presents between the guys might be. At 0730, Brad heard chatter in his mind as most of the guys woke up, so after ordering two large coffees to go they headed to the lab.

<><> 

Forgetting to reset it so he could sleep in, Henry’s standard trigger woke him for his PT.  As he lounged in bed, his mind wandered back to the previous evening, and he wondered what kind of mood Drew would be in when he woke up.

Gently repositioning himself on his side with an arm propping his head up, he watched his son sleep. Something happened with the stone. He didn’t know what exactly and was worried. Drew looked so peaceful with his face relaxed in sleep; it was hard to imagine the hardships he suffered.  

Henry remembered the first time he saw Drew without a shirt on, shocked at the burn scars his biological father Doug left on him as well as other mementos of his abuse. At some point, Lane and the guys removed the physical scars. The doctor thought long and hard about that but decided ultimately it was for the best.

Henry wanted to make the day special for Drew but was afraid of residual emotions from the encounter with The Master. He knew the doctor would be all over it and tried not to worry, but that was his job as Drew’s dad.

Drew had to be exhausted; usually, any boy would be up at the crack of dawn on Christmas morning, excited to get things moving, but Drew was still sound asleep, and Henry let him doze another hour as he watched over him. 

Silent tears ran down Henry’s cheeks as he went over everything going on, knowing it was best to get it out of his system so he could focus on making it the best day possible for his son.

He was a little self-conscious about jerking off beside Drew, but his son was a heavy sleeper, so performing his Tantric ritual, his powers strengthened to their full potential. The slight shaking of the bed didn’t faze Drew in the least.

A short time later, Henry heard enough noise in the kitchen to know at least someone else was awake, so he gently put his hand on Drew’s chest, shaking him.

He whispered, “Hey, Drew, wake up, Tiger.  It’s Christmas!”

Sitting up, Drew rubbed his eyes.

“Merry Christmas, Drew!”

Henry had a big smile on his face, and Drew threw his arms around his dad’s neck, giving him one of his signature wet sloppy kisses. 

“Merry Christmas, Daddy!” 

“Let’s get to the bathroom and brush our teeth quick so we can get dressed. I bet Uncle Bryan’s going to make us a huge breakfast, and then we can open presents!”

“Yeah!” 

Super excited, Drew scurried to the door and ran through the common area giving out hugs to Loy, Rick, Lane, Bryan, Albrecht, and Sally. No one else was there yet, so he scampered off to the bathroom as Henry made his way through.

Henry noticed Sally’s eyes rake over his nearly naked body. Clad only in his new bright red Calvin Klein underwear, which fit like a second skin and left little to the imagination. Grinning, he winked, and she flushed a deep red.

Watching the exchange, Bryan chuckled quietly.

“You fucker. Quit teasing her.”

Henry couldn’t help the grin on his face and fist-bumped Bryan on his way through the kitchen.

Fifteen minutes later Henry and Drew were dressed and chatting with everyone. Over the next half hour, the rest of the guys arrived.

The mood was remarkably cheerful. It seemed all of them did the same as Ken and Brad and worked the worst of any tension, anxiety, or sadness out of their systems. Ken wore his Santa hat but left the mistletoe off his belt buckle.

Bill was bleary-eyed after the long night at the orphanage.  Kevin wasn’t affected by the lack of sleep and was extra attentive to his partner, getting him coffee and giving him lots of extra pecks on the cheek, hugs, and backrubs.

Once everyone was settled, Bill and Kevin filled everyone in on how the night went and the early morning surprises of the gifts. The kids were beside themselves at the presents, and it was an intensely emotional but happy time. After the change of management in the orphanage and low funding due to bad publicity, none of the children expected presents.

Drew was in heaven, moving from lap to lap and being the center of attention. Brad and Loy helped Bryan with the cooking. Typically, Bill would have helped, but he was so relaxed with his head on Kevin’s shoulder, he didn’t want to get up. Kevin let him drift in and out of sleep until the food was ready, surrounded by the comforting noise and presence of everyone in the lab.

Bryan served their breakfast feast buffet style, so everyone could graze at their leisure and refill plates as often as necessary.

By 1000 Drew was about to explode with excitement. By then, all of them had what Lane called ‘second breakfast’ in reference to their never-ending Hobbit-like eating habits. Sally kept the coffee flowing, using the ‘good’ beans.

Finally, when Drew couldn’t stand it any longer, Lane put two fingers in his mouth, letting loose with a piercing whistle, announcing, “Time for presents! Drewmeister! You’re up, Tiger!”

Weeks before, Sally cleared workstations from around the Christmas tree because there were so many boxes. Lane, Loy, and Ken knelt,  handing Drew gifts, telling him who they belonged to, and he ran around giving them out. He was breathless with so many packages, but his smile never faltered.

Eventually, the tree was empty, and everyone sat surrounded by piles of boxes. Watching Drew have such a good time brought joy to Henry that everyone felt through the link, and he wasn’t alone.

Drew wanted everyone to open his presents to them first.

“Daddy first, then everyone else.”

Henry put on a show of opening the box, knowing how important it was to his son. At first, it looked like a folded white t-shirt, but when he unfolded it, he was struck dumb and tears he couldn’t fight filled his eyes. 

Holding the shirt up, he got a good look at it. It was a picture of Henry and Drew together from the day at Stone Mountain, the day Liz died. It was the morning Henry proposed to Liz, and the first day Drew called Henry ‘Daddy.’ The day was warm and bright. Henry was on his back with Drew sitting on his stomach, straddling his waist. It was right after Henry finished tickling him, and both of them had smiles on their faces. Large black letters under the picture read “World’s Greatest Dad!”

Henry could hardly talk, but he managed to squeak out, “It’s perfect, Drew! Come here, Tiger!” 

Drew ran over, and Henry had to make an effort not to squeeze him to death. 

“I love you so much, Tiger. This is the best present EVER.”

Lane got the picture off Loy’s phone, and Henry had never seen it before. Stripping off his shirt, Henry put it on. 

Lane helped Drew buy the t-shirts and take them to the screen-printer. He knew everyone’s size and bought high quality 100% cotton shirts. It fit snug to Henry’s large physique, and the picture and caption took up the entire front. Drew looked happy, and Henry ruffled his hair. 

“You made your old man cry!” 

Reaching out, he tickled Drew until he squirmed out of reach.

Lane said, “Okay, all you ladies next!” 

As soon as Brad saw the picture on Henry’s shirt, he knew what the rest were and sent a private thought to Lane.

Good job!

Lane grinned back with a wink. The day they took Drew shopping Lane asked everybody to meet at the Carousel. There was a photo booth there, the kind you sit in and draw the curtain, and it snaps ten quick photos. Lane had each of the guys climb into the booth with Drew. It was a silly time, and they all made faces or tickled Drew when the pictures were taken, and the joy captured in the photographs was evident.

Each shirt had the caption “World’s Greatest Uncle” and a picture of them with Drew. Each shirt was perfect.  Everyone stripped off their shirts, putting on their presents, and Drew received a long, warm hug from each of them.

Sally kept clearing wrapping paper and boxes as presents were opened, trying to keep things organized. 

When the area was clear, Ken said, “Okay, Drew, time to open yours, Tiger!”

Drew, surrounded by boxes of all shapes and sizes, didn’t know where to start. He got a full-sized Fathead wall decal of Iron Man, a complete set of Iron Man clothes (a new hoodie, shorts, tennis shoes, t-shirt, socks, and a ball cap), a supersized set of Crayola Crayons and water-based colored markers, dozens of new coloring books, a giant set of Legos, Lincoln Logs, and a super Deluxe Hot Wheels carrying case full of new cars with a complete set of new tracks.

Raising his eyebrows, Henry said, “I don’t know where in the world we’re going to put all this stuff, Drew! We need another room just for your toys!”

The doctor chimed in, “Funny you should mention that, my boy. Nearly all the building materials have been delivered. Starting in a few days, you will all be renovating the building and will have much larger rooms to live in. We will find a way to manage until then, I’m sure.”

Sally cleared the area again with the help of whoever was closest, and then everyone else opened theirs. The gifts were thoughtful and from the heart. Lane drew graphite portraits of all the couples, showing them together as he saw them in his mind’s eye, slightly stylized and beautifully done. He had them framed and matted to hang in everyone’s house. 

Bryan was awestruck when Lane gave him a ring that was a miniature version of Leroy. True to the tale of the Midgard Serpent, Leroy bit his own tail, so his body formed the band. 

Carving the image in wax, Lane had Albrecht cast it for him. Similar to the wedding rings he had made for Henry and Liz, Albrecht split the casting into three parts, each one a different color of gold. Leroy’s body wrapped around three times, one band in each color of gold, and it made a beautiful heavy ring for Bryan’s big hand.

Albrecht’s request for Bryan to visit Leroy and charge the stone with dragon fire was partly for the ring. Leroy’s eyes were dragon fire agates, and the ring itself was infused with Leroy’s fire, attuning it to the dragon. Once Bryan put it on, he felt Leroy’s presence, even smelling his musky hide. Crying like a baby, he held Lane in a hug so tight he could hardly breathe. The ring was the best gift he had ever received.

Olive, excellent at needlepoint, made everyone classic ‘Home Sweet Home’ signs for their kitchens with a large Halo behind the words.

Keeping track of gifts, Lane noticed Ken and Brad hadn’t gotten each other anything, and he asked, “What gives, guys?  Where are your presents for each other?”

Ken and Brad looked at each other and smiled. They had discussed this privately and hid their plans for marriage behind the ‘Christmas Secrets’ box in their minds.

Standing, Ken said, “Guys, doc, Albrecht, Sally, Tag, Olive… Me and B have somethin’ we wanna tell you.”

Silence fell, and everyone looked at him expectantly.

“I asked Brad ‘ta marry me. Our presents ‘ta each other will be our rings, which I’m hopin’ ‘ta get some help with.” 

Grinning, Ken looked at Albrecht.

“We’ve given this a lot of thought. I know we’re springin’ this on all of you, but I had an idea I want you ‘ta think about. I know this is sudden, and I’m not askin’ for any answer or commitment today. I know the matter of marriage has come up with all of us at one point or another. Gay marriage is legal now, but it doesn’t matter. We aren’t beholden to the government anymore.”

Looking at the doctor and Albrecht, he said, “We’d be honored if you two would perform the ceremony for us.”

Scratching his head, he went on, “The next part was the most difficult, but hopefully you’ll see this as a good idea. B actually pushed it and not me, so you know it’s good.” 

That little kid grin appeared on his face when he made his comment, and everyone smiled, but no one said a word.

“When we thought about picking the best man, it was just too hard. You’re all my best men, and we couldn’t think of a way to do it without hurtin’ anyone’s feelin’s. So, B thought all of us should get married at the same time, and Henry can be the best man for all of us.”

Stunned, a few of them had tears in their eyes. Henry did; the thought of filling that role proved what he meant to them and broke the dam of his tears again. 

To lighten the mood, he said, “Just once, it’d be nice to get through a day with you pervs without crying.” 

Blowing his nose loudly for effect, he made everyone laugh.

“Just think about it, guys. Like I said, I know it’s sudden, and there’s no pressure. It’s just an idea.”

Everyone got up to give Ken and Brad a congratulatory hug and slap on the back, and to the man, without hesitation, said they wanted to be a part of it. With everything they had going on the timing would never be right, so they were going to just have to do it.

Albrecht said, “You all will be keeping me busy. I should open a jewelry store! I’ll have you know I’ll want your participation in making the rings. I anticipated something like this and saved enough dragon fire for additional castings. I’ll share my ideas with you later, and we can work on designs. Aaron and I would be honored to perform the ceremony for all of you.”

It took a few minutes for everyone to settle down. Bryan tossed out boxes of Kleenex, which were passed around and put to good use.

Lane, the official tracker of presents, said, “Okay, there’s one more. And sorry, BK, but I think you're about to be upstaged.”

Originally Henry wanted to give Drew his present in private but changed his mind. He wanted everyone in Drew’s life to be present.

Henry said, “Drew, come here, honey.”

Drew could tell Henry was serious and moved over to stand in front of his dad.

Taking a deep breath to settle his emotions, Henry wanted to make it through his speech and not break down.

“I still remember the day in that basement when you came into my life. I’ll never forget when you gave me a hug and told me how sorry you were for what was done to me. It showed me what a caring and compassionate young man you are. You opened doors in me that day that led to your uncles freeing me completely, and that’s a memory I never want to forget.

“I know you miss your mom, honey. I do too. I never want you to forget her, but time has a way of softening and blurring memories. When you’re older, I  want you to remember all the little things about your mom that you love, like the way she brushed your hair out of your eyes, or the way she tucked you into bed at night, or any of those things that were special to you.

“Your Uncles helped me make this for you, Drew.”

Drew’s eyes were big and wet. He wasn’t crying yet but teetered on the edge. Henry pulled a small box out of his pocket and handed it to Drew.

Opening it, he saw Henry’s and Liz’s wedding rings on a silver chain.

“I want you to wear these, and when you hold them and think hard, those memories will come back to you.”

Henry put the chain around Drew’s neck. The rings looked large in his small hand, and his fingers closed around them. Shutting his eyes, in only a moment, they flew open. 

“I can see her!”

“I know she’s gone, honey, but she can live forever in our hearts. Inside your heart, honey.”

Sniffing loudly, hot thick tears dripped down his young face.

Drew kept his eyes downcast, looking at the rings, and Henry couldn’t decipher the look on his face. 

Hesitantly, Henry asked, “Do you like it?”

Nodding his head, ‘yes,’ Drew threw himself into Henry’s arms.

“I love you, Daddy. You’re the best dad in the world!”

Choking up, Henry managed to squeak out, “And I got the t-shirt to prove it!”

Everyone was crying again at the intensity of the moment, and when Drew launched himself into Henry’s arms, they all got up and closed in, surrounding their brother and Drew.

Drew got passed from uncle to uncle, and he showed each of them his present and let them hold it.

When the emotional dust settled, the doctor stood up. Something in his manner caught their attention, and silence fell over the room. If Ken didn’t know better, he might think the doctor was grandstanding. He looked at them in that way he had; the look of a father so full of pride he could hardly stand it. 

With a twinkle in his eye, he said, “There is one more present, but unfortunately, it is too large to wrap. Also, unfortunately, it will not be ready for nearly a month; however, I admit the excitement is too much for me, and I cannot wait. As you all know, I am very old, and my heart is frail.” 

The comment about his age brought a chuckle out in all of them. The doctor didn’t look a day over thirty and never had since they knew him.

“Kenneth, will you please go to the locker by the door where we keep the keys?”

Curiosity ran rampant through the link over what the doctor could be talking about. For him to behave the way he was, it had to be something big. Ken opened the locker where sets of spare keys to their Explorers and the two new Suburbans hung. Down in the bottom right corner, there was a new key attached to a floatation key ring.

The foam key ring had the name ‘ZEUS’ on it.

Realization hit, and Ken yelled out, “OH MY GOD DOC, I CAN’T BELIEVE THIS!”

Holding the key over his head, everyone was dumbfounded.

“I know how much fun you had while on the Yacht, and after everything you have been through and will continue to go through, you need another place of refuge. I am having the craft refitted to better suit our needs. You will need to empower the runes being etched into the hull's interior frame once it is ready. The engines are being permanently modified based on the changes you already made, and we will produce our own fuel based on the molecular composition you came up with.”

 The grins on their handsome faces were all the doctor needed to see and know he did the right thing.

“I hope you will enjoy it. Merry Christmas.”

As one, the guys surrounded him, giving him a bear hug, and a few kissed his cheek. Brad pulled the doctor and Albrecht deeper into the link to feel the excitement and happiness running through everyone over the monumental gift he gave them. When Rick arranged the lease of the Yacht, he saw the purchase price in the spreadsheet and knew how expensive the boat was, and he was floored at how much money the doctor spent on them.

The happiness of the day and the love and support they shared between them made it one of the best days of their lives. 

Later in the afternoon after another huge meal, they all lounged around talking.

Ken looked solemn, and Brad pulled them deeper into a private link so they could talk.

Why the look, Ken? 

Just thinkin’, B. Drew’s sixth birthday is in March. We’ve got fifteen months to figure all this shit out, or he dies. I’ve been watchin’ how happy the little guy is today. I also remember what he did last night with the stone and the other version of himself. I get why Henry thinks about it all the time. Drew doesn’t deserve any of this.

No, he doesn’t. That’s what makes days like today so important. He’s happy, Ken… I mean really happy for the first time since Liz died. I can see it in him... my Avatar has been going nuts all morning every time I look at him. After last night I see more inside him, the other versions of him. The stone triggered something, and we need to walk carefully with him. All the other versions of him are happy right now, but each of them wants to reach out to Henry just like Drew does. He is Legion Ken… Not the demon, but there are thousands of incarnations inside him, but Drew is the one that has to perform his task. I’m scared of what that mob inside him is capable of if he loses control.

Brad’s concern was evident to Ken. 

We have ‘ta make sure that doesn’t happen, B. Henry’s strong; way stronger than he realizes. I was scared shitless when The Master hit him with that talon. It shattered our shields, but Henry took the blow… it turned him cross-eyed, but he took it. He took it because he had to.  Henry’ll be the key ‘ta Drew bein’ ready. I can feel it. We need ‘ta work on him as much as Drew. 

Hey, Ken?

Yeah?

You know I’m supposed to be the smart one, right?

You are, and you know what smart talk does ‘ta me, right?  Where’s that mistletoe!?

Laughing, Brad pulled Ken into a hug.

B… It’s not gonna be a cakewalk, but I feel like we’re gonna win this. I think it’s gonna be painful, and we’re gonna hurt like hell before it’s over, but we’re gonna win. I’m gonna need you ‘ta weather the storm. We’re gonna need each other. All of us will.

We’ll make it, Ken. Like you always say, there’s nothing we can’t do if we stick together. Together we’re unstoppable.

Do I say that?

Grinning, Brad replied: Yeah, you do.

Damn… I need to listen to my own shit sometimes!

With the little kid grin appearing on his face, he thought: Okay, enough serious talk. It’s Christmas Day, and our mission is ‘ta keep Drew happy. I feel a tickle monster attack about to commence.

The rest of the day was relaxing and fun for everybody, setting aside their cares and the weight of the world on their shoulders. For the day, they were Drew’s Uncles and Henry’s brothers, laughing, joking, and hanging shit on one another. Everyone helped cook and clean up, only to start it all over again.

Some of them got on the floor with Drew, building race tracks for his Hot Wheels or a log cabin to use as Iron Man’s secret base.

The day was perfect.

<><><> 

Brooding on his Throne, their laughter haunted The Master’s thoughts as they celebrated one of his most despised holidays.

He had no idea how his brother could be present or involved in his downfall, but he would find out. He would discover the meaning of his brother’s presence and the stone and make sure it was impossible for the new warriors of The Order to succeed. Not only immortal, the Curse protected him from death. They could cause him pain, but they could not kill him.

With the might of his soul and arcane knowledge gleaned over eighty thousand years, he had not invoked the Curse directly in centuries, and they had no idea of its true power.

His lips pulled back in a smile at that thought. The Curse kept even Mighty Uriel at bay, and he was confident of his victory over them. His only desire now was to cause them as much pain and misery as he could before their ultimate defeat at his hands.

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