The Order

Prelude - A.D. 1200

The peaceful quiet of the Monastery shattered with the sunrise. Sounds of war filled the morning, continuing until only rubble remained of the stone structure. The nearby village of Assisi saw the smoke and hearing the Monk’s screams, did not come to their aid. The villagers, terrified of the darkness that descended upon their town the evening before, huddled in their homes, terrified and praying it would not visit them. They felt the presence of General Mstislav of The Enemy come to destroy the outpost of The Order.

Bodies were strewn about the carnage, and upon the last death an eerie quiet settled over the area, the only sound occasional settling of rubble. The smell of smoke and death permeated what remained of the once peaceful, humble structure. Dark clouds hung over the area on an otherwise bright and sunny day.

Hours passed, and the silence remained unbroken as the darkness seemed to retreat. The sound of fluttering wings broke the quiet as a sparrow hawk alighted on what remained of a windowsill. After a moment, the bird flitted about as if searching for some sign of life.

Another hour passed with no movement or sign of life save the bird as it flew about, searching for something or someone. Finally, the sparrow hawk glided down into what was once the nave of the little church. A few feet off the floor its form shimmered, and with a small flash of light transformed into a man.

Standing lean and handsome, he wore simple robes, his face streaked with tears over the carnage before him. The lifeless bodies of his brothers, many in pieces, littered the floor, their faces masks of pain and horror.

Kneeling to pray, his shoulders shook with quiet sobs.

I was beginning to think you fled like a coward, Giovanni.

Giovanni’s head whipped around, his posture immediately defensive.

You will pay for this! I swear it! God will strike you down!

The deep voice laughed at his empty words.

As badly as he wanted to retaliate, Giovanni knew he must flee and warn Charisa. The few remaining strongholds of The Order were at risk if The Enemy acted so boldly and outside the balance. It was a dark time in the world, and the light of the Order dim.

Giovanni’s shields flared as General Mstislav reached for his mind, but the monk was not counted strong among The Order. His powers came from a Gift he carried, allowing him to assume the form of animals, as well as rudimentary mental and spiritual abilities. It was not a Gift of war, but of life and spirit.

Stepping out from behind a broken wall, the general appeared demonic in his ornate armor. The sword he carried, nearly as long as his body, was filled with mercury in its hollow center so the liquid would collect and add weight when swung. It was an executioner's sword, and the general was known for cleaving bodies in two with it.

Throwing a bolt of power at the general as a distraction, Giovanni’s form shimmered, taking flight to try and escape; however, the General laid his traps well. Triggers activated, catching Giovanni in a net of dark threads.

Giovanni knew the Gift he carried could not fall into the hands of The Enemy. As with all the Gifts, it was a double-edged sword. The danger of this particular Gift was the risk of losing himself in the wildness of the animal whose form he assumed. If he ever lost himself that way, his mind would be gone, forever trapped, and the Gift would become useless.

Like the Gift Taliesin carried, Giovanni was immortal while carrying it. He used it wisely, more for the benefit of nature and animals than for The Order, resisting Charisa’s efforts to turn it into a weapon.

Giovanni joined The Order as a young man when Jonathan discovered him in the tiny village of Assisi where he grew up. Becoming a mentor and surrogate father to him, Jonathan eventually brought him to the attention of Charisa. Taliesin dreamed of Giovanni years before his birth and Jonathan tracked him down. He was born with a mark that allowed him to receive the Gift, the same as Taliesin.

The general’s dark aura surrounding him told Giovanni he was too late. To hide himself and protect the Gift, he did the only thing he could and intentionally lost himself in the sparrow hawk.

As General Mstislav reached to devour Giovanni’s mind, he was surprised when Giovanni’s mental presence disappeared with no trace left to destroy.

Lightning fast, the General caught the bird mid-flight as it tried to flee. The bird was now merely a bird and terrified. Its small form wriggled and writhed in panic, trapped in his gauntleted fist. The General was about to crush the insignificant creature into oblivion when a voice behind him spoke.

“Let him go.”

Albrecht’s voice was steady and calm, but his heart was torn. He knew the bird was Giovanni and what he had done to protect the Gift, aware of the cost his friend paid.

Albrecht rarely felt such anger, but he remained in control as always, his centering flame bright and steady.

Turning to him, the General said, “So, you finally dare face me.”

“I’m going to stop you once and for all.”

Storm clouds gathered, and lightning filled the sky, reflecting the battle about to take place.

The two men faced one another, each representing one of the two powers.

With the general focused on Albrecht, the little sparrow hawk managed to squirm free and bolt away, and he missed his second swipe to catch and crush what remained of Giovanni.

Giovanni could no longer hear him, and Albrecht’s mental voice was sad: I’m sorry, my friend. You will not be forgotten. I will avenge you and your brothers.

  

The Realm of Dreams

I know who you are. I do not know how you came back, but I will destroy you again, this time forever! I will eat your soul, and with it, I will be unstoppable. I will kill the Betrayer, Henry Ross, first, and force you to watch the life leave his eyes. Then I will kill everyone else you care about. The Order will fall, and you will be responsible. You cannot stand against me, brother; you are a child and nothing compared to me!

You cannot hide behind them forever. I will find you, and when we meet again you will be mine!

<><> 

Drew, drenched in sweat, thrashed about the bed as The Master’s voice invaded his dreams. The anger and hatred in his brother terrified him, piercing his young mind and heart. The black voids of The Master’s eyes gripped Drew, sucking him in, and he was unable to escape them. Drew screamed for his dad or his uncles to protect him.

He shot up in bed, screaming. Henry slept heavy and didn’t feel his son moving about, but Drew’s scream instantly awakened him. Henry grabbed his son immediately, wrapping his strong arms around the boy and holding him tight. Henry was shocked at how harshly Drew shook, shivering so violently he couldn’t talk.

“It’s okay, Drew! I’ve got you! I’m right here. You’re safe, honey.”

Henry learned how best to soothe his son when he was upset or scared, but this time Henry could tell something was different. Reaching out with his mind, Henry sensed Drew needed more than just his arms around him. Henry didn’t like prying into Drew’s thoughts and memories unless there was need, but his instincts told him something was terribly wrong.

What Henry saw stunned him and explained Drew’s severe reaction. All the incarnations in Drew were on the surface of his mind, each of them as terrified as he was. As their focal point, Drew channeled the emotions of thousands of them, and barely discernible amidst the ocean of voices screaming in terror within his son, he was drowning in them.

Hugging Drew tighter, Drew’s arms wrapped around Henry’s shoulders as he sobbed hysterically, pressing his face against Henry’s neck. His little arms shook with the desperate grip on his father, and his high-pitched cries were like a knife in Henry’s heart.

Loy and Rick were on duty that night, and Loy’s voice entered Henry’s mind.

Henry? What’s wrong? Ricky heard Drew scream. Is it just a dream, or is something wrong? My stomach’s doing flips like something’s not right.

I’m not sure, Loy. Drew’s terrified, and it’s not only him. Whatever happened affected the others inside him. They’re all feeding their emotions into him, and I’m not sure why. Fuck, it’s killing me seeing him like this!

Be careful, Henry. If you link with him, you might get overwhelmed. Hold tight, and we’ll be right there.

Henry continued rubbing Drew’s back while he waited for Loy and Rick, but Drew’s sobbing wasn’t getting any better, so tightening his shields, Henry forced himself into a link with Drew, wary of what he might find after Loy’s warning.

Immediately thousands of tiny arms were around Henry’s neck, just like Drew’s, and he slowed his perception of time to give himself time to react. Seeing every child in Drew’s mind, each terrified, Henry did his best to comfort every one of them.

Henry was the father none of them ever had, the one man strong and brave enough to love them like they needed and wanted. Strengthening his resolve, Henry gave them what they needed, becoming a wall against their fear and terror while loving and protecting them. Each of them was a part of Drew, his newfound son, whom he loved and cared for so much, and he could do no less for them.

Aware when Loy and Rick entered the room, Henry remained focused on calming Drew and the thousands of other boys. Focusing on Drew first and foremost, he felt guilty for doing so, but Drew was the host for all of them, and more importantly, his son. The rest of them were memories; no… they were more than memories, each profoundly etched into and a part of Drew's soul, somehow existing as separate entities within him. Thinking of that scared Henry to death, and he didn’t understand how that could be or what it meant for his son.

Loy and Rick moved to either side of Henry, wrapping their arms around him and Drew. The comfort, warmth, and strength of their bodies added to Henry’s, and Drew felt it. The extra hands rubbing his back and whispered words of loving encouragement helped calm him. Even with the added presence of their minds, hearts, and bodies, it took nearly fifteen minutes for Drew to stop sobbing enough to talk.

Once Drew was ready, Rick got up and grabbed a damp washcloth to wipe his face.

Still hiccupping badly, his eyes lost their glazed, unfocused look while he rested his head on Henry’s shoulder, exhausted and content to be quietly held.

Henry finally asked him, “Are you okay now, Drew? Feeling better?”

His voice barely discernible except to Rick, he whispered, “Yes, Daddy.”

Henry’s eyes were red and bloodshot, evidence of his emotional distress from comforting so many minds and hearts.

“You want to show me the dream? I know it was scary, honey, but I think I need to see this one. This was more than a dream, and we need to find out what happened. I’m with you, and so are Uncle Loy and Uncle Ricky.”

Drew started to tear up again, fresh fear in his mind.

“He wants to hurt you, Daddy! And you!”

Drew looked at Loy and Rick when he said the last, and they knew he meant them.

“Drew… You’re safe with your uncles and me. Here in the lab, nothing can hurt you. We’re with you, and we’ll protect you, honey. I know it’s hard, but we need to take a look. Can you be brave and show me?”

Drew didn’t look up but nodded his head, and Henry looked at Rick and Loy.

Guys, this scares me. How could The Master do this? The Runes should stop anything like this from happening.

Loy: I’m not sure, Henry. The Master once sent a dream to Lane, but it was more a memory from an alternate reality. Somehow, he circumvented the Tree in Lane and Bryan’s backyard, but he’s never done it since. We don’t fully understand the connection between Drew and The Master, so maybe he’s found a way. Let’s take a look and see if we can figure it out.

Henry took the three of them into Drew’s mind, and they re-lived The Master’s message. The Master’s powerful aura gripped them, and just like Drew, they were sucked into the void of his eyes. Even though they were voyeurs, it affected them as powerfully as it had Drew. The three men sweated and trembled when it was over, even being on guard against it.

Rick: Fuck. How the hell did he do that? No wonder Drew’s so freaked out.

Loy and Rick felt the anger in Henry. Henry kept himself tightly shielded so Drew wouldn’t feel it, but it was evident to them. Along with his anger, Henry had a pleading look in his eyes.

Is there anything we can do to keep this from happening again? Drew’s going to be a basket case if this keeps happening.

Loy’s eyes flashed white as his Avatar gripped him, glowing brightly on the ball of his muscled shoulder. For a moment his eyes took on a faraway look, his expression almost feral. When his eyes turned back to their regular dark brown, his handsome face broke into a grin.

Looking at Drew, he said, “I think Uncle Loy might have just the thing!”

Looking to the heavens, Loy cast his awareness out, searching for the spirit in his vision. Loy wasn’t sure if his vision came from Remiel or the ether but it didn’t matter; his Avatar showed him what he needed.

Finding the ancient spirit, he called her: Come! I need your help!

A wave of power flowed out of him as he exerted his dominion as steward of the animal kingdom and their spirits.

“Don’t be scared, Drew.”

Looking at Henry, Loy laughingly added: You either.

They felt the spirit when she entered the room. By the light of Loy’s Avatar, she became corporeal, and a large she-wolf sat by the door looking at them. Appearing solid, her eyes gazed at them with intelligence far beyond that of an animal.

Thank you for coming. The boy needs protection. Our Enemy invades his dreams, and I need you to guard them and let nothing touch him.

The Ancient spirit wasn’t gifted with speech, but the look in her eyes was entirely clear to Loy.

I will protect the cub as my own. Nothing will reach him.

She seemed to add: I will do this for you, steward, and the boy. I know who he is.

Drew’s eyes went wide when the wolf appeared, and Henry looked at Loy with a ‘holy shit, bro’ look on his face.

Holding out his hand, Loy gestured for the wolf to approach.

Make yourself known to the boy while you are here, or to any of us, but stay hidden from all others.

Loy imprinted an image of everyone the spirit could reveal herself to.

The wolf approached, and putting two paws on the bed, she leaned forward to lick the tears from Drew’s face.

Giggling, Drew said, “That tickles!” as he reached to pet her.

“She’s wild, Drew, and not a pet. She’s here to guard your dreams, so ‘you know who’ can’t send you any more bad ones. She won’t bite you, but you need to be nice to her. It’s okay to pet her, and you need to keep her close to you.”

Henry: She can do that?

Loy: The Master can raise no real power under the protection of the runes. I’m still not sure how he connected with Drew, but this spirit is old and powerful and very wise. She can guard his dreams while Drew stays here, in Australia, or on ZEUS. If The Master attacks him outside the runes she won’t stand a chance, but she will sacrifice herself to try and stop him and give us time to react. I hope it won’t come to that.

The she-wolf permitted Drew’s touch, but with Henry, it was different. With his mind awake as an original man, she would obey him as well. Drew wasn’t an original man yet, so Loy bound her to Drew, and she would tolerate his touch and do her duty happily and willingly.

Henry almost teared up again at the look on Drew’s face. He had asked for a dog months before, but there was no way Henry could get him one while they lived in the lab. When it was time for the spirit to go, Henry knew he would have a fight on his hands.

“Okay, kiddo, let’s let your uncles go back to sleep.”

Or whatever it was they were doing.

Chuckling, Loy thought: You know us too well. We’ll stay up for a while in case Drew needs us, or you, Henry. Don’t hesitate to reach out to us; you got that? You aren’t alone in this.

Thanks, guys.

They gave each other the equivalent of mental hugs, while Loy and Ricky got another hug from Drew.

As Drew snuggled against Henry, his hands gripped the wedding rings around his neck; Henry’s Christmas present to him. Focusing as he was taught, his mother’s presence enveloped him, brushing the hair off his forehead and taking his fears away. Her touch, coupled with the warm strength of his father protecting him, and now the presence of the wolf-spirit, let him enter a deep, peaceful sleep.

Drew wasn’t aware of it, but the incarnations were comforted by Liz’s presence as well, and they stayed on the surface of his mind wanting to be near Henry.

<><><> 

The steady, gentle sound of the water lapping against ZEUS’s hull was relaxing. Watching Ken’s face, peaceful in sleep, Brad still marveled at how incredibly handsome he was. They had been on ZEUS for two days, at Brad’s insistence.

Ken told the doctor he would give himself a day to recover from everything that happened, but the doctor and Brad joined forces, overruling his decision and convincing him to take a week. He’d found his mother and a brother he never knew he had, and lost them within hours. The emotional impact was substantial, more than he wanted to let on, but Brad was with him, in his heart and soul, sharing his pain and supporting Ken through it all. Brad was taking care of his best friend, lover, and soon-to-be-husband. In this matter, he ignored Ken’s position as their leader and ordered him to relax.

In retrospect, Ken was glad he let himself be overruled. He and Brad had ZEUS primarily to themselves during each day. They were in the Pacific, still close to the Mariana Trench and isolated from civilization. Bryan and Lane showed up each evening, and Bryan worked his magic in the galley, making Ken’s favorite foods.

Bill and Kevin were at the Australian Base with Craig, Jacob, and their mother in the aftermath of Kent Peterson’s death. Brad made sure he and Ken received regular updates from the rest of the guys, and each and every one of them, including Henry and Drew, and the doctor and Albrecht, spent time with Ken in a construct of Brad’s design. He even brought Kelly and Chloe in so Ken could hold Chloe in his arms.

Each night, one of the other couples would come with Bryan and Lane to spend time with Ken. Nothing was talked about of his ordeal with the curse; they just wanted to be with him as buddies. It was a relaxing time, and they joked, swam, and hung shit on one another like the old friends they were. It was the best medicine and made Ken thankful all over again for how lucky he was to have them in his life.

Brad loved watching Ken sleep. His slow, steady breathing, his features relaxed and tranquil, were breathtaking. He wanted to reach out and caress his lover and hold him tight but restrained himself. He wanted to be a barrier between Ken and what happened. His husband was a strong man, but Brad still ached over the emotional turmoil Ken still processed.

Also wanting to touch him for selfish reasons, Brad wanted nothing more than to feel the man he loved more than life itself. He wanted to run his hands over Ken’s flawless skin, soft but tight over lean, thick muscles. With the bond they shared, Brad’s desire was as much emotional as physical.

Eventually, Ken woke, unconsciously sensing he was being watched. Opening one eye, he saw Brad’s handsome face, inches from his own, looking at him. Ken looked so cute with his sleepy face and the cowlick in his short hair that he always woke up with, Brad could hardly stand it.

Grinning, Brad muttered, “Finally!” as his hands started to roam.

Even with the ceiling fans and the in-cabin air conditioner, the room was warm and humid. Both men slept with only a sheet, which Ken had kicked off sometime during the night. Their slightly sweaty skin glowed with health in the morning sun coming through the portholes, and the movement of the warm air felt comfortably soothing. Deeply tanned after only a few days on the Yacht, Brad noticed their lack of tan lines; neither of them wore shorts or swimming trunks on ZEUS most of the time.

Stretching as he woke up, Ken tightened his big physique, his face reddening with the effort and veins popped on his shoulders, arms, and upper chest. He put on a show for Brad, knowing how much he loved the sight, and it got both of them started on a long, languid morning of hot sex aboard their private Yacht.

There was no rush, and they spent a few hours pleasuring each other as only they knew how to do. Eventually, the rumbling of Ken’s stomach caused them both to laugh, and they got up to start breakfast.

As soon as Lane and Bryan showed up, they were naked in no time as well. It not only felt terrific, but it was easier to jump in the water to cool off and not have to deal with wet bathing suits when they got out.

Bryan and Lane came into the galley shortly after Ken and Brad, both naked. They all gave each other a good morning hug, and Bryan said he’d help with breakfast.

While Brad started breaking eggs to make omelets, he mentioned, “You know guys, Drew’s birthday is in a few weeks. Why don’t we have it on ZEUS? You know he’d love that. We can have him here with us for a week, and all of us can rotate each night to have someone with Henry and Drew. Sally can come and do half-day lessons for him. I hope the doc and Albrecht would want to come too, and Tag and Olive.”

Smiling at Brad’s idea, Ken said, “That’s a great idea, B. I wanna make this birthday something he’ll remember. Maybe Bill’n Kevin can arrange for Tommy and Brett ‘ta come for a sleepover. Drew’s never had a sleepover, and I bet he’d love that.”

Continuing their conversation and planning over breakfast, Brad made mental notes of everything to go over with Henry. They greatly respected Henry’s guidance as Drew’s father and never wanted to overstep their bounds.

The rest of the afternoon was spent swimming and lounging with a small pod of humpback whales, eating almost non-stop and sunning themselves.

Their tans darkened even more, especially Ken’s, and Brad’s hair lightened more as the sun bleached it out. Sally was in awe of ZEUS when it was her turn to stay on board, and the doctor and Albrecht enjoyed it immensely. It was fun to see their two mentors in a more relaxed environment and how Albrecht brought out the lighter side of his partner’s personality they rarely witnessed.

After apprising Henry of the plans, his only request was to make the birthday presents minimal. They spoiled Drew at Christmas, and Henry wanted to teach Drew that the experience and privilege of being with his uncles on ZEUS were just as much of a present as a wrapped gift. Of course there would be presents, just nothing over the top.

Out of the blue, Loy had an idea he ran by Henry. It did fall into the category of ‘over the top,' but it was so incredible that Henry couldn’t say no. They kept it a secret from everybody else just like they did at Christmas.

Under the auspices of ‘Birthday Presents,’ Loy cleared it with Ken to have a day or maybe more to himself with Rick to prepare Drew’s surprise. Loy’s excitement was evident in the link, and they all wondered what he had come up with. Henry’s smile indicated it must be something good.

Ken insisted that no matter where they went, Loy and Rick maintain a link with Brad. Brad promised not to ‘peek’ to see where they were, but Ken wanted a connection regardless for security reasons.

Two days before Drew’s birthday party, Loy and Rick powered up and disappeared. Darren would have been more than happy to send them wherever they wanted, but it was all a part of the surprise.

<><><> 

Full of power, Loy cast his awareness across Earth, letting the presence of all the animals on the planet fill him up while at the same time putting himself into them. He became one with them, or they became one with him; he still wasn’t sure which way it worked. Regardless, they were with each other, in each other, and Loy basked in the feeling. Their wild, savage innocence and purity were exhilarating. Seeing the patterns in all of them, from evolutionary dependencies to predator and prey, he experienced all aspects of that part of creation. He saw how the Curse affected them and wondered how their natures would change if, or when, the Curse was lifted.

Rick was with him the entire time, proud of Loy and his Avatar, making sure Loy knew it.

Filtering his awareness down to a herd of elephants on the Serengeti Plains in Africa, he used the sight of an older cow to take himself and Rick there in the blink of an eye.

<><> 

As soon as Loy appeared in the Serengeti, Barachiel became aware. Triggers placed long ago activated, alerting him to his grandson’s presence in that place. Barachiel knew Loy’s presence there was inevitable; the Serengeti could be considered the ‘heart’ of Loy’s power, just as Yggdrasil and the valley were Bryan’s. The life cycle there was more robust than anywhere else on Earth.

Unable to intervene or influence Loy’s presence there in any way, Barachiel prayed his earthly grandson would find the strength to break the darkness resting in that place. Casting his thoughts out, he called his other grandson.

Alariel.

Moments later, Alariel, Loy’s Nephilim half-brother, appeared.

Yes, grandfather?

It was rare for Barachiel to summon him, and Alariel was curious.

Watch over your brother. You cannot intervene any more than I, but I will feel better if you are close.

Alariel bowed, vanishing across the veil to find Loy. He knew the danger his half-brother would be in and would be ready if there was an opening for him to step in.

<><><> 

Bill and Kevin pulled into the orphanage on Friday afternoon to pick up Tommy and Brett. They arranged with the administrators to have the boys for the entire weekend. As official ‘Big Brothers’, it was allowed and encouraged.

Bill and Kevin got on their knees when the two boys came out of their dorm and as soon as Tommy and Brett saw them, they took off like bullets, throwing themselves into the arms of the two big men. Bill and Kevin grabbed the boys, hugging them tightly and kissing their cheeks.

Bill was all smiles as he said, “Hey, fellas! You’re looking great! It’s only been a week, but I think you both grew at least an inch!”

Kevin groaned loudly as he picked up Brett, the younger of the two, saying, “Man, you’re getting heavy, kiddo!”

Bill’s Avatar glowed softly under his shirt, inadvertently reading Tommy when they hugged. His ability updated him on everything that had happened since the last time they saw the two boys, and it hit Bill hard how much Tommy and Brett had come to love him and Kevin. The bond grew stronger with each visit, but it was like a glass of cold water in their faces at how fiercely the boys loved the two big men and wanted them to be their dads.

The suddenness and strength of the emotional impact rattled Bill, and he instinctively merged with Kevin, going so deep that time nearly stood still. Appearing naked to one another in the place where their souls were one, tears showed in their eyes as their bodies embraced, mirroring their souls. They hugged, tight and powerful, even a bit desperate, reflecting their emotions.

What Tommy and Brett felt for them… Kevin and Bill saw it in Drew towards Henry, and they knew how Drew felt about them as his uncles, but they never thought any little boys would ever feel that way about them. Tommy and Brett wanted Kevin and Bill as their dads more than anything in the world.

It took time to get their emotions under control because what the boys wanted was impossible. With the fight they were in to save Drew for the fate of mankind, they just couldn’t. The danger to the boys simply being around them would be too much, but it didn’t stop Bill and Kevin from wanting it just as much, or soften the ache in their hearts.

When Bill read Tommy, he became aware of issues in the dorm with some of the older boys, but Tommy and Brett were generally happy and treated well; no matter what, their current situation was far above what it used to be. The boys interviewed with a couple the previous day but were confused. They thought being adopted was what they always wanted, what they had dreamed about, but the boys were scared Bill and Kevin wouldn’t spend time with them anymore or want them in their lives.

Once Bill and Kevin got themselves under control, Bill brought them back up. They remained deep in one another but dampened their auras so the boys wouldn’t be overwhelmed.

Kevin said, “Boys, let’s head over by those trees for a minute so we can talk before we head out.”

Bill took Tommy’s hand, and Kevin picked Brett up, lifting him onto his shoulders. Bill read Tommy’s trepidation and fear, wondering what they wanted to talk about. He was afraid it was time for the ‘talk’ that eventually came with every adult he ever cared about, the talk that always occurred right before the adult disappeared from his life.

Once they sat down, Bill pulled Tommy into his lap, saying, “Come here, kiddo.”

Wrapping Tommy in his big arms, Bill hugged him tightly, knowing his warm strength made Tommy feel safe, but the walls in the boy were already building.

Kevin set Brett on his lap and did the same, ruffling Brett’s shaggy hair and kissing the top of his head. Once they settled, Kevin looked at Bill to start. Bill gave him the ‘you chickenshit’ look, and their eyes glinted with laughter. It was a look they often shared when one or the other needed to take the lead in a conversation, but each held off, wanting the other to start.

Taking a deep breath, Bill said, “Okay, guys. Before I say anything else, I want you to know how much Kev and I have come to love you two. We mean that, and I wish more than anything we could be your dads. As hard as this is to say, and as hard as it is for you to hear, that can’t happen. There are a lot of reasons that you can’t understand yet, and I know it sucks. It hurts us as much as it does you.”

Both boys started crying, tears welling in their eyes.

Hugging Brett tighter, Kevin said, “It’s okay to cry, little man. I’m crying too. We want you to know something, and we promise, cross our hearts and hope to die, we will be in your lives as long as you live. There are just too many things you need that we can’t give you.”

Kevin stopped, sniffing loudly and grinning before he continued, “You’re stuck with us, whether you like it or not. We’ll spend as much time with you as we can. We want to find out more about the couple who saw you yesterday. If they’re nice, you need to give them a chance. You both need a good home where you can grow up together.”

Bill continued, saying, “We aren’t going anywhere, guys, so don’t be sad, and don’t be afraid we’re going to disappear on you. I know how many promises have been broken, but we can prove it to you if you let us.”

Tommy’s eyes went wide, knowing what they meant. The first time Bill and Kevin visited Calvary Children's Home, the boys felt their auras, and most of the children thought they were angels. The two boys knew Bill, Kevin, and the rest of the guys could know their thoughts if they wanted to. On Christmas morning Kevin revealed his aura to Tommy, proving there was magic in the world.

Bill placed a gentle compulsion on all the children not to openly talk about what they saw and felt that day to other adults, but they were free to talk about it among themselves. The boys knew there was something different about Bill and Kevin and their friends. Ken, Brad, and the rest of the guys spent a lot of time at the orphanage when they could, and their presence magically uplifted the children.

Nervous, Tommy nodded, and Bill brought the two boys into a link with him and Kevin. It wasn’t a merge, but suddenly Bill and Kevin’s emotions and intent were evident, along with their sincerity and the love they held for the two boys. Fresh tears streamed down all their faces, and Bill and Kevin let the boys rest in the comfort of the link for a few minutes until the last of their fears were gone.

To break the somber mood, Kevin perked up and said, “Hey, we got a big surprise for you two. We’re having a birthday party for Drew on our boat. How does spending the weekend on the water sound?”

The boy's reaction wasn’t what they expected. Neither one seemed as excited as they expected them to be. Bill had read both boys and searched his memory. Their apprehension was over not knowing how to swim, and Tommy had almost drowned when he was Brett’s age. An older boy in one of the dorms held him underwater in a bathtub. He was afraid and didn’t want to show it in front of Bill and Kevin.

The other issue was that neither boy had any money to buy Drew a birthday present. Most kids their age didn’t have a concept of money but growing up in an orphanage with nothing, they knew it was another thing they didn’t have.

Kevin held his emotions in check, but his heart ached for the two boys. They were typical of most children at the orphanage, having been mistreated and abused in one form or another most of their young lives. The unfairness of it all, caused by human greed and insensitivity, hit them again.

Anger burned in Bill and Kevin, and sadness at what the boys had experienced so far in their lives. The emotions weren’t directed at them, and Tommy and Brett were surprised that any adult would feel so much for them. In their minds they didn’t deserve it, even though they longed for it.

Bill shivered, retreating into Kevin for a brief moment. He didn’t bother shielding them that time, wanting the two boys to feel the warmth of their auras.

Hugging Tommy tighter, Bill gently said, “I’m sorry, Tommy, but there’s no need to be afraid, buddy. We know what happened, and it was horrible what that boy did to you. Kev and I will be with you and teach you how to swim, and if you can keep a big secret, I’ll tell you something else. I was going to surprise you with this, but maybe this will help change your mind.”

Both boys looked at him expectantly, their eyes big, wondering what he was going to tell them.

“There are going to be whales and dolphins to swim with. Maybe other animals. Last time we had penguins with us.”

Used to being lied to, Tommy and Brett didn’t believe them.

“You know we’ll never lie to you. I’m telling the truth. I bet you’ll have more fun than you can imagine if you come with us, but if you don’t want to, it’s okay, and we can go to our house for the weekend.”

It was Brett that said, “No! I want to go! Come on, Tommy! It’ll be fun!”

Tommy wanted to but was afraid. Bill rubbed his cheek on the top of Tommy’s head.

“You’ll be safe, Tommy. I promise. We’ll teach you to swim. Drew didn’t know how to swim either, and we showed him. All of us guys were in the Navy and know how to scuba dive. We can teach you that, too, if you want.

“There’s nothing wrong with being afraid, Tommy. I want you to know that. You need to learn to face your fears, and me and Kev will be with you every step of the way. Every one of the guys will be, and Drew too. He can tell you how we taught him. How about it?”

Tommy looked into Bill’s eyes, searching. Seeing and feeling that Bill told him the truth, he tentatively nodded his head.

Breaking into a grin, Bill said, “Atta boy!” and ruffled Tommy’s hair.

“We need to hit Wal-Mart or Target and get you guys some swimsuits and let you pick out a birthday present for Drew.”

The two boys already had their backpacks with their toothbrushes and extra clothes and pajamas, so they were ready to go.

Brett said, “We don’t have any money for a present.”

Kevin said, “Don’t sweat it, little man; we have you covered. That’s what Big Brothers are for! Leave the money to us. Hey, are you guys hungry? Do you want to stop on the way and get something to eat?”

They both practically shouted, “Wendy’s! Can we get chocolate Frosty’s?”

Bill and Kevin couldn’t help but laugh at how loud and enthusiastic their response was to the food.

“I think we can handle that. Now let’s hit the road. In a few hours, you’ll be on a Yacht and having the time of your lives.”

Running to the car, the boys climbed inside.

Kevin: Bill…

The dam of emotions Kevin held back broke loose.

Those two… It still gets me what shitty lives they’ve had. When their faces lit up when they saw us… God, I wish they were ours.

Bill wrapped his heart and mind around his best friend, lover, and soon-to-be-husband.

I know Kev. I do too, but right now, we both know it’s not possible. I hate to be brutally honest, but how painful would it be to watch them grow old and die while we stay young? I think it would be worse if they were our kids. I’m not sure we could handle that. It will be hard enough with friends like Sally and the Keenans, but if we had our own kids? I’m not sure I could take that.

We’ll have to be enough for each other, and the guys. We’re a family, and it’s enough. It has to be enough, but we can watch over these boys like they are our own and make sure they have good lives. I want to meet the family that interviewed them yesterday. I want to make sure they deserve those two boys and aren’t just another shitty foster family that wants two extra checks a month.

Damn straight. Now let’s go to Wendy’s. I haven’t had a Frosty in ages.

<><><> 

Floating in the water, Ken used Styrofoam noodles under his legs, arms, and neck. In the initial modifications to his body when he joined the program, the oxygen levels in his system were substantially increased not only to fuel his muscles but to help with buoyancy and offset the increased density of his muscles and bones. With hardly any effort, he oxygenated his body with a trickle of power from his core energy center to help assist the noodles.

Brad, Bryan, and Lane floated nearby, using their minds to keep the four of them physically close if the wind caused them to drift apart.

The hot sun beating down on their naked bodies felt wonderful. Out of the blue, intense emotions struck Ken; Brad and the doctor told him that might happen. His unconscious mind was processing the emotional trauma he experienced from the loss of his mother and brother. As the emotional wave hit, his breath sucked in and his abs tensed, forming tight, deep ridges the water ran through. In response, Brad increased his presence, wrapping himself around Ken.

Letting out a quiet, “Fuck me!” Ken flipped over in the water. Swimming to the back deck, he climbed up the ladder.

Brad, Lane, and Bryan were with him, and Bryan and Lane started to withdraw, but Ken held them tightly. He wanted… No, he needed them there with him, along with Brad.

Going to the main galley to grab a beer for everyone, when Ken came out, Bryan sat on the back deck with his legs dangling in the water.

Sitting beside Bryan, Ken handed him a beer and tossed one each to Brad and Lane, who still floated in the water.

Popping open the can, as soon as he raised it to his lips, his throat tightened and he choked up.

His first reaction, which he knew sounded stupid, was to say, “I’m sorry, guys.”

Bryan’s big arm wrapped around his shoulder, pulling Ken close as he thought: Let it out, buddy.

Bryan’s solid, comforting presence, his strong arm over his shoulder, and the depth of his love and concern caused a different reaction in Ken. Ken’s emotions were strong, and it wasn’t only grief over losing his family. What everyone did for him while he was incapacitated was there too, Bryan in particular, who faced off against Luke to save him. It was so humbling, Ken leaned into Bryan, hugging him back and resting his head on Bryan’s shoulder, not ashamed of his open show of emotions or his need.

Thanks, Bry. I don’t know what ‘ta say about what you did for me and B.

It was nothing you wouldn’t do for any of us, fucker.

Sniffing loudly, Ken thought: Nothin’ my ass! You’re gonna take my thanks, and you are gonna like it! That’s an order!

All of them chuckled, and it broke the seriousness of the mood.

Lane’s mischievous grin appeared.

Bry just wanted to cop a feel.

Oh really? You wanna ditch the nerd and run away with me, Bry?

More laughter followed his comment, and Bryan surprised Ken by rolling them off the deck, dunking them both.

<><><> 

Loy and Rick appeared on the plains of the Serengeti beside the large female elephant. Moving to her, he rubbed his hands across her skin, careful not to rub too lightly so he wouldn’t tickle her. As rough as it looked, elephants have sensitive skin, and too light a touch could irritate them.

Smiling at her contentment over his presence, she brought her trunk around, nuzzling him and covering him in slobber.

The sky overcast with the temperature in the high eighties, it was the rainy season, and the humidity off the charts, causing both men to break out in a heavy sweat. Taking off their shirts, they tucked them into their shorts. Ricky never tired of looking at his lover. Loy was the perfect muscle bear with big balled shoulders, big arms, and thick chest. Loy didn’t have a gut like most bears did; his body was lean, thick muscle, with perfect hair patterns.

Loy kept his body hair trimmed, not liking hair on his shoulders and back, so Ricky helped him shave, but his arms, chest, and legs were coated with dark brown hair. The hair on his head held light brown highlights from bleaching out in the summer sun, and it changed Loy’s looks from incredibly handsome to devastatingly handsome in Ricky’s eyes.

Loy held the same admiration for Rick, and they grinned at one another, fully aware of the mutual effect they had on each other. Hugging Loy to him, chest to chest, Rick kissed him. Their hands on each other, coupled with the feel of their bodies together, turned them on.

Through Loy’s Avatar, the two men's love and lust for one another broadcast to the surrounding animals, and the elephant let out a huge bellow, flapping her ears in pleasure.

Pulling back from the kiss, Rick pressed their foreheads together. They stared into each other’s eyes, smoldering with intense emotions as their hands started to roam. Rick was mildly surprised but realized he should have expected Loy’s reaction to the animals. This was their first time in the Serengeti, and he knew Loy would get a rush from it.

Loy chuckled. The feelings he received from animals, especially the more intelligent species, were difficult to describe. Sensing the same completion they felt toward him, he also felt their intense, unconditional love. They were a part of him, making him more than he was initially. Even sharing his soul with Ricky wasn’t the same. With Ricky, it was more powerful and deeply profound, but the presence of the animals and their spirits was something on top of his bond with Rick.

Loy let his awareness loose, and just as it was with Bryan at the tree, in that place, it wasn’t so much letting loose as it was letting it in. The wildlife on the plains pushed into him, and he rode the wave with Ricky at his side.

“Fuck Loy, you feel so good.”

Cupping Loy’s face in his hands, Rick ran his thumbs over Loy’s stubbly cheeks. Loy’s arms rested around Rick’s solid shoulders, and they brought their faces together again in a tender kiss.

The kiss started tender, but passion quickly ignited in both of them; being nearly naked in the humid heat on the wild plains of Africa set their libidos on fire. They loved outdoor sex, and the situation charged them up.

Lowering Loy onto the soft grass, Rick tugged off their shorts as they continued making out, arms and hands roaming frantically. In the spiritual realm, they shone brighter than the sun, their forms filled with the light of their powerful souls, with Rick’s blue eyes ringed with the dark brown of Loy’s and vice versa.

Staring intently into each other’s eyes, their passion and lust built, each noting it was wilder than most times. The animals and surrounding spirits made themselves felt through Loy, and bleeding over into Ricky, their movements, following their emotions, became hot and wild.

The feel of their tight, muscled bodies against one another, slick with sweat and shining in the hot sun, drove their already overactive sex drives over the top. In the back of Loy’s mind, he smiled, knowing how many young animals would be born because of what they did.

A light breeze across their sweaty skin emphasized their nakedness in the fresh humid air as the two men writhed against one another, and Ricky laughed when he realized Brad was with them and just popped a boner.

With a grin, Rick sent Brad a private thought: Ken can thank us later.

Rick felt Brad’s mirth, and his presence started to retreat, but Ricky stopped him. He and Loy liked to be watched. It turned them on, so Brad, on ZEUS, brought Ken into the link.

Knowing their brothers were with them drove Loy and Rick over the edge. The overpowering sense of wildness and freedom of the animal kingdom pressing into them, being naked on the plains of Africa in the humid air, letting their libidos run wild, added the spice that made their climaxes far beyond ordinary.

Back on ZEUS, Ken exclaimed, “Holy shit!” as he and Brad mimicked the movements of their brothers, caught up in an animalistic rut. They rarely shared so much sexually between couples, but it was hot, and they got off with each other across the planet. The four men merged completely, their souls one, lost in the powerful, painfully sweet intimacy of each other.

Once finished, both couples rested in the aftermath, basking in the presence of the others until their breathing returned to normal. In the place where their souls were one, they lay together, holding each other, hands caressing each other and bringing comfort.

As the two couples slowly separated from one another, Loy and Rick were aware of the love Ken and Brad had for them as men, friends, and soulmates. None of them could imagine their lives without each other, now they were so often wholly intertwined, and what Loy and Rick just did helped Ken a few more steps down his long road to recovery.

Ken: That was hot, guys. I love you both. What the fuck are you doin’ in Africa?

Chuckling, Loy replied: Sorry, Ken, I got carried away by being here. I came here to find a surprise for Drew’s birthday party. Keep the fact we’re here under wraps, okay? I want it to be a surprise for as many of us as possible.

Ken: You got it, man. B’ll stay with ‘ya. Hey, if you wanna do that again later, feel free.

Laughing at Ken’s remark, Loy and Rick sensed the expression on his face and the double eyebrow raise he did as he said that.

Loy and Rick pulled back until Brad’s presence was barely discernible, present in the back of their minds but not intruding.

Loy sighed, saying, “Damn, I hate what Ken’s going through.”

Ricky pulled Loy closer, wrapping his powerful arms around his lover.

“Me too. We’ll need to find a way to make sure that can’t happen to any of the rest of us. Not just for us but for any of our relatives that might still be alive. I’m sure the doc is on it, but we can’t be too careful.”

The warm breeze over their sweaty skin was so soothing they drifted off to sleep for a short time. Not long after they slept, Loy’s Avatar glowed brightly on his shoulder, and behind his eyelids, his eyes turned white.

<><> 

Guided by his Avatar, Loy slipped into the realm of dreams, his unconscious mind telling him he was asleep, and he wondered at that. Sensing no movement at first, he slowly experienced a sensation similar to when he traveled in the spiritual realm across the veil.

The temporal aspect of his Avatar that came from Lane asserted itself, and Loy realized he moved back in time to a few years before. Images around him stabilized, and he stood in the Atlanta lab. General Mstislav's skull sat on the countertop in the lab, and while Bill was trapped in his own mind, they desperately tried to find a way to help him.

The empty sockets of the skull stared at Loy from across the room, drawing him in. Unable to stop what was happening, Loy vanished into the depths of the evil residing in the skull.

Just as it was with Bill, Loy relived a lifetime of evil, and every atrocious act of violence and bloodshed General Mstislav performed became a part of him. Years upon years tore at his mind and soul, and he cried out for Ricky, but in his dream he was alone, separated from the other half of his soul.

Year after year, Loy lived the life of one of the vilest men in history. Even though the skull was destroyed, Bill read it at the awakening of his Avatar, and after merging with Bill often, the memories and experiences were a part of them now. The river of memories washed over him like whitewater, buffeting him and threatening to wash him away. The experiences raged against his heart and the light inside him, burning him.

Suddenly, the flow stopped, and he stood inside the rubble of a Monastery. A small bird of prey, a sparrow hawk, flew into the room and dropped towards the ground. Instinctively, Loy knew what he watched was the purpose of his dream. He also knew through his Avatar that the sparrow hawk was not a bird. Its tiny form shimmered, and suddenly a man stood amidst the rubble.

The pain on his face was apparent as he witnessed the devastation of his home and his slain brothers. Loy knew the man was of The Order, seeing inside him as if he were a glass filled with beautiful light, with strength beyond an ordinary man.

Tears of grief covered his face as he knelt to pray for the souls of the slain monks.

A chill ran down Loy’s spine, and he turned to see General Mstislav. He must have been masking himself, hiding in the rubble, and Loy heard the general’s voice in his mind.

I was beginning to think you fled like a coward, Giovanni.

The monk’s head whipped around, and his posture turned defensive.

You will pay for this! I swear it! God will strike you down!

The deep voice laughed at his empty words. Giovanni was of The Order and powerful, but no match for the General, and Loy witnessed the short struggle.

The conflict within Giovanni was clear to Loy. He wished to avenge his fallen brothers but was overmatched, so he made the tactical decision to flee and warn Charisa. What Giovanni didn’t know was that the General laid his traps well. Black threads of power spread over Giovanni like a net when his form shimmered back into the small sparrow hawk as he attempted to fly away.

The General snatched Giovanni from the air, and Loy saw a look of surprise on the General’s face. He wasn’t sure what happened, but Giovanni was gone, and the sparrow hawk was now just a bird, or so he thought… Loy knew through his Avatar in the dream that Giovanni was inside the tiny creature, lost in the Gift that gave him the ability to change his shape, and he knew Giovanni would never find himself again on his own.

As the General's gauntleted fist started to squeeze the life out of the bird, a familiar voice said, “Let him go.”

It was Albrecht, and his voice was cold steel.

Albrecht’s expression was grim, and grief shone in his eyes, knowing what Giovanni had done to save the Gift from falling into the hands of The Enemy.

Albrecht’s stance was perfect, relaxed, and ready.

Turning to him, the General said, “So you finally dare face me.”

“I’m going to stop you once and for all.”

As the two men spoke, storm clouds gathered and lightning filled the sky, reflecting the battle about to occur. Facing one another, each represented one of the two powers.

In his distraction, the little sparrow hawk squirmed free and bolted away. The General, focused on Albrecht, missed his second swipe to catch and crush what remained of Giovanni.

Albrecht’s mental voice was sad, but Giovanni was no longer able to hear him: I’m sorry, my friend. You will not be forgotten. I will avenge you and your brothers.

Feeling a thrill of excitement, Loy was about to witness the defeat of one of the most powerful Enemy leaders in history at the hands of his beloved mentor, but as Albrecht moved forward the torrent returned, and Loy was once again washed away in the river of time.

<><> 

Helpless in the grip of what was happening to him, Loy was buffeted by jumbled images, memories, and emotions that didn’t make sense; the scenes flashed so quickly through his mind he couldn’t make them out. One thing was evident, nothing good was a part of what he was subjected to, and a cold, pervading sense of evil ran through it all.

Suddenly it all paused, and he knew he was closer in time to where he existed. It was some years earlier, but not many. Like his mentalist brothers, Loy had a temporal sense through his Avatar and knew when he was.

Standing in a jungle in the dark of night, a full moon cast a silvery glow over dense foliage. A bright flash of lightning illuminated the form of a young boy, or perhaps a small man. Slender and naked, his skin was so dark brown it was almost black, but he covered himself in a light grey mud that dried over his skin. Cracked and powdery, the clay made his skin look diseased, and the pattern and coloring on his face formed the visage of a skull.

With a flash of lightning, a silhouette became visible, overshadowing the boy, of a large muscled form with small horns and a forked tail. A cold chill ran through Loy, knowing the creature he saw possessed the boy.

In the clearing where the boy stood, a small wicker birdcage swung from a branch in the night breeze.

A deep voice like grating rocks spoke in Loy’s mind: You cannot have it, Nephilim.

<><> 

Loy’s eyes snapped open, and back in Rick’s arms, lying in the grass, he stared right into the bright golden eyes of a lion less than two feet from him.

As the dream came back to him he shivered, but his heart warmed at the sight of the lion and the love it exuded for him; that and being held snuggly by his lover. An entire pride surrounded Loy and Rick while they slept, protecting them.

Holding Loy in his arms, Rick waited for him to wake up. Loy’s trembling woke him hours before, and he realized Loy was dreaming.

Rick looked worried as he ran a hand over Loy’s chest.

“Was it bad?”

Instinctively, Loy deepened their link.

A little. Most of it was weird. I’m not sure why I was shown what I was.

Well, that’s nothing new.

Smiling, they both chuckled softly at his comment.

Want to share it with me?

As Loy shared his dream with Rick, the young lion moved up, nuzzling his big head against Loy and licking the salt off his sweaty skin with its sand-papery tongue.

Entering the mind of the big feline, Loy examined his energy flows. Like any wild animal, he had some scars and mites. He was young and in good health for the most part, but Loy sent a gentle flow of healing into the feline, restoring him to perfect health.

The young lion plopped down on top of Loy, causing him to let out an “Oomph!” but he laughed, hugging the big cat’s head and scratching his ears and chin. Inhaling the very distinct smell of a large cat, he couldn’t help the thought: Fuck, this is nice. We need to come here and camp out sometime.

It only took Rick a second to assimilate everything Loy experienced in his dream, and his expression turned serious.

You can’t have it? What the fuck does that mean? I wish you’d seen Albrecht take down the General. We need to talk to him and find out who that Giovanni guy was.

After the dream, Loy knew they were in Africa for a reason, even though his idea for Drew’s birthday surprise seemed random.

I feel puppet strings, Rick.

Yeah, me too.

Brad was still present in the back of his mind, connected but barely there. Reaching for his brother across the planet, nothing changed. Surprised, his aura flared brightly as he brought more power to bear, but Brad’s presence didn’t change.

Fuck, Rick, I can’t reach Brad.

With Loy’s comment, Rick immediately became more alert and on edge.

Not again!

<><><> 

Alariel watched Loy and Rick get pulled into the trap as they slept, but per Barachiel’s instructions, he didn’t intervene. Frightened for his half-brother, Alariel also knew how strong Loy and Rick were.

He would watch over their bodies while their minds were imprisoned. He managed to create a tunnel into the construct before the trap sprung, careful not to get sucked into it, and he would be able to observe them there as well.

Alariel watched as Loy dreamt and the lions surrounded them, innately sensing the need to protect their steward.

<><><> 

Staying tightly bound, Loy and Rick shielded themselves. For some reason, Loy heard the words inside his head again. Their minds, conscious and unconscious, worked on the problem and the words Loy heard echoed in their thoughts.

You cannot have it, Nephilim.

Looking at Loy, Rick said, “Man, Ken is gonna be pissed. So, why are we here? This can’t be Luke, and there’s no way The Master could have known we’d be coming here.”

With a heavy sigh, Loy said, “Fuck, Ricky. Just like Rosanne Rosannadanna used to say; it’s always something!”

Chuckling at the old Saturday Night Live reference, Rick replied, “That it is, buddy.”

“Well, we aren’t going to find out anything by sitting here.”

While they talked, Loy absentmindedly scratched the ears of the young Lion draped across him.

“Sorry, fella, but I have to get up.”

The young lion looked at him, exhaling and nuzzling against him, growling low in his throat.

Laughing, Loy said, “I’ll scratch you later, so no attitude. Up and at ’em!”

Rolling off him, the young lion stood up, shaking his entire body in the process. Standing, Rick held out his hand for Loy, pulling him to his feet as though he weighed nothing. His eyes raked over Loy’s naked body one more time, and Loy noticed the hungry look and grinned.

Yeah, you do the same to me. Let’s figure this shit out so we can get back to what we do best.

Loy’s grin and wink made Rick’s heart skip a beat.

<><> 

Trying one more time to reach Brad, Loy wasn’t successful. Brad was there, but the connection seemed inert; there, but not there. He hadn’t encountered anything like that and wondered if Brad felt the same thing on his end. He guessed Brad would only realize something was wrong when he tried to reach for them and felt the same thing.

Rick asked, “Do you know where we are exactly?”

“Not specifically… All I know is we’re in the Serengeti Plains. Most of this land is a National Park and game reserve, but I’m not sure we’re even in the physical realm right now. I think this is a construct, so I have no idea what to expect.”

Groaning, Rick let out a quiet “Fuck me!” under his breath, shaking his head.

There was nothing for it but to move forward and find out why they were there, so hand in hand they began walking. Any chatter between them stayed in their minds as they moved silently forward. Reverting to ‘mission’ mode, their demeanor changed, keeping communication short and precise, indicative of their SEAL training. Other than the nearby lions, Loy sensed no other wildlife.

Opening his Avatar to the life in the general area, Rick immediately knew something was wrong. Life existed directly around them, like a bubble moving with them, but not further out. Instinctively, he reached for the tree and realized he couldn’t.

He let out another: Fuck.

Listening, Loy barely heard anything. Similar to life energy, the only music was directly around them, and what was there was quiet. It confirmed Loy’s suspicions of being in a construct of some kind or perhaps something else they hadn’t encountered yet, and it put both men even more on guard. Calling the pride of lions closer, the two men silently moved forward, surrounded by the beasts.

After a few hours of walking, it dawned on Rick he wasn’t the least bit hungry, and he chuckled, wondering if Ken’s stomach would still rumble if he were with them. Rick kept his heightened senses alert to any sounds or movement, but other than an occasional slight breeze rustling the grass or tree limbs, they didn’t hear anything.

When it started getting dark, they gathered dead wood and lit a fire. It took some concentration but no real effort for Loy to start a spark in some kindling with his mind, and he soon had a small campfire going.

Sitting beside him, Rick held his hands out towards the flames. Grinning at his partner, he said, “You're kind of handy to have around. I think I’ll keep you.”

Rolling his eyes at the same old joke, Loy put an arm around Rick’s shoulder. Snuggling against his lover, they shared their body heat, taking comfort in the closeness. Neither man said much, each lost in his thoughts but still deeply connected.

It was normal now to keep their hearts and minds close and to touch whenever they could. Completely comfortable with each other physically, they relied on each other’s touch and presence, and neither man could imagine being apart anymore for any length of time.

When they finally got ready to sleep a few lions moved against them, sandwiching them in between their bodies. They only wore shorts and t-shirts, and even with their increased body temperature, the animals felt nice and warm in the chill night.

In the middle of the night, Rick’s eyes opened. Like Ken, he was combat trained to wake at the slightest provocation, and staying perfectly still, his enhanced senses were fully alert.

He heard the flutter of wings as a bird alighted on a branch above them.

Loy.

Triggers in Loy’s mind activated, instantly waking him.

What is it?

A bird. It’s the first sign of life other than the lions since we got here. Wherever ‘here’ is.

His eyes still closed, Loy reached for the bird with his Avatar and felt nothing. Looking deeper, he still felt nothing other than Rick and the lions.

That’s not a bird.

Looking up, Loy’s eyes flashed white, and for a brief moment he saw the silhouette of a man perched on the limb where the bird sat. Thin and dressed in brown Monks' robes, it was the man, Giovanni, from his dream.

He blinked, and it was just a bird again.

Holy shit, Ricky! It’s Giovanni!

A deep voice like grating rocks entered their minds: You cannot have it!

A loud roar followed, shaking the ground and nearby trees violently, causing the sparrow hawk to panic and dart away.

Rick: What the hell?

Loy shouted in his mind: Enough with the cryptic bullshit! Show yourself, whoever or whatever you are!

You came here for it, but now you are mine as well, and you will never leave.

In a private link with Ricky, Loy thought: We need to figure out who or what that thing is and the rules of this place. This seems like more than a construct, but I can’t put my finger on it yet.

Rick didn’t go back to sleep. After stoking the fire, he held Loy while he slept. The presence of the lions helped calm Loy, but Rick stayed awake. Protective of his lover and best friend, he knew they were in trouble, not knowing anything yet about who, or what had them imprisoned, or why.

<><>  

Alariel watched Loy and Rick move through the pocket reality. He feared for them; the pocket dimension was unique and unlike anything they had encountered before. Few such places existed; it was a ‘bubble’ left over from the time of creation, and the being occupying it just as old. Inside the fabric of that space, the creature was all-powerful. It was a form of Djinn but far more potent, and while inside the ‘bubble,’ like a genie in its bottle, it was nearly omnipotent. It wasn’t of The Enemy or The Order, but it was evil.

Alariel tensed at the sound of fluttering wings and the presence that came with it, one he rarely felt.

Alariel.

He dared not speak but turned to the dove on the ground nearby.

I am sorry, Alariel.

Alariel broke his silence.

Did Barachiel know this when he sent me here?

No, he did not. You know what is at stake, and your action must be of your own volition.

How long will I be gone?

A long time, but you will see Loy again.

Trembling, Alariel knew the price he was being asked to pay.

His words were a whisper, but The Dove heard him. He heard all things.

“Grant me strength.”

The Dove’s presence filled him, holding him tight, and then it was gone. Alariel’s shoulders bowed from the burden now resting on him and the sadness that it would be millennia before he would see his half-brother again. They had barely gotten to know one another, and he would miss Loy as well as Istariel and his cousins.

Like Istariel, Alariel had been deeply affected by his interactions with Brad, Ken, and the other guys. Emotions never before felt were now a part of him, and at times like the present, he found them painful.

He wanted to call out to Barachiel but knew that would be a mistake. It would put his grandfather in the middle, and it would be unfair to do so. He also thought it would be unwise.

Turning his attention back to Loy, Alariel waited for what he knew would come.

<><> 

Loy woke in Rick’s arms, his favorite place to be. Loy had no more dreams, and the presence of the lions was soothing. More than anything, he slept like a baby in Rick’s arms and woke fully rested.

Realizing Rick hadn’t slept, Loy felt a twinge of guilt but understood why Rick did it and loved him for it, and more importantly, Rick didn’t begrudge Loy the rest.

Smiling, Rick brushed the short hair off Loy's forehead.

Morning, handsome.

Sleepily, Loy smiled back: Morning.

Rick: Giovanni never came back. I know what direction he took off in, though. Unless you have a better idea, I say we head after him. He seems to be the key to why we’re here.

Loy: I don’t have a better idea, and I agree anyway. I wish we knew more about whatever the thing is that controls this place and how we got here. Our abilities seem to work, but we’re cut off from our sources of power. It’s back to the old me’n’you, buddy.

Rick: Speaking of ‘me-n-you,’ we need to stay amped up as much as possible.

Smirking, Loy replied: Strategically speaking, you’re right, but even if it wasn’t the strategic thing to do, I still want you to fuck me.

A broad grin broke across Rick’s handsome face as he thought: Okay, once we’re out of this mess, we need to move to Africa. If being around all the wildlife is going to turn you into a slut; well, I’m all for that!

Crawling on top of his lover, Loy aggressively removed their clothes. On guard, Rick dampened their auras; there was no point broadcasting their location to the creature controlling the construct.

The pride of lions surrounding them also watched, protecting their steward and his soon-to-be-husband.

<><><> 

Brad: We need to get our shorts on. Everyone will be here in a few minutes.

Groaning, Ken swam to the ladder, and Brad admired Ken’s tanned, muscular body, dripping wet and shining in the bright, hot sun. Starting to get hard, he had to put a lid on his libido.

Damn Ken, I’ve gotten so used to being naked and making out whenever we want; we’re going to have to be on good behavior with the boys around.

Ken’s little kid grin appeared at Brad’s comment.

Yeah, I know what ‘ya mean.

As Brad passed by, Ken grabbed him, pulling them into a full-bodied hug.

Thanks, B.

Tearing up, Brad knew how deep Ken’s ‘thanks’ ran. The hole in his heart was still raw from his recent loss, but the worst was behind him. In the last few days, Brad spent the equivalent of weeks in Ken’s mind, helping him work through it all.

Having the guys around helped just as much. Ken was a resilient man, and with everyone’s help, he moved forward, leaning on his brothers and his fiancée.

Darren’s voice entered their minds, interrupting their hug: You ladies decent? I’m about to bring us over.

Brad: Give us thirty seconds.

Darren laughed, and Lane played the Jeopardy ‘Think Music’ in the background of the link. Pulling apart, Ken and Brad laughed, quickly running to their cabin to grab dry swimming trunks. Ken felt the air pressure change slightly when Darren and everybody appeared in the main cabin.

Immediately Drew shouted out, “Uncle Ken! Uncle Brad! Where are you?!”

Ken was barely out of the hallway when Drew launched himself into his arms, clinging to his uncle like a spider. Squeezing his arms around Ken’s neck as tightly as he could for a few seconds, he followed up with a big wet sloppy kiss on Ken’s unshaven cheek.

Watching with a smile on his face, Brad loved seeing how much Ken and Drew cared for one another. While Drew hugged Ken, Brad knelt, putting his arms out, and Tommy and Brett threw themselves at him.

“Hey, guys! It’s great to see you!”

There were muffled, “Hey, Mister Brad” and “Hey, Mister Ken” as Brad and Ken switched kids so they could all get hugs.

Bill and Kevin had the boys’ backpacks and said, “Let’s get you guys changed so we can get out in the sun!”

Henry’s smile was a mile wide seeing Drew so excited, and he followed Bill and Kevin down the short hallway. The three boys were going to share a cabin, or at least that was the plan, but Henry, Kevin, and Bill thought that might change, at least the first night.

After the rest of the guys exchanged greeting hugs, Bryan went straight to the galley with Darren, who teleported a few big coolers of food, drinks, and snacks that Bryan had prepared that morning.

Seconds after everyone appeared, the wolf-spirit's presence entered ZEUS, staying hidden from Tommy and Brett.

Within fifteen minutes everyone was shirtless and either in the water or on the dive deck. Bill and Kevin explained Tommy and Brett's situation, and the guys took extra care of the two boys. Brad did the same thing he did with Drew, sending them the memory sphere he used before. There were plenty of floats and life jackets, and soon the two boys were having a fantastic time.

It was apparent to everyone how attached Tommy and Brett were to Bill and Kevin. To Brad’s Avatar their emotions were plain as day, as well as the bodies through their Understanding.

Not wanting to spoil the moment, Brad was sure Bill and Kevin were aware of it, but he wanted to make sure his brothers were alright. He loved seeing Bill and Kevin interact with the two small boys. Sighing to himself, Brad put those thoughts away before they leaked out to Ken or anyone else.

Darren went back to Australia to be with Pat, staying with Craig, Jacob, and their mother. The young soldiers would make an appearance the next day to surprise Drew on his actual birthday. Pat was still trying to convince Craig to join them. Jacob said he wanted to but would stay in the lab if Craig did to support his younger brother.

Not coping well with his father’s death, Craig still expressed a lot of anger and resentment towards the team. It was another dark spot on recent events, along with everything that happened to Ken.

ZEUS was equipped with two large gas grills on the upper deck, and before long the smell of grilling hamburgers and hot dogs filled the air, making everyone hungry.

Brad missed Loy and Rick. Their presence was still in the back of his mind, so everything seemed fine. Apprehensive about their isolation, he still felt them through the link, and his intuition wasn’t telling him anything was wrong, so he decided to give them until dinnertime, and if he hadn’t heard anything by then he would check in with them.

<><><> 

Loy and Rick headed in the general direction Giovanni flew off in. It was a long shot… As a bird, Giovanni could be anywhere in the construct since last night, but it was an action that kept them moving. Neither of them felt like waiting for trouble to find them, or at the worst, being stuck wherever they were. They were men of action, and their gut instincts told them they weren’t getting out of the construct without some kind of confrontation with the creature that trapped them, so they needed to find it.

As soldiers neither of them were scared, confident in their training but not cocky; however, there was an edge of nervousness keeping them alert. They learned their lesson with the Amalgam, but the current circumstances were different. This time they hadn’t charged into a situation they knew nothing about. This time they were trapped and unaware of the transition from the physical realm to where they were with no chance to call for help.

The weather beautiful, the sky a clear blue filled with bright, dense clouds, they made good speed. In the physical realm, it was the rainy season in the Serengeti, and Rick Understood the same patterns in the weather around them, knowing there would be a downpour later in the afternoon.

It felt strange not eating or getting hungry. Loy was curious why they needed sleep but not food or water but didn’t think he would get an answer to his question.

After noon, when the sun was high in the sky and the humidity almost unbearable, Rick saw a forest in the distance. As they got closer, Loy was sure it was the place in his dream where he saw the silhouette of the creature standing over the young man.

The creature's words whispered fresh in Loy’s mind, an echo of his dream: You cannot have it, Nephilim.

As they walked, Loy observed the thick muscles of Rick’s sweaty back. He watched Rick’s calves and hamstrings flex with each stride and wondered again, like so many times before, how he could be so lucky to have such a man in his life. Besides being his best friend and soulmate, Rick was one of the most stunning physical men Loy had ever seen.

Aside from making him horny, it was a good idea for them to refresh each other so their powers would be at full strength.

“Hey, Ricky.”

Rick knew that tone of voice and stopped, turning around with a lopsided grin.

Winking at Loy, he said, “Yeah, I think so too. Great minds think alike… or dicks.”

Looking around, Rick couldn’t keep the grin off his face.

Aside from being linked, I know you too well. Plus, it’s the right thing to do, tactically speaking. Not that I want to objectify what we’re about to do.

Loy released the raw lust he was holding back, and the male lions growled. Neither of them wore shirts and shed their shorts in record time.

Instead of being wild and frantic like the night before, this time the sex between them was intense and controlled. Rick was the aggressor, and he lowered Loy to the ground, taking his time and letting their passion build.

Looking at Rick’s body arched over him, Loy took in the incredible musculature of his thick shoulders and upper body, the hair pattern on his chest, now matted down with sweat, and his thick arms holding him over his lover. Rick often leaned down to kiss Loy as he thrust into him, and when they weren’t kissing, Rick pressed himself against Loy wherever he could. The feeling of their bodies together was blissful, sending waves of pleasure through both of them.

There was a different element to their current lovemaking, unspoken but there. It could be their last time together, depending on how things turned out. They were confident in their abilities and training, but they also knew sometimes they faced powers beyond their own.

Their orgasms built for nearly an hour before they came together. Rick released in Loy and Loy between them, and Rick licked every drop off Loy’s stomach. Sharing their seed ignited their powers and their passion for another few rounds.

After, as they held each other, Rick sensed a deep sadness in Loy. Propping himself up on an elbow, he put a hand on Loy’s chest. Loy was tense with emotion, but Rick knew it wasn’t about the danger they faced.

Loy, what’s wrong?

Loy was thinking of the wolves that sacrificed themselves when they faced the Amalgam.

It’s the lions, Ricky. I want to make them stay here where it’s safe.

I’m not sure anywhere here is safe.

Yeah, but if they come with us, they’ll sacrifice themselves for us if it comes to a fight. It kills me sometimes what animals will do for me and us. I don’t feel worthy.

You are worthy, Loy. I think you are, and the guys do too. I know it’s humbling, but you’re blessed beyond belief to have the Avatar you do. You’re perfect for it. You’re perfect to me, too. You’re perfect for me.

Rick chuckled, and after a slight pause, he continued: I’m not sure I expressed that very well.

Turning to look into Rick’s eyes, a tear fell down Loy’s cheek. Staring at one another, seeing their souls, Loy brought them together as one.

We’re staying together until we die, or we get out of here.

I wouldn’t have it any other way. About the lions… This is hard to say, but I think they need to come with us. We have to get out of here for Drew and the rest of the guys. If we need to use the lions to do that… I know it sucks, but they’ll do it willingly. That doesn’t make it any easier, but it’s true.

As a last resort only.

Of course.

So just like the last mess we got ourselves into, we’ll have to be enough for one another.

Alright, let’s do this.

Getting up, the two men put their shorts back on and hand-in-hand went towards the forest. The pride of lions went with them, surrounding them, filling them, and protecting them.

<><> 

Alariel watched Loy and Rick making love. He wasn’t uncomfortable watching; in fact, he felt more curious than anything about the emotions he felt after his interactions with his new cousins and half-brother.

Above all else, he felt a pervading sadness, mostly for himself. He had never known love like he witnessed between Loy and Rick. He wasn’t in a physical body as he observed them but still felt a stirring at what he witnessed. He wished such a connection for himself, but now that wouldn’t happen for countless years.

Watching, Alariel prepared himself for the moment he would have to act. There would only be a small window in which to reveal himself to his half-brother.

<><>  

The jungle was thick and humid, with no clear path, but Rick knew where to go as soon as they entered the woods. With his Understanding, he saw the vector lines and arcs leading to a cave.

They didn’t have machetes to clear a path, only their hands and the strength of their arms. For Rick it wasn’t an effort, but he sweated in the humidity, and before long he was covered with minor cuts and lacerations from the thorny vines blocking their path.

Loy: I’m not sure if it's testing us or trying to keep us away. Either way, it’s annoying.

Stopping, Rick put his hands on his hips, expressing his frustration: Fuck this.

His tattoo glowed, and emerald green sparks spit off the ball of his shoulder. The jungle was part of a construct, and constructs followed laws. The weather patterns and vegetation seemed to function normally within an area around them, except for not needing to eat or drink.

Casting his senses out, Rick looked through his Understanding. Life energy was limited and subdued but present in the trees and plants. Pulling from it, he bent his will upon the vegetation as he had seen Bryan do in the valley… Part of the cycle of life was decay.

The trees and vines in front of them withered, degenerating as he condensed the life cycle down to a matter of seconds. Pulling enough power from the surrounding area, he didn’t exert any of his own strength or draw from Loy to make it work.

Nice, Ricky.

Grinning, Rick continued concentrating as they moved forward.

Once close enough, Rick made out the mouth of the cave. The rocks were covered in bright green moss and well camouflaged, making it difficult to see, but to his enhanced eyesight, it was clear.

The area around the cave mouth was open and unobstructed, but just inside it was too dark for Loy to see, so he used the eyes of the lions along with the new spatial awareness technique Brad and Darren taught the mentalists. There was just enough light for Rick to see with his enhanced sight.

Rick held a hand behind his back, and Loy gripped it. Their hands squeezed together in love and support, and the two men moved forward. No words were spoken, and none were needed; their minds, hearts, and souls were one and their shields strong.

The cave wasn’t deep, and in less than fifty feet it turned sharply, opening into a small chamber filled with objects and crude furniture. A fire illuminated the room, and the smoke vented through a small opening in the ceiling. The cage in Loy’s dream hung from a pole, and they recognized the sparrow hawk inside it as Giovanni.

Crouched by the fire was the small man, his body caked in light grey mud and his eyes completely black. His voice filled their minds: So, you have come.

They discussed the possibility of leaving with no confrontation, and although it seemed unlikely, they wanted to try.

Loy: We want to leave this place and take the man Giovanni with us.

You cannot have it!

What use is he to you? We don’t want to fight you. Let us take him and leave peacefully.

You cannot challenge me. My power here is absolute!

Even ready, the attack that hit their shields was stronger than anything they had ever felt. The being, inside its domain, was nearly all-powerful. Its attack shattered their shields, and neither of them had ever felt such intense spiritual pain.

The ferocious growls of the lions attacking filled the cave, echoing loudly off the stone walls, and Loy shouted at them, compelling them to obey his will.

No! Run!

As Loy and Rick were thrown against the rock wall, Rick managed to roll in the air and wrap himself around Loy so his own body absorbed most of the impact. His muscles tensed from fighting off the incredible pain running through his mind, body, and soul, and his shoulder shattered as they slammed into the wall. Both men lost consciousness, and Rick didn’t feel the impact as they hit the floor, with Loy still in his arms.

The sparrow hawk, inside its cage, looked down at their unconscious forms. There was no recognition or glint of Giovanni in its eyes; there hadn’t been for over eight hundred years.

<><><>  

The day was perfect. Drew, Brett, and Tommy had a blast, and the sounds of their laughter and splashing uplifted everyone’s spirits. All of the guys stayed in the water with the boys, and after Brad imparted the knowledge of how to swim, Tommy and Brett were no longer apprehensive and took to it like fish. Smiling and laughing they swam from man to man, and when they grew tired they rested on the shoulders or back of whoever was closest, which usually happened to be Bill or Kevin.

Brad watched Bill and Kevin closely. Linked with them, he didn’t pry, but he knew his brothers intimately. He saw the expressions on their faces, especially Bill’s, when he watched the boys. Bill’s Avatar was often harsh in nature with the raw emotions and impressions it put into him, and when he found sources of comfort and happiness that gave him a respite from the brokenness in people and their cruel acts, he gravitated to them. Brad knew it was more than just that, though; Bill and Kevin had come to love the two little boys deeply.

They used lots of sunscreen, but the tropical sun was intense, and Lane, without the boys even knowing, healed their skin throughout the day, and with his help, by evening, they were well on their way to nice tans.

Bryan outdid himself with dinner for the adults, and for the kids, he made macaroni and cheese and corn dogs. With the excitement of the day and their tummies full, it wasn’t long before the three boys crashed hard. Henry, Bill, and Kevin took them back to their cabin and put them to bed.

As they tucked the boys in, Henry smiled and said, “You two are naturals at this. Tommy and Brett are lucky to have you guys.”

Henry didn’t have enhanced vision, but he was linked with them. He didn’t see Bill’s eyes tear up but was acutely aware of the emotional rush in Bill and Kevin from his comment.

A smart man, Henry watched all day as his brothers interacted with the two young boys. He saw the signs, remembering how Drew affected him at first even though he wasn’t his flesh-and-blood son.

Keeping his voice low, he said, “Hey guys, come with me.”

Henry led them past the main cabins and up the small stairs to the aft upper viewing deck. It was quiet there, the only sounds the lapping of water against the hull and the occasional laughter of their brothers horsing around in the water. The moon was nearly half full, the water bright, and the night beautiful.

Sitting in one of the lounge chairs, Henry motioned for Bill and Kevin to do the same.

“Okay, fellas, I think I know what’s got you so uptight. Those two boys worship you guys, and rightfully so. You pulled their lives out of a proverbial hell and turned them around. I can tell how much you care for them. I get it. I’m not sure anyone else on this boat would agree with me, but I say fuck the danger or whatever other obstacles you see standing in the way and adopt them. Don’t make excuses. I have to make it work every day with Drew, and you can too… And it’s worth it.”

Astounded at Henry’s insight into what was going on in their heads and his bluntness in just putting the topic out there, Kevin brought up the one thing he and Bill couldn’t get past.

“Henry… Even taking the constant danger out of the equation… Bill and I talked about this… I don’t think we could handle seeing them grow old and die while we stay young. Drew’s going to be immortal, but Tommy and Brett won’t be.”

“Sorry guys, but I call bullshit! That’s an incredibly selfish way to look at it. Are you telling me you’d give up their entire lifetimes of a wonderful relationship and the chance to be dads because you’re afraid of losing them to old age? What about their lives? They’re going to grow old whether you’re their dad’s or not.”

Bill and Kevin opened their eyes in surprise at how angry Henry seemed to be.

“Look, guys, it’s your decision. I’m sorry I’m mad… You know I love you, and I want this for you. I saw all day how much you love them and how much they love you. Make it work. You know everyone on the team, including the doc and Albrecht, will help you make it work. I think if you don’t, you’ll regret it for the rest of your lives, and being immortal, that’s a hell of a long time. What about them? Do you really want to give up their lifetime of happiness?”

Before the conversation could continue, Brad’s voice entered their minds along with a deep-rooted sense of concern.

We have trouble, guys. I can’t reach Loy and Ricky!

<><> 

With the boys asleep the noise level dropped, and the water was so nice most of the guys stayed in. Also, once the boys were in bed, the trunks came off!

Ken cuddled Brad while they floated, linked with everyone but one with each other, enjoying the closeness of their souls as much as their bodies and minds.

The water calm, they were totally relaxed; Bryan, Lane, Darren, and Pat floated close by, and to keep the noise down they spoke in their minds, joking, laughing, and hanging shit on one another.

Missing Loy and Ricky, Brad wished they were with everyone on ZEUS. It was time to check in with them anyway, so reaching into the back of his mind, he strengthened his link with them. He was confused at first; the link was there, and he felt their presence, but it was static.

Pushing harder, he thought loudly: Loy!? Ricky!?

When neither of his brothers responded, a cold chill hit him. Tightening the link with everybody on ZEUS, he thought: We have trouble, guys. I can’t reach Loy and Ricky!

<><><>  

Loy had never felt such pain. Whatever that creature hit them with tore at the very fiber of their existence, not just their bodies, but their minds and souls.

His thoughts sluggish, he struggled to regain consciousness, and as the fog cleared Loy realized Rick was against him. The heat of Rick’s body and the movement of his breathing let Loy know Rick was alive but unconscious.

Something rough rubbed against his face, and Loy grinned through the pain when he opened his eyes. The young male lion was licking him. Loy’s hands found the big cat’s ears for a quick scratch, and he was grateful the feline was still alive.

Ricky?

Stifling a groan as he sat up, Loy looked around. The man was gone, at least for the moment. The sparrow hawk fluttered in its cage, and the young lion was with him. Grief hit when he saw the bodies of two lions on the cave floor. His Avatar glowed and their spirits became visible, still in the cave, and he wondered at that.

Go, and be reborn! Don’t stay here!

When the spirits didn’t leave, he realized they were trapped in the construct and couldn’t move on.

Opening Rick’s energy centers, Loy saw the damage to his shoulder: Fuck!

Blocking Rick’s pain centers, he borrowed strength from the lion spirits to wake Rick up.

Rick’s eyes darted open, taking in the situation.

It’s alright, Rick. He’s gone, at least for now.

Emotions between the two men were intense, relief at seeing each other alive first and foremost.

Rick, stay still. Your shoulder’s broken.

Loy shared the last minute of his memories since he woke up.

Sorry about the lions, Loy. Shit, this guy is strong. I’m not sure we can take him.

We don’t have a choice, Rick. We have to get out of here. There’s too much at stake for us to just stay here trapped for God knows how long. We were also sent here for a reason.

Loy glanced at the sparrow hawk with his comment.

There has to be a way for us to get out of this situation with Giovanni. I don’t believe in no-win scenarios. Not anymore, after all we’ve been through.

Chuckling, Loy thought: Okay, Kirk.

Managing a grin, Rick replied: Yeah, think Kobayashi Maru.

Okay, but if that idea pans out, we can never tell Lane, or we’ll never hear the end of it.

I’d settle for some Simon and Garfunkel right now if it meant his crazy ass was here to help.

I wish he was here too; I need to heal your fat ass. If we’re going to fight, we need to be ready.

Neither man had been unconscious for long and was still fully empowered from their earlier sex. Bringing them more tightly together, their breath caught and their eyes teared up at the intense emotional intimacy. The comfort and completeness they experienced in one another never ceased to amaze them, reinforcing how perfect they were for each other.

Their energy centers open, white power arced between them. Loy helped Rick sit up, and looking inside his partner’s flawless body, Loy used a combination of his mind and hands to set Rick’s fractured scapula and clavicle. When he was satisfied, a gentle flow of healing followed that knitted the bones back together. The nerves around the damaged area regenerated as well, and in a few seconds Rick was as good as new.

Both of them sweated, Loy from the effort and Rick from the healing. Looking so handsome to one another, Rick couldn’t help it and twisted around for a kiss.

Thanks, Loy. I love you. Now let’s get ready for when this thing comes back. We felt how powerful he is, so we’ll need to dig deep. We know how our Avatars work.

We do, Rick, but we’ve never been cut off from our sources of power before. This is going to hurt no matter what.

Putting a hand on Loy’s shoulder, Rick gave him a firm squeeze of comfort. Along with the gesture, he thought: We’ll be enough, Loy. We have to be. Not just for us, but for Drew and the guys.

<><><> 

Gathering in the den, their faces expressed concern for their two missing brothers. Once in the same room, Brad took them so deep that time stood still.

Okay, guys, Loy and Rick were in Africa the last I spoke with them. Loy had an idea for Drew’s birthday tomorrow, and he wanted to do a little preparation. He wanted it to be a surprise and asked us not to say anything.

A twist of guilt from Henry shot through the link at Brad’s words, and it was immediately quelled by all of them. There was no blame or fault tied to Drew’s birthday and Henry giving Loy the go-ahead for his surprise.

Lane: Why didn’t you feel anything through the link? That doesn’t make sense.

Brad: I have no idea. I’ve never felt anything like this before. I can still feel them, but the link is inert; it’s there, but not there.

Bryan: Maybe I can find them through the tree.

Ken: Try that first, Bry. Everybody, power up. Dar, can you get the doc and Albrecht here? Henry, we need you ‘ta stay here with them and watch over Drew and the boys. You’ll be the first line of defense while we’re gone.

Another emotional surge followed, this time from Bill and Kevin over leaving Tommy and Brett, reiterating their reservations about having such close ties to them.

Henry: You got it, boss.

While they spoke, their power built, and the spiritual realm lit up for miles around. Brad, Lane, Darren, and Bill filled in for Loy’s Avatar, pulling from nearby animal spirits. Most were sea life, and before long the sky filled with ghostly images of whales, dolphins, porpoises, tortoises, and various other sea creatures swimming amongst Yggdrasil’s ghostly branches.

Bryan’s eyes flashed emerald green as he opened his senses to the life energy of the planet. Knowing the souls of Loy and Rick as intimately as his own, it didn’t take long before he found them, and a huge sense of relief pervaded the link.

Gott’em.

Through Bryan, Brad skimmed minds across the surface of the Earth, and once he got closer, he scanned the minds of animals. Brad found the female elephant Loy used to see through. In fact, Loy’s enduring presence was still in her mind.

While Brad searched, Darren linked with the doctor and Albrecht, who were asleep, activating a trigger placed for emergencies, instantly waking them.

Brad took everyone back up, and time started moving again. In less than five minutes, the doctor and Albrecht were on ZEUS, and Ken, Brad, and the others, minus Henry, stood on the Serengeti Plains.

<><><>  

Rick and Loy held each other tightly in body, mind, and soul, filled with one another and feeding off the unconditional love that was the heart of their power. They focused on their training and memories that stirred strong emotions: love, anger, or anything that would help fuel the adrenaline they needed to build power.

Rick masked their auras, hoping for some small element of surprise.

They were surprised but ready when the man appeared out of thin air. Their Avatars flared, spitting bright arcs of color off their heavy shoulders, and a thick white bolt of power arced out of Loy, striking the creature and sending it flying against the cave wall. His trajectory caused him to hit the post holding the birdcage, and it went flying as well. The birdcage shattered, and the sparrow hawk took off, flying out of the cave in a panic.

The creature turned to face them with a furious expression on its face.

<><> 

Watching, Alariel knew it was time to intervene. Loy and Rick, even with their Avatars, could not stand against the creature on their own. He hoped they would be able to but realized that cut off from their sources of power, they would die. They needed access to the physical and spiritual realms, and he would have to be the bridge for that to happen.

Taking a deep breath, Alariel stepped across the veil and entered the physical realm.

No humans were present to see his twenty-foot tall cowled form appear next to Loy and Rick's unconscious bodies and the pride of lions surrounding them.

<><> 

Brother?

Alariel?

Use me as a bridge!

Loy didn’t know how or why Alariel could talk to him but didn’t have time to wonder. Linking with his Nephilim half-brother, all the power they were used to became available to them as Alariel used himself as a conduit between the pocket dimension and the physical and spiritual realms.

<><> 

Darren and the rest of the team appeared beside the elderly female elephant. The mentalist's eyes turned white, and their stomachs lurched in unison, indicating great danger. Miles away, they saw a brightness in the spiritual realm and knew it was Loy and Rick.

There were animals close to the light, and Darren used their eyes to see, taking the men to the heart of whatever was happening. They were surprised to see Alariel in his Nephilim form, towering over the unconscious forms of Rick and Loy. Nine lions, male and female of varying ages surrounded them, motionless as well.

Alariel, standing tall and rigid, seemed oblivious to their presence.

<><>  

Alariel? How can you be here?

There is no time! Open yourself to me, Loy! Please!

Loy trusted his half-brother and was in no position to question him, and when their minds touched, Alariel’s knowledge of the creature and the pocket reality they were trapped in became known to him.

Inside the ‘bubble’ the creature was all-powerful and could not be defeated. Loy, like his brothers, was a genius, realizing why Alariel shared the information. He also knew Alariel must be breaking some type of rule; no Nephilim had ever intervened to help so directly before other than the day of their first awakening.

Rick was only a thought behind his partner. Their memories went back to the week before when Michael helped stave off the Blood Curse threatening to devour Ken and the tree. Raphael shielded Michael so the power he exerted didn’t rip a hole in the fabric of creation.

If the creature was all-powerful inside the ‘bubble,' they would burst the ‘bubble’ and see how he fared then.

<><>  

Alariel was shocked when he heard Ken ask, “Alariel!? What the hell’s goin’ on?”

Alariel didn’t answer in words, instead reaching out to his hybrid cousins, inviting them into the link to share everything he relayed to Loy and Rick inside the pocket reality.

Alariel’s emotions in the link were mixed. On one hand, he felt a deep sense of relief for Loy, but there was also profound grief. Brad didn’t fully understand the connection yet but knew Alariel acted as a bridge between Loy, Rick, and the rest of them.

A vast sense of relief overcame Rick and Loy as the presence of their brothers surrounded them. They didn’t understand how or why the guys were there, but it didn’t matter. Brad wanted to take them down deep to talk, but a time differential between the pocket reality and the physical realm prevented him.

Loy: I have no idea how you guys are here, but you arrived in the proverbial nick of time! No time to explain, guys! Power up! We have to defend ourselves and rip a hole in this place if we hope to make it out of here.

Almost as an afterthought, Loy said: Oh yeah, if you see a bird fly out of this place, grab it! It’s important!

Drawing on the sources of their power, the sky darkened and thunder rumbled in the distance. Lightning flashed, mirrored in their white eyes as the humid wind blew the hair on their heads. Faces set, jaws firm, their angelic heritage became fully apparent, shining brightly as they defended two of their own who were somehow trapped and in need of their help.

With Loy’s connection to the physical realm re-established and the mentalists calling on the animals and their spirits for power, the fauna of the plains sensed their steward and began to gather, moving towards the image of Yggdrasil visible to them.

<><> 

The creature turned to face Loy and Rick, its face a mask of fury.

On their powerful shoulders, Rick and Loy’s Avatars glowed brighter as they drew power from the realm of their creation. Going full defensive at first, Rick put his arms around Loy, squeezing them together as if he wanted their bodies to merge just like their souls.

Pain struck not just Loy and Rick but everyone in the link when the attack hit their shields. Every muscle in their bodies tightened in response to the effort of defending themselves and fighting off the pain.

Lane: Fuck, this thing is strong!

Ken: So are we! Hold ‘em, guys!

An unexpected and powerful wave of anger came from Ken. As angry as Brad had ever seen him, Ken’s intensity lit a fire in all of them. Images and feelings from the pain and loss on their journey so far were clear and fresh in his mind - his own recent losses of his brother and mother, Darren’s capture and torture at the hands of Luke, Loy and Rick’s near demise by the Amalgam of The Master, Bill’s self-imprisonment because of the skull, Lane’s death in Taliesin’s construct, Greg Rawlins’s death at the hands of The Master, Drew’s capture and abuse by his father Doug, and Liz’s ultimate sacrifice to save her son. Pulling it all out of them and embracing it, Ken built a wall with it that his will and Avatar pushed into them, fortifying them against the pain.

They Understood how their Avatars worked now, making them equal to the task. Surprise showed on the creature’s face, but it quickly returned to anger as he struck at their shield again and again. No one had ever resisted his power inside his domain!

Loy: Okay, we’ve been his punching bag long enough. Brad, Lane, Dar, and Bill, you’re with me; full defense. The rest of you help Ricky unravel this construct. I’m not sure what will happen to the creature once that happens; he might go with it. Regardless, his power will be broken, and we’ll be free.

Ken: You’re point, Ricky. We’re with you.

Ken’s immovable presence resided in Rick along with all his brothers, and in the place where their souls were one, their arms encircled him just as his arms wrapped around Loy. Kevin’s Avatar was primary for what needed to be done and he synchronized them, locking them together and becoming the focus of their power and will within the ‘bubble.'

Meeting the eyes of the creature, Rick said, “Alright, you fucker. You had your chance to let us go. We tried to play nice, but now we’re tearing this place apart.”

A wave of light burst from Rick, expanding outward. Everything it touched blurred, dissolving into nothing. The creature’s anger quickly turned to panic, and as it realized what was happening, it stopped attacking them, throwing all of its power into protecting itself and its domain.

The wave of light slowed and stalled, and Rick’s strain was evident, with every muscle taut in his effort. Sweat poured off him, but his determination and resolve didn’t waver. When the creature pushed back, he pushed harder.

In the physical realm on the plains of the Serengeti, sweat poured off Ken and the rest of them from their efforts in the humid air. They only wore their swimming shorts and boat shoes, and the light of their power and Avatars reflected off their wet skin, emphasizing the musculature of their bodies.

The seams of Rick’s shorts started ripping as his legs thickened, and Loy had to tense his own body because Rick held him so tightly. Reaching up, Loy gripped Rick’s arms around him, feeling the strength of his lover.

They all dug deep, but the creature fought them with strength born of desperation, knowing their success meant its demise. Continuing to match them power for power, the conflict escalated.

The minutes stretched on, and none of them had ever been pushed for so long. Their training and conditioning were evident, but every time they dug deeper, somehow, the creature matched their effort.

Lane’s Avatar, either from the ether or Remiel, showed him a vision, and as tightly linked as they were, everyone saw it.

As Ken lay dying in the valley of the tree and Michael fought to keep the blood curse at bay, Drew used the stone against the Curse. It was a deep magic and powerful.

Ken: No! We’re not involvin’ Drew in this!

<><>  

Tired and exhausted after hours of swimming and laughing in the hot Pacific sun, the boys had a snack before Henry tucked them in for a nap. He knew it would take a while for them to fall asleep. Even through his worry for Loy and Rick, Henry smiled as he slid the cabin door nearly closed, leaving it open enough to hear them if they needed anything.

As Henry made his way back to the main cabin, he heard the boys whispering excitedly. Drew was in heaven having two friends close to his own age to play and talk with. The three boys had a lot in common; they all lost either one or both of their parents, they loved Iron Man and Marvel, and they had difficult lives to be so young. Bonds quickly formed as they talked and got to know one another, and it didn’t take long for the empathy between them to grow. It was rare they got to laugh and giggle and be free to have fun with no repercussions.

It didn’t take long before the boys were out like lights, all piled on the bed together with the wolf-spirit curled up at the foot of the bed, vigilant in her duty. Calmly, she turned her head at the small flash of light in the tiny cabin, not alarmed in the least at the arrival of The Dove.

Drew.

Drew slept heavily, but the sound of someone calling his name woke him up. It was a voice he had only heard a few times, and the comforting presence accompanied it. Sitting up, he rubbed his eyes sleepily while Brett and Tommy slept soundly. He saw The Dove at the foot of the bed looking at him.

Your uncles need you. Go to your father.

Crawling out of bed, he quickly ran down the hall to find Henry in the lounge talking with the doctor and Albrecht with serious looks on their faces. A tightness gripped Drew’s chest out of fear for his uncles. If the bird-man said they were in trouble, it must be bad, and he was crying by the time he got to Henry.

“Drew? What’s the matter, honey?”

“I have to help them, Daddy! They need me!”

“Who, honey? Is everything alright with Tommy and Brett?”

“My uncles!”

The doctor and Albrecht raised their eyebrows.

A chill ran down Aaron’s spine at how Drew could know what was happening. On ZEUS and under the runes protections, he should be immune to influences, and the wolf-spirit protected him.

Picking Drew up, Henry set him on his lap. The wolf-spirit materialized beside them, growling low in her throat. Drew’s eyes turned white, and he pulled Henry into a link. He had never done that before and it shocked Henry. He didn’t try to resist but made sure they didn’t go too deeply together. Immediately, Drew’s anxiety was evident, and Henry heard The Dove's words in Drew’s memory. Linked with the doctor and Albrecht, Henry shared it with them.

Henry was aware of the wellspring building in Drew as the incarnations rushed to the surface. His anxiety agitated them, and Henry was afraid of what might happen if his son lost control.

Drew! Listen to me, honey! Focus!

Squinting his eyes tightly, Drew shouted in his mind as loudly as he could: Uncles!

<> 

As powerful as they were at that moment, even focused and straining in their struggle against the creature, Drew’s cry across the planet was clear to them. Panic hit first, thinking something horrible must be happening for him to call to them, and Brad pulled Drew into their link, feeling Henry with him.

Drew?! Henry?! What’s wrong?!

I have to help you! He said so!

Ken was about to intervene, but Brad sent him a private thought.

I’m not sure what’s happening, Ken, but he knows something, and we could use his help. He’s powerful and unchanneled, but he and Henry could be the edge we need to end this and save Loy and Rick.

Fuck, B! I don’t like it… I don’t want him in any danger!

It looks like he’s in this, whether we want him to be or not.

Ken made a split-second decision.

Dar, get them here.

Vanishing from ZEUS, Henry and Drew appeared beside them. With their minds open and seeing everything, Drew and Henry were nearly blinded by the storm of power surging around them.

Drew’s face was serious, and his young jaw was set as tear trails ran down his cheeks. With one arm around Henry’s neck and shoulder, he held out his other hand, summoning the stone. Henry groaned when it appeared, but realized it was inevitable. The she-wolf materialized by Henry’s side, pressed against his bare leg, leaning into him and letting him know she was present.

Henry pushed his misgivings aside; he loved his son, and he loved the men in front of him.

Whispering in Drew’s ear, Henry said, “Okay, Drew… let’s show them what we got!”

Squeezing the stone so hard his hand shook, it began to smoke, and Henry was impressed at the surge of power from his son… raw and uncontrolled but incredibly powerful. Drawing on his own formidable strength, Henry channeled his and Drew’s energies, joining with his brothers.

Screaming, the hatred and anger in the creature's voice turned to panic. The nimbus around Rick started moving again. It was slow, but the movement, proof of their efforts, gave them what they needed to dig that much deeper. Henry and Drew made the difference. None of them had ever felt such a strain, not even when they reset the demon Azaziel to his original angelic state.

With his Understanding and perspective inside the ‘bubble,' Rick saw tears forming, and with each tiny rip, the creature’s power lessened.

Rick: One last push, guys!

With one massive surge, expressing everything they had left in them, the pocket reality shredded. It was unclear where the mass and energy of the bubble went; it simply ceased to exist. Brad and a few of the guys were wizards at physics and wondered what happened. With the dissipation of the pocket reality, Alariel staggered to one knee. He was the bridge for the massive amount of energy that ran through them all.

Everyone dropped to their knees in relief, clinging to one another as their chests heaved. Rick and Loy, their bodies on the ground with the lions, woke with a start. Even as their eyes opened, a small sparrow hawk appeared, flying off in a panic.

Remembering Loy’s comment, Darren teleported the tiny creature into his hands, careful not to injure it. The part of his Avatar that came from Loy told him it wasn’t a bird, and he had no idea what it was.

The spirits of the two lions that died attacking the creature appeared along with the sparrow hawk. Loy’s last command to them was to go and be reborn, but their bodies were freshly dead. Their bodies were undamaged in the physical realm, so still filled with power, Loy reconnected their spirits and they stood up.

On his knees, Henry cradled Drew against him. The stone fell to the ground as Drew went limp in his arms. Scanning Drew’s energy centers, Henry realized Drew was simply exhausted and passed out.

Whispering, “You did great, kiddo. I’m so proud of you,” he kissed Drew’s forehead and hugged him tighter. Ken’s strong arms encircled Henry and Drew, pulling them into a protective embrace.

“Thanks, Henry. How is he?”

“He’s exhausted, but he’ll be fine. He’s getting stronger, Ken. All the work you guys help him with and the training is paying off.”

“You and Drew made the difference, but how did he know? What the hell happened?”

Locking eyes with Ken, Henry took a deep breath, his eyes watering as his emotions ran loose.

“It was The Dove, Ken. It spoke to him again. It woke him up and told him you needed help.”

Seeing the concern on Henry’s face and hearing the catch in his voice, Ken cupped his hand behind Henry’s neck, squeezing firmly.

Henry’s voice cracked when he said, “Fuck, Ken. I’m so scared for him. Who or what is it that’s talking to my son?”

“I don’t know, Henry, but we’ll figure it out. You have my word.”

With both arms around Henry and Drew, Ken hugged them protectively, saying, “It’s gonna be okay, bud.”

While Ken was with Henry and Drew, Brad moved to Loy and Rick. Looking up, they saw Brad’s sweaty, smiling face.

“Welcome back, ladies. I swear, every time you two run off together you get into trouble! You’re under curfew from now on!”

They laughed as Brad held his hands out, pulling them to their feet. As it often did, humor covered the intensity of the moment, and Brad pulled Rick and Loy into a tight embrace, his relief and concern evident in the strength of his hug and how grateful he was they were okay.

Once Brad let them go, hugs followed from the rest of the guys. Loy laughed as once there was enough room, the young male lion jumped up, putting both paws on Loy’s shoulders, licking his face.

Lane was just opening his mouth to make a ‘big pussy’ joke when Loy looked right at him and said, “Don’t you dare!” and everybody burst out laughing.

Alariel’s form shimmered, shifting into his human visage. With his cowl thrown back, once again they were reminded how much he looked like his half-brother. Moving to him, Loy pulled him into a tight hug.

“Thanks, Alariel. You saved my ass, and Rick’s. We owe you big time.”

Everyone heard the sound of fluttering wings as Barachiel appeared with glowing tear trails covering his cheeks. Ignoring everyone, he addressed Alariel directly with soul-wrenching intensity.

“I told you not to intervene!”

Meeting Barachiel’s gaze, his face sad and grim, Alariel quietly replied, “I had no choice.”

Cupping his hand behind Loy’s neck and shoulder, Alariel said, “I am sorry, brother, but my actions must be accounted for. I do not regret what I did. You, the others, the boy… You are too important. We will see each other again, but it will be a long time, even as we reckon it.”

His eyes shifting back to Barachiel, he said, “I was promised.”

Raising his head to the heavens, Barachiel shouted, “WHY!?”

There was no answer as his voice echoed through the physical and spiritual realms.

With a panicked look on his face, Loy asked, “Wait! What do you mean? Where are you going?!”

Looking intently into his half-brother’s eyes, Alariel said, “Do not fail,” and he vanished. He didn’t cross the veil; he just vanished.

Loy spun to ask Barachiel what was going on, but he, too, was gone. Falling to his knees, the realization of what his half-brother did for him hit Loy hard. He just started to get to know him, and now he was gone, and Loy had no idea when he would see him again. Loy’s chest tightened with emotion, and he felt short of breath. Rick and Ken were at his side in a heartbeat.

Wrapping his arms around his lover, Rick said, “I’m sorry, Loy.”

Ken put his arms around both his brothers but didn’t say a word. He knew full well what Loy was going through, and he expressed his regret and sorrow through the strength of his arms.

Raising her head, the she-wolf howled in the spiritual realm, expressing her sorrow for Loy and her acknowledgment of Alariel’s actions, knowing the strength and depth of pack-bonds and the pain of absence.

Still deeply linked and filled with power, thick white energy coursed between them, fully visible in the spiritual realm. Tapping into it, Lane healed and restored them, replenishing their physical bodies and removing the strain and stress of their conflict with the creature.

Ken said, “Guys, let’s get back ‘ta ZEUS. We’re safer there, and we can piece together what just happened.”

Looking down, Henry realized the stone was gone. No one felt Thomin’s presence, but he must have retrieved it unnoticed.

<> 

No one saw or sensed the black-skinned creature a short distance away, hidden behind some dense foliage and holding the stone in his hand. His Magic wrapped him protectively, shielding him from their senses. With the stone in plain sight, he was able to summon it, and his thin, lipless mouth curved slightly in a smile at the fortunate turn of events.

The thick musculature of his arm tensed as he squeezed the stone until it smoked the color of blood. Drawing on its power, he masked its presence from the archangel Thomin, whom he knew would try to recall it soon.

His unnaturally deep voice quiet, he uttered, “I will avenge you soon, my son.”

The event that drew him there, the destruction of the pocket reality, he interpreted as nature correcting and balancing itself. Few such pockets still existed, and his people monitored such abnormalities as a part of their province.

Turning to the guard next to him, he said, “Stay here but remain hidden. Alert me immediately if they return.”

The leader of the Eschphene vanished back beyond the Pale to make his preparations.

<><>  

Henry settled Drew back in bed with Tommy and Brett, but he was still wound up, and his eyes watered again as he leaned over to kiss Drew’s forehead, saying, “Sleep tight, honey. You have a big day tomorrow.”

With a heavy sigh, Henry thought: Like you didn’t have one already.

Henry glanced nervously around the room as if he expected to see something. The she-wolf, seated at the foot of the bed guarding Drew, made herself visible. Nodding to her, Henry left, sliding the door nearly shut, keeping it open enough so the guys could hear Drew or the boys if they woke up.

He went back to the den where nearly the entire team was gathered. Sally was still in Atlanta with Kelly, Chloe, and the Keenans. At least for the night, the soldiers and their families in Australia were alone.

Bryan asked, “He all tucked in?”

“Yeah, he’s still out like a light.”

Glancing at Bill and Kevin, he said, “Tommy and Brett are fine. They never woke up as far as I can tell.”

All lightly linked, Brad pulled everyone deeper. Darren’s eyes turned white briefly, and with a small surge of power, the heavy sweat covering them evaporated in a few seconds. Their hair was dry a few seconds later, as well as their clothes.

Darren sat on the end of the sectional by Ken, who reached over and patted Darren’s shoulder in acknowledgment and thanks. Holding the sparrow hawk in his hands, Darren put it to sleep with his mind rather than the part of his Avatar that came from Loy. He didn’t know what to make of that but figured he would learn soon enough.

Ken: Alright guys, first off, Loy, you and Rick share everything with us from the time you arrived in Africa.

Loy and Rick’s eyes flashed white, and the memories of their entire experience became a part of their brothers. The doctor and Albrecht were in the link, and their faces paled as everything was shared.

Albrecht: It cannot be! He cannot be alive! It’s been over 800 years!

Loy: We have no way of knowing how long he was trapped in that ‘bubble.’ While he was there, he was safe for all intents and purposes. There were no predators, and he didn’t need food or water.

Moving over, Albrecht gently took the small bird from Darren, holding it in his hands.

His voice quivering with emotion, he said, “Oh my friend… all these long years!”

Tears fell down Albrecht’s cheeks as he looked at his old friend, trapped in the animal form he witnessed the day of General Mstislav’s defeat.

Lane’s eyes turned white, and his Avatar gripped him in a brief but intense vision.

Everyone looked at him apprehensively, worried that after everything that already transpired that day, something else was about to happen.

With an other-worldly quality, Lane’s voice echoed with power as he whispered, “We can free him, guys. We need to. That’s why Loy and Rick found him.”

<> 

Silence fell among them as the magnitude of events sank in. In retrospect, the puppet strings were evident - Loy’s sudden idea for Drew’s birthday surprise, getting trapped in the pocket reality, where ‘just by chance’ a member of The Order who carried a Gift and was thought to be dead for hundreds of years happened to be trapped. Loy’s emotions were all over the map. Shaking with anger, his emotions stormed through the link.

Alariel is gone for God knows how long so we could rescue Giovanni?

Sitting forward, Loy hung his head while Rick’s hand ran over his back, trying to calm him.

I’m sorry, Albrecht, that came out wrong.

I know what you meant, Loy. No offense taken.

Through their link, Loy’s emotions and intentions were clear. He was angry at the situation and at whoever was responsible, not Giovanni.

Moving over, Aaron knelt in front of Loy. Putting one hand on Loy’s solid shoulder, with his other hand he lifted Loy’s chin, forcing eye contact, and the loving comfort of the doctor’s presence was a balm to Loy’s heart and mind.

Loy… it hurts me to see you in such a state. I am not advocating the methods of whoever is behind all this, but Alariel is alive, and you will see him again. That is small consolation at the moment, I know, and I am not belittling your grief or your brother’s actions. However, I am grateful you are alive, and Richard and all of your brothers. In addition, you brought an old friend back to us we thought lost forever. Yours and Alariel’s actions brought Giovanni back into the world. If whoever is pulling strings desired that to happen, it must be more significant than we yet realize.

Loy’s eyes were wet, but his anger lessened at the doctor’s words.

I’m not angry at Giovanni, doc. It just chaps me how casually my brother was used to further the goals of whoever is pulling our strings.

My guess, Loy, is whoever is behind Alariel’s actions also grieves over his absence. In the many years of my involvement in the battle, I have learned how difficult decisions can be, especially when others face the consequences of your choices. That is part of the battle of free will and why it is so important. Try to take comfort that you will see Alariel again.

Also - he stopped to look around at his young charges – now that you are immortal, you will feel the passage of time differently. Time will move faster, and it will not seem as long. The years have a way of lessening the pain.

While the doctor spoke, the men embraced Loy in their hearts, sharing his anger and grief and being present with him to lean on. The warmth of their bodies and arms surrounded him in the place where their souls were one, just as Rick’s were physically.

Loy, embarrassed to be the center of attention, swiped the tears from his eyes and said, “Thanks, guys. I’m okay. Let’s focus on the mission.”

Getting up to go to the galley, as Bryan walked by, he ruffled Loy’s hair in affection, leaning over to kiss the top of his head, whispering, “Love you, Bubba.”

Ken brought everyone back to focus, “Alright, doc, Albrecht, is there anything more we need ‘ta know about Giovanni before we proceed?”

Albrecht replied, “Giovanni was a great member of The Order, much to the chagrin of Charisa. He always used his Gift to help either man or animal, staunchly refusing her attempts to use it as a weapon. After his disappearance, tales of his kindness continued to spread throughout Europe. As is often the case, memories made him greater than he was in life. The Catholic Church eventually canonized him, bestowing Sainthood. If you have ever heard of Saint Francis of Assisi, the Patron Saint of animals, I hold him in my hands.”

There was a smattering of ‘holy shits and ‘fuck me’s at Albrecht’s statement. All of them had heard of St. Francis.

Looking directly at Rick, Albrecht said, “If we can bring Giovanni back, your Avatar, Rick, will be key. He has been lost in this tiny form for centuries. If anything remains of his mind, you will have to unravel it. It won’t be the same as when Bill trapped himself. Giovanni’s mind is not separate and inside of himself, walled off as Bill’s was. If you can separate his mind from that of the sparrow hawk, then Brad can grab hold of it. Even if you can do this, I’m not sure he will be himself. There may be nothing left of him.”

Ken, keeping everyone on track, asked, “Anything else?”

“Nothing pertinent to the attempt.”

Ken’s little kid grin appeared, and looking at Rick, he said, “Okay, Ricky. This is your shindig.”

As Rick stood, his Avatar came to life. All of them noticed, especially Loy, how tall and handsome he looked as he stood. It was the look all of them took on when fulfilling a purpose. Rick’s eyes flashed white, sending the image of where he wanted everyone to stand, Brad and Pat with him at the center, and everyone else at their vector points forming the master rune of their combined Avatars.

Masterfully, he pulled everyone deeper into their link while gently removing the doctor and Albrecht. Their souls coming together settled them, and as always, their breath caught and their eyes watered from the intense emotional intimacy.

Power up, fellas.

For the second time that day, a ghostly image of Yggdrasil formed over the Pacific Ocean. Listening, Lane called on the songs of whales, dolphins, and porpoises in the region. Brad fluttered their merged souls across the veil, and Loy called on animal spirits from the surrounding ocean and the spiritual realm. The power streaming through them, thick and white, felt perfect. Henry was on the periphery of the link, lending them his power, but without an Avatar, he wasn’t able to participate directly.

Ken’s Avatar shone brighter for a brief second as he locked them together and the runes on their shoulders transformed into the master rune. With the barest trickle of power, Darren teleported the small bird from Albrecht’s hands to Rick’s. A hot wind blew their short hair off their foreheads as they stood, tall and powerful, forged into the warriors of The New Order.

Using Pat’s Understanding, Rick gazed at Giovanni. It was subtle and apparent how none of them saw it at first; Giovanni’s mind and soul were tightly intertwined with tiny, delicate threads.

Rick held the little bird out and Bill touched it, reading Giovanni. It was an animal, but also Giovanni, and Bill caught glimpses throughout the years where Giovanni's consciousness tried to assert itself. Those attempts were more frequent in the years following his transformation, but after a time they faded altogether.

However, Bill’s Avatar was potent, especially when he was one with his brothers. He read Giovanni’s entire life as a human before trapping himself, as well as the years of his imprisonment inside the pocket reality. Using his part of Lane’s Avatar, Bill looked through the years, reading Giovanni thoroughly, and everything about the monk, from the moment of his conception to the present, became a part of him.

Tiny, delicate tendrils seeped out of Rick’s Aura and into the little bird. It took massive concentration, and before long Rick sweated from the effort. The interwoven threads between Giovanni and the sparrow hawk were fine and delicate, each a piece of Giovanni’s mind, and Rick had to unravel them without breaking them. The minutes stretched out, and the strain on Rick was evident.

Channeling mild flows of healing into Rick and all of them, Lane relieved the stress and tension from their bodies, regulating their body homeostasis and muscle tone, keeping them all at peak efficiency. Ken filled with pride at how all of them worked as a team, fully supportive of one another and acting in precise unison.

As time went on, a small orb of light appeared between Rick’s hands, slowly growing larger, made of the threads Rick unraveled from the bird.

Nearly three hours later, Rick breathed a sigh of relief.

Alright, ladies. This is it. Brad, get ready; I have no idea what’s about to happen.

Separating the last strand between everything that was Giovanni and everything that was the sparrow hawk, its little form shimmered, transforming into the man from Loy’s dream.

Delving into Giovanni’s mind instantly, Brad calmed the panic and fear threatening to overwhelm the monk, walling off Giovanni’s mind and putting him in a deep sleep. Rick caught Giovanni as he collapsed, unconscious.

Brad went so deep in Giovanni’s mind that time nearly stood still, and pulling from his brothers, he rebuilt the man. Most of Giovanni’s early memories were lost, but his life was known to them through Bill, even what Giovanni no longer remembered or was unaware of during his transformation. Restoring the memories, Brad rebuilt his mind, leaving intact everything from his sacrifice up to the present. It was a part of him, and even though it would be difficult, Brad felt the need for it to be there.

A fraction of a second passed, and Brad was done.

Looking at the doctor and Albrecht, he nodded, saying, “We’ve done all we can. I think a few familiar faces will help calm him when he wakes.”

Albrecht and Aaron moved over, kneeling beside their friend, their faces hopeful and eager. Thinking him lost forever, now he was about to come back into their lives thanks to their young charges.

“Oh yeah… he’ll speak modern English when he wakes. I figured it would be easier than archaic Church Latin or Italian.”

Lane muttered, “Showoff,” and Brad grinned, shrugging his shoulders.

<><> 

Taking one of Giovanni’s hands, Albrecht held it tightly. Aaron was with him, his hands on both of theirs, and with the gentlest of connections, Aaron woke him.

Giovanni’s eyes slowly opened, remaining unfocused for a few seconds. His brow furrowed in confusion, and then he started to panic and sit up, but Albrecht put his other hand on Giovanni’s chest to hold him down.

“It’s alright! Aaron and I are here.”

“Albrecht? Aaron? Where am I? What happened?”

“It’s a long story, my friend.”

Ken said, “Guys, let’s go swim for a bit and give them some time.”

Giovanni stared, looking around the room at the muscular, handsome men glowing softly with a warm and comfortable light that touched his soul. They smiled at him, and he relaxed as the soothing peace emanating from them washed over him.

Winking at him, Lane said, “Welcome back!” as they moved out to the dive deck to give the doctor, Albrecht, and Giovanni some privacy.

<><> 

Shedding their trunks, they dove into the water.

Within a minute everyone had all the floats and noodles in the water, facing each other in a ring.

Brad broke the silence, saying, “I don’t envy the doc and Albrecht right now.”

Rubbing the back of Brad’s hand with his thumb, Ken’s emotions ran deep at the moment, and he said, “Yeah, but it’s great he’s back in their lives. Everyone from The Old Order is dead now except the doc, Albrecht, and Taliesin. Havin’ someone come back into their lives they’ve known for so long has gotta be a great feelin’.”

Lane muttered, “Yeah, and this guy isn’t an asshole!”

Trying to lighten the mood, Bryan said, “It’s hard to imagine knowing someone for thousands of years. I mean, I’ve only known most of you fuckers for twenty-something years, and it seems like fucking forever already.”

Everybody chuckled, and a few of them splashed him.

Continuing to float, they chatted quietly, cracking occasional jokes or hanging shit on one another when out of the blue, a surge of power from inside ZEUS shocked them, followed by a scream of pain.

Feeling the doctor in his mind, Darren looked through Aaron’s eyes, and synchronizing their Avatars, he teleported everyone out of the water and into the den. The eleven men, soaking wet and naked, appeared around the doctor and Albrecht.

Writhing on the couch, Giovanni screamed as his energy centers chaotically fluctuated while his form shifted and changed uncontrollably.

Ken: Doc?! Talk to us!

Loy’s eyes flashed white, and his Avatar glowed brightly, in tune with Giovanni’s sporadic energy flows. Staggering briefly, he quickly got himself under control, and holding out his hand he linked with Giovanni. His Avatar responding, he instinctively exerted his will, calming the energy flows in both of them.

Slumping in relief, Giovanni breathed heavily, drenched in sweat from the pain and tension of whatever was happening.

I am not sure, Kenneth. We were talking, and suddenly he was in massive pain and discomfort. From his reaction, I would say the Gift is rejecting him. That has never happened with any of the Gifts I have been witness to.

Giovanni’s voice was deep and gentle, and he had a hint of a smile on his face as he breathed heavily in relief.

Looking at Loy, he said, “I am sorry, my friend. It wants to go to you. I can feel it. I am broken, and it no longer wishes to stay with me.”

One with Ken, Kevin, Rick, and Bryan, Pat’s Avatar magnified exponentially, and he looked at Giovanni with his full Understanding. The connection between the Gift and Loy’s Avatar was clear; it seemed as though they were made to go together, just as Lane’s Avatar and the Gift he carried.

Brad: How can that be? The Gifts are ancient, and our Avatars are new. Doc?

I do not know Bradford. It appears to be yet another paradox… Your existence is hidden because of your randomness, and even those in the Highest Order cannot see your paths. How this could be is a mystery.

Is it safe for Loy?

Before anyone could say a word, Loy looked at Giovanni intently. His voice echoing with power, he almost didn’t sound like himself.

“Ask me.”

Even with all of them crowded in the room, it seemed only Loy and Giovanni were present, the moment intensely private between the two men.

Giovanni held his hands up to his chest, his brow furrowed in concentration, and after a brief moment, a memory sphere emerged from his body.

Through his discomfort, Giovanni grinned, saying, “While I still can.”

The memory sphere floated over, entering Loy’s forehead.

Sending a private thought to Loy, Rick asked: Are you sure about this, Loy?

With the two men merged, Rick felt the feral yearning in his lover.

The only thing I’m more sure about is spending my life with you, Rick. I love you more than anything. This is something I have to do; it’s calling me, and I’m not sure I could resist it even if I wanted to, and I’m not sure I should.

Albrecht said, “Loy, drop all links before you do this. The energy transfer will be dangerous to anyone not the recipient. I’m sorry, Rick, but you too, at least until the transfer is complete.”

Loy’s presence vanished, and they were so used to being together, his absence left a hole inside them. Henry’s eyes suddenly watered; he was still getting used to the intense intimacy of being merged with everyone, and Loy’s sudden and abrupt absence created a brief hurt in him.

Kevin, closest to Henry, put an arm around his shoulders and pulled him tight, knowing what Henry felt. In a private thought to Henry, Rick said: It never stops feeling that way, Henry, but you get used to it over time.

Looking directly at Loy, Giovanni asked, “What is your name, my friend?”

Keeping his eyes on Giovanni, Loy asked the doctor, “Which name, doc?  My birth name, or current? Does it matter?”

The doctor replied, “It does not matter. The magic knows and determines your intent and the truth of your answer.”

“Loy Barton.”

“Do you, Loy Barton, accept the Gift of your own free will?”

There was no hesitation in Loy as he replied steadily and evenly, “Yes.”

A silent explosion of light erupted out of Giovanni, and his body arched as his energy centers ran wild. A thick white band of light arced out of Giovanni, hitting the ball of Loy’s shoulder directly on his Avatar.

Loy’s eyes widened as the Gift entered him, and it was like a well-worn glove fitting around him, but one he had never worn. The Gift felt right, establishing a connection with his Avatar in a new manner. Through his Avatar, Loy lived connected to animals and their spirits. He knew what it felt like to fly inside an eagle or swim with a whale, but now he could become them, and he knew there was no danger of losing himself as Giovanni did. Instinctively, he knew the Gift was made for him. He had no idea how that could be, but knew it to be true.

His brothers stared at him as he stood, his chest heaving in the aftermath of the energy coursing through him seconds before. Rick pushed to reunite with him, and Loy let his partner in, wanting to share what he felt with his soulmate, and his brothers followed a fraction of a second later.

A grin spread slowly and widely across his handsome face and Loy muttered, “Oh, hell, yeah!”

Grabbing Loy from behind, Rick crossed his arms over Loy’s torso, and Ken moved in front of Loy, putting his hands on Loy’s shoulders.

Ken’s concern was evident; he had experienced too much loss recently and never wanted to risk a hair on anyone’s head; he needed Loy’s reassurance that he was alright.

Looking directly into Ken’s eyes, Loy smiled and said, “I’m more than alright, Ken.”

Taking Rick’s hand, he quickly moved to the dive deck, pulling Rick with him. Everyone followed, feeling his excitement.

“Time for a test drive!”

Wearing his usual mischievous grin, Lane said, “Show us what you got, Beast Master!”

Crouched on the edge of the dive deck, Loy’s thick thighs and calves flexed, and he launched himself into the air. His form perfect, his arms stretched out with hands together, it appeared as though he was diving, but as his body sailed through the air, his form shimmered, and in a small flash of light, he transformed into a dolphin, slipping into the ocean without a splash.

After seeing the memories of Giovanni transforming into the sparrow hawk, they had an idea of what to expect, but this was Loy, their brother, and they shared his exhilaration. He now knew what it felt like to be another creature, not just being inside them or have them inside of him, but to actually be the animal.

His sleek, powerful body glided through the water. Wondering at the strength of his form, he was also aware of everything around him for miles. He was fully Loy and yet fully a dolphin, a paradox, and there was no danger of losing himself. As the steward of the animal kingdom, now he was also a part of it.

Diving down, he then shot out of the water, showing off for his brothers. His form shimmered again, and he became an Australian Gannet, spreading his wings and taking to the sky, laughing with joy at what he was now able to do.

I’m flying!

His brothers stared in awe, their mouths agape and their eyes wet as they shared Loy’s emotions. Brad’s mind was in overdrive; he was a wizard at math and physics, but what he witnessed was magic. His inquisitive mind wanted to know how much mass Loy could change.

Picking up Brad’s thought, Loy said: Let’s see!

Spinning, he circled, and thirty feet over the water he shimmered, shifting into a massive humpback whale. Twisting his enormous body, he dove nose-first into the water, splashing all of them.

Brad: Holy shit! How?

Loy: I don’t know, and I don’t care! This is amazing!

Shimmering into a sea otter, he wildly flipped and gyrated as he swam blindingly fast towards the dive deck. Popping out of the water, his form shimmered again, and Loy landed lithely on the deck in Rick’s arms. Immediately, everyone reached out to touch him and hold him against them, sharing his emotional high.

<><> 

In the cabin, Albrecht looked on the familiar face of his old friend, but now with a haunted look about him. Albrecht had no idea what his friend had been through and didn’t want to ask him to merge so soon.

“Are you alright?”

“I do not know. I have so many questions. I feel strange. I am mortal again. How long was I gone?”

“Eight hundred years.”

“My God! How did I survive? What of the general? The last thing I remember was trying to flee…”

Giovanni’s eyes teared up at the fresh memory of the bodies of his brothers, torn apart. To him, it was only moments ago.

“I will ask Darren to send us back to Atlanta. It will be more private, and we can spend as much time there as you need. The world has changed much, Giovanni. Some of it you will like, and much of it you will not. We still fight The Enemy.”

Aaron interjected, “I think it no coincidence you have come back now. We are on the brink of finally winning or losing the battle forever. You are mortal and can no longer protect yourself. We have three sanctuaries; one of them is this craft.”

Giovanni looked around at ZEUS as Aaron spoke. The ultra-modern craft with all its technology was inconceivable to him.

Pulling Giovanni to his feet, Albrecht embraced him, and Aaron put his arms around the two of them. Another member of The Old Order was with them again, one they thought lost to them forever. The profundity of the event did not go unnoticed by either the doctor or Albrecht, and they needed time to ponder the situation and all the ramifications of what it might mean.

It might only be the Gift was needed for Loy and whoever manipulated them saw Giovanni as a means to an end, but Aaron didn’t think it was that simple. Whoever it was, and he was beginning to have his suspicions, he was sure there was more to it than Loy receiving the Gift.

For the night, however, they needed to comfort their old friend and make sure he would be alright.

The doctor’s eyes flashing white, he thought: Darren? Would you be so kind as to send us back to the lab in Atlanta?

<><><>  

Since their father’s death nearly a week ago, Craig had withdrawn into himself, and Jacob was worried about him. Rich, Guy, Nathan, and Caleb tried their best to engage Craig, encouraging him to stay active, but he kept to his room with the door shut. On the other hand, Jacob was a tough Marine, and his way of dealing with the situation was to work his emotions out physically. Pushing himself in the gym harder than ever, he drove himself to exhaustion and then pushed even more until he had no energy left to grieve.

Regardless of his own exhaustion, Jacob always looked in on his younger brother. Jacob wasn’t close to his mother and didn’t know how to talk to her, so he left her in the care of the other mothers. Forced to cope without using sedatives, she had used up everything she brought with her, and Albrecht wouldn’t allow her more.

It was late, and Jacob showered, getting ready for bed. Padding down the hallway to Craig’s door, clad only in his shorts, he pushed the call button. He tried the door but it was locked. He kept pushing the button until Craig finally opened the door. Craig’s eyes were red, and it was apparent he had been crying.

“Hey, bro, can I come in?”

Craig didn’t answer but moved back, plopping face down on the bed, leaving the door open for Jacob to enter. Jacob paused, at a loss for words. Pale, with his hair a mess, Craig didn’t look good at all.

Not knowing what to say, Jacob finally blurted out, “You need to eat… You weren’t at dinner.”

“I’m not hungry.”

Moving over, Jacob sat on the edge of Craig’s bed, putting a hand on his bare shoulder, rubbing his back like he did when Craig was little and upset after their parents fought.

“It doesn’t matter. You need to keep your strength up, or you’re going to start losing the muscle you’ve worked so hard to build up. Besides, all the guys miss you, bro, especially me.”

Gripping Craig’s bicep, Jacob squeezed it, emphasizing his comment about Craig’s muscles.

“I don’t care.”

“You say that now, but you will.”

Jacob didn’t want to push Craig to talk about their father. His younger brother needed to work through a few things on his own, so Jacob shifted the conversation to Drew’s birthday party.

“So, what about tomorrow? Drew’s going to be upset if we don’t show for his birthday party.”

“Go without me.”

“I told you, that’s not happening. I’m not leaving you alone.”

“I’ll decide in the morning.”

“Hey, Craig….”

The hesitation in his brother’s voice caused Craig to look up, and Jacob’s eyes were bright with emotion.

“What?”

“Would you mind if I slept in here tonight? Like we used to when we were kids? I don’t want to be alone.”

“Yeah, I’d like that. We haven’t done that in ages.”

Jacob stood, and Craig moved over. The beds were single width, and both men were tall and broad-shouldered. Jacob was thicker and more muscular than Craig from his training, but Craig was well on his way to catching up, and the two men filled the bed.

Jacob held Craig against him, draping an arm over his brother and their warm skin felt comforting. For a time, as they fell asleep, they were once again two little boys watching out for each other. As Jacob held his younger brother, he cried inside for Craig, still wanting to protect him and make things right. He didn’t let his tears fall outwardly, not wanting to appear weak; he needed to be a man.

They slept better that night than they had since their father died.

<><><>  

Kent Peterson wasn’t sure of the passage of time. So utterly alone and miserable, his mind couldn’t focus on anything but his wretchedness. One of the worst things about his imprisonment was not getting hungry, and even if he did, there was nothing to eat or drink. He missed food so badly. He also didn’t need sleep. He tried at first but couldn’t, eventually realizing that was part of the point of the place he was in… to relentlessly ponder his situation for eternity with no reprieve.

At first, his preoccupation with food kept Kent from realizing how lonely he was. It wasn’t simply missing his wife and buddies; it was more than that. Kent wasn’t a religious man, but he felt adrift from anything meaningful, and he wondered if it was God he missed.

His detachment wasn’t superficial, or his loneliness simple isolation. His soul was no longer connected to any of the realms, and the detachment from everything was soul-crushing. His mind, at first, went numb.

Crying and raging, he blamed everyone for his predicament except himself. Outside time, in his Hell, to him he had already been alone for years. Looking for ways to kill himself, he cried and raged even harder when he stupidly realized he was already dead.

Wretchedness and isolation consumed him, and he occasionally called out in desperation, begging Uriel to come back, if not to take him back then just to talk; however, his cries went unheard as he faced the consequences of his actions in life.

<><><> 

Drew woke up early, needing to pee.

Seeing Brett’s eyes already open, he sleepily said, “Good morning.”

The bodies woke up to the boys whispering loudly, trying to stay quiet. Most of them smiled, knowing how excited Drew was about his birthday. The boys got along exceptionally well. Drew was the youngest of the three, missing Brett by only a few months, and Tommy was two years older than both of them.

They built a fort out of pillows and sheets so they could have a war between The Avengers and Ultron, and even though they meant to be quiet, they made quite a bit of noise. No one thought anything of it, enjoying the sounds of the boys having so much fun.

Since the boys were up, Ken decided to wake Brad for a quick bout of morning sex to start the day. Bryan, Kevin, Rick, and Pat had the same idea, and before long, they felt each other’s auras strengthening.

Darren, ever thoughtful, sent his thoughts across the planet to Atlanta, where Sally waited. Pulling her to ZEUS, she snuck down to Henry’s cabin to wake him in her special way. The guys smiled when she appeared, knowing Henry would have his own morning sex along with the rest of them.

While the boys repeatedly destroyed Ultron and his minions, the adults onboard made intense love, strengthening themselves and enhancing their powers in the process.

Within a few minutes of one another, the couples emerged from their cabins, looking smug, happy, and grinning from ear to ear. There was no embarrassment anymore; they spent almost as much time merged as apart, and there were no secrets. The freedom to be themselves, accepted for who they were with all their faults, was immensely liberating and made the bonds between them unbreakable. They loved each other as men, brothers, and best friends and could no longer imagine living any differently.

Ken’s stomach rumbled loudly as he and Brad arrived in the galley, causing a small string of laughter and jokes. Bryan started breakfast with the help of Bill and Rick. Going down the hall and knocking on the boys’ cabin door, Kevin heard a muffled “Come in” and was shocked when he slid the door open. The small cabin looked like a hurricane had gone through it. Stripping the bed, the boys strung the sheets up to make a fort, using their t-shirts and drawers to anchor the corners.

The boys looked as happy as he had ever seen them, and he smiled, sharing the image through the link; it was a mental Kodak moment they would carry with them forever. Henry clued Sally in, and she dove for her phone, managing to get a few photos. She was the ‘picture queen’ and self-designated chronicler and scrapbook master.

Once Sally got her pictures, Kevin said, “Okay, boys, up and at ’em! Come in and say good morning and let’s get some food in our bellies. We have a long day ahead of us!”

Running down the hallway, the boys were greeted by a chorus of, “Happy Birthday, Drew!”

Drew’s grin was a mile wide as he made his way around for good morning hugs. Bill and Kevin grabbed Tommy and Brett for their morning hug and then passed them around from guy to guy for a hug and a good morning kiss.

Tommy and Brett were ecstatically happy but didn’t know what to make of such open displays of loving affection; it wasn’t something they were used to. The mentalists, especially Brad, were acutely aware of it and whenever possible, the guys sat the boys on their laps and held them. They had such little physical affection in their short lives it hurt the guys to think about it, and they made it a mission to counteract their deprivation with as much love and as many hugs as they could manage without freaking the boys out.

Ken picked Drew up after he made his rounds, and Drew had his arms around his uncle’s solid shoulders.

Ken’s grin appeared, and he asked, “So how old are you today, Drew?”

“I’m six!”

With a wide-eyed look of wonder on his face, Ken exclaimed, “Six, huh? Alright! You know what that means, right?”

Drew looked back, his eyes just as wide and shook his head.

“We have a tradition in the Navy on how we say Happy Birthday. ‘Ya see, normal folks just spank your bottom once for every year, but us Navy guys have a special way of sayin’ it!”

Drew moved his hand down to cover his bottom, which Ken predicted he would do. Ken lifted him up and forward with both his hands under Drew’s armpits and blew six loud, wet raspberries on Drew’s belly button. The first one surprised him, but Drew started squealing and giggling with delight, squirming to get away but loving every second of it.

When he finished, Ken pulled Drew in for another tight hug and said, “Okay, every one of us gets ‘ta do that before the day is over.”

After the giggling stopped, Drew was short of breath, and Bryan took advantage of the momentary pause to ask, “Alright, boys! Cereal, or eggs and toast?”

Tommy and Brett looked sheepish, timid about letting anyone know what they wanted. They typically ate what was put in front of them, rarely ever getting to choose.

Looking at Bill, Rick thought: You’ve read them; what’s their favorite cereal?

Bill kicked himself for not thinking about it before.

Brett’s is Frankenberry, and Tommy’s is Count Chocula.

Kneeling beside the boys at the table, Rick said, “It’s okay to let us know what you want, guys. It’s your choice. I think we have your favorite cereals here somewhere.”

Rick sent a private thought to Darren.

Hey Dar, I’m sorry man, but can you help out here?

On it.

Darren said, “I think the cereal is still packed in one of the boxes in the storeroom. I’ll be right back.”

As soon as Darren was out of sight, he vanished, appearing halfway around the planet in his kitchen. There was a 24/7 grocery store close to his house, and he quickly skimmed minds in the area until he located the store.

Changing his appearance to shorts and a t-shirt, he appeared at the grocery store. It was late in the evening in North America so the store wasn’t crowded, and he trotted to the cereal aisle and grabbed the boxes. With his mind, he entered the barcodes into the self-checkout register and his credit card information.

In less than a few minutes he was back on ZEUS hollering, “Found ’em!”

Entering the galley, he set the cereal boxes on the table in front of the boys.

Thanks, Dar.

Hey, today is all about making it fun for the boys, right? No sweat, guys.

Drew wanted cheesy eggs and cinnamon toast, and once the boys ate, they wanted to swim. Henry said he would watch them, and Loy, Bill, and Brad joined them.

The morning flew by, and it couldn’t have been more perfect. The weather was hot and humid, but they stayed cool in the ocean. Loy didn’t flaunt his new ability, but he did call all sorts of sea life for the boys.

At first, Tommy and Brett were frightened by the huge whales, but once Bill and Kevin got on with them, they overcame any fear or hesitancy.

Bryan, with help from a few of the guys, cooked nonstop. He had snacks for the boys, lots of juice packs to keep them hydrated and energized, and food for the hyper-metabolized adults.

Noticing Darren sipping apple juice, Bryan winked at him. Darren’s eyes watered as he sent a mental hug and a thumbs up to his brother. When Darren lay dying in Thomin’s Vault, Bryan sent the apple juice bags with Drew, knowing they were his favorite.

Everyone mentally embraced Darren over the memory; it was the dark times that made days like Drew’s birthday that much more precious.

Later in the morning, the guys put on a dive show for the boys. Darren synchronized their Avatars, teleporting the men high in the air so they could cannonball or flip and splash into the water. The boys were too scared to do it themselves but squealed with delight as they watched Bill and Kevin and the others do it.

Henry had to be the party pooper and force the boys to take a short nap. To stop the grumbling, he promised them a surprise when they woke up. They had been playing non-stop for hours already, and as soon as their heads hit the pillows, they fell asleep.

The adults enjoyed the quiet time to float peacefully without their trunks and drank more beer. About half an hour went by when Henry heard Drew’s voice in his mind.

Daddy?

Drew sounded sleepy, but there was a strong undercurrent of worry in his son.

Drew? What’s the matter, honey?

Tommy’s crying. He’s pretending to be asleep, but he’s not.

I’ll be right there, buddy.

Not saying anything yet to Bill or Kevin, Henry got out of the water and went inside, grabbing a towel and wrapping it around his waist on his way to the cabin.

Listening a few seconds before opening the cabin door, he heard Tommy softly crying. Sliding the cabin door open, Tommy was on the bed facing the wall. Brett slept soundly, and Drew sat up in bed.

Do you know what’s wrong?

No Daddy. He won’t talk to me. I asked him, and he rolled over.

Brett was a heavy sleeper, and Henry gently moved him over. Drew got out of the way, and Henry squeezed his big frame between the boys so he was snugly against Tommy.

Resting a hand gently on Tommy’s shoulder, he asked, “Tommy, what’s wrong, honey?”

Tommy’s voice, muffled from facing the corner, replied with a distorted, “Nothing.”

Reaching his arm around, Henry put a hand on Tommy’s chest and pulled him snuggly against his own warm body, knowing it would be comforting.

“It doesn’t sound like nothing. Come on, honey, roll over and give me a hug and tell me what’s wrong.”

It took a moment, and Tommy cried harder, but rolling over, he wrapped his arms around Henry as best he could, burying his face against Henry’s neck.

Henry held him, stroking his back until Tommy calmed down.

Once most of the tears stopped, Henry said, “Tommy, look at me.”

Looking into Tommy’s sad eyes, Henry said, “There’s nothing to be afraid of. Everybody here loves you, especially Bill and Kevin. You can tell us anything, and it's private, just between us. Can you tell me why you’re crying?”

Henry learned a lot from the doctor in the last year about being a dad and how Drew’s mind worked. He was sure it would be the same with Tommy and had a good idea of the problem.

Tommy said, “I don’t know.”

There were definite advantages to being a telepath. Henry learned how painful and uncomfortable most human minds were, but children usually weren’t that bad. He thought he should call Bill and Kevin, but his gut told him ‘not yet.’

Shielding himself, Henry brought Tommy into a link, letting Tommy feel his warm, loving presence and concern.

Tommy’s emotions were all over the map, but Henry learned how to sort through everything with Drew. The fact was, Tommy didn’t know what he felt and was overwhelmed. Being around Rick and the other bodies affected Tommy, and barriers he didn’t even know he had were breaking down. Stifled emotions were welling to the surface, confusing him.

The most prominent feelings, which didn’t surprise Henry at all, were shame and guilt. In Tommy’s unconscious mind, he didn’t deserve what was happening to him. He was having too much fun with no consequences. In Tommy’s limited experience, happiness was short-lived, and something horrible nearly always happened to counter it, eventually getting to the point where he didn’t want to be happy because it was easier just to get by.

When Bill and Kevin came into his life, everything changed. The days when the two big men spent time with him were different, but when they left the orphanage, he went back to the mundane life of being a boy nobody wanted. Brett was the only constant in his life, and he was terrified deep down of being separated from his brother. Henry’s eyes teared up over what he saw in Tommy. He had gone through the same thing with Drew.

Hugging Tommy tightly against him, Henry thought: I understand Tommy. I get it. You don’t have to say anything.

Tommy, through the link, knew Henry told him the truth, and it made him more ashamed that Henry knew.

No! Tommy, don’t feel that way! You deserve to be happy! You do! I’m so sorry, honey, for the shitty life you’ve had, but that’s not normal. I hate it for you, but don’t let that stop you from having a good time. You’re with people who care about you.

Drew’s voice entered the link, and his voice took on the adult-like quality he sometimes expressed.

I care, Tommy. I’m your friend.

I don’t want to go back!

The words blurted out of Tommy like an explosion and all his pent-up emotions with them.

<><> 

Bill floated, resting against Kevin, while the hot sun beat down on him. Being naked in the water with his lover and his brothers was so relaxing. His mind and heart rested in Kevin as well, just like he rested in Kevin’s arms. Kevin loved holding Bill, doing it at home when they slept. Bill needed comfort more than ever as his Avatar constantly bombarded him with information and images often difficult or painful to see.

Bill’s stomach suddenly lurched in the way that told him something was wrong. It was just a twinge, but enough to get his attention. Intuitively, Bill noticed Henry still hadn’t come back. At first, he thought maybe it was an extended bathroom break but to be sure, he thought: Henry? Everything alright?

No, Bill, not really. I was just about to call you. Drew asked me to check on Tommy because he was crying.

Pulling Henry into the private link he and Kevin shared, Bill gently merged the three of them. Henry’s breath caught as his eyes flashed white. Tommy felt Henry's reaction and looked at his handsome face, inches from his own, seeing tears in Henry’s white eyes. Reaching up, he put his hand against Henry’s rough cheek.

Bill took them so deep that time nearly stood still, and Henry shared the last few minutes with his brothers. Expecting them to be upset, he was there to soften what he knew they would feel. Their first reaction was guilt for not seeing or realizing what Tommy was going through.

It’s okay, guys. If anything, I should have seen this coming because I went through it with Drew. There’s no instruction manual on dealing with kids, and I know you aren’t used to having them around, so don’t feel like you let them down. I’m going to take Tommy and meet you on the upper deck away from everyone else. I’ll get Drew back to sleep, and he and Brett can finish their nap. I’ll be right there.

Is Tommy going to be alright, Daddy?

Yes, honey. I’m taking him to talk to your Uncle Bill and Uncle Kevin. Can you stay with Brett and go back to sleep? He might not want to be by himself if he wakes up.

Yes, Daddy.

Henry leaned over, still holding Tommy, and kissed Drew on the top of his head.

I love you, Drew. You’re a good son, and I’m proud of you.

Grinning, Drew resettled himself on the bed.

<><> 

Making his way to the upper deck where he had talked with Bill and Kevin the night before, Henry saw the anxiety on their faces as he came up the steps.

Tommy was calmer, but they heard him sniffling. Henry transferred Tommy to Bill, and the young boy desperately clung to Bill’s torso, his arms around his neck and shoulders and his legs as far around Bill’s waist as he could reach. Kevin put his arms around both of them, so Tommy was between the two men.

Do you guys want me to stay?

Thanks, Henry, but we’ll take a stab at this.

I’m only a thought away if you need me, alright?

Kevin pulled off, hugging Henry, and whispered, “Thanks, bud. You’re awesome.”

Grinning, Henry said, “Remember what we started to talk about last night? You can make this work.”

Putting his hand on Tommy’s shoulder, his face gentle and voice compassionate, Henry said, “You’re gonna be fine, kiddo. I promise.”

Henry left them alone, and silence followed. Neither Bill nor Kevin knew what to say. With all their training and powers, this wasn’t something they were prepared for. Henry made it look so easy with Drew, and they had a newfound respect for their brother.

On instinct, the two men merged, becoming one. They knew the dangers of merging with such a young mind, but Bill opened Tommy’s heart and took him down with them to the place where their souls were one. Appearing naked together, they wrapped Tommy up in their hearts until his tears stopped.

Bill looked at Kevin, who shrugged his shoulders and looked back.

Bill: I started last time!

Both men chuckled, and Tommy looked up at them. Their laughter in that place was tangible to him. He knew they could see in him, and they let him look in them as well. It wasn’t a merge, but they were deeply linked.

Kevin’s Avatar worked on Tommy, even more so because he loved him so much. The part of his Avatar that came from Rick started unraveling the knots in Tommy, and his Avatar of truth was working as well. Kevin reclined on his back with Tommy straddled across his stomach, and Bill sat beside his lover, pressed tightly against him with an arm around Tommy. The warmth of their solid bodies comforted him while their souls shone on him.

After some time, finally feeling worthy of their love, a surprised look appeared on Tommy’s face, and that time the tears were from happiness.

Reliving the memories shared by Henry, Bill and Kevin heard the echo of Tommy’s words a few minutes ago.

I don’t want to go back!

<><> 

Henry made his way back to the guys, swinging through the galley to grab a snack on his way.

Brad asked him, “Everything okay, Henry?”

Henry wasn’t sure what to say. He wanted to give Bill and Kevin their privacy to deal with Tommy, but at the same time, there were no secrets. He started to open his mouth and shut it again.

Ken asked, “That bad, huh?”

“Sorry, fellas, this is one of those situations I’m still getting used to dealing with.”

Loy asked, “What’s up, Henry?”

Henry masterfully shared the memory of what transpired with Tommy and his conversation with Bill and Kevin the night before.

A smattering of ‘fuck me’s and ‘holy shits’ followed, and Henry chuckled, saying, “Yeah.”

Brad: I’ve been watching Bill and Kevin with Tommy and Brett. I knew this was coming.

Pat: Me too. I can’t believe how strong the connections are between them already.

Bryan, always more perceptive than most people realized, shrewdly looked at Henry: I want to hear what you think.

Henry looked uncomfortable: Me?

Yeah, you.

Henry looked at Bryan and then Ken, who stared back. Henry couldn’t read Ken’s facial expression, and the link wasn’t strong enough for him to read deeper. Ken raised his eyebrows questioningly, beckoning Henry to continue.

Taking a deep breath, Henry sighed heavily: Okay. Well, you already know my opinion. I think Bill and Kev should adopt those boys. I think not doing that would be tragic for all of them. I know the risks. I live with them every day with Drew, and it’s not easy. But the way Drew has enriched my life… I want that for all of you guys, too. And… Well… you’re all into guys, so having kids isn’t as much of an option for you. I know the timing of this couldn’t seem worse, but fuck it. You know what I say to that? So fucking what! That’s what!

Henry, once he started, built up a head of steam and almost sounded angry.

Even when the situation with The Master is over, you’ve already said you’re going after Luke. When is the danger ever going to stop? The risks we all live with every second of every day… We can’t let it paralyze us from having lives. If you keep something like the joy of being a dad out of the equation, in my opinion anyway, you’re crippling yourselves.

Everyone looked at Henry with a variety of expressions. He was obviously passionate about his opinion and more than aware of the danger. It sounded like he had thought through the issues.

He continued: You saw what’s inside Tommy. I’m sure it’s inside Brett, too, but he’s younger and probably more confused about what he’s feeling. Those boys will flourish with Bill and Kev in their lives, and I think Bill and Kev will thrive as dads too… And all of you through them until the day comes when you might adopt kids of your own… or not.

Ken played devil’s advocate.

It’s not just their decision, Henry. It’ll affect all of us, not just Bill and Kev.

Henry lowered his head.

I know, Ken. But as their brothers, it’s our job to help them make it work if that’s what they want. Do any of you want to stand in the way of the feelings they already have for one another?

Henry said it as a challenge. None of them had seen him so emphatic in sharing his opinion before, and it was nice to see. He was becoming more independent in his thinking, which added to his contribution to the team.

Ken got that little kid grin on his face: Don’t mince words, Henry; tell us what you really think.

Henry’s eyes opened wide, and he exhaled, not even realizing he was holding his breath.

Ken winked at him, and his grin widened: It’s a good thing Sally’s not here yet. You’re one sexy fucker when you get fired up, just like B.

Henry’s mouth opened and then closed again, flustered by Ken’s response, and everyone busted out laughing. Bryan moved over and put an arm around Henry’s shoulder, pulling him into a hug.

Winking, he said, “Good answer.”

They all got a laugh out of his discomfort, but he thought it was funny too and flipped Ken off, which caused another round of laughter.

Bill and Kevin came out to the dive deck and rejoined the link, the emotional turbulence evident in both of them. The presence of their brothers was comforting, and Brad pulled them tighter.

Before Henry could ask, Ken beat him to it.

How’s Tommy?

Tearing up, Bill thought: I think he’s going to be okay. Guys… We don’t know what to do.

Loy interrupted: Let’s be clear. You know what you want to do, but you’re afraid of doing it. Are we right?

Lane interjected: That’s pretty much what Sam said about Frodo before he took off to Mordor on his own.

Rick dunked him, and they all laughed.

Diving into the water to hide his tears, Kevin surfaced by Lane, who said, “Come here.”

Reaching out, Lane embraced him, his mischievous grin present: You chickenshits. You know you’re not alone in this. Henry already has your life mapped out for you, and us too. What’s the big deal?

Both men looked a little chagrinned, and Bill responded: I know it’s the right thing to do, or at least we think it is, but is it fair to them? Kev and I still aren’t sure how to handle them growing old in front of us. Aside from that, we’re exposing them to a world they aren’t equipped to handle, and we can’t just open their minds. There are a lot of questions. We need to talk to the doc.

Ken nodded: Yeah, you should, but listen up, both of you. That’s an order!

His grin took the sting out of his words: Henry made a great case for why you should. It’s clear ‘ta all of us how much you love ‘em already and how much they love you. You know we’ll back you up one thousand percent no matter which way you choose ‘ta go. We love you guys, and we’re here for you.

Brad: You know I’m supposed to be the smart one, right?

Ken grinned: Guess you’re rubbin’ off on me.

Brad: Speaking of rubbing… The boys are taking a nap…

Ken: Alright, guys, gotta go! To each his own!

Smiling and laughing as they got out of the water, each of them gave Bill and Kevin a hug as they moved into the galley towards their cabins.

Loy: Part two of the birthday plan will start when the boys wake up, so don’t you ladies take too long.

Darren sent Sally back to Atlanta after her morning time with Henry, but he knew she was ready to come back for the party. Contacting her, he pulled her back to ZEUS so she and Henry could have their own fun; again!

<><><> 

Changing his mind at the last minute, Craig decided to attend Drew’s birthday party, and Drew’s face lit up like a Christmas tree when he woke from his nap and realized all his Australian friends were there for his birthday.

Shouts of “Happy Birthday, Drewmeister!” rang out as the young soldiers lined up, and Drew ran down the line, high-fiving each of them.

Aware of the ‘Africa’ plan, the young soldiers brought their baseball gloves, caps, bats, and a small bag of balls. They also brought Drew’s extra gloves for Tommy and Brett.

An hour and a half after everyone got out of the water, the entire team plus the young soldiers, the Keenans, and Kelly and Chloe were in Africa. The doctor and Albrecht stayed in Atlanta with Giovanni.

They set up a campsite quickly and efficiently in the Serengeti. Bryan had his portable cooking grates and the accouterments he used in the valley, and before long the smell of grilling hamburgers and hot dogs had everyone’s mouths watering and Ken’s stomach rumbling.

Spending a good deal of time on it, and with Lane’s help, Bryan made an ‘Iron Man’ cake, stored in a cooler of dry ice. He also had homemade strawberry ice cream prepared and packed in ice, sparing no effort for his adopted nephew.

The boys were excited when they awoke, knowing Uncle Loy said there was a surprise. Little did they know it would mean teleporting further around the globe to Africa. The boys didn’t appreciate or understand how far away Africa was, but they saw enough television to know it had lots of wild animals.

The afternoon was relaxing and fun, and Tommy seemed happy, although he occasionally needed a little reassurance from Bill and Kevin. All the guys were extra sensitive with Tommy and Brett, unobtrusively hugging them or giving them pats on their backs. Brett and Drew ran around like wild men, and the young soldiers ran around with them.

A game of flag football was played, letting the boys win. The young soldiers were great with them, especially Jacob. After football, they played a short game of baseball with most of the adults in the mix. None of the boys had any clue how to play, but all the guys coached them, even picking them up to run the bases.

They laughed so long and hard their stomachs hurt. Sally enjoyed the eye candy of the muscular men, all so handsome, sweating in the open air without their shirts on. Wearing their ball caps and sunglasses made them look extra cute to her.

Loy called a small herd of elephants, and the boys got to ride on the backs of some of the younger and smaller ones. The pride of lions that were with Loy and Rick in the pocket dimension was close by, and he called them so the boys could pet them. He called Giraffes, Cheetahs, Leopards, Zebras, Hippos, and even a few Rhinos, which were very rare.

It was like a day at the zoo for the boys, but they got to touch and interact with all the animals. Commanding the animals to stay calm, Loy directed the unconditional love the creatures had for him towards the boys. Loy found another nearby pride of lions that had some young cubs and called them so the boys could play with them.

With Henry being an original man, the animals obeyed him as well, and it was an incredible day spent with the wildlife. Brad, in particular, thought how beautiful and pure it was to deal with the creatures of the planet over the humans they protected but didn’t dwell on the thought, not wanting to bring anyone down.

The day was perfect. They hiked, the boys ran around playing, and every bit of food Bryan cooked was devoured. By late afternoon Drew received raspberries blown on his stomach by everyone, including the young soldiers.

Craig’s mood was better than Jacob had seen since their father passed. Jacob didn’t bring it up, but he was happy to see it. Craig still had a strong undercurrent of depression, and the guys tried their best to interact with him, but Craig kept the majority of his dealings with the boys and the other soldiers.

Summoning his guitar, Lane played ‘Happy Birthday’ for Drew and everyone sang along. The Iron Man cake was a huge success and Drew launched himself into Bryan’s arms, giving him thank you hugs and kisses. Even in the heat and humidity, Darren kept the ice cream chilled to perfection.

Lane continued playing while everyone ate and started to wind down for the day.

Out of the blue, Guy, one of the young soldiers, asked Lane to play something more upbeat.

“What do you have in mind?”

Guy threw out some suggestions, all of which Lane knew and even used a few during his cardio routines. Putting together an extended mix of a few of the songs, his eyes flashed white, and the music started playing in the air around them.

Everybody was surprised when Nathan, Guy, and Caleb stood up and started street dancing to the music. At one point Guy moonwalked, and the boys loved it. With minimal encouragement, Drew, Tommy, and Brett stood up and tried to dance. They mostly just jumped around, but they were having a blast, laughing and giggling the entire time.

When the song ended, they laughed while the young soldiers high-fived the boys, telling them what great dancers they were. Winded and sweating in the humidity, they all went to get something to drink.

Loy said, “Not bad! But we need to show them how us old-timers do it. Come on, fellas!”

Loy looked at Rick, Bill, Kevin, Darren, Patrick, Lane, Henry, and Ken. Bryan wasn’t into dancing, and neither was Brad.

In honor of the Gift Loy now carried, Lane played ‘Animals’ by Martin Garrix. The only vocal in the song was an ‘F-bomb,' but the voice was highly modulated, and Lane blurred it.

Impressed, the young soldiers laughed and clapped. Watching the big studly men, so dexterous and agile, showing off their dance moves was both impressive and hilarious.

The humidity so thick it was like swimming in water, by the end of the song they were drenched in sweat and breathing heavily. The weather reflected their emotions, and the skies all afternoon stayed crystal clear and sunny, and even though it was the rainy season, there wasn’t a cloud in the sky.

It had been a while since they all had such a good time, and their happiness was evident through the link. The back of Ken’s head actually hurt from smiling and laughing so hard.

Taking full advantage to rub his hands through Ken’s short, sweaty hair, Brad channeled a bit of healing to relax the tension.

The young soldiers, full of bravado, challenged the big men to a ‘dance-off’ with Brad and Bryan as impartial judges.

Lane’s eyes flashed white, and a song came to mind. The two groups faced off, and Lane grinned as Madonna’s ‘4-Minutes’ started to play. When the lyrics ‘grab a boy and grab a girl’ played, Henry grabbed Sally, Jacob grabbed Kelly, and Guy, Caleb, and Nathan each grabbed one of the boys. Olive held Chloe so Kelly could dance.

‘Whoots,’ fist-bumps, and a few hugs followed as everyone looked at Bryan and Brad for their verdict on who won, but as soon as Brad’s mouth opened, the air shimmered.

Everything went slightly out of focus for a second, and when it came back, colors were muted. The area around their camp took on an other-worldly feeling, and the intuition and instincts of the men screamed danger.

The last time they encountered that phenomenon was in the presence of the Eschphene in Stone Mountain Park in Atlanta when the other-dimensional race of creatures tried to kidnap Drew to use him to stop The Master and bring balance back to creation.

Reacting instinctively, Ken locked their Avatars into the master rune, and shining brightly on their shoulders, their Avatars rejected the Eschphene magic.

Darren attempted to teleport Drew and the boys back to the Australian lab but wasn’t able to.

They’re blocking me, Ken. I don’t know how, but I can’t get anyone to safety.

Brad immediately pulled everyone into a link, including the boys, Jacob, and the other soldiers, and Ken’s voice entered loud and clear in everyone’s minds.

Henry, get Drew and the boys, Olive, Tag, Sally, and Kelly, and stay with ‘em in the middle. Jacob, you and the others form a ring around them. We’ll be outside that.

Brad set up a separate tactical link with just the team.

Because they were linked, the humans present saw everything through their mind’s eye. Drew had seen it all before and Sally on a few occasions, but all of their eyes widened as Yggdrasill’s ghostly form appeared around them. Animal spirits, some running on the ground and others swimming amongst the branches, lent their strength and protection. The she-wolf became visible, crouched in front of Drew, snarling deep in her throat at the black forms approaching.

Ken and the guys, including Henry, shone with a blinding light, comforting their friends' souls. The warmth and power they wielded were evident, reminding the soldiers of their rescue, and witnessing it was a fresh reminder of who their friends were and what they were capable of.

Ken and the bodies watched the Eschphene appear, and the mentalists sensed the magical shift as the beings from beyond the Pale entered the physical realm. The leader of the Eschphene was enormous, much larger than the one Ken fought in Atlanta, and surprise ran through the link at seeing the stone in his hand. It disappeared the day before, and they assumed Thomin had summoned it back.

Unsure of what was about to transpire, Loy’s Avatar glowed brightly as his voice rang out across the animal kingdom and the spiritual realm.

Come!

His will manifest, the varied species living on the Serengeti heeded his call and began moving towards him, and free spirits waiting to be reborn came through the veil, swimming in the air around him.

Protect the boy!

Deep-seated anger ran through Henry and not a little fear. The last time he encountered the Eschphene was the day Liz sacrificed her soul to save Drew and left their lives forever.

Tommy and Brett, confused and scared, didn’t know what was going on. Kneeling, Henry put his arms around the three boys.

Keeping his voice calm and steady, he said, “I’ve got you boys, and I won’t let anything happen to you. Stay with me no matter what happens!”

Seeing the terror in Tommy and Brett, so happy only seconds ago, Bill and Kevin, already fully merged, sent a private thought to the two boys.

Stay with Henry! Everything will be alright!

Pat: Ken, there are hundreds of them here, maybe over a thousand. Way more than last time.

It doesn’t matter. There still aren’t enough. Everyone do what you have ‘ta do, but they aren’t layin’ a finger on Drew or anyone under our protection.

Ken’s will became a wall inside them as he spoke.

The leader came closer, and Ken moved forward, stopping twenty feet apart. The creature was impressive; his slick black body thick with muscle, bone spikes protruded all over his frame, many with sigils etched into them and glowing with their own light.

Looking intently at Ken, in a deep voice, he said, “So… You are the one who killed my son.”

“Your son was insane. If you’re here ‘ta finish what he started, forget it. Drew is under our protection!”

“My son was misguided, but his goals were pure. We will take the boy and use him to bring balance to creation. You cannot stop us. I know you are strong, but you cannot face us all.”

Drew saw the stone in the leader’s hand, smoking with power. It was different somehow, and it called to him. Afraid for his dad and his uncles, his young brow furrowed and it appeared in his hand.

Seeing the stone disappear from the Eschphene’s hand, Ken shouted, “No! Drew! No!”

As soon as the stone touched Drew’s skin, the sigils now carved onto the stone awoke the thousands of incarnations within him, and an ocean of voices screamed inside him, overrunning his mind. It was a trap, and Drew fell for it.

Linked with him, Henry reacted instinctively, shielding the part of his son that was only Drew. There was no time to say anything, and he merged with his son, throwing all his strength into his shield. It was the only thing he could think of to protect Drew.

Anxiety and shock ran through them when Henry and Drew disappeared from the link. They were physically present, but their minds vanished.

Brad: Fuck!

Ken: B! Can you find them?

Brad: I don’t know! Maybe through the veil, like with Bill…

Ken: Go! We’ll take care of everythin’ here.

Brad was reluctant to leave Ken’s side; together, as one, they were far more powerful.

Ken embraced Brad in the place where their souls were one. Inhaling Ken’s scent, strong and musky from sweating all day in the bright sun, the warmth and hardness of his body soothed him.

I love you, B. I’ll be what I need ‘ta be for you, Drew, and Henry. Go find ‘em.

Moving beside Henry, who held Drew, Tommy, and Brett protectively against his chest, Brad put his arms around his brother and the young boys.

Closing his eyes, torn between his love of Ken, Henry, and Drew, beneath Brad’s eyelids his eyes shone white, matching the glow of his Avatar. His unconscious mind solved his dilemma, and a smile crossed his handsome, sweaty face as his mind and soul left his body, crossing the veil in a desperate attempt to find them.

<><> 

To Henry, everyone around them disappeared. His brothers, the young soldiers, the animal spirits, the Eschphene; everyone. He held Drew against him, and surprisingly the she-wolf appeared, pressed against his leg protectively. He knew they were in a construct of some kind, and it was powerful.

Henry’s shields were bright, his strength bolstered by the wolf-spirit. Raising his head, he looked around. The landscape matched the Serengeti where they spent the day, but the sky was dark with thunderclouds, and a cold wind whipped his hair. His shield was a beacon of white in the darkness of that place. Standing up, he still held Drew in his powerful arms. The wind chilled the sweat on his skin, and Drew shivered.

“Daddy, where are we?”

“I don’t know, honey.”

“I’m scared.”

“I know, but I’ve got you.”

“I can hear them.”

“Who?”

“The voices. In me. They’re here, and they’re mad. The big black man did something to my rock. They feel different now. They want to hurt me.”

“You know I won’t let that happen.”

In a quandary, Henry wasn’t sure where they were or how to escape. Merged with Drew, he assumed they were in a construct within Drew’s mind. The Eschphene leader used their sigils, carving them into the stone to create the trap.

In their first encounter with the Eschphene, Henry was unconscious during the fight when Ken almost died – the day Liz died and was lost to him and his son forever – but Raphael showed him what happened, and he knew the Eschphene wanted to use Drew. They planned to change him into something that could defeat The Master, and Henry knew if they succeeded there would be nothing left of his son. There was no way he could let that happen; if he failed, he would be failing not only Drew, but Liz’s sacrifice would be meaningless.

“Daddy, look!”

Drew pointed, and off in the distance, small forms, all the other versions of Drew, moved in their direction. In the construct they had life, even though each of them had died horribly, killed on their seventh birthdays. The incarnations were enraged; somehow, the Eschphene took the wild, raw hatred inside them, the desire to kill their brother in revenge, and brought it to the surface.

The little boys who held their arms around Henry’s neck when Drew had his nightmare were gone, replaced by a mob of fractured, vengeful soul shards, and Drew and Henry stood in the way of their only desire. Henry might be able to calm them down one on one, but there were thousands of them and he knew any attempt to do that would be futile. They were still far away but moving towards the light of his shield, so he dropped it and set Drew down, taking his hand.

“Come on, Drew! Run!”

Father and son, followed by the wolf-spirit, took off running across the stormy landscape in Drew’s mind, trying to outrun the incarnations intent on killing them. Henry needed more time to think and to give his brothers time to figure out what happened.

<><> 

Ken was aware as soon as Brad crossed the veil, but his lover’s presence didn’t fade as expected. Ken knew Brad was powerful, but his lover still surprised him, finding a way to keep them together and be in both the physical realm and the spiritual realm simultaneously. It was a paradox of his Avatar, now fully unlocked.

God B, I love you so much. You’re badass.

Ken also felt the strong presence of his brothers. He was their leader, their Captain, but he was their brother first and foremost. They would die for each other; the bonds they shared, their merged souls, the unconditional love not only for each other but for all mankind… It was the heart and center of their strength, and it filled them, making them powerful.

A tiny thread of fear ran through them, concern for each other in what they faced, but at the same time confident in their abilities and training. Ken helped forge them into the weapons they were, and they would face the Eschphene and stop them from harming Drew.

Each of them had grown so much and in so many ways in the last year. Every trial they faced as individuals or as couples made them stronger. Ken had a fleeting thought that whoever was manipulating them knew that and was the cause. Each trial and tribulation pushed them, making them grow.

One day, Ken would have a reckoning with whomever or whatever was behind it all. His anger was evident; even with the results, the pride and love he felt towards his brothers, none of them deserved the tragedies that got them to this point. His mother and brother didn’t deserve to die!

Embracing his anger, Ken let it feed his centering flame. Each of them held the flame, assuming the opening stance of the Quintessential Dance. Unable to interfere, Michael looked upon Ken and smiled, wishing nothing more than to join his grandson in battle and fight by his side.

The Eschphene Leader’s voice rumbled across the plains of the Serengeti, “Kill them! Take the child!”

A brief silence fell after his words, and even the wind calmed momentarily. Lightning flashed across the heavens, reflected in the white of their eyes and the power within them, ready to do whatever was necessary to protect Drew and their charges.

The young soldiers didn’t know what to make of anything they saw. Jacob broke them out of their trance by yelling, “No one touches Drew! You got that? Just like Mr. Habbersham said, form a circle. If any of those things get through them, they have to make it through us, too!”

Kelly was terrified, but Jacob’s solid, brave presence, along with Ken and the others reassured her. Linked with Chloe, she drew strength from her infant daughter, bolstering her shields and extending her protection around the young soldiers. She wasn’t as strong as the guys, but her power was not insignificant, and she was ready to defend her child and her friends.

Mumbling under her breath, her Australian accent prominent, she said, “No one touches my mates!”

In the brief pause, Ken and the other bodies heard a deep rumble and felt a tremor in the ground beneath their feet. Loy and the mentalists felt it through their Avatars; it was the wildlife of the Serengeti rushing to fight at Loy’s command. Herds of elephants, wildebeests, gazelle, buffalo, lions, cheetahs, leopards, giraffes, black rhinos, hippos, and wild dogs raced to their aid, responding to the call of their steward. With the lightning in the sky and the animals rushing to their aid, it was as if nature itself rose up against the Eschphene.

With one loud cry, the Eschphene attacked in unison. They came as a wave… and hit the wall Ken and the others formed around Drew, Henry, and their charges. As one, the men slowed their perception of time, their movements precise and minimal, optimizing their efforts and focus. Their inhuman agility and grace were apparent as their bodies and limbs twisted and gyrated to prevent impalement by the bone protrusions covering the Eschphene. The fluidity of their muscular forms, perfection in motion, was wondrous as they became what they needed to be.

There was no ‘fighting fair.’ They fought to stop their enemy no matter what that meant. Darren and the mentalists used their minds to slice limbs, causing lacerations. The body’s vision filled with vector arcs, seeing every possible angle and trajectory, knowing instinctively how to break bones and cause the most damage. They saw how, when, and where the bone protrusions inside their enemy could harm them and avoided them. None of them enjoyed inflicting pain and destruction on their enemy, but they were determined to stop the Eschphene at all costs to protect the hope of mankind’s redemption.

Ken faced off with the Eschphene leader, who seemed arrogant and overconfident. After facing the son, Ken thought long and hard about how to fight these beings should they ever encounter them again. His knowledge, a part of everyone, was put to good use.

Attempting to catch Ken off guard, a large bone shard shot out of the leader's forearm as it lunged, trying to impale Ken in his abdomen. In one fluid movement, fully prepared, Ken grabbed the bone shard with one hand, and bringing his elbow down with all his strength, he broke it off. Whirling lithely, he stabbed the glowing, sigil-covered shard into the lower back of the enormous creature.

The Eschphene screamed, more in outrage than pain, although Ken saw the damage and the subtle change in his movements. It swung around and Ken engaged, his Avatar glowing brightly on the ball of his muscled shoulder in response.

“Your son was a dick, too. I see where he got it.”

And so, the taunts began. Ken’s knack for pissing people off, his jibes and insults, enraged the Eschphene leader. Like his son, he wasn’t used to being challenged, and anger soon overtook reason, giving Ken a further advantage.

They were grace in motion, their masculine bodies glorious to see, but they were severely outnumbered, and the sheer number of the Eschphene was overrunning them. Blows landed, and even as they rolled with the punches or struck back with devastating kumite techniques that inflicted more damage than they received, they were getting pummeled slowly but surely.

Eschphene magic subdued the music of creation, so Lane listened to the music of their souls, using it to source his power, keeping a constant flow of healing in all his brothers as they fought. Supporting one another, often using each other as weapons, they worked off one another’s bodies as they learned to do in their training. They were one, and it felt right.

In minutes they were covered in blood and sweat. The first seconds of the fight were frantic, almost desperate. Without Brad and Henry, there were nine of them against a thousand, yet they met the army head-on, and true to their Avatars, they were enough; barely. A wall of Eschphene corpses soon built around them, making it more difficult for the ones behind to get close.

Animals arrived, attacking with their natural savagery. Razor-sharp claws ripped flesh and bone, making their presence felt; however, the animals often sacrificed themselves. Each death hurt Loy to his core as the bonds between their bodies and spirits were severed. Ignoring the pain, the animals inflicted as much damage on their enemies as possible before life left their bodies; however, once dead, their spirits continued fighting, adding their strength to the men.

As his pain grew, Loy’s face took on a feral aspect, and his form shimmered into a great white rhino. Enormous and densely muscled, his hide thick and armored, he impaled any Eschphene around him, often cleaving their bodies in half. Soon his massive horn was slick with blood, but he shone with a light in the spiritual realm as he led the creatures of nature against an enemy not of Earth.

The air smelled of blood from the animals and the Eschphene. The bodies could smell it… Eschphene blood was more acidic in nature, corroding whatever it touched and burning their skin.

Just as he had done in the junkyard the day they faced Luke, the skies reacted to Darren’s emotions, and this time his feelings were shared and magnified by his brothers. Lightning rained down on the Eschphene, incinerating the ones hit.

The young soldiers looked in awe at the fight around them. Never in their lives could they have imagined being witnesses to such a battle, let alone taking part in one. Jacob kept them focused, and a few times, due to sheer numbers, an Eschphene broke through the ranks.

Whenever that happened, the soldiers attacked in unison, using every bit of knowledge and skill they learned from Albrecht, grappling and struggling to detain the creatures until one of the men could intervene. Eschphene were far stronger than normal humans, and the soldiers didn’t have the strength to hurt them, but together they made enough of a difference. Often injured in the process, Lane healed them as needed, and undaunted, they continued their duty.

Amid everything, Henry knelt with his arms around Drew, Tommy, and Brett. His body was like a statue while his mind and heart were with Drew in the construct. Brad’s arms stayed around all of them while his mind and soul frantically searched for them across the veil.

Brett kept his face hidden against Henry’s neck and shoulder, but Tommy watched, fascinated yet terrified. His eyes never left Bill and Kevin, and, as the fight wore on, a strange look passed over his face, and his expression turned from terror to anger.

All his young life, everyone or everything he had ever cared about, except his younger brother, had been taken from him. He finally believed he deserved to be loved by the two men who came into his life, and he saw the possibility of them being ripped away by whoever these otherworldly creatures were.

Breaking away from Henry, Tommy grabbed the only thing he could see to use as a weapon, the stone in Drew’s hand. Grabbing it, the anger and turmoil of the thousands of incarnations in Drew filled Tommy’s mind. His own anger and surge of emotion were enough to prevent him from being swept away, and he wasn’t even aware of how he did it, but he embraced it all, breaking away and running towards Bill and Kevin.

He was small enough that the soldiers didn’t see him right away.

Craig was the first, yelling, “TOMMY! GET BACK!”

Craig’s perception of time slowed as adrenaline rushed to his heart, granting him clarity on many fronts. He saw the bone spike of an Eschphene hurtling towards Tommy, who was now out in the open and vulnerable.

Craig’s own grief, the pain of losing his father, and his anger and resentment towards Pat and Darren and the other men welled up inside him. He ranted against them in his heart for not doing anything about his dad’s health sooner and for not being able to bring him back.

To Craig, the bone spike was a means to an end. He knew his father was an asshole but still loved him. Jacob didn’t understand and remained baffled by it, but Craig saw something in his dad that no one else did. His mother saw it when she was young and she and Kent were in love, but even she, after years of Kent’s slovenly, churlish nature, had given up on him, but Craig hadn’t.

His legs moving of their own accord, Craig sprinted, launching himself and interposing his body between the hurling bone shard and Tommy. His eyes went wide as the shard impaled his lower back and spinal cord. Puncturing his body, it went partially into Tommy as well, and its velocity threw them both back.

Turning at Craig’s scream, Jacob watched helplessly as the bone shard impaled his brother. The look on Craig’s face, his eyes wide in pain and blood spurting from his mouth, stuck in Jacob’s mind. Just as Jacob saw Craig and Tommy fall to the ground, the Eschphene leader bellowed an incantation, summoning a fresh wave of his people.

Rushing over, Jacob grabbed Craig, afraid of what he was going to see. There was resistance as the shard pulled out of Tommy, and he was unconscious, but his hand still tightly gripped the glowing stone.

The bone shard, covered in steaming blood and pulsing sigils, went completely through Craig’s body. Jacob looked into Craig’s eyes, bloodshot and filled with tears, while Craig feebly tried to reach up and wipe the tears from Jacob’s face. Jacob hugged Craig fiercely, trying to say his name, but his grief was too overpowering. Craig struggled to talk, but his mouth filled with blood, and Jacob lowered his head to try and hear him.

With the din of the battle raging around them, Jacob could barely make out Craig’s words.

“I… I’m go… ing to get…him.. b… back…”

“Shhhhh, Craig, don’t talk, buddy. Stay with me, Craig. STAY WITH ME!”

Craig and Tommy dropped out of the link, and it felt like a hole ripped out of their chests.

The entire scene only took a few seconds to play out. The bodies, with their enhanced hearing, heard Jacob’s cry. Bill and Kevin, knowing the young soldiers were protecting Tommy and Brett, cringed. Kevin managed to glance over and saw Craig and Tommy impaled by the glowing shard. Time seemed to stop for Kevin and Bill as the cold reality hit them that Tommy and Craig were dead.

Ken and the rest of the men wailed in their hearts, Kevin and Bill the loudest, but they were too hard-pressed to physically react. The Eschphene reinforcements had to be stopped, and they were already at the limit of how many they could engage.

The anger in Bryan at the sight of Tommy and Craig was just as intense as the pain in all of them, and it was the push he needed to dig even deeper. The dragon fire agates in his ring flashed red, and Bryan’s eyes became slitted as dragon fire belched from his mouth, incinerating dozens of Eschphene.

Lane felt the pain in his partner, but the one blast was all Bryan could risk without waking Leroy. Channeling the remaining fire through the link and into all of them, Bryan gave Lane the extra power he needed, and a thick white rope of healing whipped out of him, directed at Tommy and Craig, forking as it got close to them. Neither branch hit its target. Similar to when Ken was under the blood curse, the healing faded before it hit them.

Lane: Fuck! The stone is keeping me from healing them!

Jacob watched the light leave his brother’s eyes, and the vacant stare on Craig’s handsome young face would stay etched in his memory forever. Hot tears dripped down his face as he held his baby brother’s lifeless body against him. Shaking with grief, Jacob blocked out everything around him. It wasn’t the soldierly thing to do, but he no longer cared. His grief was too overwhelming, and his gut-wrenching scream was washed away by the sounds of the fight going on around them.

Guy, Nathan, Caleb, and Rich surrounded him, stunned but keeping their wits about them. Rich knelt over Tommy, feeling his neck for a pulse.

His voice quiet through the link, he thought:  Tommy’s gone too.

Rich’s words were like daggers in all of them, especially Kevin and Bill. Tommy and Brett were under their protection, and Tommy was dead. Craig was under their protection, and he was gone too, sacrificing himself to try and save Tommy.

As difficult as it was, they embraced their pain as Ken taught them and used it to fuel their efforts to face their adversaries. They learned years ago as SEALS to compartmentalize emotions when necessary to make it through a mission. As badly as Kevin and Bill wanted to break ranks, if they did others would die as well. Brett was still alive and had to be protected along with Drew, Henry, Brad, the Keenans, Sally, Kelly, Chloe, and the young soldiers.

Supporting one another emotionally and physically through the trauma, tears flowed down their handsome faces, even as their jaws set, and they held tight to one another, focusing on the fight even through the anguish of their hearts.

<><>  

Henry and Drew kept running, and when Drew couldn’t run anymore Henry picked him up and carried him. Henry wasn’t sure how long they could outrun what followed them, but he vowed to keep moving as long as he had strength. The wolf-spirit never left his side.

Running for what seemed like hours, as they moved, the landscape slowly changed, and Henry had a strange feeling about where they were headed. He didn’t realize it, but they ran further and further into Drew’s unconscious mind through the memories of the incarnations. Eventually, they ran so far they ended up in the valley, the place of Drew’s original birth and death.

Stopping by a small stream against a rock wall, even in the cold Henry sweated, and Drew had trouble holding onto his bare skin. Henry went to grab his t-shirt tucked under his belt, but it was gone. He hadn’t felt it drop, and he cursed under his breath. His chest heaving, Henry knew they could go no further and would have to face the mob.

Kneeling to catch his breath, Henry gently gripped Drew’s thin shoulders and said, “We can’t run anymore, honey. I’ll keep you safe. Just stay behind me. Can you be brave for me?”

“Yes, Daddy. I’ll be brave. I can help.”

His green eyes bloodshot from sweat, and his short dirty brown hair plastered to his head, Henry teared up as he cupped Drew’s face in his big hands.

“I don’t know what I ever did to deserve such a great young man in my life. I love you, Drew. No matter what happens next, always remember I love you.”

Drew cried too and hugged Henry’s neck as tightly as he could.

“I love you, too, Daddy. I wish Mommy were here.”

“Me too, honey.”

When Drew mentioned Liz, the wedding bands appeared around his neck.

“Get behind me, honey, but hold onto me.”

Henry knelt on one knee, and Drew moved behind him, looking at his father's thickly muscled back. Henry was strong; in Drew’s mind, he was as strong as his Uncle Ken and all his other uncles. Resting a hand on his dad’s shoulder, he felt the rock-hard muscles, and Henry’s warm, sweaty skin gave him comfort. The wolf-spirit leaned against Henry, adding her strength and presence, making him feel better.

Drew gripped the wedding rings with his other hand, and taking a deep breath, he remembered. Suddenly, Liz’s presence surrounded them, and Henry’s breath quickened in his chest. Ruffling Drew’s short hair, Henry smiled at his son. Drew smiled back, with an adult-like look on his face, almost serene, confident in his dad.

Watching the mob approach, right before they arrived, Henry’s shields flared white and powerful, bolstered by his son, the second oldest soul in existence. The wall Henry forged himself into held firm as thousands of tiny fists and minds beat against it.

His shoulders bunched as his body expressed the strain, but he would hold as long as he needed to. He was Drew’s protector and nothing… NOTHING… was going to get to Drew while Henry lived.

<><>  

Amidst the battle raging around him, Uriel appeared nearly blinding Jacob.

Jacob watched Craig’s soul, a small orb of beautiful light, lift out of his brother’s chest. His eyes wide, his heart ached as he realized what was happening.

“No…. please…”

I am sorry, Jacob Peterson, I have no choice.

Uriel’s eyes widened in surprise at the sound of Craig’s voice.

Take me to my father. Wherever you took him, take me there.

Jacob lost consciousness, overwhelmed by Uriel’s presence.

<><> 

The fight continued, and the slaughter was monumental. Over a thousand Eschphene corpses and countless animals lay strewn about the ground. The air was thick with the smell of blood. The team was covered in it, some of it their own, as they courageously continued fighting.

Even with all the deaths, the fighting didn’t stop. The Eschphene leader summoned more of his kind. Through the fighting, Pat came to Understand that the Eschphene magic used to summon them to the physical realm would only allow so many at a time.

Ken shouted encouragement to his brothers, sometimes in private thoughts and sometimes through the link. Their thoughts one, they held each other tightly in their hearts and minds, coordinating their attacks and watching each other's backs.

There were no reinforcements for them. Eschphene magic was powerful enough to block Nephilim magic, so they couldn’t call on Istariel for help. Ken wasn’t even sure Istariel would come after Alariel’s sacrifice and absence.

Tactically, Ken knew they had to take out the leader and prevent him from summoning more of his people, or they would eventually be overrun, and there would be more casualties among their charges.

Ken’s thoughts were clear through the link. Everyone was hard-pressed, but they had to figure out a way. Even across the veil while Brad searched for Henry and Drew, his intellect was with them, strategizing, taking their experiences to formulate some kind of plan.

Pressed to their utmost, if any of them were pushed further than they could take at a particular moment, one of his brothers uplifted him. If one of them needed a slight reprieve to recover from some near inconceivable exertion, they shifted and supported one another. Ken’s will and conviction, strengthened and magnified by the other bodies, was a wall behind their backs that wouldn’t let them fail.

They ached and hurt and healed, only to start it all over again. The amount of power they channeled was unimaginable. The landscape of the battle, with the ghostly image of Yggdrasill, the animal spirits, and the dark sky filled with lightning, was surreal. Unseen, but just as powerful, was the music of their souls.

<><> 

Shaking with exhaustion, Henry pushed his arms out defiantly, every muscle in his body strained as he physically and mentally held the thousands of incarnations at bay. Sweat poured off him as they relentlessly hammered against his shield. Drew was with him, but his son was weakening too.

Through his efforts, Henry held the image of Drew in his mind and heart, refusing to give in. His chest heaved, but he persevered. He had to… he had to be a wall between the entities and his son.

Every blow hurt, and finally, a small crack appeared in his shield. Seeing it, he screamed in rage and frustration at his perceived weakness. With a tremendous effort, the crack sealed, and he continued to hold. The push cost him much, though, and his vision blurred, but just before he was overrun a familiar voice and presence slipped into his mind.

Gotcha!

Brad’s powerful presence appeared in the construct, inside Henry’s shield with him and Drew adding his power to theirs. Henry’s shields strengthened, and relief flooded through him.

Wrapping his arms around Henry and Drew, Brad said, “Hey guys! Sorry, it took me a while to find you. They didn’t make it easy.”

Drew shouted, “Uncle Brad!”

Henry sagged against his brother in relief.

Am I glad to see you! I wasn’t sure how much longer I could hold out. I’m not sure what’s going on, Brad… whatever that guy did to the stone woke the incarnations in Drew, but they’re wild and vengeful. I can’t reach them.

Through his own emotional turmoil, Henry felt tension and pain in Brad.

In a private link, he asked: Brad, what’s wrong?

Brad’s mental voice sounded flat.

Craig and Tommy are dead.

Oh my God!

Henry’s heart ached … for Brett, who would be alone now, and for Kevin and Bill. He knew how devastated they would be, and Drew when he found out. He didn’t know what to think about Craig being gone as well. Their family recently lost Kent, and Jacob and his mother would be crushed. As difficult as it was to do, Henry shielded his reaction from Drew.

Fuck!

Yeah.

Holding each other tighter, Brad and Henry rested in one another. Brad put all his formidable strength into Henry’s shields, and they flared brighter than ever. The pressure was immense… the tide of eleven thousand incarnations pushed and beat against them, but Brad felt Ken’s arms around him even where he was, supporting him. He would be equal to the task of protecting Henry and Drew until the others figured out a way to stop the Eschphene.

<><> 

Sally watched in awe and not a little fear as Uriel appeared. She heard the exchange between Craig and the archangel and Jacob’s gut-wrenching scream. Kelly gripped her hand tightly; Sally knew Kelly had feelings for Jacob.

When Uriel wrapped Craig’s soul in his wings, Sally’s heart broke for Jacob and Kelly as she watched. She saw the strain on her brothers, the men who took her in and protected her, and the bravery of the young soldiers doing their best to protect her, the Keenans, Kelly and Chloe, even Henry, Drew, and Brad, who were immobile.

Everything was so chaotic and happening so fast, but her world stopped when she made eye contact with Uriel. Their ageless depth pulled her in, and unlike The Master’s, which were filled with darkness, despair, and pain, Uriel’s were filled with unconditional love. Sally’s tears turned from grief to joy at what she saw in Uriel.

Uriel’s voice, like a mountain inside her, spoke: It is not young Thomas’s time. Save him, or I will have no choice but to return. Make haste, Sally Bisel!

Expanding his wings, he stretched them across the battlefield, collecting Eschphene souls in one massive sweep, and then launching himself into the air he was gone. Sally stood for the briefest second and jumped when the deafening noise around her started again as suddenly as it stopped.

“Kelly! Help me!”

Rushing to Tommy’s side, blood was everywhere, a mix of his own and Craig’s. Brett still had his head pressed against Henry’s shoulder but looked up when she shouted his brother’s name.

Seeing Tommy on the ground covered in blood, Brett’s world shattered.

Sally had trained with the doctor and Albrecht and all the guys in various disciplines; she wasn’t certified, but she knew CPR as well as any EMT or paramedic. Taking charge, she began barking orders.

“Guys, give me your shirts!”

Guy, Caleb, Rich, and Nathan had their t-shirts tucked into their shorts. Nathan grabbed them and knelt beside her.

Lifting Tommy’s t-shirt, she saw the hole in his stomach where the bone shard impaled him. His intestines and stomach were visible, and she almost retched but forced herself to stay calm. If Tommy lived, she knew Craig really had saved his life… the damage would have been far more severe if Craig hadn’t interposed himself.

Placing one of the t-shirts over his wound, she instructed Nathan to keep pressure on it.

“Kelly, talk to him! Reach his mind and talk to him! Keep him with us!”

All of their minds were open from the link with Brad and the team, and they saw the small ball of light that was Tommy’s soul float gently up and out of his chest, bobbing softly.

Chloe was only weeks old, but her mind had been open for nearly six months. She had established connections with Darren and most of the guys at one point, including Drew. Her mind taking in the emotional turmoil around her, through her empathy she sensed their anguish and grief, not knowing or understanding it but recognizing it as pain.

While Kelly held her, Chloe’s eyes looked at Tommy with unnatural awareness for a newborn. Tiny tendrils of energy seeped off her small body, floating over and wrapping around Tommy’s soul. Even as young as she was, she understood and wanted him to stay and helped her mother anchor him.

Touching Tommy’s mind, Kelly and her daughter held him tightly, not letting go while Sally and Nathan performed CPR to keep oxygen flowing to his brain.

<><> 

The cycle seemed unending, yet Ken saw frustration in the Eschphene leader too. They had thwarted his every move strategically, and well over a thousand of his people lay dead.

Ken was sure after observing the Eschphene that they shared some kind of ‘hive’ mentality or consciousness. It was subtle, but he saw it; it was natural on their part and buried in a mountain of other information Patrick saw with his Understanding. They were incredibly complex beings, and even with Pat’s Avatar there was much to sort through.

The Eschphene people were an extension of the leader’s will to some degree, and he took control of a number of them in the front. Unexpectedly moving back, the leader disengaged from Ken as others moved in, and before Ken could follow, he was forced to defend himself.

Fuck! He’s up to something.

Loy: I’m on it, Ken! Guys, fill in!

Loy, be careful! He’s a fuckin’ brute!

Ken’s concern was evident, and it wasn’t out of ego or conceit that he wanted to be the one to take on the leader. Physically the strongest, it was logical for him to do so, and Loy wasn’t a match for the leader strength-wise.

Shimmering, Loy’s form transformed into a peregrine falcon, the fastest bird on the planet for diving speed. Small and blindingly fast, he took to the air. The Eschphene had no idea of the Gift and were caught off guard; their big blocky hands weren’t dexterous enough to catch him.

Flying into the air, he watched as other Eschphene formed a circle around the leader fifty yards back, looking like he was about to start another ritual. Loy dove with all the speed he could build-up, nearly two hundred miles per hour.

Lane, get ready to heal me!

Close to Lane, Ken gave him the reprieve he needed to focus on Loy.

Descending at full velocity, Loy’s form shimmered into an enormous gorilla. He found the enhanced strength he received from making love to Rick translated into whatever form he took. The way his Avatar blended with the Gift, he was truly the animal and the animal truly him, unlike Giovanni or another human host.

Impacting feet first into the Eschphene leader’s torso at full velocity, he felt bones snap in the Eschphene and a few in himself. The impact was severe, but Lane and Darren were ready. Lane blocked his pain centers, Darren set his bones, and a massive rope of healing arced through his system.

Caught by surprise, the ritual was interrupted, and with the leader in complete control of them, the dozen followers immediately surrounding him were stunned and unfocused, mirroring his condition.

Loy didn’t expect that, and his form shimmered into a giant anaconda, nearly fifty feet in length. Coiling around the leader, he constricted with all his enhanced serpentine strength. He was aware of the bone spikes and even being careful a few dug into his body, but his reaction to the pain caused him to constrict tighter, and he heard and felt one shoulder and arm in the leader snap.

Pressing relentlessly, his form shimmered into a black rhino, and he gutted the leader on his horn, picking him up and smashing him to the ground. The Eschphene leader was critically wounded, and Loy took everyone deep in their private link so time nearly stood still.

Loy: Do you want him dead, Ken?

Ken paused, and a small mutter of surprise went through everyone as he finally thought: No. I want him hurt bad, but not dead.

Time started again, and Loy impaled the massive creature one more time. Bucking, he sent the leader flying into the air, and the ground shook with the impact as his massive body smashed down.

Ken’s Avatar flared, and his voice, echoing with power, reverberated above all the noise: STOP! OR WE’LL KILL YOUR LEADER AND ALL OF YOU!

The battle stopped, and absolute quiet fell. The leader, gravely wounded, stood with difficulty. His magic was potent, and his wounds were already healing, but it was obvious he was in extreme pain.

Hobbling slowly over to Ken, he asked, “Why Nephilim!? Why did you spare me?”

Looking him straight in the eye, standing tall and proud, Ken said, “I should probably have had Loy kill you. Back off the boy Drew Ross, or the next time you won’t be so lucky. We’ll prove to you our way will work. We’ll restore the fuckin’ balance, and the boy will live through it.”

“You will fail!”

“No, we won’t! We could have used your help, but like all you dickheads, you think your way is the only way! Go! Leave, and don’t come back. If we catch wind of you bein’ here, we’ll hunt you down to extinction. Do you understand me?!”

“You have won, and I will honor your demands… unless you fail. If Drew Ross dies on his seventh birthday and the Curse is not rescinded, we will return.”

“Get your ugly asses outta here.”

The entire area blurred, and the color in everything returned to normal. The Eschphene corpses vanished with them, but the animals remained, their spirits hovering by their bodies.

Loy’s voice and will filled the area in the spiritual realm.

Stay.

Sally called out, “Guys! Help me!”

With the Eschphene gone, Darren’s ability to teleport was restored. The stone disappeared out of Tommy’s hand and onto the ground away from where everyone stood.

<><> 

Brad’s head was splitting with the effort, but his will was strong. Drew fell unconscious moments before, and sweat dripped off Henry and Brad from the strain of their combined effort.

As soon as Darren teleported the stone out of Tommy’s hand, the construct vanished, and Henry, Drew, and Brad returned to their bodies, collapsing and exhausted, but alright.

<><> 

With the stone out of his hand, Lane healed Tommy, and his little body arched at the sudden influx of power. Nathan and Sally held him down, but in seconds he was whole again. The healing wasn’t gentle, but he was alive.

Teleporting to Tommy’s side, Bill pulled him into a tight embrace. Tears streamed down his face, and his gratitude filled the link. Rushing over, Kevin picked up a wailing Brett, who still thought Tommy was dead. Holding the little boy close, Kevin whispered in his ear that everything was alright and that Tommy was okay.

Regaining consciousness, Jacob still held Craig, sobbing his heart out.

Looking pleadingly at Lane he begged, “Please! Heal him!”

Kneeling beside Jacob, Ken put a hand on his shoulder, and with tears in his eyes, said, “We’re sorry, Jake. It’s too late.”

Ken’s throat was so tight he barely managed to get the words out.

“Why the fuck is it too late!? You’re always too late! You could have saved my dad, too, but you were too fucking late!”

Jacob screamed at the top of his lungs, his emotions intense and hateful and directed at them. The pain in his voice was like a punch in the gut.

Surprising everyone, Jacob launched himself at Ken.

Ken easily caught him, grabbing him and hugging him tightly. Jacob continued beating his fists against Ken until he was exhausted, crying the entire time. Adding his arms to Ken’s around the young man, Brad’s Avatar glowed brightly as his compassion flowed into Jacob.

<><> 

Ken wanted everyone back under the runes' protection as soon as possible, so Darren teleported everyone to the lab in Atlanta. Appearing sweaty and bloody with tears on their faces, the decimation and loss of the day were clearly visible on their faces and the slump of their shoulders.

The doctor let out a quiet, “Oh my,” when he saw them, instantly observing Jacob carrying Craig’s body and blood all over Tommy.

Brad shared everything with Aaron and Albrecht in the barest fraction of a second.

Silently, Jacob carried Craig to the showers while everybody watched, not knowing what to say.

When he heard the water running, Ken went in to see Jacob washing the blood off Craig as best he could, but it seeped from the massive hole in his body. He finally stopped trying and stooped his shoulders, fresh sobs wracking his body as he held Craig desperately.

Moving over, Ken said quietly, “I know, Jake. I’m so sorry… all of us are.”

Jacob slapped Ken’s hand away, his voice icy cold, and said, “Don’t touch me. And don’t you dare say you’re sorry! Leave us alone!”

Ken backed off, his heart aching, but he knew Jacob needed time. As Ken left the showers, Albrecht stood by the door waiting.

“Should I go to him?”

“He wants ‘ta be alone. He’s mad Albrecht, and has every right ‘ta be.”

“Very well. You did well, Ken, all of you did. It’s a wonder there weren’t more casualties.”

Ken said quietly, “There shouldn’t have been any.”

“Aaron would not want me to say this, but I think you should visit Michael again soon.”

Squeezing Ken’s shoulder as he moved away, Albrecht saw grief lines in Ken’s face and realized how deep Ken’s hurt ran.

<><><> 

Henry, Drew, Tommy, Brett, Bill, and Kevin appeared on ZEUS. Jacob was in the shower in Atlanta, and they needed to get the kids cleaned up, so Henry asked Darren to send them to ZEUS.

After they stopped crying, neither Brett nor Tommy had said a word. Brett still seemed in shock, and Kevin held him close. Brett’s grip was like iron around his neck.

Tommy was quiet and subdued but seemed more aware. He was crying, but not hysterically, and held onto Bill.

Henry sent them both a thought.

Let’s get them clean and dry. When they’re warm and in bed, they’ll be out like a light. We can talk with them about everything when they wake up. For now, keep the conversation normal like everything is fine.

Following his advice, once the three boys were clean, the guys put them in their cabin. Brett didn’t want them to leave, so the three men, as cramped as it was, stayed with the boys until they fell asleep.

<><> 

It didn’t take long for Brett to wake up crying. He was in an unfamiliar place and still scared. Tommy woke up when he heard Brett crying, but Drew stayed asleep.

Resting in one another, Henry, Bill, and Kevin fell asleep in the lounge to the gentle rocking of ZEUS and the soft sound of the water lapping against the hull. Even with their bodies healed, they were emotionally exhausted. Kevin started from a deep sleep, immediately alert and surprised to see Brett and Tommy standing next to him, hand-in-hand and crying.

Bill, wake up.

“Hey, guys. Are you alright?”

Bill was instantly awake. Both men, through different parts of their Avatars, saw the turmoil in the boys. Leaning forward, Kevin lifted Brett up and rested him against his bare torso. Reclining on the big man, Brett instantly snuggled against Kevin’s warm body, his tears falling on Kevin’s chest. Brett was small for a six-year-old, and so thin that Kevin’s hands nearly encircled his entire body.

Moving his hands up and down Brett’s back soothingly, Kevin spoke softly, “It’s okay, Brett. You’re safe. I’ve got you.”

Similarly, Bill pulled Tommy on top of him, saying, “Come here, kiddo. I got you.”

Tommy draped himself over Bill’s big, muscled frame, the same as Brett.

Henry, like Drew, remained asleep, snoring lightly a few feet away.

Within seconds of being held, Tommy and Brett fell asleep, resting in Kevin and Bill's warm, solid strength. The comfort and safety of the two big men drove away their fears. Neither Bill nor Kevin went back to sleep, staying deep inside each other and wondering what in the world they were going to say to the boys when they woke up.

An hour later Henry got up to pee, and looking at Tommy and Brett on top of his two brothers, he smiled.

“Told you. You’re naturals. I’m going to go sleep with Drew and leave you lovebirds alone.”

Before he disappeared down the hallway, Henry paused as if hesitating and said, “It’s never easy, guys, but it’s totally worth it.”

It hit both of them like a Mack Truck what Henry said and why. Even after everything that happened, and with Tommy almost dying, he still thought they should adopt Tommy and Brett and would make great dads. It gave them a lot to think about while the boys slept.

<><><> 

For the first time in his existence, Uriel was unsure of what to do. Craig Peterson sacrificed himself to save the boy Thomas but also killed himself with the intent to get to his father. Craig’s soul spoke to him when it should not yet have been able to.

Kent Peterson had been granted a Dispensation but refused his second chance, so Uriel took him to his eternal isolation, his personal Hell, where he now resided and should for all eternity.

There was no precedent for the situation. Opening himself, Uriel sought guidance but received no response. The silence was confusing, and he wondered greatly at the current turn of events. It was unprecedented, but he decided to do as Craig asked.

<><>  

On his back, the area around him colorless, rocky, and uncomfortable, Kent stared at nothing. He reflected over the years of his life… in that place, his memories were clear and accessible, and he realized that was the intent. All he had time to do was think and suffer, and he hated it, but it forced him to reevaluate his life.

Remembering Uriel’s words about his heart being filled with hate, it took years as he perceived the passage of time, but he finally began to admit, in small steps, the possibility that Uriel was right.

Regret took root in the tiny cracks of his pride, and as more years passed, he ultimately concluded he was an asshole. He was a horrible man and an even worse father. For a time he couldn’t stop crying, regretting who and what he was, begging God or Uriel or someone to hear and forgive him, wanting to make things right. His tears filled with remorse; he thought of all the things he wanted to do over with Marge and the boys but knew he would never get the chance.

There were no mirrors or reflective surfaces in his prison, so at first he was unaware of the physical changes in him. Out of boredom, he started exercising. At first, he couldn’t even do one pushup. His stomach was too weak and soft to do sit-ups; he had to leverage the weight of his legs just to sit up if he was lying down.

Similar to when Bill was trapped inside his own mind, Kent’s outward appearance mirrored his inner feelings, and his body slowly began to change. His clothes hung loose, and his arms grew big again.

He couldn’t eat or sleep, so when he wasn’t exercising, he spent time mulling over his life. Realizing what jerks he and his buddies had been, he remembered the time they all ganged up on Alan Whetherson in the gym.

My God, what were we thinking? We could have killed him!

Outside time, Kent still perceived time in his isolation and had lost track of the years. His most prominent regrets were his family, his wife Marge, but especially his two sons. He was so proud of them, yet never once told them. He was ashamed of what they must think of him and what they must say to each other behind his back.

He was a total embarrassment and knew it. Marge used to be supportive, but eventually, his caustic attitude drove her to use sedatives to dull her own pain, and Kent was convinced he was the source of her substance abuse.

Remembering when he and Margie were in love, he wondered how he could have let them drift so far apart. It was his fault; she was a beautiful wife, and he drove her into a depression she wasn’t able to cope with.

In his time alone, occasionally Kent’s mind played tricks on him. Hearing things, he would race around looking, desperate to find anyone or anything, but figured it was another part of where he was, designed to make him feel lonely and separated.

After more than a century, his soul weary, Kent longed for real death… to go to sleep and never wake up. He begged God, or whoever could hear him, for forgiveness. Crying and wailing, he repeatedly ranted yet knew no one was listening. He pissed away the chance Uriel offered him and knew he was responsible for his fate.

Wallowing in depression, his deepest inner voice told him he deserved everything happening to him. He threw away any chance of happiness but also realized he never would have changed. Uriel was right; he had been too lazy.

“Guys like me don’t deserve a second chance.”

“Dad?”

Kent didn’t even open his eyes, shouting, “GO THE FUCK AWAY! YOU AREN’T REAL!”

Someone sniffled.

“Dad. It’s me…”

Kent’s eyes flew open, and standing there, a few feet from him was his son, Craig!

Breath left his body, and blinding tears filled his eyes at the sight of Craig standing there, shirtless and sweaty, his lean body tightly muscled. He looked so… so studly. The first thing in Kent’s mind was that he never told Craig or Jacob how good they looked or how proud he was of them.

Kent’s face showed his confusion, not believing Craig was really there.

“Craig?! How can you be here? If you’re here, that means you’re dead!”

“I came to be with you, Dad. I came to bring you back.”

Turning to Uriel, Craig asked, “Can you take us back?”

Sounding uncertain, Uriel replied, “I do not know. This has never happened before. I will return for you at least; you do not belong here.”

Spreading his wings, he vaulted into the air and vanished.

Slowly approaching his son, inch by inch, Kent looked at him, taking in every feature and nuance of his stud ROTC Marine son who he had treated so horribly.

Craig finally got a good look at Kent, staring at his father’s face that looked familiar yet so different. Kent looked younger but haggard. When Craig finally tore his eyes away from his father’s face, he noticed how fit he looked. Kent’s huge belly was gone, and now his arms and chest stretched the fabric of the material rather than his stomach. Except for the haunted look on his face, he looked like the old pictures in his mother’s scrapbooks.

The dam inside Kent broke, and pulling Craig against him, he hugged his son tightly as he cried, “God, I’m so sorry, Craig. I love you so much! Please forgive me! Please!"

Choking up, he kept repeating “please” as he hugged his son, begging forgiveness.

Craig didn’t know how to react. He couldn’t remember the last time his father told him he loved him, let alone hugged him.

Crying too, he hugged his dad back, saying, “I love you, too, Dad. I always have.”

They held their embrace for minutes until the tears finally subsided.

Pulling back, Craig said, “Dad… I don’t understand any of this…”

“It doesn’t matter, son. You’re here, and I have to say some things I’ve never had the courage to say before. I have to say them before he comes back to get you…”

“But Dad, I came to get you… You’re going back with me!”

“I don’t think I can, Craig. I deserve to be here, but you don’t! I know you don’t! I’ll make him take you back!”

“I’m not leaving without you, Dad! If you can’t leave, I’ll stay here with you!”

“Don’t say that, Craig. Please don’t… look, before he comes back… I need to say some things. Please don’t interrupt; I don’t know how much time we have.”

Kent sat down, and so did Craig. Craig noticed a lot of differences in his father besides his appearance. For starters, he looked directly at Craig, right into his eyes. He rarely ever did that.

Craig sat and listened, not believing what he heard. Occasionally trying to defend his father’s actions, Kent always waved him off, saying, “No, I was an asshole!”

Tears came and went through Kent’s diatribe, and he went on for hours until he finally stopped.

“Now it’s your turn. I need you to tell me anything I missed. Anytime I slighted you or Jacob or your mother that you remember.”

“Dad, no… You’ve said enough. I can’t do that.”

<> 

Uriel sat with them, unseen and listening, wanting to hear everything Kent Peterson said. Pleasantly surprised, he still didn’t know if it would make a difference. Dispensations were unique and short-lived, and Kent Peterson had been dead for weeks in the physical realm. Yet, in the weeks of his absence on Earth, he lived the equivalent of lifetimes by his own reckoning. Perhaps that was enough...

<><><> 

There was plenty of food still on ZEUS, so Kevin put something together for himself, Bill, and Henry. He made macaroni and cheese for the boys and let them have a bowl of their favorite cereal with it.

While they ate, Kevin said, “Okay, guys, we’ll spend the night here and head back in the morning. We need to get you back to Cavalry by early Monday morning, and with the time difference, we’ll be cutting it close.”

Tommy put down his spoon and stopped eating, whispering, “I don’t want to go back. Please let us stay with you.”

Kevin, with his enhanced hearing, heard the words clearly, and his throat tightened.

Brett piped in, “Me too!”

Bill started, “Guys… You saw what happened at Drew’s Birthday party! We couldn’t protect you! Tommy, you almost died… and we can’t promise that won’t happen again. It would kill us if anything happened to you!”

Pushing his bowl away, Tommy crossed his arms and put his head down, hiding his face, crying.

Drew said, “Don’t cry, Tommy.”

Looking at them with big eyes, Brett didn’t say a word.

Henry tried to keep the scowl off his face but glared daggers at the two men.

Bill started to intervene, “Boys…”

Standing up, Tommy moved around the table and took Brett’s hand, saying, “Come on, Brett. They don’t want us.”

Leading his little brother out of the room, Kevin heard the door to their cabin slide shut.

Drew had tears running down his face, and Henry went over and picked him up, hugging his son.

“I don’t understand, Daddy.”

Looking at Bill and Kevin, Henry said, “Me either, honey.”

He left the room with Drew, going out to sit on the dive deck by the water, leaving his two brothers alone.

<><><>  

The following week was rough for everyone. Jacob and the other soldiers returned to the Australian lab with Kelly and Chloe. Jacob refused to talk to any member of the team except Albrecht and only then for lessons and workouts. Other than that, he stayed in his room.

Nathan, Caleb, Guy, and Rich tried their best to support him and pull him out of his self-imposed exile, but he isolated himself even from their friendship.

In Atlanta, Ken resumed their training, but Bill and Kevin were heartbroken after deciding it was too risky to keep Tommy and Brett so close to them. Tommy and Brett stopped talking to them and told the new director at the orphanage they no longer wanted to be in the ‘Big Brother’ Program. The whole situation was tragic for everyone.

The hole in Bill and Kevin affected the entire team. When merged as a group, there was tension not present before. Henry was angry but acknowledged the decision was theirs. He still loved them, but he didn’t understand it.

Giovanni began getting to know everyone. With centuries of knowledge to catch up on, he was brilliant and would be alright in time but had no idea what he wanted to do with his life moving forward. He was devastated to find that Jonathan, Charisa, and the other elders were dead, and all that was left of his Old Order were Albrecht, Aaron, and Taliesin, whom he had never liked anyway.

<><><>  

Ces, the new receptionist at Calvary Children’s Home, looked up when the bell rang as the door opened. A nice-looking man, very well dressed, approached her desk saying, “Good afternoon Miss…”

“Ces will do, thanks. Short for Cecily. Cecily Clement.”

She seemed flustered and stammered over her name.

“Thank you, Ms. Clement. I am here to see the Executive Director.”

“Oh, I’m sorry! She’s currently in an adoption meeting and is tied up for the rest of the day.”

“I believe she will want to see me. My visit pertains to the adoption in progress. Please tell her I am here.”

“We weren’t expecting anyone else. May I tell her your name?”

“Aharon Jochebedson.”

Absentmindedly using his name's archaic pronunciation, he realized she didn’t have a clue what he said. He hadn’t used his last name since his mother died in the valley and wondered why it popped out now?

With a slight furrow of his brow, he corrected himself.

“Aaron Thomas.”

“Oh! Just a moment, Mr. Thomas.”

Aaron tilted his hat, blocking his eyes as they briefly flashed white.

“You can go right in.”

“Thank you, my dear.”

Aaron entered the office, where a couple sat across from Heather Draper, the new Executive Director. Mrs. Draper and the couple, Tom Graham and his wife Janet, all looked at him, surprised at the interruption. Meticulously removing his overcoat, as he turned to hang his coat and hat on the coat rack, his eyes flashed white again.

“I’m sorry, but this is a closed meeting. You’ll have to make an appointment with Ces.”

“I believe I am in the right place. You are signing the final adoption papers for one Thomas Billingsley and his younger brother Brett?”

“Well, yes, but how did you know that?”

Mrs. Draper looked at the couple sitting across from her desk and asked, “Do either of you know this man?”

The couple looked wide-eyed and shook their heads in the negative.

Aaron sat in another of the high-backed chairs, crossing his legs.

“I have information pertaining to Tom and Janet that you might be unaware of. I am surprised your screening did not uncover certain behavioral abnormalities in the Graham household. Issues not conducive to raising two small boys.”

Looking directly at Tom, he asked, “Do you wish to tell Mrs. Draper, or shall I?”

Panicking, Tom’s bald forehead broke out into a sweat, and he said, “The deal’s off! We’re no longer interested in the boys!”

Aaron’s eyes flashed white, and in a stern voice, he said, “Sit, and be silent!”

Aaron kept his anger in check but was not exactly gentle. He rarely used his powers so overtly and would make the proper memory adjustments when the matter was over, but two of his sons needed his intervention as much as the two small boys he was saving. He prayed he was doing the right thing, but he would risk it for William and Kevin.

Tom sat down as if jerked into the chair.

Looking back at Mrs. Draper, Aaron continued, “I have an amicable solution to this entire affair I think you will find most agreeable.”

Glancing at Tom and Janet, his face went stern again.

“You will go home now and call the police and confess everything you have done to the children placed in your care. Everything… And give the police the digital recordings you have hidden as evidence of your debauchery.”

Turning back to Mrs. Draper, he said, “It is fortunate I discovered their deviancy in time to save young Thomas and Brett. I have two charges in my care who would like to adopt Thomas and Brett, and they will have a wonderful place to live. They will be loved and nurtured as never before.”

Aaron’s eyes flashed white again as he made the appropriate alterations to Mrs. Draper’s memory. When he was done, Mrs. Draper had Ces draw up the paperwork, and less than an hour later, Aaron left with Tommy and Brett. In her mind, Heather Draper agreed that Bill and Kevin would make perfect fathers. She had met both men as Big Brothers to the two young boys and had always been impressed with them.

Waiting in the Suburban, Albrecht welcomed the two boys with hugs. Tommy and Brett looked confused, and he had a long talk with the two young boys. Taking them into his heart along with Aaron, he shared Kevin and Bill’s pain over their decision and how much the two men truly loved them and needed them in their lives.

Many tears flowed shortly into the discussion. Albrecht looked deeply into each boy, seeing their hearts’ desire, and it made him warm that deep down, under the protective mechanisms they had already learned, the two small boys loved Bill and Kevin and wanted them to be their dads.

Aaron preferred to take them to Long John Silver’s to celebrate, but Albrecht insisted they go to Wendy’s instead.

His only comment was, “I’ve never had a Chocolate Frosty, and I think it’s time I rectified that oversight.”

<><> 

That evening, Ken had Brad send out an 811 mental alert, and in seconds everyone gathered in the Atlanta lab.

There were no details, and Brad kept a tight shield on himself and Ken. Ken had a serious look on his face.

Brad: You should have been an actor!

Ken: Don’t make me laugh, or I won’t get through this!

Ken struggled to keep his poker face on.

Everyone in the conference room, pronto.

Filing in, everyone settled into their customary seats. The room never seemed as large, with all the broad shoulders around the table. Standing at the lectern, Ken gripped the edges firmly, looking at the handsome faces staring back at him, the faces of his brothers he knew so well, the men who were a part of him, whom he loved dearly. Two of them were hurting badly, and it affected all of them.

“It’s been a rough week, guys. Drew’s birthday was a bust. We managed to get Giovanni and the Gift, but we also lost another friend with Alariel, at least for a while. We lost Craig but saved Tommy, and Drew made it through again.”

Speaking up, Henry said, “Drew’s fine, Ken. He took the whole thing in stride, other than what happened to Craig. He’s been exposed to so much that there is no normal anymore. He had a great time and still talks about the animals and being on ZEUS. He really misses Tommy and Brett, though.”

“B, put the newsfeed on the Ops Board.”

The giant board came to life, split into four screens, showing three local Atlanta news stations and one Cable Headline News. Each screen displayed a ‘Breaking Report’ and showed mugshots of a man and a woman.

The scrolling headline across the bottom of each said, “Tom and Janet Graham turned themselves over to Atlanta Police tonight, confessing to the molestation of children currently under their care as foster parents. DVDs of child pornography were handed over willingly by the couple. It’s unclear why they turned themselves in. The children currently under their foster care have all been removed by Child and Family Services and placed in temporary homes and are receiving counseling.”

Everybody looked confused, and Lane asked, “What’s going on? That’s terrible, but what does that have to do with us?”

Standing, the doctor said, “Those two were the couple about to adopt young Thomas and Brett.”

Bill and Kevin paled, sitting up in a panic.

Holding up a hand, Ken said, “It’s alright, fellas.”

Moving behind his two buddies, he put his hands on their shoulders. Their eyes wet, they looked up at Ken, confused and distraught.

“We all know what a tough decision it was for you two with Tommy and Brett. No one blames you; you truly had their best interest at heart. I also know you guys really well… All of us do. Sometimes we all need a push in the right direction. I hope we aren’t oversteppin’ our bounds but know that we’re doin’ this ‘cause we love you. You’re our brothers, and we want what’s best for you.”

Ken couldn’t help the grin that crossed his face and said, “Sometimes, your brothers know what’s best.”

Bill and Kevin were short of breath. Bill was pretty sure he knew what was going on, and Kevin caught on right behind him.

Ken called out, “Albrecht!”

The door opened, and Albrecht escorted an anxious-looking Tommy and Brett into the conference room, a hand on each of their shoulders.

Nudging them forward with a smile, Albrecht said, “Go say hello to your new fathers.”

Kevin and Bill burst into tears. There were tears all around the table at what everyone witnessed, but Bill and Kevin let the floodgates loose. They could hardly breathe, and their emotions were all over the place; relief, gratitude, and thankfulness most prominent.

Looking at Ken, Kevin managed to squeak out, “How!?”

Ken said, “We have your back, Kev. You should know that by now. The doc’s already taken care of the paperwork. You two are officially dads. We’re proud of you, and we all support you a thousand percent.”

With a shit-eating grin on his face, Henry said, “Welcome to the club, fellas!”

Tommy and Brett ran across the room, throwing themselves into the arms of their new fathers, crying hard.

Drew came flying into the room… Sally had filled him in, and he was extremely excited!

Brad: It’s nice to see some smiles. You’re right; this week has sucked. We’ve been getting pounded lately and needed something like this.

Unexpectedly, the security chime went off, and a hush fell over the room.

It was the proximity alarm in the rear parking lot. It was too late for deliveries, and no one was expecting anyone. Brad and the Mentalists didn’t feel any danger, and neither did Ken or the bodies.

The doctor moved to the closest security monitor, his eyes went wide, and he let out an, “Oh my! Darren, get Jacob and Marge Peterson here immediately!”

His voice held a sense of urgency they rarely heard.

“Come, everyone!”

As he rushed out of the room to the back door, in his haste he swiveled the monitor on its base as everyone followed, so none of them saw what was on the screen. When the back door flew open, and each of them saw who was there, their jaws dropped.

In the back of the parking lot, just out of the runes influence, stood Uriel with Craig and Kent Peterson by his side.

It was cold outside, and Craig still wore the shorts he had on in Africa. With a big grin on his face, Craig hollered, “Anyone got a blanket? It’s friggin’ cold out here!”

Uriel’s deep voice reverberated in their minds.

I leave them with you. There is no precedent; another sign of changing times.

Transforming into a ball of light, he shot into the sky.

Everyone was so stunned they all just stared.

“Uh… little help, guys!? I’m freezing!”

Darren enlisted Brad’s help in contacting Jacob. Jacob felt Brad’s presence in his mind, and the next thing he knew, he was in the parking lot in Atlanta with his mother.

Craig jumped when his brother and mother appeared. Kent still hadn’t said anything. The physical changes in him were apparent to all of them. To Ken, Brad, and the others, he looked just like he did back in the early 1990s when they first knew him.

Craig, his teeth chattering, smiled nervously and said, “Hey, Bro. Hey, Mom.”

In a horrible Poltergeist impression, he said, “Weeee’re baaaaaack!”

That cracked the ice, and Jacob rushed forward, enveloping his younger brother, sobbing and shaking so hard he couldn’t talk.

Ken looked at Brad, his eyes wide: Holy shit, B! Can this night get any weirder? Or better?

Moving over, Ken embraced his partner from behind, nuzzling the back of Brad’s neck with his unshaven cheek.

Brad: I don’t know about weirder, but if you keep that up, it might get a little better, at least for Ken Jr.!

Brad was glad to see happiness inside Ken that had been absent for too long. Looking in his partner, it was like the sun broke through a cloudy day. They were in dark times, but what they just witnessed proved that things could change and that not all the weirdness was evil or bad.

Using his Captain’s voice, Ken got everyone’s attention.

“Let’s take it inside, everybody! Someone get Craig a blanket!

Sally said, “Coffee coming up!”

Smiles were wide, and everyone’s spirits were lifted by the events of the night.

<><> 

That night as Drew slept, exhausted from the excitement of having Tommy and Brett in the lab with him and Craig and his father’s return, The Master reached for Drew’s dreams. He discovered a connection between their souls that bypassed the runes through the realm of dreams.

He had traversed the realm once before, bestowing a dream on Lane Weaver, but the cost was high, and he hadn’t done so again. It was different with his brother, easier, and he intended to do so as often as possible, to break him down with fear and terror before their next encounter.

Cautiously, he made his way through the realm. While nothing could kill him, there were beings there that could harm him, and he could feel pain.

Finally standing at the foot of Drew’s bed, he waited in anticipation at the terror he was about to inflict on his sibling. As Drew began to dream, The Master reached out with a clawed hand but stopped at the sound of a deep guttural growl. The wolf-spirit made herself known, and in the realm of dreams, she was far more powerful than The Master. Her pack accompanied her, encircling Drew’s dream, protecting him.

Turning to flee, The Master screamed as her teeth sank into his muscular backside. Commanding her Pack, they hunted him down until he was back in his body.

In his Sanctuary, on his throne, The Master’s eyes opened wide, and he cried out in rage as a trickle of blood seeped down his leg where there was now a small bald spot on his muscled but very hairy buttocks.

<> 

Loy woke as soon as the wolf-spirit entered his room, seeming pleased with herself.

Sitting up when she approached, she dropped something out of her mouth on the bed.

Looking, Loy saw a patch of thick, coarse hair with blood on it.

Picking it up, he read it, knowing immediately who it belonged to, and he smiled.

Well done.

Settling back, Loy snuggled against Rick’s warm solid body, putting one arm around him and pulling them tighter together. Sighing in contentment, Rick fell into a deeper sleep, feeling his lover’s arms around him, and dreamed a happy dream.

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