The Order

Prelude

Creation felt it… the confrontation was approaching. Building for ages between the light and the dark, supernatural powers and principalities in all realms were aware of it. It wasn’t the final confrontation with The Dark One, but with his underling, The Master; the first of two battles.

Darkness held sway for many years in the physical realm, nearly obliterating The Order, the last bastion of light on Earth. However, hope came in the form of a little boy named Drew Ross, the Nephilim hybrids he called his uncles, and his father, Henry, named The Betrayer by The Master, their shoulders bearing the burden of the salvation and redemption of mankind. Their failure would dim the light into insignificance, perhaps beyond recovery.

In the cycle of death surrounding the Curse, Henry Ross was the key difference. For the first time in all his incarnations, Drew had a father who cared for him and loved him, a man whose love was strong enough to face any obstacle or danger for his son. Henry’s love for Drew was the first sign that rocked the foundations of the Curse.

The cosmic pendulum, which swayed towards the dark for so long, moved further back towards equilibrium. The creation of the Nephilim hybrids was the first step back towards balance. The day the Four Corners of Heaven were invoked to protect them, allowing them to attain their Nephilim heritage, sent a loud, clear signal of imminent change that the darkness was not omnipotent.

The second signal was the hybrid Nephilim, utilizing the Oathstone of Heaven, forcing The Dark One to remove himself from the first battle. The Master must stand on his own and win against Drew, Henry, and his uncles, or fail. Everything rested on that pivotal event, only nine short months away. As creation measured time, the confrontation was upon it, the forces at play in motion and unstoppable. With the butterfly effect in full force, the world was more divided and chaotic than ever.

Creation’s groaning would end or continue, depending on the outcome. Everything rested on the shoulders of a six-year-old human boy, the second oldest human soul in existence, his father Henry, touched by God Himself, and ten brothers, five couples who were one; a paradox.

The Realm of Dreams

A blood-curdling scream escaped Loy as blood burst forth from a gash in his leg. Before he could draw breath to scream again, a spear sliced the tendons behind and below his knee, and he collapsed, his leg hanging limp and useless as he struggled to run away from the men hunting him.

Terror filled his mind, exceeding even the pain in his body. Stabbed repeatedly, a spear punctured one of his lungs, and his eyes widened in panic as he tried to suck in air and couldn’t. His sides heaving in effort, with every beat of his heart more blood spilled from his wounds.

The hot sun beat down on him while gunshots fired and bullets entered him, but through his terror and confusion, through all his pain and suffering, he heard the cry of his calf. Frantically flailing, he tried to protect his offspring. Every movement was agony and futile, yet he struggled anyway.

Tears spilled from his tiny eyes, leaving a darker grey path on his hide as they ran to the ground. Through the shroud of pain and confusion, the sound of cruel laughter filled his ears along with the voices of the men hunting him.

“She is a good one! There are not many of her age. These are beautiful!”

Two men grabbed her tusks, roughly yanking them and jerking her head from side to side. Harsh and cruel, it increased her suffering, yet they laughed at her misery.

“Bring the axes and cut them out. With these added to what we already have, it has been a good day. Summ will be pleased.”

 The Congo, Africa

Pain and terror ravaged the great beast. Her hind leg gave out as a spear broke off in it, causing more damage as she ran. Her sides heaving, she tried to draw breath, but a punctured lung made her breathing labored and harsh. Hounding her mercilessly, the men gave her no reprieve, surrounding her.

More bullets entered her body, followed by the loud cracks of gunfire that hurt her ears. Finally, she collapsed in the hot sun, the earth shaking from the impact of her massive body. Her calf stayed by her side, screaming. She didn’t understand that the men had no interest in her young, yet her instincts were still to protect it.

Terror and panic overpowered her mind. Her body giving out, all she could do was suffer in heat and misery as the life drained out of her.

A man approached her, looking directly into her tiny eye, and she saw only cruelty and evil in his face; there was no mercy. She was of prime age, her tusks long and pristine, prized among the poachers. She realized none of that, only experiencing suffering and terror from their cruelty. The long sleep called her, but she clung to life in an instinct to protect her calf.

Her memory was good, and even through her pain and fear, her mind went back in time a month ago when the presence of the steward filled her. The completion and longing of his presence dwelling within her gave her a sense of peace that remained with her still.

Why would the steward allow this?

In desperation, her spirit called to Loy. She had no language or words, but she had intellect and awareness, and her spirit screamed for the steward to save her calf.

The men laughed as she flailed, becoming weaker by the second as her body drained of blood, continuing to jab long, sharp poles into her flesh and shooting her again.

A few poachers moved to nearby vehicles, retrieving axes to cut out her tusks. Bloodied tusks filled the back of two trucks, but none were as large or as pristine as hers.

Tears wet her dust-covered hide, running down into the dirt. She watched the men, not understanding what the axes were for.

Her vision blurred as her life faded, and thankfully, she lost consciousness before the first ax sank into her flesh, splattering blood over her and the man wielding it.

<><><> 

Rick woke to Loy trembling, their bodies still entwined after falling asleep only an hour before from making passionate love to one another. Their bodies solid and muscled, passion fueled them along with the might of their souls. The two men had been partnered for decades, learning how to pleasure one another. When they became one, the pleasure they brought to each other, physically and emotionally, was even more compelling, and the intimacy of their joining exquisite beyond words.

Some nights they had raw hot sex, even animalistic given Loy’s Avatar, but that night they expressed their love for one another as men. Smelling the fresh sweat on his husband, Rick enjoyed the warm dampness of his muscled body. Instinctively tightening his arms around Loy, he pressed his hands against Loy’s chest, increasing their body contact. He was careful not to wake Loy if he was dreaming but wanted his husband to feel his presence and unconsciously gain comfort from it.

Loy’s trembling became harsher, and Rick was caught off guard, startled as Loy jerked upright, emitting a blood-curdling scream that echoed in both the physical and spiritual realms. Thunder cracked so loud, mirroring his cry, the windows nearly broke, and a bolt of lightning struck the tree in their backyard, filling it with power.

Rick slowed his perception of time to get his bearings. He and Loy had fallen asleep together linked, but Loy was now shielded from him and his eyes were white, reflecting the lightning that hit the tree and filled the skies overhead. The sheets soaked with sweat, Loy was drenched, every muscle taut, and his body felt like concrete under Rick’s hands.

Before Rick could formulate his thoughts and ask Loy what was happening, he vanished. Rick’s soldierly instincts kicked in, and he didn’t panic, but he was scared. His mind fully empowered by their recent lovemaking, he cast his thoughts out, trying to find the other half of his soul, but wherever Loy went, he was out of Rick’s range.

Rick sent out a mental 911 call to whoever could hear him. He couldn’t remember who was in Atlanta and who was in Australia at the moment, but it didn’t matter. Anyone at the lab would hear him, and their triggers would wake them.

The silence following Loy’s scream was eerie. The entire episode only took a few seconds, but it felt like minutes. Rick’s stomach clenched in fear, and an intense wave of anxiety came over him with his husband’s disappearance.

Guys! Loy’s gone!

<><><>  

The men served darkness on Earth. They didn’t call him The Master; in the Congo, he was referred to as Summ, which meant “darkness.” The poachers, collecting ivory at his command, brought in much gold, but more importantly, it was used as a component in certain magical rituals.

At Summ’s instruction over the last few centuries, they hunted elephants to near extinction. The Enemy had no care for such matters; the earth and everything on it was theirs to do with as they wished, and they took pleasure in the extinction of animals and bringing more brokenness to creation.

The leader of the poachers, a man named Kumi, caught the ax thrown to him. The weapon's head was dark with dried blood but dull and notched, and he made a mental note to punish the one responsible for not keeping it sharp. He would have to cut further up, and it would take more effort not to damage the ivory.

Squatting beside the head of the enormous creature, he saw the tears in her tiny eye. She stared back at him, but even in her panic, she looked at him with an uncanny intelligence that unnerved him. While he watched, her tiny eye closed as she lost consciousness. Kumi gave no mind to the pitiful cries of the calf as its mother lay dying.

Legends among Kumi’s people spoke of the intelligence and spirituality of the great beasts. It mattered not to him; he carried out the will of Summ, fearless of any repercussions or reprisals. Local law enforcement protected him and would look the other way even if his activities were reported.

Laughing to cover his nervousness, he raised the ax, not to put her out of her misery but to cut out her tusks. Kumi took great pleasure in the solid thunk of the ax biting into the flesh of the mother elephant. Even unconscious, her body twitched and convulsed, but she was too weak to do anything. Surprised she was not dead already, it gave him a rush to have such a large, powerful creature helpless and defeated by his hand.

Raising the ax again, he stopped, suddenly frozen and unable to move, his mind burning in a way he had never felt before. A crack of thunder ripped through the area so loud it nearly burst his eardrums. The sky was already overcast, but the clouds suddenly boiled unnaturally, and his eyes went wide. Lightning hit a nearby tree, filling his eyes with spots, and the hair on his arms and the back of his neck rose. His men froze as he did, unable to move and not understanding what was happening.

A man, naked with a strong, powerful physique, appeared beside the fallen elephant. He was caucasian but darkly tanned, not a local. Sweat covered him, accentuating his muscular form, and looking upon the elephant, his handsome face distorted in rage.

His eyes were white, and Kumi saw the lightning in them. A hot wind whipped his hair, and the big ball of his muscled shoulder showed an intricate, vividly colored tattoo that glowed so brightly he could barely look at it.

The man terrified them, and something about his stature and aura sent a chill down their spines. He was a light burning the darkness of their souls, an enemy of Summ, and he was there to destroy them.

Kumi had protections on his mind. Well-dressed men, shaman of Summ, cast spells to protect him against servants of the light. Summ’s enemies had not held sway in the Congo for centuries, and Kumi had never run into any opposition or faced anything like what was before him.

Kumi’s protections shattered painfully as Loy sent out a burst of mental energy, and without their shields, his light burned them even more.

Turning, Loy looked upon the carnage of the female elephant and her calf. Thrusting his arms out to his sides, his entire body flexed, putting all his anger and grief into the scream that escaped him. It echoed through their minds and across both realms, and thunder cracked again as nature reflected his wrath.

Tears flowed down his handsome face as he blocked the pain centers in both the mother and her calf. Filling them with his presence, he was their steward, and he would protect them. The mother was near death, but the calf was primarily unhurt, just terrified. With him inside them, they were no longer afraid, completed by his long-awaited presence.

Loy opened Kumi’s mind, and he watched in wonder as animal spirits appeared, flying around the man. Loy’s form glowed brighter and brighter as his soul fluttered back and forth across the veil. He couldn’t call on Yggdrasil without Rick or one of the other bodies, but he drew all the power at his disposal. Listening to nature around him, the music of the congo infused him with power.

The air thick with spirits as they swam around him, animals from the area felt him and moved towards him. White ropes of healing arced out of his hands like silent lightning, entering the mother and her calf, and their wounds vanished.

The mother had no broken bones but suffered massive damage to her muscles, tendons, ligaments, and organs. The damage gone in seconds, both animals were restored to full health.

Their love and contentment towards Loy did not dampen his fury towards the ones responsible. His sadness ran deep over what they experienced before he arrived in answer to her call. Regret filled him, but there was no blame from the creature, only love and her sense of completeness at his return, and he basked in it.

His head whipping around, the brief softness on his face replaced by feral wrath as he looked into the minds of the humans he held. Willing servants of The Enemy, they took perverted pleasure in what they did. Seeing such brokenness was physically painful, and it made Loy want to throw up; how humans could fall so low was still a mystery to him and his brothers. Falling to the ground he clutched his stomach, his soul wracked in pain as he exposed himself to their true selves.

Wanting Rick with him, he didn’t have the strength to pull him across the planet by himself. If they were together with Rick pulling from the tree, he could take them both anywhere with effort. His Avatar took him there in urgency, and he was alone. He wondered at that; nothing like it had happened to any of the guys, and it bore consideration.

His form shimmering, Loy transformed into a massive gorilla, and moving to Kumi, he put his face inches from the man. He smelled Kumi’s sweat and fear, but there was no mercy in Loy, just as there was no mercy in Kumi for the female elephant. Loy’s big black nostrils flared as he breathed in the scent and emotions of the terrified agent of the dark. Loy’s hot breath blew on Kumi’s face, and when their eyes met, Kumi saw his death.

Blindingly fast, in a savage display of strength, Loy ripped Kumi in half. Throwing the two halves of his body on the ground, Loy brutally beat his chest in a primal scream that shook the trees, nearly deafening the men around him. Kumi’s face still showed surprise, his eyes wide, as his blood splattered across the closest men.

Some of the men defecated in their pants, and many lost control of their bladders at what they witnessed. A powerful creature of light, a defender of The Order not seen in the Congo in ages, was back, terrifying in his light and ferocity.

Picking one of the men, the youngest, Loy continued his hold over the boy’s mind. The remaining poachers he commanded to throw down their weapons and flee. Immediately, they screamed, sprinting off in all directions. Loy felt no pleasure in what he did, but a pervading sense of righteousness filled him.

His form shimmered, transforming back into his human body. His eyes remained white, and he sent a call out to all the animals making their way to him. The wildlife of the Congo heard him, and he set his will on them.

Kill the fleeing men and bring their bodies to me.

The female elephant moved to Loy, her trunk wrapping around his waist and torso in affection. He grabbed hold of her, the same as he did when Rick held him from behind. Comforting him, she wanted to express her joy at his presence. Her calf gently head-butted Loy’s chest, and he wrapped his arms around the young creature, resting his head against it.

Brad’s presence suddenly filled Loy’s mind along with everyone else, especially Rick.

Loy!

Guys, I need you!

His husband and brothers appeared around him, shining towers of light, filled with power and ready for whatever challenge Loy faced. Naked as he was, they came straight out of their beds.

Rick delved into Loy, and their souls merged, relieving both of them.

They saw Loy, covered in blood and sweat, and the two halves of Kumi’s body on the ground nearby. The elephant still had her trunk around Loy, comforting him, and Loy held onto the baby elephant as much for his own comfort as its. His eyes bloodshot, tears still ran down his cheeks. His emotions were high, but he was in control of himself.

Rushing to him, Rick pulled him into a hug. The mother and calf pulled back enough to give the two men room.

Don’t ever fucking do that again!

I’m sorry, Rick! It all happened so fast… I... I’m sorry. I came on instinct. My Avatar brought me here.

Coming up to him, Ken cupped his hand behind Loy’s thick neck and shoulder before pulling his brother into a tight embrace.

Are you alright?

Loy sighed heavily.

No. Yeah. I am… or I will be. Thanks, guys.

His hesitation told Ken how shaken he was, but he would be okay.

Now that they were together and saw Loy was alright, in their minds, the shit hanging started and he sheepishly grinned. They were one and the comfort of their souls, along with his husbands, was what he needed. His nerves were calming, and the grip of his Avatar lessened.

Darren’s eyes flashed white, and the blood covering Loy vanished. Every one of the men grabbed Loy physically, taking turns hugging him tightly. His body still held a slight tremble from the adrenaline rush, and they all felt it.

The bodies heard screams, and the mentalists were aware of the animals in the area as they hunted down and killed the remaining poachers. Their ferocity and wildness filled Loy and his brothers. Pereko, the young man Loy still held, was terrified. The light of the men burned him.

Now that everyone was present with Loy and one again, they were aware of what happened. It was disturbing that one of their Avatars could force such a reaction on one of them.

Brad wondered as much as Loy… why here and now? Something about this specific occurrence was significant enough to affect Loy’s Avatar from halfway around the world and pull him there. It had to be more than the mother and calf. Not that their suffering wasn’t enough, but the poachers had been killing them for hundreds of years… so why this time?

<><> 

Animals of all species made their way back to Loy, dragging the dead poachers, and it wasn’t long before there was a pile of bodies. Uriel collected their souls after their deaths, so the husks were all that remained. Loy felt no remorse in ending them; they were willing servants of The Enemy and performed horrible deeds to humans and animals alike.

Loy’s anger still smoldered under the surface, but he was in control, and Rick reluctantly lowered his arms from around his lover as the last of the animals arrived.

Walking up to Pereko, Loy’s eyes flashed white, and Pereko heard the power echoing in Loy’s mental voice. He also heard the quiver of barely contained rage.

You witnessed what happens to anyone who poaches here. It doesn’t matter if it’s The Enemy or normal humans. I don’t give a shit. Spread the word of what happened here today and know I will be aware if anything like this happens again. There will be no place on earth safe for you or anyone else who does this. There will be no place safe from me.

Ken added, “He means us.”

Loy moved to the pile of corpses. Rick was with him and took his hand while everyone fanned out behind them.

Loy: Power up, guys.

Calling on their sources of power once more, with the ten of them one, the spiritual realm overlaying the Congo lit up as if a star came down from the heavens and alighted on the ground.

Terrified, Pereko saw it all through his mind’s eye. Seeing their power, he wondered how they could be so strong. The power and majesty of their naked forms, glowing brighter than a sun in the spiritual realm, were more frightening than anything he had ever encountered.

A hot wind blew the hair on their heads and bodies, and a wave of light came out of the men, and the pile of corpses burned to ash in a matter of seconds, their evil obliterated. The hot wind continued, scattering the ashes and dissipating them. Brad shielded Pereko so he would not be destroyed.

Glaring at Pereko, Loy compelled him: Go! Make sure Summ hears of this!

Lightning flashed across the sky with his words, and Pereko saw it in their white eyes.

The boy took off as fast as his feet would carry him.

<><> 

Searching in the back of the trucks, Bryan found piles of bloodied tusks. With him, Lane touched each tusk, reading them. It was painful reliving the death and torture of the elephants they belonged to, but he could do no less for Loy.

Assimilating everything through Lane, fresh tears spilled down Loy’s cheeks. All of them shared Loy’s emotional intensity, feeling it themselves, but because of his Avatar, it affected him more. They cared for the creatures of the world as much as Loy, and the cruelty of humans, especially ones in service to The Master, knew no bounds.

Loy’s eyes flashed white again, this time accompanied by the glow of his Avatar. Looking to the sky, his voice echoed across the Congo.

Come!

He called the spirits of the slain elephants, the ones whose tusks lay in the truck beds. Restless from their violent deaths, none of them could move on yet and were still bound to the physical realm.

One by one the spirits appeared, and by the light of Loy’s Avatar became corporeal. Moving among them, the men held them and calmed them, filling the spirits with their presence and restoring them, enabling them to move on.

I’m so sorry this was done to you. Those who did this have paid the price. Go now, be reborn with our blessing, and be at peace.

Fading away, the spirits left the physical realm to be reborn. When they were gone, silence fell among the men. The Congo was hot and humid, and the only sound was a gentle, soothing breeze that brushed across their sweaty nakedness.

Brad brought Henry into their link, and his concern for Loy, as well as his relief that everything was alright, was heartwarming. Immediately Loy felt Henry’s arms around him as if he were present, and his voice added to the chorus of shit hanging for worrying them.

The tension finally lessened, leaving Loy as his friends held him close. Once he calmed down the resulting emotion was sadness more than anything else; sorrow at the tragedy of the noble animals slaughtered for pieces of their bodies.

Rick: Are you ready to go home?

Loy: I don’t know. I like it here. Even with the mess that just happened, I feel like I belong here.

Bryan: I get that. I feel the same in the valley.

Rick: You want to spend the night?

Loy: I do, but I want to get this ivory to the lab and under lock and key. I’m not sure what we’re going to do with it, but I don’t want it left here for anyone to find.

Ken: We’ll take care of that, Loy. Stay here with your hubby and chill out.

Loy: Okay. We’ll see you guys tomorrow morning.

It was unlike Loy to hesitate, but he did.

Thanks again, guys. I know I don’t have to say it, but I want to. You guys make this bearable.

Lane’s mischievous grin spread.

I see what you did there, beastie boy. Bear-able. Uh-huh.

Grinning, Loy appeared more like his old self.

Lane: You know… I can’t call you Dr. Doolittle anymore. Not after this. From now on, you’re Mighty Joe Young.

Everyone chuckled, and Bryan shook his head.

Loy and Rick moved off, gathering animals around them. Loy’s form shimmered into a huge lion, and Rick put an arm around him, walking by his side.

Sighing, Lane thought: That is so cool. I want to be Aslan, like Loy. It’s so not fair.

Bryan: God, I love my nerd.

The shit-talk diverted to Lane for a few moments until Ken brought them back into focus.

Alright ladies, let’s get this stuff to the lab and get back to bed. Training starts on time at 0800 Atlanta time.

With his enhanced sight, Ken watched Loy and Rick move off with Rick’s arm resting in Loy’s mane, worried about his friend and brother. He realized how challenging situations like that night were on Loy and knew it would get worse in time, at least until they restored creation… if they decided to do so. It was a downside to Loy’s Avatar that he felt the pain of the animals so intensely. Shielding Ken’s thoughts, Brad kept them private for the moment.

Private link between Brad and Ken

Thanks, B. I don’t wanna upset him. He’ll see it soon enough the next time we merge, but tonight I want him ‘ta relax and recover from what happened.

He’ll be fine, Ken. He’s strong; Rick is with him, and the animals. I’ll be so glad when The Master is gone and out of our hair so we can focus on things like this and make the world a better place. Even if we don’t remove the Curse, we can still make things better.

Ken let out a heavy sigh.

Yeah. I want to so bad, B. I don’t want us ‘ta keep hurtin’ all the time because the world is so fucked up. I don’t want Loy ‘ta hurt like this, or Bill just by walkin’ around or touchin’ someone or something… or you! What the shit inside people does to you hurts me too. I know we all have it different, but I wanna see an end ‘ta the hurt, for all of us… and the world.

Brad knew Ken would take it all on himself if it were possible, and if the rest of the guys would let him. He loved his husband so much for being the man he was. Brad was afraid that over time, the little kid in Ken would grow up because of everything they continually faced and from carrying the weight he did on his shoulders.

In response to Brad’s concerns, Ken’s grin appeared.

Remember, we haven’t aged a day since our awakenin’ and the program before that, and I wasn’t the most mature guy to begin with. I’ve got a long way ‘ta go before you need ‘ta worry about that!

<><>  

Brad kept Loy and Rick with them, lightly enough not to intrude. The rest of the guys needed to feel Rick and Loy as much as Rick and Loy needed to feel them; it was how they survived.

As they prepared to leave, anyone who hadn’t seen Kevin that day made a point of giving him a hug or a back-slap. No words were said, but they expressed their support through his recent trauma.

Darren synchronized their Avatars, sending them all back to their beds, whether in Atlanta or Australia. All of them held each other a little tighter that night, wondering what was next.

<><><>  

Henry woke at 0600 via a trigger he set in his mind. He laughed at himself because he had established a ‘snooze’ button in case he fell back asleep. Loy’s disappearance upset Drew, and they were up late. Even after Henry told his son that his Uncle Loy was alright, he took forever to get to sleep.

Drew had a deep-seated need to make sure the people in his life were safe and unhurt. Henry knew it stemmed from the abuse by Doug, Drew’s natural father. Patient, Henry let him talk and fidget until he finally fell asleep.

Waking extraordinarily horny, he wondered why and gently cast his thought down the hall.

Hey Sally? You awake?

Sally sounded sleepy.

Yeah. Just lying here being lazy.

Ummm… do you want to help me out?

Henry’s blush was evident, and she laughed.

Of course! Remember, I get something out of this, too. Is Drew still asleep?

He is. He was up late worrying about Loy.

What about Loy? Did something happen?

Shit, I’m sorry I forgot… yeah, he’s fine. There was a little excitement last night, but all is good. I’ll fill you in after.

I’ll meet you in the exam room.

Henry grinned; Sally’s excitement and anticipation made him feel better since she wanted it as badly as he did.

<><> 

Drew felt Henry get up and leave the room and waited a few minutes before getting out of bed. He knew his dad would be in one of the exam rooms doing the adult thing he had to do to make himself strong.

It was the same thing his uncles did, but his dad had to do it by himself, which made Drew sad for him. When Drew merged with Darren in the freezing cold of Thomin’s Vault, he saw what his uncles did together to make each other feel good. When Henry merged with Drew shortly after, he saw how happy Henry and his mom were together and how they did the same thing. Well, sort of… it was confusing to him, and he didn’t get it at his age.

Creeping out of bed, he tiptoed down the hallway. Hearing noise in an exam room, ever curious, he put his ear to the door. Miss Sally was with his Dad! He stayed long enough to realize they were making each other feel good and then moved away. Hearing his dad and Miss Sally together upset him. He wasn’t sure why, but it did, and he started crying.

Hanging his head, he went down to the last room in the hallway, the room that had to be kept empty for his uncles to safely teleport to the lab. Sitting on the floor just outside the door, he waited, knowing his Uncle Loy and Uncle Rick would be back that morning for their training.

<><> 

Appearing naked in the Atlanta safe room, Loy saw Drew sitting just outside the door. As soon as they appeared, he popped up, running to Loy with his arms up.

His cry of “Uncle Loy!” sounded a bit desperate.

Reaching down, Loy picked him up and Drew threw his arms around Loy’s neck and shoulders, hugging him tightly.

“Hey, Tiger! What are you doing up so early?”

Drew’s face, pressed against Loy’s neck, was a bit muffled.

“I had to make sure you’re alright. Daddy told me about the elephants and the bad men.”

“Drew… wow. Honey, I’m fine. Thanks for worrying about me, though.”

Loy was deeply touched by Drew’s concern.

Rick: You big baby.

Loy flipped him off behind Drew’s back.

Pulling back some, Drew put his hands on Loy’s upper chest so he could look directly at Loy. His eyes wandered over his uncle’s handsome face until he finally made eye contact, and they grinned at each other.

“See? I’m fine!”

Leaning forward, Drew gave Loy one of his big, wet, sloppy kisses on his cheek.

“I’m glad you’re okay, Uncle Loy. You too, Uncle Rick.”

Wrinkling his nose, Drew said, “You stink,” making the two men laugh.

After making love, they slept with the animals to stay warm, and they did smell. They smelled of hay, lion, semen, and sweat.

Noting Drew’s red eyes, Rick asked, “Drew is something wrong? Were you crying?”

Nodding his head affirmatively, Drew sniffed loudly and laid his head on Loy’s shoulder. He was in a somber mood and sought the comfort of Loy’s warm, solid strength.

Loy asked him gently, “What’s wrong, buddy?”

Rick moved in front of Loy, so Drew was sandwiched in between the two big men.

Putting a hand on Drew’s back, he said, “Come on, Tiger. Spill it. You’ll feel better if you tell us.”

Drew wasn’t hysterical and didn’t fall apart, but big tears dripped from his eyes at their question. Loy brought Drew into a link with him and Rick to feel his emotions.

Drew? Tell us what’s wrong, honey. We can’t fix it if we don’t know the problem.

Rick: We’re with you, Tiger. Take your time.

Drew’s mental voice sounded quiet and sad.

I heard Daddy and Miss Sally. They were making each other feel good.

 

Private link between Loy and Rick

Loy and Rick both thought: Fuck!

Loy immediately knew what the problem was.

God, I feel like the least qualified person to cover this. You want to take this one?

Laughing, Rick replied: No way, man. You’re way better at this shit than I am. I’m behind you all the way, though.

You fucker.

<> 

Loy: Drew, are you worried your dad wants to replace your mom with Miss Sally?

Drew’s tears thickened, and he nodded his head ‘yes.’

Alright, honey, let me try and explain this to you. Your dad loves you more than anything in the world. You know that. You saw it when you merged with him. When you were inside him, did you see anything about his feelings for Miss Sally other than being good friends?

Drew shook his head no.

Okay. What your dad and Miss Sally are doing is something most adults do. They don’t have to be married or a couple to do that. Your dad and Miss Sally are good friends, and that’s all. You don’t have anything to worry about, little guy. I promise!

Miss Sally misses Carlo. You never got to meet him, but she was going to marry him, and he died. She’s sad and lonely over that. Your dad misses your mom just like you do. They’re just helping each other not feel so sad. That’s all it is.

You need to tell your dad you heard them, and you need to hear what I’m telling you from him, but I promise you he’ll say the same thing.

When Loy started talking, Drew’s hands were clenched tightly in his chest hair, but as he spoke Drew’s grip lessened, and he put his hands on his uncle’s shoulder and put his head down again.

Once again, Drew’s Uncles were infallible and knew everything. Loy and Rick took his fear away and made him feel better.

It hit Loy out of the blue how much he loved holding Drew, feeling his arms around his neck and his head resting on his shoulder. His paternal need to protect Drew seemed natural to him. He realized how lucky Henry was to have Drew in his life and for Bill and Kevin to have Tommy and Brett. The realization struck him hard that maybe he wanted to have children someday with Rick.

Rick smiled, sending Loy a private thought.

You’ll make a great dad, Loy.

Loy: So, are you good to go, Tiger?

Drew sniffed again and nodded his head ‘yes’ vigorously.

Lifting Drew up by his armpits, Loy blew a raspberry on his stomach making him giggle, and Loy passed him to Rick, who did the same thing before setting him down.

The two men followed Drew down the hall to the kitchen, where the smell of coffee filled the area. Rick helped Drew make a bowl of cereal, and they kept him company. Loy almost forgot they were naked, and as they exited the hallway, he created an illusion of gym shorts so they weren’t prancing around nude.

<><> 

That morning Ken and Brad stopped by the lab early to pack a few things from their lockers. They were scheduled to be on ZEUS with Orophir that day. Henry and Drew were in Atlanta with Rick and Loy, and Pat, Darren, Bill, Kevin, Tommy, and Brett were in Australia.

Entering through the main door, they saw Loy and Rick in the kitchen with Drew. Both men were shirtless and barefoot, and Brad saw the illusion of the gym shorts and realized they must have just gotten back from Africa. Rick and Loy held their cups up in greeting as Ken and Brad came in.

Ken and Brad both said good morning, hugging their brothers and slapping their backs. They hugged Drew, got kisses from him, and both men gave him raspberries on his belly button.

Winking at Rick and Loy, Ken thought: Well, well… you two look rested and ready to go. You smell ready to go too! Whew!

Loy grinned.

Yeah, hours of sex has that effect on us. Not the smell … well, maybe that too, but it’s mostly from sleeping with a pride of lions.

Chuckling, Ken and Brad fist-bumped the two men.

Drew knew they were having ‘adult talk’ in their heads and continued eating his current favorite cereal, which happened to be Count Chocula.

Rick: Hey guys, just so you know, Drew heard Henry and Sally this morning, so that cat’s out of the bag. We had a talk with him, and he seems fine now, but he was pretty upset at first. FYI though, just in case.

Just as Rick sent his thought, Henry came down the hall, more upbeat than usual.

The four men stared at him and snickered, and he asked, “What?”

Drew made a big slurping noise, draining the leftover milk from his second bowl. He loved the milk at the bottom when it was all chocolatey. Nonchalantly, as if he was commenting on the weather, Drew blurted out, “It’s okay, Daddy, that you and Miss Sally are making each other feel good. I don’t mind.”

The four men nearly spit coffee out their noses in surprise, while Henry was wide-eyed in shock as his face went beet red.

Standing, Drew took his cereal bowl to the sink like everything was normal while the guys looked at Henry, grinning at his discomfort.

Henry said, “Ummmm… Drew, let’s go back to our room for a minute.”

Drew had to get dressed and get his toothbrush anyway and said, “Okay, Daddy,” and scampered back to their room.

As soon as Drew was out of earshot, the men busted out laughing.

Henry looked worried. Loy planned to drag it out a little more but decided not to tease Henry so early in the morning. A memory sphere shot out of Loy’s hand into Henry, and he said with a grin, “Rick and I did the heavy lifting on that little tidbit this morning. You’ll get our bill in the mail.”

Filing out of the kitchen and into the locker room, the four men left Henry speechless, giving him a pat on the back as they left.

There was no worry in any of them that Henry couldn’t handle the situation. He was a great dad and loved his son, and Drew adored him. It was just another little bump in Henry’s road of fatherly experience.

<><> 

Ken and Brad were eager to get to ZEUS and relax but needed to talk to Henry in the conference room before they left. While they waited, Tommy and Brett appeared from Australia, sent by Bill and Kevin, to attend their lessons with Sally.

It wasn’t long before Drew scampered out and ran over to start his lessons with Sally, who also looked chipper and rosy-cheeked. Henry followed a minute later, pulling on a sleeveless workout shirt as he came down the hall. He was surprised to still see them there.

“Hey, fellas, I thought you’d be gone already.”

Ken said, “Just one thing we need ‘ta take care of first. Can we see you in the conference room for a sec, Henry?”

Henry’s grin faltered, and he asked, “Is everything okay?”

Grinning, Ken asked, “Every time we ask ‘ta talk ‘ta ‘ya in private, you look guilty. Is there somethin’ you wanna tell us?”

Looking flustered, Henry’s head still spun from his talk with Drew about Sally. The situation of their arrangement could have quickly gone south and caused a huge problem, but thanks to Loy and Rick laying the groundwork, it went far better than expected. After a nice round of sexual relief with Sally, and then anxiety over Drew’s potential reaction, and now Ken asking to talk to him, his morning was starting out weird.

The three men were linked for talking and basic emotions, but Brad saw everything inside Henry through his Avatar. Normally, they might tease Henry a bit more, but Brad saw it wasn’t a good time for that, and he interjected, “Relax, Henry, we just need to talk, and to answer your question… honestly, we aren’t sure.”

As they moved into the conference room and shut the door, Ken asked, “How’d your talk go with Drew?”

“It went well…. Thanks to Loy and Rick, it was easy. They nipped the whole thing in the bud before he had a chance to go into a tailspin over it. I feel guilty for hiding it from him all this time anyway. The time will come when I have to merge with him again before this mess with The Master is over, and it will be one less thing to have to deal with if, or when, the shit is hitting the fan.

“I need to talk to the doc, though. I get why he didn’t want Drew merging with an adult while he’s so young. He has an understanding of what sex is to us. He has no interest in it and doesn’t get it from that perspective, but he knows it’s part of an adult relationship and important. It’s hard to say if his understanding comes from merging with Darren and then me, or him just being who he is. He knows so many things from the incarnations. You know they all led less than stellar lives, and many of them were sexually abused.”

Pausing, Henry ran his hand through his hair and said, “At least that’s one thing I can say about Doug… he did a number on Drew, but he never sexually abused him.”

Misty-eyed, Ken said, “Fuck. When I think about what he’s gone through and everythin’ all the others inside him have too, it tears me up.”

Brad said, “I know the doc will be on top of it, Henry, and you know we’ll help any way we can. All of us can tone our language down a notch around him. We should have before now anyway, but this brings home that we need to take it more seriously. I’m sorry if we inadvertently added to the issue.”

“Brad, he adores you guys. You know that… but he does listen more than we think. He’s much further along with his mental abilities than we realize. I haven’t merged with him again, and he only ever merged with Darren in the cave, then with me a few days later. He saw things, but in the gym when he’s running around, he watches all of us like a hawk. The doc already has him scheduled with Albrecht to teach him the centering flame. He’s raw and un-channeled, and that’s got to change. We still don’t know exactly what his part of the confrontation will be, so he has to be ready for anything.”

Thinking about Drew’s impending fight with The Master always upset Henry. It scared him shitless for his son when he allowed himself to think about it. The clock was ticking, and they had less than a year. Henry went silent as his thoughts went down the dark path of what Drew faced.

Shaking his head to snap himself out of the gloomy direction his thoughts were headed, he asked, “I take it that wasn’t what you wanted to talk about?”

Letting out a heavy sigh, Ken said, “No, it wasn’t, but I’m glad Drew’s not upset about you ’n Sally. That could have been a SNAFU and a half.”

“Yeah, tell me about it. So, what’s up?”

With a deep breath, Ken jumped right in, saying, “You’re on the schedule tomorrow for ZEUS, but I’m not sure I want you there alone with Orophir, or more specifically, Drew.”

Henry hadn’t merged with Ken or Brad in a few days and wasn’t aware that they had any concerns about the situation of Orophir being on ZEUS.

“Don’t you trust him? Don’t the runes tell us he’s legit?”

Brad interjected, “As far as we know, there’s no way around the runes, Henry, but Orophir is Luke’s son, and his knowledge of the runes is extreme. When Bill read him, we now know, or we think we know, everything he learned from Luke plus what he learned on his own. But given he’s Luke’s son, who knows what he’s capable of? If he’s found a way around the runes or our Avatars, he could have ulterior motives that are hidden from us.

“I don’t think he can be working with Luke or at Luke’s direction. The Oath would prevent that, but the bottom line is we just aren’t sure, and we can’t and won’t risk a hair on Drew’s head until we are.”

Ken continued, “There’s another part ‘ta this, Henry. With everythin’ rampin’ up, we all need what little downtime we get. With the new rotation schedule, if you can’t go ‘ta ZEUS that leaves you and Drew stuck here or in Australia on your off days. You and Drew both need your time out of the labs. At the same time, I don’t want Orophir in either Atlanta or Australia. We added him to the Matrix on ZEUS, so the runes there accept him as one of us, but if he does somehow have ulterior motives, ZEUS is the only base compromised.”

Henry realized the complexity of the situation and Ken’s concerns.

“Do you really think he’s powerful enough to pull the wool over the eyes of your Avatars?”

Brad frowned, “The bottom line, Henry, is we don’t know. My intuition isn’t telling me anything, and Lane doesn’t see anything either. It’s not that we have a bad feeling… we have no feeling one way or the other. There’s just a seed of doubt we can’t overlook, and like we said, we aren’t risking a hair on Drew’s head without either more certainty or more precautions.”

“Well, the wolf-spirit will be there to help protect him and me, of course. Would you want to redo the rotation just for that one day a week and have one other couple with us on ZEUS? Personally, I wouldn’t mind just staying here in the lab, but I get what you’re saying about downtime. The few times Drew’s gotten out of the lab, in Scotland for the wedding, on ZEUS, or in Africa, even with the craziness that happened, it’s all he talks about. He’s not getting a normal childhood, and any little part of one I can give him, I feel I need to.”

Ken didn’t look happy either, saying, “You see the predicament, Henry. Any thoughts on the matter? You’re his dad first and foremost, and anythin’ we do you need ‘ta be comfortable and on board with.”

An idea did pop into the back of Henry’s mind, and he asked, “What about Istariel? Drew’s always telling me he wants to see him again. Would you trust him on ZEUS? If you added him to the matrix, he could be there with us.”

A look passed between Brad and Ken, and Henry asked, “What? Don’t tell me you don’t trust him? He helped Drew when we were in the basement and with the Eschphene! He’s never been anything but an ally!”

Brad quickly said, “It’s not that we don’t trust Istariel, Henry. But if Istariel’s father is the voice that talks to Drew, or God, or a part of God, or whatever… it puts Drew one step closer to whoever it is. That’s our main concern, but Istariel is a great idea if you're okay with it. He would have to agree, and I’d want to be fully upfront with him about our reasoning and misgivings.”

Henry, “Jesus, this is getting complicated.”

Grinning, Ken said, “Yeah. I hate all this, but at the same time, I don’t want any of us pinned down. We can’t be immobilized, and we need ‘ta take care of ourselves.”

Brad sighed, “With the cards we have on the table, I think Istariel is our best bet. If we add him and the other two Nephilim to the matrix, I think they would be adequate protection against Orophir. Orophir might have a problem with our distrust… We’ll have to wait and see. If he’s on the up-and-up about Luke, we have the upper hand. He needs our protection so he’ll have to put up with it, at least to start with. Trust, but verify, like we told him.”

Ken said, “B, pull everybody in deep. It’ll make it easier.”

Casting his mind across the planet, after checking to make sure no one was doing anything to prevent them from joining, Brad thought: Ten, five, one, guys. No alarm, but we have some things to go over.

Appearing in the place where their souls were one, naked to one another in all aspects, everyone rested in each other’s presence, and in the real world, their breath caught and their eyes watered at the profound emotional intimacy. The intensity was as fresh and bright as it always was, and the comfort.

 At the speed of thought, they all knew what happened that morning with Drew and the conversation Ken and Brad just had with Henry. Concern for Drew first and foremost in all their hearts, Henry was struck again by how much they cared for his son. He was no longer surprised by it, but the affirmation of their love for him and Drew never ceased to touch him. Hanging shit on him for that, his soul smiled and laughed along with theirs amidst the banter between them.

Everyone agreed that the plan of adding Istariel and the other two Nephilim to the rune matrix on ZEUS was the best option, and they would be on high alert any day Henry and Drew were scheduled on ZEUS. They would also be more on guard about using any overt sexual innuendos around Drew, as the importance of his hyper-sexualization was more apparent.

Henry was just about to say “thanks, guys” when Lane held up a hand, saying, “Don’t say it!”

Pulling Henry into a side headlock, Rick gave him a noogie as they all vanished, returning to their bodies around the world.

<><> 

A few minutes later, Ken, Brad, and Henry stood in the rear parking area behind the lab.

Casting his voice across the veil, Brad called out: Istariel!

It took a moment, but their friend appeared before them in his human form.

Smiling at them, he said, “Greetings, Brad Wilson, Ken Habersham, and Henry Ross. It is good to see you.”

Ken sighed with a grin, saying, “We need ‘ta break you of the last name thing. Brad, Ken, and Henry will do just fine.”

“As you wish, Ken.”

“Much better.”

“Why have you called me?”

Brad looked at Ken to see which of them should start, and Ken gave him ‘the look’ that said it was Brad’s turn.

Henry, linked with the two of them, heard Brad say You fucker!, and the three of them chuckled in their minds.

Brad said, “We need a favor, Istariel, but before I ask, I want to be upfront with you. I promised you long ago we would always be truthful with you, no matter what.”

Brad proceeded to outline their request and their concerns. Istariel already knew about Orophir; word of the confrontation with Michael spread quickly through the spiritual realm.

As he finished, Brad added, “It’s not you we don’t trust, Istariel… Honestly, it’s your father. We don’t know anything about him, and we suspect his involvement in everything is much deeper than we ever realized.”

Istariel remained silent for a moment, his expression difficult to read. In many ways, he was still a mystery to them. They spent time with him while he was trapped in an amulet of Orophir’s creation, and he had interacted with them before they ever knew he existed. In most of their interaction, he was in what Ken referred to as “business mode,” meaning he was following some instruction, rules, or guidelines. This time they were asking for his help as a friend.

His question surprised them, “May I see Drew?”

Henry raised his eyebrows, “Now?”

“Yes, if you will permit it.”

“Of course! I don’t mind at all. He’d love to see you.”

Pulling Sally and Drew into a link, Henry thought:  Hey, guys, sorry to interrupt, but I need Drew in the parking lot for a few minutes. Sorry, Sal, this came up unexpectedly.

Sally: Is everything alright?

Henry: Oh, yeah. Well, I think so. There’s someone here who wants to see Drew.

Drew: Who, Daddy?

Henry: Come find out! It’s a surprise!

A few seconds later, the door opened and Drew saw them.

Shouting, “‘Stariel!” he took off like a bullet. He had trouble pronouncing Istariel’s name and for some reason always dropped the ‘I.’

Running as fast as he could, he jumped into Istariel’s arms, giving him a hug and a kiss on his cheek. Istariel seemed extremely happy to see Drew, and his face lit up with a smile they seldom witnessed.

“Hello, Drew Ro… Drew!”

“I missed you!”

“I’ve missed you, too, my friend!”

Drew, oblivious to Henry, Ken, and Brad, started telling Istariel everything that had happened to him since they saw each other last, all at once. It came out in a jumble, and Istariel held him and let him talk. When Drew finally showed signs of slowing down, Istariel managed to interject, “You have been having quite the adventures!”

While Drew continued his dialogue, Istariel’s voice entered their minds.

I realized some time ago that my fate is intertwined with this child. I fully understand your concerns about my father, and I share them. You should realize that I have very limited contact with my father. I am the oldest Nephilim, yet even I have only ever spoken with him a handful of times. I hold no ill will for your concerns about my presence in regards to Him. I will never consciously bring harm to Drew. Few could compel me, but, except my father, the runes on your craft would prevent that.

Ken: Do you think your father will interfere?

Istariel: No, I do not. I know he has spoken directly to Henry once and to Drew a few times, but he has not aided them or altered any situation. The crux of the confrontation between young Drew and The Master revolves around free will, and my father’s interference would prevent that. He might orchestrate events for the confrontation to occur, but he will never interfere with the outcome.

The mental conversation took place in a fraction of a second.

“I have a question, Drew.”

Going quiet, Drew looked at his friend.

“Would you like it if I stayed with you on ZEUS? I would only be able to visit you while you are on the craft, but I would enjoy that very much.”

Drew looked at Henry like he didn’t believe what he was hearing.

Seeing Drew’s smile, Henry felt it deep down, not only from Drew but from the warm sensation moving through the incarnations within his son. Drew’s happiness at the idea affected them.

Henry realized that was another conversation he needed to have with Istariel, but first, he asked Drew, “So what do you say, Tiger? Would you like that?”

“Yeah!”

Henry gave him a raised eyebrow.

“I mean, yes, sir!”

Istariel said, “I must inform my cousins and make preparations. I will see you on the morrow, young Drew.”

Hugging Istariel’s neck tightly, he said, “Bye, Mr. ’Stariel! See you tomorrow!”

Istariel set him down, and Henry said, “Back inside, buddy! Miss Sally’s waiting for you.”

Looking at Henry, Istariel noticed the white patch of hair, and his expression turned solemn. Brad saw his look and sent a private thought to Istariel.

What is it?

Istariel surprised him by responding verbally. Moving in front of Henry, he stared intently at the lock of white hair that appeared unexpectedly, reaching out to touch it.

“My father never does anything without reason. I think, Henry, that he wanted to meet you, too, regardless of his discussion with Drew. You now bear the mark of one who has been in his physical presence. I am sorry for any burdens that might come upon you from that.”

Henry blanched, and Ken asked, “What do you mean?”

“It means, Henry, that you have been touched by God, and mortals, in their physical forms, are not meant for that.”

Brad interjected, “But Henry isn’t mortal anymore. He’s awake and an original man.”

“Let us hope that makes a difference. There are benefits as well, Henry. It is not a cruel thing he did; it is simply a consequence of his presence. You are now one of a small handful of humans to ever bear such a mark.”

Henry went white as a sheet, and Ken and Brad shared his anxiety.

Istariel saw their reaction and said, “I am sorry if I upset you with this knowledge. It was not my intent. Be at ease, Henry.”

Henry didn’t even realize he had been holding his breath, and he let it out all at once with a quiet, “Fuck me!”

“I will depart now. Call to me tomorrow when you are on your craft, and it is permissible for me to be there. I look forward to spending time with Drew. My cousins and I will keep watch over him, and we will become acquainted with Orophir. Rest assured, if there are any vestiges of The Dark One in him, we will find them.”

<><> 

Ken and Brad went back inside the lab with Henry. Without saying a word Henry moved off towards the gym, but Ken grabbed him and pulled him into a hug, wrapping his arms around his brother.

Whispering in his ear, Ken said, “It’s gonna be alright, Henry. Don’t freak out over this. We’ll figure it all out together like we always do. You have my word.”

Moving in front, Brad ruffled Henry’s hair and said, “Damn, Henry… I didn’t think it was possible, but that white patch makes you look even more stunning. I feel sorry for the ladies. As Sally once said, there won’t be a dry vagina anywhere around you now. Not that there was before, but that clinches it.”

Henry blinked, then blushed, and lowered his head with a grin of embarrassment. Henry was so unassuming about his looks he never thought of himself as handsome. Looking in the mirror every day, he saw a guy with faults, a struggling dad trying his best.

He was a confident man, now more than ever with all the changes from his training and being awake and having the incredible family he now had, but he was very humble about that side of his personal life, and compliments like Brad’s caught him off guard.

Ken let Henry go and cupped his hand around Henry’s neck and trap, giving him a comforting squeeze.

“Have a good workout, and we’ll see you tomorrow.”

Henry covered Ken’s hand with his own, and he put his other hand on Brad’s shoulder and squeezed back.

“Thanks, fellas.”

His grin deepened, and with a wink, he said, “Have fun on ZEUS” before going into the gym to start his workout.

Before they could leave, Ken and Brad got caught up in a conversation with the doctor and Albrecht. They covered the day's events so far, from Drew finding out about Henry and Sally to Istariel and the other Nephilim joining them on ZEUS as a precaution with Orophir being close to Drew. An hour later they were still in the lab.

Once finally alone, Ken plopped down on the couch in the common area off the kitchen. Their bags still sat on the floor by the couch.

Fuck B, we’re never gettin’ outta here.

I can’t wait to get there either, Ken. We still have plenty of time to relax, though.

Orophir’ll be there. We can’t ignore him.

No, we can’t, but we’ll have plenty of time for me to play with Ken Jr. in private, too.

Blinking, Ken’s little kid grin spread across his face, and he did a double eyebrow raise.

Now we’re talkin’!

Loy stuck his head out of the locker room and saw them sitting on the couch as they were chatting. He was shirtless and already sweaty, with a towel over one shoulder and carrying a big water bottle.

Kneeling behind the couch he set his bottle down, wrapped one big arm each around Ken and Brad, and asked, “What are you two knuckleheads still doing here? You should be in the Pacific, soaking up the hot sun by now!”

Lowering his head between theirs, he squeezed their faces together.

Ken and Brad both gripped his forearms, squeezing back. The fact that he was hot and sweaty didn’t bother them in the least. They were so used to being sweaty it was second nature to them. Besides, they were all men who were into men, and sweat was a manly thing and part of being as physical as they were.

Ken said, “We’re just headin’ out. I wish everyone could go.”

Loy said, “No, you don’t. You need alone time. Go have a good time.”

Grinning, his white teeth showed bright against his darkly tanned face.

“And you know what I mean by that. Raw, hot, sweaty, man sex. Grrrrrr.”

Laughing, Ken and Brad stood up, shouldering their bags.

As Loy headed back into the gym, he stopped and turned, adding, “Hey, important safety tip. That sunscreen the doc got us… it makes horrible lube!”

Winking, with a grin he disappeared through the door.

Ken and Brad laughed again. They saw the source of his statement earlier from merging with Loy. It would be good ammunition for some shit hanging one day. Building their power to get to ZEUS on their own, Darren felt the buildup, and his voice entered the link.

Hey douchebags, what’re you doing? I’m right here!

Synchronizing their Avatars, Ken and Brad appeared on ZEUS, halfway around the planet in the blink of an eye.

<><> 

Appearing on the dive deck of ZEUS, the first thing that always hit Ken was the smell of the ocean. To his enhanced sense of smell, the pungent salt air was comforting, like an old friend, bringing back memories of his early days in the Navy.

The boat was quiet enough for Ken to hear the GPS stabilizers' slight hum and feel the vibration under his feet. The stabilizers were subtle enough that only the bodies could feel them, and even then, only when the boat was still with no ambient noise or vibrations.

Moving into the main cabin, they set their bags on the couch. The fans weren’t running, and it was hot and sticky inside, so they both stripped off their shirts, tossing them on top of their bags. Because of their delay in arriving, Orophir had been by himself for the morning, and they wondered why he had the fans off and the windows and portholes shut.

Turning on the fans with his mind, Brad opened the windows and portholes. Immediately the ocean breeze stirred through the cabin and felt soothing over their already sweaty skin.

Ken’s stomach let out an impressive rumble, and Brad smirked.

“I’ll get lunch started.”

Ken said, “Let me find Orophir and make sure he knows we’re here.”

Brad said, “If you don’t mind, after we eat I’d like to take a nap.”

Smiling, Ken said, “You read my mind.”

Realizing what he said, they both laughed.

Making his way to Orophir’s cabin, Ken knocked on the door. After a slight delay, Ken heard Orophir’s voice in his mind.

Leave me be.

I just wanted ‘ta make sure you knew we were here. Brad’s makin’ lunch if you wanna join us.

There was a longer pause, and the door slid open. Ken’s Avatar surged when he laid eyes on Orophir; starving and severely dehydrated, most of his bodily functions were off-kilter.

Whoa! What’s goin’ on? Why haven’t you eaten anythin’? You’ve only been alone a few hours… why didn’t Bill and Kevin help you out?

I did not wish to disturb them… it is apparent you do not trust me and do not want me here. I should leave, but I have nowhere else to go.

Look… Orophir… I’ll be totally honest. We don’t trust you completely yet. It’s a combination of a lot of things. Your father is The Dark One, for cryin’ out loud. We don’t even know what that makes you capable of.

Pausing, Ken put a hand on Orophir’s shoulder.

Look… before we go any further let’s get you changed into somethin’ more comfortable and get some food in you. You aren’t a prisoner. We’ll talk more after we eat, alright?

Ken saw the conflict in Orophir’s eyes. He was unused to human contact, and Ken squeezed his shoulder, shaking him slightly.

Come on, you need ‘ta eat.

Very well.

Ken took him back to the master suite.

Sally figured you were about Brad’s size, or Lane’s, so we brought you some clothes. Those robes look swelterin’. In fact, me and B are gonna be naked most of the time we’re here, so I hope that doesn’t bother you. You should be, too, if you’re comfortable with that.

Ken grinned to take any sting out of his next words.

You’re white as a sheet and could use some sun. Take advantage and work on your tan while you’re here.

What is a tan?

Lord… I see we got a long way ‘ta go.

Ken’s relaxed and comfortable physicality put Orophir at ease. He was not ashamed to be naked; in fact, the concept of modesty was unknown to him. Like all Nephilim, he had a beautiful body with nothing to be ashamed of; he was very muscular and well-endowed.

Okay, I’m guessin’ you don’t know how the shower works, either. Let’s get you cleaned up quick before lunch.

Ken stripped off his shorts and stepped through the glass doors starting the hot water in the shower.

Come in here.

Orophir hesitated again but did as Ken asked.

Ken assumed Orophir had no sense of personal hygiene, and he was right. He had to show Orophir everything. Not embarrassed like Ken thought he would be, Orophir enjoyed learning and caught on quickly. He mimicked Ken in everything he did, from washing his hair, his armpits, his body, even his foreskin and ass.

Orophir’s expression changed considerably in the next few minutes. The scowl on his face was gone, and he looked more relaxed and at ease. Ken’s easy-going and friendly charm were at work on the Nephilim, along with the hot water.

Let’s not worry about gettin’ dressed.

Glancing at Orophir’s powerful body, Ken smirked: I know B won’t mind. You look amazin’.

Linked with Ken through it all, while preparing lunch, Brad still whistled when the two naked men walked into the galley.

His only comment was, “I’m overdressed!” as he took off his shorts.

Ken usually ate fast, but Orophir devoured the big sandwich Brad put in front of him. Brad knew how hungry he was and made plenty. Looking sheepish, Orophir was clearly hungry for more.

“Orophir, I want ‘ta make it perfectly clear, while you’re here this is your home. You don’t need ‘ta ask for food or anythin’ ‘ta drink. We’ll keep the kitchen well stocked with everythin’. Once you know what you like, just let us know and we’ll make sure you have it.”

“I do not know how to prepare these things. In my cave, I simply absorbed the ambient energy of the Pale. The physical and spiritual realms there are blended, and I had no need to eat as I do here. Hunger is an odd sensation.”

Ken said, “Listen ‘ta your body. It’ll tell you what it needs, or when it needs to get rid of waste.”

“Waste?”

“Umm yeah… when we eat food, our bodies take what nutrients are needed, and we have to get rid of the rest.”

“How strange!”

“Well, you’ll get used to it fast, especially after eatin’ all that food. But before we get into that, let’s continue our conversation….”

Ken went on to explicitly tell Orophir what their concerns were. Being Luke’s son, they didn’t know what he was capable of or if he could trick their Avatars. Deciding honesty was the best policy, Ken put his worries out in the open. Orophir was brilliant and logical, if emotionally stunted.

When he finished, Ken sat back, looking at Orophir with his Understanding. Brad’s Avatar was in full effect too, analyzing everything emotional and intellectual about Orophir, trying to gauge his reaction. Brad was familiar with the look on Orophir’s face; his eyes held a sadness to them that was painful to look at.

“I understand your concerns, but I do not know what I can do to allay them. It seems you will have to mistrust me. If I am as powerful as you suspect, there is no test I can pass that will satisfy you.”

Ken continued, “You asked for sanctuary, and we’ve given it to you. There’s an old sayin in our world ‘the enemy of my enemy is my friend.’ If we’re gonna be friends and learn ‘ta trust you, we need ‘ta get ‘ta know you better. Stay here. You said yourself you got nowhere else ‘ta go. Our world is ridin’ on us winnin’ against The Master, and once he’s gone, your father’s comin’ after us with a vengeance. I don’t mean ‘ta sound harsh, but you have to earn our trust, and we need ‘ta learn more about you. We have some friends comin’ tomorrow ‘ta help with that.”

Looking panicked, Orophir asked, “Who?”

Looking at him carefully, Ken said, “Istariel and his two cousins.”

“They do not like me.”

“They don’t know you either. I’m askin’ you for a favor. Stay and get ‘ta know us and let us get ‘ta know you. We have another sayin’… ‘Innocent until proven guilty.’

“Your world has many sayings.”

Laughing, Brad said, “You have no idea, but some of them are pertinent. Let’s give this situation some time and see how it all works out, alright? Please don’t be upset or sad. I would think you would look forward to getting to know more of your kind.”

“The archangels want me destroyed. The Nephilim who will be here follow their direction. You know this.”

Ken interjected, “I asked Istariel ‘ta come here as a friend. He and the others are not comin’ here ‘ta hurt you. I promise.”

“It seems I have little choice.”

Ken sighed, saying, “I told you, this is not a prison. I get you don’t have many options right now. Work with us, Orophir, and don’t fight us on this. My hope is you’re legit, and we’ll be great friends.”

Orophir paused and then said, “I would like that.”

Ken stood and started clearing the table, saying, “Good! Now we’re gonna take a nap. You’re welcome ‘ta swim or rest or do whatever you want. We’ll be up in a few hours to start dinner and swim.”

Glancing at Brad, Ken asked, “B, you got that memory sphere ready?”

While they talked, Brad’s unconscious mind amassed any information Orophir might need to function as a human and blend in; basic common knowledge all human adults had. Brad held his hands up to his chest in a diamond pattern, and a large memory sphere emerged, floating over and bobbing in front of Orophir.

“I think this will help, Orophir. It’s just knowledge, and I know you like learning. Consider this a crash course on Earth and being human.”

The sphere entered Orophir and he blinked in surprise, and a second later his face lit up in a smile.

“Thank you! I now know how to use the toilet!”

Laughing, Brad said, “Among other things, but yeah, that will help a lot. With all that food, you’ll be using it soon enough.”

“I will go and rest as well.”

Orophir stood but paused and turned before he entered the hallway, saying, “Thank you for lunch. Next time, I will help clean up. I know now that it is the proper thing to do. My apologies for not being aware before.”

Grinning, Ken said, “There ‘ya go! See, you’re learnin’ stuff already. You’re welcome. Now go rest up, and we’ll see you in a bit. I don’t want you turnin’ into a hermit here and campin’ in your room.”

Nodding, Orophir turned and went down the hall.

<><> 

Ken cleaned the galley, and a few minutes later he and Brad met back in the master bedroom. Already naked, they crawled into bed. Ken got on his back with one arm behind his head, and Brad lay on his side, partially draped over Ken.

Resting together, the two men enjoyed the intimate touch. Their hands roamed soothingly over each other, but the goal was to relax and nap, not have a marathon round of sex.

Grinning, Ken thought: That’s for later after we rest up!

Resting his head on Ken’s upper chest and shoulder, Brad’s hair moved slightly when Ken exhaled. Smelling each other in their own way, even in the warmth of the cabin and the humid air, the heat of their bodies felt perfect.

Each held the other in their mind and heart, even as they held their bodies. They so seldom got to relax and just be together anymore, Ken was glad Brad wanted to take a nap.

Drifting off to sleep, their bodies, minds, hearts, and souls were completely intertwined; one.

<><> 

Brad set a mental trigger to wake up, but Ken woke up first. Remaining still, he thought about things, mostly their wedding and Kevin’s recent trauma. As soldiers they had all killed people, but never a family member, and never on purpose. Even though it was an act of mercy, the pain in Kevin was… there wasn’t a word Ken could think of to describe it, and his heart ached for his oldest buddy.

Brad’s body was so beautiful to look at. His physique was breathtaking to Ken; heavily muscled but lean and tight, his tanned skin flawless and blemish-free, and his body hair perfect. The dusting of hair over his abs glowed in the sunlight coming into the room. Ken watched the gentle rise and fall of Brad’s stomach and chest as he slept. The sunlight cast sharp shadows over his stomach, accentuating the deep cuts of his abs when he exhaled.

Unable to help himself, he placed a hand on Brad’s stomach, feeling the hair and the warmth of his skin. Feeling Brad’s core energy center excited him. Brad’s presence was intoxicating, and Ken delved into the essence of his lover. Unable to resist doing so, the emotions and thoughts of what Brad meant to him were too strong to deny.

As he rested in his sleeping husband, his hand roamed over Brad’s body, across his chest and ribs, and up over his shoulders and neck. With his enhanced tactile sense, he felt so much about Brad that was unique to him. Brad’s manly body turned him on all by itself, but everything else that was Brad made him too much to resist.

Gently kissing the top of Brad’s head, he whispered, “I love you so fuckin’ much, B.”

His love for the man against him was so encompassing it was scary. Ken fully realized he could not function without Brad in his life, and knew all his brothers were in the same predicament. Tactically, it was a weakness and something they needed to keep to themselves so it could never be exploited and used against them. Luke knew it, and they would have to guard against it as best they could.

The irony was that it was also their greatest strength. The power they wielded when together, especially all ten of them, was astounding. Henry added even more, and Ken was also thankful for Henry’s presence in his life.

Ken continued watching Brad until he woke up, and the pupils of their eyes dilated when they looked at one another. Ken saw it more clearly with his enhanced eyesight, but Brad saw it too, and he loved how the colors of their eyes ringed one another, proof of their perfect blending.

Sounding lazy, Brad said, “Let’s swim for a while, and then I’ll fix dinner. We need to be quiet so we don’t wake Orophir. He needs to sleep himself out.”

<><> 

A few minutes later they were floating in the peaceful waters of the Pacific. Brad called nearby dolphins and whales to swim with them. The sea life in the area stayed close to ZEUS, knowing the men occasionally visited, especially Loy.

Incorporated into the runes on ZEUS was a strong compulsion for humans to ignore the craft and not board. With piracy in the area, the craft was often unattended, so the doctor made sure it stayed safe. There were electronic safeguards as well that would alert the bases if other craft got too close. It had happened before, and the safeguards worked perfectly.

The GPS stabilizers kept ZEUS at a location far out to sea over the Mariana Trench, near the area they dove down to Thomin’s Vault. Brad mused over the time they inhabited the penguins as they dove nearly seven miles to the bottom of the trench to rescue Drew and Darren.

Remembering the penguins and other parts of their training, mainly how they learned to oxygenate their bodies if they needed to warm up their muscles quickly for a fight, an idea came to the surface from his unconscious mind.

Hey, Ken, I’ll be right back. I want to try something.

Are you goin’ all mad scientist on me again? Should I be worried?

Brad smirked.

Never! … At least, I don’t think so.

That was his standard response, and Ken grinned, curious about what Brad wanted to try. Linked but not fully merged, he wasn’t reading his husband’s mind at the moment.

Calling a dolphin, Brad grabbed its dorsal fin and had it take him down until just before the pressure in his ears became painful and leveled off. Brad was in excellent shape and could hold his breath for minutes. He remembered his SEAL training when they had to dive into a pool while tied up, and the goal was to get loose and put on their gear and tanks at the bottom of the pool within a set time limit.

He had no gear or tanks now, but he was sure he could breathe in his own way. His eyes flashing white, he slowed his perception of time until it nearly stopped. Focusing, he stilled his body and mind, becoming one with his centering flame, going deep in his own body until he felt the electrical current running through him. It was greater in Brad than a normal human because of his Nephilim heritage and being an original man.

He visualized the neurons in the white matter of his nervous system, covered in myelin, transmitting electrical impulses at incredible speeds through his body from various receptors to his brain. Concentrating, he altered the electromagnetic field flowing through his body according to his wishes.

Extending the field to just outside his dermis, with the part of his Avatar from Darren, he started a basic form of electrolysis, separating the oxygen and hydrogen molecules in the water next to his skin. Pulling the oxygen into his body, he channeled it into his veins and tissues.

It was an odd sensation to not draw breath as the oxygen his body needed was sourced from the water. He was able to exhale and rid his body of carbon dioxide, so the pH levels in his blood and system remained normal and wouldn’t become acidotic. The effort was so minimal he could hardly believe it. Altering the pressure differential in his body, he no longer felt any discomfort and would not get the bends from rapid decompression.

Hell, yeah! Ken, you have to try this! This is cool as shit! God, why didn’t I think of this before!?

Rolling off his floats, Ken dove down into the water, merging with his husband as he did. When he realized what Brad managed to do, he was stunned. Ken knew he could do the same thing through his mastery of his body.

Ken felt the same odd sensation when Brad started the process in him. It was slightly different for Ken because of his physicality and Avatar, but he affected the same changes through his core energy flow. He didn’t have part of Darren’s Avatar, but the bodies operated at a much higher electrical level inside their nervous systems, and his control over the core flows was absolute.

Hell, yeah! This opens up so many possibilities, B! You rock! Fuck, you’re smart.

Brad knew what was coming next and smiled.

You know what smart talk does‘ta me, right?

Even in the dim light of the ocean, Brad saw the results. Ken didn’t lie and was hard as a rock from the feelings he had for Brad.

It’s a good thing the sea life likes us… that’s a big fat juicy worm for some fish, and most of the fish down here have teeth.

Wiggling his hips, Ken made his erection sway in the water. Swimming over to Brad, he pulled them into a full-bodied hug, and the warmth of their bodies helped fend off the chill of the deep ocean. Holding Brad for a long time, Ken continued to tell him how proud he was of him for figuring out the new application of their abilities.

Brad’s legs locked around Ken’s trim waist and his arms around Ken’s heavy shoulders. The sensation of their flesh touching, the warm solidity of their bodies, even in the saltwater, was exquisite and perfect.

Kissing, they sealed their lips to prevent any saltwater from leaking into their mouths. As they floated in the water, their souls shone brighter as their passion built, a star in the ocean in the spiritual realm. Nearby sea life sensed them, and soon swarms of various creatures circled them, soaking in their light, offering their unconditional love to the original men who were on Earth once again.

Ken and Brad didn’t have sex. They learned the hard way, back in Syria running missions, that making love in the ocean was not a good idea. It sounded hot, but the reality was far otherwise. They stayed hard for one another, though, enjoying the intimacy, but held off acting on it. There would be plenty of time later.

Orophir ended up sleeping through the night, so Ken and Brad basically had the yacht to themselves. Brad cooked a great dinner, and they spent the time with each other, managing to set aside their cares for a day, giving them the reprieve they needed…

…and they had LOTS of sex, as Loy said they would; raw, hot, sweaty, man sex.

They planned to stay through the following morning, long enough for Brad to add the names of Istariel and his two cousins to the matrix on ZEUS, which would allow them to be present and unaffected by the defenses of the craft.

<><> 

The next morning Brad called everyone into a construct of the Atlanta lab for their morning meeting, and after merging, they all became aware of Ken and Brad’s conversation with Orophir.

Everyone was also stunned at Brad’s unexpected but remarkable new discovery on how they could breathe underwater. It took a few minutes for everyone to calm down after that revelation, and they couldn’t wait to get their turn on ZEUS to try it out.

Once everyone calmed down, Ken asked: So, Henry, are you’n Drew ready ‘ta head this way?

Henry: We’re packed and ready. Drew’s got ants in his pants and can’t wait to go swimming with Istariel. I don’t even know if Istariel knows how to swim, but we’ll figure it out.

There were many smiles around the table at that thought.

Henry: I’ll apologize ahead of time Dar, Drew packed heavy for this trip. I think he’s bringing every toy and game with him. You would think we were going to be gone a week with all the stuff he packed.

Darren: No sweat, Henry. You know it’s not an issue.

Brad: Henry, give us about fifteen minutes, and I’ll have Dar send you over. I’ll stay linked with you all day as a precaution; enough for you to reach me if anything goes wrong and we need to evac you and Drew or head your way. Just to reiterate, we certainly don’t expect anything, but you know we’re not taking any chances.

Henry: I’m good, guys.

Ken: Alright ladies, another day, another dollar. Everybody hop to it.

<><> 

Brad went out onto the dive deck. It was actually late the previous afternoon according to Atlanta time. The time differentials between Atlanta, ZEUS, and the Uluru base in Australia were always fun to keep track of with the training rotations.

The morning was peaceful, and the water like glass. It was past the pre-dawn grey with the sun peeking over the horizon, lighting up the ocean. There was no breeze yet, and they enjoyed the stillness of the moment. For a brief few seconds, he and Ken were just two men on a boat without a care in the world.

Damn, I wish we could stay.

I know, B. One day.

Yeah.

Ken went back inside to check with Orophir about breakfast, leaving Brad to call Istariel.

Brad’s Avatar glowed on the ball of his shoulder, and his mind shouted across the veil: Istariel!

Brad already added the rune for Istariel’s name to the matrix on ZEUS.

Istariel appeared in his human form, wearing his usual grey robes.

Greetings, Brad W… Brad.

Catching himself, Brad grinned and winked at him.

Orophir is inside with Ken. I know you two have met, but I thought it would be best to get you here first, and then I’ll add the names of your cousins to the matrix.

Telcharan and Ruviel.

Thanks. I never knew that… it’s odd we’ve known them so long but never knew their names. It was forever before I knew your name, too.

Moving into the main cabin, Istariel didn’t reply.

It’s going to be blistering hot today. You might want to ditch those robes. We’ve been going naked, but that’s up to you.

Istariel’s robes vanished.

Good call.

Entering the main cabin, Ken and Orophir sat on the couch talking. Orophir looked decidedly nervous.

Winking at Brad, in a private thought, Ken said: Let the good times roll!

<><> 

Later that day, during a short break from sparring with Darren, while he was toweling off and rehydrating, Brad strengthened his link with Henry. He hadn’t sensed any strong emotions from Henry but wanted to check in regardless.

Hey Henry, how’s it going?

You tell me, Brad. The Son of Satan and a Son of God are playing a game of ‘Trouble’ with my six-year-old son. It doesn’t get much fucking weirder.

Brad almost spit water out his nose at Henry’s deadpan delivery of the news. He got the mental image of the two Nephilim at the galley table with Drew playing his favorite board game ‘Trouble.’

The two Nephilim were fascinated by the plastic bubble they pressed down that popped up to roll the die.

So, all is good?

Frankly, it’s been a fantastic day. Drew made fast friends with Orophir. The guy is basically a kid at heart, and you know how Drew sees into people. He’s on a mission to make Orophir feel good.

Have Istariel or the other two said anything?

No. And my God, Brad, I gotta tell you Telcharan is a knockout. I knew she was a she, but I’ve only ever seen her in her robes and once in a dress. It was actually so damn funny… when they showed up naked, Drew couldn’t take his eyes off her boobs. I had to talk to Istariel, and we’re all wearing shorts now, and she’s wearing a bathing suit.

Brad laughed so hard he had tears in his eyes, and Ken wondered what was going on.

Sorry, man, but that’s too funny! And sorry, I really wasn’t thinking about the ‘no clothes’ option with Drew.

Orophir is a trip. He’s a kid one second and a weird hot mess the next. He’s got serious daddy issues. Oddly enough, Istariel’s really good with him. I thought they’d be oil and water, but they’re getting along great. I don’t think it’s an act either, but I could be wrong.

You know we value your opinion, Henry. I hope you’re getting some chill time in, too.

Yes and no. It’s so nice here it’s hard not to relax… but Drew’s taken to Orophir, and I’m not letting him out of my sight for now. We did get in some swim time… I’m getting the hang of the animal thing with the dolphins and whales. That’s so cool.

Sighing and lowering his head, Brad thought: I’m sorry, Henry.

It’s all good, Brad. Actually, it’s not that bad. Watching Drew have a good time is all I need.

The sincerity of Henry’s words hit Brad unexpectedly, and his eyes watered.

He’s so lucky to have you, Henry.

I’m lucky to have him, Brad. No lie.

Okay, no more waterworks!

They both laughed.

Alright, I need to hop back to it here and kick Darren’s ass.

Darren: I heard that, Goldilocks. Prepare for an ass-whooping, and I don’t mean the kind you like.

The three of them chuckled over the banter.

Call us if you need anything, Henry.

Will do. Have a good rest of the night. Or day. Hell, whatever time it is there.

Exchanging the equivalent of mental hugs, Brad lessened the link into the background.

<><> 

It was late and quiet on the yacht, and Henry was the only one awake. He laughed to himself that even Nephilim were not immune to the boredom of watching “Thomas the Tank Engine” ad nauseam.

Drew had so much fun that day. Henry was really happy for him, and a smile crossed his handsome face. Drew struggled to stay awake even with an afternoon nap under his belt. He loved being around his friends. He lay on the couch between Istariel and Orophir, and all three were asleep.

Gently waking the two Nephilim, Henry said, “Head to bed, guys. I’m taking Drew back to my cabin for the night.”

By the time Henry got back, the two Nephilim were absent, he assumed in their beds. Telcharan and Ruviel had gone to bed on their own much earlier.

Looking over the main cabin, Henry raised his eyebrows. It never ceased to amaze him how one small boy could make such a huge mess. Drew’s toys, board games, and coloring books were scattered everywhere.

While gathering Drew’s coloring books, a folded sheet of paper fell out of one of them. Picking it up, Henry’s blood ran cold when he saw what was on it. His eyes watering, a tremble ran through his big body.

Even drawn in crayon, the image on the page was clearly the stone, and Drew did his best to draw the Eschphene sigils now etched into it. In their last encounter in Africa, the Eschphene leader stole the stone and set a trap for Drew using those sigils, sucking him into a construct, and Henry merged with Drew out of desperation, drawn into the trap with him.

Henry would never forget that day. He exhausted himself, defending both of them against the incarnations within Drew that the stone woke up; the sigils did something to them, enraged them, so they wanted to kill Henry and Drew. If Brad hadn’t found them through the veil, Henry was terrified of what might have happened.

His thoughts made him uneasy, and Henry felt an urgent need to check on his son. Making his way back to the main cabin, he slid the door open quietly to see Drew sprawled across the bed with no covers. He slept hot and had kicked the sheet off. His bright white Marvel Underoos were easy to see in the moonlight coming in through the windows and portholes.

The wolf-spirit sat at the foot of the bed and raised her head when Henry came in, calmly looking at him with the uncanny intelligence she always exhibited. Glancing at the big mirror, Henry noticed how bright the white lock of hair on his head was in the moonlight. It almost glowed on its own.

Sending a thought to the wolf-spirit, he knew she would understand him.

I’m going to swim. Everyone is asleep, and it should be safe but call me immediately for any reason.

Her eyes gleamed in the moonlight, and he knew she would. In the silver light of the moon, she was translucent, and her ghostly image didn’t leave an imprint on the bed.

Grinning, Henry thought to himself: I’m glad she doesn’t shed.

He couldn’t get the image of the drawing out of his mind, and it worried him. Even though it was late, his worry had him wide awake, so he went out on the dive deck, stripped off his shorts, and dove naked into the warm waters of the Pacific.

Under the tutelage of Ken and his brothers, Henry turned into an exceptional swimmer. Taking a deep breath, he swam down a few feet, trying Brad’s new technique. Even though his control over his body and core energy centers was excellent, he didn’t have an Avatar. It took him some time, but he was able to do it. It took more energy for him than for the bodies, but the overall effort was minimal, even negligible once he got the hang of it.

Calling a dolphin, he grabbed its dorsal fin and let it pull him through the water. The water felt soothing over his naked body, and it relaxed him. He swam for nearly an hour until he finally started feeling sleepy. Climbing the ladder back onto the dive deck, he noticed his reflection in the sliding glass doors, watching his masculine form dripping water as he dried himself. Staring at himself for a minute, a slight grin crossed his handsome face.

Okay, maybe I do look kind of hot.

Knowing he would catch a lot of shit over his thought, he laughed even more. When it did eventually happen, his chagrin was countered more by the idea of how happy his brothers were that he finally saw himself that way.

He wanted to talk to Drew about the drawing, so he tucked it into his bag. He would wait until they were back at the lab and talk to the doc first to get his opinion. It had to mean something, and it didn’t bode well. He finished toweling off and padded through the main cabin to the master suite and climbed into the big bed with Drew. Sprawled sideways, Drew took up most of the bed, but he was a heavy sleeper and never woke up when Henry repositioned him.

Henry drifted off to sleep, holding Drew next to him. He tried not to worry, but in the quiet of the night when it was dark, he often thought about what Drew faced and couldn’t help the thoughts that went through his mind.

Please let him live through this. I’m begging you, whoever you are, help me protect him.

A few hours later Henry woke with a start, shooting up in bed. Still late, ZEUS was completely quiet except for the low whir of the ceiling fan. His mind racing, he had to calm himself before he woke Drew up. His body tense and sweaty, his unconscious mind threw the idea out, and it was powerful enough to wake him.

He hated to do it, but he called Brad through their link.

Brad?

Triggers in Brad’s mind fired off at Henry’s call, and they merged suddenly and intensely. Brad and Ken appeared with him in that place where their souls were one.

Henry? What is it?

Henry’s tension and anxiety were tangible to them, and their arms went around him first thing, holding him tight.

Guy’s I’m sorry… maybe this could have waited, but…

Because they were merged, Brad knew immediately what Henry’s revelation was and how significantly it could affect Drew’s confrontation with The Master.

Ken: You did the right thing, Henry. B, get everyone here.

Calling out, Brad hit the triggers of anyone asleep, and to those still awake, he made sure they were safe to pull in. In a flash, the rest of the team was present, the intensity of the love between them flowing like a hot fire, and Henry basked in their light even as he added to it.

As their comforting presence washed over Henry, helping to calm him, they saw his idea, and a smattering of “Holy shits!” and “Fuck me’s!” followed.

Brad took them into a construct of the conference room, and everyone appeared in their black Kevlar Assault gear. Henry’s suit was unique, with the muted cyan and dark red trim on his suit indicating his dual nature.

Ken: B, put the images on the Ops Board.

Images of the stone, before and after the sigils, appeared as well as Drew’s drawing.

Lane: Henry, has Drew said anything recently about the stone? If he’s drawing pictures, this has to mean something.

Henry: No, Lane, and it scares the shit out of me. I haven’t had a clue. I don’t know when he drew that.

Loy: I’m sorry to say this, Henry, but it might have something to do with the conversation Drew had with that guy at the wedding. The voice, Istariel’s father, or whatever the hell we’re supposed to call him.

Henry’s voice trembled slightly, and he thought: Yeah, I thought of that too. Drew’s still not budging on that, and I haven’t pressed him. I’m going to ask him about the drawing tomorrow, and I’ll have to play it by ear depending on his reaction.

Standing, Henry squared his shoulders.

Guys, this could be a game-changer for Drew. If we can alter the stone in the same way the Eschphene did and set a trap for The Master, it could give Drew the edge he needs.

The hope inside Henry was so strong that it affected all of them, and they felt the same way.

Brad: Playing devil’s advocate here… we don’t know enough about the sigils to do that ourselves. We’ll need a good source of information on them, preferably an Eschphene.

Bryan: We’ve kicked those fuckers in the balls twice now. I’m not so sure they’ll help us.

Kevin: We have to try. Henry’s right; this could be a real game-changer. Frankly, we need one. I know we’re preparing, but we’ve been beaten up pretty badly, too. This is something concrete we can sink our teeth into.

Ken: Okay, guys, everyone mull this over and we’ll reconvene at our usual time in the mornin’. Henry, you did right callin’ us in on this.

Brad added: Your idea is brilliant, Henry; we just need to figure out a way to pull it off.

For Henry, they all started saying goodnight in ‘The Walton’s’ manner again, and laughing, Henry thought: Goodnight, fuckers.

Lane: Was one of the Walton kids named fuckers? I don’t think so!

Their laughter faded as Brad toned down the link from across the planet.

Resting in the moonlight, Henry held Drew, feeling positive for a change. Kissing the top of Drew’s head, he managed to fall asleep.

<><><> 

Darren and Pat appeared in the Atlanta lab at 0600. Bryan and Lane were on the roster with them in Australia, but Darren and Pat arranged to come back early to take care of a few things. They all accommodated one another as needed for short windows where they required little bits of time to run personal errands or take care of some detail.

While Pat went to the kitchen to check on coffee, Darren hit the locker room to use the bathroom. As Darren finished, he heard Tommy and Brett by the lockers whispering but couldn’t make out what they were saying.

Coming up behind them, Darren put a hand on each of their shoulders, asking, “Hey guys, what in the world are you doing up so early? You should be in bed.”

Starting at Darren’s touch, both boys sheepishly said, “Hey, Uncle Darren.”

Tommy held his Bumblebee action figure, the big one he got for Christmas and never went anywhere without. Gripping it by the arm, it was so large it almost hit the floor as it dangled from his hand.

After getting a hug from both boys, Tommy asked, “Which locker is my dad’s?”

Chuckling, Darren asked, “Which dad, Tommy? Kevin or Bill?”

Smiling, Tommy said, “Kevin.”

Darren showed him Kevin’s locker and then Bill’s, so he would know.

It was Brett who said, “Thanks, Uncle Darren.”

Darren said, “You guys should go back to bed. Do Kevin and Bill know you’re up?”

Tommy said, “No, sir.”

“Come on, guys, let’s get you back to your room.”

Darren was curious why the boys wanted to know which lockers were Kevin’s and Bill’s but didn’t ask. Putting a hand on their shoulders, he guided the boys out of the locker room and back to the common area towards their bedroom when Brett whispered, “Ask him, Tommy! He can help!”

Darren stopped, asking, “Help with what? Boys, what’s going on?”

Looking sheepish again, Tommy told Darren why he wanted to know. Darren’s eyes went bright as Tommy explained everything. When Tommy finished, Brett continued, explaining why he needed to find Kevin’s locker.

Darren’s breathing became heavy from keeping his emotions in check over what he just heard. In the kitchen, Pat felt the surge of intense emotions in his husband.

Dar, what’s going on?

Pat… fuck, you aren’t going to believe this.

Pulling Pat in tighter, Darren shared everything the boys explained to him, and Pat’s eyes watered immediately.

Oh, fuck.

If I make it fast, we can be back in a couple of minutes. The boys want to go, but I’m not taking them out of here even for this. I can get what they want and be right back.

Okay, let’s get a move on. Kev and Bill will be up any minute.

Darren explained to the boys that he and Pat would be right back. They were disappointed they couldn’t go, but Darren and Pat were adamant about not taking the boys anywhere without their dads’ permission.

Darren cast his thoughts out around the area. There was a 24/7 Pharmacy nearby that should have what Tommy wanted. It turned out they didn’t, so he found a nearby Kroger instead. On a mission for Tommy, they weren’t coming back empty-handed.

<><> 

An hour later, Kevin and Bill sat in the kitchen drinking coffee while the boys ate their cereal. Sally sat with them, visiting and chatting until it was time to start the boys’ lessons. Darren and Pat were there as well, drinking their third cup of coffee and taking part in the morning conversation.

Kevin had a rough night and was irritable. He dreamed nearly every night since his brother Archie’s death. The doctor told him he might and that his dreams would be uncomfortable, but he needed to let them run their course with no tampering from Bill. The dreams were his mind’s way of dealing with the trauma.

The dream that night started turning into a full-fledged nightmare when Kevin heard howling, like a pack of wolves, and his dream abruptly stopped. He knew it was the wolf-spirit who protected Drew’s dreams. She was on ZEUS with Drew, but sent others of her pack to watch over Kevin. How she knew to do that he didn’t know, but he was grateful and would make a point to thank her in person the next chance he got.

Kevin didn’t like being treated with kid gloves or fretted over, so Bill was as attentive as he could be without irritating Kevin. Working through the emotional trauma, he leaned on Bill when he needed to. Just by his solid presence, Bill was what Kevin needed along with the boys, but their dad was subdued, and it worried Tommy and Brett. They knew Kevin was hurt and upset. Doctor Thomas had talked to them about it.

At 0750, the men got up from the table, rinsed out their coffee cups, and headed to the locker room to change into their workout gear. Sally got Tommy and Brett settled and ready to start their lessons. Albrecht was most likely already up, but the doctor, not an early riser, would still be asleep for another hour at least. Their mentors almost always emerged from their room together.

Opening his locker, Kevin pulled out his gym bag and unzipped it.

The other three men heard him say, “What the fuck?”

Turning to look, Kevin held Brett’s Bumblebee action figure with a confused look on his face. Bill moved over and touched it, and when his hand wrapped around the toy, his eyes flashed white, and his Avatar glowed softly on his shoulder.

Powerful emotions and impressions tied to the toy filled his mind. In the last twenty-four hours, Brett talked, even prayed, to Bumblebee to help his dad. The boys understood loss far too well for children of their age, and when they were told about Kevin’s brother dying, they knew Kevin would be hurt. They didn’t know Kevin was the one who snapped the bonds holding Archie’s soul to his body or the details of his death. They didn’t realize how deeply their dad’s wounds ran, but they were keenly aware of how loss could affect someone.

Brett put the action figure in Kevin’s bag to watch over him and to be a companion to Kevin as it was to Brett. Bill’s eyes reddened and hot tears formed from the intensity of the emotion over what their son did for Kevin. The toy meant everything to Brett; it was his safety blanket, and for him to give it up told them how much he cared.

When Kevin saw the tears in Bill’s eyes, he wanted to share the intense emotions in his husband, and the two of them went deep within each other, becoming one. When they appeared naked to one another in that special place, Kevin still held the toy in his hands.

The dam of emotions Kevin had been holding back cracked. Breaking down, he fell to his knees and Bill grabbed him. Bill pulled Pat and Darren in with them, and his two brothers immediately wrapped their arms around Kevin, holding him just as tightly in their hearts.

Kevin didn’t say anything, but he cried so hard he sweated from the tension in his body. Resting in his husband and two of his best friends, he let the pain out as he shared the depth of what Brett did for him. He didn’t know how long the pain of Archie’s death would last, maybe forever. It would lessen over time, but it was still fresh, and he was constantly reminded of it.

Darren hid the second part of the surprise in his mind in a wrapped box, but merged, Bill saw the box hiding the thoughts.

Darren sent him a private thought:  Hold on to your hat. There’s another part of this coming.

It took a while in the place where time didn’t move for Kevin to get himself under control. In the physical realm, his breath caught in his chest, and the first tear was falling down his cheek when he left the locker room.

Tommy and Brett watched Kevin come out of the locker room, shirtless and holding Bumblebee. Seeing tears in his eyes, for a brief second they thought their surprise backfired and that Kevin was upset with them. Scooping the two boys up in his big arms, he started sobbing again.

His tears were so thick he could barely talk, but he managed to say, “Thank you, Brett. I love you guys so much. You have no idea what this means to me.”

The two boys were small for their age, and Kevin was like a giant next to them, but he buried his face against the two of them and held them tight. Their little arms went around his head and shoulders, hugging him back.

Brett pulled back slightly and said, “Tommy has something for you, too, Dad.”

Lifting his tear-streaked face, Kevin looked at his other son. Hesitantly, Tommy held out his hand, holding a rolled-up comic book. Kevin unrolled it, and his breath caught again. The title across the cover in big letters read “Archie.”

Tommy said, “I know Uncle Archie’s gone, but you can read this and pretend it’s him, and maybe you won’t be sad when you read it. If you pretend hard enough, it’ll be real, and he’ll still be with you.”

Kevin broke down again, pulling the two boys against him. Sally watched, crying, and put a hand on Kevin’s head in comfort.

Looking at the two boys, she whispered, “That was beautiful! I’m so proud of you two.”

Moving over, Bill added his arms around Kevin and the two boys. At six foot four he had long arms, and they wrapped around Kevin and the boys.

When he could talk, Kevin laughed at himself, saying, “I’m turning into Ken!” getting a smile and a chuckle from everybody.

After wiping his eyes, he cupped the face of each boy in one of his big warm hands and said, “I don’t know what in the world I’ve done to deserve you boys. Thank you so much for this. These are perfect, and I love you both.”

Kevin heard Henry say those exact words to Drew, but they held a new meaning for him now, and he finally understood in his own heart how true they were. The love the boys had for him was so humbling he had a hard time wrapping his head around it.

Darren and Pat were teary-eyed and still deeply merged with Kevin and Bill, sharing the emotional intensity. Their arms surrounded him in the place where their souls were one while he was wrapped up on the outside by Tommy and Brett.

Kevin’s mood lifted thanks to the caring efforts of his two new sons. Thanking them again, he kissed them both and gave them a long, heartfelt hug. After that, he got a hug from Bill, Darren, and Pat in the locker room. His brothers felt some of the heaviness lift from his heart as they moved into the gym to continue their training. Bumblebee sat watching over him at one of the corner turnbuckles of the boxing ring on top of the “Archie” comic book, and they made a difference.

 

Two Days Later – The Pale

Ken, the stone in his fist, stood before the Eschphene leader. The massive form of the creature towered over him, but Ken held his own. His Avatar shone brightly even through his black Kevlar Assault suit, and the Eschphene leader was confronted by the strength, will, and conviction of the man before him; he was every bit the grandson of the archangel Michael, one of the mightiest of the High Hosts.

Ken fought the leader nearly a month before in Africa, and Loy nearly killed him, but Ken spared his life. In their last encounter, the team killed more than a thousand of his people. A year prior, in the Eschphene’s first attempt to capture Drew, Ken was forced to kill the leader’s son. Both times the Eschphene attacked them in the physical realm, they lost.

Brad and the rest of the team stood behind Ken, fanned out in a semicircle. None of them were nervous, but they were alert for signs of deception or treachery. They were one, shining lights in the bleak and desolate realm of the Pale.

The laws of physics were in a constant state of flux in the Pale. Small pebbles floated around like gnats, drawn to the mass of the men, especially the denser bodies, and Darren set up a mild field around them to keep the annoying objects away.

The Pale was a realm of chaos and entropy, and their nature of light and order made it a strain on the team merely being present. The knowledge of how to travel to the distant realm came from Orophir when Bill read him. They learned an amazing amount of knowledge from their new Nephilim ally.

Incredibly handsome in their tight form-fitting suits, their auras were bright and their Nephilim heritage evident as they stood tall and powerful. Looking at Ken, Brad admired his husband. He looked so studly pitting himself against the Eschphene leader, and watching him stand toe-to-toe with such a powerful creature did something to Brad’s libido.

Bryan groaned: God, not again.

Rick: Do they have Motel 6’s in the Pale? We could book a room if you two ladies need some alone time.

Darren: Yeah, I hear Motel 6 books by the minute. That should be all the time you hair-triggered fuckers need to pop a quick one.

Laughter echoed through the link, but their faces remained impassive. A few more jokes were let loose, but they quickly quieted down.

Ken’s deep voice broke the silence, “So will ‘ya do it?”

The Eschphene leader’s flat face seemed expressionless, but Ken was good at reading body language, in humans at least. With his Understanding from Pat’s Avatar, Ken saw extreme tension within him. His slitted nostrils quivered, and thin mucous-like wetness seeped out of them. Smelling the power of the stone, the leader saw it as the means to restore his people.

Towering over Ken, his massive black body was thick with gnarled muscle covered with bone protrusions. Ken noticed the sigil inscribed bone shards he snapped off and stabbed the leader with in their last encounter had grown back.

Ken continued, “We know you wanna end the cycle surroundin’ The Master and Drew. Our methods are different, but our goal is the same. There’s no reason for you not ‘ta help us. Put aside our differences, and let’s join forces on this.”

The leader’s hatred ran deep over the slaughter of his people and his son, not to mention his failure at their hands. The province of the Eschphene was balance and neutrality, and they sought to break Drew’s eighty thousand year cycle of death by capturing him and using him to destroy The Master. Ken and the team hoped the potential realization of their mutual goal would be enough to entice them to overcome their mutual enmity.

Ken: Get ready, guys. This isn’t lookin’ good.

Brad: I have a bad feeling about this.

Ken: He’s stallin’.

Lane: I’m feeling the same thing, Brad. He’s up to no good.

The Avatars on their shoulders shone brighter. Already alert, Brad slowed their perception of time slightly in case they needed to react quickly. Ken had their Avatars locked and synchronized; they were one and more than the sum of their individual selves.

Pat saw them first: I’ve got them. Damn, this is weird. There are ten Eschphene coming up under us. It’s like they’re swimming through the rock.

The Eschphene leader’s voice, deep and guttural, said, “You will fail Nephilim, and when you do, the stone will be mine. With it, we can find the reborn Child and transform him into a weapon capable of defeating The Master.”

Ken kept the conversation running, waiting to see how the ambush would unfold.

“The Curse makes him unbeatable in the kind of fight you’re talkin’ about. No matter what you turn Drew into, it won’t be enough. We know the secret of how to defeat the bastard. You’ll fail if you continue the course you’re on.”

Pat: They’re right under us, Ken.

Brad slowed their perceptions even more until time nearly stopped. Watching and observing, it was apparent the Eschphene in the ground were assassins sent to eliminate them.

All of them heard the disappointment in Ken’s mental voice.

Fuck! What are we gonna tell Henry?

Lane: You did your best, Ken. The leader’s an asshat. Henry’s idea is still a good one and our best shot. We’ll have to figure out another source for learning the sigils. This isn’t the end of our idea, just a temporary setback.

There was no blame from any of the men except Ken, who blamed himself for failing to reach the Eschphene leader. In his eyes, he failed Drew and Henry.

Loy: How are we handling the ambush? Do we just leave, or do you want to teach them a lesson?

Bill: If they haven’t learned by now, I doubt they’re going to.

Ken: Third time’s a charm. We make a statement they’ll never forget. I want this bastard ‘ta know we aren’t afraid and will do whatever we need ‘ta do ‘ta protect Drew and ourselves. Take ’em out, but I want a final word with dickhead before we leave.

<><> 

The rock under their feet splintered as razor-sharp bone spikes erupted from the ground, covered in orange sigils glowing with Eschphene magic.

The leader’s lipless mouth curved upward in joy over destroying the Nephilim hybrids once and for all. He would take the stone and collect the boy, thus attaining his rightful place in his people’s history as their savior and redeemer, restoring their position in creation as a pre-eminent race.

His eyes widened in surprise as ten bolts of lightning struck, blinding him, and when his vision cleared, the Nephilim were gone, and the bodies of his assassins lay on the ground, lifeless. The sigil-covered shards from their bodies were broken off and scattered around their corpses, still half-buried in the rock.

Spinning around, he saw the Nephilim, untouched and glowing brightly, standing behind him.

Walking forward, Ken looked up at him. His emerald green eyes were piercing, holding a depth that shocked the leader. He saw many things in Ken Habersham’s eyes; sadness for the boy named Drew Ross, disappointment, and rage directed at him. He took a step back from what he saw in Ken’s eyes, but his face hardened again immediately.

Ken’s voice shook with anger, “You FUCKER! If we fail now, it’s on YOUR head. You never wanted us ‘ta succeed or have a chance because of some fucked-up delusional bullshit! You’re as crazy as your son! I’m tellin’ you now if you show your butt-ugly face on Earth ever again, you will NOT live a third time. Do you hear me!?”

Getting right up in the leader’s face, Ken’s Avatar flared brightly as lightning filled the skies of the Pale, reflecting his rage. Thunder echoed in Ken’s voice as he yelled at the Eschphene leader, but the creature’s insanity ran so deep he was oblivious to the danger standing before him.

The arrogance of the Eschphene was too much, and Ken hauled back, landing a haymaker that sent his huge body flying twenty feet back, landing hard on the rocky ground, stunned.

In a subdued voice, Ken said, “Dar, Lane, take us home.”

The two men combined their Avatars, and Lane sent his awareness across the realms back to their own, and Darren took them there.

<><><> 

Németh waited patiently for eighty thousand years. It was difficult for him to watch his people fall further and further away from their ancient tenets. He abdicated his position as leader of the Eschphene the day the Curse fell upon creation. Attuned to the balance, he heard the secondborn’s screams as the Curse came into being, and when equilibrium shattered, it struck him like a physical blow.

Even though the event happened in another demesne, the physical realm of Earth was the heart of all realms, and the ripples of the Curse touched everything. That all realities were a reflection of that heart was one of the balance's sacred tenets and why it was so significant and fragile.

A voice deep within Németh whispered to him, and he knew it was the balance. To save his people and restore equilibrium, he must leave them. Proud, he did not want to give up the power and authority he wielded, also knowing his son was not prepared to take his place. Among the Eschphene, leadership passed through the royal bloodline, and his son was centuries away from having the wisdom and maturity to lead.

Németh knew he would be sorely needed in a time of such significant cosmic events; however, the voice would not be denied. His heart ached, knowing his people would falter without proper guidance, yet for their own sake he had to abandon them in hopes of ultimately saving them.

And so, the years of his self-imposed exile began. Wandering the Pale and many other realms, Németh kept himself hidden and Veiled. time passed, but his intent never wavered, and the Hope of one day restoring the balance and his people kept him alive, allowing him to persevere.

The voice had been quiet so long he wondered if his entire life was based on the delusions of an old and tired mind. Yet that morning, after tens of thousands of years, he awoke to the sound of the voice. The time was upon him to return and save his people.

His body old but strong, his kind did not wither with age as many did, and he was far more robust than in his youth, also wiser and more powerful. Putting his time to good use during the long span of his exile, he delved into mysteries of creation, mastering incredible knowledge.

Németh had never seen the current leader of his people. He knew it was one of his descendants, but how many times removed was unknown. Veiled, he watched from a distance as his descendant met with the Nephilim changelings. He had not seen them before either but heard rumors of their existence. He was aware when the darkness attempted to obliterate them a few years prior. The cosmic scales tipped back towards balance that day, and he knew then the time of his return was approaching.

Seeing their Avatars yet at the same time being blind to them astounded him. That had never happened before, and the ramifications of their nature fascinated him, knowing it was a significant aspect of their power.

Németh’s heart nearly stopped at the sight of the stone, the instrument of the Curse, in the Nephilim leader’s hand. So much pain and misery originated from that small rock, and he sensed the ripples of its existence from where he stood.

Watching the scene unfold, his descendant’s insanity became apparent when he not only refused to aid the Nephilim but attempted to assassinate them. Realizing how far his people had fallen, his sorrow ran deep, yet it strengthened his resolve.

He almost laughed when the Nephilim leader struck his descendant, sending him flying to land on his backside. The changeling’s strength was impressive, and he wondered at their magic and how it could be so strong, especially in the Pale and in the presence of his people.

Watching everything with hope in his heart, he knew the time of his return was upon him.

<><><> 

Appearing in the Atlanta lab, their disappointment was even greater than their anger. Henry’s plan was a good one and would have made a difference for Drew.

Silence filled the gym as they stood for a moment, absorbing the significance of what just happened. There was a smattering of ‘fuck me’s!’ at the setback of their plan. Merging them, Brad took them deep, to the place where their souls were one. No matter what they faced, they always came back to that place and the comfort of each other’s souls.

Ken shook with anger and anxiety for Drew. Moving behind him, Brad wrapped his arms around his husband, wanting to calm and soothe the emotions running through him. The thought of failing Drew hit them hard, down to their cores.

Kevin: We didn’t fuck up, Ken. You saw it as clearly as we did. That bastard is insane, and there’s no reasoning with him.

With bright eyes, Ken replied: I know, guys, but this was such a perfect opportunity to help Drew and give him a leg up on what he’s gonna face. I let him down.

Bryan, in his deep, gravelly voice, said: You didn’t, Ken. We all did. We should’ve found a way to make it work.

Brad added: It seems like there’s a will of some kind fighting us every step of the way. Everything we do has a price.

Pat: You’re right, Brad. It’s like the balance has been skewed so long in The Master’s favor it’s stuck and doesn’t want to right itself.

A tear dripping down Ken’s cheek, he said: Fuck! Guys… like Henry always says, he’s just a little kid! How can he do this? We can’t do it for him; God, I wish we could! We would, a million times over! I know we all would, but how is he gonna do it? The Master isn’t gonna roll over and just ask his forgiveness. He wants Drew dead and gone forever, and if he gets his hands on Drew, it’s over!

Ken verbalized their innermost thoughts and concerns. When they were one, as they presently were, it was all there if they looked.

Brad: Remember when Bill was trapped and Kevin shot? Bryan said it back then.

Perfectly recalling the conversation, Brad had all of them relive it.

<> 

“Well, we’ve known from the start that we all complement one another. As friends and partners, what we feel for one another and how we support each other has gotten us this far. After the last transformation, and with our Avatars waking up, I think it’s even more obvious. There’s something out there playing around with our lives, and it pisses me off — not just The Enemy, but The Order too, or maybe something different. But what we are and what we’re becoming needs to happen. I’m not saying the deck is stacked in our favor, but I think we need to be given the chance to succeed or fail, and we can’t do that if Bill is gone. I think that whoever or whatever gave us our Avatars did it knowing that something like this might happen to any one of us and that our partners would be our best bet in keeping each other safe so we could at least survive long enough to meet the challenge, whatever that challenge is.”

<> 

I think that holds true for Drew as well. As bleak as things look, he has to have a chance to succeed, or there would be no point. I know we can’t see it now, at this moment, but we can’t lose hope in him. We owe him more than that. He’s made it this far, and he’ll see it through to the end, and we’ll be with him. We have to make it possible for him to do his part.

I still think Henry’s plan is our best bet. We have no idea at this moment how we can make that happen, but if we hold together and focus on that as our goal, we’ll figure out a way. We haven’t failed Drew, Ken; you haven’t failed him. Not yet. And you won’t! We won’t!

Turning to face Brad, Ken embraced him, holding them tightly together.

Thanks, B.

Remember, that’s what badass boyfriends are for.

Brad’s words drove off Ken’s momentary malaise, and a grin crept onto his handsome face.

Don’t ‘ya mean badass husband?

It wasn’t apparent at first how shaken Ken was by their failure. He loved Drew so much, one of his deep-rooted fears was failing the little boy. This time it was their turn to hold Ken up. Surrounding him, his brothers held him in their arms and hearts. The comfort of their warm solid bodies, their strength, and the warmth of their souls formed a blanket of support that enveloped him. Resting in them, he held his husband as his brothers held him until his emotions ran their course.

Sorry guys, I didn’t mean ‘ta go soft on ya.

Reaching down between Ken’s and Brad’s stomachs, Lane found what he was looking for.

Ken’s eyes widened in surprise as Lane grabbed his erection.

Lane!

The impish grin on Lane’s face and his comment sent a ripple of laughter through them.

Umm… there’s nothing soft about you right now, you horn dog. I didn’t think you were into group sex, but there’s no hiding that boner, boss man.

Ken blushed even as he burst out laughing. Someone else, he was pretty sure it was Loy, groped his ass. Being held by Brad, coupled with his brothers' deep emotional bonds and their bodies pressing in on him caused his body to react, and not having his guard up with any of them he popped a boner.

They all smiled, and someone ruffled his hair. Brad squeezed him tighter and kissed his cheek.

The tears in his eyes shifted, and his throat tightened again, and he whispered, “Fuck, I love you guys.”

As one, their collective thought spoke to Ken.

You’re never alone, Ken. Even though you’re our leader, you’re never alone, and don’t ever feel like you’re carrying the burden yourself. We know you want to. You want to spare us, but we’re in this together.

Then the follow-up comments, all mixed together, made him laugh again.

Dumbass!

Eat your own dog food, you fucker!

You pound that into us all the time and think it doesn’t apply to you, too?

You arrogant bastard!

Continuing to hang shit on him, he took it, and the camaraderie between them bolstered his spirit. Knowing him as well as he knew them, they knew what he needed and when. The one-liners started flying, and the immediate tension left all of them, replaced by laughter.

The door to the gym opened, and Henry and Drew came in. Drew made a beeline for his uncles. They turned, and Henry saw the look in their eyes. Brad pulled Henry in with them, and he appeared naked with them in the place where their souls were one. Knowing instantly everything that transpired, he was disappointed, but there was no blame. He saw everything.

Cupping a hand on the back of Ken’s neck, Henry thought: We’ll just have to figure out another way. This isn’t over. There’s no fat lady singing here.

They busted out laughing at Lane’s next comment.

I don’t know; some of these ladies have some pretty fat asses.

Henry laughed with them, but his expression quickly turned serious again. Ken’s spirit, bolstered by Brad and his brothers, shone brightly. His momentary lack of resolve, shared with them openly, vanished. His Avatar flared, and will and conviction exuded from him, amplified by the other bodies.

We’ll find another way, Henry. I promise. We’re not lettin’ Drew down.

Henry’s eyes were glassy as he replied: I know. There’s no way you guys can. I believe that with everything in me.

Brad took them back to their bodies as Drew flew into Ken’s arms, yelling, “You’re back!”

Ken picked Drew up, and his little arms immediately wrapped around his uncle’s neck.

Ken said, “Yup! We’re back. Safe and sound.”

“Did you get it?”

“No, Drew, we didn’t. We tried really hard. We’ll have ‘ta try another way.”

Drew didn’t bat an eye and said, “Okay, Uncle Ken. I’m glad you’re back safe. I was worried.”

“Thanks, Tiger, but we’re all good. Right, guys?”

Ken passed Drew off to Bryan, who was closest, and he got passed around from man to man for a hug. It was a ritual Drew started whenever they came back from doing something dangerous. He needed to touch and feel every one of them and know they were unhurt and safe. Everyone noticed he gave Kevin an extra kiss and a second hug.

Kevin’s eyes went a little glassy, knowing Drew was trying to comfort him after the recent loss of his brother, and he hugged Drew tight in return before passing him off to the next man. Rick, closest to him, ruffled his hair.

As Drew got passed around, Ken made a fist, then splayed his fingers out, shaking his hand. Minute fractures were already healing from where he punched the Eschphene leader, but his hand ached. Brad channeled healing into Ken’s hand, and the fractures disappeared.

“Thanks, B. That fu… guy is a real hard body.”

Their Kevlar suits were hot, and the sound of Velcro pulling apart started filling the gym. The arm sections came off first, revealing their big arms and shoulders. The lower legs were next from mid-thigh down to their ankles. The foot covering the doctor designed as part of the suits was one of the most ingenious aspects, basically gloves for their feet with fantastic traction that allowed for full flexion and extension of their toes and ankles.

Using his Captain’s voice, Ken said, “Alright, ladies, before we strip down all the way, let’s head ‘ta the conference room. Dar, can you get the doc and Albrecht here so we can debrief ’em? Everybody put your thinkin’ caps on, ’cause we need ‘ta formulate a plan B.”

Grinning, he winked at Brad, “No pun intended.”

For some reason, he thought his little joke funny, and he chuckled. Most of the guys rolled their eyes as they made their way out of the gym.

<><><> 

Drew tried to hold the image in his mind, just as Mr. Albrecht showed him. It sounded easy, but it wasn’t, and he was frustrated. The flame kept moving, making him angry, sending ripples of emotion through the incarnations. After Drew’s last encounter with the Eschphene, the manifestations scared him.

The doctor instructed Drew on what to do when the incarnations tried to exert influence on him. Everyone was worried about him, and every one of his uncles and friends was doing everything in their power to help him prepare for what he faced.

Mr. Albrecht and Doctor Aaron said he needed to learn how to talk to his other selves, not to control them, but it was his mind and body they inhabited, and he could not let them take over. Recent evidence indicated they were influencing him in subtle ways. His temper had been bad recently, and for the first time ever he lashed out at Sally.

Not meaning to, he cried hysterically after he did it, begging her to forgive him. He could have killed her, except his Uncle Brad had a shield on her that deflected his attack, diverting it to his uncle. The entire team appeared in a flash, scaring Drew witless.

Sally turned white as a sheet when it happened, and he knew how badly he scared her. It took her some time to calm down, but she loved Drew, and being acutely aware of his situation, she hugged him and told him she was okay. Drew was hysterical for almost an hour after the incident, and it took Henry and all his uncles to calm him down.

Whatever the Eschphene did to the stone woke the incarnations. Far more active now, they pushed for control, and it was a constant struggle to hold them back. Dr. Aaron, Mr. Albrecht, Uncle Brad, and Henry helped him set up a permanent shield so he could function during the day without having to concentrate all the time, but Sally could tell when they were pushing because Drew would get distracted in his lessons and zone out.

The flame wiggled again. Scrunching his face in concentration, Drew told himself he was training just like his dad and his uncles. He wanted to be a big boy. He wanted to grow strong like his father, Henry, and his uncles, but the flame kept wiggling and wouldn’t stay still.

Watching Drew, Henry knew what was coming. Drew’s breathing got faster, and instead of relaxing, he tensed, clenching his fists. Suddenly, the flame blew out, and Drew went berserk, pounding his fists against his legs and the floor mat, his face red with anger.

The emotional wave of the manifestations hit all at once, shattering what control he had left. Drew, naked in the place where his soul resided, was no longer alone. At the edge of his awareness, they started appearing. Faces first, and then the bodies of all the other versions of himself, pressing in on him, and he was scared. They reflected his anger, magnifying it, and it was like a tsunami of emotion directed at him…

…and then Henry was there, his powerful mind and body against Drew, holding him, his shields white and powerful, protecting his son and augmenting his shields. The strength and warmth of his father made Drew feel wholly safe and protected.

Shhhhhh, it’s okay, honey. Breathe. Calm down.

I’m sorry, Daddy! I’m trying!

I know, sweetheart! You’re doing great! This is difficult stuff, and it was hard for your uncles and me to learn too. If you need to use the necklace, go ahead, but I don’t want it to become a crutch. You need to learn control on your own.

Hesitating briefly, Drew clutched the rings around his neck, and closing his eyes, he remembered. Along with Henry’s strong arms, his mother’s presence enfolded him, brushing his hair off his forehead and whispering soothing words to calm him.

As his breathing slowed the flame returned, and the faces began to fade. Drew was small for his age and thin, and Henry’s big hands nearly wrapped around his waist. Henry hadn’t showered yet after working out and Drew smelled his dad’s aftershave and sweat. Henry’s warmth and strength along with his scent surrounded Drew, making a difference.

Everything about Henry made him feel safe, and latching on to that feeling, the flame stilled. His father was his flame, the center of his universe. His mother was there too, through the rings. She was gone forever, and there was still an ache inside Drew he didn’t fully understand, but he would have the memories forever.

Letting Drew concentrate while continuing to hold him, Henry knew it would help. Drew needed to get to the point where he could focus on his own and was making progress. Aware of Henry’s pride through their link, it made him feel more confident. His flame faltered briefly, then stilled again.

Once he held it still for five minutes without a flicker, Henry thought: Okay, Drew. I want you to call one of them here. Only one. It doesn’t matter which one. Call one and keep the others back.

There were so many to choose from! There were over eleven thousand incarnations within him, each one a life he lived between the first time his brother killed him to his current birth.

It was hard to keep the flame still and think. Which one? They all wanted to come. They all wanted Henry to hold them like he did Drew, longing for his comforting presence and to hear his voice whispering to them, with his arms around them.

Drew didn’t think he chose, but he must have as his first self appeared, squatting a few feet away, primitive and covered in coarse reddish-brown hair. His teeth crooked, he hissed softly when he breathed through his mouth. His eyes were Drew’s, though, and he saw himself when he looked into them.

With his appearance, Drew’s memories of his earliest life came back to him. The flame fluttered briefly and almost went out, but he caught it. His dad present, Drew leaned against Henry’s hand on his back. Henry’s thumb moved slightly, rubbing him. It was a light sensation, but one Henry knew would help and not distract his son.

Good job, Tiger. You’re doing awesome.

The first version of himself didn’t have a name and had no verbal language to express himself, instead using his hands, body language, and eyes to communicate. He moved forward slowly until he was mere inches from Drew.

Taking one hand off Drew, Henry slowly cupped the cheek of the first incarnation. The boy’s eyes closed as he leaned into Henry’s touch. He never knew comfort like that when he was alive; the male that sired him was brutal and rough and had no love for him. The female who birthed him cared for him, but life was cruel and harsh at the time of his birth.

The boy rested in Henry’s touch, totally calm. Drew strengthened the presence of his other self, embracing everything, including his death. Dreaming it so often as a nightmare, he was familiar with it, but now there was a level of detachment. Even so, the memories were brutal.

Detecting his distress over the dream memories, the wolf-spirit appeared beside him, adding her presence to Henry’s. The memories he embraced were violent and horrible, but Mr. Albrecht and Doctor Aaron taught him how to wall those emotions off and not become overwhelmed.

Henry rubbed Drew’s back in praise of his control. The light from his shields reflected in the tears running down his face, tears of intense emotion, love, and pride for his son, and pain for them both.

The first incarnation vanished, replaced by another boy. Through the link, Henry knew his name was Ferguson, from England in the mid-eighteen hundreds. He looked nothing like Drew except for his eyes.

Drew’s control increased quickly, and after a dozen incarnations, Henry told him: That’s enough for today, Tiger. You’re doing great, and I’m extremely proud of you, but I don’t want you to tire yourself out. We’ll do more tomorrow, alright?

Drew’s mental voice sounded tired.

Okay, Daddy.

Taking them back into their bodies, even as he opened his eyes Drew turned, throwing his arms around Henry’s neck in a tight hug. Henry’s arms encircled his son, hugging him back just as tightly. Drew looked pale, and Henry kicked himself, thinking he pushed his son too hard.

Hearing Henry’s thoughts, Albrecht’s voice entered his mind: He’s fine, Henry. He is tired, but it’s the only way for him to grow stronger. I would say he made good progress today. I’m proud of you both.

Standing, Henry said out loud, “I know a little boy who needs a nap! Come on, Tiger, let’s get you to bed.”

The she-wolf stayed by Henry’s side, touching his leg as he walked through the lab back to his room. She curled up on the foot of the bed as was her want. Looking at her as he turned off the light, she looked back, and his voice was quiet but sincere as he said, “Thank you.”

She looked at him with uncanny intelligence that clearly said: He is my cub too, and a part of my pack, as are you and the others. It is my duty and no burden.

Confident Drew was in her care, he shut the door and went back to the gym to continue his training.

<><><>  

Loy and Rick were on the roster in Atlanta, and after an intense day of training, both men were physically charged up but mentally exhausted. Henry shared Drew’s progress with them and they were as stoked as he was. Henry couldn’t wait to share the news with everyone the following morning in their meeting.

“He did so well, guys! He lost his temper a few times, but I feel like something clicked in his mind, and he took off running with it. I keep having to remind myself he’s only six years old. In some ways he’s so advanced it’s scary.”

Smiling, Rick and Loy shared his excitement, especially knowing how much Drew’s progress made Henry feel better. It made them all feel better.

Henry asked them, “So what are you guys doing tonight?”

Grinning, he quickly followed up with, “Aside from the big nasty, I mean.”

Loy and Rick burst out laughing, and Loy said, “You know us too well. Not much… we need to make a supply run to the store for Bry. That new food service Sally found is great for dry goods, but there are a lot of perishables they don’t carry. Food’s getting low on ZEUS and in Australia, so we’re going shopping.”

Henry said, “You know I’ve never seen the grocery bill, but with the way we go through food, it’s got to be outrageous.”

Rick replied, “Yeah, it really is a good thing money isn’t an issue. We eat well, but also healthy for the most part, and these days that’s expensive. One of the perks of the changes in our bodies from the program is we metabolize food more efficiently. Our bodies are set to maintain specific levels of fat stores and lean muscle. If we don’t eat enough of one food source, our bodies make what we need from other things. Normal humans do that too, but on a much smaller scale.”

Grinning, Henry said, “So you could eat birthday cake all the time and still look like you do? That’s completely and utterly unfair.”

Laughing, Loy said, “That’d be pushing it even for us, but it is nice. So, what about you? What are you doing tonight? You and Sal going to shack up?”

Henry took a deep breath, replying, “I wish! We usually do that in the mornings. I promised Drew one TV show before bed, and then I’m starting a new book. Albrecht has me on the same reading schedule as the guys in Australia. It’s some book by some guy I’ve never heard of on how to be human or something like that.”

Shaking his head, Loy said, “I remember those. Back in the program, the doc had us reading the most outlandish shit, or we thought it was at the time. It all fits together, though, and it’s worth it. Give us a holler if you want to talk over any of it.”

Loy’s eyes unexpectedly went white, and he froze. Rick, with his enhanced hearing, picked up the whisper that came out of his husband.

“Not again.”

In their minds’ eyes, Henry and Rick saw Loy’s chest explode as a bullet ripped through it, except it wasn’t Loy at the table; it was a gorilla.

In the physical realm, it was Loy; handsome, studly, muscle bear Loy, and not a gorilla. Through his Avatar, he and the gorilla were the same being, and the pain hit him, but before he could even scream, he vanished.

Rick and Henry had spots in their eyes from the bright flash of Loy’s Avatar before he disappeared.

<><> 

Pain exploded through his body and he fell to the ground. Barely able to move, he struggled to get up and run. Tears fell down his dark, leathery face. He didn’t understand the pain or the cruelty of the men who stood over him laughing, their evil driving any rational thoughts from his mind. He watched as the bodies of others in his troop were piled up. Not all were dead yet, and he sensed the life draining out of those that still lived. His eyes heavy, he knew the long sleep was upon him. His eyes closed, and mercifully, he didn’t see the butchering of his loved ones.

<><> 

Thunder cracked so loudly it ruptured the eardrums of the poachers. Clutching their heads in pain, they screamed as blood burst from their ears, also blinded by the flash of lightning from the clear blue sky in the Congo. Fear hit them even harder as a voice screamed in their minds.

WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?

A man appeared, powerfully built, wearing shorts and a t-shirt that said ‘World’s Greatest Uncle!” The picture on his shirt was of the man himself and a little boy making funny faces, but the look on his face was anything but humorous.

His appearance was inhumanly handsome; he would have been pleasant to look upon if not for the rage distorting his face; rage directed at them.

Ken insisted that Brad place triggers in Loy after the incident with the elephants, not wanting to take a chance on Loy’s Avatar taking him someplace by himself and away from the rest of them. As powerful as Loy was, he was still more vulnerable by himself.

As soon as Loy’s Avatar gripped him the trigger went off, and this time Loy wasn’t alone. The rest of the guys, including Henry, were with him, in him, and they were one, sharing his pain and lending him their love and strength.

Henry wasn’t physically pulled with them; that was another rule Ken insisted on. Henry would always physically stay with Drew, no matter what happened to the rest of them.

Blinded, the poachers saw spots in their eyes as their minds were held. Nine other bolts of lightning hit, and Loy’s brothers stood with him.

Loy’s anguish at seeing the bodies of his beloved animals was gut-wrenching. Brad’s voice, filled with compassion, was loud in Loy’s heart and mind.

I’ve got the poachers, Loy. Take care of them.

Imprisoning the minds of the poachers, Brad’s light burned them. They weren’t protectors or ‘Suits,' but willing followers of Summ, the same as the elephant poachers. Similar to what Loy did before, Brad spared one of them to take back a message while the rest turned to ash where they stood.

Power poured into them as Lane listened, taking the first sounds he heard. The ghostly image of Yggdrasil appeared as Bryan drew from the mighty tree of life. Brad fluttered their souls across the veil, empowering the dual sides of their nature. Animal spirits of the Congo rallied around them, and in their minds’ eye, some were from the bodies in front of them.

The gorillas freshly dead, Loy dropped to his knees, holding out his arms, and white healing erupted from his body, arcing into the gorillas. The presence of their steward, in them again, washed away their fear and pain. Their spirits reconnected with their healed bodies, and they stood up, surrounding the men. The love between the men and the animals resonated, filling them with a sense of perfect well-being as the fear and pain receded.

Looking at the man Brad held shielded, Loy walked up to him. Staring into his eyes, Loy saw his fear. Wide-eyed and terrified, the man saw no mercy in Loy.

“If I didn’t need you to take a message, you would be dead. Go back and spread the word; there is no more poaching here. There is nowhere safe for you or anyone that shoots another animal of any kind here for anything other than food to survive. Take my words back and let everyone know, especially Summ. Go.”

Shaking in anger, Loy sweated heavily from the heat and tension in his body. Rick came up behind him and wrapped his arms around his husband. Anyone standing close to Loy touched him, grabbing an arm, patting his back, or squeezing his shoulder.

The gorillas, content to sit and be with them, rested in their presence. The men moved among them, enjoying their company and keeping them calm.

Brad: I’m going to ask the same question as last time. Why did this happen? Why now? And why here? Both times were in the Congo, out of the entire world where things like this happen. This is not coincidence.

Lane’s eyes flashed white, and a vision gripped his mind. They were one, and all of them saw it. A place, not far from where they stood, hidden and secret. Something was trapped there. Lane was sure his vision came from the Ether and not Remiel. He wasn’t sure how he knew, but he did.

Loy looked at the silverback among the gorillas, the oldest among them and the patriarch of their troop.

Do you know the place I see?

Standing, the silverback began moving away and paused at the tree line, looking back, his intent clear.

Follow.

Ken: B, Lane, do you have any feelin’ about this? Anythin’? Puppet strings? The Enemy?

Brad: None of that, but I feel anxious. There’s a ball of something in my stomach over this.

Lane: Mine too.

Lane’s mischievous grin absent, the serious look on his face spoke volumes to all of them, even more than his words.

Ken: Okay, let’s follow this furry fella. Everyone stay on your toes. Full mission status, guys.

Already one, Ken kept their Avatars locked together so they were prepared and ready for anything. Following the gorilla, Loy led them with Ken by his side.

<><> 

Three hours later, shirtless and dripping sweat in the heat and humidity, they stood at the brink of a massive waterfall. The noise was so loud they could feel it, especially the bodies, they had to talk in their minds. They did anyway, even before the noise of the water, to keep quiet as they traveled, none of them making any sound as they moved. With their Avatars, it was a simple matter, and after all their training, it was intuitive.

With Pat’s Understanding, shared and augmented by the bodies, they knew precisely where to step to produce no noise. The mentalists saw through their husbands, but they also had an intuitive sense of where and how to move to stay silent. Those two factors, on top of their SEAL training, made them deathly quiet. In extreme cases the mentalists, through Lane’s Avatar, could invert any ambient sounds they made, completely blanketing any noise.

Mist from the waterfall soaked everything but felt crisp and refreshing in the heat. The gorilla guiding them stopped a few hundred yards back and did not want to proceed any further. Loy sensed fear in him and didn’t want to force him. He could have, but he never would.

Thank you for showing us the way. You were great.

Reaching out, Loy cupped the big beast's head in his hands, smoothing the coarse hair, and pulled their faces close until their foreheads touched. He let his presence wash over and through the troop that came with them.

Go and live without fear of the evil men. I will return if they do and kill them. Call to me if you sense more of them.

He placed a trigger in the animals' minds that would let him know if he was needed. It was tied to him, devised of his own making, and he would feel it anywhere on the planet, no matter where he was.

As a group, they paused to look around. The beauty and majesty of the Congo were breathtaking. Lush green vegetation and abundant wildlife filled the area, and it sent Loy on a high that flowed into his brothers. The place they stood was the heart of his power, as the tree in the valley was Bryan’s.

Ken: Guys? We need ‘ta figure out what’s so special about this spot, other than it givin’ Loy a hard-on.

A ripple of laughter followed his comment, and Loy started to feign offense but knew it was useless. He broke out laughing, looking down at the tent in his shorts.

Busted!

Looking around, everyone cast their senses out with all their abilities. Their Avatars shone brightly on their bare shoulders, and the colors were more vivid than usual as the brightness of their tattoos refracted through the mist like a prism, scattering the light.

Loy found the lack of spirits in an area directly ahead unnerving, causing a spiritual void in him after all the wildlife they passed through to get where they were. It was a small area close to a quarter square mile but distinct and noticeable to him.

Brad and Lane’s anxiety strengthened, causing a tremor in their bodies. On closer examination, Brad defined the feeling as expectation more than anxiety. Because they were one, their ideas and perceptions blended at the speed of thought. It might not be the source of what they felt, but it was apparent there was a significant cavernous area far below the rapids, deep underground.

Looking deeper, Pat ‘backed out’ as he called it, to see a larger pattern. The cavern was part of an extinct volcano. Part of the watercourse of the falls ran through the cavern, but the speed and strength of the current would keep them from entering that way. The current treacherous and the rocks sharp and jagged, it would be extremely dangerous even for Loy as some form of aquatic life.

The caverns' presence was apparent to Pat’s Understanding, though they had no visual image Darren could use to teleport. There was no life in the cave, which they found odd, not even algae, which would have been normal given the moisture and air. There was no life or evidence of life energy to Bryan’s Avatar either, and it didn’t seem natural.

Given Bryan and Loy’s perceptions, coupled with his own and Lane’s, Brad was sure the source of their anxiety resided in the cave.

Darren: I’m good to try and ’port in Ken. There’s no light in the area, but there is oxygen. I can’t see, but Pat’s perceptions of the physical space are enough for me to get in. I don’t have an intuitive sense of danger, even thinking of the attempt.

They knew from their training that Darren’s Avatar would react if he were making an unsafe jump. He could force it, but if there were objects present he could materialize into he felt a warning. Lane jokingly called it his ‘Spidey Sense.’

Ken: I don’t know, Dar. It’s risky. We have no idea what we’re dealin’ with. Somethin’ led us here, and that bothers me — a lot.

Darren: I don’t see any other way in, and whatever we’re here for is inside. It’s your call, but you aren’t asking; I’m volunteering.

Brad: I agree with Dar, Ken. It’s risky, but with me, Lane, Bill, and Loy linked with Dar, we can pull him out at the first sign of anything wrong. It will be a pain, but if I slow our perception of time we can pull him out before he finishes materializing if it’s a trap of some kind.

Pat didn’t like putting Darren at risk any more than Ken, but it seemed they were at an impasse as far as moving forward in discovering why they were there. The only alternative was to leave and ignore whatever it was, and that didn’t seem an option either. Reluctantly, Ken agreed.

Alright, Dar. On your mark.

Pat: The air inside is fresh. The water brings some in, and the movement of the water circulates what air is there over time.

Focusing more in-depth, Pat actively pulled from the other bodies' Avatars to boost his own and ‘pulled back’ even further.

Guy’s… this cave… it’s natural, and it’s not. It was created by a volcanic eruption when the Earth was forming, but it shouldn’t be here. The movement of the continent's tectonic plates should have buried this place a long time ago. Someone or something wanted this cavern to remain where it is and untouched for a seriously long time.

A smattering of ‘fuck me’s’ and ‘holy shits’ followed Pat’s revelation. There weren’t many beings in creation that could pull something like that off, and their apprehension spiked. It also increased their curiosity. There were puppet strings, but this felt different, and none of them could put their finger on how or why.

The change in Darren just before he jumped was apparent. As often as they joked around in their camaraderie, they were trained soldiers, and he suddenly became laser-focused on his task. His entire teleport seemed to take minutes because of the time differential Brad brought into play, but their concentration and resolve never wavered, not when there was the slightest risk of danger to one of their own.

Finally, after what seemed forever, Darren materialized in total darkness. The air was fresh, as Pat said, but frigid. One with his brothers, he was the vessel for all of them, and their presence was reassuring.

It was a strange transition from the deafening sound of the waterfall to the utter silence of the cave. The change from the heat and humidity to the cold frigidity was also a shock.

The cavern he teleported into was one of many connected together and one of the smaller ones on the fringe closest to the waterfall above ground. Appearing a few inches above the floor he dropped nimbly to the surface. The ground was uneven, so he went in high to prevent his feet from materializing in the stone floor.

Damn, it’s cold. My nipples could cut glass right now.

The sarcasm in Ken’s voice was apparent: Thanks for that Intel.

Ken’s relief at Darren’s safe arrival was also evident and present in all of them.

In the darkness, Darren’s dimples appeared.

This one’s for you, Lane.

His eyes flashing white, Darren drew power from them: Lumos!

Looking through Darren’s eyes, a ball of light appeared, hovering over his hand. He excited molecules to generate heat and light. His Avatar glowed when he called the ball of light, using the Harry Potter incantation in honor of Lane, and with both light sources they saw clearly around the immediate area Darren was in. The floor was mostly smooth, but the lava streams that formed the cave were evident.

Darren: You ladies ready to join me?

Ken: Bring us in, Dar. Cover your nips, ladies!

With their Avatars synchronized, Darren effortlessly pulled them into the cave, repositioning them to appear on flat areas. Aware of the change in orientation, it was another part of their training, and they were all balanced and even-footed as they appeared.

As soon as they materialized in the cavern, Henry dropped from the link. Brad tried to reach him but couldn’t. He was sure nothing was wrong with Henry, and the issue was the cavern.

Brad created a memory sphere to let Henry know they were alright and would be back with him soon. Unsure if the sphere would make it through the walls since they blocked his ability to reach Henry, Brad sent it into the water, using the underground river to reach outside. Feeling it move out he breathed a sigh of relief, sure Henry panicked at their abrupt disappearance.

As soon as they were together again, the anxiety increased, reinforcing the source was inside the cave.

Brad: Guys, let’s stay powered up.

Calling on their sources of power, in the spiritual realm they filled the chamber with a light that had never been so bright in that place. In the physical realm, their auras were readily visible in the natural darkness of the cavern. Strengthening their shields, they moved forward cautiously. Loy and Lane tensed, quickly stopping, and everyone in the link felt the caution and focus of the two men drastically increase.

Ken: What, guys?

Lane: You don’t hear that?

It was apparent no one else heard anything, and that bothered them.

Loy: I hear the echo of something rattling. It’s faint, but there.

The bodies heard nothing. Ken, Pat, Rick, Kevin, and Bryan all heard the ambient sounds around them; their breathing, the movement of their shorts, and their heartbeats, but nothing in the cavern.

Hear me.

Lane: Whoa! Fuck, that’s the first language!

Ken: What? Guys, we don’t hear anythin’!

Brad tightened their shields even more, throwing all their collective power into them.

Hear me.

A powerful compulsion accompanied the words. Lane and Loy felt it wash over and through them but were unaffected. It passed through Brad’s shield as if it wasn’t there, and only Lane and Loy were aware of it.

Lane: This is freaking me out!

Loy: Me too!

<> 

Loy plunged them deep to the place where their souls were one.

Loy: Guys, this is fucking weird.

Tightly merged, they were fully alert. Something was happening they didn’t Understand. As one, with each of them being the culmination of all of them, they should be aware of everything the others thought and experienced, but none of them heard the words in Lane’s or Loy’s memory or their minds, yet they knew their brothers were telling the truth!

Appearing as they were in the physical realm, their arms surrounded each other, sharing the warmth of their bodies.

Ken: What the fuck’s goin’ on?

Hear me!

Lane and Loy started. As deep as they were together, time wasn’t moving, and they still heard the voice. Remiel appeared once to Darren and Pat in that place but never since had anyone or anything been heard or felt there, and they felt an unnerving sense of violation at the idea.

The compulsion was more powerful that time, even though it had no effect on them. It was more like a light breeze against them, and they felt no inclination to obey as its power washed over and through them. Somehow it wasn’t able to touch them.

Lane had never spoken the first language from The Book of Loagaeth; none of them had. The doctor and Albrecht actively encouraged them to postpone learning to speak it until after the matter with The Master was resolved, and only then if they decided to pursue lifting the Curse from mankind.

The runes empowered to protect their bases were symbols within the language, and their power incredible, but speaking the language itself without proper care could have catastrophic results. It was the language used to bring creation into existence, the language of the High Hosts.

Lane: Who are you?

Sending his thought in English, he waited to see if there was a response.

I feel two. Where are the others?

It wasn’t apparent if whoever it was understood Lane’s question. It took all of them together to translate what they heard into something comprehensible because so many of the first language words were concepts that didn’t exist in English or any human tongue.

Brad’s intellect took everything in and he drew his conclusion first, but the other mentalists were right behind him. Lane and Loy were the only two that carried a Gift, and they were the only two who could hear the voice. The voice also said it could ‘feel two’ of something.

Brad: I know the doc said it’s dangerous, but I think we need to communicate with whoever this is and find out why we were brought here.

Ken: Lane, Loy, are you okay with this? You guys’ll have ‘ta do the talkin’ and take the risk.

Neither had a problem taking the risk, confident that working together they could minimize the danger of unforeseen side effects.

Lane: I’ll go first.

Smirking, he added: No offense Loy, but my voice is better suited to this.

Loy: You mean the fact that you scream like a girl better than me?

A small ripple of humor ran through them, but they settled down quickly.

Lane: Watch and learn, ladies.

Even with Lane’s boasting, he took the input from all ten of them to formulate the wording and hoped it was legible to whoever they were talking to.

Lane: Who are you?

You hear me?

Lane: Yes, we hear you.

I sense two; where are the others?

Lane: We hold two of the Gifts if that’s what you mean. We do not know of more.

There are ten. The others still exist. I forged them, placing part of myself in them, and I would know if they were no more.

Their eyes went wide. They spoke to the creator of the Gifts! They had no idea of the Gifts' origin; they assumed The Mantle was involved in their creation, but apparently, that was not entirely true.

The paradox of the Gifts being tied to their Avatars and their Avatars only existing for a few years was not lost on them. The fact that their existence was hidden from the Higher-Order made it even more impactful. This being had to be able to see them when no one else could!

Brad: Well, it’s becoming clear why we’re here, sort of. We need to find out more about who or what this being is.

Lane: Who are you?

Allenor.

To the best of their recollection, Allenor meant ‘Remnant’ or ‘Remaining.’

Lane: Remnant?

I am from before.

Lane: Before what?

Before this creation. I am all that is left of the creation before. Three of my kind were preserved by Origin to forge the Gifts. The others refused and punished me for making them, rebelling against Origin for the destruction of our creation.

Again, their collective intelligence gave them the understanding from Lane and Loy based on what they heard; Lane, with Loy’s help, carefully repeated everything Allenor said so the rest could help with the translation.

There was a creation before the one they existed in? How could that be? They thought the one they existed in was eternal, operating on the theory that nothing existed but God before the Big Bang!

There was so much they didn’t know or understand about how their Avatars and the Gifts were linked. One existed for each of them, and a thrill of excitement at that revelation ran through them… based on how Lane’s and Loy’s Primary Avatars were augmented, the rest of them wondered what theirs could possibly be.

Since they couldn’t perceive Allenor’s existence without a Gift, their invisibility to the Higher-Order became more apparent. Somehow that was a part of their Avatars even without the Gifts, the part that tied them together.

Bill: I’m betting the archangels wouldn’t see this guy any more than we do. They wouldn’t even be aware of his existence.

Lane: The others of your kind… Did they imprison you?

Yes. For aiding Origin.

Ken: I don’t get it, guys. Why would God need these guys to make the Gifts? He’s the head honcho and can do anythin’ he wants.

Bryan: To keep his hands clean. To Him, there’s probably not one creation or another… they’re probably all part of one idea of his. It’s like we’re his fucking play toys. All this bullshit pisses me off. This guy has been a prisoner here for who knows how long, and God let him stay here after he did what he was asked until we show up!

Darren: Do you think we’re supposed to free him?

Ken: Damn, I hate this shit! We keep getting’ sucked further into some ‘plan’ we don’t know any fuckin’ thing about! We aren’t fuckin’ puppets! If this is about free will, then none of that makes sense!

Continuing his questions, Lane asked: Where are the others of your kind that did this to you?

Origin destroyed them for their rebellion. I felt it when they ceased to exist. I am now all that remains.

Lane: How long have you been here?

I know not. Forever.

After a slight pause, the voice asked: Will you approach, so I may see you?

Ken: Lane, Loy, do you get any feelin’ one way or the other? The rest of us are flyin’ blind here. If you have any sense of danger, I say we pull back, talk to the doc, and maybe come back. If you’re okay, we can move forward and try to gather more Intel.

Loy: My Intuition isn’t telling me danger. I feel a bit anxious, but not extremely so.

Lane: Me too. This is mild compared to what I usually feel when I dream or have a strong reaction.

Brad: This might be a loophole, but I don’t feel anything when I focus on Lane and Loy. With his connection to them through the Gifts, I think I’d get some indication if they were in danger by moving forward.

Kevin: That’s getting to your ass in a roundabout way.

The conversation so far took no time as they were still deep inside one another in the place where they were one.

Ken: Take us back up, and let’s have a look at this guy.

The sensations of their physical bodies hit them again as the chill of the cavern made itself felt. Still pressed together for body warmth, they squeezed each other tight before separating and moving forward. Brad kept their shields tight and powerful in case of any other surprises.

As the only two who could perceive Allenor, Lane and Loy were in the lead, moving slowly through the smaller chambers towards the larger central one they were sure Allenor was in.

A “Fuck me!” escaped Loy as they got closer. Lane kept silent, but his eyes were wide from the sight before him.

Allenor’s colossal form filled the chamber, on the floor, bound by massive shackles and rune-covered chains.

By human standards, his form was unpleasant to look upon. Thickly muscled, his joint articulations were markedly different, as was the soft elastic cartilage of his ears and nose. His skin was so pale it seemed translucent in places, and they could see into his body. He exhibited no visible hair, genitalia, nipples, or navel and had nine fingers and toes with opposable digits on his hands and feet.

As they moved closer, the Gifts within Lane and Loy tugged towards Allenor. He said they were a part of him, or he had put something of himself into their creation.

Before anyone could stop him, Lane moved forward and touched the massive being, and a painful tingle washed over him like a strong electric current.

I feel you.

Surprise registered in Allenor’s voice.

You are a fascinating creature, Lane Weaver.

Lane: Did you hear that, ladies? I’m fascinating!

Lane was alright, his usual grin was back, and he motioned Loy to come up with him.

Touching the massive body, Loy felt the same sensation.

You are as well, Loy Barton.

Something happened with their touch. Perhaps it was something akin to Bill’s ability to read objects or people, but Allenor began conversing with them in perfect English.

Your emotions are strange to me. They are powerful and brutal, yet beautiful. Those did not exist for my kind, as they do here. Not in the same fashion.

Lane: Can you see the rest of us?

Vaguely. I see them as receptacles for the other Gifts. They are unclear to me, but I sense them. I will remain unseen to them until they acquire their Gifts. Your companions are not yet complete and must find them. The Gifts were made for a purpose, and the others remain unfulfilled while they do not carry them. I forged them to be such.

Lane and Loy, after touching Allenor, felt a kinship with him. It wasn’t as if they read him, but the part of him that resided in their Gifts connected them to the huge being.

Sorrow for his plight and being imprisoned for billions of years struck them. He did not feel the passage of time as they did, but it was still cruel. His yearning for others of his kind was soul-crushing. His creation no longer existed to return to, even if he was freed. His plight tragic, their eyes misted over from the impact of that revelation. The emotions in Lane and Loy were reflected by their brothers, their feelings magnified in one another.

Loy: We need to free him, guys. He’s not an animal to be caged.

Addressing Allenor directly, Loy asked: What would you do if we free you? Where could you go where you would be happy or content?

There is no such place. I would seek Origin, who you call the creator, and ask him to Unmake me.

With tears running down his handsome face, Loy dropped to his knees and put an arm out, touching Allenor. Coming up behind him, Rick wrapped his arms around his husband. Bryan had his arms around Lane in the same manner.

Bryan: We need to let him go. Even if it’s to end his life, we have to. To stay like he is isn’t an option. It’s fucking bullshit!

Ken’s mind spun. Were they led to that place, at that time, to find Allenor and free him? Was it puppet strings, or something else?

Ken: Ask him if he brought us here.

Lane repeated Ken’s question.

In my dreams, perhaps, I called to you unknowingly. This creation fights against me. I do not belong here, and it wishes me gone. Perhaps it summoned you here to destroy me.

Ken moved up to Lane and Loy, putting a hand on their shoulders. Their souls were one, but he wanted to feel them physically. Looking into their eyes, Ken noticed their depth, a depth they were all acquiring through their struggles and trials. He saw wisdom and pain, but above everything else, he saw love. Love for him, their husbands, and the rest of them as brothers, for the doctor and Albrecht, and Henry and Drew, the Keenans, the young soldiers in Australia and their families, and the broken and fallen humans they sought to protect from The Enemy.

The weight of it all was there, but they were strong enough together to carry the burden and carry it stalwartly. Seeing the same things in Ken, they smiled at one another. They were Ken’s centering flame, and he calmed himself in their presence, through the strength of their bodies under his hands and in their souls, bound to his.

Grinning, he tweaked their nipples as he withdrew his hands, causing both of them to jump. They both gave him a ‘you fucker!’ look, but laughter was in them too. His antics helped lighten the mood.

Ken: Let’s free him, guys, or figure out how to. The rest of us can’t even see him, so you two will have ‘ta be the vessel for all of us. Do what ‘ya need ‘ta do, but break these chains. We’re with you.

With Ken’s words and intent, the cosmic scales tipped another notch towards balance. They stood at the epicenter of a ripple of enormous magnitude that would be felt throughout creation.

Németh felt it in the Pale, not knowing its source, but something happened to tip the scales even further towards equilibrium, and he wondered at it. It also strengthened his resolve to help the Nephilim, sensing it had something to do with them. A vortex surrounded the changelings and the paradox of their existence, just as the second born, pulling and tugging at events.

Times of change were upon them for those with the perceptions to realize it. He wondered if The Master saw it as well, or if, in his arrogance, he ignored it or fought against it.

His intellect vast, especially when augmented by his brother’s Avatars, Brad also had a sense of what was happening. They would not be able to break the bonds holding Allenor unless they were on purpose. If they were fulfilling a purpose, their Avatars would stretch to encompass the power required to perform the task. If they were not on purpose, they would fail, and Allenor would remain bound.

His thoughts resounded through the link; they knew it was true. Ken’s will and conviction, though, told them they were on purpose, and they were confident of success.

Allenor watched the tiny beings, so fragile yet deep. As vessels of his Gifts, through Lane and Loy, he saw their potential, already partially fulfilled. Seeing what they one day might be, he both envied them and felt a deep sadness for what it would cost them. Their emotions, love mainly, would carry them or break them; he wasn’t sure which.

Lane and Loy inspected the rune-covered chains. The intricacies were incredible but with their knowledge of the runes gleaned from Orophir, what they saw made sense.

Allenor fell silent.

Pulling from their collective power, Darren warmed up the air in the cave around them to the point where it was comfortable. Their skin and clothes dried and they put their t-shirts back on.

Ken’s thought was a part of them immediately, shared by all of them. He wasn’t sure exactly what he felt; frustration, anger, fear, helplessness… what they learned from Allenor put a different light on what they knew about themselves and their creation. They thought it was intricate before, but with the Gifts and who and what Allenor was and what was done to him because of them… now everything was even more involved with levels they never imagined.

Their existence had been mapped out before creation. They had free will, yet they had a purpose that felt right when they were on target. They could always stop and turn the other cheek, let Drew die and The Enemy reign on Earth… but they couldn’t. It wasn’t in them, which begged how much free will they really had. If they were genetically predisposed to the characteristics that drove them... how ‘free’ were they? Pondering his thoughts, Ken felt anger above all else.

Brad’s Avatar glowed softly in response to his husband's thoughts, and he said: We don’t know everything, Ken. There’s still so much we don’t know. Just bits and pieces, but we can’t focus on that right now. We have to stay on target. We’re fighting for Drew first and foremost. Then Luke. The rest of this… I’m not saying it doesn’t matter, but it can’t matter right now. We can’t let it distract us. Do you understand what I’m saying?

Ken sighed: Yeah.

Bryan: I get it, Brad, but one day there will be a reckoning. Too many have suffered for all of this to come about. Not only us but Allenor, Orophir, the doc, Albrecht... what about Liz? And Henry and Drew? Even The Master, in his way, is suffering; he just doesn’t realize it. That’s not going to stop us from kicking his ass, though.

Pat: I see the pattern, even with all the holes in it, but I don’t know the meaning. One day, we’ll know enough. I’m not sure what we’ll do when we get there. We’ll probably be helpless to do anything about it by then.

Ken: We can still punch God in the face if that’s what we need ‘ta do. I know he’s the Grand Poohbah, but what gives him the right…

Sighing in resignation, after a pause, he continued: Hell, I guess that gives him every right, doesn’t it?

Rick: That doesn’t mean we have to like it. We know, and He knows, we could royally fuck things up for Him if we want to… not that we would, at least intentionally. There’s just more going on than we know, and we’ll have to be patient until we know more.

Brad: There’s always the chance we’ll agree with Him once we know everything.

Kevin: Let’s reign ourselves in and dial it back. One step at a time, like we always do. We can freak ourselves out from here to eternity if we ‘what if’ ourselves to death without all the Intel.

Ken: You’re right, Kev. You’re all right, you fuckers. Well, if we gotta stick around billions of years ‘ta figure it all out, I guess it’s a good thing I like you guys; otherwise, it would suck.

Turning to Lane and Loy, he asked: You ladies got anythin’ yet?

Loy: I think we’re going to use the good old-fashioned brute force method. Power up and hit it with everything we have. All we have to do is break one rune, and the rest will unravel. The beings who made it didn’t think anyone in this creation could see or detect Allenor, so he could never be freed. They didn’t account for the Gifts and how they give us the ability to do the impossible, perceive something unperceivable, so they didn’t put in any safeguards.

Lane: I think I can ‘un-sing’ one of the runes to break it. There are no protections to prevent that… they didn’t put any in because they didn’t feel the need. Stupid, but hey, I’m not judging.

Brad: We’ll have to shield everything here… raising that kind of power will draw attention we don’t want. My intuition tells me we need to keep this from our grandfathers. I don’t like that, but I think it best, at least for now.

Ken: Ready when you are, guys. Let the big guy know what we’re doin’.

Moving forward, Loy put a hand on Allenor’s arm.

We’re going to try and free you now. Get ready.

Allenor made no response, but they knew he heard them. Loy’s Avatar glowed, and there was compassion in his voice and touch. He, of all people, knew how horrible it was to keep something or someone caged that was meant to be free.

None of them had stopped drawing power from their sources during their interaction with Allenor, but they began drawing even deeper, stretching themselves and filling each other with every bit of light and power they could hold until it was painful.

Lane became their focus while Brad and the other mentalists were with him, their Avatars synchronized with his and magnifying it. Ken had them locked together, which would be key in Lane’s attempt. That intangible ‘something extra,’ the paradox of their nature, was in full effect.

Lane went deep in all of them but singled out Bryan’s soul, listening to the song within his husband. That would be the music to which he would sing.

Perceiving their efforts, Allenor wondered at them. He said Lane and Loy were fascinating creatures, and to him, they were. Unfathomably different, more fragile than his kind but also stronger in many ways. The differences were incomprehensible in all aspects; the laws of the two creations were utterly different, yet the Gifts were a bridge between the two. The creator, God, who Allenor called Origin in the first language, needed that bridge not to be of his own making. Ultimately responsible because it was a part of his two creations, he did not intervene directly and cause it. It was again a matter of free will within the framework of what he made.

Contracting his diaphragm, air entered Lane’s lungs as his chest cavity expanded. Observing him through Pat’s Understanding, they watched the fundamental mechanical aspects of drawing breath by the pressure variance between his body and the cavern. Pushing the air through his vocal cords as he opened his mouth, the note he produced was perfect.

Shielding the area around Allenor, Brad drew from Ken and the bodies, not wanting Lane’s efforts to attract the attention of anyone or anything in the spiritual realm, especially angelic attention. Ken and the other bodies masked the power buildup in addition to Brad’s shield.

Lane’s handsome brow furrowed in the way Bryan loved when he was in ‘music mode.’ Fashioning the sounds in his mind, they flowed out of him, focused by his Avatar. Stringing the notes together, he formed a word first and then a short sentence to unmake the key rune of one shackle.

Meeting resistance, he set his will into his effort, backed by his brothers. His emotions for Allenor, the tragedy of his existence and what had been done to him fueled his determination, and Ken’s will and conviction were a wall in all of them that would not let them fail.

Brad slowed their perception of time to help, but Lane didn’t need to make any corrections in his voice or translation. The shackle shattered with the sound of a thousand tiny shards of glass falling onto the rocks as they dissolved into nothing. Lane and Loy felt the domino effect as the remaining runes unraveled.

Free, Allenor slowly sat up. His physiology didn’t allow for tears. Emotions for him were different, not as deep or intricate, but he felt something powerful regardless. The practical, logical appreciation of what they did for him swelled through him.

There wasn’t a word for the substance that incarnated Allenor’s chains; it was something of the prior creation, necessary to bind him, but dangerous in unimaginable ways. The only analogy Lane or Loy could think of was matter versus anti-matter. The two coming into contact with one another was ‘bad’ with a capital B.

Allenor took the energy, knowing the chaos it could unleash if left free, and used it to replenish himself. The harsh effects of his imprisonment vanished, and he was made whole.

Thank you.

Loy still had tears in his eyes.

Do you really want to die?

There is no place for me here. My existence is a cancer to your creation. The chains imprisoning me held that cancer in check, and it fights against me already. There is nothing for me to return to, nowhere for me to find peace or companionship. Merely existing here, I will eventually be destroyed.

With all their abilities, all the things they could do with the power they wielded, they were helpless to aid the creature in front of them. His plight hit them hard, and because they were one and resonating so strongly off one another, the intensity of their sorrow hit Allenor through Loy and Lane.

He wondered at them and the beings of the current creation. Again, he thought their emotions, in particular, love, would either break them or save them.

I will depart now.

Loy: I hope you find peace, Allenor. You were used, as we are, and you did not deserve what happened to you.

Allenor sensed anger amidst Loy’s words.

As I said, Loy Barton, you are wondrous and an enigma to me. I am glad we met. You are a worthy vessel for the Gift you carry. You as well, Lane Weaver. Carry my legacy within you. To the others of you, find the remaining Gifts and become whole.

A deafening silence fell in the cavern that seemed to last forever, and then they heard his voice for the last time.

Farewell.

With that word, he faded. Emotions were high and all over the map. The magnitude of who and what Allenor was and the knowledge they gleaned about their Avatars and the Gifts was unsettling. In the middle of all that was a deep sadness for the being they freed and what he had to endure because of them.

Brad: No, guys, not because of us. You know what I mean… we aren’t to blame. He was just as much a pawn in this as we are. At least we freed him. We can’t say he’ll no longer suffer, though… he will as long as he exists here. That’s horrible to think about.

Ken: I’m sick of bein’ a pawn.

Bryan: We need to finish this, guys. Until we do, the pain and hurt won’t stop.

The truth and pressure of Bryan’s words resonated with them; many of them had said the same thing before. Brad took them back to where they were naked and together, where their souls were one.

Huddled together, they sat with arms over or around each other’s bare shoulders, holding each other close. The warmth and comfort of their bodies touching settled them. Some rested their heads on their husband’s shoulders, and some rested them on their brother next to them, unashamedly seeking and giving comfort to and from each other.

Speaking quietly in their minds, they worked through their issues and emotions, supporting one another, sometimes carrying each other and sometimes being carried, their unconditional love and bonds uplifting them.

With Allenor free, whatever kept Brad from reaching Henry was gone, and he appeared naked with them. Making room in their circle, they wanted him with them, and learning everything that happened instantly, he added his comfort and perspective to everything. Once they felt ready to separate and return to Atlanta to debrief the doctor and Albrecht, Henry had a thought that caught them by surprise.

Hey guys… You know this cavern would make a perfect new base. It’s impossible to reach except by the Darren Express, it’s more than big enough, and there’s fresh water. No one even knows it exists besides us, and it’s special to Loy because it gives him a boner. What do you think?

Henry was seated between Ken and Rick, and Ken ruffled his hair.

Fuck Henry, good idea! I think we’ll keep ya around a bit longer.

It’s not hard having good ideas around you losers.

Grinning, Lane directed his comment to Loy: You'll have a perma-hardon here.

Rick: Like he doesn’t already!

Henry: We can use one of the smaller caverns to keep a small herd of sheep. That ought to keep him occupied and give Rick a break.

They all busted out laughing at his comment.

Loy flipped them all off while he laughed.

All of ya’ll, fuck off!

Rick: Damn, Henry, you fit right in.

Lane: The doc is going to shit a brick when we tell him about today.

Ken grinned: I bet you five bucks he’ll say ‘oh my’ at least five times.

Brad: I can’t wait to hear his take on all this. Albrecht’s too. They’ve never mentioned much about the Gifts.

Ken: Let’s get crackin’, ladies.

Just as Ken said those words, his stomach let out a cavernous rumble.

Bryan went wide-eyed: How the fuck can you be hungry here? We aren’t even in our bodies, you fucker!

They all busted out laughing again. All of them were starving, but Ken’s body was by far the most vocal.

Ken: Just another one of my studly superpowers. Freeing other-creational beings does that to me.

Loy: Is ‘creational’ even a word?

Brad: It is now.

Kevin: As if being douchey wasn’t enough.

Rick: Yeah, there’s that vinegary lemon-fresh scent again!

Henry: I’ll have Sally put in a rush order for some food. I have connections, you know.

Bill: Henry, you suck up.

Darren: He just wants extra ZEUS time with Sally.

The shit hanging started, lightening their mood even more, and by the time they arrived in Atlanta and showered, Sally had food waiting for them.

She could tell from Henry that something significant had happened. Knowing her surrogate brothers and wanting to take good care of them, she let the sandwiches be an appetizer to tide them over until the real meal arrived.

She loved the look on their faces when they smelled the roasted BBQ chicken and brisket she ordered and all their favorite sides. She knew the way to their hearts and loved all the hugs she got in return. The sincerity of their affections never ceased to touch her, and she had to use a Kleenex to wipe a tear away before her mascara ran.

<><><>  

Later that night, Brad and Ken were in Australia. Well, night based on Atlanta time, it was afternoon the next day in Australia. They were in bed, naked and resting after the hectic and stressful day in Africa.

Holding Brad close, Ken spooned their bodies. They were quiet even in their minds, just resting against and in one another.

Ken finally broke the silence as he kissed Brad’s shoulder: I love you, B.

Brad smiled lazily: I love you, too, Ken.

Ken rested his chin on Brad’s shoulder so their faces could touch, cheek to cheek. He would occasionally rub his cheek against Brad’s, loving the feel of their unshaven faces touching.

It turned Brad on to see Ken transform from their leader, a warrior of The Order, a man of incredible physical strength and ability, to his incredibly skilled lover. Ken found his fulfillment in taking care of Brad and tending to his pleasure. The warmth and softness of their skin, the hardness of their bodies, took both men to a special place. They couldn’t get enough of one another on all levels.

Brad held their souls and minds as tightly together as Ken had their bodies, and they didn’t want to separate. Keeping one hand on Brad’s chest, Ken enjoyed the feel of his chest hair and solid body. Putting his hand over Ken’s, Brad rubbed it gently and fiddled with Ken’s wedding ring. They talked quietly about events of the day and the situation in general. Some of the things were difficult to wrap their heads around.

At one point, Ken grinned: I thought the doc’s eyes were gonna pop out of his head when he figured out who and what Allenor was. I would’ve won the bet… I think he said ‘oh my’ at least a dozen times.

Brad chuckled: Yeah.

Inevitably, they got hard from the intimate contact of their souls, minds, and bodies. Their pleasure built over time until they ended up making love… the first time. The next few times were more frantic, with each of them becoming ‘that guy’ for the other and doing things to one another only they could do.

After hours of a mixture of lovemaking and raw hot sex, they lay together again, sweaty and content. No matter how crazy events became in their lives, they always came back to being together, heart, mind, and body… and getting each other off.

Ken had a motto: There isn’t much in life a good hard fuck can’t cure.

As silly as it sounded, there was a healthy grain of truth in his statement.

As always, after Ken was ‘that guy,’ he let himself be held, caressed, and soothed by his lover. After putting so much of himself into their lovemaking and immersing himself so wholly in Brad, he had a difficult time returning to himself.

Brad’s fulfillment came from knowing how his ministrations affected Ken as he stayed on top of him; his eyes squeezed shut and dripping sweat. Ken’s body still trembled from the combination of his exertions and excitement as his orgasm resonated through his mind and body.

The power they generated shone like a star in the spiritual realm, and they let their auras shine out unshielded to burn any of The Enemy that might be nearby or to warm the hearts of any humans, and perhaps even to drive back some of their ‘fucked-upness.’

As they were together, resting and recovering in one another, their brothers were with them on the periphery of their awareness. They were always aware of each other now and couldn’t stand to be apart. 

<><><>  

Henry was on the Australian roster along with Brad and Ken. For the first time ever, Drew was in Atlanta without him. Drew begged to stay in Atlanta for a sleepover with Tommy and Brett. Henry cleared it with Ken; it was a big deal and broke standard protocol, and Drew literally jumped for joy out of happiness when his dad said ‘yes.’

Drew treated his two best friends like brothers; he had a great example from his uncles on how that worked. Kevin, Bill, and Henry told the boys they were cousins, but the boys thought of themselves as brothers.

Calling a quick conference in the construct of the operations room in Atlanta, Ken told everyone what was going on. It couldn’t happen often in the months ahead, but they all agreed it would be good for Drew. Kevin and Bill would take perfect care of Drew; Henry had no worries about that. The issue was that Henry loved his son so much; his need to protect Drew was almost overwhelming after the shitty life his son had.

Henry would have a hard time being away from Drew, but he also thought it would be good for both of them. He knew they could become too dependent on one another. By normal standards that was already true, but given the extreme nature and circumstances of their lives and who they were, it kept them grounded.

Henry was in bed, dealing with his separation anxiety from his son, and laughed to himself.

God, I’m such a pussy.

<><>  

Listening to Henry’s thoughts through their link, Brad deepened his connection with Henry to find out what was troubling him.

Henry?

Hey, Brad. Can’t you sleep either?

Ken: Well, we weren’t sleepin’.

Henry grinned: I might have known. I thought I felt the lab shaking.

All three of them laughed at his comment.

Brad: Do you want to come in with us, Henry?

Brad’s question caught Henry off guard. His surprise wasn’t bad, or in any way negative… in fact, Brad detected a seed of hopefulness even Henry wasn’t aware of. Brad’s Avatar glowed softly, reading and deciphering Henry’s reaction.

Ken: You know it’s not sex, Henry. You’re missin’ Drew somethin’ fierce, and we can feel it. This is about takin’ care of you. You don’t need ‘ta be alone tonight. Come in here with me and B.

Henry still sounded apprehensive: Are you guys sure?

Henry’s reluctance stemmed from not wanting to be seen as weak by Brad and Ken.

Ken: Get your ass in here. We want you to.

Crawling out of bed, Henry padded down to their room. As he opened the door, Brad was changing the sheets, and they laughed as Henry thought: Thanks!

The room still smelled of sweat and sex, but even that was a comfort to Henry in a strange way, deepening his bonds with Ken and Brad and re-enforcing how open and honest they were with one another. The lack of barriers was freeing.

Helping them make the bed, they all crawled under the sheets together naked.

Ken and Brad put Henry between them. The warmth of their bodies, their arms around each other, and the physical closeness and intimacy were comforting to the three of them.

Tearing up, Henry said very quietly in his mind: Thanks, guys.

Ken squeezed his arms around Henry a little tighter: You never need ‘ta thank us, Henry. You’re our brother. We gotta take care’a one another.

Brad: I’m glad you’re here, Henry.

Henry: Me too.

Kissing the back of Henry’s head, Ken thought: Goodnight.

Settled against one another, they drifted off to sleep in each other’s arms. The following day when the entire team became one in their meeting, no shit was hung on Henry for sleeping with Brad and Ken. Maybe one day, but not that day. There was a time and a place for joking, and they knew when not to cross lines.

Bill and Kevin were happy, and Henry saw through them the boys had a fantastic time playing together. They wore each other out playing, and that morning when Kevin went to wake them, they were piled together in the fort they built out of bedsheets. Kevin shared the image in their minds, and it brought a smile to everyone.

<><> 

The next morning, they began to outline an immediate plan to start the Congo base. The construction would be completely different because the cavern already existed and had a basic shape they couldn’t change.

Pat and Darren teleported back briefly to do a physical survey. The doctor had a new drone-based technology they had never seen before. He got the idea from a television show but refused to tell them which one because he knew they would tease him about it.

He gave Darren and Pat a suitcase of small drones equipped with sonar and laser sensors. Within minutes the drones had a 3D map of the entire structure, and Pat and Darren were as impressed as ever by the doctor’s ingenuity. Darren especially felt relieved because if not for the drones, being the CAD/Visio software expert, he would have built the 3D model from scratch.

Even with the water source and oxygen it brought with it, the doctor decided to use the same devices set up in Australia. If the cave's physical structure or the watercourse changed over time and the water became unavailable, or if the cave became compromised, they could wall that section off and still have fresh air and water. Tactically, it was the right thing to do, but the base would take advantage of the water in the meantime.

Darren beat Loy to the idea of incorporating an Olympic-sized swimming pool as an add-on to the fitness and training facilities. The water source made it an obvious decision, along with the fact there was more room in the caves than they knew what to do with. Every one of them was excited about that prospect.

A high level of excitement ran through them about the new lab. Ken felt the pressure of needing more locations and expanding their presence globally, and the Congo in Africa was a perfect location, being centrally located on the continent.

They also noted the Congo base location was another vector point if they overlaid the master rune of their combined Avatars across a globe of the Earth.

Puppet strings.

They still had the location in Vancouver, BC on hold because of The Enemy's strong presence there. With no idea how quickly Luke would come after them once they defeated The Master, their lives would become far more difficult once that happened, and it would be harder to find and construct bases with Luke and the demons at his disposal breathing down their necks.

By the end of the morning, they had a working 3D model of what the facility would look like. The most extensive base by far, covering more than a quarter square mile, a unanimous decision was made to have more extensive living facilities in case they needed to expand their network of protection over normals, or even if they had to pull everyone together from all the other bases. In a worst-case scenario, if they had to go underground for an extended time, there would be plenty of room.

The private apartments for the five couples, plus the doc and Albrecht, Henry and Drew, and Sally, were huge, and the mini-apartments for their ‘guests’ larger than what was available in Australia.

Because the base was so much more extensive, it took far more runes to cover the area and a considerable amount of power; however, their mastery of the runes, made deeper because of Orophir, made it easier. Using the concept of Orophir’s spirit jars, they created ‘batteries’ of spiritual energy to augment their strength when empowering the runes.

To reduce the construction time frame, the doctor had some theories regarding Darren’s ability to transmute and alter the molecular structure of substances. They had never tried anything on such a large scale before, but the principles were the same.

After the first successful small-scale trial, the doctor had a gleam in his eye that said, ‘just wait!’

<><><> 

Five weeks later, the Congo base was finished and operational, and they stood in awe of their accomplishment. The primary delays were from acquiring the raw building materials, but ordering supplies from all over the world helped, allowing the guys to pick them up as needed.

The distribution of materials from so many locations also added to the security against the government or hackers seeing purchasing patterns that could cause problems. The doctor was forced to intervene a great deal after the Australian base's construction and purchasing ZEUS, to cover the monetary trail that could draw unwanted attention.

The Congo base had an entirely different look and feel to it. Each area was a different level, so ramps and stairs went either up or down between areas. It had a very Frank Lloyd Wright feel to the design, preserving as much of the shape of the natural caverns as possible.

With Allenor no longer present, vegetation could grow, and the doctor positioned plants interspersed through the base, much to Bryan's delight. Because the caverns were so vast, it also allowed for extensive hydroponic gardens, and the lighting incorporated UV spectrum radiation so the plants would thrive. Irrigation pipes were plentiful as well… for the time being the hydroponic areas were dormant, but if they ever needed the ability to grow extra food, there would be plenty of room.

Most of the exposed walls consisted of stacked stone and stucco, giving the interior an organic appearance while at the same time being wholly modern and high-tech. With the LED screens and air movement, the environment felt natural.

To celebrate the completion of the base, Sally planned a big party at the new facility. The kitchen was well supplied, and Bryan spent days prepping food ahead of time. With everyone chipping in, it all came together with no one overburdened.

They arranged for the young soldiers and their families to attend if they wished. The soldiers participated, along with Kent and Margie Peterson and the other wives, but Hampton and the rest of the ‘goon squad’ stayed in Australia. Kelly and Chloe were there, and it seemed she and Jacob were back on more than good terms. Doting on Chloe, Jacob helped take care of her as if he were her father.

Drew, Tommy, and Brett stayed in the pool nearly the entire time. The facility's sound system was extraordinarily high-tech, and Lane played music in most of the main rooms.

At one point, after most of the food was gone and everyone was starting to wind down, Kent Peterson approached Brad and Ken. It struck them that he looked them straight in their eyes; he had never done that before.

“Hey, guys… could I have a word with you in private?”

Neither of them knew what to expect, but Ken said, “Sure, Kent.”

Moving to the main conference room off the kitchen area, Brad and Ken looked at Kent, waiting for him to start. He seemed red in the face, but they knew it was from embarrassment and not high blood pressure anymore. He was remarkably fit, even more so after a few months of attending Albrecht’s training with his sons. He had the body of a twenty-five-year-old and was giving Jacob and Craig a run for their money.

“I… Well… I want to apologize. For my behavior. Back in the Navy, I was such an ass.”

Looking at Brad, he said, “I remember that day in the gym when you and Glenn fought in the ring, and you kicked his ass. Then we jumped you and hit you with that chair. My God, we could have killed you! We were idiots!”

Brad started to interrupt, “Look, Kent… there’s no need to apologize.”

Holding his hand up, Kent continued, saying, “Yes, there is. I want to make things right between us. What you’ve done for my family and me... keeping us safe from the bad guys. It’s not something I can ever repay you for. I want you to know how thankful I am and how much we appreciate it.”

Shaking hands with him, his grip was firm, and Brad, pulling Kent into a light link with them, saw his sincerity.

Smiling, Brad said, “Thank you, Kent. That means a lot, but there’s nothing to forgive. Those days were a long time ago.”

Kent pushed, “I get that, but we were such jerks. I’ve been wanting… no, I’ve needed to apologize to you in person ever since I got back. You pulled Jacob out of God knows what in Syria. He’d be out of my life if it weren’t for you. He and Craig idolize you guys. Hell, I do too!”

Chuckling, he seemed a little embarrassed.

Looking down at his body, he said, “This is still so weird to get used to. I’m in my fifties, but look at me!”

Smiling, Ken said, “You look fantastic.”

Kent said, “Anyway… I hope there are no hard feelings, at least between us. I can’t speak to Glenn and the other guys. I know where they are in their heads… I lived my life in that headspace, and it took me the equivalent of a few hundred years in that God-forsaken place to realize everything. I’d still be there if it wasn’t for Craig.”

He started to tear up at the memory and the love he could now unashamedly express for his son. Resting a hand on Kent’s shoulder, Ken gave him a squeeze of affection.

“We’re glad you’re back, Kent, and we appreciate your apology. You’re a changed man, and I want ‘ta acknowledge that. The changes in you are refreshin’ ‘ta see. I hope you can influence Hampton and the others ‘ta lighten up.”

Lowering his head, Kent said, “Yeah, well, they don’t want shit to do with me anymore. I freak ’em out looking the way I do.”

Brad said, “But you know where they are in their heads. You’re the perfect person to reach them and help turn them around.”

“Yeah, I get that. I’ll keep trying. No promises… I know how far they have to go, just like me. Short of something similar happening to them, I don’t know if they’ll ever change.”

Ken sighed, saying, “I hope it doesn’t come ‘ta that. I want you ‘ta know your efforts aren’t goin’ unnoticed. If you ever need ‘ta talk, ‘ta me or B, or any of the guys, just grab whoever’s in the lab on rotation. We’re all here for you, Kent. I mean that. Come ‘ta us if you’re havin’ trouble. If we find out you didn’t, we’ll have ‘ta kick your ass.”

Grinning when he said it, Ken was still serious, and Kent nodded his acknowledgment.

Smiling, Kent said, “You got it.”

Rejoining the party, Brad and Ken felt a little lighter in their hearts over the exchange.

Brad: I never in a million years thought we’d have that conversation.

Ken: Yeah, I know what you mean.

Brad: I’m glad he came to us. It just proves it’s never too late to change. There’s still hope for Hampton and the other guys. It will take a while, but I bet Kent reaches them in a way we never could. They’ll never listen to us, at least not where they are right now. Maybe he can get them to that point, and then we can help.

Bryan interjected: If they don’t, I always have more habanero peppers to put in their shorts.

The memory of Bryan’s prank caused a ripple of laughter through the link.

Brad: Let’s hope it doesn’t come to that, Bry, but keep those peppers handy just in case.

<><><> 

The party was a huge success, relaxing and fun for everyone. Darren sent the Australian bunch back to the Uluru Base, but not before every man on the team had a chance to hold and play with Chloe.

Enthralling the big men, her tiny hands barely fit around their fingers, but she gripped them firmly, and the intelligence in her eyes belied her age. Understanding the strength of her mind already, they didn’t envy Kelly keeping Chloe under control.

For the time being the Congo base would be dormant and only occupied on an ‘as needed’ basis. They were stretched too thin to man it full-time. The pool might come into play in their training, but that would be something Ken would work on down the road.

As Bryan initiated the shutdown protocol to put the base in ‘sleep mode,’ Loy’s eyes flashed white and his body went rigid as his Avatar gripped him.

The female elephant, the one they rescued from the poachers, called to Loy, and his trigger fired, filling her with his presence. Looking through her eyes he was stunned to see an Eschphene, alone and sitting in front of the elephant.

As soon as Loy’s mind and Avatar touched the animal, he heard a voice.

All of you come to me. There is no danger to the creature you inhabit… she was the only manner I could utilize to reach you. Your touch is natural and easy for me to sense, Loy Barton… your Avatar most closely resembles the tenets of my people. Do not be alarmed, but it is urgent I speak with you.

They all felt Loy’s Avatar activate, and everyone in the link, primarily Rick, immediately monitored Loy to determine if it was safe to merge with him.

Loy held the connection, and his brothers filled him; Ten, five, one, plus Henry. Henry was with the boys in the pool, as were Kevin and Bill.

Ken: B, Lane, do either of you sense any immediate danger?

Brad: I got nothing, Ken. It doesn’t seem to be a trap. I don’t recognize this particular Eschphene out of the ones we’ve encountered.

Lane: Me either, boss. My gut says we go talk to him and find out what he wants.

Ken: Okay then, Dar, take us there. Henry, stay with the boys. Hopefully, we’ll be back shortly.

Henry: 10-4, Ken.

Staying in the link, Henry lent them his strength, also wanting to find out what was happening. If the Eschphene were involved, it probably regarded Drew.

This time, there were no flashes of lightning or cracks of thunder as they materialized. The ten men appeared silently around the Eschphene like ghosts in the night. It was late in the Congo, and the moon was close to full. The elephant and her calf stood not far away, with more of her herd nearby. To the bodies, with the bright moon, the night seemed like daylight. In the moonlight the colors were muted, but the massive form of the Eschphene was visible to them.

His body was thicker and more heavily muscled than any they had yet encountered. Right away they sensed something strange about him, something oddly enough, that reminded them of Albrecht. Peace seemed to radiate out of him.

Greetings, Loy Barton.

Turning to Ken, he continued.

And you, Ken Habersham.

After greeting every one of them by name, he asked: I sense Henry Ross is with you, but not present. Where is the child?

Ken didn’t want to come across as antagonistic, but he wanted to project an air of authority and leadership, and assumed his Captain’s voice.

“Who are you? And why are you askin’ about Drew?”

I desire no harm to come to the child. I wish to help him succeed in his attempt to lift the Curse from The Master.

Shock ran through them at that revelation.

“Your people have tried to capture Drew twice now ‘ta use him for your purposes. Again… who are you?”

I am Németh. The two leaders of my people you have fought are my direct descendants. I am not sure how many generations separate us… I exiled myself the day the Curse came to be. My greatest desire is to help Drew Ross remove the Curse over The Master and restore balance in creation and my people.

A smattering of ‘holy shits’ and ‘fuck me’s’ followed Németh’s words.

I was present when you recently met with the current leader. I watched his deception, and his insanity has infected my people. The depths to which they have fallen break my heart. We are not an evil race as you believe and were not always as you presently see us. I will mark the stone with the sigils you desire in return for performing a task.

Ken: I’m afraid ‘ta ask. Henry, are you hearin’ this?

Henry’s tension was evident. If Németh altered the stone, it could make the difference in Drew’s surviving his confrontation with The Master. In the link, he was taut with emotions, and everyone held him tighter, and he felt their arms around him as though he were physically present.

Ken asked, “What is it you want?”

I wish to claim you, Kenneth Habersham, as my Intercedent to kill the current leader of my people.

Lane: Didn’t see that coming!

If you do that, I can return as leader and restore them.

Brad: There’s a LOT he’s not telling us. He’s not lying, but there’s some significant history behind him we’re not aware of.

While Ken spoke to Németh, Pat looked long and hard at the Eschphene. He was far more powerful than any other of his race they had encountered. Physically he was much stronger, but the strength of his magic was unparalleled.

Pat: Why does he need you to kill the current leader? He could snap that guy like a twig without breaking a sweat from what I see.

Brad: It’s their laws and their magic. He needs to make it legit. We know they work on this weird ‘hive’ connection between the leader and his people. If we take out the current leader, we’re cutting out the infection. If Ken’s the Intercedent and eliminates the current leader, it allows Németh to step in and take over. Once he’s the new leader, from what we Understand, they will get back on track.

Henry: Ken, I’m not asking you to do this! We can find another way!

Ken: I can beat him. I know I can.

Henry: They cheat! You know this!

Ken: If they cheat, you guys step in and help, but if he sticks ‘ta the rules, it’s one-on-one, and I know I can beat him if it’s just me and him.

Henry’s anxiety was through the roof. Ken was fully charged mentally from an earlier bout of sex with Brad, and he merged with Henry, just the two of them.

<> 

Gripping Henry’s shoulders, his deep voice calm, Ken said, “It’s alright, Henry.”

“No, it’s not! This is all so fucked up! Ken… you know how much you mean to me. You know how much Drew means to me. I couldn’t stand it if anything happened to either one of you!”

Henry’s face was red, his eyes bright, and his chest so tight with emotion it was hard to breathe. Grabbing him, Ken pulled him into a tight hug.

“Yeah, this is all fucked-up, Henry. You don’t have our military background. This is a war… and we’re soldiers. It’s what we do. You know I’ll do whatever I can ‘ta ensure Drew’s survival. This is about Drew… not the world. If the worst happens, and I fuck up and die, you still need ‘ta protect Drew and carry on with the guys. As shitty as that sounds, you’ll have ‘ta suck it up and do it.”

Henry tried to laugh but choked, “So you’re saying shut the fuck up, put on my big boy panties, and deal with it.”

Grinning, Ken cupped Henry’s neck and shoulder, shaking him slightly.

“Yeah, I am, but I’m sayin it with love. You know this. I know you aren’t askin’ me ‘ta do this. It’s my job, and I’ll kick his ass. I’m trained for this.”

Through his tears, Henry smirked, saying, “You just want the cherished ‘favorite uncle’ spot. You aren’t fooling anybody.”

Laughing, Ken said, “Hell yeah, and it’s totally worth it. Now come on, let’s get things rollin’.”

<> 

Brad was aware of Ken’s conversation with Henry, and Ken was aware of Brad’s approval and support.

Ken: Alright, guys, I’m gonna do this. It’s Drew’s best chance. I’ve beaten this guy before, and I can do it again.

Their mental arms surrounded him, holding him tight, and when their confidence flowed into him, his Avatar ignited on the ball of his shoulder.

Walking up to Németh, Ken said, “I’ll do it. Promise me you’ll change the stone like we want, and I’ll be your Intercedent. I’ll take out the current leader for you.”

Németh didn’t smile. He felt tremendous sadness that matters had become so extreme that one of his people had to die to save them. He prayed to the balance that his exile was not in vain, and he could restore his people. He hoped the voice was real, and he was not as insane as the one he wished to depose.

Thank you, Ken Habersham. These events pain me and are not how I wish them to be. I will mourn the loss of the life you take. I am not pleased, but it must be done, and I am grateful for the part you will play.

Ken nodded and asked, “When will this happen?”

As quickly as possible. Henry and Drew Ross must be present. No harm will come to them, but by our laws, they must attend.

Watching, Pat Understood Németh’s sincerity. There was no deception in him, and he believed every word he spoke.

Ken: Dar, get Tommy and Brett ‘ta Atlanta and pull Henry and Drew here. B, let the doc and Albrecht know what’s happenin’.

While Darren focused on his tasks, Loy took the initiative to teleport back to Atlanta for a brief moment. They kept a container with their Kevlar Assault suits ready and packed for situations like this. Picking it up, his brothers helped pull him back. With Brad, Lane, and Bill helping him they didn’t need to tap Darren. The container was heavy enough it would take at least two of them working in conjunction to teleport it back with him.

Brad formed two memory spheres, which shot off around the globe. The doctor sat at his computer when one of the spheres zipped through the wall, bobbing in front of him. Cupping it in his hand, he absorbed it.

“Oh, my!”

Worry for Ken filled him, but Albrecht was with him and aware, having received his own sphere from Brad.

Albrecht: I’m with you, Aaron. Ken knows what he is doing; they all do. I worry too, but this is a part of their purpose, and you know that will make a difference. They are soldiers, as we once were. Be confident in them.

Aaron: I know. The forces they deal with are so far beyond what we ever did. It still frightens me, and it is a disservice to them for me to feel this way. We have helped to forge them into what they are… we set them on the path, and they are moving forward. They are the hope we dreamed of, and I must be confident in that, have faith in them, and overcome my misgivings.

Albrecht: If it helps, we can pray together.

Aaron: I would like that.

Albrecht: I’ll get Tommy and Brett settled with Sally and be right back.

Watching Albrecht leave his office, Aaron’s mind mulled over events of the previous few years. He sensed the stirring in creation, knowing what signs to look for and what portents to read. This was the first of a series of storms leading up to Drew’s confrontation with The Master, and anything involving either of them up to Drew’s seventh birthday would be tumultuous. Ripples upon ripples were hurtling out, and his sons, along with Drew and Henry, were at the nexus of them all.

Albrecht came back in a few minutes, and the two men, mentors to their sons who were the hope of the world, knelt together. Facing one another, they held each other’s hands and bowed, touching foreheads, praying for Ken’s success and well-being through the trial he was about to face.

<><><> 

A few minutes later, everyone was ready and wearing their Kevlar. Drew wore his Avengers t-shirt and matching hoodie, blue jeans, and his Iron Man sneakers. Henry held his son, whose little arms were around his neck. Feeling Henry’s strength and solidity along with his uncles surrounding him made him feel safe.

Whispering in Drew’s ear, Henry said, “Don’t be afraid, honey. Nothing’s going to hurt you. Me and your uncles will make sure of it.”

Ken approached Németh and said, “We’re ready.”

Their perceptions shifted as Németh took them to the Pale. Leaving the physical realm, the realm of their birth, felt odd. There was no sense of vertigo or motion, but there was a strangeness to the Pale that didn’t feel right. Darren immediately cleared the area of the small floating pebbles and rocks that were so annoying.

We are near. Follow me.

Encircling Henry and Drew, they moved forward, following Németh, and within minutes, they were noticed and approached. The Eschphene who saw them seemed aggressive, but before they could attack, Németh’s rocky voice echoed, “I claim the right of Intercedent! By our ancient laws, I challenge your leader. Go, and make my declaration known!” His voice carried a powerful command that brooked no disobedience.

The Eschphene showed no visible signs of calming down, and Patrick could see a high level of anxiety in them. They had no recollection of Németh or his history. He was a stranger to them, appearing out of nowhere, accompanied by their Nephilim enemies to challenge their leader. Hurriedly, they moved off to carry the news.

We must go to the temple, where the confrontation will take place. Are you prepared?

Calm and confident, Ken replied, “Yes.”

Very well. Let us proceed.

As they moved towards the temple, more Eschphene gathered around them. The sight was eerie as silence permeated the area while a crowd converged around them. Németh planted himself at the base of the steps of the large stone temple. None of the men knew what the temple represented in Eschphene culture, but it obviously held some major significance.

Ken stood at Németh’s right hand, Henry and Drew on his left, and the rest of the men fanned out behind them. Drawing on their sources of power they shone brightly in the Pale, there in a declaration of force and not hiding their auras.

Yggdrasil did not manifest in the Pale, although the life energy they pulled from it was not any less. The spirits Loy called were of that realm and strange to him, but present. There was no sense of completion or unconditional love from the creatures of the Pale, but his Avatar still drew strength from them and if he set his will upon them, they would obey.

It was different for Brad; in the Pale, he had to flutter their souls across both the physical and spiritual realms. It slowed the buildup slightly but not significantly. The eleven men, along with Drew, shone brightly in the muted colors of the Pale, strong in one another and the power they wielded. They learned how to reject Eschphene magic through their Avatars, and their powers were in full effect.

Ken watched the leader approach; his arrogance was clear, surrounded by an entourage of guards. After observing him on two occasions, Ken had a better read on his body language, and he did not look pleased to see Németh.

“I know who you are, Németh. The history of our bloodline calls you traitor, and your return defiles this place.”

Exuding an aura of power he previously kept veiled, Németh stated, “It is not I who defile our sacred tenets. You are a serpent whose head must be cut off and replaced. I will restore our people to what we are meant to be.”

“Brave words, old one. I will slay your Intercedent and then you, and the boy will be mine.”

Speaking up, Ken made his presence felt, “Quit stallin’. I’ve kicked your ass twice now. Third time’s a charm.”

“I accept your challenge old one, but unfortunately, I will not be fighting your Intercedent. In your absence, our laws have changed.”

Pointing at Ken, he said, “He filled that role when he killed my son and cannot do so again. There can only be one Intercedent at a time. Henry Ross was the original Intercedent, but his role was supplanted and unfulfilled; therefore, he is the current Intercedent. It is fitting, as the boy’s father.”

As soon as the leader accepted Németh’s challenge, the magic of the ritual snapped into place. Eschphene magic was legalistic and powerful, and Pat’s Understanding saw its strength; there was no way to fight it or circumvent it. Shock and surprise ran through them, and not a little fear; fear for Henry. Henry went rigid, not with fear but shock.

Turning to Németh, Ken asked, “What’s goin’ on!?”

The leader’s lipless mouth pulled back into a sneer.

“You should not be shocked, old one. After my son’s initial encounter with them, we were warned of the Nephilim Changelings and altered our laws to prevent further interference by them.”

Incredulous, Németh trembled with anger.

“You changed our laws!? You, more than anyone, know the danger of that! What have you done? Your role is to preserve our laws and the balance! Who warned you?!”

Luke’s voice rang clear as he stepped out of the crowd, “I did.”

Brad strengthened their shields, and Luke laughed, saying, “You know I cannot move against you yet. I have been dealing with these creatures for thousands of years. My plans here were laid before the Oath you forced upon me; they simply came to fruition at a convenient time. I have not, nor can I, circumvent the Oath. However, that makes this victory all the sweeter. The Betrayer, Henry Ross, must face the leader, and he will die. With his death, and with the child’s mother’s absence, the blood right to the child will revert to his birth father who has already given his consent.”

The smile on Luke’s face sent a chill down their spines.

“The boy, Drew Ross, was hidden from me, but now I know who he is. I know what he is. The Higher-Order did well to keep his existence a secret.”

Drew was wide-eyed and scared, but Henry cupped his cheek, turning his face away.

“Don’t look at him, honey. Don’t listen to him. I’ve got you.”

Looking to Németh, Ken said, “There has ‘ta be a way around this! Henry can’t fight him!”

His voice filled with sadness, Németh replied, “I am sorry, Ken Habersham. I made the declaration, and it was accepted. Our magic is strong in these matters and cannot be circumvented. Henry Ross must face him alone.”

Pat saw and Understood the binding between Henry and the Eschphene leader the moment the words were spoken. Their Avatars could resist the magic for a time, but not forever. The fight was inevitable, with the high possibility of Henry losing his life.

<><>  

Brad took them so deep time stood still, keeping Drew out of their link, not wanting him to hear the conversation about to take place.

Ken: Fuck! This can’t be happenin’!

Their fear for Henry was almost debilitating, oddly enough for everyone except Henry.

Henry, surprisingly calm, thought: It’s okay, Ken.

Ken: No, Henry, it’s not!

Henry: It’s what I’ve been training to do. I’m Drew’s dad and his protector. It’s my job.

It struck both of them they just had the same conversation in reverse, but neither one thought it the least bit funny.

Everyone’s eyes were bright, and Bryan grabbed Henry from behind, wrapping his arms around his brother.

Henry, I’m sorry. That fucker is strong… you’re human; we’re not… it took everything Ken had and Loy to take him on last time. Fuck we should have killed him!

There was no blame in Bryan’s exclamation. In fact, Ken sighed in agreement.

Yeah, we probably should have. It’s not our way, but I think I fucked up by not doin’ that.

A strange calm filled Henry, and he gripped Bryan’s forearms wrapped around him, feeling the trembling in his body.

It’s okay, Bry. I’m not afraid. You all have to promise me you won’t let them take Drew, no matter what. Liz’s sacrifice can’t be for nothing. And don’t let Drew watch; he’s going to be upset as it is, and that would be too much. He doesn’t need to see any of what’s going to happen.

Ken’s throat was so tight he couldn’t talk.

I won’t. I’ll hold him as tight as you ever have.

Henry’s words and demeanor told them he knew he didn’t stand a chance, and he wasn’t afraid to die protecting his son. The realization was soul-crushing, and they surrounded him, holding him, not wanting to let go.

Circumstances could change quickly, and tragedy could strike any of them at any moment, but no matter how prepared they thought they were, it was never enough. The sudden pain at the thought of losing Henry was something they weren’t ready for.

Each of them in their own way, deep where their souls were one, said their goodbyes. They were behind Henry one hundred percent, and it wasn’t a lack of confidence in his ability to fight; it was a simple fact the Eschphene leader was something beyond human and even with his enhancements, Henry was no match for the alien creature.

Their anger at Luke for ultimately being the cause of the current situation was a fire burning behind their grief, fueling their desire to resolve that situation once The Master was defeated.

Resting in his brothers, Henry gave them time to say everything they needed to, but the time was as much for him as for them. Strangely at peace with what was about to occur, he still had regrets.

He wanted to be Drew’s father and their brother forever, and now it looked like those things weren’t going to happen. He regretted Liz not being in Heaven waiting for him. But aside from those, he had no fear or regrets about laying down his life for Drew.

Kevin, so soon after losing his brother, wasn’t prepared to lose Henry as well, and he broke down sobbing, holding Henry so tight he could barely breathe. Kevin crushed his face against Henry’s neck while Henry held him and let him cry.

Henry didn’t know what to say to comfort Kevin, so he held him, simply being present. Sometimes there were no words, and you just had to be with someone while they hurt. Finally, there were no more tears, and their heads ached from the strain of tears and grief so long and deep. Their chests hurt, and they were all sweating from the emotions gripping them. Eventually, they quieted.

Finding his inner strength, Kevin supported Henry with his brothers. Silent promises were made, as they often were between men in times of war; responsibilities were transferred and carried by the survivors. Drew would be taken care of, and they would find a way to save him. Drew would never want for anything, except a mother and father.

None of them were ready to let Henry go, but it had to be done. They were soldiers, and in this instance, Henry was, too, and had a job to do.

Finally, Henry quietly thought: It’s time, fellas.

Brad took them back to their bodies. Henry sniffed, struggling to keep his voice even as he passed Drew off to Ken.

“Stay with Uncle Ken, Drew. He’ll keep you safe.”

Drew knew more was going on than he understood, and he was scared. Big tears fell down his face, but he was brave, and Henry was proud of him.

Seeing Drew in Ken’s arms, Henry started to break down but caught himself, not wanting to upset Drew even more.

“You’re such a good boy, Drew. I’m proud of you. Be good for your uncles, alright?”

In the place where they were one, Henry finally broke down.

Fuck! I promised never to lie to him… but I can’t tell him I’m about to leave him. I can’t do that to him!

Pulling Henry tightly against him, Brad thought: Don’t tell him, Henry. He’ll figure it out, but don’t tell him, so you don’t have to lie. You know we’ll take care of him like he’s our own; he is.

In his body, Henry held himself together as Drew, already starting to cry, managed to say, “I will, Daddy.”

Kissing Drew’s cheek, Henry tickled him a little, making him squirm, wanting to see and hear him laugh one last time.

Stripping off the lower leg and upper arm pieces of his body armor, Henry left his shoulders, biceps, forearms, and thighs exposed but left on his gloves and foot coverings. He opted for higher freedom of movement over protection. Most of his body was covered, and it would have to be enough.

Red fire erupted from his core, oxygenating his body and causing his muscles to swell, and a light sheen of sweat coated his muscular form. He didn’t have his brothers’ Nephilim heritage, but he was glorious nonetheless. He was the father and protector of his son, the boy who held the key to removing the Curse on mankind and restoring balance to all of creation. He was the wall and had to do whatever it took, even if it meant giving up his life to protect his son.

Turning to face the Eschphene leader, his voice was steady, echoing around the courtyard.

“I’m ready.”

<><> 

The Eschphene entourage moved off the circular area on the flat stone outside the Temple, and Németh indicated for Ken and the others to do the same.

Raising his massive, thick arms, the Eschphene leader incanted the beginning of the ritual in his native tongue. Sigils etched into the stone circle's perimeter glowed a fiery orange-red, and half of a translucent dome appeared over the area around him.

Németh incanted the other half of the ritual, and the remaining runes flared, invoking the second half of the dome. When the two halves touched, the magic sealed in place, and Henry was severed from their link. The dome was potent Eschphene magic, and nothing could breach it to interfere with the confrontation.

<><> 

When the dome sealed, everything went silent. Standing alone, Henry already missed the men he had come to love so much. He missed Drew as much, wanting to feel his little arms around his neck.

Holding his centering flame, Henry let his anger at the situation fuel it, and unwavering, it brightened even more. The anguish he felt from everything his son faced, the thousands of times he died through the centuries, the verbal and physical abuse by his birth father, Doug, the eternal loss of his mother, Liz… taking it all, just as Ken taught him, he let it make him stronger.

He also took the love his brothers had for him, freeing him from the Enemy, awakening his mind, being the family he never could have imagined before he met them, and fed the flame as well. Truly blessed to have met them, Henry counted it a privilege to be a part of them. He felt just as blessed being Drew’s father.

The dome would remain until one or both combatants were dead. The area within the dome was large, allowing the two warriors plenty of room to move and maneuver. Primarily translucent, everything seen through it was slightly fuzzy. The white lock of hair on Henry’s head shone oddly bright in the muted light, clearly visible to the men as they watched him. Like their Avatars, Henry’s lock of hair seemed to reject the muted nature of Eschphene magic.

Looking at everything tactically, Ken knew Henry would see it the same through his training, but he still tried to will his thoughts into Henry on how he would approach the fight. It was useless with the dome blocking his thoughts, but he pushed anyway. He could do no less for his brother.

Henry went icy calm as he approached the Eschphene. Their eyes met, emerald green to oily black. Seeing no fear in Henry, the leader was surprised. He saw determination, along with a will and conviction he didn’t expect from a human. Those were traits of the Nephilim Changeling he fought, and The Dark One said no human could exhibit them with the same strength, yet he saw the wall Henry had built himself into.

Cupping Drew’s head the same as Henry, Ken whispered in his ear, “Don’t watch, honey. Keep your head towards me.”

Crying, Drew’s arms tightened around Ken’s neck. The adult part of him was fully functional, and he realized with Ken’s words that his dad was going to die. The worst thing he feared was coming to pass.

Ken felt the change in Drew as the realization hit him that Henry didn’t expect to live, and the wailing pitch of his cries got higher.

“No! Daddy! You can’t leave me!”

His words were barely intelligible, cutting into the hearts of all the men. Bryan was close to Ken, and he moved up behind Drew to kiss him on the top of his head and put his hand on him, trying to comfort him.

Drew sent his silent plea out to the Birdman.

Help him! You have to! He can’t leave me!

There was no response, which upset Drew even more. Hysterical, his body shook with sobs, and he could barely breathe as he hiccupped, his breath coming in ragged gasps. His tears mixed with the spittle around his mouth, and his little face was splotchy and red. His mouth wide open, he emitted an almost constant wail. The intensity of his emotions roused the incarnations within him, and Brad had to intervene. The doctor said not to do that, but the circumstances were so extreme he didn’t know what else to do.

It took a considerable amount of power to hold them at bay, but he did. Isolating Drew from the manifestations, Brad built a wall just as Henry always did. The incarnations were desperate to help Henry, but any interference could cost Henry his life prematurely, and Brad didn’t know the consequences to Drew if he tried.

Instinctively, Drew reached for the stone, wanting its power to save his dad. As painful as it was, Brad blocked his attempt, and in his desperation, Drew didn’t understand how his uncle could keep him from helping Henry.

The rest of the men added to Brad’s strength, pulling Drew deep into their hearts, hoping their presence would help him in some small way. Each one of them appeared naked with Drew in their arms, holding him and whispering soothing words, but they were empty and had little effect.

With Drew’s face against Ken’s neck and shoulder, sobbing hysterically, they watched as the fight started.

<><>  

No words were spoken. The Eschphene lumbered up to Henry, towering over him. The sheer mass of the creature dwarfed Henry. Its biceps alone were thicker than Henry’s waist. Henry had never pitted himself against such a creature; against Enemy protectors and ‘Suits’ he was powerful, but against an otherworldly being like what stood before him, he had no idea.

Both times Ken faced an Eschphene, Henry had been incapacitated. The first time when Liz sacrificed herself to save Drew, Henry had been unconscious the entire time, knocked out by Brad. The second time, Henry was trapped in a construct with Drew while Ken and Loy fought the same being before him.

Henry didn’t have an Avatar; he had none of the extra abilities of his brothers - no Understanding, no psychometry, no teleportation, no connection to Yggdrasil or the music of creation… none of that. He would have to be equal to the task on his own or fail.

All he had was a father’s determination, fueled by the love of his son and the brothers he lived in and who lived in him. He had built himself into a wall against anything that might harm his son.

Let’s see how tough this wall is.

Slowing his perception of time, Henry took the opening stance of The Quintessential Dance. Even though he didn’t have the angelic heritage of his brothers, he was still grace in motion. Ken and Albrecht instilled the skills and knowledge in him, and he executed them flawlessly.

Overconfident, the Eschphene wanted to squash the human quickly. Raising a massive, blocky fist, he swung with all his might, attempting to crush the human. Taking a gamble, Henry knew if he was to have any chance against this creature, he had to test himself against it. He would make the attempt first, and if successful, he would go more defensive and build a strategy.

The massive fist, larger than Henry’s torso, came down. It took a long time with his altered perception, but Henry was patient, bracing himself. Red fire erupted across his physique, and his muscles swelled as adrenaline hit his heart, and he caught the blocky fist against his chest.

Not only did Henry catch its massive fist, he used the creature’s momentum and strength against it, falling backward and flinging its body over his shoulder and against the dome nearly fifty feet away. Henry was prepared for the spikes in its body but didn’t know where they were other than the ones openly visible. One came out of its forearm, trying to stab through his shoulder as he executed his throw. Henry managed to move enough so the spike only grazed his skin, but it drew first blood.

Bellowing in rage and surprise, the Eschphene flew through the air, slamming into the dome and falling to the stone floor with a loud thump. As his brothers watched, they had no idea if Henry could hear them but shouted encouragement in a show of support. It took every bit of Henry’s strength to pull off the maneuver, but he made it look effortless, executing the movement with perfection. Surprised at his success, he grinned in satisfaction.

Rolling to his feet the leader charged, but Henry deftly leapt up, kicking off his back… and so a game of cat and mouse began. Henry had no hope of tiring the creature out. Ken tried that strategy before, and it was simply too strong for that. Eschphene physiology worked differently than humans, and Henry’s plan wasn’t to tire him out but to enrage him into being careless.

His plan was simple and basic but effective if it worked… and it did.

Henry dodged and caught many bone shards fired like projectiles out of the Eschphene’s body. Losing track of time, his body remained in motion, fluidly avoiding the erratic attacks. He sweated profusely and breathed heavily, but he was not tired. His body was a genetically and magically enhanced machine, and he knew it intimately. His Core Energy Center bright and powerful; he was at the height of his power and strength.

The problem with his tactic was that the more enraged the Eschphene became, the faster he seemed to get. His movements were erratic and seemingly random, but he was blindingly fast for such a large, muscular creature.

The inevitable happened. As good as Henry was, but without his brothers' abilities, the creature eventually landed a solid hit, striking a blow that sent Henry flying against the wall of the dome yards away. Trying to roll his body but unable to do so, his back and head slammed full force into the wall, knocking him senseless. Ken and the others saw, and their hearts leapt in their chests. Watching so intently, Ken didn’t realize Drew had turned his head and saw Henry hit the wall and fall down. His little body jerked as if he was hit himself, and the squeal that escaped him was almost unintelligible.

“Daddy!”

Henry rolled and kept rolling, desperately dodging the blows hammering down onto the stone floor trying to crush him. Another hit landed, pummeling him on the stone floor. His face was bloody now, and his actions sluggish as he tried to focus. The blows were brutal, like being hit with a two-ton hammer each time.

One massive foot came down on Henry’s chest, and he felt ribs crack. His big arms grabbed the blocky foot, straining to push it up enough to breathe. His face purple from the effort; sweat poured off him, mixing with blood from lacerations on his arms and legs. Veins in his neck, shoulders, and arms were visible from the strain as he shook with effort.

All Henry thought about was being a wall. Drew was on the other side of that wall, and every blow that got through could potentially kill his son. That was his image in the centering flame, and if it faltered as he was knocked about, he kept grabbing it and making it still again.

His elbows pressed to the stone floor, with superhuman effort, Henry pushed the Eschphene off him, but the creature was only unbalanced and recovered quickly.

Each man watched as their brother was being whittled away, fighting bravely but ultimately overmatched. Tears ran down their faces, and every time Henry took a hit, they felt it themselves. Every drop of blood and sweat he shed, they felt. They couldn’t help themselves, and many times would let out a ‘fuck!’ as Henry was pummeled or kicked… but he always got up.

His eyes nearly swollen shut, blood covered him, dripping all over his body, and he lost count of the lacerations from the bone spikes. Standing up again, he spit out blood along with a few teeth. His chest hurt with every breath, and he knew one of his lungs would probably puncture if another blow landed on his chest.

Attempting to dodge another fist, he was too slow. Even though he didn’t feel pain like a normal human, insurmountable agony wracked his frame. Picked up as he tried to clear his vision, Henry found himself looking into the black eyes of the leader. Seeing the rage and insanity, he saw Drew’s death and his own.

I am… a … wall!

The voice of the Eschphene filled his mind in response to his thoughts.

Walls break. I will crush you!

Cradled in one hand of the creature, Henry’s arms and legs splayed out, hanging limply, and the leader’s other massive fist came down, crushing what was left of Henry’s torso. Feeling his chest cavity crack, blood spurted from his mouth.

At the edge of his hearing, through the pain, he thought he heard the sound of fluttering wings and wondered if it was Uriel coming to get him…

The white lock in his hair glinted brightly in the dim light of the dome as if it gave off its own light, reflected in the black orbs of the Eschphene’s eyes as he lifted a massive blocky fist one last time to kill him.

<>  

Henry started, not knowing where he was. The sun bright and warm, a gentle breeze blew over him. It took him a moment to realize he was on top of Stone Mountain, his head resting on Liz’s lap as she ran her fingers through his short hair. He remembered her hands and how they could turn him on like lightning. He was a big, rugged man, handsome and muscular, but her soft, gentle hands could tame him in a heartbeat.

The engagement ring was in his pocket, but the time wasn’t right. Glancing over, he saw Drew dragging Loy by his hand to come over and play.

The oddest sense of déjà vu washed over him.

What’s going on?

The light was strange… everything seemed yellow, almost like an old, muted sepia tone photo. He felt like he was in a memory.

Liz said, “I swear, all those muscles and the ‘D’ word brings you to your knees.”

Henry remembered the first time Drew called him ‘Daddy.’ Excited, it flowed so naturally from his lips that it struck Henry to his core. Henry never thought he could have a life again, not after becoming the monster The Enemy turned him into. He hadn’t deserved to live after what he did… but Loy rescued him, and his brothers broke The Enemy’s hold over his mind, freeing him. They gave him a life again, and one he wanted.

Sitting up with a scowl on his face, he knew something wasn’t right.

“What’s wrong, honey?”

Henry mumbled, “This can’t be. You’re dead. You can’t be here.”

Looking around, he saw Ken and Brad nearby and Loy and Rick coming over with Drew. Sally stood off in the distance, admiring the view. Everything moved in slow motion in his mind.

Again, he thought: What’s going on?

A sharp tingle burned on his scalp, and his hand jerked to the white lock of hair.

Liz said, “Henry, let’s go away together, just the two of us. Somewhere no one will ever find us.”

He wanted to. It would be perfect to have just the three of them... wait! Liz said the two of them. She wasn’t including Drew!

Liz couldn’t be real. She would never abandon her son. She sacrificed her soul and didn’t exist anymore.

Whispering again, he said, “You can’t be real.”

“I’m real Henry, or I can be. If you let go, we can be together. The guys will take care of Drew; you know they will. Come be with me, and we’ll be happy. We can have another son.”

Henry looked at Liz like he didn’t know her. She would never say that, not his Liz. She loved Drew enough to sacrifice her very existence for a chance he would survive and grow.

“Who are you?”

Her mannerisms were just like Liz’s. She smelled like Liz. She reached out and put a hand on his bicep, just like Liz used to do… that touch that drove him crazy for her. Her other hand moved up and brushed the hair off his forehead.

Grabbing her hand gently but firmly, he said, “Stop it. I can’t think when you do that.”

Frowning, she said, “What’s this?”

Touching the white lock of hair, her hand jerked back as if it burned her.

<> 

The Eschphene leader lifted Henry’s limp body over his head while Henry’s fingers twitched feebly, clawing at the air.

He had to be a wall, but the wall was crumbling. He had to hold on.

Must...

…Be…

…a wall.

His head lolled to one side, and he could barely see through his swollen eyes. The dome made things hazy, but he saw Drew struggling to reach him. Ken held him, but he was squirming and kicking, fighting with all the strength in his little body to get away and run to Henry.

Henry couldn’t hear, but he could tell how frantic Drew was from the look on his face. In his mind, he listened to the high-pitched wail Drew only used when he was hysterical. That sound was burned in Henry’s mind from the day at Wal-Mart shortly after Liz’s death, when Drew thought Henry was leaving him.

Extending his arm, he straightened his fingers, reaching; every move was torment. He desperately reached for his son, clawing at empty air...

<>  

Scowling, Henry moved away.

“Who are you?”

Her visage changed, and her eyes turned black.

“I’m a choice, Henry. Give up your life and come with me. I promise we can be happy together. Renounce your hold on Drew, back to Doug. The pain will stop, and we can go away together forever.”

What’s happening?

The lock of white hair burned, and he yelled in surprise, but the pain gave him clarity and wisdom to see through the glamour the Eschphene cast over his mind.

Liz’s face contorted with rage, and she shouted, “How can this be? You cannot overcome me!”

<> 

The Eschphene bore down on Henry’s mind with all his might. He crushed the human’s body but wanted to force him to renounce his hold on the boy. The Dark One told him the boy’s natural father must regain his right for their plan to work. That would happen upon Henry’s death, but the leader, in his ego and insanity, needed to make the human say it.

After thousands of his people died trying to capture the boy, he needed to make the human and the Nephilim suffer. Forcing the human to give up the blood right to his son would be a small victory, but one too sweet to pass up.

Thwarted at every turn by the Nephilim, he even lost his son, and he desired to inflict as much pain on them in their defeat as he possibly could. He wanted to utterly dominate the human and cause as much suffering as he could, both mental and physical, to make them pay. With those thoughts, he bore down harder on Henry’s mind.

The white lock of hair on Henry’s head flared brightly, burning in response.

Something happened, and Henry saw into the Eschphene’s mind. Whatever was happening connected them, working both ways, and Henry saw the Eschphene’s terrifying plan for Drew.

He had to hold on, no matter what! Henry was so broken he had no idea how he could fight back, but he had to do something! He tried contacting Brad to let him know what he learned, but the dome blocked him. If he died, the guys would never know the Eschphene plan for Drew.

His mouth so swollen he could barely talk, he yelled, “I’ll never renounce Drew to that bastard!”

Blood spit from his mouth as he shouted, and his words distorted from the swelling of his jaw and mouth, but his intent was clear, and the Eschphene was enraged even more at Henry’s defiance.

<>  

Henry’s brain clicked, and he realized what was going on. He knew Liz would never want Doug back in Drew’s life. Henry had never been a saint while growing up, but he had never hit a woman. He was pretty sure whatever Liz was in front of him, it wasn’t a woman.

Blindingly fast, Henry grabbed her throat. In the glamour, his body was healthy and whole. His arm became steel, and he grabbed Liz by her throat, lifting her off the ground until her feet kicked in the open air. His fingers clenching tightly, he bore down to break her neck.

<> 

Pat saw something happening between Henry and the Eschphene. Henry’s body was broken, and he seemed only a few breaths away from death. He saw Eschphene magic working on Henry, and the white lock in his hair flared, forming some sort of shield over his mind and heart… it wasn’t visible, but it was clear to Pat’s Understanding.

It wasn’t precisely a shield; it was more like a filter, augmenting Henry in some way he couldn’t tell yet… the dome interfered with his vision enough that his Avatar couldn’t discern it completely. Focusing intently, he desperately tried to Understand what he was seeing.

Suddenly, the Eschphene clutched at his throat, staggering backward.

The momentary reprieve gave Henry a few extra seconds.

It also gave his brothers more time to witness his suffering.

<> 

Henry shouted at Liz, “You’re him, aren’t you!? You bastard!”

Henry bore down with all the strength in his powerful body. His bicep flexed, and the cords in his arm were visible as he exerted every bit of strength in his arm and hand.

<> 

Clutching his neck, the Eschphene withdrew from the human’s mind before his throat was crushed. How could that happen? No human could see through Eschphene magic!

The white lock on Henry’s head burned like a fire in the leader’s mind, and he knew that was the source of whatever happened.

<> 

Wall…

Must… be… a … wall.

Using the words as a mantra, Henry’s centering flame, shattered before, resumed clear and steady in his mind.

Every breath was painful. Being alive was painful. He had never been in so much agony, not even in his conversion into a protector. Ken and Darren had been tortured nearly to death, and Henry now knew how that felt. It wasn’t a competition, but the fact that they survived their torture gave him hope and courage to fight harder, and he couldn’t bear the thought of disappointing them or Drew.

He tried forcing his vision to clear, but he was in so much pain. Only one lung partially worked, and so many bones were broken. Using his core energy center, he drew oxygen into his body to supplement his one working lung. Love for his son and his brothers was the only thing keeping him alive, but he wasn’t sure how much longer he had. What blood remained in his body was spilling out.

Forcing one eye open, the Eschphene had him cradled in one hand up close to his face, looking at him. Looking back with blurred vision, the creature’s black eyes widened in surprise. The Eschphene never expected such resolve from a human; The Dark One told him it was impossible, but the human bore a mark he had never encountered before.

Henry’s arm shook with the effort of closing his fist. He had multiple fractures in his arm, but he tensed his muscles, forcing them to comply with his will, and swung his fist as hard as he could into the closest eye of the leader’s big square head.

Screaming in pain and clutching at his face, the Eschphene dropped Henry, who fell to the stone floor, landing hard. Partially blinded, it held one hand over his eye while his other hand still clutched his throat.

Ken, Brad, and the others watched, praying either for a quick end or that Henry had some final trick up his sleeve. They didn’t Understand how the Eschphene had become injured, holding his throat. The dome was blocking too much, and they only had their normal eyesight to go on.

With no knowledge of what was happening, they were afraid to hope that Henry found a way to fight back.

Instead of away, Henry rolled towards the Eschphene. Not knowing if he was confused or did it on purpose, the suspense was killing them!

<> 

Liz disappeared, and Henry sat down slowly, fighting back tears.

Fuck! I blew it!

He knew his body was broken. His only chance had been to kill the Eschphene in the glamour or whatever it was, and he failed. He had his hand around its throat and didn’t squeeze quickly or tightly enough.

Looking around, he saw Ken and Brad looking at him. Loy and Rick were only a few feet away, with Drew in Loy’s arms.

In unison, they told him, “Hang on, Henry! Dig deep! Don’t give up!”

Drew practically yelled at him, “I love you, Daddy!”

Knowing it wasn’t them, he wondered at their encouragement. It didn’t make sense.

The last thing he saw was a white dove fluttering by, startling him. He wasn’t sure if the wings he heard were the doves or Uriel’s coming to take him Home as life was leaving his body.

<> 

Henry screamed as he landed on the ground, falling nearly ten feet onto hard stone. Every broken bone in his body shrieked, and he should have blacked out, but his pain hit the wall. Barely conscious, in his heart, he strove to reach Drew’s outstretched hand. His back arched in pain and his body jerked, but he rolled towards the Eschphene.

The creature’s bellow of pain and rage shook the dome. The promises of The Dark One were empty! The human should never have been able to defy his might or his magic. Standing over Henry, black blood flowed down his face from a useless eye. Sigils covering his massive body flared brightly, glowing with the red-orange light of Eschphene magic, and the muscles of his body bunched and rippled. One long bone shard protruded out of his thick forearm, and he drove the shard down and through Henry’s thigh, impaling him onto the stone floor.

<> 

Their pain was intolerable as they watched Henry struggle against the impossible, but he wouldn’t give up. It wasn’t in him. His bravery was beyond words, and Pat saw that Henry should be dead. He was dying as they watched, as he screamed when his leg was impaled. They had no idea how he could still be alive. The tension in all of them was unbearable.

Tears flowed as they held one another tightly. They couldn’t bear to see his suffering, but they wouldn’t cheapen or dishonor his efforts by looking away. They couldn’t; they owed him that. His courage and tenacity would be remembered; they would make sure of it.

His suffering tore at them, and Drew’s cries hurt them just as deeply, but there was no comfort at the moment for any of them. Drew struggled so hard to get away, Ken was afraid he was going to hurt him. Ken tried to resettle him but Drew kicked off his chest, slipping to the ground, putting his acrobatic training to use.

Ken didn’t know why he hesitated; with his enhanced speed and agility he could have easily caught Drew, but he didn’t. It was as if he wasn’t meant to grab him, or something inside him told him not to.

Running to the dome, Drew pressed his body against it, beating his fists and kicking it, trying to break through and get to Henry. Throwing all the power in him at the dome, it was ineffectual. He couldn’t get the stone, and his Uncle Brad walled off the others inside him.

His tears falling on the dome dripped down, his vision so blurred from crying he could hardly see as he cried for his dad over and over. He was only there a few seconds, but Henry saw his little body pushed against the transparent wall as Ken moved to pick him up.

Drew continued kicking and screaming as Ken’s hand wrapped around his waist. Henry couldn’t hear Drew with his ears, but he heard him nonetheless, in his heart, and it tore at him to see his son so distraught.

Henry’s mind went back to the night he merged with Drew on ZEUS, the night he realized Drew knew everything about The Master and the fact that he was Drew’s brother. Drew hadn’t seemed upset because Henry was with him. He always wondered how he could fill a parent's role after Liz was gone, but when Henry looked in his son and realized how Drew saw him, it humbled him beyond words.

How Drew came to love Henry so much astounded him, and he wasn’t afraid because he knew his dad would always be with him. Henry promised Drew on multiple occasions that he would never leave him, and that promise was about to be broken. The pain of that hurt Henry more than everything else he endured in the fight.

How much more Henry could endure, they didn’t know. By all accounts, he should already be dead. Every twitch of his pain-wracked body caused more tears in all of them.

They wanted him to give up and end it all, but at the same time, they couldn’t stand to lose him. The hole he would leave inside them was unimaginable. On top of that, they didn’t know how Drew could succeed without Henry by his side. All of their plans included Henry.

They reeled inside at how quickly everything became so fucked-up and what they were witnessing.

<> 

Writhing on the ground, Henry clutched the bone shard pinning his leg to the stone floor. He grabbed the shard, glad of his gloves as they smoked where he touched it, glowing and smoldering with sigils. He tried kicking at it with his other foot, fighting through the pain in his leg, but his efforts were too feeble. There wasn’t anywhere on or in his body that didn’t hurt.

Drew needed him. He couldn’t break his promise. He had to be a wall.

I AM A FUCKING WALL, DAMNIT!

Again, his mind went back to merging with Drew. Drew saw Henry as a tower of strength, always knowing what to say and making him feel safe. He loved the smell of Henry’s aftershave, even his sweat from working out all the time with his uncles. He loved the feel of Henry’s body when they slept together and Henry’s hands washing him in the shower. It wasn’t sexual, it was a bonding between a father and his son, and it ran deep. In all of human history, no son had ever merged, becoming one with his father, and the connection it created between them was unlike anything he could ever have imagined.

Thoughts of Drew and his brothers continued flashing through Henry’s mind. How much they helped him and loved him and Drew. They would do anything for him, and he couldn’t do any less for them.

<> 

The Eschphene couldn’t believe the human’s tenacity. The fight should have been over in seconds, and it had been going on for half an hour. Embarrassed before The Dark One himself, he was infuriated.

He kicked at Henry, but with his eye useless, his depth perception was off. Missing Henry, he hit the bone shard, snapping it off where it was stuck in the stone floor. Henry screamed again as the raw nerves of his leg were abraded by the rough shard when it pulled loose.

Emitting another roar of hatred and frustration, the Eschphene moved to stand over Henry. Raising both massive arms, he intended to bring his blocky fists down and finally crush the life out of his opponent and end the charade.

Slowing his perception of time, it prolonged his agony and suffering, but Henry persevered. The wall held, cracked and crumbling, but it was still there. With every breath another brick crumbled, weakening as death approached.

Watching, he saw the creature rear up with his arms over his head, his knees bent, and his body bowed back, bringing all his massive strength to bear.

Managing to get an elbow under himself, Henry leaned up enough to grab the bone shard. His right leg was now completely useless, dead-weight and dangling from his body, nearly severed. As he leaned up, he saw the hole in his leg and was surprised at how big it was. Blood poured from the wound, along with all his other lacerations, pooling and making the floor slick. If not for the blood allowing him to slide, he never would have had the strength to move into position.

Henry knew if his ploy worked, he would never hear the end of it, and he smiled in his mind; at least that wasn’t painful. It was his one chance, and it was a long shot.

The tip of the bone shard was razor-sharp, and the magic of its sigils made it a powerful weapon. He wasn’t sure if the magic would affect the Eschphene being its own, with the shard separated from his body and independent; however, it was the only weapon he had, so it was that or nothing.

Steeling himself, he fortified his will for the effort he was about to make. time moved slowly, stretching out his suffering, but he couldn’t speed it up and take the chance of making a mistake. He felt the trickles of sweat and blood covering his muscular body, frozen mid-drip. His sense of clarity at the moment was almost frightening, and the white lock of hair on his head shone brightly.

The Eschphene’s arms went up, his back arched and knees lowered, trying to use the full force of his body to crush the life out of Henry in one last blow.

As his knees bent and his arms reared back, his groin thrust out by the bowing of his body. Wearing wrappings around his legs and crotch, the outline of his huge genitals was clearly visible. After Ken’s first battle with an Eschphene, Henry heard the guys in the shower making jokes about how many balls were in the sac of the one Ken killed in Stone Mountain Park.

He knew they couldn’t lie and never would, but he thought there might be some exaggeration. There wasn’t. The creature's ball sac was enormous and a perfect target.

His timing perfect, he tightened his abdominal muscles, screaming as pain shot through his body, but his centering flame never faltered. The tip of the smoldering bone shard, razor-sharp, sliced through the wrappings and the tough, leathery skin of its scrotum. With a mighty effort, Henry twisted the shard inside the sack, cutting loose its contents, and watched with slowed perception as the skin separated and the leader’s testes scattered like marbles.

A wave of pain and shock hit the Eschphene as Henry eviscerated his maleness. His big blocky hands immediately went to his crotch, clutching the now empty sac as his one eye watched his testes scatter across the floor.

The stone floor shook as his body crumpled in pain. Letting the rage loose he kept contained, Henry no longer needed the control, and it helped him fend off his pain. As the leader thrashed on the floor, his big member flopped about, freed from the wrappings now in tatters. It was huge and an easy target and Henry leaned forward enough to grab it with one hand and slice it off with the bone shard.

If he survived, he could already hear the shit talk the guys would lay on him over the events of his fight. Maybe one day he would be able to laugh about them, too, but not today. Today, it was life or death for himself and Drew.

Black blood gushed from the leader’s wounds, not enough to kill him, but the pain was debilitating at least for a few seconds, and that was all Henry needed. With a superhuman effort, he slid himself in their mixed blood. Henry’s vision was fading fast, and he knew his heart was failing. There wasn’t enough blood left in his body to maintain life.

Punching at the leader’s hands covering his severed and empty genitalia caused his lipless mouth to open in a scream of pain, and with the last of his strength, Henry drove the smoldering bone shard into the monster’s mouth, through his skull, and into the stone floor.

His sense of time still slowed, the last thing Henry saw was the look of disbelief and pain on the Eschphene’s flat face, with the glowing bone shard from his own body impaled through his brain and skull. A wisp of smoke snaked out of his open mouth, frozen in the air.

Henry knew the dome would go away when one, or both of them, were dead. He heard the sound of fluttering wings again, and as his vision faded, he saw a bright blinding light…

<> 

Sitting in a booth at Waffle House, blinding light from the sun coming through the window made him raise a hand to cover his eyes.

Shocked, Henry looked at his body. Feeling fine and looking normal, he wore shorts and flip-flops and his “World’s Greatest Dad” T-shirt.

A waitress, whose nametag said ‘Lula’, came over and set two big slices of pie on the table, one chocolate cream and the other apple.

“Here ‘ya go, darlin’! Take yer pick!”

Her semi-toothless smile was bright and refreshing. After setting the pie down, she moved to pull the strings that lowered the blinds so Henry could see.

Looking at the pie, he jumped when he realized he wasn’t alone. A man sat in the booth across from him, who hadn’t been there a second ago.

It was Drew’s ‘Birdman.’ His eyes were bright, and a tear leaked from the corner of his eye as he said, “I’m so proud of you, Henry.”

Henry wasn’t sure what his tears were for.

“They are for you, Henry.”

Henry could only stare at the man, his handsome, well-worn face comforting to look at. He had crow’s feet around his eyes that Henry hadn’t noticed the first time they met.

Saying the first thing that came to his mind made him feel foolish.

“I’m sorry I didn’t shake your hand last time.”

Holding his hand out, the man took it. His grip was solid and warm and vastly comforting. His hands were rough and calloused, like a laborer's.

“That’s alright, Henry.”

Nodding his head at the pie, the man said, “Eat.”

Confused, Henry asked, “Am I dead? Did I make it?”

Miss Lula interrupted them, saying, “Here’s your coffee. You haven’t touched your pie!”

The man nodded again, saying, “Choose.”

Staring at the two pieces of pie, a cold feeling went through Henry.

“Is this a test?”

Throwing his head back, the man laughed, asking, “Do you mean like a blue pill or a red pill? Oh, my heavens, no. That’s funny, Henry. Thank you for that. It’s not a test, I promise. Take whichever is your favorite.”

Henry blushed, asking, “Don’t you know what my favorite is? You know…”

“Yes, I do, Henry, but I want you to choose. You have the freedom to choose. That’s the point.”

Henry wasn’t sure if the man dodged his question, so he asked again, “Am I dead?”

“You are dying. Your heart has stopped, and in a matter of seconds, your brain will cease to function.”

Tearing up, he asked, “What about Drew? I know the guys will look after him, but he needs me…” after a short pause, he whispered, “I need him too.”

The man smiled, and Henry saw it in his eyes. All of creation rested in his eyes.

“Whether you live is up to you and your brothers, Henry. I know how much the fight cost you, but if you want to live and stay with Drew, you need to dig a little deeper.”

Henry completely shifted gears, asking, “Is Liz really gone? Can’t you bring her back?”

“That’s complicated, Henry.”

“But…”

“Let’s not go there.”

“Why am I here?”

“To talk over pie and coffee. So I can tell you how proud I am of you. Regardless of today’s outcome, your actions were heroic. As I said before, you are an exceptional father, and Drew could do no better.”

“Thank you.”

Walking by their table, Miss Lula put their ticket face down on the table. The man reached for it quickly, picking it up before Henry could see what was on it.

Smiling, with a wink, he said, “This one’s on me.”

Henry didn’t see the price of the ticket. At the bottom, instead of a dollar figure, Henry’s name was written in.

<><> 

Ken and the others didn’t know what to do. They watched, impossibly, as Henry eviscerated the Eschphene leader, impaling the bone shard through his skull, killing him.

Pat’s Avatar had theirs synchronized, and he was finally able to see as Henry’s heart stilled. They waited, and time seemed to have stopped on its own. Through Pat’s Understanding, they watched Henry’s body shutting down. The electrical impulses in his brain spiked a little, and his core energy center flared almost imperceptibly one final time.

Tears streamed down their faces and their hearts were in their throats. The anticipation was almost too much to bear, but all they could do was watch and wait.

Drew looked back at Ken, diving against his neck, squeezing his uncle with all the strength in his little arms, sobbing so hard he could barely breathe.

<><> 

Henry was only aware of the pain and the remnants of the wall he built to protect his son. The wall was still there, but mostly in pieces.

He did it! That bastard was dead! He couldn’t touch Drew or follow through with their insane plan. Németh would take over, and Drew was safe from them!

Now for the hard part. Trying to suck in air, he couldn’t. Both his lungs had collapsed. His body didn’t have enough blood to sustain life. Battered, bruised, and broken, his brain needed oxygen.

Feeling his soul wanting to leave his body, he thrust what remained of the wall around that dark place inside himself.

No! I have to hold on!

He had one last hope, and it would kill him. He laughed at that thought as he lay there, past the brink of death. He knew his brothers were watching. He would do his part, and he trusted them to do theirs. Love and trust were the basis of the bonds they shared as they carried each other and cared for each other.

He remembered sleeping with Brad and Ken the night before, and what a comfort it was. If he had the energy to laugh, he would have at Ken’s reaction when Henry woke in the middle of the night with a piss hardon pressed against Brad’s back.

After all their training together and everything they had been through, he knew they would have his back as long as he gave them a chance. He trusted them with his life.

Channeling the last bit of his core energy, he drew enough oxygen for his brain to function another few seconds. That was the last of the energy in his body… and then he died.

<><> 

Pat: Fuck!

Time seemed to move in slow motion. Uriel appeared in a blaze of light, his wings stretched wide. Turning towards Henry and the Eschphene leader, he paused. Uriel’s light reflected off the white lock of hair on Henry’s head, blinding the archangel and making him throw up an arm to cover his eyes.

They watched Uriel raise his arm to cover his eyes and also the dome with bated breath. Shimmering slightly, the Eschphene leader’s half faded first.

The relief in Németh was tangible, and his words filled their minds.

Go to him!

The Eschphene guards, the leader’s entourage, surged forward and then stopped. The magic of the ritual completed, and with Németh now in control, he stopped them in their tracks.

Uriel recovered and his wings spread out, moving to sweep Henry’s soul along with the Eschphene’s to take them to the next phase of their existence.

Ken made it to Henry first, setting Drew down as he ran, pulling Henry against him as his soul left his body, hovering over his chest. Thick white ropes of healing arced from Lane’s hands into Henry. There was no time for a gentle healing, and Ken held him tightly as his body convulsed. The white ropes entered Henry’s body a millisecond before Uriel’s wings brushed by… and Henry’s soul was no longer there for him to take.

Darren and Pat pulled from everyone. Darren synchronized their Avatars, and the bones in Henry’s body straightened, knitting back together while his chest heaved and his lungs inflated. Darren cleaned up all the blood, making it vanish.

Collecting the Eschphene soul, Henry’s eluded him, and Uriel looked at them with wide eyes. Standing tall, they saw the corner of his mouth turn up in the same tight smile Bryan used on occasion when he was pleased with something. Nodding to them, a single tear, glowing with its own light, fell down his cheek over what he witnessed. Only pausing a second, he turned, his wings becoming raven black as he launched himself into the air, disappearing with the Eschphene’s soul.

Drew threw himself on Henry’s chest, wailing. His arms went around his father's neck as Henry’s eyes opened. Everyone surrounded him, relief surging through them. Their brother was alive! Henry was covered in a thick sweat from the healing, but his body was fresh and whole again.

His soul became one with theirs, brighter and stronger than before. They saw and felt his meeting with God in the Waffle House in the space between his last breaths. Their tears transformed from sorrow to joy, and their handsome faces broke into smiles as they unabashedly cried, forming a giant ball surrounding Henry, holding him and each other.

Holding his sobbing son against him, he kissed Drew’s cheek, whispering, “It’s okay, honey! I’m fine! I made it!”

Drew couldn’t talk, not understanding anything other than his father was alive and talking to him, his big arms holding him tight. Ken’s arms were around both of them and then everyone else’s.

Kissing the back of Henry’s sweaty head, Ken whispered, “Fuck! You’re alright! You did it!”

Repeating his words, he wanted them both to know it as if repeating them made it even more real.

They were bound together even tighter in the place where they were one. They held Henry as snuggly as ever, and he knew what they went through watching him fight. They were with him in spirit, never leaving his side and experiencing everything with him. His pain and suffering were theirs, and their joy of him being alive and with them was his.

<><> 

Luke watched in disbelief as Henry bested the Eschphene leader. All his plans, the centuries of scheming and corrupting the Eschphene people, were for nothing. With Németh’s return, by their laws and high magic, his ideology and wisdom would rule them. Living a collective existence, Németh washed away every bit of Luke’s influence in a matter of seconds.

Holding Henry against him, Ken and the others noticed the look on Luke’s face from across the stone courtyard. Collectively, they raised their middle fingers, shooting Luke a bird. Lane was about to turn and moon him when Luke vanished.

They all stood, and Ken pulled Henry to his feet. Drew held onto Henry’s torso like a spider, finally beginning to calm down. Brad kept their loving presence in his young mind to soothe him, and with Henry alive, his emotions were slowly normalizing. He was still terribly upset; his world rocked from seeing Henry so brutally beaten and dying in front of him.

<><> 

A short time later, Németh approached with his lipless mouth curved in a smile. It was a strange sight and one an Eschphene face didn’t seem designed for. Stopping before them, he bowed to Henry.

Thank you, Henry Ross. You made possible something I thought impossible. You have my gratitude and the gratitude of my people. Your actions were heroic and will be recorded in the annals of our history for all to know.

Blushing, Henry didn’t know what to say other than, “You’re welcome.”

I will honor our agreement and alter the stone as you wish. Do you have it?

Looking at Drew, who was finally calmer but refused to leave the arms of his dad, Henry asked, “Honey, can you do what we talked about?”

Sniffing loudly, Drew wiped his nose with the sleeve of his hoodie.

“I think so, Daddy.”

He was still having trouble talking and occasionally hiccupping.

Brad released the barrier in Drew’s mind that kept him from summoning the stone.

“Let’s cover your hands. Remember, it can’t touch your skin.”

Henry pulled his gloves off, and they dwarfed Drew’s hands, but they would serve as the buffer needed to keep the stone from touching Drew. The previous trap was still active, and if Drew touched the stone, he would be sucked back into it.

His little brow furrowing, it took a minute, and Drew breathed hard by the time the stone appeared. All the other times he called the stone he was in an emotional state of shock or turmoil, but his practice with the doctor, Albrecht, and Henry was paying off. With the chaos of the day his flame wavered, but with Henry’s encouragement he got it under control.

The stone appeared in his gloved hand. Looking at it for a second, he then held his hand out to Németh, who took it from him.

I will return.

With the adrenaline fading, the guys were coming down off their emotional high. Henry was physically fine but wanted to get Drew back to Atlanta and get them both a hot shower and into bed. He would face the trauma of what Drew endured the next day, knowing there would be severe repercussions over what he saw and experienced.

Henry had to face his own trauma. Even through the elation he and his brothers felt at his survival, what he endured was traumatic. Ken and Darren knew it best, but they all realized it and would help him through it.

Henry needed to calm his mind and shield his thoughts from Drew. The unfairness of the pressure resting on Drew’s shoulders and the things he was forced to endure as a six-year-old boy were beyond imagining. Seeing Henry so brutalized while protecting him was another item on a long list of things no child should ever be forced to witness.

They all heard his thoughts, but there was nothing they could do about them at the moment. They had to take what came their way in their attempts to help prepare Drew for his confrontation with The Master. As fucked-up as much of it was, they didn’t have a choice, but Brad also reminded Henry of the love surrounding Drew, not only from Henry but from all of them. They were another wall around Henry’s love, and that made a huge difference.

All of them were getting antsy by the time Németh returned, handing the stone to Drew.

Nudging his son, Henry said, “What do you say, Drew?”

Drew’s voice was subdued, but he said, “Thank you, Mr. Németh.”

You are most welcome, child.

Looking at Ken, Németh thought: I pray your plan works.

Ken said, “We’ll be goin’ now, Németh. It’s nice ‘ta know we’re not at odds with your people anymore.”

Farewell, for now, Nephilim. Today shines more brightly because of you and your brother.

Dar: Alright, ladies, boarding passes, please!

Brad said out loud, “Just one more thing. Drew?”

Holding the stone in his gloved hand, Drew said loudly, “Mr. Thomin! You can have it back now! Thanks for letting me borrow it!”

The stone vanished, and everyone breathed a sigh of relief. Safe in Thomin’s Vault, nothing could touch the stone, which was now ready, a trap for The Master that might give Drew a better chance to survive.

A second later they vanished, taken by Darren back to the realm of their birth.

 

One Week Later

Life was back to normal… well, as normal as it could get for ten half-angel former Navy SEALS, their brother Henry, and Drew. With love and patience, Henry and Drew began to work through everything that happened the week before. The men were traumatized too, needing their own comfort, which they found in each other's arms.

Henry found himself and Drew sleeping with whoever was on the roster with them. He needed their physical closeness, and they needed his. Drew always loved sleeping with his uncles, and the wolf-spirit guarded not only Drew’s dreams but Henry’s as well. Guiding his dreams, she helped him work through much of his trauma. She was as much of a help to him as his brothers, the doctor, and Albrecht.

Loy slept in Rick’s arms, his favorite place to be. They were in Australia on the roster. Henry was in Atlanta with Bill, Kevin, Brad, and Ken.

Loy and Rick made intense love to one another through most of the night, still reacting to the emotional turmoil of witnessing Henry’s brutal fight and death. A part of them would have died with him if that had happened, and they fought those feelings off with their physical love for one another.

They wished they were in Atlanta with Henry and Drew, but also laughed because there wasn’t a bed big enough for all of them. They knew through their link that Henry was sandwiched between Ken and Brad, and Drew was in bed with Kevin, Bill, Tommy, and Brett. The roster just happened to work out that way on that particular night.

Loy woke up, content and listening to Rick sleep, enjoying the feel of their bodies pressed together. He had to pee badly and didn’t want to wake Rick up. There was no getting around it, though. Rick was a light sleeper, and with his enhanced senses, it was almost impossible not to wake him. Loy teleported from the bed to the door. Rick immediately rolled over, making sure he was alright, and seeing Loy’s piss hard-on, he smiled sleepily.

Go drain the lizard. Then come back and let me drain him again.

Chuckling, Loy winked as he opened the door to pad down the hall to the bathroom. Everyone else was asleep, and he made as little noise as possible. He noticed a light on in the kitchen and something on the table. Entering the kitchen, he found a box with a note on it that said “Loy.”

Recognizing Lane’s handwriting, he wondered what it could be. Taking the lid off, there were two small objects wrapped in tissue paper. Flipping open the note, he read:

Hey, Loy. I made these for you to remember what happened. I didn’t have a dream or anything, but I know what happened touched you pretty deep. I wanted to make something beautiful out of what happened there. I hope using a little of the ivory doesn’t piss you off… it was already taken, and I wanted to turn some bad into good. Not sure where you’ll put these if you want to keep them.

Anyway… I hope you like ‘em, brother.

Love, Lane

Picking up the larger of the two bundles, he unwrapped the tissue paper, and his breath caught in his chest. Lane carved a beautifully stylized elephant; it was the mother he rescued, the one that called to him from halfway around the planet as the poachers were killing her.

Unwrapping the smaller bundle, it was her calf. They were amazing, and a tear fell down his handsome face at the beauty of what Lane crafted for him. Lane could be so goofy sometimes, but he was also a beautiful soul, and every so often he touched Loy in a way that was profound beyond words.

Reading the two small carvings as soon as he touched them, he felt the loving care Lane put into the effort. Lane and Bryan cleansed the ivory of the harsh impressions of the brutal killings and replaced them with the unconditional love the elephant and her calf held for Loy as their steward.

Picking up on Loy’s emotional rush, Rick quickly padded down the hall to the kitchen. He saw what Loy was holding, and Loy handed him the note. Smiling, Rick moved behind his husband, wrapping his arms around him and holding him tight.

Rick: They’re beautiful.

Loy: Fuck, he kills me when he does stuff like this. How in the world does he think I could be pissed at something so thoughtful and beautiful?

Loy went to the bathroom, and they went back to bed, but not before Loy set the carvings on the dresser in their room. He would have to find a prominent place to keep them as a reminder of what happened and because they were from Lane and meant so much to him. He couldn’t wait to show them to everyone else.

<><><> 

Standing inside the door, a ‘Suit’ waited for his Master’s acknowledgment.

The Master sensed the fear in his servant and wondered at the news he brought. Certainly not good if he was afraid of being killed.

Finally, The Master’s deep voice broke the silence.

“Come forward. Speak.”

Moving into the room, the man bowed low, not making eye contact.

“We’ve had word, Master, of difficulties in Africa, in the Congo. Our supply trade has been interrupted. The Order is responsible, and Loy Barton sent a message directed to you.”

“Leave me.”

The Master would listen to the message the Nephilim abomination known as Loy Barton left him some other time. He knew what it said, regardless.

The messenger looked awkwardly relieved. Usually, The Master would have killed him for being the bearer of ill tidings, but lately, he had been forced to curb his appetites. The numbers of his servants were dwindling, and as much as it galled him not to kill the man, he refrained.

The Master felt the stirring in creation, sensing the ripples. The time of his confrontation with The Order was nearly upon them. The Master saw it as a time of renewing his reign over the physical realm. Protected by the curse, he would destroy them. They claimed to know a way to defeat him, but no such way existed. He had been assured of that by The Dark One, ages ago when he was given dominion over the physical realm. Somehow, his brother had returned and was a part of everything. That piece remained unclear, but The Master’s confidence in the Curse was unshakable, and he knew he would be victorious.

Let The Order think they could succeed. It would make breaking them all the sweeter.

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